YA"Build Me a Comp" thread

[gotensan01]

I'm a pretty die hard AMD fan so I know nothing about Intel systems. I'm trying to help a friend find parts for a P4 system she's looking to build. She wants it to have the new stuff so that it won't be completely outdated ~3 years from now.

From the general searching I've done and from stuff that is universal with AMD/INTEL systems, it seems like these are some of the key features:

socket LGA 775
hyperthreading
800fsb
SATA
pci-e

Here's generally what I'm thinking:
PSU - ~450 nice Antec, Enermax, etc. Also with SATA power and p4 ready
MEMORY - Value pc3200 2x512 by Corsair, Crucial, Mushkin, etc
VID - x800pro or 6800gt
MONITOR - a nice crt

I have no idea about the CPU or mobo. I figure all the other things like optical drives and hdd's will be determined pretty easily before purchase. Thanks for reading.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot to mention that the monitor will just be a CRT so the rest of system can be around $1800?

 

[Shyatic]

It will be outdated ~1 year from now... maybe 2 if you drop some more cash. However, I have to ask -- and I know it's flamebait -- but why is she going with Intel vs. AMD? For the price you'd get more performance with the AMD, specially the price range that you have.

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: Scribe
It will be outdated ~1 year from now... maybe 2 if you drop some more cash. However, I have to ask -- and I know it's flamebait -- but why is she going with Intel vs. AMD? For the price you'd get more performance with the AMD, specially the price range that you have.

Well I know comp hardware gets outdated the next day. The thing is that there is a difference between being outdated because it isn't the fastest and because it doesn't have a feature.

For example, if she spent a few extra bucks she could get the pci-e and be ready for the next couple of years. Also, I'll take for example the amd64. She could spend the extra and get the s939 because the s754 will still be around but won't be amd's mainstream choice. That's what I meant by not get outdated.

She hasn't completely determined if she wants an intel system. I'm just asking for intel because I could comletely help her with amd

 

[Markfw]

Originally posted by: Scribe
It will be outdated ~1 year from now... maybe 2 if you drop some more cash. However, I have to ask -- and I know it's flamebait -- but why is she going with Intel vs. AMD? For the price you'd get more performance with the AMD, specially the price range that you have.

Ditto. What is she doing with the system ? In that price range, Intel doesn;t even hold the crown in encoding, just how much heat it can produce.

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: Markfw900

Originally posted by: Scribe
It will be outdated ~1 year from now... maybe 2 if you drop some more cash. However, I have to ask -- and I know it's flamebait -- but why is she going with Intel vs. AMD? For the price you'd get more performance with the AMD, specially the price range that you have.

Ditto. What is she doing with the system ? In that price range, Intel doesn;t even hold the crown in encoding, just how much heat it can produce.

The only labor intensive thing she will be doing is gaming, like Enemy Territory. But she wants to be able to play the newest games etc.

Don't worry I'm trying to convince her to go with AMD

 

[DrCool]

Originally posted by: gotensan01
I'm a pretty die hard AMD fan so I know nothing about Intel systems. I'm trying to help a friend find parts for a P4 system she's looking to build. She wants it to have the new stuff so that it won't be completely outdated ~3 years from now.

From the general searching I've done and from stuff that is universal with AMD/INTEL systems, it seems like these are some of the key features:

socket LGA 775
hyperthreading
800fsb
SATA
pci-e

Here's generally what I'm thinking:
PSU - ~450 nice Antec, Enermax, etc. Also with SATA power and p4 ready
MEMORY - Value pc3200 2x512 by Corsair, Crucial, Mushkin, etc
VID - x800pro or 6800gt
MONITOR - a nice crt

I have no idea about the CPU or mobo. I figure all the other things like optical drives and hdd's will be determined pretty easily before purchase. Thanks for reading.

EDIT: Sorry, forgot to mention that the monitor will just be a CRT so the rest of system can be around $1800?

Unless she is a HARDCORE gamer, which seems unlikely.. why would you need an x800pro or a 6800gt? why waste $400 dollars..

please enlighten us as to why she needs the specs that your asking about, what does she plan to use this system for exactly?

