****System Buyer's Guide****NEW UPDATE 12/01

[Rickyohead]

Originally posted by: jpeyton

I think you have two possibilities here. For your motherboard choices, the MSI K8N Neo2 and Asus A8V are the two best 939 boards in their price range; you can't go wrong with either one. Just from reading people's experiences, the MSI seems to be a better overclocker.

Which brings us to the CPU and RAM. If you don't plan on overclocking much, get the 3500+ w/ 1GB Corsair Value PC3200. If you do want to overclock, get the 3200+ w/ faster memory and a better heatsink; PDP w/ XBL plus a ThermalTake Silent Boost would be good options.

thanks for simplifying it for me. i'm not looking into overclocking, i just want a solid machine. I think I will go with the a64 3500+, Asus A8V Deluxe (v.2), and Corsair Value Select PC3200 (2x512). Is this RAM ever sold in tested pairs? Also, does the retail CPU box come with a heatsink and fan? I only see fan listed.

If I get a cpu/mobo combo, how important is it to have it tested first? I can get the 3 items retail from zip zoom fly for about $75 cheaper (and free 2nd day shipping) than tested from monarch computer. any thoughts?

 

[jpeyton]

It's pretty simple to assemble the items yourself. Just follow the instructions.

The Corsair does come in tested pairs. And Retail CPUs come with a heatsink and fan.

 

[stromgald]

I'm also building a new system for Xmas, and your systems are interesting. The stuff that I had planned on buying seem to be mostly mid range, but with parts in both the high end and budget areas. I'm not sure if I may be paying for too much in some areas (i.e. unnecessary high-end RAM etc.)

AMD Athlon64 3200+ ~$200
MSI Neo2 Platinum ~$140
1 GB Patriot (PDP) 2-3-2-5-T1 DDR400 ~185
ATI Radeon 9800Pro or XT ~$175-225
16X Toshiba DVD-ROM ~$25
10X HP CD-RW (being reused from old computer)
80GB Seagate 7200.7 SATA ~$60
160GB WD Caviar Drive (being reused from old computer)
Antec 3000B or 3700BQE ~$70
Fortron 350W Blue Storm PSU ~$40
Zalman 7000B-AlCu heatsink/fan ~$35
17" LCD Monitor will be reused from old computer

This totals about $975 before tax. After tax, shipping, software, speakers ($30-$50), and GPU cooler (possibly), I'm hitting around $1200, which is the max of what I can spend. I was hoping for a 1100-1200 system. Am I spending too much in some areas and not enough in others? Should i get the 9800Pro or 9800XT? Suggestions, comments, and concerns are welcome

 

[jpeyton]

stromgald,

Replace your 9800 with a XFX 6600GT (around $225 online). If you don't have the money for the better video card, I suggest buying cheaper memory to free up some funds (Mushkin Basic PC3200 for $150/1GB is good).

Also, it's not really worth it in your situation to buy the case and PSU seperately; buy an Antec case w/ Antec PSU for under $100 (there are several good models with 350W+ PSUs).

 

[stromgald]

Well, the main reason I was going for a 9800 was for the 256MB of RAM it would come with. The 6600GT seems to offer better performance, but may not be as future proof since it has only 128MB of RAM. I've heard some stories of noisy Antec PSUs that werent really reliable, so I was thinking of getting a seperate PSU, it'll cost an extra $20 compared to a 3700BQE with power supply included though.

 

[jpeyton]

If you get one of the BQE cases or the Sonata, the PSU is very quiet. Just look at the specs and see if the case comes with a "S" branded PSU; that's Antec's Silent TruePower series.

The 6600GT, even with half the video RAM, will be faster in every modern game.

 

[mrwxyz]

is there a big difference between the dfi lanparty nf3 and the epox EP-8KDA3J at stock settings to warrent a $40 difference?

 

[austin316]

I was thinking about going 754 with lanparty.

Is this stupid to go 754? Does 939 make a huge difference in performance? (At similar // same clock speeds?)

 

[jpeyton]

mrwxyz, at stock speeds there is not much difference.

austin316, at the same clock speeds, the difference in performance is 5-10%, but you probably won't notice it unless you benchmark them and get the numbers side-by-side.

 

[Rickyohead]

I just wanted to thank everyone for their advice--I took it.

