I need someone to hold my hand for this build :(

[Phaze]

My current computer is a celeron 733, 384mb's of ram and a 64mb video card. Now, that you all feel really sorry for me, it is time to build my new computer.

I have 900US dollars. I want to do a little bit of everything, but would really like to play a few current games. BF 1942 looks fun as does Counter-Strike, Age of Empires 3, Sim 4, Oblivion, and especially Civ 4. Ohhhh The Sims 2...I like building the house that I will never actually get to own.

I just bought a hard drive in the past 6 months, which I was told was good. Then again, futureshop people always tell me stories and then I read on the internet they are nothing but fairy tales. Anyways, so I am pretty sure I have a good enough hard-drive, mouse, keyboard, oh and I have really good headphones. I base this on the fact that I can keep them on my head for 2 hours and my elf ears barely hurt.

So...what do I need to play some fun games?

I should probably mention I don't play MMO's at all because the two years I played them, all I remember from those two years was what my character did. BAD ME!!! So...no need to try and run Vanguard: Saga of Treadmilling.

I also don't care if my case looks like a drunk person designed it or someone from Project Runway did. (PS has that show ever gone to the crapper).

AMD or INTEL

I couldn't care.

The thought of waking up in the morning and being like, "yaya I feel like playing Civ 4, then later tonight maybe play counter strike and get last place...then finish the night off building a city in Sim City 4 then bulldozing it because I thought I could handle making uneven streets and then realizing my city has to be perfectly symmetrical."

Thanks for any help you people can give me.

EDIT: I also have a monitor.

 

[raven_87]

I was able to put up a good portion of a machine (without HDD or CD/DVD ROM)


3600+X2 -- @ $65!!! involves a bit of overclocking though
PNY 8800GTS
2x1GB G.skill 667
DFI Infinity AM2
FSP 600W PSU
good CPU cooler -$50

I'm @ $727 with those items; throw in your drives, cables and minor accessories puts you near and around $900 for a pretty nice machine.

 

[dlbaxter]

How much experience do you have putting computers together?

 

[raven_87]

and who is that question directed at?

 

[CompTIA_Rep]

The only person that question could go to.


Does toe OP have any experience putting together a computer. does he know what to expect?

There is only so much hand holding you can do over the net.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Piano Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450Watt SmartPower 2.0 Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SONATA II
Item #: N82E16811129155
$99.99 $99.99

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: GA-965P-S3
Item #: N82E16813128017
$114.99 -$10.00 Instant $104.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E4300 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E4300
Item #: N82E16819115013
$135.00 $135.00

SAPPHIRE 100185L Radeon X1950XT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Model #: 100185L
Item #: N82E16814102082
$249.99 $20 Mail-in Rebate $229.99

2 x G.SKILL 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400PHU2-1GBHZ - Retail
Model #: F2-6400PHU2-1GBHZ
Item #: N82E16820231064
$94.99 x 2 $189.98

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185 - OEM
Model #: LH-20A1H-185
Item #: N82E16827106055
$35.99 $35.99

Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 SP2b - OEM
Model #: M93-00439
Item #: N82E16832116171
$109.99 $109.99


-=-=-=-=-=-=-

subtotals to 925.93, has a $20 mail-in rebate on the video card, that makes it $905.93...

PROS:
- good overclocker & fast

- maxed out RAM with XP Media center edition (32-bit) (2GBs dual channel, 4 x 512, with the 2 kits)

- 512MB texture memory on your radeon 1950XT, should play almost all games available with medium to high settings and wonderful framerates at 1280x1024

- super silent (I just built 1 with almost the exact same specs last night, and it's dead silent, thanks to the antec sonata II case)

- newegg...


CONS:
- No SLI/Crossfire

- included PSU may be a little weak for the card, so you may need to upgrade (but it's a 450W ATX 2.0 antec smart power)..

- Cable hiding is rather difficult, as only 1 side of the case comes off (the other side is rivited in)

- case has a silencing duct that needs to be removed to install mobo and any add-in cards, including graphics card and any PCI cards you may want to add

- case has a door to hide drivebays (some don't like it)

- no native firewire

..............

