I'm having crash problems on my existing WinXP Intel-based PC (see thread http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2036176). If I need to rebuild, this is what I have in mind. First, I've answered the questions from Blain's sticky, then proposed replacements.
Thanks.
Proposed parts (all from Newegg):
Total cost is about $500, $350 without new case and extra memory.
Thanks.
- PC will be used for casual gaming, hobby Photoshop, general MS Office & web
- Price range $500 +/-$100
- I am in USA
- No brand preference, but AMD seems to offer more value in my price range
- Will reuse:
-Corsair CM2X1024-6400 (2 sticks memory)
-VisionTek-ATI Radeon HD 4850 1GB
-SB Audigy SB1394 Model SB0090
-HDD1: Seagate Barricuda 7200.10 SATA 320 Gbytes
-HDD2:Maxtor DiamondMax 10 Model 6L250R0 PATA 133 250 Gbytes
-Optical Drive 1: ASUS DRW-2014 L1T (SATA)
-Optical Drive 2: ASUS DRW-2014 L1 (PATA)
-Possibly reuse case that came with an ABS system purchased in 2002, though its noisy
-Possibly reuse PSU: ThermalTake PurePower Xaser III 480W
-Possibly reuse a ThermalTake CPU cooler purchased some time ago for an Athlon 64 (I think). - I have been looking into these forums and others to come up with the parts listed below
- I may moderately overclock, but this is not key to my decision
- I currently use a CRT(!) at 1280X960. Gaming at this resolution or 1024X768 would satisfy me. I probably wont change the monitor until this one breaks.
- Build asap
Proposed parts (all from Newegg):
- AMD Athlon II X3 435 Rana 2.9GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor Model ADX435WFGIBOX - Retail - $87.00 (May be able to unlock the 4th processor)
- GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 785G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - $89.99 (I dont need the graphics, but the price is right. Question would a 790 chip set be preferred?
- ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler - Retail $34.98 (Claims to be quiet. Is the retail Athlon II bundled with a cooler, and what quality is it?)
- CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-6400C5 - Retail $75.99 after rebate (these match the 2 Gbytes of memory that I already have on hand; I havent decided whether to add these or stay with only my existing 2 Gbytes opinion?)
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM - $104.99 Im assuming that all of my peripherals have 64-bit drivers available)
- Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail - $99.99 (If I dont stay with my current case/PSU)
Total cost is about $500, $350 without new case and extra memory.