Here's what I just ordered at www.zipzoomfly.com:

0717-R-240412 AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Processor Socket 939 & Asus A8V-Deluxe Via K8T800Pro Athlon 64(FX) Skt939 Motherboard Retail Bundle ***Free 2nd Day*** $383.00 1 $383.00

80098-21 Corsair VS1GBKIT400 1GB Kit DDR400 PC3200 CAS2.5 Value Select Memory Retail *** Free 2nd Day *** $153.90 1 $153.90
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Sub Total: $536.90
  Discount: $0.00
  Sales Tax: $0.00
  Shipping: $0.00
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  ORDER TOTAL: $536.90


I already have my PSU, GPU, using same CD/DVD/Disk drives for now. This will be my first time building a comptuer. If I have any problems, I know where to go. Thanks again!

 

[jpeyton]

rick, looks fast. Let us know once you get it put together.

 

[mgo]

What are your thoughts on the Abit AV8 K8T800 motherboard?

Any suggestions in terms of motherboards for a newbie who's looking for an easy overclocking experience?

Thank you for your guides, they are excellent as are all the posts!

 

[jpeyton]

I think the Asus K8T800 board is a better overclocker. The MSI is even better than the Asus, in terms of top-end HTT speeds, but people complain that the MSI boards have intermittent issues.

 

[Nebben]

I'm planning on building a PC early January... My budget is pretty limited. I'd like to stay below $700 total including a monitor, but I'm not sure if I can do that. Here's what I'm looking at:

CPU Athlon XP 3200+ $230
Motherboard Asus A7N8X-E (Deluxe) (Comes with MB)
RAM 512MB -- Not sure which kind? suggestions? Looking at crucial. $81
Hard Drive 160GB 7200RPM (Seagate) -- Already own $0
CDROM Drive Mitsumi 54x32x54 $28
Floppy Drive Have at least 5 sitting in boxes $0
Sound Onboard $0
Video XFX GEFORCE 6600 GT 128MB AGP $225
Network Onboard $0
Case Antec Piano Sonata with 380W Truepower $99
Monitor Not sure?
Speakers N/A
Mouse N/A
Keyboard N/A

I already have Mouse/KB/Speakers/Floppy/HD. I have no idea what kind of monitor to get... I really only need a good 17". Any suggestions?

This setup, sans monitor, comes to $663 shipped with the lowest prices on Pricewatch.com.

Any changes you guys would make? Any way I can lower the cost without losing performance? I am sure there is cheaper RAM out there somewhere, I have just always used Crucial because it's always worked well for me and they offer free shipping + good warranties.

Thanks in advance.

 

[ts3433]

Corsair has good RAM too. I think at Newegg they're around $74 a stick for 512MB CL2.5 PC3200.

The AXP (especially a 3200+) would be a horrible value now. It is almost always beaten by the A64 2800+. Get that or a 3000+ and a cheap NF3 motherboard. You can also swap out your Sonata for an SLK3700--- or SLK2650--- and save a little there.

There's a 17" monitor recommended at the top of this thread, though if you want to save on shipping, look for a good deal locally (unless tax for you is astronomically high).

 

[Nebben]

Can you give me a recommendation for a motherboard?

I like Asus, they've always treated me right, but am open to other suggestions. There are so many motherboards out there that I don't know much about, I don't know where to start... I had looked at the A7N8X-E Deluxe several months ago and it looked like my best choice at the time. However, if going 64-bit is feasible now with my budget then I'll do that..

Monitors here cost so much more than online that even with the shipping they cost less online. My only monitor outlets are places like Office Depot.

As for the cases, I really like the Piano Sonata, and it's only like $30 more than the cheaper Antecs so I think I may stick with it. I like the TruePower PSU's and it's just so sexy.

 

[jpeyton]

I agree, get an Athlon 64 2800+ w/ a Chaintech VNF3-250 for around $205 total. Mushkin or Corsair Value Ram (whichever one is cheaper). Get a Lite-On CD-RW. Everything else looks good. Get a good 17" Flat CRT from Samsung, MAG, Viewsonic, etc.; stay away from cheaper brands like GEM or Envision.

 

[onesNzeros]

Hi again! I'm almost at a point where I can start placing orders for my new computer but there are still some critical components I haven't settled on yet.

