Okay, 500$ limit need nice rig

[MikeMike]

no monitor, speakers, keyboard/mouse needed.


i had one configured at school, but would like to see what you can do i will list the products i remember below

MSI kt333 mobo (not sure of which actual one)
2100+
lite-on 52x burner
lite-on 16x dvd
chenmig case 53$ one
512 pc2700 some cheaper name brand stuff
8500 LE
fdd
40gb HD
no soundcard (my bad)

all of these were from newegg. i know i should use hot deals, but this was just an estimate for him on what i could get

what do you think i should exchange/drop lower?

for a highschooler, gaming, porn viewing, the like no photo editing, SLIGHT video editing.

THanks his old computer died.

MIKE

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

You're going to want something more than an 8500 card because I don't expect it to last as long as maybe a card like a 9500 non pro.

 

[Schadenfroh]

you might want to get the 1700 T-bred B. it will overclock beyond 2100 levels and its probbably a good bit cheaper. it might be cheaper to get a dvd/cdrw combo drive rather than having 2 seperate. IMO if i were you i would probably go with a nforce1 mobo, i hear they are more stable than the via ones, if you need a sound card, this one is about $30 and should be pretty good, that is if the mobo does not include sound already. if you want a cheap card with direct x 9 support for future games, i think the nvidia 5200 is supposed to be $79.

 

[MikeMike]

i dont believe the 5200 supports dx 9 as it is only ANOTHER cheap MX version that is a year behind in terms of technology.

 

[Schadenfroh]

its a $79 card with a hs only. for the price, you get what you pay for, imo if you can spare the extra 30 bucks i would go for the 4200. but on a budjet the 5200 is something to be considered.

btw, the 5200 is a full direct x 9 part. hardocp has some info here. here is the article

a quick comparison of this card to its siblings reveals some dramatic differences. In addition to the lack of BGA memory, this model utilizes a passive heatsink assembly for cooling. Furthermore, the card sports a barren PCB board which is unlike any of the other cards. Despite the meager appearance, this card is still based upon the GeForce FX architecture and comes complete with full DX9 support. This is quite a feat when you consider the fact that versions of this card should retail for as little as $79!

i feal i might start a flame war with some other people over the video cards. so i will stop here, on the video card subject of course.

 

[Psychosylph]

Get an nForce2 board - they come with good onboard sound and you will have a better upgrade path. Good overclocking 1700+ is a good idea. No reason to buy a 52X burner; not that much faster and I don't think the media are out yet - let's you save a couple bucks (got my Samsung combo drive for $71, though). GF4 Ti4200 would be a better choice - 9500Pro would be even better if you could squeeze it in the budget...

 

[Bonesdad]

yah, get an Nforce2...Epox 8RDA is pretty cheap...8RDA+ is under $100 too. They have nice onboard sound.

GF4200 is the way to go on a budget. You can get a PNY sometimes at BB for $100 AR.

Lose the floppy. Borrow one if you need to to install Windows, but after that u dont need it.

52X Liteon Burner is cheaper than the 48x at newegg right now.

Gonna be tuff to get in under $500 if you want decent package that will give some room to grow.