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Building First PC

N

nicoritschel

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 11, 2004
Messages
156
Hi! I'm going to build a pc for the first time and need advice on parts. Currently I'm running a Dell Dimension 4500s(HUGE mistake):
1.8 ghz celeron
512 mb ram
40 gb 7200 wd hdd
integrated audio/video(64 mb LOL)
20x CDRW
1.44mb floppy
Windows XP PRO

I'm going to build a system with these specs:
AMD 2400 mobile CPU-$77.00
DFI nForce2 Ultra mobo-$94.00
ZALMAN CNPS3100-Plus Copper CPU Cooler for Socket 462/ A/ 370-$19.99
Crucial 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 8T-$88.00
Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive-$69.99
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card-$211
NESI ND-1100A 4X DVD BURNER DVD+R/RW CDRW-$59
LG Electronics 16X DVD-ROM, Model GDR-8161B/8162B-$27
1.44mb floppy-$10
Windows XP PRO
ANTEC Performance Plus Case with 430W Power Supply, Model "PLUS1080AMG"-$113


Could you please give me honest opinions on this PC? If you have any recomendations please post them!

Thanks!

-Nico Ritschel
 
Price range?

For the Vidcard if you're willing, best buy is selling 9800pros for 200 a pop which is a steal.

In the area of harddrives Western Digital 800JB is the way to go, also known as the WD 80gb SE.

For a dvd burner, keep your eyes open, every so often staples, or compusa offer one for about 60-80 bucks after rebates.
 
yea, for the price, I would also have to reccomend ATi... even though I still like good o'le nvidia better.

I've had bad experience with WD HDDs, Seagate is the new definite choice for me... rock solid reliability.

Definitly go with XP pro over 2000, I've heard some pretty tremendous bugs in 2000.

Get one of those nice giant Zalman heatsinks for your CPU, dead silent and great for OCing if you ever get into it(though slightly less silent, because of increased fan speed).
 
Yeah, I'll get into OC'ing. How fast can you get a 2400 mobile OC'd?I don't know what I should get for the PSU? I was wondering if you have any links to PC building tutorials? I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much!

-Nico Ritschel
 
Originally posted by nicoritschel
Yeah, I'll get into OC'ing. How fast can you get a 2400 mobile OC'd? I was wondering if you have any links to PC building tutorials? I would really appreciate it. Thank you so much!

-Nico Ritschel
Click to expand...

http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/ is a nice guide for a beginner.

2400+ mobiles are pretty good overclocker. It really depends on the chip, but they have gotten up to 2.7 or 2.8 ghZ on air. That seems to be rare though, it's more common to get about 2.4 or so out of them. There's no way to know, since they are all different, but it will probably overclock pretty nicely.

I second (or third, or whatever) the 9800 pro. Great card for the price range (a little over 200 at newegg).

The Western Digital Special Edition 80 gig hard drive is great, although I'm a seagate fanboy (the drives are just so QUIET). Personally, I'd probably find a Seagate 80 gig drive w/ 8 MB cache, but the warrenties on the WD SE's are nice.

Good luck :)
 
I have no clue on what to do for ram or PSU! Thanks to all of you for your lightning fast replies!

-Nico Ritschel
 
I'd say atleast 512 DDR pc2700, something like mushkin or something. You can get those for like 83$, or, if you can, go dual channel 256x256.

Or, for 160 or so, get a gig :).
 
For RAM, I'd say some Cosair or Mushkin RAM. I'd get at least pc3200 RAM, and make sure it can do good timings (a CAS latency of 2). If you want to spend a little more, go for pc3500, though you'll be fine without it. I can't recommend specific RAM (though I'm sure someone else here can), but that's basically what to look for. I'd go for a gig myself (2 sticks of 512), but if you want to save some money then get 512 (2 sticks of 256).

For power supply, stick with Antec, Fortron, Enermax, Thermaltake or Vantec... Basically only get the well known brand names, for the sake of your components. I'd get at least a 350 watt, maybe more like 400 or so. An antec 430 watt would be perfect, or if you want to save a little, then an Antec 350.

Good luck!
 
I was wondering if the acrylic case from xoxide.com would be any good? If anyone could find prices below what is listed in my first post, it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

-Nico Ritschel
 
Does newegg sell acrylic cases? If so, do you have a link? Thank You!

Edit: Nevermind, I found the acrylic cases. Thanks!

-Nico Ritschel
 
I've seen Lite-On DVD burners that do 8xDVD, 32x CD and CD-RW, and 52x read speeds at Wal-Mart for $100. It burns both the plus and dash formats on DVDs.

