my first DIY - advice needed for newbie

[leepark]

I want to build my first computer but don't know what components to install. I would like to use the computer for: internet (browsing, downloading large files, watching on-demand videos, etc.), office work (ms office), pictures and video (photoshop and maybe video editiing), and I might play the occassional game or two (but not a big deal). My budget is under $1000 Canadian (minus monitor, mouse, keyboard, speaker, and software). I have a Sony 19" LCD and Logitech X230 speakers.

After much research, the components I (THINK) want are as follows:
***Can you advise if I should change/stay with a certain component? If advice is to change, can you specify the component to change to? Can you also advise on downgrades/upgrades I should make if big or non-negligible performance (or whatever) boost is to be realized? BTW, all the following prices are in Canadian $ (from www.atic.ca)"""

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 <socket 939> 3000+ ($185) / 3200+ ($245) / 3500+ ($345)
OR Intel Northwood <socket 478> P4-2.4Aghz/533 ($155) / 2.8Aghz ($220)

CPU Cooler: recommendations?

Motherboard: Asus A8V Deluxe <socket 939> ($160)

Case: Lian-Li PC60U wo/ power ($140) - I really like the look of this case
Antec 3700BQE w/ Single fan 350W SmartPower ($98)
Antec Sonata w/ 380W TruePower ($120)
Antec Super LanBoy wo/ power ($100)

Power: recommendations?

RAM: Samsung DDR400 512M OEM ($85)
Kingston 512M DDR400 Value ($90)
Corsair DDR400/512M ($90)

Video: ATI 9200SE 128 TD 128M DDR TV-o OEM ($65)

Sound: Creative Labs Audigy2 PCI OEM ($46) / Audigy2 ZS PCI OEM ($88)

HDD: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 160GB SATA ($130) / 200GB SATA ($145)
Western Digital Caviar 200GB SATA ($146)

DVD-R: Lite-On LTC-18161H 48x24x48x16x ($62)
Plextor PX-712A/SW 12x4x16x 8x4x16x ($130)

CD-R: (use the Pioneer I have)

FDD: Mitsumi 7 in 1 Floppy & Card Reader ($27)

 

[montag451]

every week you wait - you'll save over 10% from cpu
or get a better one for the buck

i've been waiting 264 weeks now, and its amazing how cheap things are now, and for what you get , phew!!

 

[KayKay]

Looks Like it's going to be tight, under 1000 is tough. Here are some recommendations:
Antec Sonata: pretty much everyone's favourite case, go with that you wont be dissapointed
CPU Cooler: not really a big deal, you could use the stock one it's fairly quiet, possibly a Zalman 7000 series cooler, which is sorta expensive but quiet. (somewhere like $40 CDN)
RAM: Corsair Valueselect is very good. get it.
CPU: s939 3000+ should be good for your purposes
DVD Burner: NEC 3520 is one of the most recommended. go with that, $78 @ atic.ca. A Dvd burner can burn cds at like 48x so don't worry about a combo drive.
Hard Drive: Pick the one you like
Sound: Audigy2 non-zs
Vid Card. Is a tough one. If you want to game, even a little, you probably need a better card than that. Radeon 9550 128 MB ? $78 @atic.ca

Good luck

 

[flamingspinach]

Originally posted by: montag451
every week you wait - you'll save over 10% from cpu
or get a better one for the buck

i've been waiting 264 weeks now, and its amazing how cheap things are now, and for what you get , phew!!

It's been about 16 weeks since I set up my wishlist on NewEgg.com, and my CPU's price certainly hasn't gone down by 81.5%...

-fs

 

[leepark]

Antec Sonata, eh? I am considering that one but the Lian-Li cases are so nice. If I went with the Sonata I would be saving a bit of money (cheaper case and include power). No love for the Lian-Li? What about the Tsunami?

CPU Cooler - I didn't even know that one came with the CPU. Even better.

RAM Corsair Valueselect is the same as "Corsair DDR400/512M ($90)"

CPU: s939 3000+ should be good for your purposes - So, no need to go to a higher speed or a different model / or Intel P? Should I go with the Corsair DDR400/512M ($90)?

DVD Burner: NEC 3520 is one of the most recommended. go with that, $78 @ atic.ca.

Hard Drive: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 200GB SATA or Western Digital Caviar 200GB SATA?

