Which CPU is the best for my buck?

Hello strangers,

After having had the same computer for the last 6 years, I've finally come to my senses and decided to build a new one. Honestly, other than knowing what general parts are needed and how to put them together- I've been so out of the computer world- that I don't know where to begin with which brands and specific parts to purchase.

I want to build a computer for my basic needs of surfing the web, blogging, and writing emails. I'm not a gamer so it doesn't need to be an uber fast CPU. I was thinking of something around 2GHZ. A friend suggested the Athlon 64 x 2 3800 but it's $150 and considering my budget is $800 for the whole thing including monitor/keyboard/speakers/shipping- $150 seems a lot. Which specific CPU out there is cheap but good quality and is going to last me another 6 years? Or at least until I get an urge to build another shiny computer

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the cheapest dual core out there is the pentium D 805, which you can get for like $90. It what I have and I noticed a significant difference of my pentium 4 in multitasking and stiff. It's the way to go.

Reply to Rman3349

Quote :

the cheapest dual core out there is the pentium D 805, which you can get for like $90. It what I have and I noticed a significant difference of my pentium 4 in multitasking and stiff. It's the way to go.

Don't count on a budget setup lasting you another 6 years. Things are changing, and in 6 years...a $100 CPU will likely be insufficient.

Reply to 1Tanker

i put something quick together on newegg link for like 700, using onboard video, if you wanted you could add an x800 gto for like 85 to it

Reply to drummerdude

Quote :

Hello strangers,

After having had the same computer for the last 6 years, I've finally come to my senses and decided to build a new one. Honestly, other than knowing what general parts are needed and how to put them together- I've been so out of the computer world- that I don't know where to begin with which brands and specific parts to purchase.

I want to build a computer for my basic needs of surfing the web, blogging, and writing emails. I'm not a gamer so it doesn't need to be an uber fast CPU. I was thinking of something around 2GHZ. A friend suggested the Athlon 64 x 2 3800 but it's $150 and considering my budget is $800 for the whole thing including monitor/keyboard/speakers/shipping- $150 seems a lot. Which specific CPU out there is cheap but good quality and is going to last me another 6 years? Or at least until I get an urge to build another shiny computer

Yoru friend was right. Even the E6300 is more than $150.

X2 3800+ $150
AM2 SLI $120
19" LCD $200
Wireles Mouse/KB $60
Cambridge 5.1 $75
DDR2 RAM 2 GB $200 (533DDR2)

That puts you at $805. if you want a whole system, some of the pre-built ones are pretty cheap and only require a monitor. I saw 4200+ systems without monitor for around $500. You can two 17" LCDs for $300.

Reply to BaronMatrix

To last 6 years!? Well I don't know about that, but I second the 805.

Reply to chuckshissle

>X2 3800+ $150
AM2 SLI $120
19" LCD $200
Wireles Mouse/KB $60
Cambridge 5.1 $75
DDR2 RAM 2 GB $200 (533DDR2)

That puts you at $805. if you want a whole system, some of the pre-built ones are pretty cheap and only require a monitor. I saw 4200+ systems without monitor for around $500. You can two 17" LCDs for $300>

For a bigger boost in performance I'd vote for a used 19" monitor ($75), a pair of cheap mice ($20) and go with an E6300. Speed is what it's all about, right?

Reply to dixon_pete

Don't count out current cpus to not last 6 years - not everyone plays top-end games and applications. Plenty of my family members have been sitting on Athlon XP's for around 4 years now, and that's still good enough for them to have no complaints with day-to-day usage.

I'd also vote for the Pentium 805 D. You can get the cpu, decent motherboard, and 2GB of 533MHz ram for under $400. For most budget users though who need an entire computer (OS, case, power supply, monitor, etc), you're better off getting one of the Dell package deals for $599 or so and adding another 1GB of memory.

