Some help on building a PC...

[Chaos in 1983!]

Ok so we need a new computer, so my dad asked me what he should buy...I told him he should let me build it, it's gonna be way cheaper than buying it...

So...I was wondering if any of you had built a PC ordering parts from the web, any sites that you'd recomend? where can I find good parts and prices...etc...

Also I'm a big supporter of AMD processors, so I think I would go with AMD...what motherboard should I buy? Video Card? nVIDIA or ATI? all that sort of stuff...please any recomendation is welcome...

I see Pato355 has overclocked his from a Athlon2500 to a Athlon3200...care to give me some pointers?

I looking to save as much money as posible, but I want a descent PC...it doesn't have to rival Jabba's :roll: , but it has to be fairly fast...

Thanks a bunch dudes...
:D :D

[stracing]

first of all what is your budget?

[Chaos in 1983!]

mmm I think around US$600... :roll:

[stracing]

the Psycho Bear and Dan would have something better in mind but if it was me
AMD Athlon 2800
ASUS A7N8X-X
512MB RAM...don't get generic if you're planning on overclokcing
Seagate 200GB HD IDE
ATI 9600XT

you should have plenty left over

i don't know any online stores, i like to pick up my parts from physical stores. i'm an impatient person and i hate waiting for parts to arrive. anyways after adding in the shipping costs, it doesn't make any difference in the end.

[AlienDB7]

I wouldn't use the A7N8X-X for overclocking. Spend few extra bucks and get the deluxe version. You get much better onboard sound (nvidia's DD 5.1), SATA, firewire and an extra NIC.

http://www.asus.com/products/mb/socketa/a7n8x-d/overview.htm

If you really want to save money, you can probably go for the Soltek 75FRN2-L. Just bought one yesterday for a backup PC. It's probably one of the cheapest yet oc'able NForce2 mobo out there. But then I'm really cutting the budget since half of the box will consist of spare parts I have lying around ;)

BTW, I'm fan of seagate and ATI too!

[evoWalo]

you may have problems bringing in parts into nicaragua. customs and duties may kill the savings you have from buying online.

[Chaos in 1983!]

thanks dudes...I appreciate it... :D ...

I would have to wait for the parts anyways, because buying all this here is a lot more expensive, so I think I would rather take a trip to the states which I am going in this month or next anyways, or order them online....customs won't make problems if I bring just one for me...I mean if I don't have intentions of selling the stuff I bring in...i think :roll: ...I'll have to check that out... :? ...anyways I would be shipping the stuff to Miami, and then someone would bring them here or as I said I'd go pick them up myself...

when you say generic RAM...what do you mean?...how about Power Source, how much power do you think is good to have?, ...when I look for the Video Card I get a lot of brands but they're still ATI Raedon?...sort of like Elsa, Rosewill, Jetway...what's all this?

OEM vs Retail??

While looking for cases, any recommendations? I see cases with USB ports and audio outs in the front, do these have anything to do with the motherboard I choose, I mean do they come with the case and are connected via cables to the mobo or is it the mobo that has this feature? thin and light metal vs heavy and strong? how many fans?

sorry to ask so much crap, but this is the first PC I'm buildig myself...

[stracing]

generic RAM is a no name brand. if you want good ones go for Kingston or was it Kingmax. Samsung is pretty good.

ATI Radeon is just the name of the chip that many manufacturers use. the other chip is nVidia.

cases depends how much stuff you're gonna shove into it. you want to have a power supply to provide enough power. yea all those extra usb and audio must be support by your motherboard. i think all of them does these days

[mindgam3]

not sure if they ship internationally, but I used dabs.com for building mine and reguarly order from there - very good site

[Chaos in 1983!]

what are the differences between the Deluxe and nomral version of the A7N8X baord...I can't understand most of the things on the descriptions...US$59 for the normal and US$86 for the deluxe...that's like 30 bucks I could save...please desribe the differences...

