newb needs advice

[jomomma]

I need a new computer and have been reading this board. It seems that Ali 333 V2.1 is popular in here. If I don't want to overclock is this still a good choice?
All I want is a system that will be reliable and be good enough for my 11 year old son to play games on and fast enough for him when he get a little older.

 

[jomomma]

come on guys help me out.
What would be the best system for me if I want reliability and enough speed for my son to use for a few years?
This
Description Price Quantity Inventory Sum
ZKIT AMD Athlon XP Processor DDR 333 Bundle
- IWILL XP333-R ALI MAGIK1( C VERSION) 266MHz FSB 5PCI/1AGP/3DDR333/CMI8378 RAID SOCKET A MOTHERBOARD
- AMD ATHLON XP PROCESSOR 1800+ WITH QUANTISPEED ARCHITECTURE (1533MHz) OEM
- KINGMAX 256MB DDR 333MHz MAJOR CHIPSET 32x64 PC2700 5NS 184PIN DIMM 2.5V DDRAM
- ThermalTake A1139 VOLCANO 6 CU BALL BEARING COPPER AMD SKT 462 & INTEL SKT 370 HEAT SINK & FAN
- ATI RADEON 8500 64MB DDR AGP 3D/DVD 2X/4X TV-OUT DVI SUPPORT OEM VIDEO CARD LE version
- TEAC 1.44MB Floppy Drive OEM PACKAGE
- LOGITECH CORDLESS WIRELESS FREEDOM MOUSE & KEYBOARD COMBO RF RETAIL W/RECEIVER & SOFTWARE.
- LIAN LI PC-65-USB ALUMINUM TRANSPARENT SIDE ATX MID- CASE 350W P4 WHISPER x2 FAN POWER SUPPLY
- TOSHIBA 16X DVD ROM / 48X CD-ROM Random access: 115ms DVD-ROM SD-M1502-TA
- MAXTOR DIAMONDMAX PLUS D740X 80GB UA133 8.5MS 2M 7200RPM OEM (3yr warranty)
- LUCENT CHIPSET INTERNAL 56K VOICE FAX MODEM V.90 PCI. OEM WIN 2000 SUPPORTED
- MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION DSP FULL VERSION * 1 PACK $1229
Or this
AMD Athlon 266 MHZ DDR Bundle
- SOYO SY-K7V-DRAGON PLUS VIA KT266A AMD SKT A 200/266MHz FSB 3DIMM/5PCI/1AGP w/RAID ATX MOTHERBOARD
- Athlon K7 1.4GHz (1400MHz) Thunderbird 266MHz FSB CPU Socket A - OEM
- 128MB DDR 266MHz 16x64 PC2100 Non-Parity Unbuf DIMM 2.5V DDRAM
- ThermalTake A1110 VOLCANO 5 BALL BEARING ALUMINUM AMD SKT 462 & INTEL SKT 370 HEAT SINK & FAN
- MSI STARFORCE 826 MS-8826 VIDEO CARD MX-400 GEFORCE2 64MB SDR 256-BIT 200MHZ CoreRAM DVD TV-OUT
- TEAC 1.44MB Floppy Drive OEM PACKAGE
- LOGITECH INTERNET KEYBOARD W/ MULTIMEDIA KEY BULK OEM
- 2 BUTTON MOUSE PS/2
- IN-WIN S506 300Watt Power Supply Mid tower ATX case 3 X 5.25 Bays 2 x 3.5 2 x 3.5+ x2 case fan!!
- TOSHIBA 16X DVD ROM / 48X CD-ROM Random access: 115ms DVD-ROM SD-M1502-TA
- MAXTOR DIAMONDMAX PLUS D740X 60GB UA133 8.5MS 2M 7200RPM OEM (3yr warranty)
- CREATIVE LABS SOUND BLASTER AUDIGY MP3+ PCI SOUND CARD RETAIL BOX
- LUCENT CHIPSET INTERNAL 56K VOICE FAX MODEM V.90 PCI. OEM WIN 2000 SUPPORTED
- MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION DSP FULL VERSION * 1 PACK $834
The warranty for both of these is:
15 days return period started from received date
2 years warranty
Replace with new unless product is End of Life (EOL)
Repair or replace with equal or better for EOL products

 

[Guest]

I have been reading the reviews on the Mainboard comparisons since October and the Soltek and Soyo boards were THG winners. I have looked at the Soyo Dragon+ closely and have heard a lot of good things about it None of the reviews on any of the boards have been critical and it is Maximum PCs choice for their next killer machine. The Price seems reasonalbe $150+/-$10 and the goodies that come with the board are exceptional it seems to me it would be a good choice.

Grounded,Connected,Visualizing electron flow MoBo to MoBo Sending Blessings of Light across the WEB.