Reply to -silencer-

Quote :

>X2 3800+ $150
AM2 SLI $120
19" LCD $200
Wireles Mouse/KB $60
Cambridge 5.1 $75
DDR2 RAM 2 GB $200 (533DDR2)

That puts you at $805. if you want a whole system, some of the pre-built ones are pretty cheap and only require a monitor. I saw 4200+ systems without monitor for around $500. You can two 17" LCDs for $300>

For a bigger boost in performance I'd vote for a used 19" monitor ($75), a pair of cheap mice ($20) and go with an E6300. Speed is what it's all about, right?

He said he didn't want to spend more than $150. X2 3800+ is now $135 on newegg.

Reply to BaronMatrix

Your suggested setup still seems awful/incomplete, I think this would be more practical for a budget setup:

X2 65W Retail $140
GeForce 6100 MoBo $100
Case $50 (maybe coolmaster centurion 5?)
PSU $50 (maybe 400+w from thermtake/antec/enermax)
1 Gb DDR-667 $100 (value select or something like it)
DVD-RW $40
SATA Hard Drive $100
19" LCD $200

Total: 780

I'd pick the X2 3800 over the 805. It is quite a bit faster stock, and both overclock very well. Either way you'll have upgrade options. Given that you don't plan on upgrading anytime soon you'll hopefully have great options on a max CPU for the socket/voltage reg from AMD and Intel at the time.

Reply to kmjohnso

Quote :

Your suggested setup still seems awful/incomplete, I think this would be more practical for a budget setup:

X2 65W Retail $140
GeForce 6100 MoBo $100
Case $50 (maybe coolmaster centurion 5?)
PSU $50 (maybe 400+w from thermtake/antec/enermax)
1 Gb DDR-667 $100 (value select or something like it)
DVD-RW $40
SATA Hard Drive $100
19" LCD $200

Total: 780

I'd pick the X2 3800 over the 805. It is quite a bit faster stock, and both overclock very well. Either way you'll have upgrade options. Given that you don't plan on upgrading anytime soon you'll hopefully have great options on a max CPU for the socket/voltage reg from AMD and Intel at the time.

I chose what I chose because Vista is coming and 2GB RAM is better than 200MHz faster clock speed. SLi is better because he can always get a second GPU later.

I actually meant to ask him what, if any, parts he already has as that may make a difference but either route will rpovide a good experience but Vista wants the RAM and the GPU.

Reply to BaronMatrix

Quote :

Go with D805 and a core 2 capable board maybe even one that will support quad core and then upgrade to a core2 or quad whenever you can afford to.

I would feel comfortable as long as you get a recent motherboard that supports kentsfield. That will give you cheap, proven upgrade paths.

Reply to TechnologyCoordinator

Well vista would run fine on that setup if he's not gaming. Since he's on a budget getting a single card would be a start (which he could add to the 6100), SLI is rarely cost effective especially when compared to selling the current card and buying a new one.

Reply to kmjohnso

Go with a Cyrix MediaGX

Reply to mustardmankevin

Quote :

the cheapest dual core out there is the pentium D 805, which you can get for like $90. It what I have and I noticed a significant difference of my pentium 4 in multitasking and stiff. It's the way to go.

I agree Pentium D 805 is the way to go. its cheap and extremly fast and will be good for vista when nyour ready for it. I think itll last 6 years. my dads pentium 3 is still going for internet and instant messangers. so im 99% itll last ya unless you overclock it asap than it wont live that 6 years.

Reply to ChaosGS

Quote :

To last 6 years!? Well I don't know about that, but I second the 805.

Why cant people think a processor cant last 6 years? and all hes doing is internet and emails. I have a 4 year old celeron and game with it 1.8 GHZ. i just got rid of my pentium 2 and upgraded to a pentium D but the pentium 2 was great for email and internet.

Reply to ChaosGS

How on earth did the 805 get such a good rep? It overclocks, but stock its not too much of a bargain. If you're going to go intel which is a fine option, at least get something from the 65nm 900 series. Maybe a 915 its clocked higher, cooler, and has twice the cache. All for $20 extra. Seems like a much better option? The X2 or a higher Pent-D would also have 64-bit support which will actually mater if he plans on keeping the CPU until he can't run anything.

