parts suggestion for $700 computer?

[gfunknation]

Hi, I've been debating whether to build my own computer or just direct order one from Dell. My budge is around $700 to $800. Note, I already bought a 19" LCD screen, so I won't need a new monitor with this configuration. I wasn't too happy with the customization choices from Dell so I'm leaning toward building my own computer now. Since I haven't been keeping track of computer hardware for a while, I'm hoping I could get some helpful suggestions from all you uber technoheads here.

Here is a break down of how much I think I should spend on each component as well as what I have in mind. Please feel free to adjust the budge amount if you think I'm sacrificing too much for one component over another, but hopefully without going too much over my budge Component brands/models and perhaps prices would be extremely helpful too. Thanks a lot for your help.

component budget possible choice?
CPU 150 athlon xp 2200+ or P4 2.4 (which seems considerably more expensive)
MOBO 150 ??
memory 80 at least 256 MB DDR
hard drive 60 at least 40 GB
graphics card 140 gf4 ti4200 with DVI
sound card 50 something decent with 5.1 support
case 80 black case (the cooler looking the better)
keyboard 15 anything that's not too mushy
mouse 35 wireless?

Total: 760

 

[AppleTalking]

Okay, here's what I came up with. It comes to $811.03 from newegg.com, which is a great, reliable place to buy this kind of stuff. It does not, however, include any optical drives, because you didn't list any in your budget. I assume you must have some already.

Case: Chieftec black server case with 400W PS and acrylic window . . . . . . . . $79
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2200+ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $154
Heatsink and Fan:Thermaltake Volcano 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $28
Motherboard: MSI KT3 Ultra2-R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $107
Memory: PNY 256MB PC2700 DDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $69
Hard Drive: Maxtor 40GB 7200rpm D740X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $78
Video Card: MSI GeForce4 Ti4200 128MB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $159
Sound Card: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $59
Keyboard: Microsoft Black 114-key PS/2 Internet Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $19
Mouse: Microsoft Optical Wheel Mouse, Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17

Shipping: FedEx Express Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $42.03
Total: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $811.03

So that's a tad over budget, but you didn't include shipping in your original calculations, and without shipping it comes to $769.00, which is pretty close to what you mentioned. If you want my advice, take a hit on the processor (say down to a 2000+) and pick up a larger hard drive or a bit more memory - 512MB PC2700 sticks are going for $110-130 these days. If you absolutely have to keep it under $800, then pick up the Abit Siluro 64MB video card for $18 less than the MSI one, but I think the extra 64MB of memory will be well worth the $18 in the long run.

Let us know if you have any questions,
Nick

 

[Insane3D]

Here's another suggestion..

Athlon XP 1600+ - $51.99 (Free Shipping)

Epox EP-8K5A2+ - $101.65

Taisol CGK760092 Copper Insert HSF - $15

256mb Kingmax Tiny BGA PC3200 (DDR400) - $65

Maxtor 40GB D740X ATA133 - $75

Philips Seismic Edge 5.1 - $49.36

ATI 128mb Radeon 8500LE (with DVI)(Powered by ATI) - $106.00

Black Chieftec Dragon Case with Window and 400W PSU - $79

Logitech Freedom iTouch: Keyboard and Mouse Bundle - $58

Lite-On 16X DVD - $37

Lite-On 40X CDRW - $61 (Free Shipping)

Total - $699.00

The reason I chose the 1600+ (1.4ghz) CPU is they all basically hit 1.7ghz with default voltage. With these components, you could just set the FSB from 133mhz (266mhz DDR) to 166mhz (333mhz DDR) and have a CPU that runs a little faster than a 2100+ (1.73ghz) and will have higher performance since the FSB and Memory are running synchronously, and the PCI and AGP busses will stay in spec.

 

[AppleTalking]

Great config there, Insane3D, just one question: does the Radeon 8500LE come with a DVI input? Looking at the page, it doesn't look like it does; gfunknation specified that he needed one, probably for that shiny new 19" LCD (I wish I had that kind of cash . . . ). That's a great price for that memory, though, I'd definitely go for that over the PNY PC2700 I suggested.

