****System Buyer's Guide****NEW UPDATE 12/01

[Ardan]

Originally posted by: Reck
I've spent months using the A90f+. The 997 is curved in a very bad way. The screen is curved more on the four corners so it's unevenly curved as well. Seriously you didn't spend much time with the viewsonic, it's way flatter and what little curve there is is even down the side. The people who thought it's good were coming from garbage monitors anyway. Maybe mine was defective but I'd doubt it, I've never used such a poor monitor. You get what you pay for...

I was talking about the 997DF, not the A90f+. I'm sure you have, but i've also spent months using the 997DF as well, and it isn't a bad monitor. Yours probably WAS bad, however.

 

[imported_Reck]

Nope I just took it back. It was NOT defective...thank god they waived the restocking fee.

So draw your own conclusions...

 

[guynexdoor]

I'm looking to build a PC with Athlon xp chip. However, I realize that the industry is moving in the 64 bit era, and so I feel like I'm caught in between...If I build an entry level sys. now, I can probably save lots of money since I'd be salvaging my DVD drive, HD, and sound/video cards....

Getting the athlon 64 chips are pricey and so is their mobos. And if I decide to build a budget system, maybe I'll spend lots more money on the case, as that will remain the same. This is my first time ever building a PC, so I've been researching like a madman. Any suggestions?

R

 

[jpeyton]

Surprise, surprise, I'm doing a price update and Newegg is jacking up prices ALL OVER. And not by a little either; take the ECS 9200 video card; it's now over $60. The motherboards went up $5 each; CPU heatsinks are up a couple bucks each.

Look for a very thorough pricing update next week which will have a lot fewer links to the Egg.

 

[kojak61]

Is this board any good? DFI "NFII ULTRA-AL" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard

 

[lrmat]

i've always loved newegg but i too have noticed how they are jacking up the prices way more then other vendors. i want to build a new rig something i haven't done in years (and never alone). almost every component i plan to buy will be from zipzoomfly cause they are a few bucks cheaper and for most items have free 2nd day air.

i hope someone from newegg reads these forums cause even though they have great service, they are not the only game in town.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: kojak61
Is this board any good? DFI "NFII ULTRA-AL" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard

no you have to get the Infinity Series for it to be good. The others ae very slimmed down. You should get the DFI NFII Ultra Infinity.

-Kevin

 

[trexpesto]

Link on the Biostar goes to Chaintech 7NIL-1 Summit

 

[Ardan]

I'm thinking of saving up for a future A64 upgrade. I decided to leave my GF4 Ti4200 in here, because it doesn't need to be upgraded first. I know, with a job, I could get them soon but I have other things to pay off, but right now I have about 6 months where I can save up most of my money.

While I could save up a LOT and get overkill, I want to get the best for the money.

I think i'll add 512Meg more of the RAM I use (Corsair DDR400) for 1GB total, but what about the CPU? Should I wait on an Athlon 64 3200+, or should I aim higher and plan for a December upgrade? Perhaps a 3500 or 3700+, something like that. I'm thinking that a 3200+ would be just fine (since my sister's 3200+ laptop is very nice...can only imagine a desktop system is even better), but do I need another PSU? I have a 350W Antec PSU...is that really truly an okay decision? Do not spare me 'techno-babble' please, if you think this worthy to reply to I understand it fully. I've been out of the game for a while, and while it didn't take long to figure out which are the better choices, i'm unclear on a PSU and CPU/Heatsink combo. I still have a small tube of Ceramique, so I definitely don't need anymore of that stuff . Is there anymore that you guys recommend? How is the Silent Boost from Thermaltake, anyway? A friend told me you need to replace something on the motherboard if you use that Zalman 7000A AlCU fan/heatsink...is this true? Is that a big hassle at all?

All that I would need is a CPU/Motherboard and a 3rd Party Heatsink/Fan combo that strives for a happy medium between silence and performance. I may buy a new case if I could sell this one, and I don't need any help with that choice . Sorry if you guys have answered these before, but I don't have the time to sit down and read for hours on here .

