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Ace's Done Deal

Started by Ace, June 18, 2006, 10:31 hrs

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Ace

Well, not for "me." No one would go out and buy a me.  But for a new computer, for me.

As may be noted, I'm once again "landlocked" with my current (4 year old) PC.  It's a Gigabyte mobo with Athlon XP 1800+, 1 gig of Corsair 2700 DDR, 60 gig maxtor hd, nVidia GeForce 4 Ti4200 64 meg card.  Board will only take up to a 2600 Athlon cpu, and requires a 1.5 v 4X AGP (2.0) card which seem to have left us in about... uh, 4 years ago.  Case is a basic putty thing with a 350 power supply.

So, would appreciate recommendations on:
version of AMD cpu
motherboard
nVidia card
case, and power supply (brands/type)

My usage is photo generation, wp and office stuff, stupid dial up web access and gaming.  The gaming has all but ended with my recent crashes, and my feeling is this thing will only handle a static game display (Diablo, golf, ok with Madden) but nothing fast moving or visual deep.  Since it's choking with games from a few years back (Neverwinter, Call to Duty) it can't deal with anything post 2002.

I'll naturally shop and research, but would like to know your opinions on configuration since I'm back to "square one."

Ace; I was so cutting edge for 15 minutes.
Ring bells for service.

Ace

Oh; and also:  "under $100."

Well, ok, I guess I could go a little higher...  But don't want to add a zero.  This dumb thing was $900ish 4 years ago, and don't want to go that high even necessarily.  So maximum bang for the buck of most priority (and preventing that 20 minute obsolescence thingy...).  I'm reading back through various poasts on parts, but figuring standards to apply and brands would be a big help.  Like not bothering with dual core or not, reasonable power, dependable motherboard and features, PCI Express or stick with AGP....

Ace; I shouldn't have mentioned aliens, earlier.
Ring bells for service.

scuzzy

Hey Jester,

I'll be happy to share some knowledge with you, although it will likely have to wait a day or two.

Are you planning a complete new build, or are you hoping to use much of what you have now? Since you are also looking for a case, I'm assuming it will be a new build. If the latter, a full description of your current build will be helpful.

A dollar figure can help steer us to steer you in the right direction.

Scuzzy; build now, ask questions later
Antec Performance TX640B Case | WinXP Pro SP3 & Win7 64-bit | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale LGA 775 3.16GHz Dual-Core | 8GB (4x2GB) PC6400 G-Skill RAM | eVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB Cache | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 8MB Cache | 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 16MB Cache | External 640GB WD Caviar SATA 32MB Cache | Sony DRU-V200S DVD/RW | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W | Samsung SyncMaster 2494 (24") LCD Monitor | LG Flatron W2361V (23") LCD Monitor

Ace

Hey Copper,

Best I probably can do is stabilize the current one and donate it to my father in law for simple web use and minimal participation.  He doesn't have any, so in comparison this is a lot better than his.

I really don't know on price; guess it depends on what it's worth.  I just did a "build" on Monarch that was $1440 (gulp) and tweaked things and got to $1100.  At this point I'm thinking I'd just as soon have AMD 64 (but not Sempron and not dual core), decent nVidia at 6600 likely, 100 plus gigs hd.  I might go barebones and then add rest or just do like before with a Monarch build since it's minimal cost.  Probably an Antec case this time with 400+ watts and as many case fans as it'll take.  ATX mid tower.  Will likely replace the Altec speakers, maybe peripherals (and just pack up everything except monitor).  Naturally, $500 or so sounds better than $1,000.  Would like DVD burning, since I do a lot of CD's.  

And, yes, a floppy drive.  At least for Memtest....

Ace; where does the time go? It was only 2 years ago when I tweaked my BIOS and lost my desktop...
Ring bells for service.

pat

I?ve been looking into an AM2 system and will most likely go that way sometime this summer. If you?re not in a big hurry you may want to see how that market shapes up. The first processors and motherboards are just coming to market and prices on processors are not too bad.

