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purpleparalyzer

Member
Dec 29, 2005
95
0
0
Hello everyone I've been browsing online and these forums for my next computer. I have a crappy emachine thats just about dead - but hey it was free so I'll take it. I've made some decisions about what I would like but I welcome your expert opinions.
This comp will mainly be used for multitasking - photoshop/itunes/aim/mozilla/antivirus etc...
but I would like the option to upgrade to gaming. I wont be overclocking any time in the near future. Here is my current selection of hardware:
(I won't be purchasing a video card right now cause I wont be gaming)

*edit* ~updated selection (thanks for all your help!):

Biostar Tforce 6100 939
Athlon 64 X2 3800
Patriot Signature 2x1gb DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Aspire ATX 500W (24-pin Dual +12V)
WD Caviar SE16 320GB 7200 SATA 3.0

Still undecided on the case:
Thermaltake Tsunami
or
Thermaltake XASER armor series


Lastly I wanted to mention I have a gift certificate at Fry's that I would like to use towards this build. If anyone has a suggestion of which item I would be least ripped off by at Fry's that would be greatly appreciated (150 to spend)
 
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WildHorse

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2003
5,006
0
0
Or this one Xclio 480W

I have the Xclio 450 Watt with the same nF4 chipset you plan on, & Athlon 3200+ on a DFI motherboard.

My Xclio psu is real quiet with its 120mm fan, nicely sleeved wire bundles, 24 pin native connector, etc. If I did it over I'd buy the 480 instead of the 450. Actually, for a rig like you're planning I'd pay about $130 & get the OCZ powerstream 520W psu (you can buy it cheaper than at Newegg).

Page 3-8 of the Epox manual for your EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra 939 says 350 Watt PSU minimum, but the DFI people say 480 W minimum, and I believe they're right.

As for the RAM choices you list, I'll endorse the OCZ ram, because I have OCZ (TCC5 modules on BrainPower pcb), and it's really an excellent performer at lower power/heat. I'd previously used Mushkin utt ram, but got rid of that in favor of the OCZ, which performs much better in my rig.

As for your HDD I don't know about the Seagate. Suggest you buy one or better yet two that are SATA-2 instead of regular SATA (for the future). I think Haitachi has them. You might read through the HDD tab at the top of this Anandtech web site.

As for cases, well if the Cooler Master Centurion 5 you cited is of same quality level as the excellent quality & cooling of my Cooler Master Stacker, then it might be a good buy. You can eyeball them in a retail shop, but better prices online even including delivery charges.

I can't imagine building a hot rig like you plan & not buying a great video card. That's about the main way you experience your computer, so you might rethink that. You can buy a real good one in the range of just under $300 after tax & shipping, and well worth it. You only need one, since you don't need SLI.

Suggest you plan on a good cooler for that Athlon 64 X2 3800+. When you start overclocking that baby you'll want a better cpu cooler, so you'd be money ahead in the long run if you just buy the OEM cpu (no cooler included) and a good separate cooler, and Arctic Silver 5 thermal compound to mount it. Thermaltake XP-90 & a good fan work real well on my overclocked Athlon cpu. You may not plan to OC now, but I bet you get into that sooner than you think.

You don't list some things you'll want to budget for, like:
DVD burner, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone, extra case fans, software, & of course a huge flat panel monitor.

Good luck!

 
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purpleparalyzer

Member
Dec 29, 2005
95
0
0
Hey thanks for all the PSU info everyone-

Scott-
Great info on the cpu cooler, i'll look into that. I have the speakers/moniter/keyboard/mouse stuff covered. As for the video card I didn't want to spend much money on one right now - I was thinking a Radeon 9550 unless if a 9600 or x300SE is worth the extra cash. I really won't be gaming much at all but in the future I plan to upgrade to a better card. I'd rather save the cash if I could... so any objections to something like a 9200 w/ 64mb - or should I atleast have 128?

changed my mind on the hd -
Hitatchi 250gb SATA2
 
GuitarDaddy

GuitarDaddy

Lifer
Nov 9, 2004
11,465
1
0
Originally posted by: purpleparalyzer
Hey thanks for all the PSU info everyone-

Scott-
Great info on the cpu cooler, i'll look into that. I have the speakers/moniter/keyboard/mouse stuff covered. As for the video card I didn't want to spend much money on one right now - I was thinking a Radeon 9550 unless if a 9600 or x300SE is worth the extra cash. I really won't be gaming much at all but in the future I plan to upgrade to a better card. I'd rather save the cash if I could... so any objections to something like a 9200 w/ 64mb - or should I atleast have 128?

changed my mind on the hd -
Hitatchi 250gb SATA2
Click to expand...