I have the wishlist saved but don't know how to make it public... I can e-mail it to you if you provide your e-mail address... if you have any questions, let me know... cheers

 

[dlbaxter]

Not pointed towards you Raven. Your build looks great.

Just judging by the tone of the OP, I got the feeling this was a first time build. I wanted to know first before I recommend he look up some FAQs and pictures of putting the pieces together.

If he wants hand holding through the building process we can help, but if he has no experience, he ought to look into whether or not he'll enjoy the process or be left frustrated and wishing he'd just bought a Dell.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

Not pointed towards you Raven. Your build looks great.

Just judging by the tone of the OP, I got the feeling this was a first time build. I wanted to know first before I recommend he look up some FAQs and pictures of putting the pieces together.

If he wants hand holding through the building process we can help, but if he has no experience, he ought to look into whether or not he'll enjoy the process or be left frustrated and wishing he'd just bought a Dell.

imho, building a computer is easier than troubleshooting it once it's up and running... as long as you have a list of compatible hardware, it should be flawlessly executed under ideal circumstances (granted QA from the manufacturers is working as it should)...

it'll save him the money, nothing will be proprietay should something eventually need replacing, and he'll have accomplished something he's never done...

everyone has to start somewhere, why not start at ground zero? it makes standing on top of that mountain all the sweeter, than if you had just somehow parachuted onto it from above...

 

[jeff_2087]

imho, building a computer is easier than troubleshooting it once it's up and running...

I think that's kind of the point, if something goes wrong in a Dell or HP at least he can get it repaired by them. But it's true that everyone starts somewhere, so I guess if it's not a totally essential computer it's the best way to learn.

it makes standing on top of that mountain all the sweeter, than if you had just somehow parachuted onto it from above...

Personally I'd rather parachute, that sounds like it'd be a lot more fun than having to climb up some big mountain. But the metaphorical point is noted.

 

[ApostolicFire]

Here is what I would recommend. Good mid-range computer with nice overclocking capabilities:

Everything is from newegg.com unless specified otherwise. Shipping is calculated in the prices.... ordering it all together shold make it cheaper.

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: CAC-T05-UW
Item #: N82E16811119068
$66

SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-550HT ATX12V / EPS12V 550W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SS-550HT
Item #: N82E16817151027
$138

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: GA-965P-S3
Item #: N82E16813128017
$110

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E4300 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E4300
Item #: N82E16819115013
$135


G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail
Model #: F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ
Item #: N82E16820231098
$110

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Model #: 66I-00715
Item #: N82E16832116202
$117

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185 - OEM
Model #: LH-20A1H-185
Item #: N82E16827106055
$36

MSI NX8600GTS-T2D256E-OC GeForce 8600 GTS Overclock 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express Video Card w/Dual DVI Retail ***Free Shipping***
$190 (from zipzoomfly.com)

========
$902 Total (when I put in my zip code and added everything the total came up to $896)

The power supply in this setup is really solid, so you shouldn't have any issues.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

Here is what I would recommend. Good mid-range computer with nice overclocking capabilities:

..............

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Model #: 66I-00715
Item #: N82E16832116202
$117

for a noob needing his hand held, that doesn't want too many issues, i'd recommend not owning a computer at all over recommending one with vista, especially for a first build... are you trying to scare the guy away from building any more machines, ever again?

 

[Phaze]

I think I am a quick learner (even though a lot of people say this about themself), I think it is true. I think I know the basics to putting a computer together, even though the only thing I have actually done is put a new hard-drive into my computer. I know for a fact I will probably end up spending the day reading the Mobo manual and any other manual that comes with these parts.

The biggest problem I have is picking parts. When I got my 733, I actually knew quite a bit about computers and knew what computer could handle what game. Now, I am 5 years behind and it seems no matter how much I read/research, I can't catch up. That is what I mean by needing my hand held, even though I will probably require additional help when I am putting it all together.

Already I am confused again because three people have given me examples and I can't figure out which of the three would be the better choice.

I do know one thing, no matter how hard computer building may be I want to learn.

 

[Phaze]

Here is what I would recommend. Good mid-range computer with nice overclocking capabilities:

..............

