Ok you ppl convinced me to go AMD, now help me build a PC

[Phantom589]

i was recently about to buy a dell XPS but the people on this fourm have convinced me to go AMD. My 40% coupon for dell expires on the 30th but i wan to use it soon because theres a limit on how many people can use it (abt 3600). So basically im gonna check out an amd system, with ur help and compare the two to see which i want. Thiing is you guys know everything about this stuff, i dont. Now since i dont know anything abt AMD im gonna need help picking out the PC. The site im looking at is Ibuypower.com (good site?) I DO NOT want to buy parts, then build it, its just somehthing i rather not do, even if it cost me more, then id much rather go with dell. Ok THIS is the system im looking to customize and buy-

http://ibuypower.com/ibp/store/configurator.aspx?mid=160 GO HERE TO SEE OPTIONS AND POST WHAT I SHOULD GET

unless there are other dual AMD systems on that site (is dual AMD x2 the way to go?). Now i need you people to guide me on which parts to get. I need to PC for gaming (bf 2, doom 3, half life2, F.E.A.R) and multitasking (encoding vids, photoshop, internet use, itunes, etc) so is the AMD X2 the way to go?

Ok here we go, i need to total system to be around 1400 or less no matter what (this is a gift from my dad btw)

THIS IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO BEAT

Dell XPS 600 Pentium® D Processor 830 with Dual Core Technology (3.0GHz, 800FSB)
Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Media Center 2005 Edition
Memory 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 4 DIMMs
Keyboard Dell USB Keyboard
Monitors 19 inch Ultrasharp? 1905FP Digital Flat Panel
Video Cards 256MB PCI Express? x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) nVidia GeForce 6800
Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ Native Command Queuing
Floppy Drive and Media Reader 13 in 1 Media Card Reader
Mouse Dell Optical USB Mouse
Modem No Modem Requested
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0
CD or DVD Drive Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + 16x DVD+/-RW w/ dbl layer write capable
Sound Cards Sound Blaster Audigy? 2 ZS (D) Card w/Dolby 5.1, IEEE 1394 capability
Speakers Dell 5650 5.1 100 Watt Surround Sound Speaker System with Subwoofer
Office Productivity Software No Productivity Suite - Corel WordPerfect® word processor only
2nd Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ Native Command Queuing
4 YR warranty

ALL FOR 1473 (cause of my coupon) dollars We need to beat this price with a better system
ok lets begin

Processor

939-pin] AMD® Athlon-64 X2 3800+ CPU w/ Hyper Transport Technology
[939-pin] AMD® Athlon-64 X2 4200+ CPU w/ Hyper Transport Technology COST $123 more...How much of a difference is there really between those two? which should i go with...is the amd x2 3800 even good? remember price too.

Case
Raidmax 268 ATX Mid-Tower Case w/350W Power Supply Silver [- $18]

Raidmax Scorpio-868 ATX Mid-Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Silver [- $8]

Raidmax Scorpio-668 Aluminum Tower Case w/420W Power Supply Silver [+ $35]

Raidmax A8 Aluminum 8-Bays Super Light Weight Case w/420W Power Supply Silver [+ $79]

Nzxt Guardian ATX Mid-Tower Case w/420W Power THIS IS THE ONE IT COMES WITH

Standard ATX Mid-Tower Case w/350W Power Supply [no side window] [- $23]

Coolermaster WaveMaster Case w/420W Power Supply [+ $79]

Raidmax Samurai-908 Gaming Case w/420W Power Supply [+ $49]

Cotytech ATX Mid-Tower Case w/420W Power Supply [+ $10]
[New !!!] Trinity ATX Mid-Tower Case w/420W Power Supply [+ $1]

[New !!!] Raidmax X-1 ATX Mid-tower Case w/420W Power Supply Silver [+ $6]
[New !!!] Antec P180 ATX Mid-Tower Case w/420W Power Supply [+ $90]
[New !!!] Raidmax Ninja-918 ATX Mid-tower Case w/450W Power Supply [+ $4]

Simply pick me one that has good power supply, etc, asthetics arent that important to me but dont forget price.

