Building my own
 

well i'm looking into building my own computer, i wanna know if there is a website where i can order all the parts and then build it at my house or will i have to buy parts from all over the place. Thanx for anyone that helps me out

The best site I can give you is http://www.newegg.com

I built my computer entirely from parts from this store. $2100 got me a 3.2GHz P4, 1GB memory, 200GB HDD, Nvidia Geforce6800 graphics card, Creative Audigy2 ZS soundcard, Creative 5.1 THX 500watt speakers, and a extremely nice Sony 17" monitor with DVI-output.

not trying to spend that much money and i only need the towe, but i'll check it out thanx

does it have like a thing where it has lists of everything that it has for each catagory and i choose one? cuz i really have never done this before and don't know what i need

Yeah, there's a link at the top that says "shop by category." I think the category you want is "Cases - ATX" or something to that effect. There are gads of cases out there, but generally the ones recommended are Lian Li (super nice, but super expensive, plus they don't come with a power source) and Antec (slightly less nice, but less expensive, and come with very nice power sources), though by no means are those the only worth mentioning.

i mean kinda like a form with like a drop down list, and then all o the compnents, im not sure what i need so i theirs like a form for me to fill in with stuff it would make it easier.

i serached google, and im seeing the word bare bone, what does that mean?

If you are not familiar with the components with building a computer, maybe you should look into someone doing the deed for you.
Here is a list of the components that every computer should have:

• Case (with a fan)
• Power Supply (at least 300 watts)
• Processor (AMD or Intel)
• Motherboard (make sure processor and motherboard match)
• Hard Drive (80GB+ is preferred)
• Memory (512MB+ is recommended)
• Graphics Card (can be between $100 and $800, also can be on-board (on the motherboard))
• Sound Card (can also be on-board)
• Case Fan (to exhaust heat/bring in cool air)
• CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive (either cd burner/dvd burner or just a dvd-rom)
• Floppy Drive (many computers now do not include floppy drives but they are about $8 and you might use it)
• Monitor (LCD Flat panel or CRT, CRT's are cheaper but bulkier)
• Keyboard/Mouse (obvious)
• Operating System (i recommend Windows XP Pro instead of Home)
• Speakers ($10-$300; price varies depending on size, 2.0, 2.1, 4.1, or 5.1 system)

In a word, No.
You are going to need to do research on what you need, and choose accordingly. I assume from your posts that you are not even aware of what peices you need to do this.
I'm glad that you are interested in "rolling your own:, but it will require work on your part as well.
I'm going to list the peices you need, along with my personal preferences. I'm sure many will pipe-up with there opinions on verious hardware.

Also, use This Link to Toms Hardware, a well known site amongst those that build computers. It will take you step by step through the process. The tutorial is three years old, but no less relavant.

Now, what you will need:

• Case
• Motherboard
• CPU
• CD Drive
• Floppy Disk Drive
• Hard Drive
• Mouse
• Keyboard
• Monitor
• Memory
• Graphics Card
• Network Card
• Modem

Motherboard

Now we get to details. Choose 32 or 64 bit computing. Google the terms and do your research. 64-bit cpu and motherbaord compinations are more expensive than 32-bit, and not as widley used, though they are gaining popularity and will eventauly (read: a few years) replace 32-bit combinations.

I like MSI boards myself.
The first thing you need to do is decide what features you want. How many Usb ports, integrated sound, etc. Only you can do this research, understand it, and decided what product meets your needs.
My two boards of the moment are:
K7N2-Delta Plantinum for 32-bit, AMD cpu based computers.
K8N-Neo2 Platinum for 64-bit, AMD cpu based computers.

Don't skimp on the motherboard. Identify what you need through carefull research, and keep in mind that you get what you pay for.

CPU

I like AMD based solutions. Maybe you like Intel. There are those two companies that make CPU chips. Certain chips fit on certain motherboards. You'll need to keep that in mind.
Don't for a chip with less than 2.5GHZ of speed. The price is too low not to.

*

The above is the two major compnenets that are interelated.
Barebones kits come with a motherboard, case, and some other compnents. Some barebones deals also include the CPU. I like Tigerdirect's deals for barebones.
Choose AMD or Intel for your CPU type, and then look at what is available.
They also have just Motherboard+CPU combos if you want to get a matched cpu and motherboard that will work together, and then buy everything else you want elsewhere. This is good for if you had your eye on a specific case or something.
In that case, the DFI lanparty motherbaord with an AMD chip is at a nice pricepoint.
For Intel, This Msi and Pentium cobo is nice.

The point is, explore your options, understand what you need, and do your research before spending your hard earned cash. You owe it to yourself to do your homework and understand the parts you need first.

