Is it possible to build a good system for less than $300?

[rootaxs]

I've been so out of the loop lately it'd take me eons to get back on track yet i really need to get a better system than i have now due to a foreseeable load of graphic work in the very near future.

Currently i have a Dell Dimension P3-600 w/ 1gb of SDRAM and a TNT2 AGP card (16mb i think). My only gripe with this system is that the CPU is just getting a tad slow these days and with the load i've giving it.

My question is, is it possible to purchase:

- Case w/ PS
- CPU (preferably an Athlon or A-XP)
- Mobo
- 128 (or 256)mb RAM
- Decent size harddrive (optional)
- basically the bare essentials, i can transplant my CD/DVD/Floppy drives and cards as necessary.

I've managed to get a decent 2ghz/128mb/30gb system configured at Dell but it's just a bit over my budget at $469 after their $100 rebate.

Any help with this matter is greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Gibson12345]

Suggestions...

If you decide to go with the very equipment that you posted as wanting, here's a decent setup that I put together at NewEgg.

Epox EP-8K3AE Retail - KT333 Chipset - $69
256mb Kingston PC2700 - CAS 2.5 - $75
AMD Athlon 1600+/266 FSB XP Processor CPU OEM - $53
Cooler Master DP5-6I11A CPU Heatsink/Fan - $3
ANTEC SX835II w/350W POWER ATX12V P4 COMPLIANT POWER SUPPLY - $86

With the total ringing in at $286.

This is another option, as there are P4 motherboards out there that support PC133...

Intel Pentium 4 Motherboard Model D845WNL - i845 - $110 (PC133)
Intel Pentium4 1.8A GHz 512K Socket 478 Processor 400MHz FSB - $140
ENERMAX EG365P-VE(FM). 350W Power supply - $49
(I'm only assuming that your current PS don't support the P4)

Since you have a GB of PC133 lying around, the above is certainly a viable option. I can't guarantee it will be quite as fast as the AMD+DDR solution above, but the difference certainly won't be THAT noticable, and if you're doing video/photo editing, the extra RAM is a must.

 

[Zebo]

Gibson has some good sugestions but no video. Keyboard, Speakers, floppy, CDR, mouse and monitor I assume your gonna use from old system, right?

I would change the mobo to..
Asus A7N266-VM NVIDIA nFORCE 220 $79
Gives you decent video.

Also I would change the case and get a burner so you can have some document protabilty.

Case
FOXCONN SUPER MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 ***AMD Listed 300W Power Supp $32
Burner
Lite On 40X12X48 CDRW $55

Total 297 plus shipping

 

[Wolfsraider]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Gibson has some good sugestions but no video. Keyboard, Speakers, floppy, CDR, mouse and monitor I assume your gonna use from old system, right?

I would change the mobo to..
Asus A7N266-VM NVIDIA nFORCE 220 $79
Gives you decent video.

Also I would change the case and get a burner so you can have some document protabilty.

Case
FOXCONN SUPER MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 ***AMD Listed 300W Power Supp $32
Burner
Lite On 40X12X48 CDRW $55

Total 297 plus shipping

right on i was wondering the same and was looking at the same mobo/price arangement thanks Carbonyl

mike

 

[rootaxs]

Thanks for the responses guys

I was looking at Anand's Value System and it seems the prices on some components have gone up since. But looking at your suggestions, that just gave me a better idea of what to get.

I might go with Gibson's list but replacing the mobo and case/p.s. with the one's that Carbonyl suggested. I have an old case here from Cybermax days where i could probably just replace the P.S. but i probably won't be saving much that way. Btw, the biggest P.S. i have right now is 215w IIRC.

Btw, i already have kb/mouse/cd/cdrw/dvd/hd's and a couple other peripherals so i won't be needing them.

Hey, i may just be able to break the $250 barrier if i do this right. Thanks again!

 

[rootaxs]

Okay, i got it down to this configuration. The thought of the XP1900+ is pretty cool though i might go lower than that in favor of having more RAM. What do you guys think? Can i do better price-wise? (If it weren't for the s/h charges on the case this would be a pretty sweet system)

Newegg:
FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
Cooler Master's DP5-6I31C-A1 - $6 (what's the diff between this and the $3 one? Does it include the thermal paste?)
Asus A7N266-VM - $70.99
AMD Athlon XP 1900+/266 - $84.00

Mushkin:
PC2100 256mb - $79 (would the mobo above support PC2700?)

Shipping is free on everything except for the case. Total comes up to: $293.99

 

[GoodRevrnd]

I'd really get the 1600+ over the 1900+ and save $35. You can always bump it up a few notches to get 1900+ performance.

 

[rootaxs]

OC'ing? Do you think the chip can handle it inspite of constant heavy loads?