Yeah, I would definitely go for a slower CPU like the 1600+ or 1800+, but he had suggested a 2200+, so I went ahead and priced that out for him. Gfunknation, you can definitely save $100 or so by going with the CPU that Insane3D suggested in his config, although of course you won't be guaranteed to reach that 1.7GHz. level.

Nick

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

i've been out of it as well, but have been kinda shopping lately - here are some things to consider

cpu will undoubtedly be an athlon xp, check out the cpu guide on the anandtech main page, and figure out which one has the best price/perf ratio for you, they are pretty cheap really.

ram - kingston pc2100 256MB at newegg is 63 bucks

case - ~$60 shipped for this black chieftec case, its a clone of the antec sx1030b, not really a clone persay, it IS the exact same case, its just another name on it. and for that matter, theres no name on the case

i always recommend sparkle power supplies - you just shouldn't skimp on a psu, and sparkles are probably second only to pc power and cooling, and sparkles are pretty cheap (pcp&c's are not at all).. sparkle 300w and 350w at newegg are $33 and $48 respectively....300w should be more than enough but some people insist on big numbers, either way you cant go wrong.

hard drives - they're all pretty cheap really.. i think 80GB's are under $100, seagate maxtor or WD, just stay away from ibm.

sound card - basically, for games, get a soundblaster audigy, for music/movies, get a turtle beach santa cruz. audigy has better support for all the cool effects stuff that games have (i forget what its all called), but santa cruz has better sound quality. also of course depends on good speakers.

for keyboard and mouse - i'd say, go to your local best buy or whatever, and try them out there. if they arent too much, buy them there, otherwise find them online and order them. definitely try them out first though.

 

[Insane3D]

Great config there, Insane3D, just one question: does the Radeon 8500LE come with a DVI input? Looking at the page, it doesn't look like it does; gfunknation specified that he needed one, probably for that shiny new 19" LCD (I wish I had that kind of cash . . . ). That's a great price for that memory, though, I'd definitely go for that over the PNY PC2700 I suggested.

Damn, good catch. I didn't realize the LE didn't have DVI output... I edited my post above..oops.

 

[gfunknation]

Wow, thanks a lot Insane3D, AppleTalking and BingBongWongFooey for all your help. Man, i forgot to factor optical drive and shipping into my calculations. I will probably spend $30 for a cd-rw drive or something so it's not a big difference.

Guys, how hard would it be to do that overclocking? I don't have any experience with overclocking at all. Also, how much time does it take to put all these components together? I have installed video cards, memory, optical drives, ethernet cards, and other pci devices before, but never swapped motherboard, cpu, hard drive, or power supply. Are these components generally reliable? I'm afraid of the pain it would take to return a bunch of broken stuff.

Yeah, I can't wait for the 19" LCD to get here Got it through the dell deal.

 

[Insane3D]

Wow, thanks a lot Insane3D, AppleTalking and BingBongWongFooey for all your help. Man, i forgot to factor optical drive and shipping into my calculations. I will probably spend $30 for a cd-rw drive or something so it's not a big difference.

I updated my configuration above to include a 16X DVD drive and a 40X CDRW that can be turned into a 48X one with a simple firmware flash. The total is still in your budget @ $699.

Guys, how hard would it be to do that overclocking? I don't have any experience with overclocking at all.

It would be very easy. First of all, let me explain about how the CPU and memory normally run on a KT333 chipset. Your CPU will run with a Front Side Bus (FSB) of 133, and the memory will run asynchronously @ 166mhz. Let's take the 1600+ for example. It runs @ a speed of 1.4ghz and has a multiplier of 10.5.

Normal Setup - CPU runs 1.4ghz on a 133mhz FSB (10.5 X 133 = 1400mhz) and the memory runs 166mhz.

Overclocked Setup - CPU runs 1.74ghz on a 166mhz FSB (10.5 x 166 = 1743mhz) and the memory runs 166mhz.

In the overclocked setup, the only thing that is overclocked is the CPU, and everything else is running @ spec. speeds which makes for a stable system. The o/c'ed setup would be running a little faster than a XP 2100+ (1.73ghz) but would be even faster since the FSB is 166mhz vs. 133mhz and running synchronously with the memory. All you would need to do once you built your system is go into the bios and change the FSB from 133mhz to 166mhz...save and reboot. Overclocking is never guaranteed, but these 1600+ XP's are all basically 2100+'s in disguise.

