I was thinking maybe if they were cheaper i could just get one of them, but if they arent please tell me so i dont make a mistake by buying one istead of just getting each part separately
You have to know about each of the parts, which you can do by reading reviews, but usually they are the cheaper parts on cheaper barebones systems.
Keep an eye on the HOT DEALS forum...
As for prebuilt systems, there was a deal at radio shack a while ago for a decent looking setup:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=40&threadid=1363307&highlight_key=y&keyword1=Radio%20Shack
They are sold out online but if you have one nearby that may be worth it. There are some big rebates involved ~$250 maybe, which you have to be scrupulous about reading the fine print, filling out, keeping copies, and following up. A couple people have had luck getting some extra cash ~ $60 off when they sign up for the Radio Shack card.
Could be worth it to get a game console like xbox or playstation on sale for now. PC gaming can be a small money pit, what with high speed internet, expensive video cards etc. The newest games coming out like Doom 3 require at a minimum video cards that cost $150 to play at mediocre levels of detail.
I guess the best thing you could possibly do is get a job that pays money and even it is not much, when you get home you can rejoice because it is ALL profit.
Low paying jobs where you can get tips are sometimes a good bet. My buddy in high school used to get great tips delivering newspapers in a rich part of town. Especially around the holidays. Or caddying golf. Or waiting tables - that's a job you can take with you as you move to school and good way to meet a bunch of freaks.
Keep an eye on the HOT DEALS forum...
As for prebuilt systems, there was a deal at radio shack a while ago for a decent looking setup:
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=40&threadid=1363307&highlight_key=y&keyword1=Radio%20Shack
They are sold out online but if you have one nearby that may be worth it. There are some big rebates involved ~$250 maybe, which you have to be scrupulous about reading the fine print, filling out, keeping copies, and following up. A couple people have had luck getting some extra cash ~ $60 off when they sign up for the Radio Shack card.
Could be worth it to get a game console like xbox or playstation on sale for now. PC gaming can be a small money pit, what with high speed internet, expensive video cards etc. The newest games coming out like Doom 3 require at a minimum video cards that cost $150 to play at mediocre levels of detail.
I guess the best thing you could possibly do is get a job that pays money and even it is not much, when you get home you can rejoice because it is ALL profit.
Low paying jobs where you can get tips are sometimes a good bet. My buddy in high school used to get great tips delivering newspapers in a rich part of town. Especially around the holidays. Or caddying golf. Or waiting tables - that's a job you can take with you as you move to school and good way to meet a bunch of freaks.
I should say that is fun and challenging and rewarding to build your own. Not to mention educational!
This latest box I am making:
Soyo barebones $20 after rebates. I forget how much shipping. saw it in HOT Deals forum. Came with:
cheap but pretty cool looking case - problem is the cpu is behind the Power Supply Unit so can't fit many heatsinks in there
questionable power supply
questionable cd player
questionable keyboard, mouse and speakers
very questionable mobo SY-K7VME for which Soyo dont even have a manual for, I am not going to even try using it
AMD tbred b 2700+ and Shuttle AN35N $109 shipped from outpost - saw it in HOT Deals forum
250 Gig hard drive..............................$140 shipped from outpost didn't need that big but may use it as a jukebox - saw it in HOT Deals forum
Tr2-M2 hsf ..........................................$17 shipped I think from newegg but I could have used the one that came with the cpu
512 MB Mushkin C2.5 ..........................$78 shipped from newegg
So you can see I am getting up there in price and there are alot of questionable Soyo parts I would probably have been better off not getting.
Should have got a smaller hard drive, and an Antec Case with True Power power supply 300 Watts plus for maybe $60, and whatever cd was on sale for maybe $30
Then I could use the SLK900A from svc.com $27 shipped instead of the TR2. Needs a fan.
I have a $30 Geforce Mx4 to use for basic video, probly wont work for any recent games.
Used keyboards and mice are dirt cheap, often you can find them dumpster diving aroung colleges at the end of the year.
Speakers - use your headphones.
Once you get a better idea of what you want, you can post it and people will bombard you with corrections and suggestions and some upgrades you can't afford.
It's good if when you post, you include links to the actual stuff so people can compare.
Sometimes people are trying to sell systems on the local newspaper, craigslist.org, or here in the FS/FT forum. You can also post WTB (want to buy) posts in FS/FT and see what offers you get. If you sell your current rig, might be able to recoup some cash, or may be able to reuse the case and power supply, cd player, floppy, hard drive, cables, etc. Post the details if unsure, there are alot of helpful pepole here.
Be careful of static and always do what mechBgon tells you to in his guide. Read the forums and other sites about hardware and especially overclocked systems, they can offer you good performance for cheaper price. Sorry I am being a rag. Good night!