Reply to kmjohnso

Fine get the Pentium D 915 not that youll see much difference except the extra $20.

Reply to ChaosGS

Quote :

To last 6 years!? Well I don't know about that, but I second the 805.

Why cant people think a processor cant last 6 years? and all hes doing is internet and emails. I have a 4 year old celeron and game with it 1.8 GHZ. i just got rid of my pentium 2 and upgraded to a pentium D but the pentium 2 was great for email and internet.Because in the last 6 years, not much has changed in processors (with the exception of speed) other than new SSE extensions, little tweaks here and there. Out of the last 6 years, only the last 2-3 have introduced dual-core technology...which is going to start multiplying faster and faster....4-core, 8-core, etc. Software will be written with this new hardware in mind. Windows XP hardly changed at all in the past 5...almost 6 years(that won't happen again). New OS's will be developed that will be much different than now, as future tech. will see GPGPU's,PhysX Cards, Torrenza type technologies...all of which will be quite different than today's tech. The last 6 years "really" haven't seen that much advancement other than in CPU/GPU speeds/amount of VRAM. In the last 6 months, we've seen more incite into future progress than at any time in history. Things WILL change faster.

Reply to 1Tanker

Quote :

Well vista would run fine on that setup if he's not gaming. Since he's on a budget getting a single card would be a start (which he could add to the 6100), SLI is rarely cost effective especially when compared to selling the current card and buying a new one.

Hopefully the OP will post again with a decision.

Reply to BaronMatrix

Quote :

To last 6 years!? Well I don't know about that, but I second the 805.

Why cant people think a processor cant last 6 years? and all hes doing is internet and emails. I have a 4 year old celeron and game with it 1.8 GHZ. i just got rid of my pentium 2 and upgraded to a pentium D but the pentium 2 was great for email and internet.Because in the last 6 years, not much has changed in processors (with the exception of speed) other than new SSE extensions, little tweaks here and there. Out of the last 6 years, only the last 2-3 have introduced dual-core technology...which is going to start multiplying faster and faster....4-core, 8-core, etc. Software will be written with this new hardware in mind. Windows XP hardly changed at all in the past 5...almost 6 years(that won't happen again). New OS's will be developed that will be much different than now, as future tech. will see GPGPU's,PhysX Cards, Torrenza type technologies...all of which will be quite different than today's tech. The last 6 years "really" haven't seen that much advancement other than in CPU/GPU speeds/amount of VRAM. In the last 6 months, we've seen more incite into future progress than at any time in history. Things WILL change faster.

He doesnt have to get new Operating systems in the next 6 years i know people who use windows 98. All that doesnt matter for him how much do you think the internet will change in 6 years? maybe faster and HOPEFULLY cheaper. Now for me and everyone else yes i know this and it will greatly effect us.

Reply to ChaosGS

Nobody ever "has to" upgrade. But if the OP has now accepted that his now 6 year old cpu is too slow (which is in reference to the market) and during that 6 years there was little innovation, then we can only expect the OP will accept less than 6years of growth in a state of rapid change. Heck I agree with you, cpu's can last forever if you don't expect more out of them, but most people want to IE play HD video, browse jpeg2000 images, etc.

Reply to kmjohnso

Wow- I didn't realize I was gonna get so much help so fast. I shoulda joined the forum a long time ago.

To answer some of your questions-

1) I don't want to reuse any parts from my old computer. I want to start all new. And it might be cheaper to buy used parts from eBay, but I haven't had the best experience with that so I want to steer clear of refurbished parts.

2) Eventually I do want to upgrade to Vista- but for now the plan is to buy XP.

3) I'm not gaming and I don't plan to, so a simple yet fast computer is all I truly want.

Some questions that I still have-
Is a Dell really that reliable? It's affordable but overall is it going to be worth it?

