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  1. #1

    looking for a new computer

    I wasnt totally sure where to post this. But I decided this was as good as category as any. Feel free to move it if I screwed it up :-).

    I'm looking for a new computer. I'm not really looking for one of the bigger companies (dell/gateway/etc), but something that has a good name. I don't need a monitor or anything, nor do I need tech support as I can solve pretty much any problem I come across myself.

    I dont need a huge hard drive because I'm going to end up moving my 120gigs from this puter to the other one.

    Why don't I make one myself? Because if I screw up, I can't afford to buy it again . I've never made one myself; while I'll eventually get to it..not this time.

    I'll be using the puter for gaming mostly. That's not the only thing, but thats the most cpu intensive thing I can think of that I'll be doing.

    So, any help is appreciated. It needs to be fast. Amd/Intel I dun care, I'd perfer Amd to keep it on the cheaper side, but I'll let you tell me who/what you've had good experiences with .

    It can be online, or at best buy..whatever. Just want it to be fast.

    Btw, my budget goes upto $900. More if they offer a month-to-month payment plan. That's without the monitor too..so I don't think that's too terrible.

    All comments are appreciated.
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Illinois, USA
    Posts
    7,175
    Why don't I make one myself? Because if I screw up, I can't afford to buy it again . I've never made one myself; while I'll eventually get to it..not this time.
    So why not have someone make it for you?

    Building a computer actually isn't that hard - as long as you follow basic safety and common sense, there's little room for "screw ups"

    But, if you want a brand name - check out compaq's cheap-o deals - not sure if they're still on the website (hp.com/compaq), but I'm sure best buy should have a couple (also hp deals )

  3. #3
    Well, my biggest problem is matching proccessor + motherboard. I've installed cdrom drives/hard drives/floppies/network cards, all that. But never a proccesser. I wouldnt know how to match up the proc with the mobo. (compatibility)

    But thanks for the reply.
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  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,749
    It's really quite simple.

    Socket A (462) processors go with Socket A (462) motherboards.

    Socket 478 processors go with--are you ready for this one? Socket 478 motherboards.

    It's all quite logical.
    -Bruce

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    3,696
    I thought it was hard to build one, but it was quite easy, and i learned alot..
    Don't look for a way out.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2001
    Location
    Illinois, USA
    Posts
    7,175
    Originally posted by Phrozen
    It's really quite simple.

    Socket A (462) processors go with Socket A (462) motherboards.

    Socket 478 processors go with--are you ready for this one? Socket 478 motherboards.

    It's all quite logical.

    Yep; and when you buy mobo and cpu combo's its even easier

    If you live in the chicago area there's quite a few local dealers here that can give you pretty good pricing

  7. #7
    Hrmm, I'm thinking I might try that then. :-)

    Any ideas on good proccessors for gaming? AMD Xp's? p4s?

    I'm thinking ddr, would probably help lots.
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    UK
    Posts
    2,027
    http://store.apple.com/

    ...if you want good value for money and quality...
    Gone.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,749
    Originally posted by kfreak
    Hrmm, I'm thinking I might try that then. :-)

    Any ideas on good proccessors for gaming? AMD Xp's? p4s?

    I'm thinking ddr, would probably help lots.
    Defintely an XP, and DDR PC2700.

    I'll give you some more specifics in a moment...
    -Bruce

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,749
    OK, here's something to give you an idea:

    Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
    CHIEFTEC Server Chasis (Aluminum Workstation Tower with Plastic Front Cover) Blue w/acrylic window **Now with 2 x Front USB2.0 and 1 x Firewire IEEE1394 ports**
    Specifications:
    Material:Aluminum/Plastic
    Form Factor:ATX
    Bays:4 x 5.25", 2 x 3.5"
    Expansion Slots:7
    Fans:2 Rear Mounted Fans
    Power Supply:450W AMD approved Power Supply, Powered by Foxconn (Austin)
    Dimensions:473 x 205 x 522 mm (D x W x H) Weights Only 18LBs! more info>
    N82E16811125200
    $82.00

    $82.00
    CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
    ►Hot! Lite On 52x24x52 CDRW Model LTR-52246S Retail Buffer underrun error free & automatically adjust writing strategy plus running OPC to meet various burning condition.
    Specifications:
    Speed : Recording 52Xmax CAV Re-writing 24X High-Speed CLV Reading 52Xmax CAV
    Interface : ATAPI-E/IDE, support up to Ultra-DMA Mode2 33.3MB/sec
    Access Time : 80ms
    Buffer Memory Size: 2MB
    Operating System : Windows 95/98/NT/XP/2000/ME
    Retail box, See pic for details more info>
    N82E16827106184
    $47.00

    $47.00
    CD/DVD ROM Drives
    LITE-ON XJ-HD166S 16X DVD ROM Drive - OEM48X CD-ROM Access all format DVD-ROM/R/RW ,CD-ROM/R/RW title & disc

