Well, like the title says, I'm getting ready to build a new machine. If all goes well I plan on moving out of my house and getting a new place this Fall. So, I need some new hardware. First, here's my system specs (so I can get some evaulations on what kind of performance boosts I'll see).
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 1700+
Mainboard: MSI K7T Turbo2
RAM: 640 MB PC133 SDRAM
Sound: SB Live! X-Gamer
Video: GeForce 4 Ti 4600 w/128 MB RAM
HD 1: 15 GB Western Digital (ATA 66, 7200 RPM)
HD 2: 40 MB Maxtor (ATA 100, 7200 RPM)
PSU: 400W Antec
I've looked around quite a bit to gauge prices. I'd like to keep my computer around the $700 range, without taking into account a monitor. NewEgg still seems to be the best place to get parts, so I did most of my research there. Here's what I came up with:
Case: MAXTOP Signature Series Type II Mid Tower PC; $27 + $15 s/h = $42
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 Prescott/ 2.8E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology (Retail); $178
Mainboard: MSI "865PE NEO2-PLS" i865PE Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU (Retail); $73
RAM: Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200; $85
Video: ATI Radeon 9600XT; ~$140
HD: Western Digital 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD1200JD; $96
PSU: Antec P4 ATX12V 400 Watt Power Supply With 2 Fans, Model "SL400"; $57 + $6 s/h = $63
Grand Total: $677
I most certainly want to get everyone's comments on these parts. Although nothing is set in stone, I'll comment on why I made some of my choices and ask some questions about certain technical aspects I don't quite understand.
First in regards to the processor, I have nothing against AMD. As mentioned above, I currently run an Athlon XP processor. I have nothing but respect for them. But looking at the chips available on NewEgg, Intel seems to have a wider range of chips available in my price range. Basically it looks like I can get more for my money with Intel (in regards to clock speed, FSB speed, and cache size). But I've also been reading about AMD's Athlon 64 processors. I don't know much about them, but are they worth looking into? Would I really be taking advantage of whatever it is this technology has to offer? I read an article in a local computer mag that said they're basically the best performing chip out there this year. It also said that the 64-bit version of Windows is due out in a few months to consumers. Would I be better off spending a little more now to take advantage of this later? Or would I be just as happy with the 32-bit version? Or maybe do you think Athlon 64 prices will go down once the 64-bit version of Windows hits shelves (does anyone have a more accurate date for that?) I should also note that I chose to buy the retail version because it comes with a heatsink and fan as well as a 3-year warranty for an extra $8.
To go along with the processor, I've selected an MSI board. I'm not very familiar with the different mainboard companies. The only brands I've owned are MSI and Abit. Since my Abit (and a friend's) both died in under two years, I've pretty much lost my faith in them. But my MSI board is solid, and I have no complaints. So I started with them, and picked a board in my price range that had all the features I wanted--namely support for the Prescott core and a nice built in sound card. Some of the slightly cheaper MSI boards seem to have issues with the Prescott core. But to me it seems stupid to go with a Northwood core for the same price (correct me if I'm wrong). However, I'm open to suggestions about the board as well.
The video card is something I'm completely open to changing. My price range is around $150 for the card. I've heard better things about ATI lately than I have NVidia. I don't game as much as I used to, so top performance is not as big a deal for me. As long as I can run the latest DX9 games like Doom 3, Pacific Assault, etc, with decent frame rates I'll be happy. I've heard that the manufacturer really doesn't much matter, so unless there's a huge problem with particular brands, I'll probably go with the cheaper one. Again, suggestions would be helpful.
The hard drive was another issue. EIDE or SATA? I've read up on both, and, as far as I can tell, SATA is faster and eaiser to work with (thinner cables, also means better airflow). But the evidence for SATA's superiority was thin at best. Is there any reason to get one over the other? I'm also partial to Western Digital. I've had issues with Maxtor drives, as have my friends. But this always seems to be a personal preference, as all HD manufacturers seem to have black marks on their records.
Finally, the PSU. I know better than to cheap out on this part. I've heard good things about Antec and Enermax, and both seem to be in the same price range. I think I'll need at least 400W to power everything I'll have set up. Anyone think I'll need more? I'll be running specs at least similar to what's been listed, plus an extra HD (I'll be pulling the 40 GB from this machine), and up to two optical drives (52x burner/DVD combo, maybe a spare CDROM). Maybe 420-450W would be better?
The case and the RAM were just picked for price. The case looks pretty solid and well ventilated for the cost. I don't really know much about RAM either, so if there's anything wrong with that chip, let me know. I just scrolled down until I found the first company I've heard of.
I think the main points of interest are easily the Athlon 64 and the 64-Bit version of Windows, the video card, and SATA vs. EIDE. I realize this is quite a lengthy post, but I trust the voices of the people on this board. If anyone has any advice for me I'd most appreciate it. I'd hate to buy something and find out that I could have done significantly better, even at a slightly higher cost.