Several reviews show no great improvement over the regular Athlon 64?s so if you were just upgrading from an x64 system there might not be any big improvement. Since you are going from a regular socket A processor it might pay off to wait and see how the new AM2 socket plays out.
SeaSonic S12 550W, Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe, nvidia 9600 GSO, 2x2 gig Crucial Ballistix, LG DVD/RW, 2x Western Digital Black Edition 640gb,  SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22", Canon PIXMA MP600,  Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech Comfort Duo keyboard & Mouse, Windows 7 64 Home Premium & Vista 64

Ace

See what you mean.  One thing that's become apparent is that the PCI-Express cards are looking more pricey than the range and prices one could get with an AGP.  Naturally, any all would be better than the 4X AGP 2.0 version I'm (stuck) with.

Any opinions on motherboards/brands?  I have Gigabyte, but they're pretty cryptic (see "I don't speak Chinese") on things after the sale.  Abit?  Asus?  I'm leaning toward an Antec case, maybe one of the "silent" ones (or a Performance One).  Probably go black this time.  

Lots of reading up to do; hope I don't crash.

Ace; my screen has had the blues.
Ring bells for service.

pat

I used Asus boards on the last three systems I put together. For the most part they were fine. On one, an A8V series, the onboard sound turned out to be a little buggy and I had to add an additional sound card and disable the onboard feature.

I?m still using a Gigabyte socket A board for my main system. I like it fine. I think any of the top tier manufacturers make fine boards and looking for the features you want should take precedence over who makes it, at least initially. I curious to see how the current chipset from ATI is used in the new boards.
SeaSonic S12 550W, Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe, nvidia 9600 GSO, 2x2 gig Crucial Ballistix, LG DVD/RW, 2x Western Digital Black Edition 640gb,  SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22", Canon PIXMA MP600,  Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech Comfort Duo keyboard & Mouse, Windows 7 64 Home Premium & Vista 64

Ace

What does the ATI chipset entail?  Is that for dual core?  

I will go with PCI Express, after finally reading up on it.  I don't think I'll care about dual video card capabilities, though.  I've been waiting for Asus' site to load and function for about 5 minutes...  It sure ain't quick on dial up.

I should just buy new phone lines, while I'm at it...

Ace; I've got to get some trees trimmed, too.  I don't want those falling on my car.
Ring bells for service.

pat

Have a look at this article.
CrossFire Xpress 3200: RD580 for AM2

Yeah, you got to watch out for those tree limbs, they can reach down and grab you.
SeaSonic S12 550W, Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe, nvidia 9600 GSO, 2x2 gig Crucial Ballistix, LG DVD/RW, 2x Western Digital Black Edition 640gb,  SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22", Canon PIXMA MP600,  Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech Comfort Duo keyboard & Mouse, Windows 7 64 Home Premium & Vista 64

scuzzy

#9
I purchased an Antec Performance TX640B mid-tower case several months back, and I'm am very pleased with it. It is simple and unassuming, yet remains attractive. It's a solid case that comes with an excellent Antec 400W PSU. I only use the supplied 120mm fan, and did not bother adding optional fans. Overall, the sound level is exceptionally low, and the innards remain cool.

Antec Performance TX640B Case

I recommend using the least amount of fans possible. With careful building, parts selection, and a little help from your friends (that's us, of course), you can achieve a "cool" case design that will serve you and your ears well, as well as save you a couple bucks.

Scuzzy; I'd drop the dial-up. Instead, print out your messages and mail them to Poasters.
Antec Performance TX640B Case | WinXP Pro SP3 & Win7 64-bit | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale LGA 775 3.16GHz Dual-Core | 8GB (4x2GB) PC6400 G-Skill RAM | eVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB Cache | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 8MB Cache | 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 16MB Cache | External 640GB WD Caviar SATA 32MB Cache | Sony DRU-V200S DVD/RW | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W | Samsung SyncMaster 2494 (24") LCD Monitor | LG Flatron W2361V (23") LCD Monitor

Ace

Funnily enough, my dial up doesn't drop... it actually does stay connected, and is dependable.  Slow as dirt, but dependable.

