Bad timing....

[AiponGkooja]

I'm new to the whole "build your own computer" thing, but I think I now know enough to say that it was TERRIBLE timing to make my first build around Christmas/New Years...

With SLI boards being in their infancy and having prices of MSRP+25% or more and good video cards being out of stock or MRSP+50%, it was a bad idea to settle for what was available...

And now, the latest from AnandTech...DFI nForce4 Ultra boards can be turned into fully operational SLI boards with a pencil!??!

I consider myself a fairly patient person, but I was getting pressured to get everything ordered so I could build it before I left for school (like I really needed a new computer to distract me from school...)

Ended up buying the ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe for $260 and a 6600gt for ~$200 w/shipping, when I could have waited and probably gotten a DFI Ultra + 6800gt for about the same price by this summer or a little later...may have even been able to upgrade from newcastle -> winchester for a little cheaper *grumble*

K, but I just wanted to suggest that if anyone is thinking they must have all this now (and hasn't gotten it already), you should probably wait until at least this summer...anyone agree so we can spread the good advice?



P.S. Like I said, I'm new to all of this so this is probably a story that everyone has about some new technology or another. I am just mildly frustrated and wanted to share

 

[ddviper]

yup this is a miserable time to buy a computer, with ddr2, 64 bit platforms, new sockets, pci-e.

i share the same pain for i have done the exact same

 

[BentValve]

I disagree...there is always going to be that "Just wait a bit more" factor. Something better is ALWAYS just around the corner.

Buy when YOU are ready ..there is no bad time.

 

[ts3433]

If you can wait 6 months, there's always something better around the corner. Don't get caught up in trying to build at exactly the right time with completely "future-proof" parts, though--that will never happen.

If you're building a gaming system right now, AGP is still your best (and least expensive) option.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Yeah, I wasn't really shooting for least expensive...but saving a little would be good for putting that money into other areas. And I DID read up a lot before getting it, I just didn't think ahead or listen to people when they said that prices were too high ;p And despite it all, at least I do have a FAIRLY future proof system now, so I'm still content with what I got

 

[TheGreenGoblin]

I understand your frustration but you might want to blame your own decisions rather than the time you purchased the pc. Like everyone said here , there always is something better around the corner.

With that said , it is a difficult time to buy a pc. So many options and changing technologies.

 

[cubby1223]

Well, by the time summer rolls around, nVidia will be releasing their 6850 Ultra video cards (I'm making up the model numbers, but you know they're coming), and they will be the latest & greatest, hard to find, inflated prices...

That's why I've never bought the absolute latest & greatest, they're not cost-feasible. Last time I bought brand-spanking top of the line was a Voodoo2 card. My latest holidays upgrades have been to an XP3000+ and a 6600GT, and I've just now ordered a replacement for my 2x dvd burner.

 

[callmesteve]

It seems I'm going to repeat what everyone else has said, but honestly, you're getting ripped off the moment you buy your computer.

Two weeks later something better is going to magically come out and be the "latest & greatest", and will overthrow whatever you bought. It's sad, but it had to be said.

 

[cubby1223]

Well, that's why you cannot have the attitude where you must have the latest & greatest. Buying a P4EE with DDR2 ram & 6800 Ultra PCI-E video card is undeniably a ripoff. But an Athlon 64 3200+ with a 6800 nu is a very good deal and worth buying. It's all about perspective, understanding the nature of the industry, and most importantly understanding what performance level you yourself will be very happy with.

 

[Alptraum]

Originally posted by: BentValve
I disagree...there is always going to be that "Just wait a bit more" factor. Something better is ALWAYS just around the corner.

Buy when YOU are ready ..there is no bad time.

Exactly

 

[bobalong]

I have built an AMD A64 939, PCIx graphics, 1GB, etc for less than what I payed for my G4 4400Ti several years ago.

I think now is the best time to buy (or two weeks time when there is a slightly better MB choice out).

For future proofing:

Get a Nforce 4 SLi MB with a standard 6800GT, 1Gb and possible a 3.4/3.5Ghz A64. A year down the line ungrade to a faster CPU (AMD staying with the 939) add some more ram and a second GPU.

Bob's your uncle

 

[warpigeon]

Well if you're a first person shooter fan like me then I agree it's a bad time. You really have to ask yourself what you want to do with your new computer. In my case, for instance, since I've played all the latest shooters on my so-so comp there's no reason to build a new one until something new comes out. Quake 4 probably. Since we know thats its D3 game it won't need sli or pci-e (plus I run games at1280 x 1024 anyway), the wise thing to do is wait until it or something else comes out to start ordering, and pay less.

Just saying there's never a "good time" if you really don't have the apps to show it off.

 

[Stanto]

there will always be something better, you buy a up to date computer today in a month something newer is released

 

[mauiblue]

I built my first system (see my sig) last summer. The shine hasn't dull on it yet, well for me anyway. It does all what I want it to do (video editing, PhotoShop, gaming, etc). Of course there has been some advances and new toys that came out since, but I'm not worried. I don't need the latest and the greatest . That would be prohibitive and not cost effective not to mention my wife would scream she sees something new come in. I just need what will run my apps at the performance I need at the moment. My six year old Dell wasn't cutting it, anyways.

