I'm thinking about getting this computer

[myztikgohan]

Antec P180 Advanced Super Mid Tower - Mid tower - ATX $129.00

SeaSonic S12-430 430W Power Supply - Retail $99.00

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ Processor (San Diego) Socket 939 Retail $220.90

EPOX EP-9NPA+ULTRA nForce4 Ultra Athlon 64(FX) Skt939 DDR ATX Motherboard w/Audio, Gigabit LAN, RAID/SATA II Retail $94.99

Corsair TWINX2048-3200PT 2GB DDR400 XMS3200 Memory w/Platinum Heat Spreader Retail $201.00

Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 250GB 3.5" Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM $103.50

SONY Black Internal Floppy Drive Model MPF920 Black - OEM $10.00

Samsung SH-D162C/BEBP 16X EIDE/ATAPI DVD-ROM w/PowerDVD Software (Black) $26.50

NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM $39.75

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS 70SB035000000 Sound Card - Retail $51.00

Logitech X-530 5.1 Speaker - Retail $53.99

eVGA e-GeForce 7800 GT PCI Express 256MB DDR3 Video Card w/HDTV-Out, Dual DVI & VIVO Retail $299.99

I have a monitor/mouse/keyboard.

Total price is ~$1450 US w/ shipping and tax

 

[theMan]

if you can spend the extra money, get an X2 3800+ otherwise it looks good.

 

[mwmorph]

if you want to oc a 3200+ is perfectly fine.
can yuo get the memory for less? $160 should be about right fro some cas3 valueram, 2 individual 1gb sticks.
oem drives need cables. make sure you have some handy. also, it needs mounting equipment. oem means nothing but the drive itself.
otherwise it's fine.

 

[eXx08]

No get a Opteron 148. They jsut went down to about the same price as your 3700+

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103596

 

[myztikgohan]

What's good about Opterons? I've never really read anything about the difference concerning them.

Will any cables do or do they need to be a certain type?

There is some G.SKILL Cas3 RAM, but the timings are in the 3s and not 2s like I normally see. Is that all right?

 

[ShadowBlade]

Opterons are beastly for overclocking. If you can swing the extra ~$10 (iirc) over an X2 3800+, then go for one of those instead. I believe the comprable processor number is 144

 

[myztikgohan]

X2 3800 is +$100 more and then I'd have to get a SLI compatible motherboard...I want this to be as cheap as possible. I'm also not a big overclocker, I only got XMS ram because it was the cheapest dual stick 2GB ram I could find that had a heat spreader.

 

[eXx08]

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
X2 3800 is +$100 more and then I'd have to get a SLI compatible motherboard...I want this to be as cheap as possible. I'm also not a big overclocker, I only got XMS ram because it was the cheapest dual stick 2GB ram I could find that had a heat spreader.

Screw the Heatspreader you don't need it.

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
X2 3800 is +$100 more and then I'd have to get a SLI compatible motherboard.

Why would you have to get a SLI motherboard?

 

[GamerExpress]

Originally posted by: biostud

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
X2 3800 is +$100 more and then I'd have to get a SLI compatible motherboard.

Why would you have to get a SLI motherboard?

I don't think I understand that either, don't get an SLI MOBO. I think what the OP has down looks great, you can switch to an Opteron 148 if you want.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: Opteron Guy

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
X2 3800 is +$100 more and then I'd have to get a SLI compatible motherboard...I want this to be as cheap as possible. I'm also not a big overclocker, I only got XMS ram because it was the cheapest dual stick 2GB ram I could find that had a heat spreader.

Screw the Heatspreader you don't need it.

:thumbsup: heatspreads actually heat up ram not the other way around since it just provides a nother material for heat ot dissapate into before going away.

 

[dguy6789]

You are spending a rediculous amount of money on the case. A quality computer case can be had for much less. Get a cheaper case and buy a 7800GTX instead of a GT with the money you saved, you will be much happier guarenteed.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

There's a lot wrong with that setup.

Do you realize you're spending more on the case & PSU than on the CPU? No, if you're going to put more than $1,000 into a PC, you had better get dual-core. The X2 3800+ or the Opteron 165 are both good choices. Get a cheaper case and PSU. Fortron Source makes decent power supplies. Any cheap case will do.

The 7800 GT can only be for games. If you want to waste your time and money playing some shoot-em-up, go ahead, but I don't recommend it.

Try 2x 120-160GB SATA hard disks instead of the one 250GB model.

The money you're setting aside for the extra DVD drive can be put to better uses.

