Ok, trying again. New Comp:

[Strygun]

Ok, my last thread got all jumbled up with changes. Here's what I have down so far. *PLEASE LOOK FOR WAYS TO SAVE MONEY!!!*



CDRW * Asus CRW-5224A 52x24x52 CDRW IDE
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CPU * AMD Athlon XP 2700+ 2.167GHz 333FSB Processor Retail
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HardDrive * Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 8 6E040L0 40GB 7200RPM ATA/133 Hard Drive w/Fluid Dynamic Bearing Motors
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Case-268 with See-Through Windows & 80mm Fan on Back! I'm getting the 420W power supply
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MOBO * A7N8X, nVIDIA nForce2-ST chipset, 333/266/200 MHz FSB, up to 3GB PC3200/2700/2100/1600, 1 AGP8X, 5 PCI, On board Audio, 10/100 LAN, USB 2.0
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WinXP OEM
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Mitsumi 1.44MB 3.5in Floppy Disk Drive
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Corsair CMX512-2700C2 512MB DDR333 PC2700 Memory w/Heat Spreader Retail
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Videocard: i'm gonna wait until the 9800 pro's are out (4/25) and get a 9700pro when the prices drop. I guess I can just use the onboard video until that day.

How's that?

[Hunter83]

Don't forget your Thermal Compound

http://www.bestbyte.net/Product.cfm?...***=7&Keyword=


And that site, http://www.bestbyte.net , has some good cases as well.

This is the one I have, I like it a lot: http://www.bestbyte.net/Product.cfm?...***=2&Keyword=

It doesn't come with a PSU, but I always get a nice Sparkle one seperately. http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduc...fer=pricewatch
It might come out to be a lil more expensive, but having a good PSU can ensure long life for ur PC. Likewise, having a crappy one can case problems. You may want to find out what PSU they put into that case u linked and see what u can find out about it.

[OneManArmy]

see if you can find a cheaper cdrw (I have a 52x one but I NEVER burn it at that speed, not to mention 52x cd-roms are expensive)


everything else looks good, and waiting for the 9700 pro is a good idea.

[Strygun]

Updated the above w/ memory link.

As for thermal compound, I plan on raiding radioshack for a few last minute items, including compound, an anti static wristband, and a PC tool kit.

[OneManArmy]

anti static wrist bands are a fucking joke. don't waste your money. and unless you are going to be repairing PC's for a living you don't need a tool kit just a screw driver.

[Strygun]

Originally posted by OneManArmy
anti static wrist bands are a fucking joke. don't waste your money.

First comp I've ever built. I'm gonna go fry it all from the start.

[OneManArmy]

I'm just tellin the truth they can cause more harm than good.

All you have to do is not build your comp on carpet. keep it pluged into the wall. (that grounds the computer) and before you start just touch the case (metal part).

if you are wearing a wrist thing just think if for some reason there is engouh charge to do something its headed straight for your wrist(where a major artery is)


not to mention some people forget they're wearing one and end up knocking the computer or some parts to the floor and breaking them.

like I said a fucking joke. as long as you're not knee deep in shag carpeting it'll be alright.

[Strygun]

Well OK... I guess I won't get one.. Not sure where I can build it though.. I guess I will have to walk back and forth btwn the kitchen and my room (kitchen table, and I will use guides/help from people on the internet as I build it)

[RandoMTerroR]

Hmmm... I personally would get an Intel processor, as they get u more bang for the buck (Yes all you amd freeks, they do... this is hard to say as i has allways been with amd, but never the less...) or at least get a bit slower model...

Im not sure, but 2700+ is just about the fastest model on the market currently? if that is true, then get the model just below... The raw power u get extra, does not validate the extra cost, which from nr 2 to nr 1 can often be quite big all things considering...

[Gammit10]

Originally posted by RandoMTerroR
Hmmm... I personally would get an Intel processor, as they get u more bang for the buck (Yes all you amd freeks, they do... this is hard to say as i has allways been with amd, but never the less...)

HUH? How is it that I, at 1.73 Ghz with an AMD, can beat my uncle's P4 (clocked higher), and I paid 1/3 the price that he did?
We have nearly identical systems.

I mean, I'm not against Intel, but I process better for less money.

[Navaron]

Sure they have more power, but they are way the hell less efficient. Head to head gaming, amd always wins.

The 3000 is out (or will be shortly), so the 2700 is the best bang for the buck. The 2800 is out also, but I've never seen one.

[BigGayAl]

Time to do this the right way. None of you know me, so you all will have to take this at face value.

I have built a very large amount of computers over the years. I will not give an exact amount for 2 reasons. #1 I am not sure. lost count a while ago. #2, no one would believe it anyway.

This is what I would do if it were my money. I will try to post reasons as well as links.

Processor: 2200+ ($97 shipped from newegg.com)
why only a 2200? there is a $190 price difference between a 2200+ and a 2700+. That is only 370 mhz. is 370 mhz worth $190? hell no. I could buy two 2200+'s and a 2000+ for the same cost.

