Yet another help me build my computer thread...

[cj2112]

So, I'm thinkin about doing my first build and this is what I'm looking at, anything i'm missing or anything that looks like trouble? All item numbers are Newegg.com item numbers.

ASUS Vintage-AH1 AMD Socket 939 AMD Athlon 64 FX/Athlon 64/Sempron ATI XPRESS 200 Barebone - Retail
Model #: Vintage-AH1
Item #: N82E16856110043
$142.00

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM
Model #: ND-3550A BK OEM
Item #: N82E16827152058
$39.75

Floppy Drives
MITSUMI Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM
Model #: D359M3D/D359M3B
Item #: N82E16821104101
$7.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3808110AS 80GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3808110AS
Item #: N82E16822148107
$63.00

Video Cards
MSI NX6800-TD128E Geforce 6800 128MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: NX6800-TD128E
Item #: N82E16814127179
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$169.00

Memory - System
CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWINX2048-3200 - Retail
Model #: TWINX2048-3200
Item #: N82E16820145486
$195.00

Processors
AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3700BNBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3700BNBOX
Item #: N82E16819103539
$223.00

Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2 - OEM
Model #: E85-04026
Item #: N82E16837102062
$146.95 $146.95

[MexicanOnABike]

what kind of machine are you going for? gaming? work? just internet?
what's your budget?

edit:
you're missing:
-a Case(unless you have one)
-powersupply (if it's not with the case)
-mouse(get optical)
-keyboard
-soundcard(unless it's onboard)
-speakers
-monitor(LCD maybe?)
-extra fans or cooling(if you're gonna do some overclocking etc..)
-graphic tablet, webcam, gamepad,(as needed)
-computer desk, chair, etc..(incase you dont have any yet)

[cyrnel]

Throwing darts... we do need to know purposes to have a good aim.
XP Home instead of pro. -$75
1GB instead of 2 would probably be okay. -$100
Do you need a floppy drive? -$8
Go for the 250GB barracuda. $103 (N82E16822148065) +$34 (or two 80's for performance +$69)
If gaming, step up to the 6800GT or better video card.

[cj2112]

I'm looking at around 1000 dollars, the case is part of the barebones system. It includes the case, power supply and motherboard w/ onboard sound. The processor i've chosen has a fan, as does the video card and the case, I don't really plan on overclocking, at least not for a while. I have an optical mouse, I have a keyboard, I have speakers, a webcam and decent LCD monitor. I have a desk and chair so really all I'm concerned with is the box and what goes in it.

I don't do much gaming (mainly because my current PC has onboard 32MB video) but I'd like to be able to run just about anything my little heart desires. I will also be running AutoCAD with some frequency (I'm thinking about doing some drafting out of my home for the local cabinet and furniture shops)

I'm also on occasion going to be connecting from home, to our server at work.

Is the 100 dollar price difference between the 6800 vs. the 6800GT really worth it?

Is the price jump between memory labeled as value vs top notch memory just marketing or is there something to it?

[Dragonlich]

Are you sure you like such a smallish case? I tend to prefer big cases (with more power), simply because it's easier to plug everything in. OTOH, it's not *too* small...

The price difference between value vs. top notch memory is not just marketing. You'll get memory that is rated for higher speeds (not needed unless you overclock), and/or lower latency (i.e. faster memory, but barely). If I were you, I'd go for the lower priced value memory, and spend the rest of the money on other gadgets such as a faster CPU/vid card; that tends to add more performance. And 2 gig is a bit over the top at this moment. But I don't know what AutoCAD demands...

