Help me throw away my Dell! My 1st Self Build

[fungusfeet]

Only ever owned Dell so I thought I might see what I could do with a self build. Basically I need someone to check that everything I have is compatible/suitable and would like suggestions on lower priced alternatives as I have a budget of £500 for the base unit. Only thing I'm definite on is the Pentium D 940.

I'm not a hard core gamer but would like to be able to run them if I wanted too so won't be using dual video cards.

My New Egg Wish List

 

[fungusfeet]

ok what about using this case instead of separates...

Antec Lifestyle Sonata II

And should I consider a different motherboard as I'm not likely to use SLI?

 

[clue69less]

Only ever owned Dell so I thought I might see what I could do with a self build. Basically I need someone to check that everything I have is compatible/suitable and would like suggestions on lower priced alternatives as I have a budget of £500 for the base unit. Only thing I'm definite on is the Pentium D 940.

I'm not a hard core gamer but would like to be able to run them if I wanted too so won't be using dual video cards.

My New Egg Wish List

What a teaser subject line! I thought we were gonna get a link to a video of you killing your Dell, like tossing it out the window of a fast-moving car or off a tall building. Kill the Dell!!! You'll feel much better afterwards.

 

[fungusfeet]

well....I live in a tall building so it's a possibility but I'd have to build this fist...sorry!

 

[g-paw]

Only ever owned Dell so I thought I might see what I could do with a self build. Basically I need someone to check that everything I have is compatible/suitable and would like suggestions on lower priced alternatives as I have a budget of £500 for the base unit. Only thing I'm definite on is the Pentium D 940.

I'm not a hard core gamer but would like to be able to run them if I wanted too so won't be using dual video cards.

My New Egg Wish List

Might want to look for a mobo with out SLI if you're not going to ever run 2 graphic cards. While the price of this mobo is good, might be able to find a mobo without SLI but with 1394 connection for the same price or without 1394 that would be a bit less expensive.. I have a Sonata and really like it, very quiet and the Sonata II is supposed to be even better. Everything looks compatable.

 

[clue69less]

well....I live in a tall building so it's a possibility but I'd have to build this fist...sorry!

Don't punch it. You might cut your hand.

 

[fungusfeet]

:lol:

 

[fungusfeet]

Ok, I've pretty much decided on this setup (as long as I can get them at similar prices over here in the UK) :roll:

Updated List

Any problems? will the power supply in the case run everything/connectors ok? anything I've missed?

 

[fungusfeet]

OK Dollar prices when bought over in UK....

Pentium 940....$338
Case...$146
RAM...$127
Motherboard...$127
HDD...$109
Graphics...$182

Grand total of $1029

Which puts me at £563...a little over budget.

UK prices suck.

 

[DDay629]

Ok I'll list my suggestions:

Case: Get a Antec Sonata II, much you save money on the PSU and case, because they are both included in the $100 price, high quality products.

Don't get a SLi board, and get a Asus A8NE which is cheaper and better.

I would get either a 7600 GT or GS if you really don't have the money.

PSU, I would always go Antec, though if you get the Sonata II you won't need one.

Personally I would get a AMD, which would go with the board I picked. I would go with a single core Opty 148, which is really OCable. And easy. It might not be dual core, but you really don't need it. If you want dual core, I would say spend a bit more and get an Opty 165.

I like your ram though I would go for this, for less, because of the rebate on it, and its more RAM and better RAM. Click here.

Good HDD, exactly the same one I'm getting.


But the final thing I have to say, isn't about your components. Its about where you buy them. I have three places I shop. I use NewEgg and TG Stores to find the components I want to use, and then I use TG Stores and Froogle to find the best prices. NewEgg hardly ever has the lowest price if you include shipping. And ZipZoomFly almost always does, but thats just my personal experience.


DDay

 

[DDay629]

Better, but I'd still go with my suggestion.

DDay

 

[linux_0]

I agree.

AMD is better, particularly for gaming, 3D and databases.

With the AM2 launch in about 3 weeks prices should also come down a bit.

 

[fungusfeet]

Only thing I'm definite on is the Pentium D 940.

And I meant it!

 

[DDay629]

Well, I guess if it's your choice to jump off a cliff, it should be your choice to buy an intel.

DDay

 

[linux_0]

Only thing I'm definite on is the Pentium D 940.

And I meant it!



http://www.linuxhardware.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/24/1747228&mode=thread

http://www.anandtech.com/linux/showdoc.aspx?i=2163

http://www.intel.com/performance/desktop/extreme/em64t.htm

http://techreport.com/reviews/2006q1/fx60-vs-955xe/index.x?pg=5

http://www.linuxhardware.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/10/1520229&mode=thread

http://spare2.com/opty.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/03/22/pentium_extreme_edition_965/page10.html


AMD64 CPUs match or beat their Intel P4 counterparts in virtually all benchmarks and do particularly well in games, 3D, compression and decompression, databases and other benchmarks.

AM2 is due out in about 3 weeks and that should force prices lower which is great for all of us.

AMD CPUs do even better in 64bit mode.

 

[fungusfeet]

so it's another amd is better than intel thread?

so is the athlon 64 3700+ better than the pentium d 940? as that's what I can get for roughly the same price

 

[DDay629]

As linux_0 said, wait 3 weeks, and you will be able to get a much better and faster processor then a 3700 for the same price.

DDay

 

[linux_0]

so it's another amd is better than intel thread?

so is the athlon 64 3700+ better than the pentium d 940? as that's what I can get for roughly the same price

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=241&chart=62&model2=321


Actually believe it or not the 3700+ is very close to the D 940 in Doom III, WinRAR, Quake III and a few other benchmarks.

You also have to take the fact that parts for Intel configs generally cost quite a bit more into account.

If you have to spend $60-$100 for a nice AMD motherboard and $200 for a nice Intel motherboard (975X+) that makes up for the fact Intel is pricing their CPUs very aggressively. Also DDR2 tends to be more expensive.

Regardless, I would advise you to wait a few weeks for AM2 and see how things shake out.

 

[fungusfeet]

fair point, I was already looking at the comparisons and was surprised at how close it was, but am more interested in the multi-tasking side of things with the dual core as I don't really play games. however I don't think I posess the self control to wait a few weeks!

 

[fungusfeet]

I currently use RDRAM so anything seems cheap compared to that.

 

[DDay629]

Well, then, don't wait, spend a bit more, well, not really, spend the money that you save with my set up and get a Opty 165.

DDay

 

[linux_0]

fair point, I was already looking at the comparisons and was surprised at how close it was, but am more interested in the multi-tasking side of things with the dual core as I don't really play games. however I don't think I posess the self control to wait a few weeks!

Here's is a comparable S939 config

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=3186267

http://spare2.com/04292006.html

 

[DDay629]

Why 500 GB's of HDD's? I mean, mabye a 250 and 74 GB 10k, but not two 250's?

DDay

 

[linux_0]

Why 500 GB's of HDD's? I mean, mabye a 250 and 74 GB 10k, but not two 250's?

DDay

I used the same parts the OP had and substituted a Socket 939 motherboard, S939 CPU ( opty 165 ) and DDR400.


I didn't even see your post until after I posted my config, we had the same Opty 165 idea :-D

 

[fungusfeet]

i changed that in the update list.