Any of those videocards will be fine if your not gaming
 
H

hurtstotalktoyou

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2005
2,055
9
81
Where to begin, where to begin....?

Okay, well, first of all, if you're going to get an $40-$50 PSU, make sure it's a name-brand unit like Fortron Source, Enermax or Antec. This one should do ($47 shipped). Do not get a Rosewill, Sparkle, Powmax, or any other cheap-o PSU unless it comes bundled with the case.

Speaking of cases, Antec has a model for around $90 that includes a SmartPower 350W PSU. That's a bit of a stretch for a dual-core CPU, but as long as you don't have a RAID array or power-hungry graphics card it should be plenty. Anyway, a case is a case is a case. Just look for something you like, but try not to spend more than $50 or so (unless it includes an adequate PSU).

Onto RAM: With your budget, it really doesn't matter very much what you get. Anything from NewEgg should be just fine. Also, stick to PC3200 memory; anything faster will be overpriced without offering any notable performance increase. If you don't feel comfortable with generic RAM, go with Corsair ValueSelect. It's reliable and inexpensive.

The motherboards you picked out are pretty great. The Epox EP-9NPAJ is a little cheaper than the EP-9NPA+ Ultra, though, so unless you need the Ultra's features I'd stick to the former. The Biostar TForce 6100-939 is probably the best integrated board on the market right now, and it even has a PCIe x16 slot for later upgrading. Unless you need a TV- or DVI-out port, I'd stick to the Biostar. However, if you want dedicated graphics, the anything from Epox's 9NPA lineup is great.

Seagate makes great drives. Their 7200.7/8/9 units are great little performers. You might find something less expensive in the way of Western Digital, though, without sacrificing reliability or speed. Stay away from Magnetic Data Technology, and generics. Maxtor, Hitachi and Excelstor should be okay, but I'd stick to Western Digital, Samsung or Seagate if at all possible.

For optical, definitely get an NEC ND-3550A. They can't be beat.

Also, the X2 3800+ is a great choice. Dual core is definitely the way to go, nowadays.
 
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suicidalpigeon

Banned
Feb 17, 2005
4,300
0
0
i hope you know sparkle is another marketing name from fortron. 350w will still be fine with a dual core/mid-high video card as long as the amps can produce the proper power. the benq dw1640 was recommended by anandtech somewhere in the summer and still is in some recent articles, so i dont really know how it compares with the 3550, but the 1640 is still a very good burner.
 
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hurtstotalktoyou

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2005
2,055
9
81
Originally posted by: wafflesandsyrup
i hope you know sparkle is another marketing name from fortron. 350w will still be fine with a dual core/mid-high video card as long as the amps can produce the proper power. the benq dw1640 was recommended by anandtech somewhere in the summer and still is in some recent articles, so i dont really know how it compares with the 3550, but the 1640 is still a very good burner.
Click to expand...

Ha! Don't I look silly.

Well, I'm pretty sure the rest of my post is accurate.
 
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TriggerHappy101

Golden Member
Jan 13, 2005
1,006
0
0
Originally posted by: purpleparalyzer
Hello everyone I've been browsing online and these forums for my next computer. I have a crappy emachine thats just about dead - but hey it was free so I'll take it. I've made some decisions about what I would like but I welcome your expert opinions.
This comp will mainly be used for multitasking - photoshop/itunes/aim/mozilla/antivirus etc...
but I would like the option to upgrade to gaming. I wont be overclocking any time in the near future. Here is my current selection of hardware:
(I won't be purchasing a video card right now cause I wont be gaming)

EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra 939
unless if i need onboard video in which case - BIOSTAR TForce6100-939

