Building A New Computer.
Deus_Ex_Machina
Join Date: 2004-07-01 Member: 29674Members
Join Date: 2004-07-01 Member: 29674Members
<div class="IPBDescription">Yeah, I know, 497689th one this week!</div> Yeah, I know, lots of people are posting about building new computers, but consider it a warmup so those of you who really know a lot about the guts of the modern PC can explain to me if I'm doing something wrong.
So yes, I am working on a new computer so I too can join in on the BF2ness and shun my GForce 4 MX (actually I'm planning on burning it eventually <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo--> ) which I so strongly desire. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
So here's the setup so far:
$132.00 MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: K8N NEO4 Platinum
$232.00 REFURBISHED: ATI 100-435500 Radeon X800XL 256MB GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - OEM
Model #: 100-435500
$190.00 AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice Integrated into Chip FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3200BPBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3200BPBOX
$168.00 CORSAIR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model VS2GBKIT400C3 - Retail
Model #: VS2GBKIT400C3
$10.00 SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM
Model #: MPF920 Black
$24.99 SAMSUNG Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model TS-H352A/BEBP - OEM
Model #: TS-H352A/BEBP
$79.00 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3120026A 120GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3120026A
Total from Newegg: $835.99
The plan is to stay under $1000 USD, but still have a rig that will serve me well for a few years but with room to add here and there if I have to (hence PCI-E instead of AGP).
Now as you can see, I'm missing a couple things. A case and a PSU namely, but I really have a hard time with cases because I'm totally ignorant about PSUs. As far as cases go, I'm open to suggestions, but personally, small, quiet and simple would be best, while having enough room for a newbie to put all the parts in without having to cut stuff apart or drill new holes, etc.
Otherwise, I'd be grateful if anyone has comments like, "oh, get this x instead of your y, because it would be cheaper/it's worth laying down a few more dollars" or anything to improve what I've got. Thanks!
So yes, I am working on a new computer so I too can join in on the BF2ness and shun my GForce 4 MX (actually I'm planning on burning it eventually <!--emo&::asrifle::--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/asrifle.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='asrifle.gif' /><!--endemo--> ) which I so strongly desire. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
So here's the setup so far:
$132.00 MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: K8N NEO4 Platinum
$232.00 REFURBISHED: ATI 100-435500 Radeon X800XL 256MB GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - OEM
Model #: 100-435500
$190.00 AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice Integrated into Chip FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3200BPBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3200BPBOX
$168.00 CORSAIR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model VS2GBKIT400C3 - Retail
Model #: VS2GBKIT400C3
$10.00 SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM
Model #: MPF920 Black
$24.99 SAMSUNG Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model TS-H352A/BEBP - OEM
Model #: TS-H352A/BEBP
$79.00 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3120026A 120GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3120026A
Total from Newegg: $835.99
The plan is to stay under $1000 USD, but still have a rig that will serve me well for a few years but with room to add here and there if I have to (hence PCI-E instead of AGP).
Now as you can see, I'm missing a couple things. A case and a PSU namely, but I really have a hard time with cases because I'm totally ignorant about PSUs. As far as cases go, I'm open to suggestions, but personally, small, quiet and simple would be best, while having enough room for a newbie to put all the parts in without having to cut stuff apart or drill new holes, etc.
Otherwise, I'd be grateful if anyone has comments like, "oh, get this x instead of your y, because it would be cheaper/it's worth laying down a few more dollars" or anything to improve what I've got. Thanks!
Comments
Strongly agree.
Well.. it's a floppy drive. Right?
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Ahhhh don't get a refurbished video card, I know from personal experience <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Okay, it only saves me a few bucks anyway. *Changes wishlist*
Here's a quote from <a href='http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=101151' target='_blank'>PC Mechanic's site.</a>
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Most people go by the wattage rating that is advertised somewhere on the power supply itself. Thats all it is everybody, just a rating. Most of the power supplies on the market today are rated at their peak output, which means it puts out that much power when its begging for mercy....ready to take your rig with it. Wattage means absolutely nothing. Heck, a hair dryer puts out 1200W, do you think it could power your computer? Think of a cheap 600W amplifier, but put it up against a quality 400W and it gets killed. Quality is what we're after everybody.
Now that we know what wattage doesn't matter, so what really does matter? <b>The amperage rating is the most important factor when choosing a power supply. Most modern Intel and AMD systems should have the +12V rail putting out 16a or more. If you look at the label on your power supply, you will see a chart showing the +12V, +5V, and +3.3V rails and how many amps each rail puts out. Many of the newer 6800 and X800 video cards run off of the +5V rail, and will need many amps to back it up. 30a on the +5V rail should be the minimum if you want to run the latest hardware, 40a preferably. The +3.3V rail supplies power to components such as your memory. +3.3V rail should be atleast 25a, 35a preferred though. </b>Running your memory at 3.1V will eat up alot of juice, but think how much more you're using up when you add more modules. Most overclockers usually run atleast a 400W power supply. Once you start adding voltage to various components, its taking more juice to get it to run properly.
<b>The more reputable brands out there are Fortron, Sparkle, Enermax, Enlight, Antec, PC Power and Cooling, and Thermaltake. The Fortron and Sparkle units are the most cost effective, in some cases costing half as much as their Antec counterparts. </b>One of the best methods for determining a quality power supply....pick it up and see how heavy it is. The heaviier power supplies are generally built with more heatsinks and capacitors and such. The lightweight power supply is the one that can bring you down. The heavier it is, the better it is.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That's what I've been going by and haven't had problems yet.
I threw a cheapish Lian Li case on my <a href='http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/WishListCurrent.asp' target='_blank'>Wish List</a> at Newegg, I like the case, I'm only hesitant because I want to make sure my case will keep everything cool.