Artic silver III and a decent HSF ($20 at SVC.com) radioshack sells crap for compound. and the only tool kit you will need is a #2 phillups screwdriver and a flat bladed one for the HSF. The only real wird thing you would need is an extra PSU cable. here is why. you want your case to be grounded when you work on it. you take the extra cord and plug one end into the PSU. on the plug end, you grab a grinder or a pair of tin snips and cut off the smaller blade. That is the hot blade. the other blade is neutral (which actually goes to the ground bar in your fuse box) and the round one is ground. your case is now grounded for free. you can buy a wrist strap if you want, but it is a waste of $10. just be careful and don't wear your socks on the carpet, and touch the case before you work on the system. no doing calestenics either.

Ram: the corsair is cool. I prefer crucial, but it is nearly identical in price, so all is cool. ($87)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-7VAX ($85 shipped from newegg)
this board will support 333 and 400 bus speeds. the nForce is a waste of money if you will be adding a videocard. The only way the board needs the bandwith offered by the dual channel ddr is for onboard video. with an add on card, the increase is only about 5% over single channel. And how is he gonna use a dual DDR board with only 1 stick of ram?

Hard drive: 60 gb 7200 from best buy for $60 after rebate

cdrw: $19 at Best buy after rebate or $40 from newegg.
the BB one is $70 before rebate, so you will have $50 in limbo for a while. your choice. I would rather spend $40, so that is what the total will be using)

case: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...ion=11-132-002 ($28) with 300 watt PSU.

PSU: 400 watt ($17) http://www.linkpca.com/lin40atxpows.html Sell the 300 or use it in another system or something. Hell, use it as a door stop for all I care.

Hard hardware: $349 + video card.

Add on crap:

Floppy: $9 from newegg.com for a sony.
keyboard: $10 from office max for a micorsoft with internet keys (sale till saturday)
mouse: $17 for a intelimouse with LED from newegg.com
OS: XP home ($97 from newegg)

Cooling: 8 80mm case fans, one hard drive cooler.

80mm fans: http://www.nexfan.com/evcafan80bl.html $1 each for evercool. you will use the extras sooner or later. just pay shipping once. sunon fans are $1.75 if you want those @ the same place.
HD cooler: http://www.nexfan.com/evinhddco.html $6.

Total cost of a kickass system without vid card: $496 + $27 for shipping from the venders = $523.

You can now afford a 17" LCD, and you lost nearly nothing. there is no way in hell you will notice a difference between this system and the one you had listed. None. in 6 months, buy the 3000+ for $100, sell the 2200 for $40 and have a 3000+ system for under $600 sans vid card.

Questions?

[OneManArmy]

lol wow you repeated a few things that were already said and told him to go build a helicopter (8 fans.... )

The nvidia board is fine, It doesnt come with built in video. and why would he need the dual DDR if he only has one stick? well gee.. I guess he's never EVER gonna buy any more

why the 2700+ well its got a 333fsb. and if its a "barton" its gonna blow that wimpy 2100+ away.

[Future]

Dont wait on a vid card, that nforce 2 setup onboard wont run anything for crap... plus I find it hard to believe the rad 9700 will drop to much in price within the next year, even once the 9800 comes out I doubt itll drop more than 40-50 bucks. Just get a 9700 pro for now, that card is good for a long while most likely

[BigGayAl]

Originally posted by OneManArmy
lol wow you repeated a few things that were already said and told him to go build a helicopter (8 fans.... )

The nvidia board is fine, It doesnt come with built in video. and why would he need the dual DDR if he only has one stick? well gee.. I guess he's never EVER gonna buy any more

why the 2700+ well its got a 333fsb. and if its a "barton" its gonna blow that wimpy 2100+ away.

There are only 4 fans in the case. I said to buy 8 because you will use them sooner or later. only pay shipping once. those fans are also extreamly quiet. I have a bunch. If you want even quieter, buy the turbo cools. they are nearly silent. tHe evercools are much better quality though.

the nVidia board is $40 more. that is $40 better spent elsewhere. it is not worth the increase in performance. and to get that performance, you have to spend another $100 on memory. not worth it. and why even bother to spend the money for all of 5% performance increase? Hell, the nForce is actually over 15% slower at encoding movies than a like setup kt333 board. In a Maya enciding test (which if you know maya) is extreamly bandwith intensive, so encoding in maya will show memory bandwith advantages over everything else. well guess what? there is less than a 2% increase over a kt333 board. IMHO, worthless.
Link: http://www.anandtech.com/chipsets/sh...tml?i=1731&p=5

As for the barton core, you did read my post right? why spend $300 when you can spend $100 for 90% of the performance? And "blow it out of the water" will not happen. Please see any review done on the barton core for proof.

Hell, I will link one. http://www.anandtech.com/cpu/showdoc.html?i=1783&p=12
Unreal 2003. (since PS is not used as a benchmark yet) 2700+ = 198.6 FPS 2200+ = 171.6 FPS.

Now, I don't know about you, but I only see a.. ummm.. *gets out his calculator* 27 FPS difference. For over 200% more money. Please.

I don't see anything getting blown away. I see a minor difference not worth $190. in 3-6 months the 3000+ will be $100. buy it then if you really have to have it.

This is not to belittle you or anyone else. but too much goes around by word of mouth without any hard facts to back it up. 512k of cashe and a 333 bus may sound like it is all that and a bag of chips, but it isn't. the current AMD CPU flat out does not need more memory bandwith. more cashe helps, but 512 is overkill unless you are using the chip in a server application.

Any other questions?