Post any and all questions you have, and always feel free to solicite us for opinions on any given part.

can u tell me what i need to complete a computer heres what i have so far

http://secure.newegg.com/app/shoppin...=0&submit=view

i know i need and OS but im not sure witch XP i should buy

I'm surprised that no one has directed you here before now:

http://www.pricewatch.com

There isn't a checklist, but if you know what you're looking for you can shop around and find some really awesome deals on the hardware that you want. Just make sure that you read the feedback about the companies before you order from them.

i've looked their, i got some stuff picked out and heres my list so far

http://secure.newegg.com/app/shoppin...=0&submit=view

i wanna know if i forgot anything

thanx for those links on the chips and mother boards, now i ask u for your honest opinion for playing a few games and some Instant Messaging and email, which should i got the AMD combo u said, or the intell Combo you said. I want your honest opinion, and are these good deals?

Doesn't really matter whether or not you go AMD or Intel. AMD is cheaper, and you'll get a good bit more bang for your buck. If money is an issue, as you stated, I would recommend you get an AMD Athlon XP processor (CPU). Get atleast a Athlon XP 2500+, although I would recommend the Athlon XP 3200+, it may be out of your price range. Then pick a motherboard. For the AMD Athlon XP you will need a Socket A motherboard that will support the chip. For a reasonably priced motherboard, I recommend the ASUS A7N8X.

And another thing: don't go cheap on a power supply! I can't tell you how many $30-$70 generic and no-name brands I have had to replace for people. Most of the time they took it to the local Mom & Pop's computer store and paid $150 to have a $30 power supply put in that died two months later. Just because a case comes with a power supply (PSU) doesn't mean it's a good one. However there are a few companies that make very good case/PSU combos (Antec & Thermaltake are two of the best). Look here for some reasonably priced case and PSU combos that will last a good while.

Before we recommend RAM or a graphics card, it would be nice to know what type of games you play. It would be really beneficial to everyone. By you saying "play games" I think Doom 3, World of Warcraft, Half Life 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Quake 3, Unreal Tournament 2004, Counter Stink, etc. However some people just play solitaire, mah jong, shockwave games (bejewelled, etc.), Tetris, etc. and consider that "playing games". The more info you give us, the better we can help you.

Now, we won't be able to view your shopping cart. We don't have your cookies. Just post a link to the webpage of each of the products you are considering and we will give you our honest opinoin.

heres my list of things im gettin so far

POWMAX Demon 580W Power Supply, Model "PSDE580" -RETAIL

ATI RADEON 7500 Video Card, 64MB DDR, DVI/TV-Out, PCI, Model "RADEON 7500 64 PCI" -OEM

Sabrent 6-Channel 5.1 Surround Sound 3D PCI Sound Card Model SBT-SP6C - Retail

Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2 - w/MS Plus! Digital Media Edition - OEM

Logisys Computer Blue Ergonomic Cool Fan Mouse, Model "MS802BL" -RETAIL

SAMSUNG 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model SP1203N, OEM Drive Only

LITE ON, 16X DVD-ROM Drive, Model SOHD-16P9S Black, OEM

POWMAX DEMON II Black ATX Mid Tower Case, Model "CPDEM-3" -RETAIL

Arrow Micro 8" 4-Pin Power Cable Splitter this thing is free!

im prolly gonna end up gettin the intel combo because althogether this is gonna cost me about 360 dollars plus i need some memory and that shouldn't be to expensive. and i need a keyboard but im not gonna get anything over 15 bucks on that. So really i dunt have much left to get i think...

I would upgrade the video card a bit. You could get a nice ATI Radeon 9800 for around 100 bucks and it would be extremely helpful for handling games better. XP Home with the MS Plus! is a waste. The power supply voltage is a bit overkill and I would recommend an Enermax power supply.

Your still missing a CPU and motherboard.
Are you undecided between AMD and Intel, or trying to decide between 32 and 64 bit computing?
Feel free to ask questions or opinions to help you decide.

You don't need a 580w power supply. Seriously. Get a GOOD 350 watt power supply for the same price you'll pay for that silly thing, and you'll be much better off.

And if you're playing ANY 3d games, get a better video card than that.

And, as mentioned, you still need some imprtant parts... a motherboard and a CPU. The computer isn't going to get very far without them.

Rather it won't go anywhere. Can't even turn the darn thing on without the mobo.

Did you read my statement on PSUs? I know I may come off as the PSU nazi sometimes in certain forums, but I hate seeing people blow money on crappy power supplies that will NEVER put out the type of power they are labeled to do unless you operate outside in the winter at the North Pole. They just overheat and start to die after a couple of weeks. I was conned once in the past by people selling poor quality PSUs, and have had countless friend, relatives, and acquaintances suffer. I had a friend spend over $300 on power supplies over the course of 2 and a half years. For that much money he could have bought arguably the best power supply made in terms of reliability, stability, voltage consistency, and longevity the first time around and save himself a lot of time. Ditch that power supply for an Antec Smartpower 350W or something by Enermax or Thermaltake. Don't be like one of those people who build a "god system" and put a CompUSA brand "Extreme Performance 600W Power Supply" in there. You'd be amazed at how much an quality Antec SmartPower 300W can handle. I had an AMD Athlon XP 2100+, 1 gig of DDR, high end graphics card (at the time high end), CD-RW drive, DVD-ROM drive, and a total of 6 80mm case fans plus a high performance Thermaltake heatsink on an overclocked CPU; all of them powered by a QUALITY 300watt power supply until the darn thing got struck by lightning. Never seen a surge protector explode until that day.