Thanks a bunch if anyone could give me some tips here!

 

[ScrapSilicon]

Originally posted by: trexpesto
Link on the Biostar goes to Chaintech 7NIL-1 Summit

new link to the Biostar

 

[Sonic587]

TTT

12,000 views in only one month and this gets unstuck? What's up?:Q

 

[caivoma]

bump for a good thread

 

[ciwell]

Hey, where's the cream filling?!

I mean sticky?!

 

[laurenlex]

Shameless post-increasing bump. I don't want to be a noob. Good buyer's guide.

 

[Codyz28]

Bumpety Bump for sticky

 

[trexpesto]

Originally posted by: guynexdoor
I'm looking to build a PC with Athlon xp chip. However, I realize that the industry is moving in the 64 bit era, and so I feel like I'm caught in between...If I build an entry level sys. now, I can probably save lots of money since I'd be salvaging my DVD drive, HD, and sound/video cards....

Getting the athlon 64 chips are pricey and so is their mobos. And if I decide to build a budget system, maybe I'll spend lots more money on the case, as that will remain the same. This is my first time ever building a PC, so I've been researching like a madman. Any suggestions?

R

People, correct me if I am wrong here:

The Socket A XPs will be good for a while yet. If not, this guide would not recommend it. The mobo+CPU will run you ~ $150 depending which chip.
Overclocking is very good with the Socket A Mobile XP's if you are interested. It's predictable to hit ~2.4 GHz up on air cooling with a good HSF from an OEM $79 Mobile 2400+. Alot of people run stock for a while, and then when they "need" to, (like they just got a new vid card) they get into overclocking to extend the useful life of the parts.

The Socket 754 A64, while they don't have dual channel memory are good performers regardless, also show good price-performance line for gaming, just higher price (and performance) in absolute terms. ~ $350 depending. The highest rated 754 is higher than the highest Socket A. Some people have also had good luck overclocking their A64's. In particular the new DFI NF3 UT board is a second gen 754 board that apparently rocks. Check the AT article.

If you have the money, Socket 939 is a good option because it is the one they are currently developing, and supports dual channel like the Socket A did. (Socket 754 did not but it is not a Huge factor) There is a premium to pay which puts it slightly less performance for the price than 754 or A, but it has the best performance in absolute terms, and upgradability is a factor for some people. To others, upgradability can be discounted because whenever they upgrade, they get both the CPU and mobo. No idea on price.

Intel CPUs - most everyone here uses AMD because of their price-perf and overclockability. Good choice!

So for my first comp it was 6 months ago, I got XP and overclocked because I had the time to learn and the interest, and in case I fried it, it wasn't as big of a deal. If it becomes obsolete in another year or two, I'll either give it to someone, sell it, overclock it to death, or use it for a Home Theater PC. You'll find if you post a new thread in GenHardware that says how much you can spend max, whether you are a gamer, and what you use the comp for, people will tell you what they think you should buy. If they are not bonkers, it usually aligns pretty well with this guide.

 

[jpeyton]

Updated All Configs.

 

[imported_NoGodForMe]

Here's my suggestion for the high end system, because it's what I've just ordered.
Everything is on the way execpt for the AV8 and FX53. I already have a monitor and use headphones, so speakers are not needed and I go with the sound card only (not pro). System is SCSI because I use a dat drive to back up my data (saved my butt many times).

Antec Silver Mid Tower Case P-160WF (will match the one in my sig) $119
Antec 480 Watt NeoPower $121
Asus AV8 $133
AMD FX53 $849
BFG 6800 Ultra OC Water Block $588
Corsair XMS PC3200XLPRO 512x2 $314
Adaptec PCI 29320A-R SCSI Controller $195
Seagate 73GB 15k Cheetah SCSI ST373453LW $535
SB Audigy2 ZS $86
Pioneer DVR-108 $88
Teac 1.44 (the floppy lives) $10
Koolance Exos-AL $200
Koolance CPU-300-H06 Water Block $49
Microsoft Natural Keyboard $22
Logitec Blue MX510 Mouse $43

Shipping so far is $40 from Newegg. The BFG shipped from Frys Outpost for free and is on the way.
Parts total is $3352
Shipping has been $40, the AV8 and FX53 are still out of stock, so that will be about $10 to ship them.
Grand total ~ $3402

 

[Starstream]

Wow...NGFM....our system choices are so close we could be the...uh, Corscian Brothers or something. I'm opting (as a loyal customer) for an eVGA card and more conventional hard drive set-ups. Otherwise, pretty much the same as you.

