Author Topic: I need a new Comp (Read 588 times)

GreenCloud · « **on:** June 11, 2006, 01:54:25 PM »

ok..its finally coming down to this point...Im tired of piece by piece duct tape computer

the Asus P4B...Intel 1.6 over cloked to 2.1 gig is going to retire

I have a 256mb ati
Seagate 250gig Hard Drive
350watt Power supply
Lite on CD burner...forgot what speed but new withtin the year
and plenty of memeory sticksover a gig..DDR?..i forgot will have to look

So..I need a MObo..and proccesor?

I need atleast 3 USBs in rear..and atlest 1-2 usb' sto plug into front of comp.."camera's ect..

Will also need a new tower i suppose..

HWere is the best place to buy this? I kinda dont want to put it together..but it seems to be fairly easy to screw ..and click stuff in....I just hope i dotn screw up loading software back into new HD

then....I still really want the info on my 20 gig hard drive..thats sick right now...I figure I can have somoen cure it..and just get the info from it later

It all started with the hal.dll errror..I tried to bootcfg/rebuild...somthn went wrong...now all i get is blue screen saying..this sheitt is busted

Krusty · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2006, 02:25:30 PM »

There are several good places. One I and others have used is newegg, but they're not 100% the best. They're good, though.

First things first, you have to find out what kind of ram you have. If your mobo is that old your ram might be obsolete. Pull a stick out (discharge and static buildup by touching the frame of the case first) and look at it.

This is DDR:

http://www.virtualvisiontech.com/specs/computers/comimages/RAM.gif

It has numbers on each side, from 1 to 92 and 93 to 180-ish

This is PC133:

http://www.okcomputers.cz/foto/F3/MEM294.jpg

It has numbers only to 164.

If you have 164-pin, 2-notches, your RAM won't work in any new motherboards. If you have 180-ish (I can't remember the exact number)-pin ram, and just 1 notch, it is DDR.

Depending on the age of the RAM, even if you have DDR you might want/need to upgrade (PC 2500 will run very slow compared to PC 3200 and above). Second note: Some AMD motherboards take DDR2, totally incompatible with DDR, so if you get a motherboard with that you have to upgrade anyway. Bet on needing to buy at least a single stick of 512MB in your budget.

Your PSU will probably get you by, but you might need a new one depending on requirements for the motherboard/chip. Example: The Pentium4 line requires a 4-pin square connector to plug into the motherboard separately from the 20/24 pin or else your computer won't boot up. Things like that.

First decide what chip you want. Base it on preference, price, speed, whatever. THEN pick the motherboard with the USB, PCI and other connectors. It doesn't do much good to select the motherboard features then find it's got an obscure RAM type and/or only can mount older chips (see what I mean?). You mention a 256MB ATI, I'm assuming it's AGP based on the age of your motherboard. Keep that in mind -- if you want to use that card you have to get an AGP motherboard.

If you want front-panel connectors, you have to get a case that supports this. This comes with the case, not the motherboard. Most often the motherboard will have internal connectors to attach to the front panel. Just a heads-up. Case-wise, you also want a fan mount on the side depending on the processor (they need the extra air inlet directly over the CPU on P4's, and possibly AMDs -- I'm unfamiliar with the latter).

So, like I had to when I upgraded my 5 year old comp, you might need to get more than you planned on. Your components are good, but to get a better CPU you need a better motherboard. A better motherboard means our older RAM is no longer good. A better motherboard/CPU combo might require a better PSU.

So you need mobo/CPU

You need to assume you MIGHT need RAM/PSU as well. Need to at least consider that.

If I typed anything that was too obvious, I apologize. I wasn't sure how tech savvy you are (I'm not too savvy myself!) and so I erred on the side of caution.

GreenCloud · « **Reply #2 on:** June 12, 2006, 05:45:12 PM »

ya thats pretty much it..

Just didnt know if there was a great place that had..mobo-cpu-case sold togeher

i would rather not buy a case and a cpu-mobo..that ends up not "screwing together"

MOSQ · « **Reply #3 on:** June 12, 2006, 06:22:44 PM »

In your area Fry's has great prices and if it won't screw together it's very convenient to run it back to the store and get something else. I've never had any problem returning items there.

The problem with NewEgg and all online stores is the time it takes to ship the item back and get a new one. Fry's is as cheap or cheaper and you can return a "not right" component the same day.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 12, 2006, 06:44:50 PM »

Newegg.

Krusty · « **Reply #5 on:** June 12, 2006, 08:55:06 PM »

Mosq, one problem with that is there are no Fry's in Denver area. At least none I've ever seen. They have their geographic locations, and if you're outside that the best you can do is a compUSA (the store in general sucks, but best buy has nada) -- so online shopping is the way to go.

