Socket A Recommendation

[JPB]

Gonna be a Christmas gift, so it has to be rock solid and stable. What would you all recommend? thanks

 

[Varun]

Is this a brand new computer or you have the CPU already lying around?

If it's brand new, go with S754 and a Sempron. Amazing prices and great performance. I just build one last week on an Asus K8N board and it went flawless. The built in fan speed control on the Asus boards was very customizable as well for temperature thresholds.

If you already have the Socket A CPU, and it's worth using, I have the Abit NF7-S and it's been a great board other than a noisy chipset fan which I replaced with a Zalman passive.

I have an Asus board as well that has been rock solid as well for the last 4 years running a Via chipset.

 

[JPB]

It is going to be all new...I was thinking about the Barton 2500 XP for the cpu..

 

[JPB]

Originally posted by: x80064
It is going to be all new...I was thinking about the Barton 2500 XP for the cpu..

Do you think I could build a Sempron puter for around $600? If so...I may go that route

 

[ChiPCGuy]

Ok, need more info. First, you are pretty ill-advised to go Socket A at this point. You can pickup a S754 Sempron that will beat the crap out of most AthlonXPs (the Sempron64 3000+ for example) and spend less money than on a Socket A setup. You can put this CPU on a Biostar nForce6100/410 mobo with integrated graphics. CPU and mobo will cost you about $157.

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813138268 ($69)
CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104241 ($88)

The big advantage here is upgradability with PCI-E, SATA, half-way decent onboard graphics for the kiddies, modern chipset, and S754 won't be dead right away. AMD will keep releasing CPUs for it for some time to come. True, S939 and M2 are really the future, but S754 is still viable--especially given you want to go cheaply. You can also mix and match up DIMMS as well--no dual channel here.

 

[Varun]

Definately go with the S754 system. Integrated memory controller plus all of the A64 goodness for an amazing price.

Athlon XP-M 2400+ = $89

Amd Sempron 3000+ including HSF = $88

Advantages of the Sempron 3000+ are:

lower voltage
90nm chip - runs cooler
integrated memory controller
comes with a HSF
64 bit for the future

I believe the 3000+ and up Semprons also support cool'n'quiet from AMD

I can't see any reason to build a Socket A system anymore. The platform was great (I am still using it to this day on 2 of my systems) but it's done now.

 

[kyparrish]

S754 and Sempron....I totally agree with this.

 

[JPB]

Ok, I came up with this...what do you think ?

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wi...ID=1726656&WishListTitle=Kid%27s+Build

 

[Varun]

You'll have to copy and paste the contents here, you can't link to an encrypted page.

 

[JPB]

CASE http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811156156

MOBO http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813138268

CPU http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819104241

MEM http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145026

HD http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822140167

KB http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16823126170

MICE http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16826104181

MON http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16824197010

CD http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827131410

 

[ChiPCGuy]

Originally posted by: x80064

Originally posted by: x80064
It is going to be all new...I was thinking about the Barton 2500 XP for the cpu..

Do you think I could build a Sempron puter for around $600? If so...I may go that route

EASILY.

Watch.

1. Mobo = $69 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813138268
2. CPU = $88 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104241
3. HDD = $81 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822145051
4. RAM = $80.50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440
5. Card Reader = $15 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820192504
6. DVD Burner = $38 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152047
7. Case/PSU = $57 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129150
8. Keyboard/Mouse = $16 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823126152
9. CRT = $ 106 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824221008

Total $550. Shipping will be about another $50. Total is $600. Spend about $70 more and you can have a 17" LCD instead of the CRT. The LCD will cost about $15 less in shipping, so I am taking that into account. I would recommend the following LCD:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824009062

Obviously, with this build you will be using the on-board graphics and sound, both of which are not bad and quite adequate for kids stuff. Not serious gaming, mind you, but still waaaaay ahead of VIA or SiS integrated graphics.

 

[JPB]

Originally posted by: ChiPCGuy

Originally posted by: x80064

Originally posted by: x80064
It is going to be all new...I was thinking about the Barton 2500 XP for the cpu..

Do you think I could build a Sempron puter for around $600? If so...I may go that route

EASILY.

Watch.

1. Mobo = $69 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813138268
2. CPU = $88 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104241
3. HDD = $81 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822145051
4. RAM = $80.50 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440
5. Card Reader = $15 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820192504
6. DVD Burner = $38 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827152047
7. Case/PSU = $57 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129150
8. Keyboard/Mouse = $16 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16823126152
9. CRT = $ 106 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824221008

Total $550. Shipping will be about another $50. Total is $600. Spend about $70 more and you can have a 17" LCD instead of the CRT. The LCD will cost about $15 less in shipping, so I am taking that into account. I would recommend the following LCD:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824009062

Obviously, with this build you will be using the on-board graphics and sound, both of which are not bad and quite adequate for kids stuff. Not serious gaming, mind you, but still waaaaay ahead of VIA or SiS integrated graphics.

Look's very intriguing.....My 7 year old son LOVES NFS Underground...lol...aught to see that....

 

[ChiPCGuy]

Originally posted by: x80064
CASE http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811156156

MOBO http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813138268

CPU http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819104241

MEM http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145026

HD http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822140167

KB http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16823126170

MICE http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16826104181

MON http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16824197010

CD http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827131410

I took a look at your components. Not bad picks. I would not get the 40Gig ATA133 drive. I would also not go with that case, but instead the Antec I pointed to. It is 24pin and has dual 12V rails and the case is good quality.

I basically took your $600 price point and shoved as much "bang for the buck" into it that I could. You want a Gig of RAM. Remember that you will be using integrated graphics--don't go with 512MB.

 

[JPB]

Well, actually I was thinking about throwing a 6600 gt in the mix too....

 

[ChiPCGuy]

Originally posted by: x80064
Well, actually I was thinking about throwing a 6600 gt in the mix too....

Doing that you will blow your budget, but you will end up with a much more serious gaming machine. The PSU will easily support the 6600GT in that Antec case. I would not push it past a vanilla 6800, though. For 6800GT and above I would be looking for a more powerful PSU.

Edited to say: well, not totally blow the budget. You can cut off $40 for the RAM by going 512MB in this case, and spend about $10 less on the burner if you get a Lite-On CD-R/DVD combo drive. You could also spend $50 on a SATA150 Western Digital 80 Gig drive and reduce it another $30 and you will be $100 closer in total to that 6600GT. You would be about $40 over your $600 budget in this scenario.

 

[JPB]

Well, yea it would be a little over the $600....But I think it would be well worth it. I dont think he can live without his racing game. Makes me happy to watch him play it. Would like it to look half way decent for him.