    OEM Barebone No Cables or sofware included more info>
    N82E16827131112
    $32.00

    $32.00
    Fans (Case, CPU, Chipset)
    YS TECH Adjustable 8CM cooling fan. Manual adjustable fan speed, VERIABLE SPEED FROM 800rpm to 3700rpm. 10.2CFM - 48.7CFM 18dBA - 39.5dBA
    3pin connector. 80x80x25mm TWO Ball Bearings. more info>
    N82E16811999604
    $8.00

    $8.00
    Thermalright SK-7 ( Heatsink ONLY ). All Copper heat spread. Dimension: 85 (L) x 65.5 (W) x 42 (H) mm (without fan). Can be used with 60MM, 70MM, or 80MM fans.Retail. Please see the image. more info>
    N82E16835109006
    $25.00

    $25.00
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 40GB 7200rpm EIDE Hard Drive OEM Barracuda 7200.7 ST340014A
    Specifications:
    Size: 40 Gigabytes
    Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
    Seek time: 8.5ms
    RPM:7200
    OEM(Drive alone) 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty more info>
    N82E16822148013
    $68.00

    $68.00
    Memory (System Memory)
    ►Hot! KINGSTON KVR333X64C25/512 512MB 32x64 PC2700 DDR RAM (better than 2100 2400)
    6 Layers High Quality Board; CL 2.5; 184-Pin Unbuffered. Requires DDR supported Motherboard - Lifetime Warranty through Manufacturer. more info>
    N82E16820144201
    $64.50

    $64.50
    Motherboards - AMD
    ►Hot! Epox Motherboard for AMD Athlon/Athlon XP/Duron Processors, Model# EP-8RDA+
    Specifications:
    CPU Supported: AMD Athlon/Athlon XP/Duron processors
    Chipset: nForce2
    FSB: 333MHz Max
    RAM: 3x DDR SDRAM PC3200, 3GB Max
    IDE: 2x E/IDE Ultra DMA/133
    Slots: 1x AGP(8X), 6x PCI(32-bit)
    Ports: 2x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard, 2x Serial, 1x Parallel, 4x USB, 1x RJ-45, 2x IEEE Firewire Ports
    Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650E 6-channel audio
    Onboard LAN: Realtek RTL8201 PHY more info>
    N82E16813123191
    $96.00

    $96.00
    Processors
    AMD ATHLON XP 2800 "Barton" 333 FSB PROCESSOR CPU- OEM
    Specifications:
    CPU: 2.08 GHz
    Type: XP 2800 Barton Core
    Cache: 512K L2, 128K L1, Total 640KB
    BUS: 333MHz
    Socket A
    OEM (Processor Only)
    more info>
    N82E16819103376
    $226.00

    $226.00
    Video Cards
    ATI OEM RADEON 9700 ATLANTIS 128MB DDR 8X AGP BULK
    Specifications:
    Chipset:RADEON 9700
    Memory:128MB DDR 256-bit
    Bus: AGP 8X
    8-pixel pipeline architecture
    3D Features: TRUFORM™ 2.0, SMARTSHADER™ 2.0, and SMOOTHVISION™ 2.0.
    128-bit floating-point color precision
    Ports:VGA + DVI + S-Video Out
    Oem Bulk Pack (see pictures for details) more info>
    N82E16814102259
    $232.00

    $232.00
    Subtotal »

    $880.50
    Prices are from http://newegg.com.
    -Bruce

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Mississippi
    Posts
    692
    kfreak... I suggest building your own too. Don't think you can buy a packaged com built for gaming in your budget, though you might.

    if your not in a really big rush to do this, spend a month or longer at www.hardocp.com or www.overclockers.com

    both of these sites are full of oc'ers and gamers that'll help you out... do a lot of reading on old post though. They tend to get a bit nasty if you ask similar questions to others already answered well.
    Last edited by Southernman; 04-26-2003 at 12:20 AM.

  12. #12
    Sweet! You the man Phrozen! hehe, thanks a lot. I'm go look over everything.

    Thanks a lot!
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  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    524
    Im using my own custom made PC built by me, here are the specs:
    - AMD XP 1700+ (1.11ghz)
    - on a Gigabyte M/B (GA7DX) <- Brand is very reliable
    - 640MB of DDR RAM PC2100 (Crucial and Corsair)
    - ATI Radeon 9500 Pro 128MB
    - 40GB H/D Western Digital 7200 (my Maxtor one crashed 2 weeks ago, don't know why, very odd)

    Total=approx. $700

    Gaming and programs like Photoshop work perfectly fine. I can open up multiple programs along with Photoshop, and still be running smoothly. And gaming has never been so fun! I can play games like C&C Renegade, GTA: 3, Quake 3, ect. at high resolutions. This should give you an idea of what is needed if you want to build your own PC.
    AIM: AtonexCOM

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    524
    Also, if you are going to build your own PC, and need help matching up a CPU and motherboard, ect., I'm available
    AIM: AtonexCOM

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,749
    Originally posted by kfreak
    Sweet! You the man Phrozen! hehe, thanks a lot. I'm go look over everything.