Sound: Audigy2 non-zs - So, "Creative Labs Audigy2 PCI OEM ($46)" is good?

Vid Card. Radeon 9550 128 MB ? $78 @atic.ca - Is it worth it to slurge and get a better card? 9600?
**by the way, what is the reg vs. all-in-wonder?**
**oem vs. retail - should I get all retail or oem? which components can I get away with getting oem instead of retail? Is getting oem more difficult when putting computer together (remember, this is my first time). Do I need extra tools and items for the build?

Any advice is appreciated!!! Thanks.

 

[ComatoseDelirium]

Originally posted by: montag451
every week you wait - you'll save over 10% from cpu
or get a better one for the buck

i've been waiting 264 weeks now, and its amazing how cheap things are now, and for what you get , phew!!

HEY, is that sarcasm I hear in your denotation.

 

[KayKay]

Originally posted by: leepark
Antec Sonata, eh? I am considering that one but the Lian-Li cases are so nice. If I went with the Sonata I would be saving a bit of money (cheaper case and include power). No love for the Lian-Li? What about the Tsunami?

Lian Li is definitely an awesome case, but i don't think theres any way to keep it under 1000 if you get this.

RAM Corsair Valueselect is the same as "Corsair DDR400/512M ($90)"

yes

Hard Drive: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 200GB SATA or Western Digital Caviar 200GB SATA?

I have a diamondmax 9 and a caviar as well, both are pretty good to me. choose whatever's cheaper. I think maxtor

Sound: Audigy2 non-zs - So, "Creative Labs Audigy2 PCI OEM ($46)" is good?

no sense in spending ridiculous amounts of money on a soundcard. i think the basic audigy2 is pretty much better than what most people have out there anyway.

Vid Card. Radeon 9550 128 MB ? $78 @atic.ca - Is it worth it to slurge and get a better card? 9600?
**by the way, what is the reg vs. all-in-wonder?**

All in wonder means you can watch tv and capture video using it, as well as it being your main graphics card.

What is your budget on the video card? if you are willing to spend say $300 CDN on the video card, 6600GT will be my recommendation. If you just game casually, the 9600 pro 128 mb is better than the 9550 but it starts at like $125

*oem vs. retail - should I get all retail or oem? which components can I get away with getting oem instead of retail? Is getting oem more difficult when putting computer together (remember, this is my first time). Do I need extra tools and items for the build?

Some parts are fine oem like hard drive or dvd drive. Others Would be better to get retail, such as vid card and cpu and ram. If you get a tsunami, it is tool-less setup, so no tools. The sonata is semi-tool less, and i think you need tools for the lian-li. Usually the only tool you need is a philips (cross) head screwdriver.

 

[Bowfinger]

Originally posted by: leepark
Antec Sonata, eh? I am considering that one but the Lian-Li cases are so nice. If I went with the Sonata I would be saving a bit of money (cheaper case and include power). No love for the Lian-Li? What about the Tsunami? ...

I have a Tsunami. Excellent case; well-designed inside and looks great outside.

 

[leepark]

Thank you for the info.

I am trying to stay around $1000, it doesn't have to be UNDER $1000.

I have a few more questions:

1. If I buy a Lian Li, what power supply would I go with?

2. Are the 2 HD, DiamondMax Plus9 200GB SATA or Western Digital Caviar 200GB SATA about the same quality (speed & performance)? Which should I choose?

3. Video card is something I am having trouble deciding on. I don't have a set budget on this and am somewhat flexible but would ideally like to stay at a reasonable price for quality performance. What would be a comprable card for the system I am putting together?

 

[KayKay]

Originally posted by: leepark
Thank you for the info.

I am trying to stay around $1000, it doesn't have to be UNDER $1000.

I have a few more questions:

1. If I buy a Lian Li, what power supply would I go with?

2. Are the 2 HD, DiamondMax Plus9 200GB SATA or Western Digital Caviar 200GB SATA about the same quality (speed & performance)? Which should I choose?

3. Video card is something I am having trouble deciding on. I don't have a set budget on this and am somewhat flexible but would ideally like to stay at a reasonable price for quality performance. What would be a comprable card for the system I am putting together?