Upgrade the vid card if you are doing any "gaming" more advanced than Tetris or Bejeweled. If those types of games fit inyo your "gaming" category, just get you an nVidia GeForce 4 MX 440 (64MB of ram or higher). If you mean Quake 3 gaming, get a ATI Radeon 9800 or 9800 Pro. Best bang for your buck for a budget system.

And on RAM... the stuff can be expensive if it's higher speed DDR. Look at your mobo and CPU options here. You don't wanna buy a motherboard and processor that use some expensive as hell RAM (ex. RD-RAM $400 for 512 MB stick).

And if you get the right motherboard, that sound card wouldn't even be needed. Get a decent mobo, and the onboard quality would be just as good (probably better judging from the fact that I've never heard of the sound card manufacturer) as the card you have your eye on.

And one more thing... GIVE US SOME INFO! Help us help you. Really, just answer these.

1. What type of games are you gonna play?

2. What CPU and mother board are you getting?

3. Give us a list of changed or added items from the first list or a whole new one.

4. What type of budget are you working with here? We don't care about your personal finances, how much you make, etc.. We just need to know how much do you A) plan on spending or B) can afford to realistically spend. Shipping can add alot to a PC build's price. Certain places, such as ZipZoomFly.com offer free 2nd day UPS shipping on most items. Sometimes it's better to shop around.

5. Will you be the only one using this? If not, are you interested in having something a little more upgrade friendly, ya know, in case you have kids that get into computer games (Tetris and Solitaire don't count), or just in case you don't feel like doing a complete overhaul and rebuild in three years?

im a kid myself, so i have games like diablo and starcraft but nothing impressive


im looking to spend under or around 600 dollars and i'll prolly end up gfettin teh 280 dollar mother board intell combo that they linked above


Also i think i found something to do with the power supply. theres a 4 in one case with speakers, a mouse a keyboard and a case. the case has a 400 watt powersupply, and im thinking that might be the way to go cause it's all under 60 bucks.

the video card u suggest is 110 dollars witch was more than i wanted to spend, but i gusse it;s worth it.


i need to know which combo u guys would go with fromt he ones above that AMD athlon 208 dollar combo CPU and motherboard

or the 280 intell mother board CPU combo. Someone linked them above, but im not sure who

im at 380 bucks now and i still need memory, which one shoudl i get?

what Operating system would u suggest i get, keep in mind i have to share this with my parents and possibly brother

how old are you?

im 18 but im a kid at heart

I got a few questions first.
1. What is the primary purpose for building the PC?
2. What is your budget?
3. Do you need to build it now?

If you want to use the PC for gaming, well, that's going to add up the total costs pretty fast. Some newer games have very steep hardware requirements. You'll need speedier CPU/Motherboard, video card, RAM and a big hard drive.

Do you want to get a good size LCD monitor? say, 17"? You can probably get one for under $200 w/rebates. We still haven't touched hard drive(s) yet, 160GB should last you a long time. You probably also want a DVD burner, in addition the the DVD ROM drive. Adding all the hardware mentioned thus far will set you back at least $700.

If you aren't in a hurry then you can save quite a bit by buying parts with rebate offers from various stores. I have had very good rate (100% of the last 12, 15 or so rebates) of getting rebates back. Whenever you submit for a rebate, circle the items required by the manufacturer. Write down copied and submitted date on the form, so the rebate processing center knows you are documenting it. I usually make a photo copy before sending it out.

A good computer case with good ventilation is very important, too.

Good luck!

got an 120 gb hard drive it should do, i only play the following games

• diablo
• starcraft
• guild wars when it comes out

now i need to know a few things before i make a purchase

1 should i buy a case that comes with power supply like 400wats
2 what operating system should i buy
3 what kind of mother board/cpu should i buy

if u can get me links for some of those things i'd be a very happy camper


also now serisouly considering this processor and chip set combo
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...209284&CatId=0
comments?


2 im at 380 dollars i don't wanna spend more than 700

i upgraded the video card to this
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800SE Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK

so i think i should be set their.



im actually considering this case power combo
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...756&CatId=1508

I also want to get a GB of memory, the cheapest i see is 87 bucks, is that a good price?

For gawd's sake... GET A DECENT CASE & POWER SUPPLY COMBO. That PSU will put out 550 watts when hell freezes over. This case/PSU combo is a decent one, and you won't have to buy a new power supply when the other one fries in a year:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...129-122&depa=1

Believe me. I've been there with a el cheapo case and power supply combo with a "600W" power supply from TigerDirect.com. And believe me when I say that it will struggle to power that graphics card and CPU without crashing. Please, don't be conned into getting some low quality P.O.S. power supply.

