KiRiN April 12, 2003 Share KiRiN Member April 12, 2003 im thinking of... well you read the title, so these are the specs im looking at. im going to buy it all from newegg pretty much and build it myself (like a man!) any imput would be great. thanks. -ANTEC SOHO File ServerTower ATX Case Model SX1040BII with 400 Watt Smart Power. (buying a new side for it to for side air flow) -PLEXTOR Black PX-W4824TA/BPS-BL/ 48x24x48 CD-RW (have a plextor now, its great and all metal, no breaking that sucker) -ANTEC 80x80x25 Blue UV Case Fan (2 of them for the front hope it gives a bluish glow from the front) -MITSUMI D359M3 BLACK FDD 1.44MB 3.5INCH -WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 80GB 7200RPM EIDE HARD DRIVE MODEL (8mb) -CRUCIAL MICRON 256MB 32x64 PC 2100 DDR RAM (2 of them) -Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon/XP/Duron Processors, Model# A7N8X Deluxe Retail -AMD ATHLON XP 2400 /266 FSB PROCESSOR CPU - RETAIL -Altec 221 2.1 Amplified Speaker 3 Piece System (dormrooms dont need 5.1) -MSI Model G4Ti4800SE-TD8X, 8X AGP, 128MB DDR, TV-out, DVI - Retail (read it has less issue than the allinonewonder ati cards and its within my buget were as the ati 9700 arent) suggestions? comments? pie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 12, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 12, 2003 also i want a 17" LCD monitor but i dont know what to get. i want around 400:1 (or higher) contrast ratio, 1280x1024 resoution, 250 brightness, and .26 or better pixial pitch. right now i have a viewsonic pf790 CRT with like .24 pp, and a true flat screen (its a beaut) but its about 2 feet deep or so, so it isnt the smallest or lightest thing. thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet-401 April 12, 2003 Share bullet-401 Member April 12, 2003 I got the Viewsonic 17" flatpanel -very nice monitor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwEEziL April 13, 2003 Share dwEEziL Member April 13, 2003 Make sure the Power Supply that comes with the case is a good one. My suggestion would be to skip the Case/PS combo and buy a case and PS separately. I like the Antec TruePower PS's. If you can swing it, get 2-512MB of ram instead of 2-256MB otherwise, when you upgrade ram later, you might have to replace the 256 MB modules all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 13, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 13, 2003 well it comes with an antec 400w smartpower, but i could upgrade to another one of there cases that comes with a 430w truepower for $40. but i dont know what the big diffrence is between the smart and true power lines. as for the ram its more or less what i can afford right now, later i could get better sticks of the stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwEEziL April 13, 2003 Share dwEEziL Member April 13, 2003 The TruePower PS has dedicated power for each rail (3.5v, 5v, and 12v) instead of the 3.5v and 5v sharing one. If the case comes with an Antec PS though, it should be good enough. I got a "Chieftec" case (an Antec Soho 6x series that comes with a Chieftec badge instead of and Antec one) and it came with a Turbolink PS and it was a piece of doggy poopoo. On the ram, you are best to run 2 DIMMS based on the architecture and if money is an issue, 256 is good. I just like to think of farther down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 13, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 13, 2003 well then i guess i'll get the one that comes with the true power then, as for the ram, yeah thats why i went with 2 256 instead of 1 512, as much as i'd like to throw all the cash in the world at this pc, i have to keep it affordable somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asphyxiator April 13, 2003 Share Asphyxiator Member April 13, 2003 w00t AMD. Down with intel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Mmmm]Homer April 13, 2003 Share [Mmmm]Homer Member April 13, 2003 I'd go with a single stick of 512mb RAM, it's about the same price as two 256's and only takes one slot. I'd wait until summer and see what's the greatest, but keep up to date until you purchase. A 266mhz Athlon chip on the A7N8X is like a V6 Mustang. Get a 333mhz chip, otherwise you are throwing away all the advantage of that board. You'll then need PC2700 RAM, which mates to the 333mhz FSB. If we're pinching pennies here a Lite-On LTR-52246 OEM CD-RW is a better deal. Traditionally Plextors are overpriced. I'd go with an ATi 9500 Pro before the Ti4800, it's been discussed here before but the GF4 is year old technology and the 9500 is half that. And if you are worried about the price of these items, they will drop by the time you purchase! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 13, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 13, 2003 ok i've made some changes and this is what it looks like n0w... -ANTEC Performance PLUS Model PLUS1080AMG- with Antec Original TRUE 430W P4 Power Supply ATX12V Retail (comes with a antec true 430W psu and a side fan) -Lite On 52x24x52 Black CDRW Model LTR-52246 OEM (read about them, still abit worried about not using a plextor but homer is just to sexy to say no to) -ANTEC 80x80x25 Blue UV Case Fan (2) -*BLACK* PANASONIC 1.44 MB DENSITY FLOPPY DISK DRIVE, MODEL # JU-256A-198P - OEM, DRIVE ONLY (this was $4 cheaper than the other one) -WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 80GB 7200RPM EIDE HARD DRIVE MODEL # WD800JB - OEM, DRIVE ONLY -CRUCIAL MICRON 512MB 64x64 PC 2700 DDR RAM - OEM (i'll just wait and get a second stick later) -Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon/XP/Duron Processors, Model# A7N8X Deluxe Retail -AMD ATHLON XP 2500 "Barton" 333 FSB PROCESSOR CPU- OEM -SAPPHIRE ATI OEM RADEON 9500 PRO 128MB DDR DVI BULK ok this is the new config, its at $954.00 right now. well now that the processor is OEM i need something to cool it, am i going to need a HS fan combo or just a really big HS? i dont plan to OC. also need some suggestions on a monitor still., thanks for everyones help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Mmmm]Homer April 13, 2003 Share [Mmmm]Homer Member April 13, 2003 With an OEM CPU (which is a great way to go in my book) you will need an heatsink and fan. The case fans, PSU fan, and heatsink fan will all produce a fair amount of noise. A big copper heatsink and a slow turning fan is the best way to solve much of this issue. I personally recommend a Thermalright SLK-900-U with an adjustable fan, thermostat or manually set, of your choice on top of it. If noise is less of an issue you can check out these reviews from Tom's Hardware: How Good Are AMD's Bundled Coolers For The Athlon XP ? A Comparison of 34 Coolers for the AMD Athlon XP And prices always do drop, this system will be cheaper month to month. And it's looking like a really fine PC on paper right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwEEziL April 13, 2003 Share dwEEziL Member April 13, 2003 Don't worry about the Lite-On. It is a good brand. I have heard a lot that Plextor is higher quality, but Lite-On has consistently been right up there with it and cheeper to boot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 13, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 13, 2003 well im looking into the parts right now because even though they will get cheaper i doubt it will drop so much that this isnt far off from what i will be geting, also i like planing ahead (once i planed my birthday 5 months in atvance, i was a sick little kid) anyway, seeing that the case is going to have 7 fans already i think i'll get that monster HS and a ajustable fan. also i didnt see on newegg a retail ver. of this chip, only the OEM one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief April 13, 2003 Share Chief Member April 13, 2003 Did you decide on your graphics card? Also, Asus makes decent cd/cdrw drives that are cheap and they are SUPER quiet compared to the lite on. Chief Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullet-401 April 13, 2003 Share bullet-401 Member April 13, 2003 (edited) -Lite On 52x24x52 Black CDRW Model LTR-52246 OEM (read about them, still abit worried about not using a plextor but homer is just to sexy to say no to) -WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 80GB 7200RPM EIDE HARD DRIVE MODEL # WD800JB - OEM, DRIVE ONLY I got a lite-on 48x burner from them - i love it -mine came with NERO I also got that same hard drive -also a good buy Edited April 13, 2003 by bullet-401 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwEEziL April 13, 2003 Share dwEEziL Member April 13, 2003 Kirin, I spec'ed out the parts for the last computer I built but wasn't able to buy anything until about 2 months later. At that time I was able to up the CPU from an 1800+ to a 2100+ and was still paying less for the CPU. The longer you wait, the lower the prices will drop (sometimes more dramatically than you think) and you can either adust your spec's and get better stuff or get the original spec's and save some dough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[VI]ROosTEr April 13, 2003 Share [VI]ROosTEr Member April 13, 2003 Along those same lines, I would reccommend looking at different review sites, and watch for companies who are getting ready to release something new. That often signals a dramatic decrease in price for their existing models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiZad April 13, 2003 Share RiZad Member April 13, 2003 Homer,Apr 12 2003, 09:52 PM] I'd go with a single stick of 512mb RAM, it's about the same price as two 256's and only takes one slot. I'd wait until summer and see what's the greatest, but keep up to date until you purchase. A 266mhz Athlon chip on the A7N8X is like a V6 Mustang. Get a 333mhz chip, otherwise you are throwing away all the advantage of that board. You'll then need PC2700 