I am thinking about building my next pc

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Jeef

NO MA'AM
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I am a noob to building pcs. I am going to use this for basic web surfing etc for now, but I want to have some capability incase I want to do more with the pc one day. I want to stay under 500 for the build. Right now my total is up to $404 minus $80 in MIR.
I was wondering if someone has the time to look at what I have so far to let me know if this stuff is any good. ANy recommendations on what I should go better on, and where I can cut cost a little bit. Also I am wondering if this will all work together. On the case is there another option that I can use say one with a built in power supply?

Where can I get a copy of xp for a decent price?


Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
27-135-148-05.jpg

ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black PATA Model DRW-1814BL - OEM Item #: N82E16827135148Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$28.99
11-212-033-14.jpg

COOLMAX CS-480-Black W/O PSU Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811212033Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate $29.99$24.99
22-144-422-01.jpg

Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L250R0 250GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822144422Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$59.99
13-131-172-09.jpg

ASUS M2A-VM AM2 AMD 690G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813131172Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$59.99
17-171-018-09.jpg

COOLER MASTER eXtreme RP-500-PCAR ATX from factor 12V V2.01 500W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817171018Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $9.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 -$10.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate $49.99$39.99
35-100-007-01.JPG

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM Item #: N82E16835100007Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy

$5.99
20-145-034-07.jpg

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail Item #: N82E16820145034Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 $40.00 Mail-in Rebate $87.00
19-103-751-02.jpg

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2.4GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA4600CUBOX - Retail Item #: N82E16819103751Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$84.50
35-186-010-02.jpg

ARCTIC COOLING ALPINE64 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail Item #: N82E16835186010Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$12.99 Subtotal: $404.43
 
so u want to know what I think u should get for under $500...




Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822148262Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$69.99
:huh:

GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3 AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813128034Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$74.99
;)
EVGA 256-P2-N615-TX GeForce 7600GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814130062Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 $15.00 Mail-in Rebate $89.99

:ph34r:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Windsor 2.6GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA5200CSBOX - Retail Item #: N82E16819103759Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $29.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $39.99
$119.00

:rolleyes:
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail Item #: N82E16820145034Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 $40.00 Mail-in Rebate $87.00

:cool:
Rosewill R6A34-BK 0.8mm SECC 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811147041Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
$59.99$39.99;)
ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black PATA Model DRW-1814BL - OEM Item #: N82E16827135148Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$28.99So for a wapping total of $509.95 + u have a $55 rebate for shipping in such! I think this system would fly like the dickens and run just about any game, program u want it 2 :):D, BTW I forgot the Power Supply, but meh, rebates :)
 
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I recomend cannibalizing what ever you can off an old system. I know I have old powersupplys, cases, dvd burners around so if you had any you could trim the budget down, or keep it the same but get more processing power.
 
NEVER skimp on power supply. Make sure it gives adequate amps on 12v. As for the cooler master ones, Im not sure I can recommend them. Maybe spend a few more dollars and get an FSP, Antec Earthwatt or Xlio are pretty good choices.

Recommended Sub-$150, high-efficiency PSU's - jonnyGURU.net Forums
Good site for PSU info.

As for cpu selection, its really hard press to choose an AMD over Intel. The only reason would be that the AMDs have much cheaper boards, but besides that, Intel has the lead in power consumption, speed and pretty much every category. With that said, if you still decide to get an AMD cpu, get an AMD based board. The nvidia based chipsets are old and dont offer nice onboard features like the AMD 690Gs like HDMI.

As for the RAM, dont skimp on quantity, but skimp on speed. Find the cheapest DDR667 you can get or DDR2-800. If you dont overclock, the difference between the two are negliable. And dont buy in name brand shit with SLi or EPP certified or some shit. So save some bones there and give a different set. Ive seen 2GB for around $20-30 after rebate, so no need to spend $47.

Lastly, stick to onboard video for now. If you dont game or dont care for Vista, there is almost no need for a graphics card because the current gen onboard graphics are plenty. Save up so you can you fork over for a 8800GT. For roughly $200, itll beat just about anything out there, even two 8600GTS in SLI ($300+ for two). It offers the best bang/buck out there.
 
