Odd Build.. Please Help

[pous]

Hey there, I've been looking at building a super-cheap PC for my girlfriend, so she can play the Sims 2 on it with all of her expansions and whatnot...

That being said, this is what I've come up with:
Qty. Product Description Unit Price Savings Total Price

Update
Rosewill R330-P-BK Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: R330-P-BK
Item #: N82E16811147077

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$22.99 -$5.00 Instant $17.99

Update
BIOSTAR NF520-A2 Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 520 MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: NF520-A2
Item #: N82E16813138077

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$49.99 $49.99

Update
ASUS EAX300SE-X/TD/128 Radeon X300SE 128MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: EAX300SE-X/TD/128M
Item #: N82E16814121538

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$35.99 $35.99

Update
FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN, RoHS, 12cm FAN, version 2.2, 2 SATA, 20+ 4 pin, PCI Express, 400W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: AX400-PN
Item #: N82E16817104953

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$43.99 -$4.00 Instant $39.99

Update
AMD Sempron 64 3000+ Manila 1.6GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model SDA3000CNBOX - Retail
Model #: SDA3000CNBOX
Item #: N82E16819104305

Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

In Stock
$28.99 $28.99

Update
G.SKILL 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory Model F2-6400PHU1-1GBNR - Retail
Model #: F2-6400PHU1-1GBNR
Item #: N82E16820231085

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$44.99 $44.99

Update
Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD800JD
Item #: N82E16822135106

Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy

In Stock
$41.99 $41.99

Update
Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000 - Retail
Model #: B2L-00002
Item #: N82E16823109149

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$14.99 -$2.00 Instant $12.99

Update
Microsoft N71-00007S Black 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical Wheel Mouse - OEM
Model #: N71-00007S
Item #: N82E16826105026

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$9.99 $9.99

Update
SONY Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1615/B2s - OEM
Model #: DDU1615/B2s
Item #: N82E16827101131

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$17.99 $17.99
Subtotal: $300.90

I don't need to hear about how crappy things are in it, I just need to know if it will work, if the PSU is enough to power it, and if I've left anything out. The only game she plays on computer is the Sims 2.

Out of curiosity if you'd like to comment on whether or not you think it would run any other games, that'd be nice too.

The way I look at it, it's a cheap computer to get her started, and has room to expand easily..

Thanks in advance for any help (=

 

[dobby]

get a slightly better GPU. a x300SE is Shit beyond belife, i proberly wont run Sims 1 seriously. get a 7300LE or 8500, but not the x300SE

 

[pous]

get a slightly better GPU. a x300SE is **** beyond belife, i proberly wont run Sims 1 seriously. get a 7300LE or 8500, but not the x300SE

Actually I had a friend tell me the same thing last night, so I went out and found this: 7300LE

Just like you suggested, and only added $9.00 to the end price, which is perfect.

So given that... what do you think? Sims 2, yes. As well as the potential to upgrade later on?

Does anyone think it'll play any other games... Wow, WC3, maybe Titan Quest? Just curious ^_^ it'd be a cheap way to get myself into a new machine, and then I could just upgrade at my leisure.

 

[brick88]

It'll definitely play WoW and w3. i would have went with a processor with more cache like the athlon 64 3200. but i think you should be fine. just some food for thought.

 

[pous]

It'll definitely play WoW and w3. i would have went with a processor with more cache like the athlon 64 3200. but i think you should be fine. just some food for thought.

Thanks, I'll look into that. My biggest thing with this build was low cost, because like I said, it's for my girlfriend. I figure I'll get her to play Wow with me, just as soon as I'm able to play again. (Bad internet here for online play).

At any rate, I was wondering, just in general, what a higher cache will do for a processor? I'm really new at all this and still learning.

I think for her purposes if she just went with that she could upgrade it at her leisure (with my help of course) and not have any problems playing her Sims 2 game with all its fancy expansions.

Thanks again though for the input

 

[Craxbax]

Newegg had a Foxconn MB w/6150 and A64 3400+ (939) for $89 recently.

 

[brick88]

the higher cache usually improves video encoding although in games the improvements can be between 0%-20% on intels. on an amd i would suspect the same if not more improvements because of the integrated memory controller. im not entirely sure of this but just extrapolating from graphs between higher and lower cache intel and amd procs.

EDIT:
I didn't see the previous post. I think that deal is great because of the integrated video solution. it should be able to run wow and sims 2 (probably not seasons however). if you think its a little weak you can go for a dedicated graphics solution however it should lower ur cost initially by going integrated. note that nvidia's integrated solutions are superior to intel's integrated.