As for the mobo/CPU combo, your looking good. And keep in mind that you wanna get DDR RAM. It usually is expensive, but this is a darn good deal.

i have no clue what kind of power supply i need, do u think that thier are any good power supply ones that "look cooler" not necessarily light up, but have a cooler face.

i found this one from enermax, would it be worth it to purchase?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...124-111&depa=1

or could u list some other quality power suppies that make cases as well?

Um, no one sees the PSU anyways, why do you need it to look good?

lol i dunt mean a cool looking psu i mean a cool looking case, my bad for not making that clear, i want a cool looking case and a decent PSU

One thing on the case and power supple. I'm on my 7th or 8th PC now and have yet to encounter a power supplier failure. My current PC has a lot of hardware on it:2 DVD drivers, 2 hard drives, IEEE card, video card, all running on a 350W for about 2 1/2 years now.

I regularly take the PC to the garage and run the air compressor to hose it down. Dust is #1 enemy of your PC. I attach a piece of 6" plastic strip to the back of the power supply fan. This way I can tell if the fan is functioning just by looking at the attached strip.

You will want to get a good CPU fan as well. Get some good thermal paste before you assemble the CPU and fan. If you can, get an aluminum case with one see-thru panel where you can monitor the CPU fan easily.

Just my two cents.

alright heres what im gonna end up gettin if p naughty thinks it will be good

a case with no power supply
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

and a power supply seperatly this one that was recomended by p naughty
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

i just wanted to know one thing the cost was a lil too expesnive on the video card i was wondering if this one would be decent, im not a hardcore gamer i just need sumthing decent
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE


i was just wondering if anyone could give me a cheaper alternative to this combo motherbaord/CPU, i want some that i can put more memory in, because im gonna start with 512 and then get more as time goes on, because it would be better for my cost effiencey

i want something that can go pentium 4 with more memory slots than this
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...BM-SPT800-3000

One thing I don't like about that particular MB is only two USB ports. You'd be surprised 4 ports won't cut either. Sounds like you do want to control your budget, why not get an AMD 64?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...958&CatId=1619
This one even has 7.1 channel sound.

the only problem i see with that is that it's only a little less expenisive and im not sure i can get it by the time the rebate is up. I've also never owned an AMD product so i know very little about what is their good stuff.

i can always get more usp ports with an adaport, i really oonly need one for my printer i dunt use too many usb ports currently

Okay, if you want an Intel chip, go for one with the 775 socket, as that is replacing the older socket type.
This Gigabyte Board seems nice for the price, at only $30.00 more than the one you pointed out, but with nearly twice the features and support for PCI-E which is set to replace AGP for video cards.

If you have not actually purchased a video card yet, only decided which you'd like, look at if there is a PCI-Express version of that card. They are usually the same price at this point.

I have never used a Gigabyte board before though.
Does anyone have any thoughts on them?

As for AMD 64's, which have a nice pricepoint (And which I am biased towards :o )
Here is a nice MSI with AGP support still
and Here is a nice Chaintech with PCI-E
Both in the same ballpark (+30.00) as your choice, but both with features equal to or above the Intel I listed above.

what is the difference between apg and pci-e?

also is that video car i picked out good enough for what i play

P naughty thoughs on my power and case?

AGP is the slot that video cards use on the motherboards. A motherboard will have one AGP slot and a few PCI slots for other cards (Modem, network, etc)
A new type of slot called PCI-Express has been developed that is set to replace the use of AGP/PCI motherboard slots. PCI-Express is relativley faster, and more importantly can carry more data between the CPU and the cards connected to the motherboard. Larger pipe = better performance being the idea.

As a larger pipe so to speak would mean that video cards could be sent more data per second, that could improve their performance. Realizing this, Video card makers have been some of the fastest to adopt this emerging standard. PCI-Express based motherboards can still use all your old PCI cards like the network and modem, but they now have the a different slot for the video card. So PCI-E is backwards compatible with PCI, but not with AGP, Got all that :lol:

Here is a comparable PCI-E card to the AGP card you pointed out. I like This one more, but it's about $10.00 more. I admit I like it more becuase I like ATI based (non-se) products, and have never owned a GeForce based product. In that sense, I am ignorant to compare them.

For what you listed playing, all these cards work fine so far, including the one you pointed out.

think im gonna stick with APG, but im kinda pissed because new egg deleted my shoping cart :(

A rather smart choice in my opinion. AGP is not going anywhere fast, and will be around for several more years.

As for your motherboard/CPU choices, To me the idea here is to choose a motherboard that does not just have what you need now, but things you may want in the future. USB ports for example. Adapter cards are never as efficiant as onboard USB. I'd say a board should have a least four ports. 7.1 or 8 surround sound from a good onboard soundcard (as in built into the motherboard) is also reasonable to expect nowdays. As for hard drive connectors, I see SATA as required on whatever you buy. A good board has both IDE and SATA onboard, so that both type of harddrive's can be attatched and mixed. I'm on the fence about onboard networking, but you might as well look for a board with it, as most have it nowdays. Thats less money spent to get a network card later.