If I continue with building my own- it seems to be split between the Pentium 805 and the Athlon X2 3800. If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

And about the power supply? Should I get a case that already has a power supply included or should I purchase them separately?

Reply to Aero7

Quote :

Wow- I didn't realize I was gonna get so much help so fast. I shoulda joined the forum a long time ago.

To answer some of your questions-

1) I don't want to reuse any parts from my old computer. I want to start all new. And it might be cheaper to buy used parts from eBay, but I haven't had the best experience with that so I want to steer clear of refurbished parts.

2) Eventually I do want to upgrade to Vista- but for now the plan is to buy XP.

3) I'm not gaming and I don't plan to, so a simple yet fast computer is all I truly want.

Some questions that I still have-
Is a Dell really that reliable? It's affordable but overall is it going to be worth it?

If I continue with building my own- it seems to be split between the Pentium 805 and the Athlon X2 3800. If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

And about the power supply? Should I get a case that already has a power supply included or should I purchase them separately?

Purchase the case and PSU seperately. Power supply is something you don't want to cheap out on, and a cheap one very likely won't see 6 years. GL

Reply to 1Tanker

I think HP is a bit more reliable than Dell(the HP's I have seen have asus mobos :lol: ) and at your price point it might make sense. I would price them out and if you can save $100+ go for it.

For an X2, I would pick any mobo of quality. Possible a Asus Geforce 6100 series. I think if you are spending 140 on cpu you almost have to get the X2 3800.

For a 805, just make sure you get one that supports Kentsfield (quad-core). Would be good if you budget allows for less or you have concerns about near term upgradablity.

You can purchase them together, just make sure you PSU is made by a brandname and not some random cheapo company. (enermax, themtake, antec are all good).

Reply to kmjohnso

I've just bought an HP computer from BestBuy last month. I think it's in your price range or close ($1000 Canadian, I think that's a bit under $900 US these days). It's faster than the X2 3800 and it comes with a TV tuner and XP Media center. I think they give coupons for free Vista upgrades too.

HP M7640N AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 5000+ 2.6GHz

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prod [...] atid=20217

The power source has only 300 W, so you'll probably need to replace it if you want to add a high-end graphics card later. The integrated graphics is good enough for Diablo 2, I tried

The funny thing is that buying the same components from computer stores in the same area would have cost between $1700 and $1900...

Reply to dsidious

if your not gaming save the money and get a dell or build your own and dont worry about the widescreen 19" monitor.

Reply to bananabox

Quote :

Don't count on a budget setup lasting you another 6 years. Things are changing, and in 6 years...a $100 CPU will likely be insufficient.

I feel it's the other way around. Any computer this side of the millennium still works great for surfing the web and general productivity. I know I'll be using the K6-2 for a few more years. Any new computer today should last a very long time doing this kind of low end work.

Reply to joefriday

Quote :

Don't count on a budget setup lasting you another 6 years. Things are changing, and in 6 years...a $100 CPU will likely be insufficient.

I feel it's the other way around. Any computer this side of the millennium still works great for surfing the web and general productivity. I know I'll be using the K6-2 for a few more years. Any new computer today should last a very long time doing this kind of low end work.I hope you're right. :?

Reply to 1Tanker

Quote :

How on earth did the 805 get such a good rep? It overclocks, but stock its not too much of a bargain. If you're going to go intel which is a fine option, at least get something from the 65nm 900 series. Maybe a 915 its clocked higher, cooler, and has twice the cache. All for $20 extra. Seems like a much better option? The X2 or a higher Pent-D would also have 64-bit support which will actually mater if he plans on keeping the CPU until he can't run anything.

