Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: aknimitz on January 07, 2003, 11:10:42 AM
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Ok,
I have undertaken the task of building a computer for a friend of mine - on a budget of around $500 (w/o monitor).
He is not a gamer, but would like to get into burning CDs and stuff. So, here are the essentials as I see it:
1. Mboard with UPGRADE possibilities (he wants something that will allow growth into more expensive chips as the $$ allows).
2. ~1.8Ghz CPU
3. 256MB RAM (SDRAM, DDR, or even RDRAM?)
4. ~60GB 7200 RPM HD
5. Decent SBLive Sound Card?
6. Inexenspive Vcard (GF2 GTS or something?)
7. No speakers
8. 300 Watt power supply and case.
9. ~40-12-40 CD-RW
Have I forgotten anything? Any help you guys can provide would be appreciated!
Nim
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Modem? Or some other communication device...
I'm thinking of upgrading to a SB Audigy.. if I do, I'll have a SB Live! available that works fine.
Is your friend going to play video games? If he isn't and doesn't plan to, I have a V5 5500 sitting around... can still run older games, and runs some modern day games pretty well.
If he does plan to, GF3 is minimum for "tommorrow's" games.
If he doesn't plan to play video games, PC100 or PC133 SDRAM is fine. But you need more than 256MB for Windows XP. They have 256 PC2100 DDR sticks at Best Buy this week for ~$40 after instant and mail in rebates. The mobo you are going to get to allow future CPU upgrades will have to use DDR memory.
I got a full sized Antec case with a 300W PS at Best Buy over a year ago for $60... Antec cases are really good and have good power supplies too.
-SW
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seawolf go with the Audigy 2.. it rocks, especially for games
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Added some prices from http://www.pricewatch.com
Added a better video card within your budget.
Originally posted by aknimitz
Ok,
I have undertaken the task of building a computer for a friend of mine - on a budget of around $500 (w/o monitor).
He is not a gamer, but would like to get into burning CDs and stuff. So, here are the essentials as I see it:
1. Mboard with UPGRADE possibilities (he wants something that will allow growth into more expensive chips as the $$ allows).
2. ~1.8Ghz CPU $150-$170
3. 256MB RAM (SDRAM, DDR, or even RDRAM?) $30-$60
4. ~60GB 7200 RPM HD $80-$100
5. Decent SBLive Sound Card? $30-$50
6. Inexenspive Vcard (GF3 TI500) $100
7. No speakers
8. 300 Watt power supply and case. $40-$60
9. ~40-12-40 CD-RW $45-$65
Floppy drive $8-$15
Total $483-$620
Have I forgotten anything? Any help you guys can provide would be appreciated!
Nim
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You sold me Wlfgng, gonna upgrade tonite.
-SW
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uhmm, no speakers? is he using existing ones or just not at all? if not at all, why bother with a sound card?
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Never built a computer. Is it difficult? How do you install the OS? Or does the OS come prepackaged on the MB?
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AKNimitz, If you do decide to go AMD (not Intel) I would recommend an Asus motherboard. I've had two, and they've been excellent. My girlie replaced her old board with the Asus A7V333 on the strength of my recommendation, and never looked back. The reasons I like Asus are that you get proper support - a proper manual in .PDF format can be downloaded from http://www.asus.com and the site also provides BIOS updates. Given the frustration I have encountered when trying to work out how other boards work etc., the Asus website is like manna from Heaven.
Also, the A7V333 motherboard (to name one of several) has its own onboard sound, so you wouldn't need a sound card. My girlfriend says that the onboard sound is adequate, though a dedicated soundcard might be better - it just depends on how much you need to keep the costs pared back.
Good luck! This week, I start the build for my cleaning lady's PC. I'm getting her the A7V333...
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cc on the asus a7v333. I've been using Asus since the 95 and never had a problem with a motherboard at all.
HC
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No
usually from a CDROM (you can boot to the CDROM and run the setup from there)
If you are building it yourself the OS doesn't come with it.
Originally posted by midnight Target
Is it difficult?
How do you install the OS?
Or does the OS come prepackaged on the MB?
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If you are going with AMD make sure you get adequate cooling (get extra fans, decent heatsink, good thermal compound)
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Originally posted by midnight Target
Never built a computer. Is it difficult? How do you install the OS? Or does the OS come prepackaged on the MB?
Sticking the bits together takes 20 mins-1 hour and is mindbogglingly easy - it's basically just adult Lego. Installing windoze XX, downloading & installing the 4 million upgrades for windoze XX, and getting all the bits to be recognised by and work with windoze can take from 1-3 days, depending on your luck and, as far as I can tell, the relative position of the sun and the moon.
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MT - I'm building one, so I'll take pictures of the assembly and email them to you if you want. But it's like -dead- says.
I shall be using the IBM utility to format the HDD (and designate a drive letter) The prog loads from the legacy floppy drive A:\ - all very dossy. Same thing with the OS - there's enough of it on the floppies to begin the install, and then the prog calls for the CD.