    Thanks a lot!
    No problem.


    Axi, first of all, the 1700+ is 1.47GHz (try changing your FSB from 100 to 133). Second of all, I can't see why it cost you so much to build that. You could easily build that system for $4, maybe $500 at most.
    -Bruce

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    524
    Oh, I didn't tweek the FSB, I did before, but changed it back to the original settings. And lastly, I built it since..lets see.. almost 2 years ago, so I'm just estimating the price. The only thing that was the most expensive was the video card, $210.
    AIM: AtonexCOM

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Posts
    1,749
    No, it's XPs run at a FSB of 133. That's how the 1700+ runs at 1.47GHz...

    Well the 9500 Pro is only about $160 now, but that's way too powerful for your processor. Your 1700+ is really bottlnecking the 9500 Pro. Might be time for an upgrade.
    -Bruce

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Posts
    524
    Whenever I come to a black screen (like windows XP startup), I see scanlines moving up.. I know its not my monitors hertz... you think its the processor?

    And Btw, I think AMD beats Intel with price and quality. Their slower CPUs beat the faster Intel CPU.
    AIM: AtonexCOM

  19. #19
    Ok, so after running through everything I decided upon everything except the dvd drive and the hard drive. Basically because I have one on the computer I use now and I _never_ use it. And the hard drives I'm going to be ripping outta this one. Every cent helps.

    So http://www.creationcorner.org/specs.txt is what I'm looking at. I also was wondering about the problem with AMD's overheating. Any advice on that?

    If no one has anything else to add I'm going to seriously consider the specs posted above.

    Once again, thanks a lot Phrozen.
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  20. #20
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    Jan 2003
    Posts
    524
    Looks good besides the 2MB Buffer for the CDRW and I'm not too sure about ePox as a motherboard.
    AIM: AtonexCOM

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Mar 2000
    Posts
    731
    Originally posted by Axi
    Looks good besides the 2MB Buffer for the CDRW and I'm not too sure about ePox as a motherboard.
    2MB is just fine, and Epox makes fine motherboards.

  22. #22
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    Jan 2003
    Posts
    524
    I had a 2MB Buffer, and my burning process kept on failing. Just trying to keep him on the safe side.
    AIM: AtonexCOM

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Mar 2000
    Posts
    731
    Originally posted by Axi
    I had a 2MB Buffer, and my burning process kept on failing. Just trying to keep him on the safe side.
    The burner in question has BurnProof; so unless it's a "fluke" burner, he should be more than fine. I have a near-similiar one and it is by far fine.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Mar 2000
    Posts
    731
    Originally posted by kfreak
    Ok, so after running through everything I decided upon everything except the dvd drive and the hard drive. Basically because I have one on the computer I use now and I _never_ use it. And the hard drives I'm going to be ripping outta this one. Every cent helps.

    So http://www.creationcorner.org/specs.txt is what I'm looking at. I also was wondering about the problem with AMD's overheating. Any advice on that?

    If no one has anything else to add I'm going to seriously consider the specs posted above.

    Once again, thanks a lot Phrozen.
    Look at a different heatsink; I'll refer you to the HardForum's @ http://www.hardforum.com and perhaps look at some PC3200 DDR.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Posts
    3,696
    Sorry if i'm sloppy, but i'm so tired..

    Ok guys, the barton is way overdone, very expensive. Also, the ati is overkill too, plus the drivers are not that great, as many people have told me.

    For a heatsink, the SLK-900 is good, you can overclock alot with that.

    Just to let you know, i game, and it is VERY fast for me, except for my video card (On higher end game) Here are my specs, cost me about $800 but you could get it for around $600 now then a few months ago -

    http://nerdnations.com/cpu (Pictures)
    Going through all of them in order will show you the steps to building a pc.

    Windows XP Pro
    Epox 8RDA+ nForce2
    AMD Athlon XP 2100+ @ 2.1Ghz
    SLK-800 /w SmartFan2
    1GB PC2100 Kingston ram
    WD 100GB HD 8MB Cache 7200
    Maxtor 40GB 5200RPM Backup Drive
    Xtasy GF 3 TI 200 64MB
    Turtle Beach Santa Cruz
    Lite On 48x24x48 CDRW
    16x DVD-Rom
    Samsung 1.44MB Floppy

    Chieftec Alum. Workstation
    Two Chieftec Case fans- rear
    2 Super cool "silent" fans
    Nexus NXP101 -- Multifunction Panel
    Cold Cath Sound activated module
    Cold Cath Light kit Purple

    KDS 19" CRT Monitor
    HP Deskjet 648C Printer
    MicroSoft MutiMedia Keyboard
    Logitech Dual Optical MouseMan
    Creative Inspire 5.1 5300 Speakers
    Don't look for a way out.

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