One note: The HARD part is getting the parts together before you do anything. If they ship separately, I mean. You can't put any of it together until all of it is there

38ruk · « **Reply #6 on:** June 12, 2006, 10:19:42 PM »

BGB , you are running PC133 ram , i remember from when i helped you overclock that machine . Your going to need at a minimum Cpu , Ram , and Motherboard. I just bought my mom a AMD 64 3500+ and a gigabyte nforce3 AGP board at new egg for $199, throw in ram and your lookin at 260 or so for the cheap way . Dont you have stock in intel or somethin? Send me an email , ive got some stuff that you might be able to use . 38

Krusty · « **Reply #7 on:** June 12, 2006, 10:36:34 PM »

512MB of DDR is damn cheap now. Down to $35 for "value" stuff. Wouldn't want to overclock it, but it will do you good for a long time at normal speeds.

I got a 1GB stick of "Corsair value ram" (still good stuff, with the Corsair logo on it) for $60. This from newegg.com as well.

MOSQ · « **Reply #8 on:** June 13, 2006, 12:44:13 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Krusty
Mosq, one problem with that is there are no Fry's in Denver area. ...

Krusty, I was responding to GreenCloud's post. His location says Northern Cali in the Emerald Triangle. That and his name/avatar are a reference to the marijuana growing region of Northern California. There's lots of Fry's Electronics in northern California.

Krusty · « **Reply #9 on:** June 13, 2006, 01:05:15 AM »

Good catch. As long as you know there are, that's fine. I didn't know, and wanted to point out that it depends on the location, but never mind

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #10 on:** June 13, 2006, 08:23:58 AM »

I keep telling this to people.

Check out your local Mom & Pop Computer shops

By mom & pop I mean not best buy or Comp USA But those little stores you see on the side of the highway that usually have sings on em that simpy say something like "Joes Computers"

Often you can get your components for just as cheap and sometimes cheaper then they can be had online. And often within 24 hours
And you have the added benifit of having somplace to actually return it to without mailing it anywhere.
Not to mention a face to deal with rather then a voice on the phone or an Email

Thats what I did with my new CPU and MB And actually got both cheaper then I saw advertised anyplace online And I managed to get it the very same day.

Krusty · « **Reply #11 on:** June 13, 2006, 11:33:46 AM »

Yes... only... they don't always know what the heck they're doing, either.

My mother went to one of those a few years ago, put down 700% for a new computer tower, AMD K6 or something, ram, HD, cd burner, etc... Well first he charged her a lot more by putting in a few parts she didn't want. Then the thing constantly locked up, at random moments, and he wouldn't do anything about it because it didn't lock up in front of him. The thing was a piece of $700 crap. She had to GIVE it away (to a relative that didn't have a computer) just to end the head-ache. So we ended up with a $700 report to the better business bureau. Before that quite a few years ago we bought a custom-made 486 that did the same thing but this wasn't even a mom-and-pop store. The guy was building them in his house and selling them through the paper. Constant lockups and the like. Spend a bit more but get a brand name and you know it's at least guaranteed not to lock up at random times. Now I'm never buying a whole PC again (assembling your own parts is just too easy).

Little mom-and-pop stores aren't any better than any other place. They're just cheaper -- and sometimes you get what you pay for (cheap). Again, sorry I'm a little jaded on this subject, too

DREDIOCK · « **Reply #12 on:** June 13, 2006, 03:05:27 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Krusty
Yes... only... they don't always know what the heck they're doing, either.

My mother went to one of those a few years ago, put down 700% for a new computer tower, AMD K6 or something, ram, HD, cd burner, etc... Well first he charged her a lot more by putting in a few parts she didn't want. Then the thing constantly locked up, at random moments, and he wouldn't do anything about it because it didn't lock up in front of him. The thing was a piece of $700 crap. She had to GIVE it away (to a relative that didn't have a computer) just to end the head-ache. So we ended up with a $700 report to the better business bureau. Before that quite a few years ago we bought a custom-made 486 that did the same thing but this wasn't even a mom-and-pop store. The guy was building them in his house and selling them through the paper. Constant lockups and the like. Spend a bit more but get a brand name and you know it's at least guaranteed not to lock up at random times. Now I'm never buying a whole PC again (assembling your own parts is just too easy).

Little mom-and-pop stores aren't any better than any other place. They're just cheaper -- and sometimes you get what you pay for (cheap). Again, sorry I'm a little jaded on this subject, too

Im not telling you to let them build the thing.
Just to get your parts through them.

If you already know what you want to order. They dont have to know diddly other then when they can get it in;)

GreenCloud · « **Reply #13 on:** June 13, 2006, 11:52:48 PM »

yes ..i have a frys ...10 miles from my house...

you can by dual cores...neon water coolers for your CPU..and .....Pots and pans..plus beef jerky..

that place has got to be..1 Million Square feet

yes 38....Im ready to sink 600$ plus

I want somthn to do my good for atleast another 3 years..

GreenCloud · « **Reply #14 on:** June 14, 2006, 11:41:28 PM »

yo ..38 ..you get my PM??

I m getn desperate...What kind of CPU and Mobo Combo do I get...It has to be Intel..the rest ..i dont care

yes I am a partial owner of Intel; )