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Model #: 66I-00715
Item #: N82E16832116202
$117

for a noob needing his hand held, that doesn't want too many issues, i'd recommend not owning a computer at all over recommending one with vista, especially for a first build... are you trying to scare the guy away from building any more machines, ever again?

I already have Win XP SP1. SP2 takes like a day worth of downloading, but I don't mind. What would you recommend if I removed the 117$ vista and used that money for other parts?

 

[truromeo4juliet]

use my list and grab an 8800gts... pocket the rest if that's the case

 

[ApostolicFire]

use my list and grab an 8800gts... pocket the rest if that's the case

for a noob needing his hand held, that doesn't want too many issues, i'd recommend not owning a computer at all over recommending one with a low end PSU with an 8800GTS, especially for a first build... are you trying to scare the guy away from building any more machines, ever again?

I figured he had XP... who doesn't, so I put Vista on the list. Not sure why you're so scared of Vista... it is maturing everyday... and if he has issues... just plop XP back on or run dual-boot. We're here to help on that, too. Also, TruRomeo4Juliet, why does your list have $190 for 4 sticks of 512MB of RAM? 2x 1GB sticks are only $110 and if he wants to add more memory (such as another 1GB - 2GB when the time comes), he just has to add 2 more sticks.

Phaze, if you don't want Vista at the moment, here is a modified version:

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: CAC-T05-UW
Item #: N82E16811119068
$66

SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-550HT ATX12V / EPS12V 550W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SS-550HT
Item #: N82E16817151027
$138

GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Model #: GA-965P-S3
Item #: N82E16813128017
$110

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Allendale 1.8GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E4300 - Retail
Model #: BX80557E4300
Item #: N82E16819115013
$135


G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail
Model #: F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ
Item #: N82E16820231098
$110

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185 - OEM
Model #: LH-20A1H-185
Item #: N82E16827106055
$36

=======
$595 without Video Card

Since you play Oblivion, you'd want the fastest card for your money. Ideally, you'd want the 8800GTS 640MB version, but it goes over your budget (by $65) then get the 320MB version. Here are 2 examples of both:

Leadtek WinFast PX8800 GTS TDH GeForce 8800GTS 640MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Model #: PX8800 GTS TDH
Item #: N82E16814122018
$370 (Grand total of $965)

PNY VCG88GTS32XPB GeForce 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Model #: VCG88GTS32XPB
Item #: N82E16814133193
$277 (Grand total of $872) but this has a $20 rebate to technically $852

 

[Phaze]

Thank you so much ApostolicFire. I keep hearing that prices for AMD/Intel are going to drop a little so I will be ordering this most likely on Tuesday.

Actually, the case you picked as cheap in price as it is, isn't too bad looking.

 

[truromeo4juliet]

use my list and grab an 8800gts... pocket the rest if that's the case

for a noob needing his hand held, that doesn't want too many issues, i'd recommend not owning a computer at all over recommending one with a low end PSU with an 8800GTS, especially for a first build... are you trying to scare the guy away from building any more machines, ever again?

you've got jewels in those pockets, apostolicfire... you're correct, i should've modified the case / psu combo for something that could handle the 8800GTS i suggested

I figured he had XP... who doesn't, so I put Vista on the list. Not sure why you're so scared of Vista... it is maturing everyday...

i ain't never scurred... but i am a professional computer technician and I personally don't like what I see in vista... it's still a fledgling product, and it still has issues and annoyances that 90% of the people I see that do have it don't want to deal with.. in my opinion, XP is friendlier out of the box, without having to go into the control panel and tweak / turn off some of the things that make vista 'better' than xp...

and if he has issues... just plop XP back on or run dual-boot. We're here to help on that, too.