Qty.Product DescriptionSavingsTotal Price
22-148-261-01.jpg

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822148261 Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.992 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 $64.99
13-128-056-09.jpg

GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813128056 Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.992 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 $79.99
20-141-299-02.jpg

pqi 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PQI26400-2GDBL - Retail Item #: N82E16820141299 Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $9.992 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 $15.00 Mail-in Rebate $49.99
19-103-774-02.jpg

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Brisbane 2.1GHz Socket AM2 65W Processor Model ADO4000DDBOX - Retail Item #: N82E16819103774 Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.992 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 $64.99
11-129-018-01.jpg
17-371-002-10.jpg

-$50.00 Instant
-$10.00 Combo
$50.00 Mail-in Rebate $30.00 Mail-in Rebate $199.98 $139.98

Subtotal:$399.94

This is what I would get. Thats before $95 rebate, so it would be $304.94.

The case and power supply is ALOT better than any choosen so far. The Antec Solo is pretty much an P150, but black. Its a really nice case. And the power supply has 3 12V rails and made by Seasonic, so its a very reliable one that can power any graphics card up to the top of the line $500 cards. You still have roughly $200 left for an OS and whatever else you want.
 
Oh yeah, dont need that Arctic SIlver 5 or heatsink. If you get the Retail box with included cooler and dont plan to overclock much, it will more than enough. Even with the retail heatsinks, both Intel and AMD stock coolers do very will with moderate overclocks.

My 3000+ 1.8ghz run perfectly at 2.4ghz with stock cooler and ran only 45C load. Of course, need good case flow as well.
 
Yeah, don't buy a case w/ a PSU, buy a separate PSU. You don't want some piece of crap dying on you and killing your mobo/processor/ram.
 
I have a master cooler 450w power supply and it's loud as fuck. If I try to sneak out of bed at night to play on the internet, she wakes up as soon as I hit the button. The office is 2 rooms down from the bed room. And no, not for pron...

So imo, master cooler ftl. Onboard video is fine, unless you're trying to play something crazy. My built-in card plays Guild Wars.
What are you going to do for a monitor?
 
Thanks for the help guys, I am a noob on this stuff so this does help. I will look into those systems later. For now I think that I am going to skip the video card if the mother board has one built in. Right now I am still on a crt, but will be going up to an lcd at some time. I need a replacement for my desktop as it will probably die soon.
 
I have a master cooler 450w power supply and it's loud as fuck. If I try to sneak out of bed at night to play on the internet, she wakes up as soon as I hit the button. The office is 2 rooms down from the bed room. And no, not for pron...

So imo, master cooler ftl. Onboard video is fine, unless you're trying to play something crazy. My built-in card plays Guild Wars.
What are you going to do for a monitor?

CoolerMaster might not be the tip-top of the PSU world, but damn can they make a case!
 
CoolerMaster might not be the tip-top of the PSU world, but damn can they make a case!

WERD. Their cases are freaking awesome, especially for the price when its on sale.

Like most manufactuers, they dont make their own PSUs. So the model quality depends on who they choose to build. For their top teir stuff, its pretty good. But for the price, that Antec case and power supply is a steal.
 
My inputs (by your request)...

Go for the Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 series. That's Seagate's 2nd generation perpendicular recording technology- they stand the charges up on their ends through the platters instead of laying them down horizontally, so that increases density a LOT and really brings transfer rates up. They're just about the fastest and most reliable 7200rpm SATA drives you can get on the market right now. If I had to buy drives right now, they're what I would get.

Oh, all Maxtor drives are now Seagates- just different warranties and still running the Maxtor name. Seagate bought them out a while back. The 300GB Maxtor drive that Fry's was selling last Friday for $50 is really a Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 with Maxtor tags all over it. It was an awesome deal if you got one.

On CPUs, Intel's Core2 line is the way to go right now. The performance of the Core2 line completely blows away anything AMD has to offer right now, they run cooler, and they overclock a LOT better too. Later on through the beginning of next year, things might change, but for now- Intel is the way to go. If you're willing to spend $90-100 on a chip, you can definitely get a nice Core2 Duo CPU. If you're willing to learn how to overclock, then you're definitely in a much better camp with Intel right now. Most overclocking n00bs are able to get 50% or higher clock increases on normal (not crazy huge heat sinks) air cooling and no voltage boosts with the lower end Intel chips. Go with the largest L2 cache you can afford.