Gee, you'd think after to subscribing to CPU for all this time, I'd finally join this forum.

 

[Penguinus]

Although I've noticed that Newegg does bump prices a lot (they fluctuate a lot from what I've seen, looking at prices for about 3 or 4 months now), they are still fairly competitive, and their shipping policies and the way they handle stuff is often better. For me, I ordered parts from both Newegg and ZZF, and while all my newegg parts have already shipped, my 'free' 2-day UPS ship ZZF parts have not left the warehouse yet, even tho I ordered them tuesday early afternoon. Not a big deal or anything, because I don't need them till Monday, but just another reason I prefer Newegg.

 

[user1234]

The speeze fans you recommend for socket-a (so called entry level) are a waste of money, as they do not cool well if you overclock, even a standard overclock to 2.2GHz and the CPU gets to 50C idle !!!!! spend a little more and get Thermalright SLK-900A with 92mm fan and your temps will be 15C lower. Not sure why they chose these junk cooler, maybe assuming people don't overclock entry level systems they build ? but this is despite the fact the Barton CPUs are among the most simple to overclock out there, and it's quite a waste not to overclock them.

 

[jpeyton]

Originally posted by: user1234
The speeze fans you recommend for socket-a (so called entry level) are a waste of money, as they do not cool well if you overclock, even a standard overclock to 2.2GHz and the CPU gets to 50C idle !!!!! spend a little more and get Thermalright SLK-900A with 92mm fan and your temps will be 15C lower. Not sure why they chose these junk cooler, maybe assuming people don't overclock entry level systems they build ? but this is despite the fact the Barton CPUs are among the most simple to overclock out there, and it's quite a waste not to overclock them.

Entry level buyers don't want to pay $35+ for a heatsink/fan combo. And I've owned a Barton 2500+; they overclock to 2.2GHz using the stock AMD cooler at default Vcore; the Speeze units are whisper quiet and better than the stock coolers, plus they're cheap. And people have the option of spending more on a cooler if they desire, but I provided a good entry-level heatsink for entry-level systems.

 

[gregdaddy]

Ya the speeze fans arntworth the money

 

[ChineseDemocracyGNR]

Originally posted by: jpeyton
Video Card
Rosewill ATI Radeon 9600XT 128MB 128-bit - $132
OR
MSI ATI Radeon 9800PRO 128MB 256-bit DVI/VO - $193
OR
eVGA Nvidia GeForce 6800 128MB 256-bit w/ Far Cry - $278
These cards will provide a great gaming experience with newer games like Doom 3, with the obvious advantage going to the 6800. If you don't game and never plan on it, consider getting the card from the Budget System (above), or something even less expensive (GeForce MX or Radeon 7000).

I would consider upgrading that 9600XT for one with BGA memory, like the SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600XT Vi...V-Out, 8X AGP -BULK ($133+0.99).

 

[Leeky1975]

This is my first post here - although I have been reading the site for about 2 months now.

For a complete noob here can some explain the difference between a 3.6ghz Intel 4 with ht tech and 1mb cache and a 3.4ghz EE with a 2mb level cache?

Would it be worth waiting until an increased ghz ee chip becomes available?

Also will the Intel D925CV motherboard take increased mhz ddr 2 when that comes out?

I know these questions will probably seem simple to you guys but I was really flamed when I bought a Dell two years ago and I want to learn from my mistakes.

Sorry for the double post.

Any help would be appreciated, you can get me on martynleek@msn.com

Thanks in advance