to quote comptia_rep, "there's only so much hand holding you can do over the net"... besides, dual boot is best done with 2 seperate harddrives.. he only mentioned 1, so your assumption is (should he not like vista), to have him dual boot O/S's from a single HDD... your second assumption is that his XP SP1 cd can be reactivated with his new machine, which, if it's OEM (since we're assuming his current computer was prebuilt by a major manufacturer), cannot be done in accordance with microsoft's EULA [because we forum members do NOT promote pirating software of any sort].. your third assumption is that he'd be willing to subject himself to the possibility of frustration of having to install an O/S, to realize he doesn't like it, or it doesn't do everything he wants / needs it to, or is incompatible with some of the software / hardware he has, then install a second harddrive and O/S, or possibly repartition his drive, and install a second O/S afterwards, both of which are very time consuming, and from the looks of his first post, he doesn't want something that will be time consuming... as most major corporations are still teatering between tried-and-true O/S's such as Windows NT, Windows Server 2000/2003, and Windows XP, and won't be switching to Vista for at least 3-5 years, I recommend to most people that want to avoid incompatibility issues altogether to grab XP (for now, at least until it seems most of the dust has died down... let's not count out a service pack release for vista though, if we can all remember SP2 release for XP making many things incompatible with it initially)...

Also, TruRomeo4Juliet, why does your list have $190 for 4 sticks of 512MB of RAM? 2x 1GB sticks are only $110 and if he wants to add more memory (such as another 1GB - 2GB when the time comes), he just has to add 2 more sticks.

higher density rams typically have slightly higher latency.. not that it matters for the average user, but you never know where he'll be going from here... like I said, we all start somewhere... maybe he'll want to get into overclocking a few months down the road when all his components are broken in and he gets the hang of troubleshooting the norm... yes, I could've put 2 x 1GB sticks, freeing up 2 banks, but you didn't seem to factor in that I initially put a 32-bit O/S on the list, which can only properly utilize 2GB max RAM... it seems you missed that point in your own list as well... if he wants to add 2GB in your list later on down the road, he'll have to switch from 32-bit windows vista home premium to the 64-bit version... even you should've seen that coming

all in all, either list is decent, his has a beefier power supply, mine has a quieter case... both lists use the same processor, motherboard, and ram manufacturers / speeds (which, when it comes down to it, these three components are the heart of your computing experience)... what you do from there is up to you... we can all recommend video cards and O/S's until we're blue in the face, but it's your money, and you'll spend on what you believe will be the best purchase... whatever you pick, the forums are here to help you with your plans, questions, and any troublesome spots you might find yourself in...

from everyone here at the TG Forumz, welcome aboard

 

[rammedstein]

is it just me or did all them "$900" builds cost over $900 and not include a hdd? also, i would get a decent PSU and case, because they can be kept over builds. also, not "promoting" illegal software but there is other options to buying a copy of windows, that will save you a bunch, also, see if you can activate your old copy on your new machine, some copies can be activated on one different machine, as long as you stop using the old one.

 

[lghtmup98]

If you are going to use you're old version of XP, you can order the service pack 2 cd from Microsoft. They charge about $4 to ship it to you. I got mine in about a 3 days after ordering. That would save you the download time.

 

[raven_87]

@ the OP


true the actual build process is indeed the easiest with simplistic equipment. if done correctly, your not going to be trouble-shooting unless you really mess up. updates, patches and drivers are the headache. the beauty is their either found online quickly or come in a packaged CD if you dont feel like taking extra time. out of the box components drivers & bios' 99% of the time work just fine for a complete build.

I dont believe your into overclocking, so indeed it was a mistake on my part to recommend the 3600+X2. I would go with the most balanced and stable machine possible, so the recommendation just below mine seems quite nice.

this is why we must encourage most folkes to learn, the logistics of computers arent that all hard to pin down... its when you take it a step or two further such as myself and many others on these forums; that it really can start to be a pain.

 

[MooseMuffin]

but you didn't seem to factor in that I initially put a 32-bit O/S on the list, which can only properly utilize 2GB max RAM... it seems you missed that point in your own list as well... if he wants to add 2GB in your list later on down the road, he'll have to switch from 32-bit windows vista home premium to the 64-bit version... even you should've seen that coming

32 bit operating systems can use up to 4gb of ram in theory, closer to 3 in practice. I have 3gb in this machine currently and windows recognizes and uses all 3.

 

[ApostolicFire]

is it just me or did all them "$900" builds cost over $900 and not include a hdd?