In your case, I'm less concerned with AMD vs. Intel as both meet your needs. I call your minimum CPU speed at 2.5ghz. Both types of chips are too inexpensive not to get at least that.

Your video card choice seems great to me, and I actually kind of like the first case you suggested more. But I don't like my cases to be big fashion statements. Antec power supplies are great, but as long as the supply is a name brand, I don't see the problem. None of my PS's are well known brands, and none have ever failed. That said, stick with the recomendations here, as you depend on a PSU to have a computer work.

Make sure to get a good fan for the CPU. Remember that CPU's run at between 100-175f degree's. The stock fans made by Intel and AMD for their chips work fine. You shouldn't have to spend more than 25.00 for a fan, otherwise you paid to much in my opinion.

XP home or Pro work fine, as does Win2000. Just don't touch ME with a ten foot pole.

Also, instead of a DVD drive, get a combo CDR/DVD-Rom drive. They cost between $40.00 and $60.00 and then you have both a cd burner and can watch DVD's. You really don't need a DVD burner. few people actually need them. If you don't have need to back up 7gb's of data daily, you don't need one.

Running the calculations in my mind, your around $600.00 for parts
The Motherboard/CPU combo and your video card are the two most expensive parts. If you spend $350.00 - $375.00 on those, and then $300.00 for everything else, that seems like a decent balance in pricing to me.

I'm looking to build a new system myself and I'd like to go with one of the AMD 64s but I'm confused regarding which socket (i'm assuming 939) but what is the diff between AMD64 and the 64 FX?

I'm looking to purchase this http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...960&CatId=1619 for a gaming machine. I'm going to buy a new PCI-E vid card and use my Audigy2 soundcard from my existing system.

Any thoughts?

damn ache u drilled it for me, im at 595 lol with everything i need, i'll run down what i have and u can give me suggestions

Linkworld 3210-04-C2628 Black/Silver Metal ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $28.50

Kingston ValueRAM 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) System Memory Model KVR400X64C3A/512 $39.67 i plan top upgrade latter, but im a little strapped for cash so i';ll start with 512

Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-350 ATX12V 350W Power Supply $55.00

SAPPHIRE Radeon 9600 128MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card $69.00


K13-1300 CD :: Mercury 56x CD-ROM / Black / CD Drive $19.99
i don't really need a dvd reader, i've got like 3 dvd players in my house so im set their. Plus i don't really watch dvd's on my computer

MBM-K8TNEO2-3000 :: MSI K8TNeo2-F Via Socket 939 ATX Motherboard and AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor $254.99

WD 120 GB WD1200BB 7200 RPM
with Microsoft Windows XP Home Full Version OEM $137.00

You can save that $137 for WinXP Home if you know where to find it. DVD Rom / burner are necessary if you plan on ripping your own DVDs, or making your own home DVDs, which I do. Then, the 120GB should be bumped up to 160GB, at least.

Portwineboy, the MB/CPU combo will run you $250+, you might as well get this:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...172234&CatId=0

My brother in law bought one and has been working great. I'd recommend you use Sysoft Sandra and run burn in test for at least 24 hrs. It has a 3 month warranty so you want to break it, break it before the warranty is up.

Pay no sttention to the post above mine advocating "aquiring" an OS through illegal means. The last thing you want is to get your whole family in legal trouble. Each illegal copy of software is a $5000- 10,000 fine.
The 120gb drive w/ XP included is actually quite a good deal. Grab that one while it's hot (As long as your source isn't shady)

I like your motherboard/CPU choice, but we've established that I'm biased :lol:
512mb is quite fine for everything you do in terms of memory. Having a full 1gb would actually not translate into improvements for the games you listed playing, and XP works fine with that much. You don't need more than what you've listed, it's just overkill that won't do anything.

Get a modem if you need one. There like $10.00 nowdays. If you don't need it, don't even buy one.
I'm digging your video card choice. That's a good deal for a 9700.

I can't think of anything we are missing.
Can anyone else spot any missing items?

Nope, looks good so far ... but.. okay.. I hate to be picky but... get SATA and you will be happy. Oh so happy.

wel im actually htinking of gettin some stuff thats a little less expensive, i found a nice case for about 20 bucks, and i found a ati radeon 9200 with 128 mb for 50 that will save like like 30 bucks. and then i can spend the money i saved either more memory or a mouse and keyboard

this is the video card im thinking about

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?inv...128B-N&cat=VCD

That seems like a pretty cheesy card but I suppose it might get by.

will it work for what i play?

You might want to spend a little more money on it if you plan on playing Guild Wars. It will run the other two games you listed just fine, but Guild Wars will be a pretty big struggle for it. You could run it, but would have to turn down all the graphics settings in the game. I still think a Radeon 9800 (any of them: regular, pro, se, xt) would be a much better deal in terms of bang for your buck. It's ATI's best card from their old line, which isn't that old or that bad. I don't no how it will do on Guild Wars, but my friend just built a new Athlon 64 system with a Radeon 9800 Pro, and WoW looks great on it.