The reason the D805 is nice is because it's the cheapest dual core. 533/800 fsb doesn't make a difference when we're talking about basic tasks, neither does 1MB L2 vs 2MB L2. Simply doesn't matter. A D805 is as fast as a Conroe when it comes to launching internet explorer. Really, even the D805 is overkill, but I guess people seem to think that tasks like web browsing and word processing will someday become multithreaded. :roll:

Reply to joefriday

Just to be clear, it's not an issue of any CPU breaking down before 6 years... it's a matter of having a system that will be able to run updated software for the next 6 years. Even checking e-mail and surfing the web will be more CPU intensive as content becomes more and more bloated. You will need to run applettes by the score. Software venders are not going to assume that they need to keep apps under a certain size and speed requirement... even for the mundane tasks.

Quote :

1) I don't want to reuse any parts from my old computer. I want to start all new. And it might be cheaper to buy used parts from eBay, but I haven't had the best experience with that so I want to steer clear of refurbished parts.

2) Eventually I do want to upgrade to Vista- but for now the plan is to buy XP.

It will be hard to get the whole system, w/ Windows, monitor, mouse, keyboard, and speakers for $800 without some serious compromises. Think more around $1000.

Quote :

3) I'm not gaming and I don't plan to, so a simple yet fast computer is all I truly want.

So don't consider anything that says SLI. That's for TWO graphics cards, and you don't even need ONE. You want integrated video. Many people on this board don't understand the concept of a computer w/o a high speed graphics card.

Quote :

Some questions that I still have-
Is a Dell really that reliable? It's affordable but overall is it going to be worth it?

Sure, they're reliable enough... their system will last for years and years (most likely). The issue is pricing on a low end system. Dell can easily throw in a low end monitor, speakers, Opperating system, decent mouse/keyboard, and they even come in a decent case (compared to the "bargains" you can get on the cheap from New Egg). If you buy these things yourself, you will likely opt for quality, and the prices will all add up, and before you know it, you busted your budget.

At a higher price range, don't buy Dell (or Gateway, or HP, or whoever else is still making computers). At the low end, it's very hard to beat their price/performance combo.

Quote :

If I continue with building my own- it seems to be split between the Pentium 805 and the Athlon X2 3800. If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

here you go
Integrated graphics, supports the AM2 line of CPUs (the current generation), and it's a microATX as well... so you could put this in a small tower or a Q-Pac case... plus it's loaded w/ features like all your USBs, firewire, supports the current SATA drives, has a PCIe for a graphics card (if you ever get the urge), etc etc. And it's well under $100 shipped.

Reply to SciPunk

Quote :

Don't count out current cpus to not last 6 years - not everyone plays top-end games and applications. Plenty of my family members have been sitting on Athlon XP's for around 4 years now, and that's still good enough for them to have no complaints with day-to-day usage.

I agree that it totatly depends on what you are using it for. I still have an old dell dimension xps from 1997ish. It has a P2 300Mhz, 192 MB RAM, and a 32 MB Matrox GPU. It still works great for web surfing and MS office stuff (on XP Home). Hard to believe that it's almost ten years old.

Reply to Jazzman1284

Quote :

If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

Abit NF-M2 looks good - they've even stuck a heat pipe on it. Dual monitor support (inc DVI) and just about anything else you'd want. One thing with these microATX boards: you'll only get 2 PCI slots (plus PCIe x16 & PCIe x1). There is a similar ATX gigabyte board with 4 PCI if that's an issue.

I'd steer well clear of the 805.

Reply to mcgruff

This guy wants a budget pc.
His current one has lasted 6 years.
Do you think he cares about good mobo's, power supplies, whether he can run vista, upgrade the graphics card and the rest? I don't.

You should be able to put something decentish together for around $500-600 + Monitor. Generic ram and low end mobo's are your friend.
You could even skimp on the core2duo support, depends how long you want it to last

Reply to djgandy

Reply to yquo

I second the Dell option.

Reply to evilr00t

Quote :

Wow- I didn't realize I was gonna get so much help so fast. I shoulda joined the forum a long time ago.

To answer some of your questions-

1) I don't want to reuse any parts from my old computer. I want to start all new. And it might be cheaper to buy used parts from eBay, but I haven't had the best experience with that so I want to steer clear of refurbished parts.