Finally, ditch the SoundBlaster. If you want a quality sound card, get the M-audio Audiophile 2496. Otherwise, the Epox board has onboard sound.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
X2 3800 is +$100 more

Yes, but considering you're spending $100 on the case and $130 on the PSU, you can certainly make room for that $100. Get a $40 case and $90 PSU. Problem solved.

and then I'd have to get a SLI compatible motherboard...

Nope.

I want this to be as cheap as possible. I'm also not a big overclocker, I only got XMS ram because it was the cheapest dual stick 2GB ram I could find that had a heat spreader.

You don't need a heatspreader, especially if you're not overclocking.

 

[myztikgohan]

Yes, but considering you're spending $100 on the case and $130 on the PSU, you can certainly make room for that $100. Get a $40 case and $90 PSU. Problem solved.

No, I want to make this as cheap as possible. If you have a good $40 case and $90 PSU, I'm all ears.

Nope.

So I'm going to buy an X2 3800+ and not run it in SLI? Is that only for graphics cards?

You don't need a heatspreader, especially if you're not overclocking.

Oh, OK.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: myztikgohan

Yes, but considering you're spending $100 on the case and $130 on the PSU, you can certainly make room for that $100. Get a $40 case and $90 PSU. Problem solved.

No, I want to make this as cheap as possible. If you have a good $40 case and $90 PSU, I'm all ears.

Nope.

So I'm going to buy an X2 3800+ and not run it in SLI? Is that only for graphics cards?

You don't need a heatspreader, especially if you're not overclocking.

Oh, OK.

SLI only relates to graphics cards. An X2 is a dual core processor.

I'd also agree that you're overspending on your case - it's silly to spend that much on a case if it doesn't come with a PSU you'll use.

Also, someone above mentioned cables - *generally* motherboards come with all the internal cables you'll need, except the case wiring (which comes with the case). Obviously, verify what ships with the epox board, but you should be fine since it's a retail board.

I also agree about ditching the sound blaster... my personal feeling is that for a gaming PC, anything beyond stereo is a waste 98% of the time. It'd also save you some on the speakers.

Do you actually have a need for dual dvd drives? If you're not going to be doing a LOT of disc to disc copies, then that's likely a waste as well.

I'd also agree with another poster about getting two smaller drives (and RAID them) though the price on that one looks pretty good.

 

[myztikgohan]

Well I don't want a loud case and I want something with good air flow.

I'll ditch the soundcard, but when we're talking $1000+, $25 on an extra DVD drive that will give faster read speeds and contribute to a general ease of use is worth it.

Two drives cost more. You guys say I'm doing something wrong by getting a good quality case that's renowned for its quietness and coolness but may be a little pricey, and then you keep shoving recommendations down my face that noticeably up the price of my rig. Make up your minds.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
Well I don't want a loud case and I want something with good air flow.

I'll ditch the soundcard, but when we're talking $1000+, $25 on an extra DVD drive that will give faster read speeds and contribute to a general ease of use is worth it.

Two drives cost more. You guys say I'm doing something wrong by getting a good quality case that's renowned for its quietness and coolness but may be a little pricey, and then you keep shoving recommendations down my face that noticeably up the price of my rig. Make up your minds.

excellent case and power supply. Antec sonata 2./ not flashy but bvery quiet and proven reliability.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129155

the 2nd dvd drive is not realyl needed but it is pretty cheap and comes witrh software so ehh.. can go either way. i have 2 d vd drives and i really never use the 2nd drive.

3rd, dont get 2x 120gb drives, stick with 1 drive since more drives = more possibility for a drive to fail. price wont be too different. raid is worthless unless you need sustained read speeds like watching uncompresses(read: around 50-90 MBps video in .avi format). It actually slows down seeks times so the normal user wont reap much of a benefit.

audigy is a excellent gaming card. maudio is more of a music card, make a choce between the two. either will suffice but the audigy slightly distorts music(bass) to get better effects in games while the maudio is neutral for a better effect in music.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Yikes! Reading back at my post from this morning, it seems I was pretty rude to you. Sorry; I didn't mean all that to sound like it did. Let me try this again, with specific recommendations....

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
Antec P180 Advanced Super Mid Tower - Mid tower - ATX $129.00

SeaSonic S12-430 430W Power Supply - Retail $99.00

As I said before, this is not good. Try this instead...

$119 Antec Lifestyle Sonata II with 450W SmartPower PSU

That's still on the pricey side, but if cool and quiet is your thing, that will definitely get the job done.

