Has anyone... at all... noticed that there's no actual answer to my question?
I was hoping to get away with 200-300, but it looks like 500 is my best bet? Is that what I can infer from the answers?
And yes, I do agree that the Dell deal is a good one... It's just that... Damn, I have more than HALF a computer just laying around. What happened to the days where that meant something???
So, instead of buying computer parts all at once, I tend to take up a month cruising deal sites for good deals. It takes me longer to build a computer, but I end up saving at least $200 in total.
I've only been using slickdeals.net - does anyone know of any other similar deal sites?
Has anyone... at all... noticed that there's no actual answer to my question?
I was hoping to get away with 200-300, but it looks like 500 is my best bet? Is that what I can infer from the answers?
And yes, I do agree that the Dell deal is a good one... It's just that... Damn, I have more than HALF a computer just laying around. What happened to the days where that meant something???
You could always gut the Dell case and use whatever parts you need.
Has anyone... at all... noticed that there's no actual answer to my question?
I was hoping to get away with 200-300, but it looks like 500 is my best bet? Is that what I can infer from the answers?
And yes, I do agree that the Dell deal is a good one... It's just that... Damn, I have more than HALF a computer just laying around. What happened to the days where that meant something???
Then go AMD. I'll post the system I post every time someone wants a cheap HTPC.
I didn't post because I thought you were looking for a system that was comparable to that Dell.
Transparent on
PAXtrain '10, let's do this!
0
AngryThe glory I had witnessedwas just a sleight of handRegistered Userregular
edited May 2008
does anyone have experience using www.ncix.com's assembly service? i'm looking to order an entire computer and they'll assemble it, install the os, and test it for 50 bucks. seems like a great deal to someone who doesn't want to mess around with building another system like myself.
I'm looking to spend some money on upgrading my current computer
Processor
Model : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Speed : 2.13GHz
Mainboard : Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. 965P-DS3
Total Memory : 2GB DDR2-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 4x 222MHz (888MHz data rate)
Monitor/Panel : SyncMaster 2493HM(Digital)
Radeon X1950 Pro
Hard Disk : WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0 (153GB)
Hard Disk : WDC WD2500YS-01SHB1 (234GB)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Home 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2)
I am looking to spend either 300 or 500 on the parts
Price, minus tax/shipping, excluding $30 M.I.R.: $843.93
Misc thoughts: is everything compatible? I know in-built PSU's are generally frowned upon, but the PSU is decent enough voltage that I'm not terrified of instability... plus the PSU on its own gets pretty good reviews. Of course, if anyone has any thoughts on any of this I'd love to hear.
I'm looking to spend some money on upgrading my current computer
Processor
Model : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Speed : 2.13GHz
Mainboard : Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. 965P-DS3
Total Memory : 2GB DDR2-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 4x 222MHz (888MHz data rate)
Monitor/Panel : SyncMaster 2493HM(Digital)
Radeon X1950 Pro
Hard Disk : WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0 (153GB)
Hard Disk : WDC WD2500YS-01SHB1 (234GB)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Home 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2)
I am looking to spend either 300 or 500 on the parts
About the only two things I'd be tempted to do would be a graphics card upgrade, and maybe mildly overclocking the processor (it's dead easy with Core2s).
Graphics card wise, if that's a 24" monitor you're driving, I'd be looking for either an 8800GT or waiting on the Radeon HD 4xxx/nVidia G200 (July ish). But an 8800GT is going to cope with everything except Crysis at max settings and it's only $170($140)
Make sure you check for combo deals. Theres a -$25 for your CPU + Mobo, -$15 for case + DVD drive, and somebetterRAM options (cheaper and with heat spreaders).
Make sure you check for combo deals. Theres a -$25 for your CPU + Mobo, -$15 for case + DVD drive, and somebetterRAM options (cheaper and with heat spreaders).
Thanks a lot, I didn't look hard I admit, I'll have to really scour around to try to find deals.
Upgraded from IDE burner to identical SATA burner.