2) Eventually I do want to upgrade to Vista- but for now the plan is to buy XP.

3) I'm not gaming and I don't plan to, so a simple yet fast computer is all I truly want.

Some questions that I still have-
Is a Dell really that reliable? It's affordable but overall is it going to be worth it?

If I continue with building my own- it seems to be split between the Pentium 805 and the Athlon X2 3800. If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

And about the power supply? Should I get a case that already has a power supply included or should I purchase them separately?

To start, the 3800+is much better than the 805. If you go with an Antec case you will get a good PSU.

Since you mentioned Dell, you can get a pretty nice Dimension for $600 WITH a monitor. The 4200+ is the sweet spot for price perf, but the Core 2s are more costly (but faster) and for most average tasks either will be more than you need.

Reply to BaronMatrix

Hmm... why do systems last 6years? Because they have descent components. Not expensive components but quality components. CPU/RAM-->unlikely to break. PSU/Mobo/HDD break all the time... So don't skimp so you can save money!!

Reply to kmjohnso

Quote :

Wow- I didn't realize I was gonna get so much help so fast. I shoulda joined the forum a long time ago.

To answer some of your questions-

1) I don't want to reuse any parts from my old computer. I want to start all new. And it might be cheaper to buy used parts from eBay, but I haven't had the best experience with that so I want to steer clear of refurbished parts.

2) Eventually I do want to upgrade to Vista- but for now the plan is to buy XP.

3) I'm not gaming and I don't plan to, so a simple yet fast computer is all I truly want.

Some questions that I still have-
Is a Dell really that reliable? It's affordable but overall is it going to be worth it?

If I continue with building my own- it seems to be split between the Pentium 805 and the Athlon X2 3800. If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

And about the power supply? Should I get a case that already has a power supply included or should I purchase them separately?

Dell? Dude you're getting a dud.

All the options presented here are pretty much viable, though for what you want, your price range and your level of experiance, I would go with the X2 3800 system outlined by ( :roll: ) Baron Matrix.

Understand though, that even for web browsing/blogging, expecting a $800 system to be viable for the next 6 years is probably a bit unrealistic considering the next generations of software/hardware and the resource hog Vista

Reply to turpit

Seriously......Don't get that X2.......Get this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103588

Reply to funkee1

First, Don't buy anything until after Christmas.

Second, Get a Core 2 Duo. Whichever you can afford, and make the finacial stretch. I believe you can get the low end for -$200 and prices will be falling in January. These chips are highly OC (overclock)able and are faster than anything AMD has right now.

Reply to 69camaroSS

...which is old and at its end of life? The 65W 3800 X2 overclcocks well too

Reply to kmjohnso

You could go with either Intel Solution or AMD
Intel
PD-820 US$ 100
Giga/MSI etc 945G/P with Core2Duo Support $100
512M D2-667*2 is the baseline $100
no 3d GPU at this moment if you don't play any pop 3d game 0$
160G SATA HDD e.g. Seagate 72.9/10 is good enough. $60
16xDVD-RW $40
19"LCD Samsung 940BW $250
300/350W ATX $30
........................ it will might your whole system cost at around US$800
or even $700.

If go with AMD
AMD 3600x2 is a good choice which is 89-99US$ now.
nvdia C51G/61P is good enough for non-3d gamer.
you could also go with a nfore550 and a 7600GS/7600GT/X1650Pro
if you play games.

Core Solo CPU and Core2Duo are the good choice for you today.

Reply to phil_scnu

I say if its budget dual core PC under $500 (or$600) set it up with Intel e6300 (around 190-200$) or AMD x2 3800/3600 ($120-150) for the processor.. If your thinking of buying PD 805 ($ 90) choose the x2 3800 instead..PD 805 got some heat and power issues

Nvidia 7300 GT GDDR3 (around $90) or 7600 GT GDDR 3($ 120-130) for Graphics Card

A Cheap ASrock for AM2 ($60-70 and it could already have an integrated NV 6100 graphics SM 3.0) or Intel board with p965 or 945g (you can find a cheap one around $100)

2 Gig PC-667 DDR2 at around 200$ (.. Try looking for those cards with generic brands they are a bit cheaper with relatively the same performance.)