Athlon 64 X2 3800

G.Skill DDR 500
or
OCZ DDR 400 (or the Value series but the price is about the same)
or
Patriot DDR 400 (PC 3200)

Seagate 250gb 7200

As for the case/psu i'm really undecided so here are some of the ones I liked-
Cooler Master Centurion 5
Antec SLK3000-B
Thermaltake Xaser V Damier V5000
Apex PC-115 (if you think its worth it to save $$ - I dont mind the bland case)
Atrix CSCI-A9001-C4
Xion II Xon-101
Powmax CP0327PL
~leaning towards the Xion cause I like the look, but I also like the Atrix with the outside led screen. Are there better ones around the $50 price range w/ outside moniter screen?

Lastly I wanted to mention I have a gift certificate at Fry's that I would like to use towards this build. If anyone has a suggestion of which item I would be least ripped off by at Fry's that would be greatly appreciated (150 to spend)
Click to expand...


I think your headed down the wrong road man....

You might want to do some more reading up on this stuff before you order anything.
 
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purpleparalyzer

Member
Dec 29, 2005
95
0
0
TriggerHappy- Why do you say I'm heading down the wrong road? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thx.

Guitardaddy/hurtstotalktoyou/wafflesandsyrup- Thanks so much for your input. I've heard read a bunch about the SATA2 system and it seems fairly popular. Seagate was my original choice but the hitachi is the same price so i guess ill look into it some more. I'm probably gonna go w/ the Biostar cause I don't think I'd utilize a video card (plus I can always upgrade). Thanks again!
 
Rinaun

Rinaun

Golden Member
Dec 30, 2005
1,196
1
81
My first rig was haunted with the dreadful excitement, and it cost me. "they dont have the Asus board in" "oh well MSI will do". Study what your buying before you buy it. itll save you money. Look and ask around about how compatabilty issues.
 
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purpleparalyzer

Member
Dec 29, 2005
95
0
0
I've updated my current selection - looking for more input/combatibility issues. From my research everything should be fine - maybe a different PSU? (500W should be pleanty though)
 
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suicidalpigeon

Banned
Feb 17, 2005
4,300
0
0
using an aspire psu is like playing russian roulette with 5/6 of the chambers loaded. the fortron 450w for $50 would be one of the top choices for this system, budget or not. i dont know how well that board performs, so you might want to do some more researching on that one.
 
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TanisHalfElven

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
3,512
0
76
i think you sould change your mboard to msi rd480 neo 2. its not too expensive and it will support your processor. you get 2 pci-x slot which i can assure you will need overtime. besides all the good graphic cards come as pci-x now so your better off. i cheap graphic card like the x1300 will do wonders for any machine
 
B

Bonesdad

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2002
2,213
0
76
Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Where to begin, where to begin....?

Okay, well, first of all, if you're going to get an $40-$50 PSU, make sure it's a name-brand unit like Fortron Source, Enermax or Antec. This one should do ($47 shipped). Do not get a Rosewill, Sparkle, Powmax, or any other cheap-o PSU unless it comes bundled with the case.

Speaking of cases, Antec has a model for around $90 that includes a SmartPower 350W PSU. That's a bit of a stretch for a dual-core CPU, but as long as you don't have a RAID array or power-hungry graphics card it should be plenty. Anyway, a case is a case is a case. Just look for something you like, but try not to spend more than $50 or so (unless it includes an adequate PSU).

Onto RAM: With your budget, it really doesn't matter very much what you get. Anything from NewEgg should be just fine. Also, stick to PC3200 memory; anything faster will be overpriced without offering any notable performance increase. If you don't feel comfortable with generic RAM, go with Corsair ValueSelect. It's reliable and inexpensive.

The motherboards you picked out are pretty great. The Epox EP-9NPAJ is a little cheaper than the EP-9NPA+ Ultra, though, so unless you need the Ultra's features I'd stick to the former. The Biostar TForce 6100-939 is probably the best integrated board on the market right now, and it even has a PCIe x16 slot for later upgrading. Unless you need a TV- or DVI-out port, I'd stick to the Biostar. However, if you want dedicated graphics, the anything from Epox's 9NPA lineup is great.

