• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Building new Comp. need advise

J

jramrus

n00b
Joined
Aug 19, 2004
Messages
4
I have not put together a computer for a few years so I am a little behind on the current technology. I have numerous questions. I will be using it mostly as a workhorse doing lots of programming and computational analysis, but also some gaming(counter-strike, battlefield 1942).

AMD Athlon XP 3200+ "Barton", 400MHz FSB, 512K Cache Processor
abit nf7-s2g (nforce2 ultra chipset)
512 corsiar xms ram
9800pro video
+ a case

From my old machine I can use both CD drives and hard drives, so we do not need to worry about those.

Through newegg the above specs are looking at 700$. Worth it? How would you compare what I have there to:
http://www.slickdeals.net/category/newdeals/?daysago=20#p5003
Do you recommend newegg vs. much cheaper distributors tha you can find on pricewatch.com? How would the above computer compare to the dell machine?

Should I try to get DDR2 ram now? The mobo's are expensive, is it that great of a performance increase or should I just get the ddr2 the next time I build a comp, 3-4 years from now.

Do I really need the 9800 pro?

Thanks a lot!
Jordan
 
Here's my 2¢...

I definately would stay with newegg. One of the best.

You don't need the 9800 pro but it utlimately depends on how much gaming you will do and how you want your games to look and play. My work computer uses a Radeon 9000 but I do not play any games on it at all.
 
yea I'm using a geforece 5200 FX and It's good :)
besides the random monitor flickers.
 
What do you think about that dell add?
I will follow your advise about the video. I would guess that 15-20% of the time spent on my comp is gaming, and the games I play do not require insane video cards.
Other threads told me to stick with the normal ddr, and not the ddr2 for the time being.
What do you think about the ram + motherboard?
 
you wont be able to overclock with a dell and they dont warranty your computer if you open it.
 
also you have to run there OS which they made it spywared and junked up. ;)

* Thats what I heard...
 
I was hoping to whipe their hd. as soon as i get it... put on a legit copy of xp pro I have.
I have heard problems with doing that sort of thing with a dell though.
 
how about you suck it up and go with newegg. how long are you expecting to use this comp for anyhow? the 9800 pro is a damn good card at $200 and you can play at least the next generations of games coming out ie battlefield 2, half life 2. if your gonna get a slower video card, you might not be able to run these games as well.
 
If you're looking at longetivity, you might want to look at the Athlon64s. Especially computational analysis and programming. It also performs really well, so its a good idea if you want to play games too. I don't know about the price but they should be around the same, if not less, price than the one you want. You'll have to pick a mobo that supports it but.
I wouldn't go with DDR2. It isn't worth it just yet.
Good pick for the vid card too - great power for a decent price.

EDIT - don't go with Dell. They suck so much and cause so many problems it really isn't worth going with them. If you buy the hardware direct you will ensure that the system you buy will be right for you, and that you can set it up for your needs. Big companies like Dell just can't do that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top