This latest box I am making:
Soyo barebones $20 after rebates. I forget how much shipping. saw it in HOT Deals forum. Came with:
cheap but pretty cool looking case - problem is the cpu is behind the Power Supply Unit so can't fit many heatsinks in there
questionable power supply
questionable cd player
questionable keyboard, mouse and speakers
very questionable mobo SY-K7VME for which Soyo dont even have a manual for, I am not going to even try using it
AMD tbred b 2700+ and Shuttle AN35N $109 shipped from outpost - saw it in HOT Deals forum
250 Gig hard drive..............................$140 shipped from outpost didn't need that big but may use it as a jukebox - saw it in HOT Deals forum
Tr2-M2 hsf ..........................................$17 shipped I think from newegg but I could have used the one that came with the cpu
512 MB Mushkin C2.5 ..........................$78 shipped from newegg
So you can see I am getting up there in price and there are alot of questionable Soyo parts I would probably have been better off not getting.
Should have got a smaller hard drive, and an Antec Case with True Power power supply 300 Watts plus for maybe $60, and whatever cd was on sale for maybe $30
Then I could use the SLK900A from svc.com $27 shipped instead of the TR2. Needs a fan.
I have a $30 Geforce Mx4 to use for basic video, probly wont work for any recent games.
Used keyboards and mice are dirt cheap, often you can find them dumpster diving aroung colleges at the end of the year.
Speakers - use your headphones.
Once you get a better idea of what you want, you can post it and people will bombard you with corrections and suggestions and some upgrades you can't afford.
It's good if when you post, you include links to the actual stuff so people can compare.
Sometimes people are trying to sell systems on the local newspaper, craigslist.org, or here in the FS/FT forum. You can also post WTB (want to buy) posts in FS/FT and see what offers you get. If you sell your current rig, might be able to recoup some cash, or may be able to reuse the case and power supply, cd player, floppy, hard drive, cables, etc. Post the details if unsure, there are alot of helpful pepole here.
Be careful of static and always do what mechBgon tells you to in his guide. Read the forums and other sites about hardware and especially overclocked systems, they can offer you good performance for cheaper price. Sorry I am being a rag. Good night!
Ya um, does anyone know which components i should buy on a budget of about $500 not including monitor or os. I want the best things I can get but there are too many things ont eh internet and i have no idea which components to buy.
Ya thanks.
Ya thanks.
Originally posted by: metsfan1930
Ya um, does anyone know which components i should buy on a budget of about $500 not including monitor or os. I want the best things I can get but there are too many things ont eh internet and i have no idea which components to buy.
Ya thanks.
I'd suggest the Dell 400SC also - but you'd be stuck buying an OS, or a Compaq/HP box like this one:
__
HOT! HPShopping - Pavilion a610e Computer with AMD Athlon XP 2500+, 256MB DDR SDRAM, 40GB HD, and CD-Rom for $424.99 plus Shipping after Rebate plus FREE 15" LCD Monitor! (Posted by: Apex)
They`re doubling your memory to 256MB of DDR SDRAM for free, and are upgrading you from a 17" CRT to a 15" LCD for FREE after rebate, and there`s a $50 instant discount and $50 mail in rebate. The a610e is no low end computer, it includes an 8x AGP slot, so you can upgrade for a fast gaming experience. The minimum configuration (at $424.99 after coupon & rebates, but with 15" LCD) comes with an AMD Athlon XP 2500+ processor (upgrading to 2800+ is just $20, and 3000+ is $50), a free upgrade to 256MB of DDR SDRAM (in 1 DIMM, so upgrading is easy and cheap), 40GB HD, 48x CD-Rom, 5.1 sound, two USB 2.0 ports, Firewire, Windows XP Home, and a 1 year warranty. They only collect sales tax from 4 states, but there is shipping.
___
From gotapex...
I'd go with that one. $425's hard to beat with a 15" LCD. You'd never have to mess with it - you'd turn it on, and it would just work. No power supply hassles, no cabling hassles, and for one year, no support hassles either. It would come with a fully legal copy of Windows XP, already installed, and if you ever wanted to expand it, you could easily put in a faster CPU, a different motherboard, or a faster graphics card - it's got an 8X AGP port, so you're all ready for the latest upgrades. Drives would just slide in, without requiring tools, and the case is a breeze to work with.
The 2500+ is plenty fast, and for $425 I think it's a steal....with 15" LCD.
...and I doubt you can beat that system for that price, after all shipping, with all that support and assistance bundled into the price. Sure, you can put together a $20 KM400 barebones system, add a $70 AMD CPU, add some RAM for $50, and add a mouse & keyboard for $30, and then buy a copy of XP for $100, and then buy a 15" LCD for $225... You haven't saved yourself any money, and *you'll* be stuck with supporting it if there are any issues. Not a good deal in my book.
(And yes, I've built boxes for years. The advantages of doing so have declined rapidly in the last few years, and the price of doing so has skyrocketed. You used to *save* money doing so. Not anymore for the general user.)
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