Let me quote myself:

(Grand total of $872) but this has a $20 rebate to technically $852

That is under $900, with shipping included, and he already has a hard drive. My first build I included was $902.... just $2 over.

i ain't never scurred... but i am a professional computer technician and I personally don't like what I see in vista... it's still a fledgling product, and it still has issues and annoyances that 90% of the people I see that do have it don't want to deal with.. in my opinion, XP is friendlier out of the box, without having to go into the control panel and tweak / turn off some of the things that make vista 'better' than xp...

For the typical user, Vista is just as friendly. Only users that use less-known programs that the mainstream user wouldn't use may have the most problems.

to quote comptia_rep, "there's only so much hand holding you can do over the net"... besides, dual boot is best done with 2 seperate harddrives.. he only mentioned 1, so your assumption is (should he not like vista), to have him dual boot O/S's from a single HDD... your second assumption is that his XP SP1 cd can be reactivated with his new machine, which, if it's OEM (since we're assuming his current computer was prebuilt by a major manufacturer), cannot be done in accordance with microsoft's EULA [because we forum members do NOT promote pirating software of any sort].. your third assumption is that he'd be willing to subject himself to the possibility of frustration of having to install an O/S, to realize he doesn't like it, or it doesn't do everything he wants / needs it to, or is incompatible with some of the software / hardware he has, then install a second harddrive and O/S, or possibly repartition his drive, and install a second O/S afterwards, both of which are very time consuming, and from the looks of his first post, he doesn't want something that will be time consuming... as most major corporations are still teatering between tried-and-true O/S's such as Windows NT, Windows Server 2000/2003, and Windows XP, and won't be switching to Vista for at least 3-5 years, I recommend to most people that want to avoid incompatibility issues altogether to grab XP (for now, at least until it seems most of the dust has died down... let's not count out a service pack release for vista though, if we can all remember SP2 release for XP making many things incompatible with it initially)...

First of all, please stop spreading FUD. According to Microsoft reps, you CAN transfer an OEM copy to another computer with XP and Vista. I'm suprised you had no idea since it was such a big ordeal when Vista came along because it was allowed with XP. This has been talked about on so many news sites. Yes, you will need to call when you activate it, but you need to have XP removed from the other computer. This is not piracy.

As for the other comment you said, you surely made what I said sound complicating. If he wants to install Vista and it doesn't work for some of the programs he uses, just reinstall XP. That is, what, like 2 hours tops of work? You made it sound like going through the hassle of installing XP like it was time consuming. Since he is building his computer, he is going to have to install an operating system, no matter what. Once again, if he goes back to XP, he still has a copy of Vista that he can try again a few months down the line if he has compatability issues. He doesn't have to install Vista at all... he could just install XP if he wants.

What is your point of bringing in the subject of "most major corporations"? There are still some that haven't switched to SP2 yet, so you hurt your own argument by telling him to use SP2. He is not a corporation, he is a home user, and SP2 will work just fine. I am also in the computer field and I work for one of the largest banks in the country. Federal regulations are among the strictest and many of our users use specialized programs that need thorough testing between each other to ensure compability. 99.9999% of home users don't have to go through this hassle, so stop making it look like he does.

higher density rams typically have slightly higher latency.. not that it matters for the average user, but you never know where he'll be going from here... like I said, we all start somewhere... maybe he'll want to get into overclocking a few months down the road when all his components are broken in and he gets the hang of troubleshooting the norm... yes, I could've put 2 x 1GB sticks, freeing up 2 banks, but you didn't seem to factor in that I initially put a 32-bit O/S on the list, which can only properly utilize 2GB max RAM... it seems you missed that point in your own list as well... if he wants to add 2GB in your list later on down the road, he'll have to switch from 32-bit windows vista home premium to the 64-bit version... even you should've seen that coming

yes and no. It has been well known, for what, 7 years, that you will more likely run into problems by adding more sticks of memory. It is best to use the least amount of slots possible, especially for overclockers (which i'm not, and the OP may not be, either), because it tends to lead to stability issues. So by my way, he is saving around $80 and if he does want to upgrade to 4GB down the road, all he has to do is buy 2 more sticks (2x2GB) and the 64-bit version of Vista. Using your method, he'd probably have to throw away the 4 sticks and spend even more since he would have to buy 4GB of RAM. I just try to keep upgradability in mind when building a computer and who knows when 4GB will be the norm.