All the best.

 

[imported_NoGodForMe]

I disagree with the 1st post. Now is a great time to buy.
There is nothing wrong with an Nforce3 MB (MSI NEO2 Platinum) with a 6800 Ultra OC (agp version).
If you look on Newegg, you'll notice the MSI board is sold out.
I built my FX53 system 4 months ago and I've been having a blast with it.
HL2/D3 at full detail. CS:S at an average of 80 fps full detail.

When the FX57 comes out, I'm getting it and selling my FX53, so there's my upgrade path.
And when a new Nvidia 7800 or whatever comes out next year, I'll buy it and sell my 6800 Ultra.
I have a feeling there will be an AGP version of the next Nvidia card and it will run just as fast as PCI-E.

The thing I can't understand is people buying the A8N and then putting in an average chip and average GPU. Stop it. Buy an Nforce3 setup with top of the line stuff and then upgrade later this year.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Originally posted by: NoGodForMe
I disagree with the 1st post. Now is a great time to buy.
There is nothing wrong with an Nforce3 MB (MSI NEO2 Platinum) with a 6800 Ultra OC (agp version).
If you look on Newegg, you'll notice the MSI board is sold out.
I built my FX53 system 4 months ago and I've been having a blast with it.
HL2/D3 at full detail. CS:S at an average of 80 fps full detail.

When the FX57 comes out, I'm getting it and selling my FX53, so there's my upgrade path.
And when a new Nvidia 7800 or whatever comes out next year, I'll buy it and sell my 6800 Ultra.
I have a feeling there will be an AGP version of the next Nvidia card and it will run just as fast as PCI-E.

The thing I can't understand is people buying the A8N and then putting in an average chip and average GPU. Stop it. Buy an Nforce3 setup with top of the line stuff and then upgrade later this year.

Well, I didn't have the budget for an FX no matter what mobo I got (and I don't think it's necessary for anything I would want to do anyway), but I basically agree with you

I'm sure if I went AGP I would have been more than happy as I am not a super hardcore gamer/computer person that just overclocks and runs benchmarks 24/7, but I was buying it for the main purpose of nice gaming and easy upgrading (which I said before I think, and which I think it still IS a good upgrade path).

Also like I said before, I just got into it all and I moderately understood that the next best thing is always just around the corner...I just didn't realize it would have such an impact on a mid-high range gaming machine (~$1500). Although, as you said, I probably wouldn't have had that problem if I just went AGP I just have to hope that pci-e sticks around for a while, heh.

 

[tooltime]

2004 was not as great as i'd hoped with: ddr2 and pci e (yawn). but as it matures maybe it'll smoke.

i'm really looking hard at an a64fx...mmmm now that's ready for building.

 

[Mem]

I`m going to wait,reason being there are very few choices for NF4 boards right now,don`t know about you but I like to have a good selection of brands to choose from when I upgrade....bottom line now is not the best time to upgrade if you are in the market for a NF4 board.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

its never a terrible time to buy
or, its always a terrible time to buy, depends on how you look at it

personally, i disagree with your advice

 

[SagaLore]

I had put together a wish list that came just under $1000. Would have been a sweet Athlon 64 system, but was still using AGP 8x. Reading up on PCI-Express which is just now making it into amd boards, and the fact that XP 64 bit edition is still a beta only (as well as the lack of 64 bit software), I decided to wait and buy that stuff a year or two from now. Instead, I went the economical route and got an NForce2 Ultra 400 which will work with the Athlon XP I already have, and DDR400 and a Radeon 9600 PRO... plus a few other things that came under $400. It'll be much faster than what I had, which at the time (3 years ago) was a great system and until my ps and mb burnt, still was.

 

[Looney]

There will ALWAYS be something just over the horizon... and waiting 6+ months? That's almost an entire generation.

 

[Gooberlx2]

Obviously you have to wait for the latest and greatest.....meaning it won't be the latest and greatest when you buy. But even so, current prices seem much more inflated, even for newly released products, than normal. Since I want to build a SLI,939 system...I'll definitely be waiting for a few more months. It just sucks because I AM ready to buy NOW, but the stuff I plan on buying is inflated out of my price range....and I ain't paying over MSRP, that's for sure.

 

[TheBDB]

No no you are completely wrong.

 

[AiponGkooja]

Originally posted by: TheBDB
No no you are completely wrong.

I like useful, informative responses too. Especially when they are directed at everyone, and hence both sides of the argument... I wouldn't mind if you had quoted someone or mentioned a name and then given a REASON, oh the effort, but as is that was a pointless post and it forced me to make this pointless one. Thanks.

 

[Dragonbate]

I have to agree that this is a bad time for an upgrade- Unfortunately as a lot of responses indicated this is always the case. There is always something newer/better/faster either current and over priced or just beyond the horizon. I've tended to stay in the middle of the road most of the time but with the new bus and sata improvements coupled with games made specifically for dx9 rigs its an awful tempting time to go top of the line for once. Remember its not getting what you want but wanting what you get that matters.