I will be installing the VIA mobo drivers; the OS install will detect a load of stuff, and then there will be stuff like DX
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Motherboard: MSI KT3 Ultra2 ($78 at Newegg.com)
CPU: AMD XP2000+ ($90 at Newegg:retail boxed, includes heatsink/fan)
Case: Antec SX630II ($73 at Newegg)
Hard drive: Maxtor 40GB 7200RPM ATA133 ($79 at Newegg)
CDRW: Lite On 40/12/48x ($49)
Video Card: Gainward GF3Ti200 ($90 at Newegg)
Sound card: SB Live! 5.1 ($34 at Newegg)
RAM: 256mb PC2100 ($71 at Crucial.com)
Total: $564 and that machine will run any game out there with no problem for quite a while to come. Probably score about 7000 on 3dmark2001. Getting a floppy is up to your friend. If you have a good CDRW then a floppy drive isn't really needed.
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Thanks for the tips everyone :) (for those of you that didnt hijack my thread anyway).
Nim
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I just recently updated about 70% of my computer and the total price was about 400$, this is my share of research information which you should find usable for budget computer.
The MOST IMPORTANT is GOOD motherboard. You should not buy cheap ones, but only the best. They are all over 100$. Motherboard sets the limits for future upgrades and the cheaper you buy, the lesser you have such features, also cheap brands usually dont patch their Bioses even than they had fatal bugs.
Motherboard priorities:
AMD socket-A (You cant buy Intel if you go for budget prices)
333 mhz FSB (important for upgradability)
DDR RAM 333 or 400mhz
USB 2.0
Chipset VIA or Nforce2
Manufacturer _only_ from Asus, Epox or Chaintech. They are like Porche compared to others which are all Ladas.
Processor:
AMD AMD AMD AMD, dont you get it, Intel will be about 100$ more expensive but with only minimal more processing speed, even none.
Look the processor speeds/prices, you see high raise suddenly and it is currently somewhere AMD1800+XP. Buy the one just before the price raisepoint.
Memory:
DDR ram, 256 minimum, i would buy 512mb, 333mhz.
Video card:
I havent looked this closely since i didnt upgrade my video card. However DO NOT buy geforce 2/4 MX brands! And APG 8x is only for marketing purposes, benchmarks show it doesent increase FPS a single frame. All info is in benchmarks, look from there before buying.
Sound card:
Because this is budget computer, look for MB with integrated sound circuit (nowdays same MB will have lots of different features included, like RAID capability). Ie. Epox 8DRA+ has sound chip that supports surround, Dolby 5.1 and digital input/output. I bet your friend with $$$ sound card cant tell the sound quality difference. One other plus is, that they dont make your system instable, like Sound Blaster has tendency to do. SB has appalling support for their brands.
Net card:
If you need one, i advice to pick even this integrated on the MB, it however raises the price with ~20$. Net cards are famous for making your system instable, integration rarely should have such problems.
Hard Drive:
Buy cheap ones with 30+ GB of space.
Power:
350w or 400w. The bigger you buy the longer it will last (they will go "bad" with time), again dont save 4$ with buying 300w instead of 350w. Buy the cheapest ATX box that you can find.
Only cooling you need is heatsink with fan for the processor. IF the MB will start to suffer from too much heat (PC health status will show something 40c or so), only then buy chasis fan. Remember that fans make noise so you should keep them minimum.
For heatsink buy the cheapest, but ask from the storekeeper what is enough for your processor. The price shouldnt be above 15$. BE CAREFUL when assembling the sink, USE SILICON grease if the sink wont have such "patch" underneath it. Sink notches will require lots of force to be bent to its hooks, this is the stage where lots of people break their processor. If sink isnt correctly in place it may pop out when the power is on and the processor will definetly fry in matter of seconds.
I would advise to let the storekeeper to put the fan with the processor on the motherboard, they will do it mostly without extra $$.
edit: I wouldnt go for Asus-a7v333, it has no support for 333fsb and USB 2.0 (333fsb is required for the new 2200+XP and over, they will be good upgrade next christmast). Look instead for Asus A7V8X or Epox 8RDA <- is award winner in anandtech.com tests for "value motherboards" and is little cheaper than Asus, but is less available in stores.
Cheers:p
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Tuo - the A7V333 does have USB 2.0 support, or is "USB2 Ready", - does that mean the same thing? http://usa.asus.com/mb/socketa/a7v333/overview.htm
But the A7V8X that you mentioned does look good, but is more expensive. I think I'll stick with the A7V333 for the cleaning lady as cost is crucial, and get the A7V8X for myself when the time comes. ;)
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Oops sorry, it seems that it does support the USB 2.0, however still not FSB 333mhz. I think thats a 30$ saving from the wrong place, unless you dont mind buying a new mobo when you want to upgrade CPU. But each of his own i guess.:)
Check that Epox 8RDA price, it should be somewhat lower.
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SDRAM is really cheap, use that
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Originally posted by beet1e
Tuo - the A7V333 does have USB 2.0 support, or is "USB2 Ready", - does that mean the same thing? http://usa.asus.com/mb/socketa/a7v333/overview.htm
But the A7V8X that you mentioned does look good, but is more expensive. I think I'll stick with the A7V333 for the cleaning lady as cost is crucial, and get the A7V8X for myself when the time comes. ;)
The A7N8X (nvidia nforce2 chipset) is reputedly faster than the VIA. The deluxe has 8x AGP, Two onboard LANs, SATA RAID, and Soundstorm 5.1 soundcard onboard, USB 2.0 x 6, and firewire (IEEE1394)