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ Processor (San Diego) Socket 939 Retail $220.90

Again, this is not the best choice. If you didn't have enough money for dual core, it's actually a great choice. The thing is, you have plenty. That's why I think you should get this instead:

$282 Athlon 64 X2 3800+

EPOX EP-9NPA+ULTRA nForce4 Ultra Athlon 64(FX) Skt939 DDR ATX Motherboard w/Audio, Gigabit LAN, RAID/SATA II Retail $94.99

Now that is an excellent choice. I'm not sure where you found the $95 price, though. You can get it here for $108. Please note that this board has integrated 7.1 audio.

Corsair TWINX2048-3200PT 2GB DDR400 XMS3200 Memory w/Platinum Heat Spreader Retail $201.00

$188 Corsair ValueSelect 2GB dual DDR SDRAM

That's all you need.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 250GB 3.5" Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM $103.50

Just get two of these:

$174 WD Caviar SE 160GB hard disk (x2)

SONY Black Internal Floppy Drive Model MPF920 Black - OEM $10.00

Good.

Samsung SH-D162C/BEBP 16X EIDE/ATAPI DVD-ROM w/PowerDVD Software (Black) $26.50

Bad. You don't need two drives.

NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM $39.75

Good.

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS 70SB035000000 Sound Card - Retail $51.00

Bad. Your board already has 7.1 audio.

Logitech X-530 5.1 Speaker - Retail $53.99

If you want them, get them. Stereo speakers will do just fine, though, and you can get a better set for the same price.

eVGA e-GeForce 7800 GT PCI Express 256MB DDR3 Video Card w/HDTV-Out, Dual DVI & VIVO Retail $299.99

I'll never understand why folks want to spend their time playing video games, but if that's your cup of tea, I suppose this is a decent choice.

I have a monitor/mouse/keyboard.

Total price is ~$1450 US w/ shipping and tax[/quote]

At Newegg, you can get the following for $1,180 shipped:

Athlon X2 3800+
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra
2GB (2x1GB) Corsair ValueSelect
Antec LifeStyle Sonata II with 450W SmartPower 2.0
eVGA GeForce 7800GT 256MB graphics card
two WD Caviar SE 160GB SATA-300 hard disks (in RAID 0)
NEC ND-3550A
3.5" floppy
Logitech X-530 70W 5.1 speakers

It's less money than you quoted, and it's a better system. That's what I recommend.

 

[myztikgohan]

Thanks, I've taken a lot of ideas from this thread.

At Newegg, you can get the following for $1,180 shipped:

Athlon X2 3800+
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra
2GB (2x1GB) Corsair ValueSelect
Antec LifeStyle Sonata II with 450W SmartPower 2.0
eVGA GeForce 7800GT 256MB graphics card
two WD Caviar SE 160GB SATA-300 hard disks (in RAID 0)
NEC ND-3550A
3.5" floppy
Logitech X-530 70W 5.1 speakers

It's less money than you quoted, and it's a better system. That's what I recommend.

Athlon X2 3800+ $325
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra $105
2GB (2x1GB) Corsair ValueSelect $183
Antec LifeStyle Sonata II with 450W SmartPower 2.0 $118
eVGA GeForce 7800GT 256MB graphics card $300
two WD Caviar SE 160GB SATA-300 hard disks (in RAID 0) $174
NEC ND-3550A $48
3.5" floppy $10
Logitech X-530 70W 5.1 speakers $54

Total = $1317

I'm wondering where you're getting your numbers from. You linked to an Athlon64 3800, but then list an X2 3800, which one is it? Single or dual?

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: myztikgohan
Thanks, I've taken a lot of ideas from this thread.

At Newegg, you can get the following for $1,180 shipped:

Athlon X2 3800+
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra
2GB (2x1GB) Corsair ValueSelect
Antec LifeStyle Sonata II with 450W SmartPower 2.0
eVGA GeForce 7800GT 256MB graphics card
two WD Caviar SE 160GB SATA-300 hard disks (in RAID 0)
NEC ND-3550A
3.5" floppy
Logitech X-530 70W 5.1 speakers

It's less money than you quoted, and it's a better system. That's what I recommend.

Athlon X2 3800+ $325
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra $105
2GB (2x1GB) Corsair ValueSelect $183
Antec LifeStyle Sonata II with 450W SmartPower 2.0 $118
eVGA GeForce 7800GT 256MB graphics card $300
two WD Caviar SE 160GB SATA-300 hard disks (in RAID 0) $174
NEC ND-3550A $48
3.5" floppy $10
Logitech X-530 70W 5.1 speakers $54

Total = $1317

I'm wondering where you're getting your numbers from. You linked to an Athlon64 3800, but then list an X2 3800, which one is it? Single or dual?

i dont understand your guys obsession with raid 0. it decreases reliability, increases heat, increases seek times, andhe's not going to need sustained transfer rates. Just get a single 500gig drive.