 

[o1die]

The Iwill xp333-r is popular with some for it's list of standard features and price. It comes with 333ddram support (will work with pc2100 or pc2700 ddram), ata 133 support (for newer hardrives), 5.1 6 channel sound, and if you don't need raid, you can buy it without. Prices range from about $105-120 (pricewatch). As far as problems go, you'll find complaints about virtually every board if you read this forum long enough. I don't know your level of experience building systems, but this board should be no worse than some of the other more expensive ones. You can also try installing only one card at a time (starting with video) when you load whatever version of windows you plan on using, and leave the pci slot next to the agp slot open, to avoid sharing of irqs. The other board to consider is the nforce board (made by various manufacturers), with the K7N420 chipset. They come with built in video, sound, and lan, and start at $141 (pricewatch).

 

[pat]

Both are good system and go for one or the other. If you go for the SOYO dragon+ one, ask them to put an retail box Athlon XP instead of a thunderbird because if you dont plan to overclock, the standard heat sink and fan that comes with the cpu do his job. My cpu tem idle is 38 and when I'm working, between 40 and 42 (athlonxp 1700+ and Dragon+ in my box).

But one or the other is just fine as it is

-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[jomomma]

Thanks for the reply. The Soyo w/XP1800 and DDR ram brings the price up above the Iwill 333.

AMD Athlon XP Processor DDR Bundle
- SOYO SY-K7V-DRAGON PLUS VIA KT266A AMD SKT A 200/266MHz FSB 3DIMM/5PCI/1AGP w/RAID ATX MOTHERBOARD
- AMD ATHLON XP PROCESSOR 1800+ WITH QUANTISPEED ARCHITECTURE (1533MHz) OEM
- CORSAIR 512MB DDR 266MHz 64x64 PC2100 Non-Parity Unbuf DIMM 2.5V DDRAM
- ThermalTake A1139 VOLCANO 6 CU BALL BEARING COPPER AMD SKT 462 & INTEL SKT 370 HEAT SINK & FAN
- ATI RADEON 8500 64MB DDR AGP 3D/DVD 2X/4X TV-OUT DVI SUPPORT OEM VIDEO CARD LE version
- TEAC 1.44MB Floppy Drive OEM PACKAGE
- LOGITECH CORDLESS WIRELESS FREEDOM MOUSE & KEYBOARD COMBO RF RETAIL W/RECEIVER & SOFTWARE.
- LIAN LI PC-65-USB ALUMINUM TRANSPARENT SIDE ATX MID- CASE 350W P4 WHISPER x2 FAN POWER SUPPLY
- TOSHIBA 16X DVD ROM / 48X CD-ROM Random access: 115ms DVD-ROM SD-M1502-TA
- WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR WD800BB 80GB UA100 8.9MS 2MB 7200RPM OEM (3yr warranty)
- LUCENT CHIPSET INTERNAL 56K VOICE FAX MODEM V.90 PCI. OEM WIN 2000 SUPPORTED
- MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP HOME EDITION DSP FULL VERSION * 1 PACK $1305
Are these prices decent for a company that will configure and burn the system and has a 2 year parts warranty?
BTW, I really like the looks and features of the Lian Li case but it adds about $150 to the price over a decent average case. Do you think this is a dumb move to opt for this fancy of a case?

 

[jomomma]

Also how much would I save if I could build one of these systems myself....Would it be worth the hassle for a newb that has a little time and some skill?
I have read some very detailed posts in here that walk newb through the tougher problem they have encountered.
I believe I could build these if I went slow and asked and received help in forums like this but is it worth it if I could buy them preassembled and tested for the prices I posted?

 

[jomomma]

I looked at the nvidia K7n420 from MSI. It looks very nice and would save money by using the onboard features. Is it a good idea to use these features instead of seperate cards?
I guess if something failed on the board then you could either upgrade the board of put a card in to replace whatever failed.
I can get this system without the vid card/radeon 8500, built and tested for about $1120...is this decent?

 

[monkeyspank]

build it yourself dude. apart from the money, you will learn a lot.

-- There are no answers to find in the bottom of a glass. But you can have fun looking for them.

 

[pat]

If you can have it assembled for nothing more, go for it. so you will be sure that the system is working. After, if you feel the need, then take this PC apart and try to reassemble it. So, if the system is not working after that, then you know that you may have had some problem building it from scratch. If it works ok after that, then you know that you can built another for somebody else...and maybe make some money from that!



-Always put the blame on you first, then on the hardware !!!

 

[corby20]

you can make money from building comps?!?!?!? ive been doing that for years for free! man if i only knew, yea well live and learn.

can't beat the AMSTRAD

 

[monkeyspank]

building a pc is like using expensive lego. if you have the right parts, it should all fit into place. there are some very smart people on this forum who are always keen to help - - they've got me out of all kinds of trouble.

having a pc that you built yourself is something to be proud of. you will appreciate it more.

Rebuilding a pc is a different matter. you will only be upset if you take a working machine and stop it working. If they use a thermal pad under the HSF then when you take it off, you will be left with a gooey mess that won't be too nice to put back together. althouhgh this can be sorted with a razor blade and some artic silver paste.

go for it dude. get stuck in.. just be gentle.

-- There are no answers to find in the bottom of a glass. But you can have fun looking for them.