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Looking to build a new computer

C

ChaoticMunky

Member
I'm looking to build a new computer and have spent some time looking at parts on newegg.com.

I haven't bought any of the parts yet since I want to get opinions from those who know more

about computers than I, such as most (if not all) the members here, on whether or not this

would be a good computer.

Here's what I have selected so far:

Case: ASPIRE X-Navigator ATXA8NW-AL/500 Silver/Black Computer Case With Side Panel

Window (Product Page)

CD/DVD Burner: LITE-ON Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 4X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X

DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE DVD Burner (<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106989">Product

Page</a>)

Motherboard: ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard

(Product Page)

Memory (x2): Kingston ValueRAM 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200)

System Memory <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820141424">Product

Page</a>)

Processor: intel Pentium 4 540J Prescott 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor

(Product Page)

Sound Card: CREATIVE Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS GAMER Limited Edition 70SB035000013 8

(7.1) Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card (<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829102171">Product

Page</a>)

That's all I have selected so far. If anyone can suggest how I can make this better by

suggesting different components to use that'd be great. Also I haven't selected a video card

because I wasn't sure which would be a good one. So if anyone can suggest a real good one

that'd be awesome.

Thanks guys!
 
I'm sorry but, WTH? Do you have any idea what your doing? I can't tell if your joking or not... for one thing Intel processors +AMD motherboard don't work together. 775 != 939...
 
lol 10/10, whats your other user name?

In case you are sincere, I'll inform you of some things...
For a processor to work with a motherboard, they must have the same socket. That intel you have selected there is LGA 775, the motherboard has socket 939. Sockets 939, 754 and A are AMD sockets, everything else is intel.

If you want to go with intel (we'll discuss that later), then 99% of the time you have to get DDR2 Memory (possibly 100% now). The memory you have selected is regular DDR and is usually for an AMD processor.

Now, what do you plan on using this computer for? And also what is your budget?
If you're like a lot of the people here, you probably use it for gaming, in which case your best choice would be an AMD processor. Intel's single core chips are best for things like video editing and Photoshop. But if you do that kind of stuff, then the best buy right now is a dual-core AMD chip. These are very versatile because they are good for gaming and for the video editing/Photoshop typeof stuff.

So before you continue, I need your primary intended use and budget.
 
you need to do more research you have no idea what your are talking about right now.

right now if your a gamer your gonna want an AMD64

if you do alot of multi-tasking your gonna want a AMD64 X2 dual core.

when you buy a processor you have to have the same socket as the motherboard ( ex. amd64 3200+ venice socket 939 with a socket 939 board. )
video cards have the same thing AGP and PCI-E if you get an AGP motherboard you have to get an AGP video card. If you get a pci-e motherboard you have to get a pci-e video card.

for value ram i recommend corsair or ocz.
for video card if you go pci-e you should get an X800XL if you go AGP you should get a 6800gt. pci-e would be the best thing to do sense its newer technolgy.
NEC and BenQ make nice dvd burners you wont have to get two drives if you get one of these.
I recommend you get a case that doesnt have a bunch of fancy lights and a 500W psu the higher the wattage for a psu doesnt mean the better it is.

what you need to do is browse these forums for idk 4months and you should know what you want by then.
 
ShadowBlade, my primary use for the computer would be gaming, and as for my budget....I don't want to spend more than $2,000. Everything that you guys have told me I did not know. This'll be the first time I build my own computer.
 
OK...here are the parts I would buy in your situation. If you want to know why, post back here and ask.

(All prices from newegg.com unless otherwise indicated. Use pricegrabber.com + resellerratings.com to find the best price from a reputable reseller)

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Retail) $559
Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 Socket 939 Motherboard $89
OCZ 1GB 184-pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR400 (Retail) $112.95 each - get two
eVGA GeForce 7800GTX $469.99 ***
Samsung SpinPoint P Serries 200GB Hard Drive $86 - get two if you want, I only counted one in the total
Lite-On Black DVD-ROM Drive $19.99
BenQ Black IDE DVD Burner $40.99
Antec P180 Case $135 at mwave.com
OCZ PowerStream 520W Power Supply $135

Total: $1760.87

***Make sure you get Model #: 256-P2-N525-AX, not any of the other ones.

Remember - you can almost ALWAYS find all of these parts cheaper by using pricegrabber.com. After you find it cheaper, go to resellerratings.com to make sure that reseller is reputable and wont rip you off.

To save you a little time, the following are all good resellers:
Newegg.com
ZipZoomFly.com
MonarchComputer.com
Xoxide.com
and plenty of others.

Post if you need help or have any other questions.
PM me with your e-mail adress for help with actually building the computer.
 
Yes, PCI-E is an abbreviation for PCI-Express.

PM me with your e-mail adress if you need help with the actual building.
 
Originally posted by: nick1985
Originally posted by: KayKay
go with shadowblade's suggestion looks very good
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


Yep it's an awesome suggestion, but what is the amount that the OP can spend???

I don't think the OP is going to come back anyway, everyone in here laughed at him....and I guess I am too.
 
Oh, I'll be sticking around. I did my best with the knowledge I had at the time, asked questions, wanted input, got input, learned from it, and gained more knowledge.
 
Well, with the help of ShadowBlade I have, what I think, is a pretty good computer now to order and build. When I get the chance I'll post what it is.
 
There are plenty of guides to self-builds. You don't seem familiar with them so I'd look them up and give them a read before attempting to install anything. For a first build, I'd give yourself a good two hour time frame to complete the build from start to finish. Having all your tools available, even if you might not need all of them is a must. Building a computer is not really a daunting task compared to many years ago where there were multiple jumpers you had to physically set on a motherboard but you still need to be familiar with all the parts and where they go.

Shadowblade didn't mention any sound solution and for the most part it's not needed. Most end users will be happy with the quality of the onboard sound. It's by no means anything great but it's ok. Even I can tell the difference between an Audigy2 but I just don't feel the price premium on a good card warrants the extra money. Try the onboard sound, you can always buy a sound card and install it later if you feel the quality is not up to snuff.

One thing also not touched upon are the case, I am not familiar with the case you listed. I own an Antec P160 case and will be using it as an example of things to look for in a case. I am not saying to buy this case though it is a decent one, just that it has a lot of the features I look for in a case.

One thing I look for in a case today is 120mm fan slots instead of the old 80mm ones. A 120mm fan will not necessarily make your case any cooler but moving the same amount of air, it's quieter. Also look at the fan grills, they have relatively large openings but small enough that objects can't easily pass through. This allows safety from getting cut by the fan while it's in operation and allows maximum airflow through the fan grill. So in this case bigger is better (pun not intended). If you look at the pictures of the front of the case, you will see it has optical drive bezels that give it a uniform look. I don't like cases with case doors though YMMV (your mileage may vary). The drive covers hide the actualy optical drives while still giving full access to the drives. This prevents the checkered look where an optical drive doesn't match the color of ones case. A case should also have easily accessible USB, Firewire, audio plugs. This is great for plugging in devices like MP3 players, digital cameras and headphones without having to reach into the back of the computer case. A case should make use of thumbscrews.
 
Yeah, I'm not too worried about a sound card right now. I can always get one later on. As far as the case goes, ironically you have the one I decided on getting. =)
 
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