And yes, the power supply you picked is just fine. Antec PSUs are very reliable and, with the exception of the one I had struck by lightning which also f'ed up my mobo & CPU, I have had no problem with them. Sorry if I seemed a little harsh, but the PSU is often on of the most overlooked areas in a PC and is generally neglected. Spending a little more money now will save you money and hassle later on. Trust me, I went through two PSUs before I decided to sit down and find out why every 500W PSU I was buying kept dieing on me. Bought myself a 300W Antec SmartPower and it lasted for two years... then it got royaly farked.

how about the 70 dollar card i picked out would that run guild wars nicely?

SAPPHIRE Radeon 9600 128MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card

i think that should be decent and save me about 30 bucks

I really think that P-Naughty is right and you should spend a bit more to get a 9800. That will give you a lot more room with gfx options and will improve the life of your machine in a sense. If you buy somewhat of a lower-end card you will find yourself spending more money to upgrade sooner than not.

i think im onna ge that saphire card it's what i need and it'll run things smoothly and it'll cost me abotu 30 dolalrs less

There's no reason to buy a nice processor and 512 MB of RAM if you're gonna go cheap on the videocard. You're gonna regret it later, trust me. Please buy a Radeon 9800 Pro for $160. PLEASE. Your computer will be bottlenecked without it. Buying the Radeon 9600 will be like buying a 1 GHz processor with 128 MB of RAM instead of your current options.

-Lasereth

He can always upgrade latter.
Some of you guys are talking like he has a ton of money to throw around. He's made it clear he needs to be aware of cost in this project, and you can't deny he's put together a bang up system with the limited funds he talking about.
He's not a hardcore gamer, and he doesn't do high end graphics. Web browsing, typing paper, listening to music. What do they have in common? They could all be done just fine with an 16mb vid card set at 1024x786.

I know your all about the fast cards Lasereth, but in his current monetary position, the 9600 is quite nice for the price.
Not picking a fight, just pointing out that not everyone needs the highend, or even upper-mid grade cards.
I do architecture for a living. I think it's probably obvious I'm running something above a 9600. But he hasn't shown an imediate need. 6 months to year down the line, he could upgrade his card just fine, and open up more possablilites if he finds the 9600 limiting for gaming.

lol, no thanks, the last thing i want is an emachine. i build my own. I'd rather have the kickass MB/CPU than 10 emachines.

He mentioned he does play games earlier and does want to play Guild Wars. Guild Wars isn't too intensive but it will require a decent videocard.

I should have paid more attention to his overall needs I suppose. After reading his posts, I have to suggest downgrading the processor and motherboard to accomodate for the videocard. You can get a nice processor, a nice motherboard, and an "ok" videocard, or you can get a good processor, nice motherboard, and good videocard. The second option is clearly better -- a more roundabout system is better off than having two aspects of your system way better than the other.

I think pacaveli should stick with an Athlon XP setup with an nForce 2 or VIA motherboard. It'll run games just as well as an Athlon 64 combined with the correct videocard and it will save him money.

I'm sort of a bastard about processors and videocards concerning gaming, but I do know quite a bit about the effects of a processor and a videocard on a system. A processor faster than the Athlon XP line will not run Windows any faster than the Athlon XP series. This is fact. That's why I think an Athlon 64 is serious overkill for his purposes. He is on a limited budget...there's no reason to go apeshit and get an Athlon 64 where it's not needed. It'd be different if pacaveli's budget was over $1,000, but when it's $600, you gotta choose parts that are just what you need to make a nice, well rounded system. Here's my suggestion:

AMD Athlon XP 2600+ Barton @ 1.9 GHz = $80
Abit KV7-V Motherboard = $55
Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro = $150
Corsair 512 MB RAM = $42
Enermax 350w PSU = $60
Case = $30
CD-ROM = $20
Western Digital 80 GB 7200 RPM HDD = $60
Windows XP Home Edition = $90

Total = $587. If I had $600 to build a new computer with, this is what I'd do with full confidence. Then you can laugh at your friends who build $1000 PCs with a crappy videocard that your $600 PC runs circles around. This computer will play any game on the market easily. I'd upgrade the RAM for another $40 when you have the money but it'll be fine until it comes your way.