As for memory, Crucial has really good RAM. Crucial is the retail brand for Micron's memory chips, and Micron supplies much of the industry. Crucial memory tends to be a LOT more stable than most other name brand memory, and you can get it at good prices too. Newegg has a 2x1GB set of Crucial Ballistix PC6400 DDR2 right now for $60 shipped I think. Again, my focus is overclocking most of the time, and Crucial memory does REALLY well. I have 2x 1GB sticks of PC8500 right now, and I love them.

Like some people have said, do NOT cheap out on the power supply. I don't think I've paid less than $100 for a power supply in a few years- but again, I'm an overclocking fiend. Read the reviews on the major hardware enthusiast sites to see what's stable. If you want a sure thing, Antec's TruePower series is very solid and doesn't cost too too much for what you get.

Video card- onboard is ok for now if you're not doing anything graphically intensive. The GeForce 8800GT is the absolute BEST value out there right now, so get that later if you want... but good luck buying one now if you want fast graphics. They're sold out everywhere I've looked. Or you can buy my 320MB 8800GTS. ;)

If you have cash to blow, go water cooled... or refrigerated (phase change). I've been water cooled for the last 7 years through quite a few different setups, and I love it. As soon as I'm able, I'll step to phase change cooling on the CPU and water on everything else. Performance >>>> *.*
 
I have decided to go with the intel. What do you guys think of this new setup?



27-135-148-05.jpg

ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black PATA Model DRW-1814BL - OEM Item #: N82E16827135148Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$28.99
11-129-018-01.jpg

Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811129018Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$40.00 Instant
$50.00 Mail-in Rebate $99.99$59.99
22-148-261-01.jpg

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250310AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822148261Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$64.99
17-371-002-10.jpg

Antec True Power Trio TP3-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail Item #: N82E16817371002Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 -$10.00 Instant
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate $99.99$89.99
20-146-565-05.jpg

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail Item #: N82E16820146565Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 -$25.00 Instant
$94.99$69.99
13-131-186-05.jpg

ASUS P5B-MX LGA 775 Intel 946GZ Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813131186Return Policy: Standard Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$69.99
19-115-031-02.jpg

Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 Allendale 2.2GHz LGA 775 65W Processor Model BX80557E4500 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115031Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $29.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $39.99
$129.99 Subtotal: $513.93
 
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same price, and IMO, better shit.

Shopping Cart
Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price 1
11-133-007-01.jpg

Thermaltake matrix VD2000BNS Black/ Silver SECC Japanese steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Item #: N82E16811133007Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$49.99 1
22-148-262-01.jpg

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822148262Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$69.99 1
14-141-030-08.jpg

BIOSTAR V7302EL16 GeForce 7300LE Supporting 256MB(128MB On board) 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Low Profile Ready Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814141030Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$31.99 1
17-255-010-10.jpg

DYNAPOWER USA EP-50X.C563-BX ATX12V 500W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817255010Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$19.99 1
20-231-098-05.jpg

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail Item #: N82E16820231098Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99 -$40.00 Instant

$89.99$49.99 1
13-136-168-02.jpg

DFI INFINITY 975X LGA 775 Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813136168Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $14.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $19.99
$99.99 1
19-115-031-02.jpg

Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 Allendale 2.2GHz LGA 775 65W Processor Model BX80557E4500 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115031Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy Select An Optional Extended Warranty Plan 1 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $29.99 2 Year Service Net Replacement Plan -- $39.99
$129.99 Subtotal: $451.93
 
B I can agree with your case because Thermaltake makes some really good ones, but that power supply just freaking sucks. 65% efficeny? Craptastic. I rather stick with my Antec suggestion because that case a lone costs around 60-70ish. And the Antec Trio is made by Seasonic, a very good company that makes some of the best PSUs.

Jeef stick with what you got except maybe swap the mobo for this one:
Newegg.com - BIOSTAR TForce TF7150U-M7 LGA 775 NVIDIA GeForce 7150 HDMI Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

MUCH MUCH newer chipset that provides way better upgrade paths and it has HDMI so you can use it as an HTPC when you decide to upgrade later.

B's DFI is also a great alternative, but the 975X is an older chipset as well. If you want a Full-ATX board, Id recommend the Gigabyte with any of the P35 chipsets. Monster overclockers. Then you could pick up this card:
Buy.com - XFX GeForce 8400GS 450Mhz 256MB PCI Express x16 Video Card - PVT86SWAHG

Its only $25 after rebate and google check out and its DirectX10 (not that it matters), but much better card than that 7300LE (LE = crap).

And yes Micro-ATX will fit in Mid-ATX and even FULL-ATX cases.
 
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