Need Advice on a new rig

[sabka]

been looking to get a new rig to update my old Athlon 1200.
but after looking around and selecting the components (i.e. Asus A7N8X Deluxe and Athlon XP 3000+)
i end up spending more $$$ than just getting a pre-built HP Pavilion with the following specs:

processor AMD® Athlon? XP processor 3000+ (2.16GHz)

operating system Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition

memory 512MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM Memory (expandable to 2GB)

hard drive 120GB Ultra DMA hard drive [gigabyte is defined as 1,000,000,000 bytes, accessible capacity may vary]

multimedia drive DVD+RW/CD-RW; 48x CD-ROM

display sold separately

communications high-speed V.92 ready data/fax modem; Integrated 10/100Base-T network interface; 7-in-1 digital media card reader; IEEE 1394; 1 USB 2.0 port; microphone/headphone/line-in

video NVIDIA® GeForce4? MX graphics with 64MB allocated to video memory

sound Integrated AC '97, 6-speaker configurable; speakers sold separately

Should I just opt for a pre-built (which I never bought before)?
I'm not big on OC, but I do need a secondary HD (which I already have at home) in there.

Ohh, the price for the pre-built is around $850 while just the RAM, CPU, Mobo, and HD alone will cost me that same amount if i purchase the components.

any other system config suggestions?

 

[lordtyranus2]

I'd get Barton 2500+ instead of 3000+. That will save you $100 right off the bat. 2500+ is just underclocked 2800+.

 

[Ionizer86]

XP2500+ is much cheaper (under $100, more like $85). Try to find a hot deal on a hard drive. IE something 50c a gig unless it's a Seagate. Check out prices on Buffalo ram, get a free burner, etc.

We need more info on the rig you customized to tell you what you could do with it.

Note on the HP system that they're using GF4 MX graphics (could very well be the sucky MX420, which is slower than a Geforce 2 GTS). Their system's ram is only 512 (many enthusiast rigs have 1 gig now). They're also using AC97.

 

[Corporate Thug]

$850 is not a good price for a computer with a geforce 4 MX in it

 

[Ionizer86]

More on the 2500+, since AMD yield qualities are so good right now, pretty much all their Bartons are safe and stable at 2.2GHz (3200+) default voltage. Enthusiasts have found no real difference between the 2500+ and 3200+. Same x11 multiplier, so just buy the 2500+ and run it at 200 bus. You wouldn't know it's not a 3200+ unless you check out the text on the label.

BTW what ram, cpu, mobo, and hdd were you looking at? What vendors? What cost? $850 is a lot. My buddy got a NF7-S for $102, 2500+ retail for $90, Maxtor 120GB drive for $60, and 1 gig of buffalo ram (3700) for about $190. The total on his stuff was about half of the $850 you counted out.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
More on the 2500+, since AMD yield qualities are so good right now, pretty much all their Bartons are safe and stable at 2.2GHz (3200+) default voltage. Enthusiasts have found no real difference between the 2500+ and 3200+. Same x11 multiplier, so just buy the 2500+ and run it at 200 bus. You wouldn't know it's not a 3200+ unless you check out the text on the label.

BTW what ram, cpu, mobo, and hdd were you looking at? What vendors? What cost? $850 is a lot. My buddy got a NF7-S for $102, 2500+ retail for $90, Maxtor 120GB drive for $60, and 1 gig of buffalo ram (3700) for about $190. The total on his stuff was about half of the $850 you counted out.

why did he get pc3700??

 

[MDE]

Originally posted by: shady06

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
More on the 2500+, since AMD yield qualities are so good right now, pretty much all their Bartons are safe and stable at 2.2GHz (3200+) default voltage. Enthusiasts have found no real difference between the 2500+ and 3200+. Same x11 multiplier, so just buy the 2500+ and run it at 200 bus. You wouldn't know it's not a 3200+ unless you check out the text on the label.

BTW what ram, cpu, mobo, and hdd were you looking at? What vendors? What cost? $850 is a lot. My buddy got a NF7-S for $102, 2500+ retail for $90, Maxtor 120GB drive for $60, and 1 gig of buffalo ram (3700) for about $190. The total on his stuff was about half of the $850 you counted out.

why did he get pc3700??