-Lasereth

well i do plan to upgrade my video card in the future. The 9600 looks decent for a short term maybe a year or less time period. i plan to take this PC to college soon rather than a Notebook. So it'll have to last a good deal of time. Im not looking for something to run like high end games and i looked on the guild wars website.

this is the minimum they suggest
ATI Radeon 8500 or GeForce 3 or 4 MX Series Video Card with 32MB of VRAM

this is what they recomend
ATI Radeon 9000 or GeForce 4 Ti Series Video Card with 64MB of VRAM

so i think i'll be safe with my 70 dollar 9600 card. that will most lieky be the highest end game i end up playing. Im more of an old school player anyways. Diablo 2, starcraft, dungeon keeper 2, Populous the beggining, maybe some civilization 3 every once and while. Nothing too crazy that this card won'e be able to handle

Keep in mind that when they do these minimums and recommended graphics card they go with what will run the game with everything turned down (graphicly speaking). I would really recommend what lasereth recommended for parts. You can always upgrade the AMD processor for pretty darn cheap later on and have a decent gfx card. Sure, the 9600 will run Guild Wars, but it by no means will make it nearly as enjoyable as playing it on the 9800 Pro. I'm surprised at how long the card itself has stayed up there, but it is a damn good card. Just don't be like I was until I upgraded my graphics card recently:

thanx for the advice, but i figure it will be cheaper, not to mention easier, to upgrade to a higher video card, than get a new processor. it's a lot easiter on me anyways

I was thinking that also, but wasn't going to keep arguing ;)
A vid card is far cheaper than a CPU upgrade. Just buy a better vid card as your needs change. :thumbsup:

i plan to do that, but i've been removed from y computer for the better part of most days. I didn't do to great this quarter in my school work. so they stole my power cords :(

luckily they suck at hiding things. anyways i'm not sure when im gonna be able to do this project now, but i'm going to do it proly before or durring summer.

ok guys i need some fast repsonese so please help fast cause im checking stuff before i purchase

this is the motherboard/chipset im gonna get

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...194&CatId=1734

i wanna know if everything else will work with it

the fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811999452

keyboard, no real concern
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823107120

Memory, Need to know!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820141436

power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103934

Graphics Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102305


heres my hard drive and OS
OS

hard drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152014
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16837102151


trying to cut costs a little so im thinking of going for the PS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817159022


It's 20 bucks cheaper and it has good reveiws form most everyone who bought it

www.frozencpu.com

they have some cool cases, but they are a little on the expensive side. I use these guys for modding supplies a lot.

Check out the Diabolic and Sunbeam cases....

i got a decent case for 20 bucks so im set their

Alright guys i put everything together and plugged it in to try it out, it turned on for a second, and then everyhting shut off. Any suggestions of what i might have done wrong.The LED lights in teh front turn on and the green one udner the one button flashes , but other than that nothing. Im in a jam :(

Re-check ALL your connections against the MOBO manual and failing that remove all the non-essentials... take it down to just the board, ram, cpu/fan, & video card.
You can test things out without the drives connected.

Also, reseat the ram... all to often people are to careful with it and don't seat it properly.

When you say it turned on for a second... did you get any video signal at all?

Cheers,
DukeNukem

no video signal that i could see. The power supply fan turned on and then off after like 5 seconds.

Did you get any constant beeping... like in a patern?
Like three fast beeps pause three fast beeps pause... means no video signal detected... i.e. bad video card or not correctly installed into the slot.
Pull it out and put it back in if you have this sound.

Please tell me the CPU fan is plugged into the CORRECT spot... there are a couple of them that look the same... only the right one will do.

One more bit of advice before I jump into bed...

If all else fails and nothing I or anyone else posts works... take the board out of the case and place it on a NON-CONDUCTIVE surface like wood or something else.
With the cpu/fan and ram plugged into the board make only the connection for the power switch and the actual power supply to the board. Be careful with the monitor cable connection to the video card as it might try to pull the video card out of the board... with power on this would be VERY BAD! Just make sure it does not. Hook up the keyboard and that's it.... hit the power switch on the front of the case.

You will of course have the case lying next to the removed board for this to take place.

The test here will tell you if the board is grounding out someplace in the case that you can't see.

If it powers up into the bios then you have your answer... :thumbsup:

havedn't tried that yet, im prolly gonna take every cord out and go through the book that came with my mother board step by step. Then i'll try the things u suggested


I got frustrated last night and just went to bed

Make sure you reset CMOS.

I hope you made sure you were grounded from static ownage ...

I build computers every day (it's my current job) and the first thing I would suspect/try is the power switch. especially since it's a 'cheap' case ...

either use a test power switch you know works, or perhaps the screwdriver trick works in this case? (i've seen it done, but never tried it myself, so i'm not going to suggest you go poking at your motherboard with a screwdriver).

alright guys we found a solution to the first problem,but we don't know how safe it is,and we have a second problem now.

We switched the red switch in the backto 230 and it powers everything. Now im not sure how safe this is.


Problem 2,I don't get a signal 2 my monitor,any suggestions?

well it turns out that the instuction book was incorrect. the golden arrow onteh processor shouldn't be facing the locking mechanism hinge, long story short 4 pins are bent. My dads taking them to where he works up at APG to see if any of those army computer nerds can straighten the pins, but this probably was my problem i always was bad at puzzels...

Chances are even IF the pins can be bent back the cpu will be dead.. and IF you try to return it for replacement they will no doubt notice the damage and not give you a new one.
I'm still scratching my head trying to figure out how the hell you managed to shoe horn the damn thing onto the board?!?