Power Supply
Standard Case Power Supply
500 Watt Power Supply [+ $59]
Enermax EG565P 535 Watt Power Supply [SLI-Ready] [+ $79]
[$30 Mail-In-Rebate NOW !!!] Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX PS w/2 80mm Fans - Titanium Black w/UV Green(ULT31560) [+ $95]
Ultra X-Finity 600W ATX PS w/2 80mm Fans - Blue w/LED Lights (ULT31312) [+ $105]
[$30 Mail-In-Rebate NOW !!!] Ultra X-Finity 500W ATX PS w/2 80mm Fans - Titanium Black(ULT31648) [+ $75]
Thermaltake Purepower 680 Watt Power Supply [SLI Ready]

another area i dont know jack about, what will i need, pick it, but dont forget price

Cooling

Certified CPU Fan and Heatsink
Certified CPU Fan and Heatsink + 2 Extra Color Lighting Case Fans [+ $19]
CoolerMaster Liquid CPU Cooling Fan System Kit + 2 EXTRA CASE FANS [+ $89]

Motherboard

Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe nForce4-SLI Chipset w/LAN, 7.1 Sound, IEEE-1394, USB 2.0 Dual PCI-E Motherboard [+ $59]
Asus A8N-SLI Premium nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Dual PCI-E MB [+ $77]
eVGA 133-K8-NF41 nForce-4 SLI Chipset Dual DDR w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Dual PCI-E MB
Gigabyte GA-K8N Pro-SLI nVidia nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 Dual PCI-E MB [+ $9]
Gigabyte GA-K8NXP-SLI nVidia nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Wi-Fi-g, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 Dual PCI-E MB [+ $52]
MSI K8N Neo4-SLI nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard [+ $13]
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum-SLI nForce4-SLI Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 PCI-E MB [+ $60]
Asus A8N-E nVidia nForce4-Ultra Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard [+ $9]
Foxconn WinFast NF4UK8AA-8EKRS nVidia nForce4-Ultra Chipset w/LAN, 7.1 Sound, IEEE-1394, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard [- $16]
Gigabyte GA-K8NF9 nVidia nForce4 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE-1394 PCI-E Motherboard [- $16]
MSI K8N Neo4-F nForce4 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0 PCI-E Motherboard [- $26]
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum nForce4 Ultra Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 PCI-E MB [+ $16]

i dont know anything abt this, which would work well with my processory and system, pick it, dont forget price

Memory
1024 MB [512MB X2] DDR-400 PC3200 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand More Options
Corsair-Value or Major Brand
Corsair XMS w/ Heat Spreader [+ $22]
Corsair XMS PRO w/ Heat Spreader & LED Lights [+ $72]
Kingston Hyper-X w/ Heat Spreader [+ $96]
Geil Ultra-X w/ Heat Spreader [+ $185]

I want atleast one gig, since i can upgrade to two later, but which of those types will i need?

Video Card
[PCI-Express 16x] Nvidia Geforce 6800 256MB w/DVI + TV Out Video add $183
OR
[PCI-Express 16x] Nvidia Geforce 6800GT 256MB w/DVI + TV Out Video add $255

Hard drive

80 GB HARD DRIVE 80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 Hard Drive More Options
120 GB HARD DRIVES [S-ATA] Seagate 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $39]
[S-ATA] Seagate 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $39]
[S-ATA] Maxtor 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $39]
[S-ATA] Western Digital 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $39]
[Special !!!] 160 GB HARD DRIVES Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 2MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $35]
Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 2MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $35]
[S-ATA] Maxtor 160 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $45]
[S-ATA] Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $45]
200 GB HARD DRIVE Maxtor 200 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-133 8MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $65]
Maxtor 200 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-133 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $65]
Western Digital 200 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $65]
[S-ATA] Maxtor 200 GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $72]
[S-ATA] Western Digital 200 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $72]
250 GB HARD DRIVE Maxtor 250 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-133 16MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $109]
Maxtor 250 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-133 16MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $109]
Western Digital 250 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $109]
[S-ATA] Maxtor 250 GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $112]
[S-ATA] Western Digital 250 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $112]
300 GB HARD DRIVES [S-ATA150] Maxtor 300 GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $99]
[S-ATA150] Maxtor 300 GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $99]
[S-ATA150] WD 300 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $108]
400 GB HARD DRIVES [S-ATA150] WDC 400 GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $199]
[S-ATA150] WDC 400 GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $199]
[S-ATA150] Seagate 400 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $238]
500 GB HARD DRIVES [S-ATA150] Hitachi 500 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $349]