The build I gave is one I know works, since my computer is based off of it. It is rock solid and I haven't had any issues with XP or Vista on it. The only difference is that I have a different case (mine was $250) and I have the E6600 CPU as well as an EVGA 8800GTS. In all my builds, I included a Direct X 10 card, because DX10 is the future of gaming (someday).

k I'm done with the going back and forth

Phaze, hope you aren't getting confused. lol We are here if you have any questions.

 

[ApostolicFire]

but you didn't seem to factor in that I initially put a 32-bit O/S on the list, which can only properly utilize 2GB max RAM... it seems you missed that point in your own list as well... if he wants to add 2GB in your list later on down the road, he'll have to switch from 32-bit windows vista home premium to the 64-bit version... even you should've seen that coming

32 bit operating systems can use up to 4gb of ram in theory, closer to 3 in practice. I have 3gb in this machine currently and windows recognizes and uses all 3.

I was going to put this in my last post, too, but I didn't want to try making it more confusing since it has varied from different people. XP and Vista 32-bit editions have shown to be able to use 3.5GB just fine, but from what I recall, a program can only utilize a max of 2GB. That is fine, because all the other processes still have 1.5GB to use. Some people can only see 2.5GB and some only 3GB out of the 4GB. It varies on the motherboard / BIOS version on how much 32-bit Windows can see.

Here is a blog about someone talking about only seeing 3.5GB on his 32-bit Windows Vista: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000811.html

Here is another post: http://vistarewired.com/2007/03/29/how-to-enable-more-than-35-gb-of-memory-in-32-bit-windows-vista/

 

[truromeo4juliet]

is it just me or did all them "$900" builds cost over $900 and not include a hdd?

yea, but we try to maximize the money by getting the best parts... you don't want to miss out on a high-end graphics card (compared to a mid-range graphics card) or a gig of ram because you aren't willing to shell out $20 more than your budget, do you?

also, i would get a decent PSU and case, because they can be kept over builds.

we both recommended good cases and PSU's... his PSU didn't come with his case, but is a beefy 550W PSU... my PSU was a 450 Antec Smart Power that comes with the case... his case was thought of for it's spacy interior with tons of slots for future expansion... mine was thought of for it's overall sleek look and silencing ability...

also, not "promoting" illegal software but there is other options to buying a copy of windows, that will save you a bunch, also, see if you can activate your old copy on your new machine, some copies can be activated on one different machine, as long as you stop using the old one.

he wants to do a little of everything.. assuming that he's also wanting to game, windows is probably his best option... there are emulation programs for linux, freebsd, solaris, etc.. but none of them will give the simplicity, speed, or overall compatibility as just running windows natively...

also, per the OEM EULA that bigshots like dell, hp, gateway have to contract to... their licenses are proprietary to the machines (look at the CoA's on the side of one of their machines next time you're in circuit city or best buy... they have HP / Dell / Gateway specific labels)... there are ways around it, of course... but microsoft doesn't like that :roll:

 

[ApostolicFire]

also, per the OEM EULA that bigshots like dell, hp, gateway have to contract to... their licenses are proprietary to the machines (look at the CoA's on the side of one of their machines next time you're in circuit city or best buy... they have HP / Dell / Gateway specific labels)... there are ways around it, of course... but microsoft doesn't like that :roll:

This is very true and I have to admit that I did not think of this because I've been building customized computers for so long. If Phaze does have his Windows XP from one of those companies, the chances of transferring are slim, but I would say still worth a try.

The Antec PSU really is on the limits of what either of our computer builds could handle and I'm a fan of highly reliable power supplies. PC Power and Cooling and Seasonic are ranked as the most reliable. Troubleshooting power supply problems can be the most challenging because it can be so random. The version I chose has an 88% efficiency rating, which is the highest I have ever seen. This translates to a computer that uses a lot less energy in comparison to other power supplies. I belive the Antec one is slightly above 70%... which is among the least efficient.

-edit: fixed quote error