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Getting a new computer

Deus Ex Machina

New member
i've been allocated a maximum of $2,000 for a new computer.

can anyone here 'build' me a good computer? maybe recommend brands video cards, sound cards, etc.

I will choose other things like the amount of RAM and hard drive space, etc.

I just need recommendations on the other things. Thanks a lot. K to ya if I can.

I can also have a laptop, but I don't really have the use for it... Plus I don't think they're as good as a desktop (am i right?)
 
Deus Ex Machina said:
I can also have a laptop, but I don't really have the use for it... Plus I don't think they're as good as a desktop (am i right?)


I have both and they both have their uses. For example, if you want to take a crap but don't want to miss a moment of posting of reading EF whimsy, you take your lap top in with you (wireless is easy and very cheap these days).
 
You need a honking 100 gig hard drive
128MB Video card minimum
Half a gig of memory minimum
When you buy the Mother Board do the bundle that has a processor already on there, much cheaper and saves alot of trouble.

This place has great prices and can give you an idea of what's out there
http://www.tigerdirect.com/
 
www.newegg.com
www.pricewatch.com

Chip & mobo: AMD XP 3000+ and a compatible ABIT mobo.. ($135 + 130ish)
RAM: corsair or crucial -- depends on how much u need.
Power supply: enermaxx 450W - about $80-100
Storage: WD 80GB ($55) or 120GB ($75) at newegg.com as a special
Soundcard: Either a Hercules Fortissimo ($30) or an SB Live 5.1
Video: ATI Radeon 9800 PRO - $200
CD-Rom/RW DVD stuff: www.plextor.com - $200 for a nice combo
Mouse + keyboard: Logitech.. check out the wireless combo at newegg if its still there
Monitor: check out samsung and viewsonic... both make great CRTs and flat panels
floppy: $10
Case, mods, fans, heatsinks: www.frozencpu.com, www.coolerguys.com, www.xoxide.com


TOTAL: about $1300 without a monitor
 
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This is all from newegg.com

Qty Product Item # Unit Price Qty x Price

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
ANTEC Black Performance Series II Mini Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SX635BII" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Mini Tower
Color: Black
Material: 1mm SECC Steel
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 3/0, 3.5" x 2/3 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2xUSB & 1xIEEE1394 Port
Power Supply: 350W SmartPower ATX12V
Cooling System: Up to 3x80mm Fans 1 Rear(Standard), 2 Front(Optional)
Mainboard Compatibility: Fits standard ATX
Dimensions: 17.25"x8.1"x18.6" more info>
N82E16811129125 $74.00
$74.00

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
Lite-On Black 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive, Model LTR-52327S, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: 52X CD-R, 32X CD-RW
Read Speed: 52X CD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows 95/98/NT/ME/XP/2000
Features: Innovated SMART-BURN technology
Remark: OEM pack (see pictures for details) more info>
N82E16827106197 $38.00
$38.00

Lite-On Black 8X DVD+/-RW Drive, Model SOHW-812S, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 12X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2 MB
OS Support: Windows 98 / NT 4.0 / ME / 2000 / XP
Features: SMART-BURN avoiding Buffer Under Run error, VAS to reduce vibration & noise during recording & reading
Remark: OEM Package (see pictures for details) more info>
N82E16827106936 $103.00
$103.00

Fans, Heatsinks (Case, CPU, Chipset)
Thermaltake 80mm LED Fan for PC case and CPU fan, Model "A2016" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Compatibility: PC case and CPU fan
Dimensions: 80 x 80 x 25 mm
Bearing Type: 1 Ball 1 Sleeve
Nominal Speed(RPM): 1300 ± 20% RPM at 20°C~ 4800 ± 10% RPM at 55°C
Max Air Flow(CFM): 21.6~ 72.5
Max Pressure: 1.51~ 8.46mm-H2O
Rated Voltage: 12V
Connector: 3 Pin
Noise(dBA): 17 at 1300 RPM~ 48.5 at 4800 RPM
Special Features: Smart LED Fan (3 functions in 1):
1. Full speed when jumper on
2. Temperature control : Fan speed varies according to the temp detected by the sensor
3. Manual control : Adjust fan speed manually more info>
N82E16811999120 $11.05
$44.20


