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New Computer Build

C

crazyoldmankelly

Junior Member
I am looking for advice and recommendations on which components to purchase for a computer I would like to build for my son. He uses 3D Studio Max and Photoshop CS 2 in classes at college and would like to work on projects at home and would not be using the system for gaming. Thank you in advance.
 
what is your budget? you should look into an athlon 64 X2 processor, 2gb ram, and a good video card that fits your budget.
 
Agreed. These days, $2000 can build a very fast computer. Of course, if this $2000 has to include a monitor, that can cause you scale back a bit. A really good (big) LCD monitor can set you back between $500 and $1000. A top-end video card can also set you back $500.
 
My suggestion...

ABIT AN8-ULTRA Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $109.99

1 Lian Li PC-60BPlus Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$129.00


1 LITE-ON Black ATAPI/E-IDE DVD Burner Model SHW-1635S - OEM
$38.99

2 Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3160812AS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
2 x $92.50 $185.00

1 GeIL Value 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model GE2GB3200BDC - Retail
$194.91

1 SeaSonic S12-430 ATX12V 430W Power Supply - Retail
$99.00


1 AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Toledo 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4400CDBOX - Retail
$497.00

1 PNY VCQFX1300-PCIE-BLK Quadro FX1300 128MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
** This item may only be returned for a replacement of the same make/model within 30 days only.
$50.00 Mail-in Rebate
$345.

Total is $1600...

I would also suggest a Dell Ultrasharp 1905FP (the Outlet store has them at $300)

As a professional video editor and graphics person, I can assure you that he will drool over this...
 
Due to a family emergency (mother in law in the hospital), I had to postpone the build.
I will now have to buy the components gradually over time. I looked at what was suggested and started shopping. So far I have purchased:
Antec P180 Aluminum Advanced Super Mid Tower $128.24 @ Amazon Free ship
Antec SmartPower 2.0 500W Power Supply $79.99-$30 rebate $49.99 @ Fry?s
2 Seagate 160GB Serial ATA/150 ST3160827AS-RK Hard Drives $99.99-$50 rebate $49.99 each (I know half the maximum transfer rate but half the price)
I have additional questions.
I want to go with the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ but am waiting to see if the price lowers?
After comparing and researching I like the ABIT AN8-ULTRA but am leaning toward the Asus A8N-SLi Premium?
This week Fry?s has a Seagate 300GB Serial ATA/150 ST3300831AS-RK on sale for $149.00-$50 rebate $99.99. Would a third hard drive be good to have for long term storage?
 
Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Easy...
DVD burner
case with front USB/audio/firewire
floppy drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 160 GB hard disks (2)
modem
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra
256MB GeForce FX5200 with DVI & s-video
DVD ROM
M-Audio 7.1 sound card
Fortron Source 450W PSU
2GB Corsair ValueSelect PC3200 DDR SDRAM
Windows XP Home SP2
Opteron 165
TOTAL PRICE: $1,270.48

Just add a wireless keyboard/mouse, some speakers and a nice LCD display, and you'll have an amazing workstation!
Click to expand...

uhhh...you have an AGP video card and a PCI-E motherboard. 😕
 
I was looking at Viditor?s suggestion of the PNY VCQFX1300-PCIE-BLK Quadro FX1300.
I have found other brands of Quadro boards. Is PNY a better board? Is 128mb sufficient memory for a video card or does the Quadro GPU use the memory more efficiently?
 
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