Seagate makes great drives. Their 7200.7/8/9 units are great little performers. You might find something less expensive in the way of Western Digital, though, without sacrificing reliability or speed. Stay away from Magnetic Data Technology, and generics. Maxtor, Hitachi and Excelstor should be okay, but I'd stick to Western Digital, Samsung or Seagate if at all possible.

For optical, definitely get an NEC ND-3550A. They can't be beat.

Also, the X2 3800+ is a great choice. Dual core is definitely the way to go, nowadays.
Click to expand...




sparkles are forton source...decent PSUs

EDIT: oops shoulda read the next post
 
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Bonesdad

Platinum Member
Nov 18, 2002
2,213
0
76
don't skimp on the PSU...if anything, get 1GB of memory for now to get a better PSU. PSU is the base of everything...get a decent one.

and the Biostar is a good board!
 
T

TriggerHappy101

Golden Member
Jan 13, 2005
1,006
0
0
Originally posted by: purpleparalyzer
Hello everyone I've been browsing online and these forums for my next computer. I have a crappy emachine thats just about dead - but hey it was free so I'll take it. I've made some decisions about what I would like but I welcome your expert opinions.
This comp will mainly be used for multitasking - photoshop/itunes/aim/mozilla/antivirus etc...
but I would like the option to upgrade to gaming. I wont be overclocking any time in the near future. Here is my current selection of hardware:
(I won't be purchasing a video card right now cause I wont be gaming)

*edit* ~updated selection (thanks for all your help!):

Biostar Tforce 6100 939
Athlon 64 X2 3800
Patriot Signature 2x1gb DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Aspire ATX 500W (24-pin Dual +12V)
WD Caviar SE16 320GB 7200 SATA 3.0

Still undecided on the case:
Thermaltake Tsunami
or
Thermaltake XASER armor series


Lastly I wanted to mention I have a gift certificate at Fry's that I would like to use towards this build. If anyone has a suggestion of which item I would be least ripped off by at Fry's that would be greatly appreciated (150 to spend)
Click to expand...

First off using a web browser, listening to music, and having an antivirus program running in the background does NOT qualify for multitasking. Multitasking would be something along the lines of? having a FTP client uploading files to a server, decoding a DVD, running a bitTorrent program, encoding some MP3s, and playing a game.

Currently dual core processors are only really good for multitasking tasks like above.

Very few people actually multitask, if they have two browser tabs they think they are multitasking, but according to the CPU it could care less.

I suggest going for an AMD Athlon 64 2700+. For the extra 120+ bucks you will save you can upgrade your mobo to EPoX nForce4 Ultra (939) EP-9NPA+Ultra
http://labs.anandtech.com/search.php?q=...rce4+Ultra+%28939%29+EP-9NPA%2BUltra+3
according to the following article it is the best bang for the buck.
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2465&p=1
If you don?t want to spend that much get the Chaintech mentioned in the article (or one of the others they mention.)

Then again, I haven?t done any research on the mobo you posted ? it might be good enough.

2 Gigs of ram is rather unneeded for what you do. You should squeeze by 512mb or at the MAX 1 gig. I suggest the corsair valueselect.

Do not skimp out on the PSU. Get a nice brand name one, like Fortron.

If you plan on gaming and getting a video card, a great medium-high video card is the Geforce 6800GS. Very nice, and cheap video card. If you?re a little more serious get the Geforce 7800GT.

After though: If all you are going to do is check your email the Athlon 64 2800+ i posted would be overkill. A AMD Sempron 64 (754) 2800+ 256KB Palermo would do just fine. (not for gaming though) Then you can get a cheaper socket 754 mobo and a weaker PSU. Now you are looking at a budget PC. lol.
 
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TriggerHappy101

Golden Member
Jan 13, 2005
1,006
0
0
Originally posted by: SuperSilicon
So is this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817148027 pure ****** or what? The price is so low it makes me think its junk. Ive had a aspire psu 420w that lasted about 2-3 years before I had to replace it. I baught this 500w PSU last week waiting for it to arrive but I don't think I trust it with such a low price tag + a rebate ontop of that.
Click to expand...


What kind of system is it going into? Id make a new post on it, dont take over his.
 
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