 

[DGath]

Motherboards - Intel
ABIT "AA8-DuraMAX" i925X Chipset Motherboard for Intel LGA775 CPU -RETAIL
$152.00

Processors
Intel LGA775 Pentium 4 550 3.4 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology - Retail
$279.00

Video Cards
PowerColor ATI RADEON X800 XT Video Card, 256MB GDDR3, 256-Bit, DVI/VIVO, PCI-Express, Model "R42-TVD3B" -RETAIL
$685

DVD-Burner
Lite-On 16X DVD Dual Drive, Model SOHW-1633S Black, Retail
$74.00

Hard Drives
Western Digital 200GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD2000JD, OEM Drive Only
$118.00
Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD740GD, OEM Drive Only
$182.00

Memory (System Memory)
2xKingston 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail
$158.00

Monitors - CRT
SAMSUNG SyncMaster 997DF-T/T 19" DynaFlat CRT Monitor -RETAIL
$209.00

Total = $1,857


Damn.... you can build one hell of a system for $2000. She probably not going to be overclocking so I didn't get any crazy memory, just standard 3200. That monitor is one of my favs. Had to go with a Gen2 Raptor and then threw in a 200gb storage drive. Newegg was out of most x800s, so just went with the first one I saw. That price will allow you to go and grab an x800 from any other site after comparing manufacturers. Haven't looked at many 925 benchmarks, but Abit is usually right up at the top. Then the processor is my pick because after that chip, the prices get a bit crazy.

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: DrCool
Unless she is a HARDCORE gamer, which seems unlikely.. why would you need an x800pro or a 6800gt? why waste $400 dollars..

please enlighten us as to why she needs the specs that your asking about, what does she plan to use this system for exactly?

She is a hardcore gamer...she's in an Enemy Territory clan and she wants to play HL2 with the graphics cranked up.

EDIT: DGath, thanks for the system. She's reading this so we'll probably end up discussing some of the hardware. I don't think she wants two hdd's as it may be unnecessary for her. And the x800xt may be too much money. Going with just a x800pro would save ~$250 and it seems a better fit for her in that she doesn't need to latest and greatest.

 

[Mayax]

Originally posted by: gotensan01

Originally posted by: DrCool
Unless she is a HARDCORE gamer, which seems unlikely.. why would you need an x800pro or a 6800gt? why waste $400 dollars..

please enlighten us as to why she needs the specs that your asking about, what does she plan to use this system for exactly?

She is a hardcore gamer...she's in an Enemy Territory clan and she wants to play HL2 with the graphics cranked up.

Well, she really should be going AMD then. I'd show her the ratings of the Athlon 64's in 3D games vs Intel. Print out some comparisons for her. Just about every review has the AMD's killing Intel.

Really rub in the far better performance for cheaper.

Lastly, remind her that she'll get longer longer life out of the AMD because:

A.) She'll be ready for 64 bit computing and gaming.

B.) You can overclock the AMD better and stretch another year or so out of the AMD.

If that doesn't convince her she's wasting money on an Intel for gaming, it's a good bet she's voting for Kerry.


/I kid.

 

[gotensan01]

She reads this so I'm sure she is getting persuaded to the good, AMD side

 

[Cawchy87]

AMD system would be the only way.

And i play ALL the newest games on a 9800pro. No need to get a GT or anything. Wait till she actully needs one and by then they will be MUCH cheaper.

 

[HiDeAtHfInItIoN]

AMD owns Intel, ill never make the mistake of buying from Intel again unless they really get there act together.

 

[DrCool]

ASUS P5GD2 INTEL 915P CHIPSET SERIAL ATA150 ATX FORM FACTOR 1xPCI-E(X16)/3xPCI-E(X1)/3xPCI/4xDDR2 W/SATA RAID,LAN(Gb),USB 2.0 & AUDIO - $150

INTEL PENTIUM 4 520 2.8GHZ (BX80547PG2800E) W/1M CACHE 800MHZ LGA775-PIN RETAILED (3 YEARS WARRANTY) - $164

INWIN S508 MID TOWER W/300W ATX POWER SUPPLY 3x5.25" 2x3.5" 2x3.5"(hidden) & 80mm CASE FAN x 1 Details - $55

ENERMAX NOISETAKER AX EG495AX-VE SFMA ATX 12V VERSION 2.0 485W UL & FCC POWER SUPPLY FOR ATX CASES - $119

XFX GEFORCE 6600 128MB DDR PCI EXPRESS DX9 W/DVI & TV OUT - $150 (performance difference between this and a 6800 Ultra doesn't justify the $400 + difference in price, being that it's pci express, you don't need as much onboard memory, as the bus has ample bandwidth to the system memory)

SONY 1.44MB FLOPPY DRIVE (Bare Drive) - $9 (necessary to have on hand, still the most usefull for bios updates and troubleshooting -boot disks, etc.)