Let me clarify that last statement with a reply I posted in another thread.

Ok, I'll try to answer this question for you. First off, you need to understand with overclocking, there are no guarantees. There is always the possibility that your new CPU won't o/c as well as you would like. Now, that being said, most of these 1600+ XP's are basically 2100+. Most of them will easily do 1.6ghz - 1.7ghz without any additional voltage. With a kick up of the vcore a bit, it's very common to hit the 1.8ghz level, or basically a 2200+. Let me explain a bit about CPU's first to help you understand.

AMD makes a batch of XP's. They test each one and find out the max speed it will run stable at the default vcore. Some will be 1600+, some will be 2100+, and some won?t work at all and aren't used. This is commonly referred to as yields. This is over-simplied of course, but you get the idea. It's sort of like baking in a way. Say you make a batch of cookie dough. That amount of cookie dough will yield so many cookies, depending on the amount of dough you use in each one. Smaller cookies you will get more, larger cookies you will get less. As you make more and more batches, you use what you learned baking the previous batches to maximize the yields. Anyway, back to the subject at hand.

As they make each batch of processors, they improve the process slightly and improve the yields. As each batch is completed, the amount of CPU's that will run the top speeds is increased, and there are less and less low end or non - functioning ones. What starts to happen is that almost all the CPU's are basically the high end 2100+, but AMD still needs to sell the lower speeds, so they set them to run lower than they will run to fill that market demand. So, basically, almost all of the 1600+ are no different than the high-end 2100+.

Most of these 1600+ are hitting 1.8ghz and up, so the o/c I am suggesting is actually very routine and not anything drastic.

Also, how much time does it take to put all these components together?

It depends on several factors, but if it's your first rig it's best to allow plenty of time and not rush. It helps things go a good deal smoother. I personally would set aside the better part of a day if it's your first build. Get all your stuff, read all the manuals, make sure you have everything you need and have a good idea of how to proceed, then set aside a nice weekend day or something and make a project out of it. If you aren't comfortable, feel free to send me a PM and I can walk you through it if you would like some help. If you know what to expect and take your time, it can be a very rewarding experience.

I have installed video cards, memory, optical drives, ethernet cards, and other pci devices before, but never swapped motherboard, cpu, hard drive, or power supply. Are these components generally reliable? I'm afraid of the pain it would take to return a bunch of broken stuff.

Nah, the stuff is all pretty tough as long as you don't go throwing it around or something. Just handle the components gently.

I hope this helps. Like I mentioned above, I would be glad to help you through building and setting up your new system if you would like.

Have fun!

 

[gfunknation]

Guys, I know newegg is a very reputable place but I live in CA so I will have to pay taxes. Do you know of a reliable company outside of CA? Also, I have heard a lot of great things about iwill motherboards. What do you guys think of the XP333-R AMD Athlon/Duron/Palomino (XP), Socket A 462, ATX, 3GB DDR-SDRAM, 266MHz FSB?

Also I want to see some of these newfangled cases in person to decide if they are too flashy. Do you know of a retail store/chain that would actually carry these cases? Thanks for all your advice. I really appreciate it.

 

[Zepper]

Or how about this?:

From Newegg:
AOpen AK75 mobo. - $69. (Or AK77-333, $77.00)
AMD XP-1600+ - $52.
HSF you like for , $15.
256M DDR RAM - $70.
Codegen 9011 black/silver server case w/350w - $60. ($35. 2nd day shipping - less if you can wait for gd.)
You can get lots of other good cases for less, but I like the elbow room and wheels <g>.
IBM 40G, 7200r - $71. ( Don't worry your mind about what the Chicken Littles of the world say!! IBM is still just as good as any other).

Mouse/kbd of your choice - $40. or less.


From Googlegear:
Artec 16x DVD - $38. (Or Pioneer slot-load $44.+sh)
Artec 40x12x48 CDRW - $56.

Subtot: $ 510. more or less. Including actual and est shipping.
TBSC or Philips Acoustic Edge sound - ~$55.

Add your choice of video cards and total will be around $700.

You can see good pix of all these cases on the web. There are five or six views of the Codegen on the Newegg site, just click on "See It".
.bh.