[AlienDB7]

For the deluxe version, you get (extra):

- "Soundstorm" 5.1 audio (not certified by Nvidia but still pretty good, has realtime DD encoder for connection to home theatre)
- Serial ATA (for connecting HD, newer technology than IDE)
- 1 extra onboard network card (faster / lower cpu load)
- Firewire (for things like DV or external HD)


When you're buying ram, check the list in the bottom of http://www.asus.com/prog/spec.asp?m=A7N8X%20Deluxe
The ASUS board can be a bit picky about the choice of RAM. Normally I just buy generic and do the testing myself. But in your case, you'll better off paying $20-30 more for name brand ram like kingston or crucial.

[AlienDB7]

Oh, forgot to mention. Pick a good case! To ensure the reliability of your PC, you need a case with good power supply (some case don't include them, especially the highend ones) and air flow. Most generic cases have really bad built quality, the sheet metal is paper thin. I had a generic case made by tsunami, it would start vibrating when I use the DVD-ROM. For an affordable "good" case, look for an Antec (e.g. SLK-3700).

http://www.antec.com/us/

[initiala4]

www.newegg.com all the way :)

[gigdy]

www.pricewatch.com

[Chaos in 1983!]

- "Soundstorm" 5.1 audio (not certified by Nvidia but still pretty good, has realtime DD encoder for connection to home theatre)
- Serial ATA (for connecting HD, newer technology than IDE)
- 1 extra onboard network card (faster / lower cpu load)
- Firewire (for things like DV or external HD)



so that means I wouldn't have to buy a sound card or a network card, well that could make up for the extra 30 bucks, also the Serial ATA is not exactly necessary but good to have...

I browsed through the cases from antec, but I find them quite expensive, I mean, I'm not looking for some flashy neon case...just a regular black case...

So far I think newegg has the better prices, but they charge a shitload for shipping for some items...I've added up something like US$575 w/o monitor...I will post the list later on...

Thanks again for all your responses...

[ingko]

buy an nforce2 board and an amd xp mobile cpu and jack it up to 2.5 ghz with zalman copper HS and fan. my friend did that and beat me in 3 of 4 Sandra cpu scores but I was still top dog in the SuperPi 1M test with my A64 3000+

[Chaos in 1983!]

On DVD RW...what´s the difference between +, - or +/- :?:

Oh and on the video card...it doesn´t matter which "brand it is", but the chip it has? they will all perform the same no matter what brand they are because of the chip?

[jamberl]

Ummm I know people have been saying that 512MB ram is fine, but I would go for 1024. Right now, for the latest games you really need that extra bit of ram, and if you dont get it now, then you will need to upgrade in the near future.

I have a radeon 9800 Pro, and I find thats its ok for games like doom 3, maybe a little slow when there is a room full of bad guys, but otherwise ok. From the sounds of it, it would be enough for what you want. The best way to evaluate performance of graphics cards is to look at various internet sites, which benchmark the latest cards against each other, e.g.

http://www.active-hardware.com/english/reviews/video/video.htm

http://techreport.com/


Happy hunting

[PATo355]

I would get the a7n8x-x , i got that and the OC to @3200+ its a breeze , but if you have the money get the deluxe version

For a DVDRW get a + and - . double layer (DVDR9)

For the video card ... value for money .... go to newegg.com and get the Gigabyte radeon 9550TD , it has 4ns memory , so you can overclock it and leave it just like a more expensive 9600pro

[Chaos in 1983!]

Hey pato...you run a athlon2500 @ 3200 right? stable and cool with the stock fan or a better one?

how about this card 256MB for 125 bucks??
MSI nVIDIA GeForce FX5700LE Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "FX5700LE-TD256" -RETAIL

or should I stick to ATI, what works best? ATI is a lot more expensive than nVIDIA...is it worth the price difference, what brands are good, does it matter?

DVD-RW+/- means double layer??

A friend of mine told me that the integrated 2xLAN ports produce some problems with Windows and that it is not recommended? is this true?...oh and he also told me that I should get a 4xDIMM Dual Channel DDR capable board insead of the 3xDIMM, because I would loose the dual channel on the third slot?...or is he just talking shit?

Thanks so much...