1. Get a quality power supply. I think antec true380 would be a good one.

2. I would go with the maxtor, thats the drive i found is the better of the two that i have

3. This is tough.
$50-100 : 9550 128mb
$100-150: 9600 pro
$150-200: 9600xt
$200-250: 9800 pro
$250-300: 6600 gt

video card is tough. i say go with the 9550 @ $78 atic.ca, because if you don't game, it works great, and when you actually want to play a game, you can actually do so. with something like 9200SE, you can pretty much forget gaming

 

[SrGuapo]

Originally posted by: KayKay
with something like 9200SE, you can pretty much forget gaming

Hey... You can game perfectly fine, albeit at 640x480, low detail, and 5FPS...

A 9550 is a good choice. I think these can be flashed and OCed to a 9700 Pro as well, if you are lucky...

While Lian Li cases are nice, they have no place in a budget system. you can get a very comprble case
(such a te antec Sonata) for much cheaper.

 

[leepark]

Is the Athlon64 3000+ the best choice? Put another way, should I go with a scoket 939 (over the previous or Intel)?

I didn't see a Radeon 9550 on the Atic site - who is the manufacturer? What is the next card up form this one? Is there that big of a difference between the two?

I really like the Lian-Li cases (from what I've seen on internet) so I am willing to spend a little more on the case.

 

[Terumo]

HDD recommendation: Seagate SATAs. One of the quietest drives (if you're looking to reduce noice in your case).

Fans: Panaflos -- some can be had with RPM monitors now (they move a lot of air with less noise). Vantec UV LED fans aren't very loud (quieter than Sanyos), but doesn't move as much air.

 

[KayKay]

Originally posted by: leepark
Is the Athlon64 3000+ the best choice? Put another way, should I go with a scoket 939 (over the previous or Intel)?

I didn't see a Radeon 9550 on the Atic site - who is the manufacturer? What is the next card up form this one? Is there that big of a difference between the two?

I really like the Lian-Li cases (from what I've seen on internet) so I am willing to spend a little more on the case.

3000+ is an excellent choice

the next step up would be a 9600 pro, which is better than 9550 for sure, i think it's in the $132 range

The thing is, if you buy a liani-li, which is $140, then you have to pick up a power supply as well, so thats like another 75 bucks, which brings you to like $215 just for the case+power supply. if you can afford it, go for it!

 

[CRXican]

You don't need to spend that much on a mobo for what you're using it for, espeically with that sad video card you have listed.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: montag451
every week you wait - you'll save over 10% from cpu
or get a better one for the buck

i've been waiting 264 weeks now, and its amazing how cheap things are now, and for what you get , phew!!

This post reveals a very important lesson in the PC DIY arena: You do not buy until you need it. Otherwise, you are paying too much and buying equipment that's going to sit and get more and more obsolete even before it's used. So except in unusual cases, don't buy any of it until you've made all your decisions - then, when you are ready, order all of it. I made some mistakes early that I wouldn't make today. Early on I had no idea how fast PC parts get obsolete.

 

[leepark]

I think I'm real close to finalizing my system - totals to around $1000 Cdn. Please advise on the questions below. Here's the list:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 <socket 939> 3000+ ($185)

Motherboard: Asus A8V Deluxe <socket 939> ($160)

Case: I think I will go with the Tsunami Dream (with 400W PSU) ($171)
or Antec Sonata w/ 380W TruePower ($120)
**Any opinions on which one to go with??

RAM: Corsair DDR400/512M ($90)
**Is 512 RAM good enough or should I get another 512?

Video: ATI 9550 / 9600Pro
**I still can't find the 9550 ($78). Which $132 9600Pro are you referring to (KayKay)? The cheapest one Atic had was the 9600XT128 AGP oem at $178.

Sound: Creative Labs Audigy2 PCI OEM ($46)

HDD: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 200GB SATA ($145)

DVD: NEC 3520A 16x8x4x ($78)

CD: (don't need one but I have an spare Pioneer)

FDD: Mitsumi 7 in 1 Floppy & Card Reader ($27)

How does it look? Any more changes recommended? If I had another $100 spend on top of the above system, what would be the next upgrade?

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: leepark
**by the way, what is the reg vs. all-in-wonder?**

All In Wonder means you pay more to have an integrated TV tuner which you have to throw out the next time you upgrade your video card.

Get a separate dedicated TV tuner, instead of an all-in-wonder.

 

[gamerj]

I would go Intel since your are mostly doing video-editing thingies..