The case looks nice; I would think I'll do an Antec this time.  The only two pieces I could "build" on are the existing case, which is just a normal Lian type putty one and no great shakes, and the motherboard, which is limited, so nothing to "keep."  I did get an extra case fan with this one, so it does blow.  Quite a bit.

Ace; Maybe I'll email the poasts.  And you could write me back if they appear.
Ring bells for service.

pat

That is a nice case, I used it for the computers I put together for my sister and one of my daughters. I had thought about getting one for myself as well, but if I did, I would get this one instead.  CHENMING 501AWBU-F-0 BLK Black.  It?s basically the exact same case without the side vents and power supply. I would like the option to choose a power supply more in line with the components and noise level I would want.

SeaSonic S12 550W, Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe, nvidia 9600 GSO, 2x2 gig Crucial Ballistix, LG DVD/RW, 2x Western Digital Black Edition 640gb,  SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22", Canon PIXMA MP600,  Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech Comfort Duo keyboard & Mouse, Windows 7 64 Home Premium & Vista 64

Ace

What power supply brand/wattage would y'all recommend?  400 or 450?  Any fan faves?  

You know, the other thing will be an anti virus.  I don't see going back with Norton on a new one.  So, whether it costs or not, what would you now say is the best to get?

Ring bells for service.

pat

Depends on requirements of system, I use and like Antec, but am open to others as well. I was looking into an ATI AIW 1900 series and it calls for a min 550-watt supply, so it just depends I guess.

I?m sure everyone has there (their?) favorite AV, I still go with the Trend Micro product. I?ve even downloaded and install the newest beta version for Windows Vista on my Vista install.
SeaSonic S12 550W, Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe, nvidia 9600 GSO, 2x2 gig Crucial Ballistix, LG DVD/RW, 2x Western Digital Black Edition 640gb,  SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22", Canon PIXMA MP600,  Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech Comfort Duo keyboard & Mouse, Windows 7 64 Home Premium & Vista 64

Bill

I would second the opinion for the Free version of AVG.

Bill
Antec 3700 | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz | 4 GB (4x1GB) DDR2 PC 5300 Kingston RAM | Antec NeoPower 550W | eVGA GeForce 9500GT 1GB 128 bit PCI Express 2.0 | Intel SSD X25-M 80GB | VelociRaptor 150GB | WD 80GB 7200rpm |Samsung 22x SATA Burner |Windows 7 32-bit

Neon

#15
If you plan to keep this system around for 3-5 years, consider leaving some room for future upgrade to MS Windows Vista. I was at the AMD/MS Tech Tour last night, and MS made a point to get the word out to system builders that the hardware requirements for Vista are going UP. There are three crucial items:

CPU - any current CPU should be sufficient. It will actually run on a P!!!/600, but only very slowly. Although Vista will support 32-bit and 64-bit, note that the "Longhorn" version of Small Business Server, due in late 2007, will be 64-bit ONLY. There is no deadline for end of 32-bit support for Windows, but the intent is to transition the industry ahead to 64-bit, for which hardware has been available for over 3 years.

Memory - they say 512MB minimum, 1GB recommended. If you know Microsoft, when they say minimum, they mean it. Vista will barely boot with 512MB, just don't count on multitasking.

Video - DirectX 9 support required. To get they full "Aero Glass" effect, 256MB graphics memory, pixel shader 2.0 are needed. This works out to nvidia 5xx0 series or ATI Radeon 9500 and up.

Intel plans to launch Core 2 Duo on July 23, and there are rumors that AMD will have substantial price cuts on their dual core (X2) CPUs on July 24, if you can wait until then. If not, they just had big price drops on the single core CPUs, so now is a good time to get one of those.

Few AM2 mobos have yet been thoroughly reviewed, so I'll go by past experience/reputation.