RAM, which mates to the 333mhz FSB. If we're pinching pennies here a Lite-On LTR-52246 OEM CD-RW is a better deal. Traditionally Plextors are overpriced. I'd go with an ATi 9500 Pro before the Ti4800, it's been discussed here before but the GF4 is year old technology and the 9500 is half that. And if you are worried about the price of these items, they will drop by the time you purchase! Why would u wanna use 1 512MB stick instead of 2 256MB. It would be better to use 2 512MB sticks but he is strapped for cash. He is losing one of the best features of the board (dual channel ddr). I agree tho that u should get PC2700. it not much different in price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 13, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 13, 2003 well i know i could maybe get a better CPU and also that Ati is bring out the 9600 line in a month or so, so depending on how those are it might replace the 9500 pro i'm looking at. as for the motherboard, the Nforce2 just came out so i dont expect there will be another big change like that before i buy it and ram is ram, i'd go down and what not depending on what the weather is outside or what some guy named earl in tacoma washingtion says. i like the case alot, if thats not going to be around i just might get it now (not that i think they'll move away from ATX in 2 months but i really like the case). and i guess also by that time i could get a bigger HD for the same price although i really dont need that much room (my current 20Gig still has space on it) so i'd still get that one and save some cash. kindof sucks that i cant plan ahead like i like to but its also good at the same time that i'll be geting better stuff then too. guess i can always go rob a bank, build one now, and then one later as well.... now which do i pick first union or waccovia... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 13, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 13, 2003 yeah about the dual DDR thing but this way a month later i can just buy another stick of 512 instead of having to replace 2 sticks of 256. and i've been looking around at Tom's, newegg, and gamespot hardware fourm for opitions and reviews of stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Mmmm]Homer April 13, 2003 Share [Mmmm]Homer Member April 13, 2003 Yes, I was basing the one stick of 512 on Kirin getting a second 512 later which was discussed above, since you he'd be stuck with 512 total with 2 x 256. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiZad April 14, 2003 Share RiZad Member April 14, 2003 (edited) Homer,Apr 13 2003, 06:38 PM] Yes, I was basing the one stick of 512 on Kirin getting a second 512 later which was discussed above, since you he'd be stuck with 512 total with 2 x 256. hmmm i never even saw the second config .. my bad.. i really doubt the 9600 Pro will replace your 9500 Pro (speed wise) because its nothing like the 9500 pro (8 pipelines)... it more like the regular 9500 (4 pipelines) here is a spec comparison The 9600 Pro is more a marketing mainstream card than a performance card (spec wise) The only thing it beat the 9500 Pro in is Memory bandwith (9.6GB/s Vs. 8.6GB/s) and Z- Compression (8-1 Vs 4-1) Memory bandwidth doesn't mean much when u can't fill the pipe with information to begin with. Edited April 14, 2003 by RiZad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOFX April 15, 2003 Share NOFX Member April 15, 2003 def go with the barton CPU, i cant wait to drop one in my A7N8X deluxe, and it is an awesome mobo, I scored 2000+ more on 3dmark01 with it. as far as ATI 9500 pro vs. Ti4200 8x. I'm sure you have read everywhere that the 9500 pro is better, as you can see I gotta lil sticky post up top on how to OC it. Well, I just ordered this comp for my roomate MSI-KT400 2000+ AMD 512 DDR 333 Ti4200 8x agp I have Asus-A7N8x 1800+ AMD 768 DDR 266 ATI 9500 PRO As of now, I can not see any performance difference between his and mine. We play Shadowbane and our FPS is the same, but my 9500 pro is buggy, i have to use old drivers and when theres alot of stuff goin on i skipp around alot and lose FPS. I dunno whether the RAM is helping him or the little bit more in the CPU, but if I could rebuy my video card, I would have gone with either Ti4200-8X agp(which is also called the Ti4800) or the Ti4600 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KiRiN April 16, 2003 Author Share KiRiN Member April 16, 2003 see thats why i'm abit wary of geting the Ati card, sure its fast, but all of them have issues of some kind with some game and the latest drivers never fix everything. however the geforce cards while slower have no where near as many problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[VI]ROosTEr April 16, 2003 Share [VI]ROosTEr Member April 16, 2003 I used to agree, until my GeForce4 blew up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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