New System

[tarentinos]

Okay, this is a strange story but here goes:

My computer was struck by lightning. The ethernet and audio went out but everything else was fine for awhile. Here are the specs:

Barton 2500+
Asus A7N8X
BFG Geforce 6800OC
1 GB Ram (184 pin)
60GB HD
CDRW Drive
Antec Solution Case w/ 300W Smartpower PSU

So I was using this system, right? I left from my dorm yesterday with the computer to drive home and get some parts I had ordered to upgrade my system while I was waiting for the whole Conroe situation to settle down so that I could buy later.

Here's what I ordered:
Arctic Freezer 7 Pro for LGA775 (which I didn't end up needing for another computer, so I could use it for a new computer...)
250GB SATA HD
NV Silencer for the 6800 (just to make it quieter, only $20)
CDRW/DVD Drive (I needed a DVD drive)
Dell 1707FP 17" Monitor

So I get home, and the system will not post. The fans spin, the monitor is connected. Nothing. Just a computer running with nothing happening! Everything seems to be connected, btw.

What I'm thinking is that the lightning finally caught up to it after the 1.5 hour trip home. I don't know why it would happen, but it just doesn't post now. The other two computers that were hit by lightning died months ago, so I suspect that this one was on its last leg.

The PROBLEM is that I have no computer now. I wanted to wait until Conroe's prices settled down a bit, but alas, I'm in a bad position. Do you guys have any idea as to how I could salvage these parts and put something reasonable together? Should I just tough it out for awhile using lab computers (ugh)? What would you do in this situation?

The only games I play are Warcraft 3, WoW, Guild Wars, etc. Nothing extremely graphics intensive. Noise is a big issue with me as well, so I would rather not have a vacuum for a desktop. Keep in mind that I'm a poor college student, so cost is a big factor.

Please help!

 

[Bobthelost]

If you're not going to be doing anything truely hardcore then a single core AM2 isn't a bad idea. Cheap and cheerful. Asrock must do an AGP AM2 motherboard of some sort?

Or of course C2D is a great chip, just a bit more expensive.

 

[silverpig]

Take a look at the capacitors on the motherboard. If any look like they're about to pop or are leaking, then it's done. If you have any extra hardware, you can test out your old parts to see what still works. Other than that, sell what works and get something new.

 

[Raduque]

Are you sure that 775 cooler is compatible with Socket A? Might want to put the hsf you had before back on and see if it posts. If not, and the 775 cooler doesn't work right with Socket A, you may have fried the chip.

What I would do (was gonna do, still might) is buy a good, conroe-compatible 775 OCing mobo, some DDR2-800, and a Pentium-D 805. Overclock the heck out of and use it till Conroes price comes down.

 

[tarentinos]

Originally posted by: silverpig
Take a look at the capacitors on the motherboard. If any look like they're about to pop or are leaking, then it's done. If you have any extra hardware, you can test out your old parts to see what still works. Other than that, sell what works and get something new.

Eh... I'm not sure what a capacitor looks like. I build computers but I'm not THAT knowledgable ( :

The Pentium D solution sounds pretty good. Hum.