Thinking about building new computer - help me out...

[IgoByte]

Hi folks,

I don't know if any of you still remember me - I haven't been in this neck of the woods in about six months. Anyway, in the time off from the forums, I was also very much removed from the computer hardware scene, so I'm not up to date on current chipsets, processors, video cards, etc.

Well, I've been using my trusted T40 as my only computer for quite some time and feel it's time to get a desktop once again. To that point, I'm debating whether to just get one of the new Dell Dimension 8400s or build my own rig, which is the option I'm exploring here, so here's what I have so far:

1. Monitor: I know I'll get the Dell 20" LCD monitor
2. Case: The Lian-Li PC-V1000 looks extremely appealing to me.
3. PSU: Something strong enough from Enermax, Antec or possibly something really silent from pc power & cooling. Would still very much welcome recommendations.
4. Mobo: No friggin idea! I don't even know whether to go for AMD or Intel, so give me a quick run-down on this if you will.
5. CPU: Same as above. Intel's P4 has been good. Something around 3GHz with an 800MHz FSB and 1MB of Cache would be nice. I don't know much at all about AMD's new CPUs.
6. RAM: 2x 512MB Crucial PC3200 should be OK
7. Video: Depending on price either 128MB or 256MB Radeon 9800PRO. It would be nice to be able to flash it to, say a 9800XT (though I don't know how to do that).
8. Audio: I still have an Audigy 2 sitting around somewhere.
9. Audio 2 - Speakers: I still have my good ole' Klipsch 5.1 set (the first one).
10. HDD: I was thinking about getting one of the new Hitachi drives or otherwise one or two Raptors (RAID 0).
11. Optical: Some kind of DVD burner (possibly a Plextor - don't know what's out there).
12. Accessories: FireWire card (for iPod), possibly SATA RAID card, floppy drive, cables, keyboard, mouse, etc.
13. OS: Windows XP Professional (still have the old one).

Well, that should about sum it up. By the way, the Dell 8400 configuration I was looking at goes something like this: P4 530 (3GHz), Win XPH, 1-yr. warranty, 1GB Dual Channel DDR @ 533MHz (2x 512), 80GB 7200RPM HDD, 16X DVD Drive, 20.1" 2001FP Monitor, 128MB PCIE X300SE, Integrated Sound, 56K Modem. Total: $1,645

That's all, folks. Thanks in advance.

 

[Illissius]

1-3) I'd get exactly the same things myself. Might also want to consider the Viewsonic VP201 for the monitor, a rather positive review of it here, too bad there aren't any reviews comparing it to the Dell. Get something with a 120mm fan for the PSU.

4) What'll you be using it for? For gaming, get an A64 - a 2800+ is on par with a P4 3.2C. For rendering, get a P4, it's a similar situation in reverse. For Intel, either Abit IC7-G, AI7, or Asus P4C800-E Deluxe. For AMD, Asus K8N-E Deluxe, or MSI K8N Neo Platinum if you can't get the Asus (it seems to be in stock at ZZF, but haven't seen it at Newegg, and no reviews yet either).

5) And this depends on whether you'll be overclocking. If you will, 3.0C on the Intel front, and 3000+ or 3200+ for A64s. The main thing to know is that A64s come in two variants, Newcastle and Clawhammer, former of which has 512K cache, while the latter has 1MB and is clocked 200MHz lower by default. At stock speeds, the extra 200Mhz rather outperforms the extra cache, but they overclock about the same so the Clawhammer will be faster afterwards. So either the 3000+ Newcastle, or the 3200+ Clawhammer - both are 2GHz and overclock to 2.4-2.5GHz fairly reliably (I don't think a higher clockspeed by default will get you much additional headroom, if any), and it's your choice whether you want to spend the extra for the cache. If you're not overclocking, then get anything up to the 3.4C or 3400+ Newcastle, depending on what you feel is worth your money (seeing as they're not exactly linearly priced).

6) Yep.

7) A 9800 Pro 128MB is OK, but I'd get the GeForce 6800 128MB over the 9800 Pro 256MB as it's significantly faster at any resolution where the less memory doesn't handicap it (which is to say basically at any resolution below 1600x1200 4xAA 16xAF, and neither are very playable at those settings anyways), and it's only a $20-$30 difference.
But considering the rest of the system I'd get a 6800GT (or X800XT, if you can find it anywhere) instead. They're quite literally twice as fast as a 9800 Pro (more than, in the X800XT's case), and an A64 is fast enough that they won't be CPU bound.

10) According to recent investigations by Anandtech and Storage Review, RAID 0 has just about 0 benefit on the desktop, so one Raptor will be sufficient. The 74GB is, however, significantly faster than the 36GB version, so one of those.

12) Most higher-end motherboards these days have FireWire integrated, including the two I mentioned.

Dunno about the Dell, but I'd avoid it purely on the basis of it not using the PC-V1000 for the case .

 

[IgoByte]

Thanks, Illissius. That helps.

Yeah, I too am not too hot about the Dell system for that very reason, but it bundles the monitor that I want at a reasonable price.

 

[stevty2889]

If you do get an Intel based system, I would defintaly not get a P4E(prescott), because they run hotter, consume more power, and are not as fast as their northwood counterparts. I have a P4 3.06ghz northwood, and a 2.8 prescott(that I overclocked to 3.3Ghz). At 3.3Ghz, the prescott still benchmarked lower than the 3.06ghz northwood, and ran signifacantly hotter at even stock speed.

 

[Illissius]

Yeah, I too am not too hot about the Dell system for that very reason, but it bundles the monitor that I want at a reasonable price.

It seemed awfully low to me as well, considering the 2001FP alone would be $1000 if it weren't perpetually on sale (from what I've heard, anyways).

Actually counting it up, though...

P4 530 (3GHz) - $230-ish
Random Dell motherboard - $50-100
1GB Dual Channel DDR @ 533MHz (2x 512) - Interesting, apparently this is an LGA775 Prescott system then. That means it will be hot as hell and slightly slower than a Northwood based one. This is DDR2 533, then, which is probably expensive as hell (256MB Infineon is $80 at newegg), but it performs the same as DDR1 400 so you don't actually get any additional value. $320 vs. $160 depending on which way you look at it.
80GB 7200RPM HDD - $60?
16X DVD Drive - $25
20.1" 2001FP Monitor - $1000
128MB PCIE X300SE - This is like, the worst graphics ever. Basically a PCI-E version of the 9600SE (meaning 64 bit memory bus, meaning effectively halved performance), though it may be clocked lower. Probably costs $50-100, but it's not worth the money.
Integrated Sound - Interesting they mention this. Does that mean it doesn't have integrated LAN?
56K Modem - Irrelevant
Case+PSU - $50, considering the stuff Dell uses.
$230 + $100 + $160 + $60 + $25 + $1000 + $100 + $50 = $1725
So it's about how much it costs, considering I erred on the more expensive side where I was unsure, and used the full $1000 sticker price of the 2001FP which you can get for $700-800 on sale. It may save you all of $50 compared to building a similar rig at Newegg, or it may lose you that much, but either way I wouldn't want to have a rig like that in the first place.

I'd pass.

 

[IgoByte]

There's the current SBD deal on the 2001FP for $750 - I think I might pick one up.