pick

2nd hard drive
80 GB HARD DRIVE 80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 Hard Drive More Options [+ $53]
80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 Hard Drive [+ $53]
Maxtor 80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-133 Hard Drive [+ $60]
Western Digital 80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $63]
[S-ATA] Seagate 80 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $68]
[S-ATA] Maxtor 80 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $68]
[S-ATA] Western Digital 80 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $68]
120 GB HARD DRIVES [S-ATA] Seagate 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $92]
[S-ATA] Seagate 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $92]
[S-ATA] Maxtor 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $92]
[S-ATA] Western Digital 120 GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive [+ $92]
[Special !!!] 160 GB HARD DRIVES Western Digital 160 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 2MB Cache Hard Drive More Options [+ $88]

do i even need one?

Raid Controller
Highpoint Rocket Raid Controller PCI Card -- Must select 2 same size Hard Drives (then select configuration, raid 0 or 1 [+ $99]
or None

i know what to do for cd rom drives and such

Sound Card
3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard
Creative Lab Sound Blaster Live! 24-bit 7.1 [+ $49]
Creative Lab Sound Blaster Audigy-2 ZS 7.1 [+ $86]
Creative Lab Sound Blaster Audigy-2 ZS Platinum 7.1 Beige More Options [+ $189]
Beige [+ $189]
Black [+ $199]
[External] Creative Lab Sound Blaster Audigy-4 Pro 7.1 [+ $289]
Creative Sound Blaster External USB 7.1 Sound System -- Audigy-2 NX with Remote [+ $135]

not too important, but i dont want a bad one, remember price plz

Cintre 120W PMPO (RMS: 6W) 2 Pcs Stereo Speaker System Black More Options [- $2]
Black [- $2]
Beige [- $2]
Cintre RW-6510 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers + Subwoofer [+ $30]
600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System add $0
[Black] Logitech X-530 5.1 Surround Speakers + Subwoofer [+ $57]
[Silver/Black] Logitech Z-5500 Dolby Digital + DTS 5.1 Surround Speakers + Subwoofer [+ $292]
[Black] Creative Labs SBS-560 5.1 Surround Speakers + Subwoofer [+ $57]
[Black] Creative Labs Inspire P7800 7.1 Surround Speaker + Subwoofer [+ $122]
Sicuro RW350XL 2.1 Gaming Speaker System Silver More Options [+ $43]
Sicuro RW360XL 2.1 Gaming Speaker System w/ Lighting Effect & Wired Remote Control Silver More Options [+ $73]
[$60 Mail-In-Rebate NOW !!!] Sicuro RW670XL 5.1 Gaming Speaker System w/ Lighting Effect & Wireless Remote Control

a nice sound system, pick

Monitor

CRT Monitor ViewSonic 17" E70F Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Beige] More Options [- $96]
ViewSonic 17" E70F Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Beige] [+ $139]
ViewSonic 17" E70FB Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Black] [+ $140]
ViewSonic 17" E70F+SB Perfect Flat CRT + UltraBrite .21H DPI Color Monitor [Silver/Black 2-Tone] [+ $149]
19" .25 DPI Color Monitor [Beige] [+ $165]
19" .25 DPI Color Monitor [Black] [+ $170]
ViewSonic 19" E90 .23H DPI Color Monitor [Beige] [+ $185]
ViewSonic 19" E90F Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Beige] [+ $215]
ViewSonic 19" E90FB Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Black] [+ $219]
ViewSonic 19" E90F+SB Perfect Flat CRT + UltraBrite .21H DPI Color Monitor [Silver/Black 2-Tone] [+ $225]
ViewSonic 19" E90F Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Blue] [+ $275]
ViewSonic 19" E90F Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Green] [+ $275]
ViewSonic 19" E90F Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Yellow] [+ $275]
ViewSonic 21" G220FB Perfect Flat CRT .21H DPI Color Monitor [Black] [+ $469]
LCD Monitor ViewSonic 17" Q7B TFT LCD Monitor [Black] More Options
ViewSonic 17" Q7B TFT LCD Monitor [Black]
Sceptre 19" TFT LCD Monitor [Silver/Black 2-Tone] [+ $100]
ViewSonic 17" VA712B TFT LCD Monitor [Response:8 ms; Color: Black] [+ $34]
ViewSonic 17" VA712B TFT LCD Monitor [Response:8 ms; Color: Blue] [+ $94]
ViewSonic 17" VA712B TFT LCD Monitor [Response:8 ms; Color: Green] [+ $94]
ViewSonic 17" VA712B TFT LCD Monitor [Response:8 ms; Color: Yellow] [+ $94]
ViewSonic 17" VX724 TFT LCD Monitor [Extreme Gaming; 4 ms; Silver/Black 2-Tone] [+ $104]
[SPECIAL !!!] ViewSonic 19" VA912B TFT LCD Monitor [Black] [+ $124]
ViewSonic 19" VX924 TFT LCD Monitor [Extreme Gaming; 4 ms; Silver/Black 2-Tone] [+ $214]

