Yeah every thing looks good but it can still be a little better if you decided to go with an amd 64 2800+ paired up with an msi mobo. In gaming amd 64 2800+ performs better than a p4 3.0 ghz so its definately a nice bergain and it cost about 120 bucks.
Actually, that's not fair to compare those two processors up there because they've got different mobos. I'll do some looking around and search for an AMD Athlon 64 2800+ then.
Ah, I see...the bus speed on the Athlons is so much higher, more than double...that would be why they're faster than it appears.
Intel Pentium 4 LGA 530 3.0 GHZ 800 FSB ,NVIDIA GeForce 6800 ultra GT 256MB, Corsair DDR 400, 1G , Western Digital 200 GB SATA 7200 RPM Hard Drive,Thermaltake Silver Aluminum Tsunami Case w/ 400 W Power Supply and oh ya geforce 6800 suks if it isn't ultra
my signature is---> Richard Doan AHHH WTF i can't write in cursive!! Should be called Hand Printed Name. Oh well Silly MMORPG.COM
"you can run but you cant hide, come out , come out where ever you are!"
Originally posted by sifa Yeah every thing looks good but it can still be a little better if you decided to go with an amd 64 2800+ paired up with an msi mobo. In gaming amd 64 2800+ performs better than a p4 3.0 ghz so its definately a nice bergain and it cost about 120 bucks.
yeah bro, i think you're right about that statement, but if you can, get the 3000+ or the 3200+. THe price difference isn't that much for the performance boost you'd be getting
Would the type of motherboard make much of a difference..? I'm looking at the MSI ones like you said but I can't decide which one would be the best for the money...mostly because I don't know what to look for in a motherboard. http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/searchtools/search.asp?mnf=590&cat=13 is the link, maybe you guys can choose one for me?
Well, the first two on that page can't support AMD Athlon 64's, so that rules them out.
from various reviews, i'd choose the ASUS "A7N8X-E Deluxe" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard. Reason being is it's had excellent reviews and is an athlon 64 socket motherboard. If you are thinking about adding a PCI-e graphics card later on though, i wouldn't know much about those kinda motherboards and would like to have feedback on those. I'm thinking about just getting a PCI-e compatible motherboard so i won't have to upgrade in future terms. But i have no clue
but if you are just lookin at MSI motherboards, i'd get the #4 on that link you provided.
I am not a big fan of AMD processors, but if you are going to get one an ASUS board with N-force chipset is probably the way to go. Another good brand that probably isn't well know is Albatron. Check out their range of motherboards at www.albatron.com.tw . I have been selling there graphics cards and motherboards for twelve months now and have found them very reliable and price competitive. All their boards carry a three year warranty also.
I agree with the PCI -express option, AGP cards are now all but obsolite. As for cases, check that the case is a thermally advantaged case, as this will help cool the pci express card and help save spending money on extra case fans (you can tell these cases by the tunnel mod on the side that vents outside air directly to the processor, aswell as an added air intake grille above the graphics card section of the case). As mentioned above, also check that the case has sufficient space for the hardware you are going to be housing. I find thermaltake cases (www.thermaltake.com) are quite good, and generally worth the extra expense.
Check for sufficient space for extra cooling fans (my case has enough mounting area for six aditional fans- i only use four atm) as you may need to add them with further hardware adittions.
Does the case have front pannel audio, USB and firewire ports? more questions you may want to think of depending on what you do with your computer.
Cheaper cases are renowned for limited hard drive bays (usually have only two instead of 4+, and also have thin unrolled sheet metal in the chassis instead of thicker metal and niced rolled edges- yourt hands will thank you when you avoid nasty cuts).
Basically check the case has the features you want at a decent price, do your homework before purchasing.
Well...I've done my best to make sure all the components are compatible with each other..making sure the motherboard supports my sound/video cards, dual-channel memory, hard drive, etc. Here's my updated list...the only things I don't have, or know anything about, is the cooling I'll need in my computer, and the space I'll have to do it inside my case (it's a good looking case, it comes with a power supply, AND it's cheap? Leads me to believe it's small.) Maybe you guys can help me out with choosing the cooling I'll need?
EDIT: One more question...if the video card says 7.1 Channel, do I need a motherboard that has 7.1 Channel audio as well? Or is the 7.1 Channel on the motherboard just built-in audio?