Upgraded to the E8400.
Added the Samsung 2253BW 22" 2ms LCD.
Total is sitting at $1,150.92.
What OS are you planning on going with?
Well, I already have a copy of XP Pro so probably that, but I have been using Vista on my laptop for the better half of a year now so I'm not altogether sure if I want to switch back.
Edit: Whats the quality like on the generic CoolerMaster PSUs? If they don't have a good reputation I'd recommend you go with a Corsair PSU.
On Newegg at least it's rated 4 stars, and these are the listed specs (for the PSU alone):
Model
Brand COOLER MASTER
Model RS-550-ACAA-A1
Series Real Power Pro 550
Spec
Type ATX12V / EPS12V
Maximum Power 550W
Fans 1 x 120mm fan with intelligent speed controller
PFC Active
Main Connector 24Pin
PCI-E Connectors 2 x 6Pin
NVIDIA SLI Support NVIDIA SLI Certified
ATI CrossFire Support Yes
Modular Cabling Support No
Power Good Signal 100-500ms
Hold-up Time 17ms min.
Efficiency > 80%
Energy-Efficient 80 PLUS Certified
Over Voltage Protection Yes
Input Voltage 90 - 264 V
Input Frequency Range 47 - 63 Hz
Input Current 8A @ 115V, 4A @ 230V
MTBF >100,000 Hours
Approvals Nemko,TUV, cUL, CE, BSMI, FCC, CCC
Features
Connectors 1 x Main connector (24Pin)
1 x 12V(P4)
1 x 12V(8Pin)
5 x peripheral
6 x SATA
1 x Floppy
2 x PCI-E
Does that sound reasonable enough, considering I never plan on overclocking (I feel confident enough to assemble the system but I'm terrified of flubbers from 'squeezing' out performance, so...)?
Make sure you check for combo deals. Theres a -$25 for your CPU + Mobo, -$15 for case + DVD drive, and somebetterRAM options (cheaper and with heat spreaders).
Thanks a lot, I didn't look hard I admit, I'll have to really scour around to try to find deals.
I ordered a computer yesterday so I did my scouring already, heres the fruit of my labor if you're interested.
Any advice on picking up a quiet cpu heatsink for socket 775?
Not planning on doing a lot of overclocking, cpu will probably be intel e8400.
I'm thinking that getting something with a 120mm fan is the way to go, but the noise ratings from the manufacturer are all over the place ("16-38dB" is a really big range to advertise). Among the ones which look good I've seen:
I'm going to be installing this into a brand new setup, so the concerns about "it's really hard to install on a motherboard that's already in a case" doesn't apply to me (which seems to be a significant concern among a number of user feedback and reviews from other sites). However, ease of installation does count; I don't want to be breaking my new cpu because installing it requires huge amounts of force that can easily go awry. So I guess my main criteria are reliable operation, noise, and ease of installation.
I'm looking to spend some money on upgrading my current computer
Processor
Model : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Speed : 2.13GHz
Mainboard : Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. 965P-DS3
Total Memory : 2GB DDR2-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 4x 222MHz (888MHz data rate)
Monitor/Panel : SyncMaster 2493HM(Digital)
Radeon X1950 Pro
Hard Disk : WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0 (153GB)
Hard Disk : WDC WD2500YS-01SHB1 (234GB)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Home 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2)
I am looking to spend either 300 or 500 on the parts
About the only two things I'd be tempted to do would be a graphics card upgrade, and maybe mildly overclocking the processor (it's dead easy with Core2s).
Graphics card wise, if that's a 24" monitor you're driving, I'd be looking for either an 8800GT or waiting on the Radeon HD 4xxx/nVidia G200 (July ish). But an 8800GT is going to cope with everything except Crysis at max settings and it's only $170($140)
well then its decided im going to buy an8800 gt
yes its a 24" monitor
Subtotal: $746.93
Subtotal after mail in rebates: $691.93
Now, is there anything I'm missing here? Any miscellaneous cables I'll need? If I ordered everything there- today- would those things that came in the box be sufficient to get it running immediately?
Ok, trying to build a new PC next month. I got the cash saved up and I'm trying to keep it around $600 ($650 max i'd say) heres what I got SO FAR, but I fear I made some dumb choices:
So for a processor, Intel or AMD? I must know before I buy!
You don't want to touch AMD with a 10 Foot pole. At this point in time I don't think they can even really be considered as competing with Intel.
Really? Yikes what happened? I got an AMD right now that done me fine the last 5 years or so. Did they miss the boat on the Dual Cores or something?
Basically their Phenoms just can't compete with the Core 2 Duos, at all. AMD tried to make up for it by making the Phenoms cheaper, but when you take the price/performance ratios into effect they just aren't worth it unless you're building a very low budget machine. Right now the newest intel chips are all 45nm also, as opposed to AMD sticking with 65nm till most likely the end of year/early 2009, that means the Intels overclock much better
AngrySpoon on
0
Monkey Ball WarriorA collection of mediocre hatsSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
So for a processor, Intel or AMD? I must know before I buy!
You don't want to touch AMD with a 10 Foot pole. At this point in time I don't think they can even really be considered as competing with Intel.
Really? Yikes what happened? I got an AMD right now that done me fine the last 5 years or so. Did they miss the boat on the Dual Cores or something?
Basically their Phenoms just can't compete with the Core 2 Duos, at all. AMD tried to make up for it by making the Phenoms cheaper, but when you take the price/performance ratios into effect they just aren't worth it unless you're building a very low budget machine. Right now the newest intel chips are all 45nm also, as opposed to AMD sticking with 65nm till most likely the end of year/early 2009, that means the Intels overclock much better
They still have an advantage in the budget market, if for no other reason than that AMD motherboards are universally cheaper than Intel ones. They are not completely shut out of the market yet, but this has been a really bad year or two for them.
Monkey Ball Warrior on
"I resent the entire notion of a body as an ante and then raise you a generalized dissatisfaction with physicality itself" -- Tycho
So I'm going to be building (maybe) my fiancee a new computer for a graduation gift from College. (You guys think it's cheesy? She has a laptop that she can't use because her mom uses it all the time, and her desktop is foobar'ed and randomly reboots on her. I've tried to replace just about everything but to no avail)
She doesn't play very many video games, but if she did the most "graphic" game she played was WoW. But I also didn't want to skimp out on a POS video card. Anyway, let me know if you guys see anything I'm missing or whatever.
I went with ~430W because I wasn't sure if I were taxing it or not. I know that I personally try and get above 400, but that's because I'm running a lot of high end video cards and stuff.
Thanks for the heads up on the memory though. $1 is a dollar. Plus Patriot is a good brand.
78% of the people are 100% satisfied on the case. Normally I'm the same way. :P But it looks cool, it's cheap, and it didn't get bad reviews so I'm risking it. If not, I'll put the parts in her old case.
Yeah I'd say that upgrading your card would be okay, well... Unless it's AGP. If it's AGP, then buy a new mobo/proc/RAM/video card. It'll be better for you in the end.
As long as your PSU (I overshoot this, but better safe than sorry) is >= 400W you'll be fine with most anything (the highest end cards require a mega power supply).
Posts
I was hoping to get away with 200-300, but it looks like 500 is my best bet? Is that what I can infer from the answers?
And yes, I do agree that the Dell deal is a good one... It's just that... Damn, I have more than HALF a computer just laying around. What happened to the days where that meant something???
I've only been using slickdeals.net - does anyone know of any other similar deal sites?
You could always gut the Dell case and use whatever parts you need.
AMD 780G Motherboard with the features you requested $90
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ $66
2 Gigs of ram $54.99
I didn't post because I thought you were looking for a system that was comparable to that Dell.
I'm looking to spend some money on upgrading my current computer
Processor
Model : Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6400 @ 2.13GHz
Speed : 2.13GHz
Mainboard : Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. 965P-DS3
Total Memory : 2GB DDR2-SDRAM
Memory Bus Speed : 4x 222MHz (888MHz data rate)
Monitor/Panel : SyncMaster 2493HM(Digital)
Radeon X1950 Pro
Hard Disk : WDC WD1600YS-01SHB0 (153GB)
Hard Disk : WDC WD2500YS-01SHB1 (234GB)
Windows System : Microsoft Windows XP/2002 Home 5.01.2600 (Service Pack 2)
I am looking to spend either 300 or 500 on the parts
Case & Power Supply:
Cooler Master RC-690, mid ATX, accompanied by an in-built 550 watt power supply.
Motherboard:
Gigabyte DS3L, P35 chipset
Processor (undecided, same price):
E6850, 3.0 ghz C2D, 1333 fsb, 4mb shared cache
or
E8200, 2.6 ghz C2D, 1333 fsb, 6mb cache
Graphics Card:
EVGA 8800GT, 512 MB, GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0 x 16
RAM:
4 GB (2x2 GB) DDR2 800, PC2 6400 dual channel
Hard drive:
Western Digital 500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA 3.0 GB/s
Optical drive:
Lite-On DVD Burner, 20x DVD +/- R
Price, minus tax/shipping, excluding $30 M.I.R.: $843.93
Misc thoughts: is everything compatible? I know in-built PSU's are generally frowned upon, but the PSU is decent enough voltage that I'm not terrified of instability... plus the PSU on its own gets pretty good reviews. Of course, if anyone has any thoughts on any of this I'd love to hear.
and that PSU will be fine.
Upgraded from IDE burner to identical SATA burner.
Upgraded to the E8400.
Added the Samsung 2253BW 22" 2ms LCD.
Total is sitting at $1,150.92.
Looks good man, can't fault it. What OS are you planning on going with?
Edit: Whats the quality like on the generic CoolerMaster PSUs? If they don't have a good reputation I'd recommend you go with a Corsair PSU.
About the only two things I'd be tempted to do would be a graphics card upgrade, and maybe mildly overclocking the processor (it's dead easy with Core2s).
Graphics card wise, if that's a 24" monitor you're driving, I'd be looking for either an 8800GT or waiting on the Radeon HD 4xxx/nVidia G200 (July ish). But an 8800GT is going to cope with everything except Crysis at max settings and it's only $170($140)
Make sure you check for combo deals. Theres a -$25 for your CPU + Mobo, -$15 for case + DVD drive, and some better RAM options (cheaper and with heat spreaders).
Thanks a lot, I didn't look hard I admit, I'll have to really scour around to try to find deals.
Well, I already have a copy of XP Pro so probably that, but I have been using Vista on my laptop for the better half of a year now so I'm not altogether sure if I want to switch back.
On Newegg at least it's rated 4 stars, and these are the listed specs (for the PSU alone):
Model
Brand COOLER MASTER
Model RS-550-ACAA-A1
Series Real Power Pro 550
Spec
Type ATX12V / EPS12V
Maximum Power 550W
Fans 1 x 120mm fan with intelligent speed controller
PFC Active
Main Connector 24Pin
PCI-E Connectors 2 x 6Pin
NVIDIA SLI Support NVIDIA SLI Certified
ATI CrossFire Support Yes
Modular Cabling Support No
Power Good Signal 100-500ms
Hold-up Time 17ms min.
Efficiency > 80%
Energy-Efficient 80 PLUS Certified
Over Voltage Protection Yes
Input Voltage 90 - 264 V
Input Frequency Range 47 - 63 Hz
Input Current 8A @ 115V, 4A @ 230V
MTBF >100,000 Hours
Approvals Nemko,TUV, cUL, CE, BSMI, FCC, CCC
Features
Connectors 1 x Main connector (24Pin)
1 x 12V(P4)
1 x 12V(8Pin)
5 x peripheral
6 x SATA
1 x Floppy
2 x PCI-E
Does that sound reasonable enough, considering I never plan on overclocking (I feel confident enough to assemble the system but I'm terrified of flubbers from 'squeezing' out performance, so...)?
