Recommendations for comp build

[compguy786]

ok this is what i have right now

AMD Sempron 2500+
ECS K7VTA3 V6.0 skt A
512mb DDR 333 PNY Ram
80gb Seagate Barracuda HDD
256MB Nvidia Geforce FX5500 AGP
Toshiba SDM-1912 DVD-Rom
Mitsumi 12x CD-RW

and i am going for this

AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3600+ windsor UPDATE - Gonna try for 4600+
ECS NFORCE4M-A AM2 UPDATE - Gonna go for ECS gforce 6100m mb
1GB (512x2) Geil/GSKILL/PQI/OCZ DDR2 800
200GB Samsung Spinpoint SATA
Sony DVD-RW
Nvidia Geforce 7600GT 256MB

i think this system i am building will top out at a bit over $500
that is how much i want to spend..or less
what do yall think ? Any suggestions ?

 

[Roguestar]

How much money do you have to spend? Unless you're on a really tight budget you should get a Core 2 Duo, they have simply more performance for the money.

The brisbane has a slightly lower clock speed but has double the cache of the windsor.

 

[compguy786]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135028
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130063

which MB is better ?

 

[Boyo]

I would vote for neither. I think there are better choices that you could find.

 

[compguy786]

for the same price ?

 

[mike420]

If you're buying a whole new rig... I'd go Core2 Duo but I am biased.

Check the specs... Toms hardware cpu comparison.

Or, if I were going AMDx2, I would definetely pony up for a 3800x2. They are a pretty good sweet spot (cost/performance) from what I've been reading.

 

[Noubourne]

In your price range the X2 is really your only option.

You'd have to go to $175 CPU and $75 mobo to get into C2D. I see you are looking at sub-$100 chips and ~$50 mobos.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Eh. Between the two boards you mentioned, I'd choose the ECS, but really they both kind of suck. It's more expensive, but the Biostar TForce 550 had a really nice pro review. In fact, it's part of a combo deal right now with the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 65W retail (make sure you get the CSBOX version, not CUBOX) for $175.11 shipped ($165.11 after rebate).

 

[lobbyone]

Will you be doing any overclocking?

 

[compguy786]

i wont overclock if dont need it...im just trying to make something that runs better than my current semp 2500+

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

What are the details of your upgrade? Are you looking for a whole new setup, or are you going to dismantle your current setup? If the latter, what components are you looking to reuse? What's your budget? Etc...

Also, what do you use it for? Gaming? Music? Etc...

 

[compguy786]

i only play 1 game....flight simulator...and im trying to get the new version...so would it work good on this comp that i am trying to build

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Flight Simulator 10 will run on any modern system, so you're fine, there. However, what about the other questions? Are you building this new system independently, or are you going to cannibalize parts from the old one? If so, what are the specs of your old system?

 

[compguy786]

the specs of my old system are up there....and new system...i will not use any old parts...as i will prob give this old comp to my brother. i might however yank the DVD drive as it is pretty new

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: compguy786
ok this is what i have right now

AMD Sempron 2500+
ECS K7VTA3 V6.0 skt A
512mb DDR 333 PNY Ram
80gb Seagate Barracuda HDD
256MB Nvidia Geforce FX5500 AGP
Toshiba SDM-1912 DVD-Rom
Mitsumi 12x CD-RW

and i am going for this

AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3600+ brisbane/windsor (which should i choose ??)
ECS NFORCE4M-A AM2 (or MSI K9N4 Ultra-F )
1GB (512x2) Geil/GSKILL/PQI/OCZ DDR2 800
200GB Samsung Spinpoint SATA
Sony DVD-RW
Nvidia Geforce 7600GT 256MB

i think this system i am building will top out at a bit over $500
that is how much i want to spend..or less
what do yall think ? Any suggestions ?

Okay, here's what I see as the #1 problem: You only plan to play one game on a regular basis (Flight Simulator X), and it has very loose video card requirements. Yet your chosen video card costs over $100! I wouldn't go much more than $50, if that. Anything else is overkill, and on a tight budget such as yours would prevent you from getting more useful components (namely, a faster CPU). Something like a 7100GS sounds about right.

The #2 problem is your choice of motherboard. ECS and MSI are both problematic manufacturers, especially when it comes to their budget lineups. The Biostar TForce 550 is a much better choice. It's only $10 or so more than the MSI board after rebate, and you'll be able to get a combo deal of the 3800+ 65W CSBOX for the same price as the 3600+.