As far as a PSU I would reccomend at least a 400 watt Antec.
 
Or you could get one of those Antec cases bundled with an Antec PSU. They're both good quality, amazing for the price!
 
I don't know if I want to go with the acrylic case, so... Are there any good quality and appealing cases out there with a power supply for under $120(Links if possible, please)? Thank you all for the help!

-Nico Ritschel
 
Originally posted by nicoritschel
I don't know if I want to go with the acrylic case, so... Are there any good quality and appealing cases out there with a power supply for under $120(Links if possible, please)? Thank you all for the help!

-Nico Ritschel
Click to expand...

http://www.newegg.com/app/manufact.asp?catalog=7&DEPA=0

Just browse around, look at some of them you like, no one can really know what kind of case you'd like, since everyone's tastes are different.

I don't mean to sound rude and have a "go do it yourself" attitude, I'm just saying that you could probably find one quicker and easier by looking on your own. :)

Anyway, I'd suggest a black chieftec case. Doesn't come with a power supply, but it's way under budget so you can throw in a nice psu and stay under 120.

Good luck!
 
So why a 2400+ instead of a 2500+ that's a barton core? They're are roughly the same price, plus or minus $3.

I've built my system a while ago so I don't know what's the hottest mobo right now, but is the one you choosing new and can use newer cpus like 64bit amds and such. Otherwise what about the popular asus a7n8x mobos that can be $50-$70 now depending on what you need.

I'd also add an extra DVD drive so you have two drives, and use the non-burner for most tasks.

This is a popular quiet/strong fan with LCD, they probably have other colors:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-999-051&depa=0

The pricing on the fans get really good when you buy 5+

On my 2500+ A7N8X mobo system I got a Thermalright heatsink:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProdu...=62&manufactory=1444&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1

I put one of those quiet blue fans on it with the supplied brackets and I overclock easy to 3000+ and I'm a total noob. You'd need to check mobo compatibility with these, and they bolt through the mobo, very secure.

A good thermal compound:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-100-009&depa=1

This compound is one of the best on the market since I last checked, especially since it doesn't conduct electricity like regular silver compounds.
 
Originally posted by the_village_treky
get a 9800 pro and a antec true power 430, for the hsf id go for a zalman cnps 7000
Click to expand...

Originally posted by Beave
ive heard bad things about xoxide; go with da egg :D
Click to expand...

Listen to these guys
 
Originally posted by KevC
Or you could get one of those Antec cases bundled with an Antec PSU. They're both good quality, amazing for the price!
Click to expand...
Performance Plus AMG 660 is a great value at around $100

or get an SLK 1600 for around $60

both have 350 watts PSUs which should be sufficient for your system
 
2400 = barton....

see my sig.

also get some cas2 pc3200 ram, and a good heatsink if you wanna oc to 2.2-2.3ghz
 
Originally posted by nicoritschel
I'm looking at this antec case:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-115&depa=1

I'm also looking at this ram:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-146-541&depa=1

I'll buy one stick of it when I buy all the parts, and 1 stick a few weeks after I build the PC.
Thanks

-Nico Ritschel
Click to expand...
Good choices. Crucial makes some of the most stable RAM you can buy, they have a lifetime warranty, and there is no reason not to buy them.

However, Corsair is another great company and I've heard good things about their Value Series, which will run tighter timings than the Crucial. http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-026&depa=1

Both are great choices, and you really can't go wrong either way.
 
I'm going to add a 16x DVD-ROM and I was wondering what IDE cables to purchase(maybe the rounded ones for improved airflow)? It may not matter...but I want to be on the safe side! Thanks to all!

-Nico Ritschel
 
What's wrong with XOxide?

Anyway, this is $128 after shipping. True430 power supply, blowhole right over the upper expansion card zone, front USB/1394.
 
Is there really that much of a difference between the 2400 mobile and 2500 mobile? Thanks!

-Nico Ritschel
 
Originally posted by Unoid
2400 = barton....

see my sig.

also get some cas2 pc3200 ram, and a good heatsink if you wanna oc to 2.2-2.3ghz
Click to expand...

But I thought the lowest Barton was a 2500+, unless they released something after that.

Also, when I originally got mine, reviews showed that there is a loss of performance if the ram is clocked higher than the cpu, so keeping them synced actually helps.
 
Yeah, it's not hard to find a dvd burner under $100 if you're willing to wait.. and while Wal-Mart may have them, i refuse to buy anything for my computer from that company. Just a matter of principle. I'm sure the LITE ON's are fine though.
 