Thanks.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: rootaxs
OC'ing? Do you think the chip can handle it inspite of constant heavy loads?

Thanks.

ask insane3d... those 1600's are great overclockers

 

[rootaxs]

Willdo. Thanks

 

[KF]

Asus A7N266-VM, for OCing, look out. There is no way whatever to OC this mobo. Not in the BIOS, and not with jumpers. (The EPOX board is loaded with OC facilities.) You can't set the FSB above 133. You can still OC the chip itself by altering the CPU "bridges" to a higher multiplier, as with any mobo.

>PC2100 256mb - $79 (would the mobo above support PC2700?)
No option for the faster memory.

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: KF
Asus A7N266-VM, for OCing, look out. There is no way whatever to OC this mobo. Not in the BIOS, and not with jumpers. (The EPOX board is loaded with OC facilities.) You can't set the FSB above 133. You can still OC the chip itself by altering the CPU "bridges" to a higher multiplier, as with any mobo.

>PC2100 256mb - $79 (would the mobo above support PC2700?)
No option for the faster memory.

That is correct without soldering the JEN jumper.

And ROOTAXS, I forgot the ECS k7s5a (around $50 & lots of steller reviews online) will accept your PC 133 ram or DDR ram so you could save a bundle using your existing ram. Plus you could overclock if you wanted. In this case you'll need a video card The ATI 9000 is sweet and only $69. But their are many others. I just like this one cause it has no fan and still scores 7500 3dmarks and looks very good 2d.

 

[Pink0]

I have run the K7S5a for a long time with PC133 and benched it in several apps and synthetically. After adding some PC2100 I found the different to be negligable at best. You want quantity over speed here.
Try this config on for size:
K7S5a:$53.99
AThlon XP 1800+ retail: $84.00
Keep your existing ram
FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
Total cost $171.99
I would HIGHLY recommend the retail CPU. The heatsink that comes with it (has a thermal pad too) is perfectly fine as long as you're not overclocking. You also get a 3 year warranty with it and you're planning on keeping it a while so this is a must!
The board is fine. I have/had one and it's great even with PC133.
You still have $129 left over to get a burner and videocard if you want.

 

[tart666]

I've managed to get a decent 2ghz/128mb/30gb system configured at Dell but it's just a bit over my budget at $469 after their $100 rebate.

You forgot to use the 10% coupon. Total $403 shipped

 

[glugglug]

128 or 256MB RAM will be dog slow no matter what CPU you throw at it, so go for at least 512.

At first I thought you might just be better off upgrading your old system but DDR is cheaper than SDR already, so going by current pricewatch prices:

Athlon 1.4GHz (T-bird, not 1400+, same clock as 1600+ with older core) with mobo: $106
512MB PC2100 DDR: $108
GeForce2 TI 64MB: $69 <- maybe worth it to go geforce4 here?

Total: 283

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: Pink0
I have run the K7S5a for a long time with PC133 and benched it in several apps and synthetically. After adding some PC2100 I found the different to be negligable at best. You want quantity over speed here.
Try this config on for size:
K7S5a:$53.99
AThlon XP 1800+ retail: $84.00
Keep your existing ram
FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
Total cost $171.99
I would HIGHLY recommend the retail CPU. The heatsink that comes with it (has a thermal pad too) is perfectly fine as long as you're not overclocking. You also get a 3 year warranty with it and you're planning on keeping it a while so this is a must!
The board is fine. I have/had one and it's great even with PC133.
You still have $129 left over to get a burner and videocard if you want.

I see no one needs video anymore. So add $69 for either a GF3 or ATI 9000.


All Prices verified at Newegg.com...

ESC K7S5A System
-Video card $69
-K7S5a:$53.99
-No ram needed
-Atrtic silver3 $3
-Cooler Master DP5-6I11A CPU Heatsink/Fan - $3
-AMD Athlon 1600+/266 FSB XP Processor CPU OEM - $53


Total $213.99 then add a burner if you want and you're still way less than $300


or

Asus A7N266-VM System

-No video card needed but you need new ram
-CRUCIAL MICRON 256MB 32x64 PC 2100 $75
-Asus A7N266-VM NVIDIA nFORCE 220 $70
-AMD Athlon 1600+/266 FSB XP Processor CPU OEM - $53
-FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
-Atrtic silver3 $3
-Cooler Master DP5-6I11A CPU Heatsink/Fan - $3
-AMD Athlon 1600+/266 FSB XP Processor CPU OEM - $53

Total $291

 

[rootaxs]

Tart, after taxes i'm still looking at a hefty amount for my budget

Carbonyl, thanks for the heads up. I think i'll take your suggestion and mix it with Pink0's configuration while downgrading the CPU to a 1600+ with the hopes of being able to OC it at a later time. Btw, would having different steppings matter in this case?