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: leepark
I think I'm real close to finalizing my system - totals to around $1000 Cdn. Please advise on the questions below. Here's the list:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 <socket 939> 3000+ ($185)

Motherboard: Asus A8V Deluxe <socket 939> ($160)

Case: I think I will go with the Tsunami Dream (with 400W PSU) ($171)
or Antec Sonata w/ 380W TruePower ($120)
**Any opinions on which one to go with??

RAM: Corsair DDR400/512M ($90)
**Is 512 RAM good enough or should I get another 512?

Video: ATI 9550 / 9600Pro
**I still can't find the 9550 ($78). Which $132 9600Pro are you referring to (KayKay)? The cheapest one Atic had was the 9600XT128 AGP oem at $178.

Sound: Creative Labs Audigy2 PCI OEM ($46)

HDD: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 200GB SATA ($145)

DVD: NEC 3520A 16x8x4x ($78)

CD: (don't need one but I have an spare Pioneer)

FDD: Mitsumi 7 in 1 Floppy & Card Reader ($27)

How does it look? Any more changes recommended? If I had another $100 spend on top of the above system, what would be the next upgrade?

I'd say use your mobo's integrated audio and get another 512 stick of ram. Unless you're a real audiophile.

Audio won't be much different with integrated audio, but performance will be much better with another stick of ram.


No matter which you choose, either one can be upgraded in the future, assuming you'll have some additional $$ in a few months.

 

[leepark]

I'm thinking of buying the video card off of Ebay (and the funds will be coming from a different source) so I can afford a better card. I want something that will make my 19" LCD looks awesome.
MORE QUESTIONS -
1. Which card should I get? Please specify eact model number cause I did a preliminary scan and there's a lot of info I don't understand in the auction (e.g., AGP, etc.) and I have to get the right one the first time (no turning back). Is AGP something that I want?
2. Is it safe to buy components off Ebay?

Are there any other parts you would recommend I get from Ebay? What about CPU, if so, which one?

 

[leepark]

One more thing, please advise a video card that works for the mobo (Asus A8V Deluxe) I will be going with.

How is the 9600XT (256M) oem vs. x600Pro (256M) PCI-EX? 9700 Pro? Which is better for my system?

What's the difference between the all number models and the x+number models? Also, why are the same model number cards offered by so many different companies? Which company is best?

How about an older video card that use to be the #1? Better deals?

I'm pretty interested watching TV on the computer - should I get an All-in-Wonder or separate video & TV? Is the performance of (for example) 9800 Pro and 9800 Pro AIW the same?

 

[KayKay]

http://atic.ca/index.php?page=LongDesc&sku=06646
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=13007

9700pro used to be a top card, if you can find it cheap go for it.

i think you should get the sonata and drop the audigy, then you could use the money left over to buy more ram or a better vid card. if you are not satisfied with your on-board sound, you could always get an audigy later.

a lot of companies make products powered by ati chips, they often include better software, and sometimes even better cards, and are cheaper. it's difficult to say which company's card is better, but search for reviews on the web, and you should find the answer you need. in fact, nvidia doesn't actually sell cards, their cards are usually made by other manufacturers, so don't worry too much about that.

note, you can't use the x600 in your computer because you don't have PCI-E. In order to use PCI-E you have to get a different motherboard.

I dont recommend getting anything off e-bay, unless you trust the seller. There are a lot of reputable sellers on ebay so make sure you get from them.

 

[leepark]

What is a good price for the 9700Pro?

You say go with the Sonata, what about the Tsunami?

Are you saying that I don't need a sound card? I can use the sound from the mobo (I didn't know this was possible).

Is PCI-E better?

 

[KayKay]

some people have bought it from this forum between 100-200 US, i have seen

I say the sonata because it is cheaper, and it comes with a good power supply. I was trying to save you some money so you could get another stick of ram or better vid card.

The motherboard you selected (Asus A8V) has on board 8 channel digital audio. The sound quality is acceptable, however, when you listen to music, it utilizes your cpu to assist in the playing. With a sound card, you get better sound, and it doesn't use cpu to play music. I have always owned a sound card, but it can save you money if you didn't buy one.

PCI-E at this point, performance wise isn't much better, but AGP is slowly being eliminated. If you want your computer to last slightly longer, it may be advisable to get a PCI-E system. Have you considered an intel system?