The only thing that I'd suggest is that you upgrade your harddrive a bit to something with at least an 8mb cache. I got a 200gig, 7200 rpm, 8mb cache seagate hard drive for just $130.
Also Abyss you can find a 6600gt, the PCI express version, for alot cheaper than $260. Newegg has the XFX one for like $200. I've noticed the Tigerdirect really does have some high prices.
Now then, my processor will definitely be an AMD Athlon 64, but I'm not sure of the motherboard I want, or any of the cooling I need (I have NO idea what kind of cooling my computer will need, this is the first one I've built and the only time I've opened up this computer is to upgrade my video card). I'm assuming that if a motherboard says "5.1 Channel" that it won't support my 7.1 Channel sound card. But...after doing a little bit of checking, my speakers mention 5.1 Channel, so I'll probably be able to 'downgrade' my sound card/motherboard to 5.1 Channel. Meaning...I'd switch to this:
If the motherboard says 5.1 channel sound, that's because it has a built-in soundcard. Probably the nvidia chipset. You should still be able to put your 7.1 soundcard into it and use that instead.
I'm not yet entirely sold on the 64bit computing for gaming systems. No current games really take advantage of such a system, and I've not heard of any coming down the pike that do, either. Maybe someone else on this thread knows differently?
My personal preference would be to buy a 32 bit processor and board, and spend tha money on RAM instead.
Well, thanks for the quick answer. So, I can have my motherboard that says 5.1 channel sound, put in a sound card that has 7.1 channel sound, and have my speakers with 5.1 sound, and it'll all work then?
Sounds good. I think my computer is about ready then. Now to just find a cheaper place to get all the stuff...
I've gone to www.newegg.com before looking for a new video card, and I like them, but it seems that after I convert it into Canadian it's actually more expensive than if I got it at www.tigerdirect.ca or www.canadacomputers.com. When I got my Radeon 9200se (piece of junk, not good for anything, but still a step up from my nVidia Vanta 16-bit card), www.canadacomputers.com was actually a little cheaper. I'll check it out though. Does anyone know what the current currency rate between Canadian and American is?
hmm...how about www.pricewatch.com ? that site has various sites that sell a particular part you are looking for. Not sure about shipping fees and whatnot though
Hmm...well, for right now I'll stick with www.tigerdirect.ca. Anyways, I was wondering what it means by OEM on some of the stuff (the hard drive, the Windows XP Home operating system...) and was curious what it means.
OEM means original equipment manufacturer or in other words, a product that is sold outside it's box, without it's manual, no wires, just the actual product. For example, when you buy an OEM processor, you JUST get the processor itself, and not the box, heatsink, and thermal paste. It's not a bad thing though, but i wouldn't recommend it for people who are just starting to build computers. pricewise, it saves you money
Is it impossible to get a retail hard drive online or something? I'm going over everything to check if it's retail or not (I want retail so it's easier to install) and every single hard drive I've looked at is OEM! There are no retail ones...so I guess I'll settle for an OEM, if someone can tell me what I need with it.
EDIT: And same with the operating system (Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition), all I can find it the OEM version...or is that all you can get for operating systems?
now that i notice, almost all of my parts are OEM. retail is like...for REALLY REALLY REALLY clueless people who would need instructions for every single bit of detail. Or for a person that would like to have a box collection of their parts since the great guys at mmorpg.com have hinted you with help for various parts, i'm sure you're very aware of what each part does and what not...soo i'd go with the OEM
Well, the main reason I wanted the retail version is because I'm assuming they come with all the necessary cables, and the OEM versions don't. And I'm not sure what cables I would need if the OEM version doesn't have them (and I'm assuming they don't). Oh well, all my parts appear to be retail (except Windows XP), so I shouldn't have any problems with that.
Comments
Yeah every thing looks good but it can still be a little better if you decided to go with an amd 64 2800+ paired up with an msi mobo. In gaming amd 64 2800+ performs better than a p4 3.0 ghz so its definately a nice bergain and it cost about 120 bucks.
Ah, I see...the bus speed on the Athlons is so much higher, more than double...that would be why they're faster than it appears.
well heres my comp
Intel Pentium 4 LGA 530 3.0 GHZ 800 FSB ,NVIDIA GeForce 6800 ultra GT 256MB, Corsair DDR 400, 1G , Western Digital 200 GB SATA 7200 RPM Hard Drive,Thermaltake Silver Aluminum Tsunami Case w/ 400 W Power Supply
and oh ya geforce 6800 suks if it isn't ultra
my signature is---> Richard Doan AHHH WTF i can't write in cursive!! Should be called Hand Printed Name. Oh well Silly MMORPG.COM
"you can run but you cant hide, come out , come out where ever you are!"
