help for an idiot

[johnnyinternet]

i am considering buying this new rig:

http://a-power.com/sys/ap10-gamer64.asp

as you can see it is about 1400 bucks canadian.
the only thing i see wrong is the vid card, if you have any ideas on what would be the best card for this system, please let me know. or any other major flaws they may be trying to shaft me with that you notice would be nice too

johnny internet

 

[rumcooler]

You could build one for yourself and save a lot of money. It is not hard to put a computer together. There are many sites try google. There is a lot of help on this forum as well.
No monitor and only a 300 psu. You can do better by yourself.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by rumcooler on 10/24/04 09:04 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[johnnyinternet]

ok man thanks a lot. i will give it a shot. the only thing that i usually end up having trouble with is the motherboard stuff. i just don't know enough. but i am gonna check out the forums for that one. if anyone reads this do you have any suggestions for good websites for building computers?

thanks again
johnny internet

 

[blackphoenix77]

A good spot for buying computer parts is <A HREF="http://www.newegg.com" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com</A>. But to build a computer, you only have to follow this simple song. "Buy all the computer parts. Set them on a flat surface. Position the case in front of you on its side! Lay down the motherboard and screw it in...place the CPU in socket! Attach your new heatsink and fan on top of the CPU carefully. Install RAM..." and thats where I stopped because it's not a very good song..

<font color=blue>AthlonXP-M 2500+(12x200)</font color=blue>|<font color=green>Abit NF7-S</font color=green>|<font color=red>Kingston DDR400 2x256Mb</font color=red>|<font color=purple>NEC Accucync90 19"</font color=purple>|<font color=black>Sapphire 9600XT</font color=black>

 

[johnnyinternet]

hahah actually thats a pretty tight song. thanks for the help i know i will be singing it all night

johnny

 

[rx7000]

www.pricewatch.com can be helpful also in your computer building.

Asus p4c800 Deluxe,1 Gig Mushkin PC3200 Dual Channel Level II V2,Pentium 4 3.0 512k 800fsb HT, Thermaltake Xaser III, Thermaltake Spark 7+, Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro, eVGA GeForce 6800 GT

 

[spitoon]

Those websites are okay, but not ideal for Canadian consumers. I don't think Newegg ships to Canada at all. Some of the sites you will find on pricewatch.com will ship internationally. Your best bet for Canadian sites are:

www.dangeo.com
www.ncix.com
www.tigerdirect.ca
www.cendirect.com
www.memoryexpress.com

Overall that system looks pretty good, the vid card could be upgraded, but the one included will perform okay until you can get a better one. It probably will be slightly cheaper to build your own, and it's not really that hard.

 

[Nitrom]

I was in the same predicament that you were. Exactly.
Until I found a way to build my own rig for less money.
Never dream on doing that cuz I had no experience. But if you read HOW TO BUILD A COMPUTER in Toms Hardware you will find out that you don't have to be a Sherlock to put together the pieces...on top of that you will have control over whatever goes wrong.

 

[Nitrom]

Hey...is not just 1400 dollars yoi have to spend...you have to ad 129 dollars for the OS and you must (is a must) buy extended warranty which is more exprensive...at the end...you are spending easy around 1800 dollars.

 

[sweatlaserxp]

<A HREF="http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=Njcz" target="_new">Here</A>
They did a good job with that system. Buy the parts, and just keep posting here and we'll help you get it built. Not me personally, but the other guys, they'll help

<A HREF="http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030512/geforce_fx_5900-10.html#doom_iii_special_preview" target="_new">GeForceFX 5900 Ultra: The Way FX is Meant to be Played!!</A>

 

[phial]

if you build yourself, then you have no warranty or tech support. something to keep in mind

-------
<A HREF="http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/you.html" target="_new">please dont click here! </A>
Brand name whores are stupid!

 

[Unolocogringo]

All retail (not OEM sold as retail)parts have a one year or longer Manufacturers warranty. So no worries about warranty .

Tech support/?\???? Is that where they tell you to put in the recovery disk that wipes out all of your data,files email and everything else that you omce had???? NO THANKS. I was once that nieve.

Research your hardware first then you don't need tech support.
Most guys arround here are very knowledgeable, the rest of us help if we can.

I aint signing nothing!!!

 

[Nitrom]

Rick Criswell you got it right dude...tech support sucks big time when U buy an extended warranty...
Better build your own machine and as you go you learn how to be your own tech support which is more fun and rewarding.
In the long run you become a computer geek and then guru...is up to you.

 

[johnnyinternet]

thanks guys for all the help, reasuring to know that you guys are so supportive. i have posted on other tech forums and have been flamed for not being a guru. upon reading this i have decided to build my pc from scratch seeing as how hands on is the best way to learn and get exactly what i want (and i can save money!). don't worry though i am sure i will have many more questions for you all!

thanks again for instilling so confidence in a new hard ware fanatic.

johnny internet

 

[priyajeet]

yeah people have diff moods at diff times here. Luckily everybody is happy. if u want to see an example of flaming, post the exact same topic again.

:tongue: <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/priyajeet/fing.jpg" target="_new"><i><font color=red>Very funny, Scotty.</font color=red><font color=blue> Now beam down my clothes.</font color=blue></i></A> :tongue:

 

[TheGreatGrapeApe]

Being from Nanaimo, check NCIX.COM first to get an idea of basic pricing BC for the parts you're looking for, then branch out to look for the best deals IMO.

I find a great way to start is to see what the white-box builders put in their rigs first, and then decide what's better bang for your buck, and where you think the focus should be. Of course first steps will be choosing CPU/MOBO combinations based on what parts you expect to eventually put in there and upgrade (like PCIe/AGP , DDR/DDR2, etc) from that everything else just fits in those slots. The most importnt thing is not to rush, make sure you're confident with your parts, and their prices. It also doesn't hurt to run the final decision past the forum, even if you get laughs, criticisms, etc. From that you may gleen something you hadn't considered which may make a big difference between satisfaction levels long term.

And last but not least IMO, once you've finally pulled the trigger on a new rig, don't second guess your choices prices, unless you have actual serious problems with your machine or you think you got seriously hosed. No matter what you pick, it's almost guaranteed that there will be something new and better that makes you go 'Awww!' within weeks of your first boot-up.


- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK