New System with All the Bells and Whistles

[Whizbang]

This one is for my "rich" son.  He has decided to think about having me put together a new system for him with the above requirements (his suggestion, not mine).  I told him that I would kick it around the forum a bit.  I don't know if he wants to go the 64 bit route or not.  I am sure that the dual processor idea is not in the picture.  If Microsoft were much closer to the 64 bit product, the 64 bit board probably would be a no-brainer.  I would guess, though, that AMD board technology will lean heavily to improvements on the 64 bit offering and de-emphasize the 32 bit boards.  AMD is definitely the only choice for me.  Toss the opinions please.     ;)

[Mark H]

How about the below linked system? Never mind the comments as that system no longer exists. I totally changed it to the one listed for my future "dream" machine.

http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=395510 (confinuration has been changed, so don't pay attention to it anymore)

I definitely would go with the processor and motherboard I have listed. You can change the other components and downsize the monitor to meet your son's needs. If he is rich, he can definitely handle this machine.

I would definitely change the CD writer to a DVD writer, which I haven't done yet in my wish list.

[Whizbang]

You would go with the 8X AGP as opposed to PCI Express, I see.   Board looks good.  Soyo has really had problems with the 64 bit offerings.  MSI is better priced than Asus and solid in the market.  I don't know what he will want in speakers, whether he wants to emphasize video or the whole package.  Monitor is the really big array of choices, and price.  A super monitor could cost more than the best computer with all the other peripherals  that you could put together by far.

[pat]

I suppose all the bells and whistles might mean different things to different people.
I?d start out with an Asus K8N-E deluxe with perhaps an Athlon 64 3400+, the one with the 1mb L2 Cache. Add in a couple of sticks of 512mb PC 400 Crucial or other top tier memory. For a video card perhaps one of the ATI All-in-Wonders. A DVD recordable with another optical drive to accommodate the easy transfer or copying of music CDs. I?d go with a Seagate hard drive for the warranty along with the quietness of the drive, size would depend on needs.
One of the Antec true power supplies would be my first choice. They are very quiet and supply dependable power. They do run a bit on the warm side though. As far as a case, I?d just let your son pick one out. He has to live with it. Same thing for the speakers and monitor. Go to a retail joint and pick out a monitor that looks good and speakers that sound good.

What kind of software will he be using? Is he a gamer or perhaps into music or video editing?

[Whizbang]

I don't know if he will stick with Win 2000 Pro or go with XP Pro.  As far as the gaming, he is a newly-wed.  If he gets too interested in gaming, I will be concerned  ::).    He probably will do a bit of photography editing, but I doubt he will get into video editing.  I do know that 1gig of RAM is really necessary for networking with large file transfer, but I doubt he will go that route.  I still like the heavy side on RAM allotment.  

I think the thing that got him interested was the new LCD monitor that my wife bought me.  He is still using a CRT that his wife had in college.  His KDS NoLogo CRT finally went bonkers.  His current system is a Soyo K7VTA Pro with ATI 7500, 512meg  PC133 RAM, dual boot with 98 and 2000.  He has a Sony 24X/10X/40X CD writer, BCS 16X DVD player, and an IBM 40G IDE drive.  The Case came with a 350 Enermax PS.  

[Mark H]

My PC I listed is designed for Digital imaging and can handle video easily.

The PCI Express video cards don't buy my much now and by going with a PCI video card, it will interchange with my current PC.

Of course, I developed my list some time ago, so I may update it at some point if I ever do build it.

[Buffalo2102]

I just ordered some kit for an upgrade and one of the items is the MSI board above (socket 754 version, couldn't afford to go 939 yet).  I did a lot of research and basically ended up with two board options - the MSI or the ASUS K8N-E Deluxe that Pat recommended.  I eventually decided on the MSI because I have an MSI at the moment and can't really fault it.  However, the ASUS has great reviews too.  My kit arrives tomorrow.

If you are going to get him something, I would definitely go the 64-bit route as the prices are not that much greater than the 32-bit kit now and it will not be outdated so quickly (and it sounds like he can afford it now).

[Whizbang]

At least with the 64 bit board, you have a 32 bit option until Microsoft finds all their ducks (or eats crow  ;D ).

[Whizbang]

I took another look at the Asus.  That is some board.

[pat]

Well, you said bells and whistles.  ;)

[Whizbang]

I would say it is more like a Christmas tree with all the trimmings.   ;D

[Carskick]

That is a really nice system. You can build me one too while your at it.  ;)

I'd reccomend opting for the newer 90nm process version Athlon 64 3500+. It is currently out of stock, but it should be back in soon. According to Anandtechs results, the 90nm processors are slightly faster than their 130nm counterparts, run cooler, and are more overclockable.

[trav]

just curious is he gonna use Linux, FreeBSD, or Windows?

[Whizbang]

just curious is he gonna use Linux, FreeBSD, or Windows?

Windows would be first.  I have no idea what he would add.  It is still in the talking stage.