[stracing]

my fren said go with nVidia geforce if you want good gaming graphics otherwise just go with ATI. but mind you ati isnt bad either


DVD-RW+/- means double layer?? No...that just confuses ppl

DVD+DL means double layer

Most drives support +R and -R. pick one from sony, pioneer, lg, nec, liteon. ive heard good things about the pioneer one. plus it has 16x burning speed for single layer. but be wary about these advertised speeds!

[PATo355]

Hey pato...you run a athlon2500 @ 3200 right? stable and cool with the stock fan or a better one?

how about this card 256MB for 125 bucks??
MSI nVIDIA GeForce FX5700LE Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "FX5700LE-TD256" -RETAIL

or should I stick to ATI, what works best? ATI is a lot more expensive than nVIDIA...is it worth the price difference, what brands are good, does it matter?

DVD-RW+/- means double layer??

A friend of mine told me that the integrated 2xLAN ports produce some problems with Windows and that it is not recommended? is this true?...oh and he also told me that I should get a 4xDIMM Dual Channel DDR capable board insead of the 3xDIMM, because I would loose the dual channel on the third slot?...or is he just talking shit?

Thanks so much...


Yes i run 2500+ @ 3200+ stable , very very stable at the stock Vcore , not using the stock fan , i use a Coolermaster Xdream 2

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-103-146&depa=0

As for the Nvidia , i wouldnt suggest that one , im not a hardcore gamer , but i would stick with ATi , for 125 bucks you can get :

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-131-257&depa=1

A very good 9600 pro , im sure it has 3.3ns memory , so you can get 700mhz in the memory with a simple overclock and Omega Drivers

Or :
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-303&depa=1

With Omega Drivers softmod you can unleash the rest 4 pipelines and get the performance of a 9800 pro , that is like saving 100 dollars

If you are short of money get the 9550 , you can flash the bios to make it work JUST like the 9600pro.

As for brands all are good i guess , gigabyte , powercolor and sapphire are my favs tho .

As for the DVD recorder , no , that does not mean its double layer , but you can get a good one for not much money , now you can get a good deal on a 2510 by NEC , a very good drive , or if you have some money get a 3500 by NEC .


As for the dual channel , in the A7N8X , there are just 3 slots , get 2 memories , 2x256 or 2x512 to get the dual channel .


As for the processor if you want to play a little with the pc i would suggest a 35w Athlon XP 2400+ Mobile , you can squeeze 2700mhz easy , or equivalent to 4200+ :shock:

[jamberl]

Hey pato...you run a athlon2500 @ 3200 right? stable and cool with the stock fan or a better one?

how about this card 256MB for 125 bucks??
MSI nVIDIA GeForce FX5700LE Video Card, 256MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "FX5700LE-TD256" -RETAIL

or should I stick to ATI, what works best? ATI is a lot more expensive than nVIDIA...is it worth the price difference, what brands are good, does it matter?

DVD-RW+/- means double layer??

A friend of mine told me that the integrated 2xLAN ports produce some problems with Windows and that it is not recommended? is this true?...oh and he also told me that I should get a 4xDIMM Dual Channel DDR capable board insead of the 3xDIMM, because I would loose the dual channel on the third slot?...or is he just talking shit?

Thanks so much...

Hey, remember when buying a video card that memory is not everything- its not necessarily a good bargain because its 256Mb for 125 bucks. What is very important also is the speed of video cards processor. For my card it is around 380mhz. I'd say you should be looking for something similair.

DVD-RW+/- does not mean double layer. Double layer burners will say very clearly that they are double layer, and I imagine they would cost much more $$$$$. As far as I know, the vast majority of burners in pc's nowadays are single layer. The +/- just refers to the different formats of DVD's (DVD+R, DVD-R)

Your friend talking about RAM is correct. For dual channel to work, there is a specific configuration you have to follow. You need matched PAIRS of ram. Obviously you cannot have this is you only have 3xDIMM.

[Chaos in 1983!]

So I'm gonna go with the AMD Athlon XP 2500+, I can get it for $58 bucks OEM, no fan/heatsink included, just the processor from www.smksuperstore.com, I found the price in this cpu price guide by www.sharkeyextreme.com, check it out and tell me what you think...

oh hold on I can get the Athlon XP 2600+ for $56...can I overclock the 2600 just as easy as the 2500 ???