Pricing d'huevos neuvos:

$130 ABIT KN9 SLI Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - midrange board nForce 570 SLI chipset, great layout, good customer service.

$149 AMD Athlon 64 3800+ Orleans 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3800CNBOX - Retail OR
$297 AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Windsor 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3800IAA5CU - Retail (currently overpriced - price cut rumor: $170 after 7/24)

$285 mushkin eXtreme Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model 996523 - Retail

$170 (- $30 MIR) eVGA 256-P2-N554-AX Geforce 7600GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail - this is a midrange card, at the sweet spot for performance/price. eVGA and BFG have the best customer support.
OR, if you need to save a few $$,
$110 (- $10 MIR) eVGA 256-P2-N541-TX Geforce 7600GS 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

At this pricing, it doesn't make much sense to get a 6600, which has been sitting on the shelf for many months.
Area 64 project|Asus SK8N|nForce3 Pro 150 chipset|AMD Athlon 64 FX-51|2x 512MB Kingston HyperX PC3200R|eVGA GeForce 6800GT|WD Caviar SE 1200JD SATA|Plextor PX-708A 8x DVD+R|Plextor PX-116A 16x DVD-ROM|Lian Li PC-60H1S|Antec TruePower 430W ATX|WinXP x64 edition

pat

I think the free versions of AVG and Avast antivirus are fine products and use them both. I use Avast on my other system on the XP partition and AVG on the WinMe partition. I just like the all in one solution of Trend Micro on my main system.
SeaSonic S12 550W, Athlon 64 X2 6000+, Asus M2N SLI-Deluxe, nvidia 9600 GSO, 2x2 gig Crucial Ballistix, LG DVD/RW, 2x Western Digital Black Edition 640gb,  SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22", Canon PIXMA MP600,  Logitech X-230 speakers, Logitech Comfort Duo keyboard & Mouse, Windows 7 64 Home Premium & Vista 64

Ace

Thanks for the item list, Neon, and the antifungal recommendations Pat.   I'd like a decent x16 video card (agree on the 7____ level instead of 6___ for nVidia) and can't see bothering with 2 cards/SLI.  So stuff you listed was what I was thinking.  I don't know on the CPU at this point...  Was thinking of just going with a single core but naturally don't want to stifle future use/demands if there'll be a need (soon).  I probably won't do anything for a month or more, so watching the prices makes sense to me.  Appreciate the Vista demands; know I won't start with below 1 gig RAM this time.  How's Mushkin compared with Corsair?

For hard drives, is SATA3 ok..? Or some other level?  Any brand recs?  I've got a Maxtor and it's been ok.  Just 60 gig, but I've only used about a third.  Will triple that at least on the next one.  No interest in dual processors or cards or hd (RAID)... just one good one of everything.

Ace; I wonder what's out there in faux Scandinavian furniture.
Ring bells for service.

scuzzy

#18
For antivirus, I'm leaning toward BitDefender 9 Standard - I think version 10.0 will be available in Beta before long. One thing for sure, NAV is out once and for all. I'm tired of the bloat and the drain on system resources.

I don't much care for a single solution to protect my computer. I prefer separate products to do the job. A good mix is:

BitDefender 9x Standard
SpySweeper 4.5
ZoneAlarm 6x (free version)

I too was going to recommend nVidia's 7600 card. I'm strongly considering it for my current system as soon as I have a few bucks to burn. I think the 6600GT was great at one time, but it's time is probably up. The 7600 should do well propelling you into the future, especially if Vista enters the mix for you. BFG is likely whom I'd lean toward. Their performance is top notch, and their warranties are among the best. However, eVGA is also a top contender. Just don't settle for less than 256MB memory. If money is burning a hole in your pocket, you can get a BFG 7800GT for $299.

I again recommend the case I recommended. Pat's idea of buying the Chenming version is a good idea, since it allows you to hand pick the PSU. I too favor Antec PSUs, and their newer high efficiency models are certainly worth considering. However, the TruePower and SmartPower versions are no slouches, either. For wattage, something in the 400w to 450w should more than enough, unless you are planning to load your system with high performance accessories.

