Opinions/Advice on New Computer

[Mike7]

I'm about to purchase a new computer. I'd appreciate your advice and opinions, as I'm not terribly knowledgeable when it comes to hardware.

Please note: I am not interested in assembling my own computer; I want to buy one already assembled. It doesn't have to be from Dell or Gateway (although I've nothing against those companies); a smaller vendor is okay. And my budget is under $100 (without monitor). Preferably, under $900.

Also, I'm not a gamer, although I might wind up playing Master Of Orion III once in a while. Maybe.

Okay, here's what I'm thinking of buying --

Vendor: CyberPower, Inc.

Why CyberPower? Well, they seem to have been around for a while. I haven't heard much negative about them. Their prices are good, and they offer far more freedom to configure a computer just the way I want it, than does Dell or Gateway.

Case: Cybertec SX1040, 425 watt power supply, window and neon light. (Maybe in blue, but that's just a thought.) With Intel certified CPU fan, heatsink, and 2 additional case fans.

Why? Because I want a big case. (Ideally, when I shout into the case, I want there to be an echo. That's how big I want it.) If I wind up installing a card, or a drive, I want a big, roomy case, with lots of open space.

I figure that 425 watts ought to be sufficient for any reasonable needs.

The window and neon light seems kewl. And they don't add much to the price. (Seriously, does a neon light cause any EM interference I should know about? Does it give off much heat?)

Finally, I want the 2 additional case fans, because I understand that heat = bad, when it comes to computers. I hope all these fans won't cause too much noise.

CPU: Intel Pentium 4, 2.26ghz, 533 FSB, 512k

Why? Because the price is within my budget, 533 FSB sounds good, and I prefer Pentium 4 to an AMD chip. I just do. Don't tell me that AMD is better; I don't care.

Motherboard: DDR 333mhz, 533mhz FSB, MSI 845g Max-L I845g MB, w/ATA 133, video, USB 2.0, LAN

Okay, here I'm really out of my depth, and would appreciate advice.

It sounds like a good choice, but is it? I take it I can use PC2700 RAM with this motherboard, which I think I want. And the 533 FSB seems to match the CPU choice. And ATA 133 has to be good, right? And USB 2.0 means I won't have to buy a USB 2.0 card later on, right? And LAN means I won't have to buy a PCI 10/100 network card, right?

Hard drive: Maxtor 60gig, 7200, ATA 133 hard drive.

Okay, I want 7200 and not 5400. I just do. And ATA 133 seems to take full advantage of what the aforementioned motherboard offers.

Frankly, I plan on installing the 120 gig hard drive I bought from Dell, a while back. But I'll probably keep this 60 gig drive, too.

Video Card: nVidia Geforce-4 MX420 64mb DDR w/TV out

Well, it's not the best video card, but given that I'm not a hard core gamer, is that really super important?

BTW, I may want to add a TV card, sometime down the road. Like an ATI All-in-Wonder card. Any problem here?

CD/DVD: I'll take it with a generic 56x CD-Rom drive.

I'll almost certainly take the TDK Velocd CD-RW drive out of my current computer, and put it in the new computer. And transplant my DVD drive, too. But I want the computer to arrive with at least some CD or DVD drive installed. It'll make me feel more secure that way.

Sound: Creative Labs Sound Blaster PCI 128.

If I don't care too much about games, I don't need a fantastic sound card, right? Just the same, I want something a little better than the AC-97 stereo sound built into the motherboard.

Operating System:

It will come with no OS installed, just the hard drive formatted. But I have an XP Professional CD that I got for free when I attended an MS Visual .Net event, a couple of months back. I'm assuming that I can put the CD in the computer, boot up, and install XP easily enough. Is this more-or-less true?

So, overall, does it sound like a relatively compatible computer system, with no glaring flaws or serious potential problems?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[Mike7]

I meant that my budget is under $1000. Not $100.

 

[TJN23]

just go shopping at newegg, you'll be fine, and go with a good gaming video card, its half the reason why i upgraded my system

 

[microAmp]

Originally posted by: TJN23
just go shopping at newegg, you'll be fine, and go with a good gaming video card, its half the reason why i upgraded my system

Last time I heard NewEgg doesn't build you a computer, I know MWave does for sure. But if you weren't refering to that he didn't want to build it himself.

Mike7, do you plan to o/c that P4? If you don't the PC2100 RAM should be fine, as far as I know Intel chipset doesn't have a feature like the Via KT333 chipset does, CPU runs at 133 MHz or 266 Mhz and memory feeds it at 333 MHz, or something like that. Maybe someone will set me straight on that. But since the P4 is 133 then PC2100 is all you need if not o/c.

Rig looks ok though.

 

[Acts837]

Dude, your gettin a Dell!

If you don't want to build your own rig, then I would highly recommend Dell since:
a) its hard to beat their prices,
b) they have good customer service, and
c) they aren't going out of business (anybody remember Quantex?)

Dude, don't you just hate Steve and the $$$ he makes from those commercials

 

[Mike7]

Although I have nothing against Dell (well, I hate that kid who does their commercials, and rather hope the alien space bats abduct him one night and subject him to the Mother of All Anal Probes, but that's neither here, nor there), Dell does not offer the flexibility of configuration I desire. That is, CyberPower offers a far broader choice of cases, motherboards, video boards, etc., than Dell typically does, for a given computer model. Consequently, I will likely not buy from Dell.

The ultimate in component choice flexibility is obtained by one assembling one's computer from scratch. However, I do not choose to go this route. I'd rather buy something that arrives assembled.

In any case, could you confirm my suspicions that since the motherboard comes with LAN, it means I won't need to install a 10/100 networking card (this keeping a slot free, and saving myself a whopping $10 or so)? That USB 2.0 is a plus?

Is there really no advantage to PC2700 (as opposed to PC2100)?

Thank you.

(PS -- Not only do I remember Quantex, I owned a Quantex until about 3 years ago. I didn't know they had gone out of business. Weren't they based in E. Brunswick, NJ? I seem to remember that they were, which was at least a trivial selling point for me, as I have family there.)

 

[Whitney]

Hi,

I'm a moderator over at the Directron site.


Don't want to sound like an advertiser, but over there you can pick out all the components you want from a huge inventory, and for a small charge they will build it and test it and if you want install the OS.

You ought to check it out at least.

 

[Acts837]

If a newer mobo comes with LAN then I would bet you won't need a NIC.

USB 2.0 is the new standard and is backwards compatible with older USB components.

PC2700 is better that PC2100; however, at those speeds who can honestly tell unless you are a serious overclocker.

BTW, Quantex did go belly up around Nov 2000.