As for the CPU, the Brisbane 3600+ is probably faster than the Windsor in most applications. However, I would encourage you to spend the extra $10 on the 3800+ 65W CSBOX. It will perform better, run cooler and draw less energy (saving you money on the electric bill). If you choose to overclock, the 3800+ has an edge there, too. However, the Brisbane 3600+ is fine, if you can't afford the $10.

I would suggest the following components:
3800+ 65W CSBOX (combo w/board)
Biostar TForce 550 (combo w/CPU)
Wintec AMPO 1GB (2x512MB) DDR2-800
7100GS
Samsung SpinPoint T 320GB HDD
Philips 16x DVD burner (retail w/Nero)
TOTAL: $406.17

This setup would actually be cheaper than what you had in mind (which prices out to $429.76).

 

[compguy786]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: compguy786
ok this is what i have right now

AMD Sempron 2500+
ECS K7VTA3 V6.0 skt A
512mb DDR 333 PNY Ram
80gb Seagate Barracuda HDD
256MB Nvidia Geforce FX5500 AGP
Toshiba SDM-1912 DVD-Rom
Mitsumi 12x CD-RW

and i am going for this

AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3600+ brisbane/windsor (which should i choose ??)
ECS NFORCE4M-A AM2 (or MSI K9N4 Ultra-F )
1GB (512x2) Geil/GSKILL/PQI/OCZ DDR2 800
200GB Samsung Spinpoint SATA
Sony DVD-RW
Nvidia Geforce 7600GT 256MB

i think this system i am building will top out at a bit over $500
that is how much i want to spend..or less
what do yall think ? Any suggestions ?

Okay, here's what I see as the #1 problem: You only plan to play one game on a regular basis (Flight Simulator X), and it has very loose video card requirements. Yet your chosen video card costs over $100! I wouldn't go much more than $50, if that. Anything else is overkill, and on a tight budget such as yours would prevent you from getting more useful components (namely, a faster CPU). Something like a 7100GS sounds about right.

The #2 problem is your choice of motherboard. ECS and MSI are both problematic manufacturers, especially when it comes to their budget lineups. The Biostar TForce 550 is a much better choice. It's only $10 or so more than the MSI board after rebate, and you'll be able to get a combo deal of the 3800+ 65W CSBOX for the same price as the 3600+.

As for the CPU, the Brisbane 3600+ is probably faster than the Windsor in most applications. However, I would encourage you to spend the extra $10 on the 3800+ 65W CSBOX. It will perform better, run cooler and draw less energy (saving you money on the electric bill). If you choose to overclock, the 3800+ has an edge there, too. However, the Brisbane 3600+ is fine, if you can't afford the $10.

I would suggest the following components:
3800+ 65W CSBOX (combo w/board)
Biostar TForce 550 (combo w/CPU)
Wintec AMPO 1GB (2x512MB) DDR2-800
7100GS
Samsung SpinPoint T 320GB HDD
Philips 16x DVD burner (retail w/Nero)
TOTAL: $406.17

This setup would actually be cheaper than what you had in mind (which prices out to $429.76).

I have ran ECS for the last 2 years, OC and etc, and it has been a very stable board. Only reason why i am opting for a 7600GT is because i want it to be high performance, have the best graphics, as my 5500 right now lags at about 2.5-6.0 FPS, whcih i totally hate. I might consider the biostar deal...but some ppl say biostar is not good either, so yeah i dont want any lag on FS with the new comp...thats why i want a 7600GT

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

I owned a really nice ECS board, too. I didn't mean to imply that the company produced nothing but problematic models (that distinction is reserved for PC Chips). However, their low-end products tend to be hit or miss. I'm sure you don't want to be stuck for a month or longer in RMA limbo. Indeed, Biostar has released some lemons, themselves. So have most companies, for that matter. It's a tricky decision, to be sure.

Well, if you're unsatisfied with your video card performance, perhaps a 7600GS is the right choice. Still, be aware of what you're giving up--that's over $50, almost enough for another gigabyte of memory.