Probably to get BH-5 chips instead of CH-5.

 

[sabka]

I was looking at the following at newegg:

$234.99 - Plextor 8X DVD-RW +RW DVD Recorder - Beige Model PX-708A Retail
$96.00 - Seagate 120GB 7200rpm EIDE Hard Drive
2 * $92.00 - CRUCIAL MICRON 512MB 64x64 PC 3200 DDR
$123.00 - Asus A7N8X Deluxe
$90.00 - AMD ATHLON XP 2500+ "Barton" 333 FSB

for a total of $723 + tax (in CA).
add a case, second CD-Rom, graphic card and I'm already above the HP price for 512 more RAM and a little faster DVD-burner

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: shady06
$850 is not a good price for a computer with a geforce 4 MX in it

Yes it is. thats a piece of crap.


YOu wont be gaming on that system.

 

[Ionizer86]

First off, try to get a hot deal burner for under $100 (it happens a lot, especially with clearance Office Depot stock or with coupons and rebates @ Office Max).
You can get a Seagate 160GB for $100 sometimes from Compusa or $90 this week (in S. Fla), just $4 more for 40GB.
Check out the Buffalo PC3200 or PC3700 at Newegg. It should push farther.
The Asus is an expensive board: other options include the Abit NF7-S, the EPoX 8RGA+ (if you're content with the MX440 graphics), or the EPoX 8RDA+ (if you can still find it).

 

[sabka]

thanks ionizer...plenty of excellent info!!

if i get the barton 2500 ... newegg is listing that as a 333 fsb.
can i oc it to 400 fsb without a problem?
and should i be able to use the fan that comes in the retail box or go for something else (like a volcano or so)?

 

[Johnbear007]

Soltek NV- 400 - 76$
Barton 2500+ - 85$

Getting that 8X burner is a waste of money. The soltek board is just as good if not better for much less. It is an EXCELLENT overclocker. There is no reason to go with the ASUS. If you actually READ the reviews of this board (the soltek) you will see that it is just as fast as a dual channel board, except in HIGH END WORKSTATION APPS. You don't need 1 GB of memory, especially if you arent a huge gamer, and even then 512 is just fine for now.

I also wouldnt spend that much on memory, because if you arent running dual channel you dont need that hight of quality.

I gurantee you that the memory you get with the hp is not that good.

You are picking High performance parts and then comparing them to the sh!t that the HP is made out of. OF COURSE the hp is cheaper because its a pice of crap.

Why would you need a gb of ram and pair it with a geforce 4 MX? and one that uses shared memory as well. Thats just ridiculous.

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: sabka
thanks ionizer...plenty of excellent info!!

if i get the barton 2500 ... newegg is listing that as a 333 fsb.
can i oc it to 400 fsb without a problem?
and should i be able to use the fan that comes in the retail box or go for something else (like a volcano or so)?

Yes, all (virtually) bartons run at 400 FSB no problem.

Yes, the retail fan is fine, however right now svc.com is selling the slk-900a for 19.99 which is an amazing price. use the code thermalright for the discount.

Get a cheaper hard drive, less ram, a better video card, and make sure you get a decent case and PSU. It will last you through the next few upgrades.

I suggest the Antec 1080 AMG it comes with a truepower 430$. Its a little pricey and huge though, so if you want to save a little and get a smaller case antec has other offerings.

You should be able to pick u p a cdrw to use as a second cdrom drive for free after rebate somewhere. they are always free after rebate.

get at least a geforce 4 ti 4200, and if you game more, get a 9600 pro

 

[sabka]

@Johnbear007:

for music editing....i edit 2-3 hour music sets which are sometimes a few gigs (and I don't use a mac)
so the reason for the RAM (i have 1 gig right now in my old rig) is that i actually do need it.

you're right about the hq parts that I selected vs. HP. I'm starting to see the light and might try and select some cheaper components.