A single 120mm case fan will be more than plenty. Extra case fans will only add to the expense and noise levels without a significant benefit in cooling. Again, unless you plan to load up the case with high performance accessories, you won't need the extra fans.

For a hard drive, Seagates are very dependable and come with a nice 5 yr warranty. The drives perform very well, and are on the quiet side. Look for an SATA model, 7200 rpm, and an 8MB (or better) cache. My personal preference is for two smaller drives versus a single big one. A pair of 120GB Seagates, each partitioned in half, might work out great for you. That would give you 4 logical drives to manage your system more efficiently, with the ability to quickly and easily back up your primary drive to the second one. If you prefer a single drive, get at least a 160GB drive and partition it into 2 logical drives.

Western Digital would be my second choice for a hard drive. They are just about even with Seagate on performance, and the price will be fairly close to the same. However, they only offer a 3 yr warranty.

For a DVD burner, that's a no-brainer. The NEC ND-3550A ($36 at NewEgg, S/H included) is a steal. They are great burners that perform exceptionally well without sounding as if your computer is taking off down the runway. The only setback is that you'll have to purchase the burner software separately. My preference here is Nero 7, which sells for about $70 through NewEgg, if you include shipping.

If gaming is important, then get some quality memory with heat shields. Some good considerations are Crucial, OCZ, and Corsair. A pair of 512MB sticks should be your minimum consideration, although a pair of 1GB sticks will probably work better for gaming. But 2 pairs of 512MB sticks will likely perform better than 1 pair of 1GB sticks.

As for the CPU, look for a good deal on an AMD 64. Your wallet should be your primary guidance here. Dual core is certainly something to consider, but probably not necessary for the foreseeable future. Not much is really available that can take advantage of dual core, so the added expense may not be worth it today. However, if you plan on keeping your system for over 3 years, then you might reconsider. Maybe...

If you must have a 3.5" floppy drive, then go with either a Sony (which I have) or a Samsung. Either should perform very well for you. I'd avoid anything else.

Also consider a card reader. This is almost mandatory these days, and you'll likely become more dependent on them. A good/inexpensive model is the MTG card reader with an additional USB 2.0 slot. I purchased one recently and reviewed it at NewEgg.

Well, maybe I'll throw some more thoughts at you later.

Scuzzy; two Scuzzies are better than one
Antec Performance TX640B Case | WinXP Pro SP3 & Win7 64-bit | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale LGA 775 3.16GHz Dual-Core | 8GB (4x2GB) PC6400 G-Skill RAM | eVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB Cache | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 8MB Cache | 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 16MB Cache | External 640GB WD Caviar SATA 32MB Cache | Sony DRU-V200S DVD/RW | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W | Samsung SyncMaster 2494 (24") LCD Monitor | LG Flatron W2361V (23") LCD Monitor

scuzzy

I few months back I changed to Avira AntiVir for all my secondary computers, including my laptop. It's free and I find that it works well. It recently received better ratings than the free version of AVG; I think either from PC Magazine or PC World.

I has a nice interface and is easy on the system resources. The auto updater is sometimes a little bit on the slow side, similar to other free offerings.

Get it here
Antec Performance TX640B Case | WinXP Pro SP3 & Win7 64-bit | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale LGA 775 3.16GHz Dual-Core | 8GB (4x2GB) PC6400 G-Skill RAM | eVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB Cache | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 8MB Cache | 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 16MB Cache | External 640GB WD Caviar SATA 32MB Cache | Sony DRU-V200S DVD/RW | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W | Samsung SyncMaster 2494 (24") LCD Monitor | LG Flatron W2361V (23") LCD Monitor

Ace

Ok; I'm making a list.  Glad to hear Seagates are recommended; I always thought they were cool (anything called a barracuda is cool).  I'll get Nero again with a new one to drive the burn.

Ok; so a card reader is a front slot to stick in memory dealies?  Only thing I've done like that is plug in the Canons, through the USB hub...  If I finally am able to convert from dial up, is there anything to include internally for that?  

