Please Help Me, I'm Lost!!!

[contemplate]

alright, so i decided that i'm gonna build a new system instead of upgrading my dell. i have a budget, but its flexible. i dont really want to spend over a grand. i dont know where to start anymore. sooo many choices. basically i want a gaming system, though i do a LOT more than just games with my computers.

at the very least a 2.6ghz or equivalent, preferably 3.0. i dont know what motherboards are any good, what ram is any good, which cases are worthwhile, etc. would 1gb or ram be enough? and what speed? i need at least 120gb hd but i dont know the good brands anymore.

i'm still doing research, its just hard with so many choices. any suggestions for all this? i want a kick ass graphics card, probably another 9800 but maybe nvidia instead. though i have no experience with overclocking and i probably wont attempt it, i would like to buy a setup that can support moderate overclocking. i know that is a lot of questions but please answer what you can. thanks for your time.

 

[dhlucke]

For that budget I would start out by looking at Sharkyextreme.com. Each month they put out a budget PC on $1000. Use that as your starting point and then depending on components that you will be salvaging from your Dell you can increase the amount you want to spend on certain components such as the videocard.

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<font color=red><b>ElectroDwarf loves Americans!</b></font color=red>

 

[Slasher42]

You can build a good system for under a grand... but we need to know if you need KB/Mouse/Monitor/Speakers

Below is a P4 system everything bought from Newegg.com none of stuff I listed above is included.

Abit 865pe IS7, Retail - $99.99
Intel P4 2.6C with HT, Retail - $169
Asus Radeon 9600XT - $189
WD 120gb, 8mb cache,7200rpm - Blow Out Sale $92
Lite-On 4xDVD-RW/+RW,40x24x40CD-RW - $122
Lite-On 16 DVD/CD Rom - $33
Any Brand Floppy Drive - $10
Total thus far - $715
Now you need RAM, and a Case. I'll leave the case to you, for RAM it depends on if you want to overclock or not.

For overclock -
Kingston HyperX 2x512 PC4000 - $295
or
Corsair XMS 2x512 PC4000 - $361
Non Overclock-
Geil Golden Dragon 2x512 PC3200 - $199

You could make do with only 512ram if you dont need it for video or image editting as those take loads of ram.

Thats my thoughts on it.
For more/better thoughts check with wusy or Crashman

 

[Snaggle]

look at asus mobos-they're always well made and designed.I would build around the amd athlon 64 3000+ and stick it on the msi k8t neo-fis2r,in any case the via k8t800 is the best chipset for the new athlon 64s.

The best ram is still corsair,crucial,kingston,mushkin and ocz in a 400ddr or greater speed.Right now half a gig is the standard amount of ram;but watch out if you use 512mb sticks with a amd 64(one gig is all you get).

The best hard drives:western digital;samsung;maxtor(crosses fingers rather than heart).Just get one with 8mb buffer and a speed of 7200.

 

[Vapor]

That looks like a good system to me, but I could go without a DVD burner and save 120ish dollars (to either put into RAM+HSF or RAM + case).

Maxtor disgraces the six letters that make Matrox.

 

[Kanavit]

my upgrade recommedation:

P4 3.0c 800fsb HT $280 retail(includes HSF and bezel sticker)
Asus P4P800(i865) Onboard SATA/RAID/LAN/audio $107
256mb Kingston value DDR400(PC3200) $44.00 get two of these to make total of 512mb and dual channel.

all these prices are from newegg.com.
<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=147&manufactory=1183&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=147&manufactory=1183&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1</A>

 

[blah]

you need no DVD RW, nor expansive RAM. Get 2x256MB sticks of PC3200 from Crucial for 90+ and save yeself 250 bucks total, that way you will have a new system for little over half a grand, and can buy a nice nice monitor for the rest (don't get LCD if playing games though). Don't waste yer money, the best you buy tonight, in the morning will be on the second place, and in the evening third.

..this is very useful and helpful place for information...

 

[contemplate]

what do you mean about being careful with 512mb sticks of ram with athlon 64? you said one gig is all you get. what does that mean? would it slow it down to have more than 512mb ram? thanks for your replies btw...

 

[Snaggle]

The amd64 mobos have trouble handling 512mb ram sticks..so if you use more than tewo the speed of your ram falls,though technically you could still use more than a gig of them.New ram recommendations are coming out which show that 3 sticks can be used if they're the right sticks...check out the msi site.

 

[motiv]

Seeing as it's a gaming system your after, I would reccomend the A64 3000+ as your starting point (there really is no alternative at the moment. If thats out of your price range go for the 2.6 p4).

From there get a decent ATI card(9600XT with Half Life 2 vouchers) and 512K of memory.

With that combo, you will have a very good base for a gameing system.

 

[SoDNighthawk]

They could not salvage much from the Titanic either and they crazy glue all the hardware into a DELL dont they LOL

I say all the hardware with a grin.....not much hardware in there at all.

Barton 3200+ 400MHz
A7N8X Deluxe
Liquid
2x512 KinstonHyperX PC3200
GeForce FX5900
Maxtor DiamondMaxPlus9@80Gig
SONY CD 52x
SONY RW 52x/24x/52x
SONY DVD 16x/40x

 

[motiv]

I Really hope SODNightHawk, you forgot to put a sarcastic smily round that selection!!

I know you like the XP range, but an Athlon XP & Nvidia FX card in a gaming system.

I can understand the XP (although the AMD64 3000+ is the same price) as it does have some gaming pedigree....

....in some games.

But to go for the FX card. Thats just cruel.

 

[SoDNighthawk]

The card was given to me at a meeting with an Nvidia Rep...I belive for palm warming purposes but since at the time they were the latest things out I took it home and used it in my new XP 3200+

Barton 3200+ 400MHz
A7N8X Deluxe
Liquid
2x512 KinstonHyperX PC3200
GeForce FX5900
Maxtor DiamondMaxPlus9@80Gig
SONY CD 52x
SONY RW 52x/24x/52x
SONY DVD 16x/40x