i really want a 19 inch, but remember price, should i get teh [SPECIAL !!!] ViewSonic 19" VA912B TFT LCD Monitor [Black] ????

wow u gotta add an operatiing system

None- Pre-formatted Hard Drive Only
MS Windows XP Home Edition w/Service Pack-2 [+ $89]
MS Windows XP Professional Edition w/Service Pack-2 [+ $135]
[New !!!] MS Windows XP Professional X64 Edition [+ $135]
MS Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 [software only] [+ $129]
MS Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 w/TV-Tuner Card + Remote Control [+ $199]
MS Windows 2000 Professional Edition [+ $149]

cabling
Rounded Cables for Floppy/HDD/CD/DVD/CD-RW/DVD-RW Drives [+ $19]
Professional wiring for all cables inside the system tower [+ $19]

do i need this?

Ok well there it is. You guys know everythinig about this stuff so please help me out. If i can beat the dell system i listed, then ill buy this amd system, if not then whatever....please post the best sytem u can put together for a good price (1000-1400ish)

 

[RichUK]

mate your gonna have to tidy up your post i aint reading through all of that ..

and if this list is for a whole PC .. then general hardware is your forum 😉

 

[DrMrLordX]

Yeah, General Hardware is probably the forum in which you should be posting.

Secondly, you should consider putting a system together at Monarch instead of ibuypower

 

[TankGuys]

Originally posted by: RichUK
mate your gonna have to tidy up your post i aint reading through all of that ..

and if this list is for a whole PC .. then general hardware is your forum 😉

Agreed... that's a lot to read 🙂

Just an FYI as well: You can beat the Dell price a lot easier if you by the components and assemble them yourself.

 

[Hacp]

If you want Intel, go intel. No ones stopping you.

 

[Phantom589]

nah i was just gonna go intel cause it looked cheap, but amd is soo much better

 

[Markfw]

Here is a quick list:
Antec Sonata case (includes a good PSU ) ~100
MSI Neo4-f ~80
X2 3800+ ~360
any good PC 3200 generic 2gig $196
Video card 6800 pci-express $170
Hard drives (2 x 160 gig) $148
DVD burner NEC 3540 $40

The rest I don't care what you pick. If you want to OC I would recommend an XP90 for $30 more.

Edit: and if you want to OC, I can tell you how to get an X2 4800 speed in 10 minutes, almost guaranteed. You CAN'T do that with your dell (last I heard)

 

[cubeless]

poor guy... he bit when they told him in another forum that he could build a box cheaper than the one he spec'd from dell...

u would be incredibly hardpressed to do better than that bunch of hardware for that price... and, although dell's warranty is a little suspect, you won't have nearly the same on your build...

especially since u haven't done this before...

go to newegg.com or chiefvalue or monarch and order all the parts from one site... that way you'll at leash be all in one basket if u have to send things back...


let the flames begin!!! u can get parts for less at other places and everyone's got an opinion on what's best... building a pc is like using linux - it's real cheap if your time is worth nothing... u can spend months listening to the latest blather and searching for cheapest part of the week... then if all the pieces don't mesh u can be twiddling for a long time...

