Need help building system - nongaming

[mgo]

I'm planning on building my first computer. I have basic needs: word processing, internet, digital photography editing. I was thinking along the lines of a P4 and Intel chipset 845PE. I want the mobo to include USB 2.0, integrated sound or your recommendation for a sound card, integrated video or your recommendation for a video card, cdrw, floppy drive, and case and power supply (or should I use a 400w pc power and cooling power supply that I have on hand?). Thanks. Integrating all this is a little daunting to a newbie.

 

[magomago]

well, if its non-gaming try to get a good 2d card - I'd say the G450/550 if they even still sell those

edit:

I'd help more but i know more about AMD chipsets than Intel

 

[Shockwave]

Well, since your looking at basic functions, dont be lured into speed. You could get by just swell with a 1 gig PIII or Thunderbird. I'd also look for integrated out the wazoo (Video, audiou and nic) to cut down on cost.
But, I cant help much. AMD is more my area of experience. Anyways, what kind of budget do you have? You could get by pretty well off going intergrated, and since you rnot looking for maximuj FPS, might as well go that way. Figure, 120 or so for good Motherboard, another 100 on the CPU, average Joe case for another...60. HD for 100. Monitor for 400 (ALWAYS budget high for a monitor, its what you look at. It is YOUR interface to the PC>)

So, I figure...400 less monitor, 800 with. Oh, RAM. Another 50.

 

[Super6]

I would avoid integrated video for photo editing and go with the Matrox mentioned above or ATI. Load up on at least 512Mb of memory or more. I'm partial to Teac cdrw but there are lots of good choices out there. Your current case and power supply is more than adequate.

You can probably find all you need at Newegg, Googlegear, or Mwave and save on shipping buying from one. Check Anand's Intel motherboard reviews. Any name brand floppy will do and on board sound will suffice. Start with the motherboard and add from there.

It's not that tough and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. You'll also learn a lot in the process.

Super6

 

[mgo]

I was thinking of the Intel D845PEBT2 motherboard, but if I'm reading their spec sheet correctly, I will need a video card. Any thoughts on that?

 

[mechBgon]

If you were open to an AMD system, the EPoX 8RDA+ has this to offer:

• Onboard high-performance 5.1 audio with analog outputs (optical S/PDIF outlet available separately if that jives with your entertainment system)
• onboard native USB 2.0, six ports
• onboard 10/100 network adapter
• onboard native Firewire
• six PCI slots and an AGP 8X slot
• backward and forward compatibility to all previous Socket A CPUs and most or all future ones (depending whether Barton AthlonXP's come out at 400MHz bus someday, and whether the board will end up supporting such a thing)
• good performance and low price of around $110 shipped from mwave.com

For an Intel board, you might see if this looks good: Intel "enthusiast" board with lots of goodies on it Either way, your 400W PC P&C power supply should be great as long as it has the 4-pin P4 auxiliary power connector (for the P4 system).

 

[Shockwave]

I'd recommend the Epox on AMD chipsets. I have the Asus version, which has near identical features, and cant speak highly enough of it (Once you get past BIOS issues, which is why i wouldnt recommend the Asus for you)

 

[mechBgon]

The EPoX 8RDA+'s box has an X-Ray of a cheetah on it, too, so you know it has to be good

 

[Super6]

If you want Intel then ignore the AMD posts (I've got both). Intel mobos are super reliable and stable but don't overclock. If you're doing a lot of photo editing a separate video card is the way to go....Matrox or ATI for good 2D image quality.

As mentioned above check your power supply for the extra P4 4 pin connector. If you don't have one then you'll need a new power supply....Antec and Sparkle are good. Sell the existing one on the For Sale/Trade forum as PC Power and Cooling are worth good money.

Super6

 

[Shockwave]

Originally posted by: Super6
If you want Intel then ignore the AMD posts (I've got both). Intel mobos are super reliable and stable but don't overclock. If you're doing a lot of photo editing a separate video card is the way to go....Matrox or ATI for good 2D image quality.

As mentioned above check your power supply for the extra P4 4 pin connector. If you don't have one then you'll need a new power supply....Antec and Sparkle are good. Sell the existing one on the For Sale/Trade forum as PC Power and Cooling are worth good money.

Super6

Which is what everyone who has mentioned AMD has said. *IF* you want AMD.
As for reliability....How about going more in depth there.

 

[mgo]

Okay, how's this for ignorant. How do I determine (by looking at it) whether my power supply has 4-in P$ auxillary power connector? BTW, I'm not wedded to the Intel. I like AMD also. Sorry, no brand loyalty here. I just want something equivalent to 2.4 Ghz. The box with the Cheetah is hard to ignore!

 

[Bovinicus]

It's good to hear that you don't have a specific brand loyalty, because your system should definitely be AMD based. Intel can't compete with AMD's low-cost CPUs when it comes to performance. Furthermore, you can take advantage of the nForce2 which has a lot of hardware onboard.

I would go with the XP1700+. You aren't going to notice much difference with a faster CPU with the low requirements of your system. It can be had for under $50, which is just excellent.

The motherboard should be an nForce2 board. I really like the EPoX 8RDA+. It has a lot of features for a low price. It can also tweak and overclock with the best of them and runs super stable. My 8KHA+'s wonderful performance probably makes me a little partial, but my recommendation stands firm. USB2, NIC, firewire, and sound are all integrated.

Don't go with onboard video, you don't know how good the RAMDACs are. You want high quality 2D output. Matrox's cards are a tad expensive for my taste, so I would suggest ATi. With no games being played, I would suggest the Radeon 7000. The 2D output should be crystal clear.

I also suggest you get Crucial memory. The quality is excellent, and the prices are amazingly low. Don't bother with PC2700 and save yourself some cash unless you also plan on getting a 333MHz CPU.

That 400w PSU might be sufficient, but I really like my Antec Tru 330w. It is super quiet, and each rail has a dedicated line for more stable voltages. The case is whatever. Just pick one that isn't bargain basement but looks good.

 

[Shockwave]

Originally posted by: Bovinicus
It's good to hear that you don't have a specific brand loyalty, because your system should definitely be AMD based. Intel can't compete with AMD's low-cost CPUs when it comes to performance. Furthermore, you can take advantage of the nForce2 which has a lot of hardware onboard.

I would say therein lies the reason people have been recommending AMD. If you wanted the absolute fastest, balls to the wall PC out there, it would be a whole different ball game. But, considering you dont need a Alienware monster PC, AMD cant be beat for the price / performance ratio.

But really it doesnt matter. Not running the top of the line, from either side (AMD or Intel) you can still build a pretty reliable decently priced PC that will do everything you need very well.