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Building a sub-$900 PC

agrikk

agrikk

Gawd
Joined
Apr 16, 2002
Messages
933
I'm building out a PC in the $700-900 range and have come up with the following hardware mix. Post comments, quuestions, etc, please.

Edited with new parts list from below:

Antec SKL2650-BQE Case
Lite-On 52x32x52 CD-RW
Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM
Thermaltake Silent Boost HSF
NEC Floppy Drive
WD 80GB 7200 rpm EIDE Drive
Corsair Value Select Dual Kit 5120MB (2x 256mb) DDR PC3200 RAM
ViewSonic E70B 17" CRT Monitor
ASUS A7N8X-X Mobo
AMD Athlon XP 2700+ (333MHz FSB)
Logitech X-220 2.1 Speakers

Total: $589

Plus a Sapphire 9800 Pro card for $189
 
um overclocking? if so get a mobile barton they overclock great try for pc3200 ram and 512mb of it, Abit NF7-S or Abit AN7, try to stay away from Nvidia 5xxx series
 
No. This rig won't be overclocked at all. This rig is for a friend's girlfriend, and she wants a simple setup that'll let her do what she wants and be rock stable (and quiet) doing it.
 
agrikk said:
I'm building out a PC in the $700-900 range and have come up with the following hardware mix. Post comments, quuestions, etc, please.

Case: Antec SLK2650-BQE
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2700 333MHz 512K OEM
HSF: Thermalright SLK-948U
Motherboard: ASUS A7N8X-X
RAM: Crucial 256MB DDR333 PC2700 RAM (CT3264Z335) (2 sticks, 512mb total)
Hard Drive: 80 GB Western Digital Special Edition (8MB)
DVD-ROM: Artec - 16x
CD-RW: Samsung 48x24x48 EIDE CD-RW Drive (Black)
Video Card: Chaintech - GeForce FX 5900 XT 128MB
Monitor: 19" ViewSonic E90FB
Sound: 5.1 audio included
NIC: Realtek included
Speakers: Logitech X-220
Floppy: Mitsumi Floppy Drive 3.5 1.44MB D359M3D Black

Total of Hardware, $875 including tax and shipping.
Click to expand...

im guessing your buying from newegg because of the hard drive choice, and the turkey day special, but u can upgrade to a 120gig WD 8M for only another $18

also for the drive i would suggest alteast dvd-rom, maybe a nice 52x24x52x16 dvd/burner combo from the refurb section for $45 total would save you from having to buy 2 drives, i have bought 3 drives from refurb section and they all work perfect http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-151-023R&type=Refurbish

and i would also suggest some faster ram, atleast pc3200

and as for the graphix card, i definately would not get the nvidia 5xxx series as ballz said, i think a saphire 9800pro would be a better choice i think they are still just under $200 on newegg.com

hope that helps, good luck, and post back
 
Actually, I am going off the prices on pricewatch.com so the vendors are scattered all over the country. I'll finalize the prices and vendors (after checking resellerratings.com) and such after I get the hardware taken care of.


As for the DVD/CD-RW combo suggestion, I'm partial to two optical drives simply because disk-to-disk burning is convenient.


I'll check out the sapphire 9800 Pro on newegg, but I thought they were backordered like crazy. Which is why I went for Nvidia.
 
you will be able to rest a lot easier if u are able to order everything from newegg, buying from all different retailers is kinda risky, especially if ur buying stuff with someone elses money. just a suggestion...
 
agrikk said:
Actually, I am going off the prices on pricewatch.com so the vendors are scattered all over the country. I'll finalize the prices and vendors (after checking resellerratings.com) and such after I get the hardware taken care of.


As for the DVD/CD-RW combo suggestion, I'm partial to two optical drives simply because disk-to-disk burning is convenient.


I'll check out the sapphire 9800 Pro on newegg, but I thought they were backordered like crazy. Which is why I went for Nvidia.
Click to expand...

Oooh, BAD idea buddy. That's going to be a nightmare. Try as much as possible to order all parts from a single, or at least no more than two, very reputable dealers. You will save overall with shipping and taxes, anyway.

http://www.newegg.com
http://www.zipzoomfly.com
http://www.svc.com
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

I've switched out the heat sink and the ram for the stuff you guys have suggested.

I've ordered from a bunch of different vendors in the past, saving a bit more money than if I'd purchased all the products from newegg or what have you. It just takes a bit of tracking to make sure you know what is coming in from where. I also take the time to look up the vendor on Reseller Ratings to make sure the company is worth doing business with.

At this point, pricing out all the items on newegg, including the new items you all suggested and dropping the monitor to a 17" flat CRT brings the total to $600 pre tax and shipping.

I'm going to wait a few days to see if the Sapphire 9800 Pro comes back in stock.