Processor: AMD Athlon XP 1700+
Mainboard: MSI K7T Turbo2
RAM: 640 MB PC133 SDRAM
Sound: SB Live! X-Gamer
Video: GeForce 4 Ti 4600 w/128 MB RAM
HD 1: 15 GB Western Digital (ATA 66, 7200 RPM)
HD 2: 40 MB Maxtor (ATA 100, 7200 RPM)
PSU: 400W Antec
I've looked around quite a bit to gauge prices. I'd like to keep my computer around the $700 range, without taking into account a monitor. NewEgg still seems to be the best place to get parts, so I did most of my research there. Here's what I came up with:
Case: MAXTOP Signature Series Type II Mid Tower PC; $27 + $15 s/h = $42
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 Prescott/ 2.8E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology (Retail); $178
Mainboard: MSI "865PE NEO2-PLS" i865PE Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU (Retail); $73
RAM: Corsair Value Select 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200; $85
Video: ATI Radeon 9600XT; ~$140
HD: Western Digital 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD1200JD; $96
PSU: Antec P4 ATX12V 400 Watt Power Supply With 2 Fans, Model "SL400"; $57 + $6 s/h = $63
Grand Total: $677
I most certainly want to get everyone's comments on these parts. Although nothing is set in stone, I'll comment on why I made some of my choices and ask some questions about certain technical aspects I don't quite understand.
First in regards to the processor, I have nothing against AMD. As mentioned above, I currently run an Athlon XP processor. I have nothing but respect for them. But looking at the chips available on NewEgg, Intel seems to have a wider range of chips available in my price range. Basically it looks like I can get more for my money with Intel (in regards to clock speed, FSB speed, and cache size). But I've also been reading about AMD's Athlon 64 processors. I don't know much about them, but are they worth looking into? Would I really be taking advantage of whatever it is this technology has to offer? I read an article in a local computer mag that said they're basically the best performing chip out there this year. It also said that the 64-bit version of Windows is due out in a few months to consumers. Would I be better off spending a little more now to take advantage of this later? Or would I be just as happy with the 32-bit version? Or maybe do you think Athlon 64 prices will go down once the 64-bit version of Windows hits shelves (does anyone have a more accurate date for that?) I should also note that I chose to buy the retail version because it comes with a heatsink and fan as well as a 3-year warranty for an extra $8.
To go along with the processor, I've selected an MSI board. I'm not very familiar with the different mainboard companies. The only brands I've owned are MSI and Abit. Since my Abit (and a friend's) both died in under two years, I've pretty much lost my faith in them. But my MSI board is solid, and I have no complaints. So I started with them, and picked a board in my price range that had all the features I wanted--namely support for the Prescott core and a nice built in sound card. Some of the slightly cheaper MSI boards seem to have issues with the Prescott core. But to me it seems stupid to go with a Northwood core for the same price (correct me if I'm wrong). However, I'm open to suggestions about the board as well.
The video card is something I'm completely open to changing. My price range is around $150 for the card. I've heard better things about ATI lately than I have NVidia. I don't game as much as I used to, so top performance is not as big a deal for me. As long as I can run the latest DX9 games like Doom 3, Pacific Assault, etc, with decent frame rates I'll be happy. I've heard that the manufacturer really doesn't much matter, so unless there's a huge problem with particular brands, I'll probably go with the cheaper one. Again, suggestions would be helpful.
The hard drive was another issue. EIDE or SATA? I've read up on both, and, as far as I can tell, SATA is faster and eaiser to work with (thinner cables, also means better airflow). But the evidence for SATA's superiority was thin at best. Is there any reason to get one over the other? I'm also partial to Western Digital. I've had issues with Maxtor drives, as have my friends. But this always seems to be a personal preference, as all HD manufacturers seem to have black marks on their records.
Finally, the PSU. I know better than to cheap out on this part. I've heard good things about Antec and Enermax, and both seem to be in the same price range. I think I'll need at least 400W to power everything I'll have set up. Anyone think I'll need more? I'll be running specs at least similar to what's been listed, plus an extra HD (I'll be pulling the 40 GB from this machine), and up to two optical drives (52x burner/DVD combo, maybe a spare CDROM). Maybe 420-450W would be better?
The case and the RAM were just picked for price. The case looks pretty solid and well ventilated for the cost. I don't really know much about RAM either, so if there's anything wrong with that chip, let me know. I just scrolled down until I found the first company I've heard of.
I think the main points of interest are easily the Athlon 64 and the 64-Bit version of Windows, the video card, and SATA vs. EIDE. I realize this is quite a lengthy post, but I trust the voices of the people on this board. If anyone has any advice for me I'd most appreciate it. I'd hate to buy something and find out that I could have done significantly better, even at a slightly higher cost.