Glug, that system looks decent enough however it doesn't include the case/ps and already it's hitting close to the budget.

Not that i'm being cheap or anything but i got laid off a couple months ago and to tide things over i'm doing freelance work, but with the system i have to work on it's hard to keep deadlines.

So here's the newest config:

K7S5a:$53.99
AThlon XP 1600+: $54.99
FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
Cooler Master's DP5-6I31C-A1 - $6
ATI OEM RADEON 9000 Atlantis 64MB DDR W/TV out NO DVI - $66
Keep old set of 1gb SDRAM
------------
Total: $214.98

Am i missing something? Would the Cooler Master include the paste in the package?

 

[rootaxs]

Carbonyl, i see you're doing the homework for me too

I think i'll stick to the Epox system and keep my old RAM sticks. I figure it'll be roughly $250 w/ shipping (for the case) or maybe lower if i get that deal in Techbargains for a LED equipped case.

btw, i won't need a burner. I've got a slew of drives to move over from the current system

 

[Zebo]

Pink0's configuration while downgrading the CPU to a 1600+ with the hopes of being able to OC it at a later time. Btw, would having different steppings matter in this case?

I have NEVER heard of a 1600+ that won't overclock to 2000+ levels so the 1800 is a waste of time. They are for all practical purposes the same chip with a different pricetag. (assuming you overclock both chips)
.

Not that i'm being cheap or anything but i got laid off a couple months ago

Hey cheap is good and smart too!

So here's the newest config:

K7S5a:$53.99
AThlon XP 1600+: $54.99
FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
Cooler Master's DP5-6I31C-A1 - $6
ATI OEM RADEON 9000 Atlantis 64MB DDR W/TV out NO DVI - $66
Keep old set of 1gb SDRAM
------------
Total: $214.98

Am i missing something? Would the Cooler Master include the paste in the package?

Sounds great
Coolermaster has a thermal adhesive pad. Overclockers beware.

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: rootaxs
Tart, after taxes i'm still looking at a hefty amount for my budget

Carbonyl, thanks for the heads up. I think i'll take your suggestion and mix it with Pink0's configuration while downgrading the CPU to a 1600+ with the hopes of being able to OC it at a later time. Btw, would having different steppings matter in this case?

Glug, that system looks decent enough however it doesn't include the case/ps and already it's hitting close to the budget.

Not that i'm being cheap or anything but i got laid off a couple months ago and to tide things over i'm doing freelance work, but with the system i have to work on it's hard to keep deadlines.

So here's the newest config:

K7S5a:$53.99
AThlon XP 1600+: $54.99
FOXCONN SUPER CASE MID TOWER CASE ATX3400-P4 - $34
Cooler Master's DP5-6I31C-A1 - $6
ATI OEM RADEON 9000 Atlantis 64MB DDR W/TV out NO DVI - $66
Keep old set of 1gb SDRAM
------------
Total: $214.98

Am i missing something? Would the Cooler Master include the paste in the package?

yes..but its either paste or TIM pad
sell the Dimension to offset this operation after reducing the amt of ram in it to 256MB or so..the ECS has only 2 slots either SDRAM or DDR266

 

[l33t]

I thought you might like to read this:
an interesting read

You like numbers?
http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/digest3d/index.html

 

[KF]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: KF
Asus A7N266-VM, for OCing, look out. There is no way whatever to OC this mobo. Not in the BIOS, and not with jumpers. (The EPOX board is loaded with OC facilities.) You can't set the FSB above 133. You can still OC the chip itself by altering the CPU "bridges" to a higher multiplier, as with any mobo.

>PC2100 256mb - $79 (would the mobo above support PC2700?)
No option for the faster memory.

That is correct without soldering the JEN jumper.

Not to be thread hijacker, but where do you find the info about the JEN jumper and what it does?

 

[Bleep]

The JEN jumper is posted in the anandtech fac post and here is another link for it,
Clickie here


Bleep

 

[Daniel]

Do you have 2 512 meg sticks of ram?

 

[Zebo]

Originally posted by: KF

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Originally posted by: KF
Asus A7N266-VM, for OCing, look out. There is no way whatever to OC this mobo. Not in the BIOS, and not with jumpers. (The EPOX board is loaded with OC facilities.) You can't set the FSB above 133. You can still OC the chip itself by altering the CPU "bridges" to a higher multiplier, as with any mobo.

>PC2100 256mb - $79 (would the mobo above support PC2700?)
No option for the faster memory.

That is correct without soldering the JEN jumper.

Not to be thread hijacker, but where do you find the info about the JEN jumper and what it does?

NP. Here is a pretty good thead on how to do it with links etc.

JEN