Lastly, I got a suggestion elsewhere to swap out the <a href='http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814102465' target='_blank'>X800PRO</a> for a <a href='http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150091' target='_blank'>6800GT</a> and besides being able to pick up another one down the road (far down the road..) for a SLI setup, is this card much better than the X800PRO? Worth the extra $50?
Myself, I have the MSI GeForce GT6800, and let me tell you - it runs everything maxed out. Great card, although I'm not familliar with the ATI line of cards - you'll usually get a biased opinion. Compare the hardware specs of both cards, or do a Google search.
Go for the ATi card, you could always pick up another one of those (or any other new ATi card, for that matter) and "Crossfire" it. (ATi's version of SLI)
I mean, if you're really hardcore (or nerdcore as my friends say.) You'd do it in winter. Covered head to foot in winter clothing. Wool Clothing, no less.
Hm, I wonder if it's possible to put together a computer while sky diving?
And for putting it together while sky diving, you'd have to rope all the pieces to you, and hope they dont smack you in the face. Plus you'd have to do it real fast. No worries about much static though.
/On topic....in the OT forum....
Looks like a nice selection, I paid 12 bucks for my floppy drive, but it has never given me trouble. Not that many would. 4 dollars difference matters little unless you have no brand name prefrence.
Deus Ex: He's not buying a SLi motherboard, and ATi is releasing their (more varied) equivalent soon. (it works with any 2 cards x800 and higher as long as one is crossfire edition). So there's really little point. The x800 pro performs VERY closely to the 6800 GT, but performs better on high AF, and some people believe ATi's graphics optimizations (or corner cutting) are less noticable.
I have had no trouble with my Powmax 480 watt PSU, then again my system probably uses much less power currently than any new system would.
Lian Li is an excellent case manufacturer, all of their cases are easy to use and kind of BMW style of the computer cases. They're sleek, and you can tell they are nice, but are not too flashy. The motherboard tray and screwless entry in mine are great, and the body is all thick aluminum (great cooling and very sturdy). The only non-metal part of the body of a Lian Li case is made of carbon fiber. Little on the expensive side, but spacious, sleek, and incredibly functional.
BTW, for that setup, the thing most lacking is probably your CPU. I have always liked a nice CPU because of all the compiling and content creation I enjoy, and while a 3200 is plenty for any game out now, you will be CPU limited on HL². (then again it's limited on an A64 4000). Any future game with large amounts of interactivity, especially in physics and vechicles, will like a faster cpu. I wouldn't go above a 3500 in your case, its hard to justify just for games, but if you can afford it, you may as well. Realisticly, your CPU choice is at the low end of the spectrum, and your RAM and graphics are towards the high end.
Just some thoughts, the current system will perform excellently, no doubt.
Static electricity FTL <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/sad-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
BTW, for that setup, the thing most lacking is probably your CPU. I have always liked a nice CPU because of all the compiling and content creation I enjoy, and while a 3200 is plenty for any game out now, you will be CPU limited on HL². (then again it's limited on an A64 4000). Any future game with large amounts of interactivity, especially in physics and vechicles, will like a faster cpu. I wouldn't go above a 3500 in your case, its hard to justify just for games, but if you can afford it, you may as well. Realisticly, your CPU choice is at the low end of the spectrum, and your RAM and graphics are towards the high end.
Just some thoughts, the current system will perform excellently, no doubt. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I feel the same way about Lian Li. I helped my friend build his rig with a Lian Li case and decided right then that I'd get a Lian Li for my next case. I don't want LEDs or windows, I just want a good case.
I felt the same way about the CPU and have since upgraded to a 3500+ Venice, which I'm looking forward to using and OCing.
Lastly, the same friend who I helped previously referred me to <a href='http://www.chiefvalue.com' target='_blank'>chiefvalue</a> for parts. I put together my parts list there and it ended up being quite a bit cheaper than Newegg. I think almost $100 after taxes and shipping differences (CV doesn't charge sales taxes while Newegg does, and for some reason the same FedEx shipping costs less too.) Anybody have any experience with ChiefValue? I know I can rely on Newegg, but for $100, I'll change suppliers.
/edit: Current, over-budget (<!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->) <a href='http://secure.chiefvalue.com/app/shoppingcart.asp?submit=shipping#posship' target='_blank'>parts list</a>.
My 9600XT just died, so i really need a new video card. I've had lots of good experiences with ATi compared to Nvidia (Until my card died, anyway). I don't want to upgrade again for two or three years, so i am looking at a high end card.
Dabs has the plain 256mb x800's at 150 quid, while this <a href='http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/components/graphicscards/productView.htm?quicklinx=3800' target='_blank'>Sapphire x800XT</a> is only 40 quid more expensive. I've googled for it and heard good things, but i don't see any harm in asking here. Is it worth spending so much money on, or would i be better off with a different high end card?
The rest of my system is pretty powerful, so i don't need to worry about that bottlenecking my videocard.
My 9600XT just died, so i really need a new video card. I've had lots of good experiences with ATi compared to Nvidia (Until my card died, anyway). I don't want to upgrade again for two or three years, so i am looking at a high end card.
Dabs has the plain 256mb x800's at 150 quid, while this <a href='http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/components/graphicscards/productView.htm?quicklinx=3800' target='_blank'>Sapphire x800XT</a> is only 40 quid more expensive. I've googled for it and heard good things, but i don't see any harm in asking here. Is it worth spending so much money on, or would i be better off with a different high end card?
The rest of my system is pretty powerful, so i don't need to worry about that bottlenecking my videocard. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
you might want to wait until the X900s are released (or whatever they are going to call them) later this summer, because that should mean that the X800s come down in price.
You could always stretch to an X900 then anyway <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
And some games are currently CPU limited, even with an FX-57