I ordered a computer yesterday so I did my scouring already, heres the fruit of my labor if you're interested.
NZXT HUSH Black SECC Steel/ Aluminum/ Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ600SXS 600W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Retail
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - Retail
XIGMATEK XSF-F1251 120mm Case Fan - Retail x2
mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 996599 - Retail
ECS N8800GTS-512MX GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM
$923.90 total, $14 shipping (!), -$130 in rebates.
Already have a hard drive and monitor.
Not planning on doing a lot of overclocking, cpu will probably be intel e8400.
I'm thinking that getting something with a 120mm fan is the way to go, but the noise ratings from the manufacturer are all over the place ("16-38dB" is a really big range to advertise). Among the ones which look good I've seen:
KINGWIN Revolution RVT-12025
Scythe SCASM-1000 120mm Sleeve Andy Samurai Master
Scythe SCNJ-1100P
COOLER MASTER RR-CCH-LB12-GP
Thermaltake CL-P0114
I'm going to be installing this into a brand new setup, so the concerns about "it's really hard to install on a motherboard that's already in a case" doesn't apply to me (which seems to be a significant concern among a number of user feedback and reviews from other sites). However, ease of installation does count; I don't want to be breaking my new cpu because installing it requires huge amounts of force that can easily go awry. So I guess my main criteria are reliable operation, noise, and ease of installation.
well then its decided im going to buy an8800 gt
yes its a 24" monitor
Subtotal: $746.93
Subtotal after mail in rebates: $691.93
Now, is there anything I'm missing here? Any miscellaneous cables I'll need? If I ordered everything there- today- would those things that came in the box be sufficient to get it running immediately?
You don't want to touch AMD with a 10 Foot pole. At this point in time I don't think they can even really be considered as competing with Intel.
Really? Yikes what happened? I got an AMD right now that done me fine the last 5 years or so. Did they miss the boat on the Dual Cores or something?
Basically their Phenoms just can't compete with the Core 2 Duos, at all. AMD tried to make up for it by making the Phenoms cheaper, but when you take the price/performance ratios into effect they just aren't worth it unless you're building a very low budget machine. Right now the newest intel chips are all 45nm also, as opposed to AMD sticking with 65nm till most likely the end of year/early 2009, that means the Intels overclock much better
They still have an advantage in the budget market, if for no other reason than that AMD motherboards are universally cheaper than Intel ones. They are not completely shut out of the market yet, but this has been a really bad year or two for them.
nVidia makes lots of chips, you'd have to be more specific.
Of course, that's all just rumour courtesy of Inq and Fud-"I just make shit up"-zilla
Anyway, here's what I was thinking:
She doesn't play very many video games, but if she did the most "graphic" game she played was WoW. But I also didn't want to skimp out on a POS video card. Anyway, let me know if you guys see anything I'm missing or whatever.
Case
PSU
Memory
Yours look fine, but these are just my personal choices; used the same parts for a new machine for my mother, worked great.
the case is really neat and the PSU is much more silent than i had expected, and in general i tend to avoid nVidia chipsets.
Thanks for the heads up on the memory though. $1 is a dollar. Plus Patriot is a good brand.
And I was going cheap on the case :P
I've got:
AMD 64 3500+
2 Gig RAM (Corsair ValueSelect, DDR 400)
nVidia 7800 GT 256 MB
Can I get away with just upgrading my video card, or should I buy a new mobo/processor/RAM/vidcard?
Does Windows like it when you do that?
On that note, I can grab any PCI-E card and it will work, right? They haven't changed it since?
I haven't been keeping up with hardware recently.
I hadn't noticed earlier, but that's a CM Centurion right? yeah, go with it, excellent for budget builds.
CM ftw, that's for damn sure.