 

[Markfw]

All my prices were from newegg. (the 3800+ varies, may be $374 now) And I didn;t look them all up, he can do that.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Here's a system I worked up for you at Monarch that totals $1422 with monitor


Hyundai ImageQuest 17" L70N LCD Flat Panel (Black) $230.00 $230.00
80311 Monarch Furia Custom Desktop w/PCI-E $59.00 $59.00
Case: 100587 - No PS - Antec SLK3000B ATX Mid Tower (Bla $51.00 $51.00
Power Supply: 100143 - PS 485W - Enermax Noisetaker EG495AX-VE S $85.00 $85.00
Case Fan: None
Motherboard: 110444 - EVGA 133-K8-NF43-AX NForce4 Audio/GB-LAN/ $104.00 $104.00
Processor: 120244 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual-Core 512K Per $369.00 $369.00
Thermal Grease: None
Heat Sink Fan: 800083 - None - Fan REQUIRED - except with RETAIL
Memory: 140895 - DDR (400) 3200 - 1 GB (2 pcs 512) OCZ Val $99.00 $99.00
2nd Memory: None
Hard Drive: 150352 - SATAII - Western Digital Caviar SE 160 GB $87.00 $87.00
2nd Hard Drive: None
RAID Setup: None
RAID Controller: None
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/CD-RW: None
CD-RW/DVD-RW: 160236 - DVD±RW - NEC ND-3540A 16X Dual Layer DVD± $46.00 $46.00
CD-RW Software: 210613 - Ahead Nero 6.3 Suite DVD+-RW Software (OE $6.99 $6.99
DVD-ROM Software: 210601 - Cyberlink PowerDVD 6.0 (OEM) $6.99 $6.99
Floppy Drive: None
More Storage: None
Sound Card: None
Video Card: 190696 - ATI (Sapphire) Radeon X800 256 MB DDR3/PC $190.00 $190.00
Modem: None
Network Card: None
Wireless Network Card: None
Add-On Card: None
Case Function Add-On: None
Round Cables: None
Operating System: 210112 - Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2 $89.00 $89.00
Additional Software: None
Antivirus: None
Warranty: 800099 - 6 months - Parts & Labor - No Software Su
Hot Rush: None - Standard Order ( ships within 8-13 business
Half Life 2 Promotion: None
Molex Connector: None
Video Capture: None
TV Tuner: None
Lance Armstrong: 270447 - Lance Armstrong LIVE STRONG wristband
Free Giveaway: None
FREE Patriot SD USB Flash Kit: None
Subtotal for 80311 with your selected options: $1,192.98
Order Total: $1,422.98


That includes the $59 build charge

 

[Markfw]

The only thing I see mising, is 1gig instead of the dell 2 gig, and the 17 vs the dell 19. But he doesn;t really need 2 gig, and he has WAY more processor speed, and OC'ability ! I still like my list for the base elements though.

 

[cubeless]

smaller tube, half the disk, half the memory, and not xp media edition... and lots of webos recommending an ati card that doesn't support sm3!!! ;P

i'm not trying to be (too much of) a prick here, but all this guy has to do is make a little boo boo and he's way over his cost and hurting...

your first build shouldn't be a high end pc...

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: cubeless
smaller tube, half the disk, half the memory, and not xp media edition... and lots of webos recommending an ati card that doesn't support sm3!!! ;P

i'm not trying to be (too much of) a prick here, but all this guy has to do is make a little boo boo and he's way over his cost and hurting...

your first build shouldn't be a high end pc...

OK, so why don;t you stop being a prick, and find a better match for the system (good parts only) at the best price you can find, and be CONSTRUCTIVE instead of complaining.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

If you read, the OP said he WILL NOT build himself! Thats why I priced it out at Monarch including the build charge. If he was willing to build himself, you could easily beat the Dell deal.

IMO anything beats a Dell, they use the worst components, proprietary designs that aren't upgradeable, and have horrible warranty service. I would buy a used computer off of eBay before I would buy a Dell POS. Yeah they have great coupon deals, but you get what you pay for.

 

[Phantom589]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
If you read, the OP said he WILL NOT build himself! Thats why I priced it out at Monarch including the build charge. If he was willing to build himself, you could easily beat the Dell deal.

IMO anything beats a Dell, they use the worst components, proprietary designs that aren't upgradeable, and have horrible warranty service. I would buy a used computer off of eBay before I would buy a Dell POS. Yeah they have great coupon deals, but you get what you pay for.

where is the link to that pc u made?