The new list:

Antec SKL2650-BQE Case
Lite-On 52x32x52 CD-RW
Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM
Thermaltake Silent Boost HSF
NEC Floppy Drive
WD 80GB 7200 rpm EIDE Drive
Corsair Value Select Dual Kit 5120MB (2x 256mb) DDR PC3200 RAM
ViewSonic E70B 17" CRT Monitor
ASUS A7N8X-X Mobo
AMD Athlon XP 2700+ (333MHz FSB)
Logitech X-220 2.1 Speakers

Total: $589

Plus a Sapphire 9800 Pro card for $189

Grand Total: $778 pre-tax and shipping
 
I've had good experiences with excaliberpc and mwave as well, but I'd suggest you go through newegg if for no other reason than the fact that they have great customer support.

since your friend's needs aren't too demanding, why not grab a 9600XT and save some cash?
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=property&DEPA=1
they start around $140 or so and while not quite as good as a 9800pro they certainly fit the budget.

I have a samsung DVD drive (not a burner) and it's kinda loud for an optical drive. I assume that their burners are just as loud as mine, so I'd suggest a lite-on drive for the burner ($19) that comes with software.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-941&depa=1
or a combo drive ($38)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-932&depa=1
or a DVD burner for $64 + $4 s/h
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-962&depa=1

overall though, the difference is fairly minor.

I take it she's on her own for windows?

edit: wow, you posted a new list while I was working on this. rats
 
Outlaw said:
since your friend's needs aren't too demanding, why not grab a 9600XT and save some cash?
Click to expand...

Because my friend, her boyfriend wants to be able to play HL2 on it. :D

I have a samsung DVD drive (not a burner) and it's kinda loud for an optical drive. I assume that their burners are just as loud as mine, so I'd suggest a lite-on drive for the burner ($19) that comes with software.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I'll check out the Lite-On

I take it she's on her own for windows?
Click to expand...

She has a license for XP on her current computer. I'll be using that license for this rig. Then I get to take home her old rig as payment.
 
No kidding. I'm going to confirm the price with the girlfriend and once she okays it, it's a go.


I'm jealous. I want to build a new rig as well...
 
Would your friend's girlfriend be using a floppy? I don't think you really need them anymore.
 
i really think you can make an a64 system for that much.. really.. otherwise i would say
xp-m 2200+ 35w. oc it a little.. like 2ghz and that will be = to a 3000+ and run at about 1.5v.. i know you don't want to OC, but this isn't really.. technically.. but you are running it at lower voltage than a stock processor and its cheaper and faster.. i also saw a 55w desktop 2500+.. looks kinda interesting.. so 1.55v instead of 1.65v..

the motherboard could be like a refurb a7n for $50.. or a new shuttle an35n ultra for $55 ish..

this might not be an option for you, but it might be.. check out the thrift stores for monitors... i have gotten 4 monitors for about $15 each over the past 6 months this way.. .so at least look.. you never know.

memory.. decent pc3200.. probably mushkin or corsair value, which ever one is cas 2.5 for under $80 per 512 mb

no.. just get a vnf3-250 for $75ish and an a74 2800+ for about $120.. that is under $200

cpu + mobo = $200
decent heatsink = $30 (zalman 7000 if it fits)
ram = $80
case + cpu = $100
hard drive = $85
lite-on cdr = $30
dvd rom = $30
(or dvd -+ rw for $60)
video card = $200 ??
= $725

the speakers and monitor are what's going to kill you. and video card..

but an a64 system can be done for $900 or less.. maybe get a used vid card off of here. save some $$.. or a hard drive for $40 less in a good sale..
 
Also, before you order, consider that the A7n8x-X does not support dual channel memory.

You can pick up the Shuttle an35n Ultra for $52 and it will support dual channel and is every bit as good of a board as the Asus. The only reason it's cheaper is the lack of SATA/RAID support.
 
Stellar said:
Oooh, BAD idea buddy. That's going to be a nightmare. Try as much as possible to order all parts from a single, or at least no more than two, very reputable dealers. You will save overall with shipping and taxes, anyway.

http://www.newegg.com
http://www.zipzoomfly.com
http://www.svc.com
Click to expand...

I used pricegrabber.com and ordered from maybe 7-10 diffrent vendors when I built my machine. Although most of the stuff came from newegg or zipzoomfly. One thing I checked before I ordered from anywhere was their rateing and customers served. I'd also look at the comments section to see what problems, if any there were, and if they'd apply to me. It can be done, but it should be done carefully. It save me probably a hundred or more in savings. I was also a bit of a rebate whore, but they're all falling into place nicely so far. And I'm not even done yet. Next I think I'm going to add SVC.com, frozenCPU, and amazon.com to my list. But the end is in sight, and it's a beautiful thing.

PS what I'ev found about buy.com, they might be slow, but it'll get their eventually. They aren't preferred, but for a large enough discount I'll probably go back
 
^^^^^ Exactly. That's the way I've gone in the past.

Stellar said:
Also, before you order, consider that the A7n8x-X does not support dual channel memory.
Click to expand...

Nuts. I thought it did, but only because of the RAM layout on the board. It looks like there's two groupings of DIMM slots. Bleh.

I do like scottatwittenberg's idea of the mobile overclock, but it would be my first time with a mobile chip. I'd hate for it to go toes up on a rig that wasn't mine...

If this was my rig, I'd be going that way for sure, but it isn't, so I'm not so sure.
 
since the cpu bus is only 333mhz and no overclocking save some money and only get pc2700 ram mabey 768mb of it
 
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