Well, the first two on that page can't support AMD Athlon 64's, so that rules them out.
from various reviews, i'd choose the ASUS "A7N8X-E Deluxe" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard. Reason being is it's had excellent reviews and is an athlon 64 socket motherboard. If you are thinking about adding a PCI-e graphics card later on though, i wouldn't know much about those kinda motherboards and would like to have feedback on those. I'm thinking about just getting a PCI-e compatible motherboard so i won't have to upgrade in future terms. But i have no clue
but if you are just lookin at MSI motherboards, i'd get the #4 on that link you provided.
MSI K8NNeo-FSR nVidia Socket 754 ATX Motherboard
Anybody know if A-Top cases are any good? I know the people at ibuypower.com use them but just wondering if anybody happened to have one.
a top? as in...?
I have a raidmax scorpio 868 midtower (yes, ibuypower sells them)
I can tell you this, it's cramped.
Very cramped.
I can't install a larger heatsink in order to overclock because the power supply is wedged right next to the motherboard.
That's the only thing I can find wrong with it.
http://www.facebook.com/murtb
I am not a big fan of AMD processors, but if you are going to get one an ASUS board with N-force chipset is probably the way to go. Another good brand that probably isn't well know is Albatron. Check out their range of motherboards at www.albatron.com.tw . I have been selling there graphics cards and motherboards for twelve months now and have found them very reliable and price competitive. All their boards carry a three year warranty also.
I agree with the PCI -express option, AGP cards are now all but obsolite. As for cases, check that the case is a thermally advantaged case, as this will help cool the pci express card and help save spending money on extra case fans (you can tell these cases by the tunnel mod on the side that vents outside air directly to the processor, aswell as an added air intake grille above the graphics card section of the case). As mentioned above, also check that the case has sufficient space for the hardware you are going to be housing. I find thermaltake cases (www.thermaltake.com) are quite good, and generally worth the extra expense.
Check for sufficient space for extra cooling fans (my case has enough mounting area for six aditional fans- i only use four atm) as you may need to add them with further hardware adittions.
Does the case have front pannel audio, USB and firewire ports? more questions you may want to think of depending on what you do with your computer.
Cheaper cases are renowned for limited hard drive bays (usually have only two instead of 4+, and also have thin unrolled sheet metal in the chassis instead of thicker metal and niced rolled edges- yourt hands will thank you when you avoid nasty cuts).
Basically check the case has the features you want at a decent price, do your homework before purchasing.
Well...I've done my best to make sure all the components are compatible with each other..making sure the motherboard supports my sound/video cards, dual-channel memory, hard drive, etc. Here's my updated list...the only things I don't have, or know anything about, is the cooling I'll need in my computer, and the space I'll have to do it inside my case (it's a good looking case, it comes with a power supply, AND it's cheap? Leads me to believe it's small.) Maybe you guys can help me out with choosing the cooling I'll need?
EDIT: One more question...if the video card says 7.1 Channel, do I need a motherboard that has 7.1 Channel audio as well? Or is the 7.1 Channel on the motherboard just built-in audio?
