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Rate this $600 system (advice please)

C

c1001

Gawd
Joined
Oct 24, 2004
Messages
943
I am looking at building a cheap Intel system for my wife who does not game and mostly surfs the net and edits photos. I also want this system to be upgradable in the future. My budget is $600ish.

$162 - 2.8 ghz P4 CPU w/ retail HSF
$187 - Asus P5GDC1-V Deluxe (775/915g) mobo
$78 - 512mb Corsair DDR 400 (pc3200) VS512MB400C3 memory
$65 - Western Digital SATA 80gb 7200rpm HDD
$55 - Thermaltake 480w Silent Purpower PSU
$43 - Sony DVD/CD-Rw combo
$70 - Antec Super Lanboy case (want 120mm case fans)
$660 total

No video card - will use integrated video on the mobo and upgrade to PCI-Express card in a year. Will upgrade memory in a year as well.

I am looking at a socket 775/915G mobo for future-proofing. Any real advantage with getting a DDR2 enabled mobo? An Asus P5GD1-VM (775/915g non DDR2 ) runs about $50 cheaper than the one above.

Any thoughts?
 
if she's a [H]ardcore photo editor i'd get a gig of ram. Photoshop loves RAM. LOOOOOOOOOOOOVES it


where u at qwertyman :LOL:
 
Overkill for a web surfer/email machine. You not fooling me and probally not your wife either. I got $10 that says when the video card and memory upgrade goes in she gets your old machine :)

Power supply is not good for that board/processor. Only one 12v rail and only 16 amps on it.

Would suggest you jump over to the power supply section and see what they say about that power supply, For that board you need to make sure you get one of the new supplies that has two 12V rails

Now I dont like this one (because its compatible when it should be compliant and I am very picky) but look at the sticker in the photos to see what I mean about two 12 rails.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductdesc.asp?description=17-103-445&depa=1

compatible - like "part of a healthy breakfast" a brick can be part of a healty breakfast.
compliant - actually meets the specs.
 
you really could build an amd a64 for much cheaper.. the cost of those intel motherboards is just killer..

also look at the antec sonata case.. it has 120mm fans and a truepower 380.. it should be tottaly adequate unless you are running a lot of hard drives or crazy video card.. they actually have free shipping right now which they havne't had for a long time.. so it is $100 instead of $115. (i think the actual pirce is $97)

also for ram look at the mushkin that is always about $80 for 512 mb.. it has a little better timings than the cvs.. also you can get 10% off at mushkin.com with either UH or ANAND in the coupon code.. if that helps at all.

i personally would make an a64 system wiht a gig of ram than that p4 with 512 mb for the same price..
 
Try to price an A64 system. Take a look at my second system in my sig. Cost was under $600 i think. Runs very nicely.
 
if its for ur wife i'd tone down the psu and case infavor of more ram or whatever
 
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