Looks like some PCI E mobos have two x16 slots aligned for video while others have one; seems like the only restriction on going with 2 video adapters is they gotta be the same (at least type) and probably rendition...  But might make sense to at least have the thing there and waiting, if later it would be beneficial.  

As a sidenote, I ran into a Norton/Symantec fix on their auto update that is affiliated with other system glitches...  So it does permeate as a product.

Ring bells for service.

scuzzy

#21
Modern motherboards will have built-in NIC 10/100MB jack for networking & broadband. You won't need to purchase a separate card.
Antec Performance TX640B Case | WinXP Pro SP3 & Win7 64-bit | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale LGA 775 3.16GHz Dual-Core | 8GB (4x2GB) PC6400 G-Skill RAM | eVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB Cache | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 8MB Cache | 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 16MB Cache | External 640GB WD Caviar SATA 32MB Cache | Sony DRU-V200S DVD/RW | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W | Samsung SyncMaster 2494 (24") LCD Monitor | LG Flatron W2361V (23") LCD Monitor

Ace

Cool; thanks.  Money is not exactly burning a hole, in my pocket.

Ace; it's sitting in a cool place.  In a vault.  Hidden from my view...
Ring bells for service.

Bill

And belonging to someone else?
Antec 3700 | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz | 4 GB (4x1GB) DDR2 PC 5300 Kingston RAM | Antec NeoPower 550W | eVGA GeForce 9500GT 1GB 128 bit PCI Express 2.0 | Intel SSD X25-M 80GB | VelociRaptor 150GB | WD 80GB 7200rpm |Samsung 22x SATA Burner |Windows 7 32-bit

Neon

Ace,

Here's some thoughts on memory. Nearly all DDR2 memory will be compatible, so shop for:

1) well-known brands with good service and return policies. I'd recommend Corsair, Crucial, Mushkin, Kingston, OCZ (in no particular order). I've read a few good things about Patriot, but they are less common. I used to  be displeased with OCZ because of the Ultra 2 incident. I thought it did not speak well of their quality control, however it was really not their fault, so I'll include them in the list.

2) AMD CPUs benefit from low latency memory, which means you want to look for a low CAS number. Right now, CAS 5 is standard for DDR2, with CAS 4 and CAS 3 commanding pricing premiums. If you can find some nice CAS 4 (or for that matter, CAS 3, though it's hard to find) for a reasonable price, then go for it. However, don't spend a lot more, because the benefits are minor, except for the bragging rights to your madd 0vercl0x0r sk11z.

A bit on the advantages of dual cores -
There are currently a limited number of applications that have been written to take advantage of multiple threads, but some of those apps have a big performance improvement - Adobe Photoshop is a good example. However, this situation will change. There are now a dozen or so major games in development that will be multithreaded, and will run better on dual core. In addition, dual core will benefit multitasking. You can burn a CD whilst burning a monster in your favorite shootem up game. The dual cores aren't the last word in computing, as they lag the single cores in frequency, but don't dismiss the potential benefits.
Area 64 project|Asus SK8N|nForce3 Pro 150 chipset|AMD Athlon 64 FX-51|2x 512MB Kingston HyperX PC3200R|eVGA GeForce 6800GT|WD Caviar SE 1200JD SATA|Plextor PX-708A 8x DVD+R|Plextor PX-116A 16x DVD-ROM|Lian Li PC-60H1S|Antec TruePower 430W ATX|WinXP x64 edition

scuzzy

Out of curiosity, have you considered the possibility of replacing your desktop PC with a notebook PC?