Anyhoo, good luck with your build.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: compguy786
ok this is what i have right now

AMD Sempron 2500+
ECS K7VTA3 V6.0 skt A
512mb DDR 333 PNY Ram
80gb Seagate Barracuda HDD
256MB Nvidia Geforce FX5500 AGP
Toshiba SDM-1912 DVD-Rom
Mitsumi 12x CD-RW

and i am going for this

AMD Athlon 64 x 2 3600+ brisbane/windsor (which should i choose ??)
ECS NFORCE4M-A AM2 (or MSI K9N4 Ultra-F )
1GB (512x2) Geil/GSKILL/PQI/OCZ DDR2 800
200GB Samsung Spinpoint SATA
Sony DVD-RW
Nvidia Geforce 7600GT 256MB

i think this system i am building will top out at a bit over $500
that is how much i want to spend..or less
what do yall think ? Any suggestions ?

Okay, here's what I see as the #1 problem: You only plan to play one game on a regular basis (Flight Simulator X), and it has very loose video card requirements. Yet your chosen video card costs over $100! I wouldn't go much more than $50, if that. Anything else is overkill, and on a tight budget such as yours would prevent you from getting more useful components (namely, a faster CPU). Something like a 7100GS sounds about right.

The #2 problem is your choice of motherboard. ECS and MSI are both problematic manufacturers, especially when it comes to their budget lineups. The Biostar TForce 550 is a much better choice. It's only $10 or so more than the MSI board after rebate, and you'll be able to get a combo deal of the 3800+ 65W CSBOX for the same price as the 3600+.

As for the CPU, the Brisbane 3600+ is probably faster than the Windsor in most applications. However, I would encourage you to spend the extra $10 on the 3800+ 65W CSBOX. It will perform better, run cooler and draw less energy (saving you money on the electric bill). If you choose to overclock, the 3800+ has an edge there, too. However, the Brisbane 3600+ is fine, if you can't afford the $10.

I would suggest the following components:
3800+ 65W CSBOX (combo w/board)
Biostar TForce 550 (combo w/CPU)
Wintec AMPO 1GB (2x512MB) DDR2-800
7100GS
Samsung SpinPoint T 320GB HDD
Philips 16x DVD burner (retail w/Nero)
TOTAL: $406.17

This setup would actually be cheaper than what you had in mind (which prices out to $429.76).

huh? I thought Flight Simulator X demanded the best of the best graphics cards for solid frame rates? You should look at at least a 7900/1900 series video card from Nvidia or ATI, you can find a 7900gs or x1950pro for well less than $150 now.

As for CPU if you plan to overclock (even if not now), go for the X2 3600 Brisbane, which overclock extremely well. If you have no intentions to overclock whatsoever, a X2 3800/4200 are pretty cheap and will suffice. The Biostar MB is a nice choice too.

Other than that at least 1 gb of ram will do. For hard-drive, I'd go with a Seagate over the Samsung linked above. Good luck with your purchase!

 

[caveman017]

how about the Abit KN9S for $60AR

and the
BFG 6600GT for $50AR

 

[compguy786]

i dont want the rebate limbo...to much hassle. So are you people saying that the ECS i picked is of a lower end line ? apparently it has more ram slots and etc than the MSI board, more slots=more ram. I have heard that FS X requires a really really good gfx card, so thats why im opting for something that can run it in full resolution and on max settings. Seagate i have right now and its been a bit problematic, and the one i have now is one i got back from the via RMA. My vaio has a samsung and i like it alot, its really quiet too.

 

[compguy786]

any other thoughts guys ?

 

[compguy786]

i think i am most likely going to go with the config i have chosen...i will order week after next hopefully

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Although you may be hesitant with the rebates, This card is probably the best deal out there right now, and will give you much better performance than a 7600GT, at least a 1/3rd more.

If your hesitant about the rebate This is a nice deal too. If your going to spend about $100 on a graphics card like the 7600 gt you might as well pitch in an extra $20-$30 for noticeably better performance.

Edit: Since I'm recommending better cards, I might add that you shouldn't skimp out on a Power Supply either.

 

[compguy786]

hmm...thats a really good deal...depends on how long it takes the rebate to come back...if this is available in store...id opt for it because i am going to San Francisco next week and they have fry's over there, so i am going to check it out, there are none out here in North Carolina, so i am going to check it out, and hopefully get some stuff...anyone know of any good combo deals at fry's lately ??? like a AMD Ahtlon X2 + motherboard combo ???
im looking for a case as well....black and with a PSY and side panel...got any under $50 in mind guys ?

 

[Rockinacoustic]

I picked this up. Granted it's not a high quality case, but it's free (Rebate ends today too i believe)