Thermaltake EXTREME VOLCANO 12, All Copper. 2 Adjustable fan speed controllers, installs in expension slot or in the front (in 3.5" drive bay) for AMD Athlon XP up to 3400+ -RETAIL
Specifications:
Compatibility: AMD Athlon XP up to 3400+
Dimensions: Fan: 80 x 80 x 32 mm, HeatSink: 82 x 65.6 x 49 mm
Bearing Type: Dual Ball Bearing
Nominal Speed(RPM): 2000 ± 10% RPM at 20ºC~ 5500 ± 10% RPM at 55ºC
Max Air Flow:(CFM): 26.5 CFM at 20ºC~ 72.92 CFM at 55ºC
Max Pressure: 3.29 mm-H2O at 20ºC, 9.06 mm-H2O at 55ºC
HeatSink Material: Copper
Rated Voltage: 12V
Noise(dBA): 21 at 2000 RPM, 48 at 5500 RPM more info>
N82E16835106035 $35.00
$35.00

Floppy Drives
SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy Disk Drive, Model MPF920, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44MB
Average Access Time: 94 ms
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5 inch
Media Type: All Standard 1.44MB & 720KB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes
Features: High Quality and Reliability,Customized colors available
Remark: OEM more info>
N82E16821103116 $10.99
$8.5 ea.@10+
$7.75 ea.@20+
$7.5 ea.@60+
$10.99

Hard Drives
Seagate 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model ST3120022A, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 120GB
Average Seek Time: 8.5 ms
Buffer: 2MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: 350 Gs non-op shock, 3D Defense System
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
Remark: OEM more info>
N82E16822148020 $90.00
$90.00

Keyboards
Microsoft Black Multimedia Keyboard & Wheel Mouse Optical Bundle PS2 102keys -OEM
Specifications:
Interface: PS2
Number Of Keys: 102 keys + 17 Function Keys
Wireless Technology: N/A
Palm Rest: Detachable
Design Style: Standard
Mouse included: USB/PS2 Wheel Mouse Optical
Features: Enhanced F Key Functionality, Multimedia Center
*Must be Purchased with Hardware!* more info>
N82E16823109122 $35.00
$35.00

Memory (System Memory)
CORSAIR XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack)184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail
Specification
Manufacturer: CORSAIR
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 3-3-3-8
Support Voltage: 2.6V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info>
N82E16820145500 $287.00
$287.00

Modems IF NEEDED
US Robotics 56K V.90 Internal PCI Modem Data/Fax Only (No Voice), Model 3CP2977 - OEM
Specifications:
Interface: PCI Bus, Plug and Play
Standards: V.90 and earlier ITU standards
Chipset: 3Com
DTE Rate: 115200 bps maximum
Fax Speed: 14400bps
more info>
N82E16825104130 $38.99
$38.99

Monitors - CRT
ViewSonic E90FB 19" PerfectFlat CRT Monitor –RETAIL
Specifications:
CRT Type: PerfectFlat® screen
Dot Pitch: 0.25mm diagonal
Max / Optimal resolution: 1600x1200 @ 68Hz / 1280x1024 @ 80Hz
Frequency / Bandwidth: fh: 30~86kHz; fv: 50~150Hz / 175MHz
Features: SuperClear® technology, anti-reflection, anti-static screen coating
Dimensions & Weight: 18.1" x 18.8" x 18.6" (WxHxD), 48.5 lbs
Manufacturer's Warranty / Phone No.: 3 year limited warranty on CRT, parts and labor. / 800-688-6688 more info>

Standard Warranty only N82E16824116281 $219.00
$219.00

Motherboards - AMD
EPoX nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "EP-8RDA3+" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket A AMD Athlon/Athlon XP/Duron Processors
Chipset: nVIDIA nForce2 Ultra 400 + MCP
Max FSB: 400MHz
RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 3GB
IDE: 2x UltraDMA 133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS2,2xCOM,1xLPT,2xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: CMI9739 6-Channel Audio
Onboard LAN: Dual Realtek 8201 10/100M
Onboard SATA: Silicon Image Sil3112a SATA Controller, 2x SATA
Onboard 1394: Agere FW323 controller, 3x 1394(internal)
Form Factor: ATX more info>
N82E16813123198 $93.00
$93.00