I think it'd be great for you to build your own PC, and I'm not looking to talk you out of it. But I'm considering replacing my desktops PCs as they wear out with notebooks. I'll probably install a server in the basement to network the whole thing.
Antec Performance TX640B Case | WinXP Pro SP3 & Win7 64-bit | Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R | Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale LGA 775 3.16GHz Dual-Core | 8GB (4x2GB) PC6400 G-Skill RAM | eVGA 7600GT 256MB PCI-E | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 16MB Cache | 74GB WD Raptor SATA 8MB Cache | 320GB Seagate Barracuda SATA 16MB Cache | External 640GB WD Caviar SATA 32MB Cache | Sony DRU-V200S DVD/RW | PC Power & Cooling Silencer 500W | Samsung SyncMaster 2494 (24") LCD Monitor | LG Flatron W2361V (23") LCD Monitor

Carskick

When it comes to gaming, as Ace seems to like, Laptops just don't have the same comfort and feel as a normal desktop with external keyboard and mouse setup. While I do not think having a laptop is a bad idea, in fact the one that is on it's way here has a nice video card, I still will do 95% of my gaming on desktop. The experience is just better overall. Plus, it's easier to upgrade things like the CPU and video card. Most modern desktops also handle 4GB RAM, while most modern laptops are only up to 2GB, so you lose some expandability there.

At the moment, if I were to start over completely, I would get an AM2 setup with only 1GB of DDR2. DDR2 will get cheaper soon, so don't go overboard in buying it now. I would also get a cheap AM2 chip, in hopes that better ones will soon be available for much less, and plan on upgrading about 2 years after buying the machine. Essentially, that is what I am doing with the 939 machine I built 9 months ago. In a little over a year when 939 dual core chips are only $130, Ill pick one up to replace my 3000+. Also, by then more programs should take advantage of the dual core I'll know longer pay a premium for.

On the flip side, you could buy a fully loaded machine now, not plan on upgrading, but have it hold out for at least 2 sockets down the road. However, I find this to be more costly in the long run, plus you get new stuff less often.
Athlon64 X2 3800+ Machester@2.45Ghz, 4x1GB A-DATA PC3200@204(2.5-3-3-6), XFX 8800GT, ASUS A8N5X NF4, Antec 300 case, Antec EarthWatts 650w, 640GB 16MB and 200GB 8MB 7200RPM SATA WD HDDs, NEC3540, NEC3550, Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate<br />Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Carskick

Ace

#27
Yeah, like Cars said, for comfort and game capability.  I don't use laptops hardly ever and just get bothered by the keyboard and mouselessness.  So it'll be a desktop.  Hopefully a light one, if I do have to put it on my lap.

So: AM2 instead of 939..?  It sounds like both take dual core CPU, both have dual channel RAM (right?)... which is the better one or newer one?  Thanks for the dual core followup, Neon, and your tips on planned obsolescence Cars.  Makes sense.  And the shopping tip on memory.  I was fond of Corsair, and thought it was pretty cool (till the memory took a dump..).  Would probably go with it again.  How's Buffalo?  Saw that appear as a brand (no, not that guy looking for a kid, in England).

While I'm figuring mobo possibilities I'm shopping, too.  Hopefully I can multitask and figure a fix and a purchase simultaneously.

Ace; I'm lucky to do one thing at a time...



Ring bells for service.

Buffalo2102

I'm just fine thanks....oh, not me.  Sorry.

AM2 is the latest and supposedly greatest.

Buff; Glad I could help
Vista x64 Home Premium. Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Abit IP35, 4 Gig Kingston HyperX PC8500C5 DDR2, GTX260, Creative X-Fi Extreme Gamer, Antec 900 Gaming Case.

Carskick

The AM2 CPUs are cheaper as well. An A64 3500+ is only $113 on new egg. A 3000+ is $94, so for $19, get the extra 400Mhz.

A good AM2 motherboard should not be more than $100 on newegg. For new tech, it's quite cheap.
Athlon64 X2 3800+ Machester@2.45Ghz, 4x1GB A-DATA PC3200@204(2.5-3-3-6), XFX 8800GT, ASUS A8N5X NF4, Antec 300 case, Antec EarthWatts 650w, 640GB 16MB and 200GB 8MB 7200RPM SATA WD HDDs, NEC3540, NEC3550, Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate<br />Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/Carskick