1.8 GHz AMD Athlon 64 2800+ Processor, 1GB Dual-Channel Corsair RAM, Maxtor 80 GB/7200 RPM Hard Drive, CD/DVD Burner, WIndows XP Home, Surround Sound w/7.1 Channel Sound Card, XFX GeForce 6600 GT/128 MB DDR3 Video Card, 3.5 Inch Floppy Drive, Optical Wireless Mouse, Soyo Multimedia Keyboard, Diablo ATX Mid-Tower Case w/450 Watt Power Supply
$1445.84
Case/Power Supply
Diablo ATX Mid-Tower Case with 450Watt Power Supply, Front Neon Lights, Front USB and Audio Ports $49.97
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=720575&Sku=D15-1010
Motherboard/CPU
Chaintech ZNF3-250 Socket 754 ATX Motherboard with AMD Athlon 64 2800+ Processor $404.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=876366&sku=MBM-ZNF3-2800
Hard Drive
Maxtor 80GB / 7200 / 2MB / ATA-133 / EIDE Hard Drive $91.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=440429
Video Card
XFX GeForce 6600 GT / 128MB DDR3 / PCI Express / Dual DVI / TV Out / Video Card $269.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1118390&CatId=1559
Memory
Corsair Value Select Dual Channel 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz Memory ( 2 x 512MB ) $222.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=669365&sku=C13-4911
Operating System
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition OEM Version $134.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=335878&sku=M17-7500
CD/DVD Drive
Sony DRU710A / 16x4x16x DVD+RW / 8x4x16x DVD-RW / 2.4x DVD+R DL / 48x24x40x CD-RW / Dual / Nero Software / DVD Burner $109.97
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1045578&CatId=89
Sound Card
Chaintech 7.1 Channel PCI 24HT-S Sound Card $33.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=23680&CatId=107
Mouse
Kensington / 72216 / Pilot / Wireless / Optical / Mouse $35.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1085670&CatId=1285
Keyboard
Soyo Multi-Media Keyboard $9.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1113587&sku=S450-5201
3.5 Inch Floppy Drive
1.44 MB Floppy Disk Drive (Black) $26.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=313606&Sku=TC1-6000%20BL
Speakers
RWTI Cintre RW-6510 6 PCS Surround Sound System $53.99
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=672370&CatId=492
The only thing that I'd suggest is that you upgrade your harddrive a bit to something with at least an 8mb cache. I got a 200gig, 7200 rpm, 8mb cache seagate hard drive for just $130.
that setup seems pretty nice abyssKnight. How much would that motherboard alone cost though?
A-top as in the brand Murt. Not Raidmax.
Also Abyss you can find a 6600gt, the PCI express version, for alot cheaper than $260. Newegg has the XFX one for like $200. I've noticed the Tigerdirect really does have some high prices.
Okay, I'm switching to a different hard drive for one thing...a 200GB, 7200 RPM, 8MB buffer model...very inexpensive... http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=423018&Sku=THD-2000JB%20P
Now then, my processor will definitely be an AMD Athlon 64, but I'm not sure of the motherboard I want, or any of the cooling I need (I have NO idea what kind of cooling my computer will need, this is the first one I've built and the only time I've opened up this computer is to upgrade my video card). I'm assuming that if a motherboard says "5.1 Channel" that it won't support my 7.1 Channel sound card. But...after doing a little bit of checking, my speakers mention 5.1 Channel, so I'll probably be able to 'downgrade' my sound card/motherboard to 5.1 Channel. Meaning...I'd switch to this:
Motherboard/Processor:
Chaintech VNF3-250 Socket 754 ATX Motherboard and AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1017850&CatId=1181
Sound Card: Not sure, but you guys might be able to help choose one?
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/Category/category_slc.asp?CatId=107
Speakers:
RWTI Cintre RW-6510 6 PCS Surround Sound System
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=672370&CatId=492
If the motherboard says 5.1 channel sound, that's because it has a built-in soundcard. Probably the nvidia chipset. You should still be able to put your 7.1 soundcard into it and use that instead.
I'm not yet entirely sold on the 64bit computing for gaming systems. No current games really take advantage of such a system, and I've not heard of any coming down the pike that do, either. Maybe someone else on this thread knows differently?
My personal preference would be to buy a 32 bit processor and board, and spend tha money on RAM instead.
Well, thanks for the quick answer. So, I can have my motherboard that says 5.1 channel sound, put in a sound card that has 7.1 channel sound, and have my speakers with 5.1 sound, and it'll all work then?
Sounds good. I think my computer is about ready then. Now to just find a cheaper place to get all the stuff...
Yeah I wasnt aware you were in Canada Abyss. I would say probably stick with Tigerdirect.
EDIT: And same with the operating system (Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition), all I can find it the OEM version...or is that all you can get for operating systems?
now that i notice, almost all of my parts are OEM. retail is like...for REALLY REALLY REALLY clueless people who would need instructions for every single bit of detail. Or for a person that would like to have a box collection of their parts
since the great guys at mmorpg.com have hinted you with help for various parts, i'm sure you're very aware of what each part does and what not...soo i'd go with the OEM 
edit : you can try lookin here also, the site recommends pricegrabber http://www.guru3d.com/index.php?page=pcbuyguide