Power Supplies
ENERMAX 460W Power supply for AMD K7, K8 & Pentium4, Model "EG465P-VE(FM)"
Specifications:
Type: ATX
Maximum Power: 460W
PFC: No
Power Good Signal: 100-500ms
Hold-up Time: 17ms min.
Efficiency: 70% min.
Over Voltage Protection: +5V 5.6-6.9V; +3.3V 3.7-4.5V; +5VSB 5.6-6.9V
Overload Protection: 105%~ 160%
Input Voltage: 90V~135V AC or 180V~265V AC
Input Frequency Range: 47Hz-63Hz
Input Current: 12A/ 7A
Output: +3.3V@35A; +5V@35A; -5V@1A; +12V@33A; -12V@1A; [email protected]
MTBF: 100K hours at 25ºC
Approvals: UL CUL VDE DEMKO NEMKO SEMKO FIMKO more info>
N82E16817103443 $78.00
$78.00

Processors
AMD Athlon XP 3000+ "Barton", 400 FSB, 512K Cache Processor - OEM
Specification
Model: AMD Athlon XP 3000+
Core: Barton
Operating Frequency: 2.1GHz
FSB: 400MHz
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.65V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket A
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: OEM(Chip Only) more info>
N82E16819103394 $159.00
$159.00

Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 PCI Sound Card, Model "SB0244" -OEM
Specifications:
Channels: 6.1
Max Sampling Rate: 192KHz
Signal-Noise Ratio: 106dB(SNR)
Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital EX 6.1
Digital Audio: 24-bit
Hardware Polyphony: 64 Voices
PC Interface: PCI
Connectors: Line-out, Line-in, Mic-in, SB1394/Firewire, Analog/Digital CD Audio in, Telephone Answering Device in, GAME/MIDI port via extension header(See Details)
External Box: N/A
Remote Control: N/A
Package included: See pics
Special Features: DVD Audio, THX, EAX Advanced HD more info>
N82E16829102158 $69.00
$69.00

Video Cards
ATI RADEON 9800XT Video Card, 256MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL[/B
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9800XT/412MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 256MB DDR/730MHz
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 Adapters, 2 Cables, Driver CD, Manual
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info>
N82E16814102317 $439.00
$439.00

Extend my Standard Warranty on the above qualified items: $95.65


Subtotal » $ 1,813.18
 
jerkbox said:
ehh....might be cheaper to just get a Dell or something these days.....they are so cheap

Agreed... Dell has 10% off and free shipping until wednesday actually..

You can build a top notch comp for under $2000 for sure... check out the 8300 models.
 
Deus Ex Machina said:
I can also have a laptop, but I don't really have the use for it... Plus I don't think they're as good as a desktop (am i right?)

Is this in addition to, or instead of, the desktop?

Laptops are fun toys, and can be useful if you need the portability feature, but do not measure up to the performance of a desktop system on a dollar for dollar basis.
 
I've been studying dvd/rw out the wazoo lately and have bought a firewire unit for the laptop and an ide (internal) for the desktop.

The best dvd writer right now is the nec 2500A. Newegg is selling the black bezel for $81 with free shipping right now.

The best dvd reader though is the Pioneer....106 I believe.

I have been camping out at www.cdfreaks.com. See their write up on the nec 2500A. Plextors used to be made by nec by the way.

Best media is Ty Youden but it is $$. Don't buy crap media, it is the most important ingredient in the dvd burning "cake". There are several other good manufacturers...pretty much all in Japan or Singapore.

Get a gig of RAM upgradeable to 4 gig if you work with photos/video.

MicroCenter has a dream computer for like $1100 last I checked but I decided to upgrade this ole buzzard instead.
 
if you looking for the most out of your money then spend it on another desktop - laptops are cool and convenient but bottem line is you will spend the same amount of money for a slower computer.


with 2 grand maximum you can get a fuckin awesome computer....i usually allocated the same amount of money for my past two purchases and ended up with the latest technology with a little money left over. those suggestions up there were looking promising.
 
here's what I bought from Dell 2 months ago for $1400 (shipping included)

Dell 8300

Pentium4 3Ghz processor with 800Mhz Front Side Bus
Western Digital 80Gb Hard Drive
Radeon 128Mb 9800 Pro Video Card
1 GB PC3200 Dual Channel Ram
Lite-On DVD drive
TEAC DVD+RW Burner
19 " CRT Monitor
Windows XP
Floppy Drive
Modem

I have since reformatted my hard drive and reinstalled Windows XP minus all of the pre-loaded Dell Software (ie AOL, Earthlink, Dell Jukebox, Dell Picture studio, etc,..etc). I also sent back the TEAC drive and installed a Plextor DVD burner that burns + AND - DVD blanks. Its a great system at a great price. No complaints.....


I priced a similiar system at newegg.com ( A great site!!!) and I still couldn't beat the Dell price buiding my own system....
 
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