[Plaid13]

get windows xp home instead of pro and get corsair value ram instead of the fancy stuff. save a bunch of money right there and use it to step up your video card to a 7800gt. will run games alot better and xp pro is basicly just overpriced 99% of the planet wouldnt need anything pro has that home dosnt. and spend $30-40 on a sound card very important if you plan to play any games because onboard sound takes power away from your cpu and ram that should be used other places. not to mention even a cheap sound card will sound much better then the on board stuff. no idea why you would need or want a floppy drive anymore. i havnt used one since i had a 486 but for the price whatever. spend another $30-$40 on the hard drive and get a 250gig. 80gig fills up way too fast. and i would get at least 1 more fan for in the case. should always have both a intake and a exhaust fan its only a few dollars and its worth it in the end. i personaly use a 120mm exhaust fan and 2 80mm intakes and a air port right over the cpu.

[MooseMan3000]

Unless you're doing really complex, in depth modelling, AutoCAD uses virtually no resources. When I was learning it at school, we had 1.5 or so GHz machines, and while it wasn't as fast as I would have liked, I never had any major problems with it. Unless you're doing it professionally, 8-10 hours a day, what you have would be more than enough for your uses.

And definitely don't go with the Corsair XMS. While it does make a difference, the difference between that and Corsair value RAM won't be noticable to the majorty of users. Get 1 GB of value RAM and save some cash.

As far as the graphics card goes, if you're used to a machine with 32 MB onboard video, the 6800 will be beyond your wildest dreams of performance. Unless you plan on gaming, it's plenty. I'd even wager you don't need that much, but it's really your call.

Also, doesn't that barebones system have onboard video? I'd forego the barebones system in favor of an inexpensive case/motherboard. But then again, I've never been a huge fan of barebones.

Also: include a good mouse and mousepad in the purchase. I know you have an "optical mouse," but a good mouse will make a lot of difference for you. It will make drafting much easier and more precise, and general use a lot more comfortable. I'm a fan of Logitech mice, but there are plenty of others to chose from.

[Lucifer]

I'd skip the barebones system, (which seems to be wholesaler's methods of getting rid of hardware they don't want anymore), in favour of an empty case, psu, and mobo of your choice. PSUs in barebones systems suck anyway. If I was building a new system now, I'd at least plan for SLI capacity at some point in the future. What's the point of building your own system if, you are just going to fill it up with stock parts? Might as well buy from Dell!

[cj2112]

My optical is a decent Logitech it's not top of the line but it does the job well. Heres the updated list:

NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM
Model #: ND-3550A BK OEM
Item #: N82E16827152058
$39.75

ATX Computer Cases
NZXT TRINITY BLK Black/Silver SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 400 WATT PS2 ATX12V Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TRINITY BLK
Item #: N82E16811146015
$79.99

Internal Hard Drives
Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3250823AS
Item #: N82E16822148065
$108.00 -$5.00 Instant =$103.00

AMD-compatible Motherboards
ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: A8N-SLI Deluxe
Item #: N82E16813131517
$158.00

Video Cards
XFX PVT70GUDF7 Geforce 7800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: PVT70GUDF7
Item #: N82E16814150108
$289.00

Fans, Heatsinks (Case, CPU, Chipset)
ASPIRE CF3S 80mm Sleeve Case Cooling Fan - Retail
Model #: CF3S
Item #: N82E16811998105
$2.50

Memory - System
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail
Model #: VS1GBKIT400
Item #: N82E16820145440
$81.00

Processors
AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3700BNBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3700BNBOX
Item #: N82E16819103539
$223.00

Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 - OEM
Model #: N09-01528
Item #: N82E16837102059

$93.95
Subtotal:$1,070.19
Shipping: $47.70
Total: $1,117.89

I have about $80.00 left at the high end of my budget, which is pretty good. The case comes w/ a 400W power supply which I will replace w/ a decent power supply when it goes bad. I appreciate all the input from you guys, as this is my first build. As for why I don't buy one from Dell, I have an off the shelf system that I'm replacing. I'm stuck with what I have because of the proprietary parts (mobo and case specifically) they used, and I'd like to build my own. I do plan on doing some gaming, while it wont be 8 hours a day 7 days a week, I don't want to have to wonder whether my system will run whatever game it is I am thinking about buying.