 

[cubeless]

not complaining, just think i'm being a little more realistic than y'all...

i come up with about $1700 at newegg for pieces to build a system that looks like what he is describing but subs a x2 3800 for the intel chip...

but it's not a system, it's a bunch of parts that i could build a pc out of and sort through the integration problems since i have a lot of experience doing so...

if this guy has no experience putting a pc together he could have a lot of grief doing this...

if we drop the processor to a 3000 (and plan to oc), drop a gb of mem ( i agree 2gb is overkill) we can get to about $1400 for parts that would make a pc that's probably as fast as the dell... but it's still parts...

i just don't think that the visions of sugar plums that the old salts here portray on occasion are applicable to all...

sigh... i knew that that evelyn wood speed reading course was going to be trouble... here i am trying to be a social worker and he actually said that he doesn't want to build the thing himself... double sigh...

 

[Markfw]

In which case that Monarch system looks GOOD ! I agree, more than 160 gig is a waster most of the time, 2 gig is overkill for a started, and the 19 inch is cool, but not that much better than the 17. Get him a link to that system Guitar daddy, I think we have a winner !

 

[cubeless]

and on the ibuypower site by the time u add on the pieces like the dell u r way over $1400, too...

 

[Phantom589]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
In which case that Monarch system looks GOOD ! I agree, more than 160 gig is a waster most of the time, 2 gig is overkill for a started, and the 19 inch is cool, but not that much better than the 17. Get him a link to that system Guitar daddy, I think we have a winner !

yea im definatly interested in that one. but he doesnt have a link can someone put it togethere for me?

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Phantom589
nah i was just gonna go intel cause it looked cheap, but amd is soo much better

Heh...Nothing wrong with that INtel machine for that price you had...40% coupon and that price is almost impossible to beat. Yes the AMD will be faster but make sure the added cost of the AMD will take that into account.

Do not feel compelled to buy AMD cause we tell you it is better and cheaper. It is just about in all instances better as well as cheaper, but in this case I dont think it can be had cheaper.

Dont feel bad I would have even had to buy that....

 

[Markfw]

I can't find a link either. Just go to monarchcomputer.com and choose custome systems. Hers my choice:

Code Product Quantity Price/Ea. Total
260922 Viewsonic 19" .23/.27 E90-4 Monitor
$186.00 $186.00
220205 Logitech Deluxe Access 104 Keyboard PS2 (967228-0403)
$12.00 $12.00
230001 I-Rocks Cross-Directional Optical Mouse USB/PS2 (Black)
$15.00 $15.00
250341 Logitech X-230 2.1 PC Speaker System (970123-0403)
$35.00 $35.00
80311 Monarch Furia Custom Desktop w/PCI-E
$59.00 $59.00

Case: 100587 - No PS - Antec SLK3000B ATX Mid Tower (Bla $51.00 $51.00
Power Supply: 100236 - PS 380W - Antec True Power 2 380 ATX 12V $69.00 $69.00
Case Fan: None
Motherboard: 110444 - EVGA 133-K8-NF43-AX NForce4 Audio/GB-LAN/ $104.00 $104.00
Processor: 120244 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual-Core 512K Per $369.00 $369.00
Thermal Grease: None
Heat Sink Fan: 800083 - None - Fan REQUIRED - except with RETAIL
Memory: 140018 - DDR (400) 3200 - 1 GB (2 pcs 512) Patriot $101.00 $101.00
2nd Memory: None
Hard Drive: 150606 - SATA - Seagate (ST3160827AS) 160 GB/7200- $87.00 $87.00
2nd Hard Drive: None
RAID Setup: None
RAID Controller: None
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/CD-RW: 160236 - DVD±RW - NEC ND-3540A 16X Dual Layer DVD± $46.00 $46.00
CD-RW/DVD-RW: None
CD-RW Software: 210613 - Ahead Nero 6.3 Suite DVD+-RW Software (OE $6.99 $6.99
DVD-ROM Software: 210601 - Cyberlink PowerDVD 6.0 (OEM) $6.99 $6.99
Floppy Drive: None
More Storage: None
Sound Card: None
Video Card: 190676 - eVGA GeForce 6800 256mb 256bitDDR/PCI-E/H $225.00 $225.00
Modem: None
Network Card: None
Wireless Network Card: None
Add-On Card: None
Case Function Add-On: None
Round Cables: None
Operating System: 210222 - Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005 (O $121.00 $121.00
Additional Software: None
Antivirus: None
Warranty: 800099 - 6 months - Parts & Labor - No Software Su
Hot Rush: None - Standard Order ( ships within 8-13 business
Half Life 2 Promotion: 27F854 - FREE Half Life 2 Full Version Coupon with
Molex Connector: None
Video Capture: None
TV Tuner: None
Lance Armstrong: 270447 - Lance Armstrong LIVE STRONG wristband
Free Giveaway: 270251 - Patriot Pen Blue and Grey - Free!
FREE Patriot SD USB Flash Kit: 14A502 - 128 MB Patriot SD Fla
Subtotal for 80311 with your selected options: $1,245.98
Order Total: $1,493.98