...I figure if I'm gonna overclock then the stock fan/heatsink won't be really necessary...I'm just gonna buy a better one to be able to handle the heat...

Besides the fan/heatsink, what other things do I need to install the processor, CPU Shim?, Thermal Compound?

And for RAM...what about Corsair? is that good...how about a pair of these http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-025&depa=1

or should a couple of these should be good enough I mean in terms of compatibility with the Motherboard? http://www.smksuperstore.com/catalog/viewitem.asp?ID=7648

[PATo355]

Thermal compound would be good , get the Artic Siler cooling paste , althought the paste that comes with the CoolerMaster XdreamII is not bad at all , i use that one.

For the processor , well , the 2500 gets easily to 3200+ ( upping the buss from 166 ( 333 in DDR ) to 200 ( 400 in DDR ) , the 2600 gets to 3400+ , although i never tried in a 2600+ , but im sure you can do it , get that one , be sure its a 333MHZ bus .


Yes those Corsair are very good , but a pair of Buffalo´s would do the trick better if you want to go beyond the 200mhz limit .


Premium brand does not say a lot for me ... for 5 dollars i would go with the Corsairs

[Chaos in 1983!]

Thanks pato...so I'm going for the Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe, Athlon 2600+, and 2x256Mb Corsair for sure now, that's three things less to worry about :D For the CPU Fan I guess any fan up to ~3400+? your fan is not available at newegg at the moment...I know Thermaltake is a great brand, but they're quite expensive, and I'm on a budget.

btw...just got hit by a tremor 5 min ago...7.1 richter scale...massive...very freaky :?

[PATo355]

Thanks pato...so I'm going for the Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe, Athlon 2600+, and 2x256Mb Corsair for sure now, that's three things less to worry about :D For the CPU Fan I guess any fan up to ~3400+? your fan is not available at newegg at the moment...I know Thermaltake is a great brand, but they're quite expensive, and I'm on a budget.

btw...just got hit by a tremor 5 min ago...7.1 richter scale...massive...very freaky :?

This is very good
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-106-601&depa=0

[Chaos in 1983!]

thanks again pato...I'll get that one... :D one less thing...it's finally coming together now...haha

[PATo355]

Take note that the TTr cooler i read a lot of compliments to it , plus its made by ThermalTake , although i havent use it , ive read its very good for the Athlon , if ne1 has opinions , please post it

[stracing]

so when will you know whose the wiiner?

g'luck to you as well

[stracing]

is that all? should ask for a pay rise :wink:

[Chaos in 1983!]

Ok so I've changed my specs a bit...

Antec SX1040BII
Abit NF7-S V2
Athlon XP Mobile 2400+ 35W
Thermaltake Volcano 7+
Kingmax 184pin 512Mb DDR PC3500
ATI Raedon 9600XT 128Mb DDR
NEC 8x Dual Layer DVD +/- RW

I'm still not decided on the Fan & Heatsink, thamar suggested Thermalright heatsinks but they are fucking expensive...I know they are good, but right now I just can't get it...maybe later...

What do you guys think?

Special thanks to Pato355 for all his help and putting up with all my dumb questions:D

[Chaos in 1983!]

Yes I´ve seen it...that´s the store I plan on getting all my things from...

[Chaos in 1983!]

I think I´m keeping the case, I know it´s a bit expensive, but it´s a really good case, and I´ll probably build up all my computers in it...that´s why I choose to keep it...also it has a very good antec 400W PSU, and two 80mm case fans...

I still need help with a good, cheap HSF that will let me o/c that XP-M to 3400+ speeds...

Will that Volcano 7+ do the job?

[Chaos in 1983!]

What about this one it{s priced almost the same and it´s supposed to be quite good...

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=35-118-102&DEPA=0

[pyre2099]

A good site that list part prices is www.pricewatch.com, dunno if it will work for you, all the parts I got for my comp were from www.newegg.com, um... graphics card wise I would advise ATI cause there are lotsa tools for overclocking those now, and its really easy to do.