WD 36GB 360GD SERIAL ATA 150 10,000RPM 8MB BUFFER HARD DRIVE (Bare drive) - $109 (just going to use this as a high performance primary)

SEAGATE 200GB ST3200822AS SERIAL ATA150 7200RPM 8MB (Bare drive) - $119 (high performing, quite, large capacity, reliable)

CRUCIAL DDR2 PC2-3200 2x 512MB - $300 (highest performing DDR2 on the market, 2x 512 to take advantage of dual channel capabilities)

LITE ON SOHW1633S 16X/16 DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE W/SW (Retail-beige) - $87

LITE ON 16X-DVD/48X-CDROM INTERNAL EIDE #LTD-163/166S (Retail) - $24

Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/sp2 #E85-03014(DSP/OEM) - $134

LOGITECH Z-640 5.1 50WATTS SPEAKER SYSTEM - $55

SAMSUNG 19"/18"V SYNCMASTER 997DF .20 1920X1440 64HZ - $210 (retail - bestbuy)

total - $1685 pre any Tax or Shipping

prices quoted from:

http://www.mwave.com
http://www.crucial.com
http://www.bestbuy.com

 

[DrCool]

DGath

you neglected a Case / Power Supply / and Software in your quote..

that would put you well over the $2000 budget.

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: DrCool
ASUS P5GD2 INTEL 915P CHIPSET SERIAL ATA150 ATX FORM FACTOR 1xPCI-E(X16)/3xPCI-E(X1)/3xPCI/4xDDR2 W/SATA RAID,LAN(Gb),USB 2.0 & AUDIO - $150

INTEL PENTIUM 4 520 2.8GHZ (BX80547PG2800E) W/1M CACHE 800MHZ LGA775-PIN RETAILED (3 YEARS WARRANTY) - $164

INWIN S508 MID TOWER W/300W ATX POWER SUPPLY 3x5.25" 2x3.5" 2x3.5"(hidden) & 80mm CASE FAN x 1 Details - $55

ENERMAX NOISETAKER AX EG495AX-VE SFMA ATX 12V VERSION 2.0 485W UL & FCC POWER SUPPLY FOR ATX CASES - $119

XFX GEFORCE 6600 128MB DDR PCI EXPRESS DX9 W/DVI & TV OUT - $150 (performance difference between this and a 6800 Ultra doesn't justify the $400 + difference in price, being that it's pci express, you don't need as much onboard memory, as the bus has ample bandwidth to the system memory)

SONY 1.44MB FLOPPY DRIVE (Bare Drive) - $9 (necessary to have on hand, still the most usefull for bios updates and troubleshooting -boot disks, etc.)

WD 36GB 360GD SERIAL ATA 150 10,000RPM 8MB BUFFER HARD DRIVE (Bare drive) - $109 (just going to use this as a high performance primary)

SEAGATE 200GB ST3200822AS SERIAL ATA150 7200RPM 8MB (Bare drive) - $119 (high performing, quite, large capacity, reliable)

CRUCIAL DDR2 PC2-3200 2x 512MB - $300 (highest performing DDR2 on the market, 2x 512 to take advantage of dual channel capabilities)

LITE ON SOHW1633S 16X/16 DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE W/SW (Retail-beige) - $87

LITE ON 16X-DVD/48X-CDROM INTERNAL EIDE #LTD-163/166S (Retail) - $24

Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/sp2 #E85-03014(DSP/OEM) - $134

LOGITECH Z-640 5.1 50WATTS SPEAKER SYSTEM - $55

SAMSUNG 19"/18"V SYNCMASTER 997DF .20 1920X1440 64HZ - $210 (retail - bestbuy)

total - $1685 pre any Tax or Shipping

prices quoted from:

http://www.mwave.com
http://www.crucial.com
http://www.bestbuy.com

Nice DrCool, thanks for the post. Like I said before, I don't think she wants 2 hdd's so she could save money there. The video card is the one thing that she cares about most so I'm not sure what she'll decide with that. I don't think she'll need a 485W psu, I was thinking like ~430W?

What timings do you get with that memory? I know you can get a value series 2x512 set and get timings around 2.5-3-3-6.