So far here's what I'm looking at:

Already have:
Antec Super Lanboy case (got a great deal at CompUSA on it so I bought it.)
Seagate 160GB IDE HDD (wanted to go SATA this time but again, CompUSA. :thumbsup: )

Pretty much decided on:
Motherboard: DFI MB LanParty UT NF3 250GB S754
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3400+
DVD+/-RW: Sony Internal 16X DVD+R / Double Layer/DVD+RW Drive, Model DRU710A, Retail
DVD-ROM: Sony Black 16X DVD-ROM Drive, Model DDU1613/B2s, OEM
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS GAMER Limited Edition PCI Sound Card, Model "SB0350" -RETAIL

Still undecided:
Memory:
Is Corsair VS512MB400 the Corsair value RAM you've spoken of previously as being a good bet? Would that be a good match for this machine? I was looking at the OCZ 3200 stuff for $219 but is there any point in blowing and extra $100 on the memory on this setup? I'm not sure about overclocking yet but no definitive plans to at this point.

Also, is it better to get a 1GB module or two 512 MB's?

PSU:
Seasonic 350W ATX12V Power Supply, Model "SUPER SILENCER-350W" -RETAIL -- Enough power and a good unit for this setup or would you suggest something else? I'm looking to minimize noise anywhere possible here without sacrificing performance.

Video Card:
GIGA-BYTE nVIDIA GeForce 6800 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, 8X AGP, Model "GV-N68128DH" -RETAIL
OR
Leadtek nVIDIA GeForce 6800 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "A400 TDH" -RETAIL
Not sure which would be better. I like the fanless design of the Giga-Byte but worry a bit about the cooling. Also thinking about the Chaintech.

CPU HS/F:
This one's really throwing a wrench in things for me right now. Based on what I've been reading in the forum here I get the impression that the Thermaltake ones are perfectly good for cooling but not the quietest options. I've been looking at the Thermaltake A1838 which looked like the best bet of the few options offered by Monarch that they would ship actually installed on the motherboard. They charge more for the components by probably 40-50 bucks than new-egg but they have some game bundles and the option of warranty coverage which easily justify it in my mind, so that leaves me a bit confused since I want to keep the system quiet but also minimize the risks I'm taking with this system build.

Any thoughts?

 

[ts3433]

S754 seems to run better with one DIMM.

I know nothing about that PSU, but Seasonic seems to be good, though my Antec SL350 that came with my SLK3700AMB hasn't given me any problems and is very quiet.

For your 6800 NU, I guess CompUSA still has the PNY for $200 AR if you go run back down there, so I'd just get that. If you must have silent, though, maybe get the passively-cooled Gigabyte, but make sure you have good airflow before doing so, and probably don't expect as much overclocking ability (the last statement is conjecture).

On HSFs, I've heard good things about the Thermalright XP90 and XP120, and the Zalman CNPS-7000 series.

 

[onesNzeros]

Wow, I edited my last message to throw in the Chaintech 6800 which apparently is slightly overclocked right out of the box and your message poped up when I submitted.

I'm not hung up on zero noise, just want to keep it down as much as possible. I did check CompUSA and unfortunately the only store within two hours of here has been out of stock for about two weeks and probably will be for another two.

 

[ts3433]

In that case, since virtually all of them stick to nV reference design, just look for one from a good board manufacturer that's cheap. I think Outpost.com had one for $250... BFG 6800 OC

 

[btpenterprises]

Is the "MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum NForce3 Ultra Motherboard Retail - $139.99" the best motherboard for the Athlon64 3200+ 64-Bit CPU Socket939??????

 

Great idea for a thread. What about a gamer pc in this list

 

[imported_blip]

I've decided to build my first system, rather than buy a new one. Budget is definitely a concern, and here's what I've chosen so far:

Athlon 3000 or 3200, depending on upcoming sale prices
512 Corsair RAM
Some brand of DVD/RW
80-160 Gb HD
using my existing monitor
Have to pick out some case

OK, now for some questions.
1. MoBo. Was looking at some models in the $75 range. Any suggestions? I don't want to buy more than I need, but I don't want to realize later that I've gone for something cheap and too primitive.

2. Video Card. Totally clueless with these. I'm not a big gamer, so I just need something that will let me play downloaded videos, basic games, etc. I'm also thinking about running Tivo-esque software, so I'll need TV in/outputs? Please let me know what you think my best bet is.

Also, do you think that the fan and heatsink included with the processor are sufficient, or do I need to pick up something else.

thanks for the help!

 

[ts3433]

1. If you were meaning an A64 S754, try the Epox NF3-250 board (don't remember the name); if it was the S939, there aren't any available for less than $100 ATM last I checked.
2. Probably get a basic Radeon 9200 or 9600 and maybe just a separate PCI card for your PVR functions (I think it was a Happauge card or something that I've heard about before for this kind of stuff).
3. If you aren't going to overclock, and your processor doesn't have to be dead silent, the stock cooling shall be fine.