 

[Johnbear007]

Soltek review #1 at anandtech

Soltek review at AMDMB

The only real drawback mentioned in the article is the limited memory settings. Ignore this because Soltek has just released a BIOS that adds the extra settings. It is nearly perfect now. Do yourself a favor, read the rreviews and save yourself 50$

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: sabka
@Johnbear007:

for music editing....i edit 2-3 hour music sets which are sometimes a few gigs (and I don't use a mac)
so the reason for the RAM (i have 1 gig right now in my old rig) is that i actually do need it.

you're right about the hq parts that I selected vs. HP. I'm starting to see the light and might try and select some cheaper components.

However, dual channel MAY help with music editing, so you may have me there. That is something you should look into. If it does not, there is no reason to go dual imho. Dual on the athlon xp is way oeverhyped, as you can see if you check out those reviews.

 

[Ionizer86]

Yes, second the SLK-900A for the amazing $20 price (usually $45). Then pick up a 92mm fan of your choice.


On the case, Newegg has a $48 evercase which is toolless except for the hard drive install and mobo install, it has front audio, usb, and firewire (very convenient), and it has a Sparkle 300W power supply. It's a good brand and the PSU should be quite adequate. I personally have a similar Evercase, and I can say it's very sturdy (I can sit on it with my feet off the floor and it'll hold).

If you're getting the Soltek, there'll be no second channel to worry about so one 512 piece of Buffalo 3200 or 3700 is adequate. The 3700 should only be marginally more money.

 

[Johnbear007]

I think Ionizer makes a good recommendation on the evercase, for a good budget case. It's really all about budget. Personally I got tired of working in little tiny cases and scraping buy on a 300w PSU so I just sprung for the Antec... it's one of my favorite purchases because it just reeks of quality so everytime I look at it I get this warm fuzzy antec feeling.

However, the evercase IS a great budget solution and you would be just fine with it if you dont want to spend on an Antec.

 

[sabka]

is 300W going to be enough for a 2500+ barton with DVD / CD and 2 HDs ??

 

[Ionizer86]

300W on my Enhance was enough for my XP2000+, two opticals, two hard drives, some fans, lots of PCI cards (including a tv tuner) etc. I tried using as much hardware as I could at once (copy data from one drive to another, burn on the fly, while using the tv tuner etc etc), and it was fine. A Sparkle 300W (if that's what you're looking at) should be an even better PSU.

 

[sabka]

Thanks for all the info - really awesome!

here is what I'm imagining right now:

$47.99 - EVERCASE (Beige) Mid-Tower ATX Case MODEL E4252WSF-F
$139.99 - LiteOn DVD-Dual/ CD ReWritable Drive MODEL LDW-440D
2* $92.00 - CRUCIAL MICRON 512MB 64x64 PC 3200 DDR (Buffalo is sold out at newegg)
$76.00 - Soltek Motherboard for AMD Processors, NVIDIA nForce2 400, Model SL-NV400-L64
$90.00 - AMD ATHLON XP 2500+ "Barton" 333 FSB
$69.99 - Albatron Geforce FX 5200 128MB DDR AGP 8X Video card

for a total of $607.97 from Newegg (w/o tax & shipping)
then add another Maxtor L01P160 160GB HD from staples for $100,
CPU fan from svc.com for another $20,
and a case fan for about $10 - $20 and I should be set (hopefully).

I'm not big on gaming, so i think the albatron video card should do.
Anything else I should look out for ?

 

[lordtyranus2]

Did you check the hot deals for more parts? You can get an even cheaper CD/DVD drive there.

Also, if you don't game, get an even cheaper video card.

 

[sabka]

actually, newegg does have Buffalo 512MB chips available at 3200.

however, they are infenion chips and not winbond...i guess they should do, right??
and they are a tad cheaper than the crucial sticks.

 

[sabka]

Originally posted by: lordtyranus2
Did you check the hot deals for more parts? You can get an even cheaper CD/DVD drive there.

Also, if you don't game, get an even cheaper video card.

I did check, but i chose the lite-on for a little $ more since it has 8MB buffer and 4x write on almost all media.

What other video card do you recommend?

 

[sabka]

I want to get some rounded cables from svc.com, since they're only a few bucks.
what lenght should I Get for the Evercase?
24" or 36" ??