Originally posted by stumpy
Yeah, it's not hard to find a dvd burner under $100 if you're willing to wait.. and while Wal-Mart may have them, i refuse to buy anything for my computer from that company. Just a matter of principle. I'm sure the LITE ON's are fine though.
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I refuse to buy anything from that company... period. (sams club too cuz they own that)

Here's just one examples of many showing why Wal-Mart blows

To keep on topic though, your setup looks good. Another nice case is the Antec Sonata, although for around $110 if you want a large case with plenty of room the 1080AMG is real nice too.

Buying the video card at the egg is fine, it's $211... but after you add tax it'll probably be more at Best Buy.
 
It looks like I'm gonna splurge and get 2x512 sticks of memory and some other different parts:

ANTEC Aluminum Super Mini Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "LanBoy" -RETAIL ((SPECIAL))
Specifications:
Case Type: Mini Tower
Color: Silver
Material: Aluminum
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 4/0, 3.5" x 2/4 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2xUSB
Power Supply: 350W (SLK350 Blue)Smart Power
Cooling System: N/A
Mainboard Compatibility: Fits standard ATX
Dimensions: 16.5"x8.25"x16.5"
Special Features: Windowed side panel, Free case-carrying strap more info-> N82E16811129126
$84.00

CoolerMaster Blue 80mm Neon LED Fan, Model "TLF-R82" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Compatibility: Case
Bearing Type: Rifle bearing
Nominal Speed(RPM): 2500
Max Air Flow:(CFM): 32.11
Max Pressure: Not Specified
Fan Material: Plastic
Heat Sink Material: N/A
Rated Voltage: 12 VDC
Noise(dBA): 25.0
Special Features: 4 LEDs implemented for bright glowing result more info-> N82E16811999051
$18.30

Unincom ROUND, 18-Inch, True ATA133/100/66/33 ( UV GREEN ) IDE Cable, 3-Head, 18 Inches.
For IDE Hard Drives, CD ROM, DVD ROM or C

DRW.
With PULL TABs - to be used for disconnecting the cable from devices WITHOUT pulling the wires.
Retail. Please see the images. more info-> N82E16812181068
$6.70

DFI nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "LANPARTY NFII ULTRA B" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket A AMD Athlon XP/Athlon/Duron Processors
Chipset: nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 + MCP-T
FSB: 400/333MHz
RAM: 3x DIMM for Dual Channel DDR400/333 Max 3GB
IDE: 2x UltraDMA 133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS2,1xCOM,1xLPT,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),2xLAN,2xS/PDIF,Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650 CODEC
Onboard LAN: Realtek RTL8110S GbE + 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet
Onboard SATA/RAID: Sil3114 Serial ATA controller, 4x SATA, SATA RAID 0/1
Onboard 1394: MCP-T + Agere FW803 Phy chips 3x IEEE1394(internal)
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813136138
$146.00

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9800PRO/380MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/680MHz
BUS: AGP 1X/2X/4X/8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub)+TV-Out(S-Video Out)+DVI Connector
Support 3D API: DirectX®9, OpenGL®2.0
Cable/Accessories: 2 Cables, VGA via DVI Adapter, Composite via S-Video Adpater, 3 CD, Manual
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16814102281
$219.50

AMD Mobile Athlon XP 2500+, 266 FSB, 512K Cache - OEM
Specification
Manufacturer: AMD
Model: AXMH2500FQQ4C
Core: Barton
Operating Frequency: 1.83GHz
FSB: 266MHz
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.45V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket A
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: OEM more info-> N82E16819103401
$93.00

Crucial 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 8T - OEM
Specification
Manufacturer: Crucial
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 3
Support Voltage: 2.6V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820146541
$190.00

Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 80GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: High-performance with 8MB Buffer
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Remark: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822144122
$72.50

ZALMAN CNPS3100-Plus Copper CPU Cooler for Socket 462/ A/ 370
Specification:
Compatibility: AMD socket462 CPU, Intel socket370 Pentium iii, socket370 Celeron, VIA socket370 C3
Dimensions: Fan: 92L x 92H x 25W mm, HeatSink: 95~ 110L x 52W x 65W mm
Bearing Type: Double Ball Bearing
Nominal Speed(RPM): 1600~ 2800
Max Air Flow: (CFM): Not Specified
Max Pressure: Not Specified
Heat Sink Material: Pure Copper
Rated Voltage: 12V DC
Connector: 3 Pin
Noise(dBA): 20~ 36.1 more info-> N82E16835118102
$19.99

Subtotal »

$ 849.99

Is this setup better then the first one? Thanks!

-Nico Ritschel
 
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