[Dragonlich]

IMO, you should get a better power supply now. I'm always amazed people want to buy the best of the best for their computer, but when it comes to something as essential as a PSU, they go for low-cost "it'll work" units.

Just a scenario: suppose your PSU goes bad, and fries your motherboard and CPU?

...but that's just me.

[cj2112]

Originally Posted by Dragonlich

IMO, you should get a better power supply now. I'm always amazed people want to buy the best of the best for their computer, but when it comes to something as essential as a PSU, they go for low-cost "it'll work" units.

Just a scenario: suppose your PSU goes bad, and fries your motherboard and CPU?

...but that's just me.

point well made, now the question is thermaltake or antec....and why?

[MexicanOnABike]

bought an antec trupower 430W power supply brand new. 3months after, it's dead. completely dead. so i wouldnt recommend it. but that might be a 1 in a million failiure.

[Dragonlich]

Generally speaking, Antec has good power supplies. But so has thermaltake... And I suspect both have horror stories where a PSU died after a short period of time. But statistically, you're much more likely to have such a horror story with a cheap no-name (or bad-name) PSU.

(And it's also important to know what happens if the PSU dies. With a good PSU, only the PSU will die, leaving the rest of the system intact. If it's a bad PSU, it could fry your system.)

[Bossnass]

Originally Posted by MooseMan3000

Unless you're doing really complex, in depth modelling, AutoCAD uses virtually no resources. When I was learning it at school, we had 1.5 or so GHz machines, and while it wasn't as fast as I would have liked, I never had any major problems with it. Unless you're doing it professionally, 8-10 hours a day, what you have would be more than enough for your uses.

I can't quote actual figures, but I've recently used various autodesk apps, autocad the most, on several systems. From a P3-900 with 384 MB of RAM and an old Radeon 7000, to my newer amd 3500+ with 2 gigs and a 6600GT, to a big fat xeon based 4 gig of ram workstation.

I think all autodesk apps are bloated resource hogs. The time saved when you re-render, or just when you open the program, will be worth any reasonable upgrade, in my opinion.

When I bought my new system in the fall, I went ahead and bought an Antec Sonota II case. It is a bit larger, but it is designed to be quiet (and it is), and it comes with a 500W antec power supply, which came with a 5 year warranty and should be able to hangle any demands you'll throw at it.

I have a couple Electrical Eng student friends who just had to complete a research project in december. They compared performance vs ratings on six or seven PSUs. They found that some name brands are underrated; they ran a 500w thermaltake, pulling 600+ watts (variously with higher amperage pulls or higher voltage drops) for the duration of the research over 60 days with no problems. They also found that a 'no-name' brand, I think it was "aries", rated at 400W, burnt out after one day at 350W. In the interest of science (and full disclosure), the loads weren't from a computer system, but from some sort of rigged up multimeter-osciliscope that they could control.

[rlbond86]

floppy drive?

I highly suggest you get one. Windows XP requires you to use a floppy drive to load third party SATA drivers for new harddrives.

[Lucifer]

Look for a combo floppy/memory card reader. Expandablity is the keyword for me.

[Dragonlich]

Originally Posted by rlbond86

floppy drive?

I highly suggest you get one. Windows XP requires you to use a floppy drive to load third party SATA drivers for new harddrives.

Isn't that only needed for SATA raid? (Just wondering; my P4P800 has no problem with SATA drivers. And I have a floppy drive. Haven't used it once since I got it 18 months ago.)

[cj2112]

well if i really need one I can cannabalize one out my Compaq if I had to.

[sailor]

Hahaha, I bought a floppy drive just cause it was $6 on Newegg and I didn't want a gaping hole in my case where the floppy drive should have gone...

[cj2112]

ok parts are likely getting ordered this week, i still haven't decided whehter to go with a thermaltake, antec or enermax power supply, I'm thinking any one of the three will likely do just fine and it now comes down to what can I buy at a particular price point.