Good Luck... cause your gonna need it!

thanx, the instructiuons in the book were wrong, so im hoping that they're at fault


teh good news is my dad works with really really smart comptuer people, so they might be able to fix it, he's a plastics engineer at the science research base for the army. He is freinds with a couple of the computer nerds so with some luck they can straighten the pins and have anotehr go at it. if not then im down about 100-150 bucks assuming my angry letter fails

anyways my dad straightened the pins out and it runs on the normal 115 now, except when i turn it on with everything good i get no visual signal, it's not the video card, i tryed it in another computer, and i tryed a different card in mine and it didn't work, any suggestions

as far as websites go......you might look at elitepc.com

they have quite an assortment pretty much everything.

So the computer isn't turning off after 5 seconds now? It's constantly running? No video signal?

Perhaps you did damage to the motherboard slot.

BTW, for the power .. If I recall correctly, europeans use 230v setting? America is about half that (~110~120ish) .. i think... I hope..

Also, make sure you reset the CMOS :D

alright heres mny status, i now have the computer running on normal 115 american setting

it runs constantly
and i get no video signal on the monitor, like the video card slot isn't working.



whats a CMOS and how would i reset it, and what would it do?

CMOS = Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor -- it's a chip backed up by battery that holds basic system information. It is advised to reset the CMOS every time a CPU is installed.

Do this grounded, with the PC off, disconnected from the PSU:

Look in your Motherboard manual for something talking about "CMOS reset jumper". Basically it will be a set of pins on the motherboard with a thingy covering two pins. Take that jumper and move it so it covers the middle pin and the previously uncovered pin. Let it sit for ... mmm ... 30 seconds ... and then move it to the other pins.

If you can't find shit in the manual, check for these "jumpers" near the battery on the motherboard.

Here's what it should look like

[XOO] X = Uncovered Pin; O = Pin covered by Jumper

Move that jumper so it is now like:

[OOX] X = Uncovered Pin; O = Pin covered by Jumper

Sorry to sound like a retard in this post, even if you don't need to do this, it's still good practice and I wanted to break it down as much as i could.

so if that wasn't reset then the monitor might get the signal, i'll give it a shot

tryed it to no avail, any other possiblie solutions?

I still say it's either a bad cpu or bad motherboard...
I know you said your dad fixed the pins but I believe the cpu got messed up internally on the circut paths when it was installed wrong.
The only other possability is the board got a little jacked either with the cpu mess or when you turned the power up to 230 on the power supply.
If you want to save time and your sanity... replace them both!

-Cheers

Yeah dude, you're gonna wanna replace both of them. Switching it to 230 probably did some damage, and putting the chip in wrong probably did damage to the socket on the motherboard.

well i can prolly say the board is faulty, u think i can get a new chip for free too?

No.

I hope not, at least.

dude, wtf?

I've not yet seen a proc/socket combo that you couldn't look at the pins and look at the holes and match it together properly.


yaay that you rtfm'd ... but building a computer also requires a bit of brain engagement as well.



People make mistakes while building stuff, indeed. I'm certainly not free from that.

but when people don't want to take responsibility for those mistakes .. meh.

/me realises she needs to bite her tongue. now.

/end 'dude, wtf?'

i followed the instructions in the mother board book that said the golden arrow should point towards the hinge of the lock, it was wrong, i looked at the picture in the book, it said that the, soon to be discovered, right placemnt of the chip was "inccorrect cpu placemnt" I had never build a computer before so i didn't know that their was a difference in the pins in each corner. Non the less im going to try and get refunded, but if not i'll just break down and buy a new one...

IMHO you would have been better off asking one of your geeky/nerdy friends to show you how to put together a new computer. Putting together a computer requires a little discretion... how much force can be used when doing this or that, etc. Most geeks I know got their start by taking apart old computers and putting them back together. In fact, I'd say that's how most mechanical geeks I know got their start in cars too.

Somewhat with Oberon on that. I don't think I had opened a ZIF until I went to put my LGA775 in. Yeah, I'd done RAM and a video card, but I did very well the first time.

I messed up as I didn't reset the CMOS - this is why I posted the warning. I flipped out because the mobo (connected to a stupid little case speaker) went bonkers and sounded like a fire alarm. Scared the hell out of me. Then I turned it off and reset the CMOS, and I was fine.

The second mistake wasn't entirely my fault - ABIT does not package Serial ATA power cables. Had to wait two days before I could get my stinky little hands on them.


I hate to say it, but I really agree with SiN. Building computers take KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, and PATIENCE - and it sounds like you don't really have any of the above in this subject. You really are better off just buying a new motherboard and CPU and letting the "army computer nerds" do it for you - it'd be a shame to blow two boards.

lol well i only really made one mistake durring the whole building process and it turned out to be a big one, if i eever do make another computer i will look at the bottom of my CPU instead of following the shitty dirrections...