 

[pous]

the higher cache usually improves video encoding although in games the improvements can be between 0%-20% on intels. on an amd i would suspect the same if not more improvements because of the integrated memory controller. im not entirely sure of this but just extrapolating from graphs between higher and lower cache intel and amd procs.

EDIT:
I didn't see the previous post. I think that deal is great because of the integrated video solution. it should be able to run wow and sims 2 (probably not seasons however). if you think its a little weak you can go for a dedicated graphics solution however it should lower ur cost initially by going integrated. note that nvidia's integrated solutions are superior to intel's integrated.

Thanks for the info about cache size

As for the integrated option, she does play Sims 2 + Seasons, + about 5 other smaller expansions, so I'm thinking she'll need a dedicated card.

Nobody has mentioned the PSU... does that mean it should be sufficient?

 

[brick88]

yeah most builds in this range only really use 200-300 watts max so you should be fine for now and the future.

 

[pous]

yeah most builds in this range only really use 200-300 watts max so you should be fine for now and the future.

Thanks, I was wondering about that.

Edit:
I was also wondering about something else... that motherboard is has two SATA 3.0Gb/s slots on it... and the CD drive I've chosen is IDE... I don't know enough about all these new types to know if it will work or not...

Also I'll be using Windows XP, and I've heard that their may not be driver support for the SATA drives? I'm not sure how that all works out, but I want to make sure that when I put everything together it'll all go according to plan, if you know what I mean.

Some more advice would be great on those things please

 

[Aragorn]

Windows XP supports SATA drives just fine (I have 4) it doesn't really matter if your CD/DVD drive is PATA or SATA. I would use a PATA CD/DVD drive to leave more room for future hard drive expansions.

 

[pous]

Windows XP supports SATA drives just fine (I have 4) it doesn't really matter if your CD/DVD drive is PATA or SATA. I would use a PATA CD/DVD drive to leave more room for future hard drive expansions.

Thanks (=

I was worried there for a moment.

 

[evongugg]

A SATA optical drive will work with a new system and works faster than IDE. It costs a little bit more, but not much. I used one on a AM2 system. Make sure you install the Nvidia drivers if applicable.
If you have only two SATA ports it is wise to leave one unoccupied for a eSATA external hard drive for backing up for example. Most motherboards today have more than two SATA ports.

 

[nobly]

Update
Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000 - Retail
Model #: B2L-00002
Item #: N82E16823109149

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

In Stock
$14.99 -$2.00 Instant $12.99

Just a quick FYI, this keyboard has a shorter cable than usual. I got one and depending on your/her desk, it might be too short. You might want to double check the cable length and get an extension if necessary.
Its supposedly 60inches = 5ft, but there's a +/- 6inches. I must have gotten the -6 inches... :?
http://download.microsoft.com/download/b/8/c/b8c64804-1f04-4404-bcef-8c2c044dccea/TDS_ComfortCurveKeyboard2000_0702A.PDF

 

[pous]

A SATA optical drive will work with a new system and works faster than IDE. It costs a little bit more, but not much. I used one on a AM2 system. Make sure you install the Nvidia drivers if applicable.
If you have only two SATA ports it is wise to leave one unoccupied for a eSATA external hard drive for backing up for example. Most motherboards today have more than two SATA ports.

Thanks, but I don't need the hard-drive expandability with this model, it's for my girlfriend's sims and I don't think they'll need 80gb... if she ends up doing more with pictures or something in the future we can always set her up with a nice external drive, and that way she'll be able to take it places, and use it on her laptop as well.

The motherboard I chose, due to being on a super-low budget, only has 2 SATA ports.

Thanks for the comment

As for the comment about the keyboard, I'll certainly take that into consideration, although given the price, I'd much rather rearrange my desk space than find a different keyboard. (And hope for the +6, ha ha)

 

[evongugg]

You can get a keyboard extension cable, if you like:

$1.81+shipping:

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=606

 

[pous]

You can get a keyboard extension cable, if you like:

$1.81+shipping:

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?productID=606

If that was a USB extension it'd be perfect ^_^

 

[brick88]

or you can spend the extra 10 dollars and get a flashy wireless keyboard and mouse set up.

 

[shadowmaster625]

semprons are horrid due to the small cache. Get the cheapest possible A64, and buy 2 stix of identical ram, rather than just one. extra cost is minimal

 

[pous]

or you can spend the extra 10 dollars and get a flashy wireless keyboard and mouse set up.