 

[Markfw]

Oh, I just noticed the 1400 or less thing. in the top of the post. You could downgrade the vide card to a 6600 and it will servery you well till you can upgrade, and will fit your price.

 

[Duvie]

Originally posted by: Phantom589

Originally posted by: Markfw900
In which case that Monarch system looks GOOD ! I agree, more than 160 gig is a waster most of the time, 2 gig is overkill for a started, and the 19 inch is cool, but not that much better than the 17. Get him a link to that system Guitar daddy, I think we have a winner !

yea im definatly interested in that one. but he doesnt have a link can someone put it togethere for me?

He cannot link you the total setup cause it is unique to his shopping cart. The best you can do is go to Monarch and customize the system yourself....

Start here:

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant...Y&Store_Code=M&Category_Code=allcustom


Do not sacrifice....Get the 19" monitor...17 is too small..get the 2 HDDs like I discussed last night. Get the 2gbs as well to set yourself for later on..Ram is reasonably at this time for DDR and that is about to change IMO....

 

[Phantom589]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
Here's a system I worked up for you at Monarch that totals $1422 with monitor


Hyundai ImageQuest 17" L70N LCD Flat Panel (Black) $230.00 $230.00
80311 Monarch Furia Custom Desktop w/PCI-E $59.00 $59.00
Case: 100587 - No PS - Antec SLK3000B ATX Mid Tower (Bla $51.00 $51.00
Power Supply: 100143 - PS 485W - Enermax Noisetaker EG495AX-VE S $85.00 $85.00
Case Fan: None
Motherboard: 110444 - EVGA 133-K8-NF43-AX NForce4 Audio/GB-LAN/ $104.00 $104.00
Processor: 120244 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual-Core 512K Per $369.00 $369.00
Thermal Grease: None
Heat Sink Fan: 800083 - None - Fan REQUIRED - except with RETAIL
Memory: 140895 - DDR (400) 3200 - 1 GB (2 pcs 512) OCZ Val $99.00 $99.00
2nd Memory: None
Hard Drive: 150352 - SATAII - Western Digital Caviar SE 160 GB $87.00 $87.00
2nd Hard Drive: None
RAID Setup: None
RAID Controller: None
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/CD-RW: None
CD-RW/DVD-RW: 160236 - DVD±RW - NEC ND-3540A 16X Dual Layer DVD± $46.00 $46.00
CD-RW Software: 210613 - Ahead Nero 6.3 Suite DVD+-RW Software (OE $6.99 $6.99
DVD-ROM Software: 210601 - Cyberlink PowerDVD 6.0 (OEM) $6.99 $6.99
Floppy Drive: None
More Storage: None
Sound Card: None
Video Card: 190696 - ATI (Sapphire) Radeon X800 256 MB DDR3/PC $190.00 $190.00
Modem: None
Network Card: None
Wireless Network Card: None
Add-On Card: None
Case Function Add-On: None
Round Cables: None
Operating System: 210112 - Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2 $89.00 $89.00
Additional Software: None
Antivirus: None
Warranty: 800099 - 6 months - Parts & Labor - No Software Su
Hot Rush: None - Standard Order ( ships within 8-13 business
Half Life 2 Promotion: None
Molex Connector: None
Video Capture: None
TV Tuner: None
Lance Armstrong: 270447 - Lance Armstrong LIVE STRONG wristband
Free Giveaway: None
FREE Patriot SD USB Flash Kit: None
Subtotal for 80311 with your selected options: $1,192.98
Order Total: $1,422.98


That includes the $59 build charge

ok this looks nice and all, but lots of crap is misssing, network card, keyboard, mouse, sound card, speakers, usb ports, ....wtf?

 

[Phantom589]

i might just go ahead and buy the dell