80 gig HD SATA price around ( $50 )

Casing with 500w PSU (30-40$)

You could usually save around 100 to 150$ by choosing AMD and its pretty powerful enough but if you have that extra buck its better to go with the e6300 because it has better performance and less power consumption

Reply to dlmacline

What's this about waiting until after Christmas? Are prices really going to drop? I would think that they have Christmas sales going on now so prices would be optimal during the season. No?

Reply to Aero7

Quote :

What's this about waiting until after Christmas? Are prices really going to drop? I would think that they have Christmas sales going on now so prices would be optimal during the season. No?

My advice is to wait until Vista in Feb. That's when the deals will really be good. MS is probably subsidizing value-adds right now. By then the 65nm X2s will be out in force and 90nm will probabl drop in price slightly while there will probably be a slight premium on 65nm as EE chips.

Reply to BaronMatrix

Prices will always drop. New products will come out. You should decide to by the cpu when you need it. Otherwise you'll wait forever.

Reply to kmjohnso

Quote :

Wow- I didn't realize I was gonna get so much help so fast. I shoulda joined the forum a long time ago.

To answer some of your questions-

1) I don't want to reuse any parts from my old computer. I want to start all new. And it might be cheaper to buy used parts from eBay, but I haven't had the best experience with that so I want to steer clear of refurbished parts.

2) Eventually I do want to upgrade to Vista- but for now the plan is to buy XP.

3) I'm not gaming and I don't plan to, so a simple yet fast computer is all I truly want.

Some questions that I still have-
Is a Dell really that reliable? It's affordable but overall is it going to be worth it?

If I continue with building my own- it seems to be split between the Pentium 805 and the Athlon X2 3800. If I go with the Athlon, which motherboard would be sufficient?

And about the power supply? Should I get a case that already has a power supply included or should I purchase them separately?

Dell? Dude you're getting a dud.

Dont listen to this garbage i know people with dells older than 6 years. dell is perfect for what you want and prob cheaper. ive seen a replica of my system (except graphics card) in bestbuy go for like $750-850 + tax.

Dell is not best in performance but it wins an award for longest lasting.

Reply to ChaosGS

Quote :

Hmm... why do systems last 6years? Because they have descent components. Not expensive components but quality components. CPU/RAM-->unlikely to break. PSU/Mobo/HDD break all the time... So don't skimp so you can save money!!

And I've got an eMachines Pentium2-350 that's been an always-on machine, originally for email/web/instant messaging, and now just serves as an external media storage machine. It's also got a massive passively cooled stock heatsink and only uses the power supply fan. Considering everything in this box is stock from 1997 or so (except 6 hard drives, an IDE controller card, and a gigabit network card), and has been powered on 99% of the time.. I don't have a problem with a Dell bought today to be fine for a long time. Occasionally a power supply may need to be replaced, or a motherboard with leaky caps, but for the most part, the machine will outlive the amount of time you plan to actually use it. Sure it was a cheap machine when it was bought, but nothing has failed.. just use a battery backup to prevent surges/brownouts and your electronic equipment will last a long time.

Reply to -silencer-

Yeah its true that cheap!=poor quality. I actually liked emachines better than Compaq (before being bought) and Gateway. I've just seen too many machines take a hit from a bad PSU's that took the Mobo with them, fans that die killing northbridges/cpus, and mobos die. I have an Apple IIgs which still works as good as the day as it was bought (which isn't saying much now a days), a couple of old thinkpads that run fine despite being carried across the world.

Reply to kmjohnso

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs - Which CPU is the best for my buck?

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Which CPU is the best for my buck?

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs - Which CPU is the best for my buck?

Please mind