Sorry, but I can't stand wireless peripherals, cost isn't even the biggest deal with that.

semprons are horrid due to the small cache. Get the cheapest possible A64, and buy 2 stix of identical ram, rather than just one. extra cost is minimal

I'll look into that... it'd have to be really cheap to make it fit into my plans. Any recommendations?

 

[daniel2br]

Try this Athlon:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103031

The Athlon64 3200+, (Orleans core) has double amount of cache comparing to the Sempron and is only for 55$ at the egg....

Yes it is almost double compared to what you were thinking, but it is sooo worth it

Regarding Ram, does your motherboard have 2 or 4 memory slots?
If 4 then since you will go with 1Gb, go with the 2 sticks. If only 2 then since you are thinking of upgrading maybe you should consider keeping that one stick... after all it's not like your girlfriend is going to play Oblivion at ful res... :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[shadowmaster625]

according to this

http://www.digital-daily.com/cpu/amd_sempron_am2/

AM2 semprons do have dual channel memory controllers! I think that makes a bigger difference than the cache.

If I was buying, I'd get these for $35:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145526

or these (for $2 less than what you picked btw):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211064

 

[shadowmaster625]

note if you buy this combo you can squeeze in dual core for only 10 bucks more!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135039

not bad for $93 hmm I might pick one up myself heh

 

[geofelt]

You might look at the Antec B stock offerings: http://www.antec.com/us/pro_b_stock.php
The NSK 4400 includes a power supply for $45.95. I don't know what the shipping cost would be.
Consider the merits of spending a few extra bucks and building a system around something cute like this apevia x-qpack: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144162

 

[pous]

Try this Athlon:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103031

The Athlon64 3200+, (Orleans core) has double amount of cache comparing to the Sempron and is only for 55$ at the egg....

Yes it is almost double compared to what you were thinking, but it is sooo worth it

Regarding Ram, does your motherboard have 2 or 4 memory slots?
If 4 then since you will go with 1Gb, go with the 2 sticks. If only 2 then since you are thinking of upgrading maybe you should consider keeping that one stick... after all it's not like your girlfriend is going to play Oblivion at ful res... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks for that The processor looks nice, and for the $25 extra could possibly be fit in there. I'm starting to see what you guys mean about cache and things like that, just from reading more and whatnot. As for the motherboard... it has 4 slots, so I can see going with 2x 512MB (if that's what you were getting at) even though it seemed like the 1x 1GB was about the same price. As for her not playing Oblivion on full res, that's definitely true, but she might play it on low. She likes to play games I'm interested in, even if they're not her "cup of tea".

according to this

http://www.digital-daily.com/cpu/amd_sempron_am2/

AM2 semprons do have dual channel memory controllers! I think that makes a bigger difference than the cache.

If I was buying, I'd get these for $35:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145526

or these (for $2 less than what you picked btw):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211064

Thanks for the reply (=

The corsair you showed isn't PC2 6400, it's 4200, which may not make a huge difference, but I was hoping for 6400 because I figured it was better. The A-DATA looks nice... what would be the benefits of going with two sticks of 512 over 1 stick of 1024?

note if you buy this combo you can squeeze in dual core for only 10 bucks more!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135039

not bad for $93 hmm I might pick one up myself heh

I like the idea for that deal, but I don't like the fact that the processor doesn't come with a HSF, also, are the AMD dual cores overclockable like the intels are? I'm for sure going to keep that in mind either way, I'm just trying to learn as much as I can

You might look at the Antec B stock offerings: http://www.antec.com/us/pro_b_stock.php
The NSK 4400 includes a power supply for $45.95. I don't know what the shipping cost would be.
Consider the merits of spending a few extra bucks and building a system around something cute like this apevia x-qpack: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144162

Only question with the NSK 4400 is if the PSU would be enough to power everything and/or if I'd just end up replacing it anyway... The way I figure it now that PSU I've selected should last a while, even if the PC gets upgraded a bit in the future.

As for the X-qpack, I really REALLY don't like mini-atx and small PC's in general... yes they're cute, and she might like the idea of one... but that's why she doesn't need to see it ^_^ (Ha ha, just kidding, she's not worried about how it looks, she just wants to play the sims... if we had more money I'd go with something more flashy or 'cute' for her).

~~~

I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who's been posting, all the advice has been awesome.