It took me two months to decide on what to get, I don't know why it took me that long. So how does this setup sound, keeping in mind that I'm on a budget because of college and everything.
Athlon xp 1700+ - $120
Gigabyte 7vrxp - $132
gf2 mx400 - $60 (I'll upgrade this later on)
256 mb pc2100 crucial ram - $78
60gb 7200rpm maxtor HD - $100
16x pioneer dvd-rom - $50
Look around at Newegg.com or some other online computer store. You can get a Gf2 GTS 32MB for $50. Beats the Gf2 Mx400 anyday. Other than that, good setup.
You said you were going budget, right? Well, if you want to save another $60 or so, you can get an ECS K7S5A motherboard for about $60 or so. Pretty good for a rock bottom price. Just make sure you get a high quality PSU 300W or higher from a good manufacturer like Antec or Enermax.
I want to make sure I get a board that serves good for future upgrades, which is why I picked a kt333 board. I don't know much about the ECS MB, what I need to know is if it will be able to support the top of the line products I plan to upgrade to in the future.
Newegg.com has the maxtop case with 3 fans and 350 watt amd approved power supply for only $47. A little noisier, but will keep your athlon cool. Also check their refurbished section for deals on motherboards and video cards.
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