 

[DGath]

Originally posted by: DrCool
DGath

you neglected a Case / Power Supply / and Software in your quote..

that would put you well over the $2000 budget.

Whether she actually wants to buy XP is up to her. Case is personal preference. He already knows what he's looking for with a PSU. And BTW, I could fit XP, a decent case and reliable psu into $150. So it's not "well over."

Originally posted by: gotensan01

Originally posted by: DrCool
EDIT: DGath, thanks for the system. She's reading this so we'll probably end up discussing some of the hardware. I don't think she wants two hdd's as it may be unnecessary for her. And the x800xt may be too much money. Going with just a x800pro would save ~$250 and it seems a better fit for her in that she doesn't need to latest and greatest.

Posted before from the perspective that she wanted to spend $2000 on a system, but if that is just the max and she is interested in saving a few bucks here and there, then yeah... definately go with the x800 Pro. Then also take out that 200 gig drive, but I'd still say definately go with a raptor, either 36 + a storage drive, or a sole 74 gig. Then go with a 915 board versus the 925 I'd linked before, I'd suggest the Foxconn 915A01-P-8EKRS as they make great reliable boards. I've built a ton of systems for business clients using Foxconn boards and never have any problems (heatsink v. fan for chipset is nice). They actually make Intel's boards now (Asus did in the past) and their Linux support is great (not sure if that is an issue). And like I said before, as long as she's not overclocking, just go with the best DDR2 value ram you can get, NewEgg has Kingston DDR2 @ $130 a piece. Then I'll alot $450 for an x800 Pro that I'm sure a video buff around here can reccomend a specific card. Revised system is now....

Motherboard
FoxConn 915A01-P-8EKRS (915P)
$149

Processor
Intel LGA 775 Pentium 4 540 3.2 GHz
$222.00

DVD-Burner
Lite-On 16X DVD Dual Drive, Model SOHW-1633S Black, Retail
$74.00

Hard Drives
Western Digital Raptor 74GB 10,000RPM
$182.00

Memory
2 x Kingston DDR2 PC-4200
$130

Monitor
Samsung SyncMaster 997DF 19" DynaFlat CRT
$209.00

If you want a reccomendation for a case, just go with an Antec case/PSU combo and you can't go wrong, starts at about $100 with the size PSU you need.

Video Card
$~450 x800Pro - I could go look up a board, but I'll let someone else recomend one. I'm a fan of Gigabytes myself.

Total from NewEgg = $1,096.00 + x800Pro + Case/PSU

Bottom line when you buy a new system, don't go nuts buying a lot of "names" and overkill. Foxconns are about the most stable boards you can find, you don't need performance memory if you aren't overclocking, find your sweet spot for the P4 processors (IMO 3.4 is where you start paying a premium), and definately go with a Lite-on, they rock for their price. Also, shop around between Newegg, ZipZoomFly, and use Pricegrabber to find the others. You should be able to save money by going with 2-3 stores for a couple components each. And in the end when it's all put together and it isn't working and you can't figure out why and don't have the parts to swap out to narrow down the cause, bite the bullet and take it to a pro computer shop and have them diagnose it for you for about $45-$60. It'll save you so much time.

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: DGath
Bottom line when you buy a new system, don't go nuts buying a lot of "names" and overkill. Foxconns are about the most stable boards you can find, you don't need performance memory if you aren't overclocking, find your sweet spot for the P4 processors (IMO 3.4 is where you start paying a premium), and definately go with a Lite-on, they rock for their price. Also, shop around between Newegg, ZipZoomFly, and use Pricegrabber to find the others. You should be able to save money by going with 2-3 stores for a couple components each. And in the end when it's all put together and it isn't working and you can't figure out why and don't have the parts to swap out to narrow down the cause, bite the bullet and take it to a pro computer shop and have them diagnose it for you for about $45-$60. It'll save you so much time.

Good stuff. The bottom line is better too. Actually I think I'll recommend this card...assuming that it isn't a typo (which it probably is).

 

[Boonesmi]

i know its been said before

but if this is for gaming then she needs to go with the athlon64 (its over all a better cpu, but especially in gaming)

 

[gotensan01]

Originally posted by: Boonesmi
i know its been said before

but if this is for gaming then she needs to go with the athlon64 (its over all a better cpu, but especially in gaming)

Any input is good...especially when it bumps !