ok, total newb here..need advice

kduveykduvey san diego
edited May 2004 in Hardware
ok, for the last few days ive been looking into what hard ware componets i want to build my future "in my high schooler's room comp" (in other wards, a extreamely budget, but must be fast and have decent gaming abilitys. and of course, able to do homework/research). i have never built a comp, but have minor expiriance working on them, but i feel i can take on the task. here is my proposed sut up:


Linkworld Black/Silver ATX Mid-Tower Case with Clear Side Window and Neon Fan, Model "F3131-C2628-P4" -RETAIL

SOYO "SY-KT600 DRAGON PLUS V1.0" KT600 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL

GIGABYTE ATI RADEON 9200SE Video Card, 128MB DDR, 64-bit, TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "GV-R92S128T" -RETAIL

AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton", 333 FSB, 512K Cache Processor - OEM

Apacer 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-2700

SONY Beige 1.44MB 3.5Inch Floppy Disk Drive, Model MPF920, OEM

Hitachi 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model HDS722580VLSA80, OEM

Nyko Air Flo Optical Mouse USB -RETAIL

LITE-ON SK-1788/BS Standard Black/Silver Keyboard PS/2 104keys -RETAIL

CTX VL700 17" CRT Monitor -RETAIL

Aopen Gray 52X32X52X16 DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive, Model COM5232/AAH, Retail

JUSTER SP-3D108 2.1 Minitype Cinema Speakers -RETAIL

and to add to that list, i already have windows xp profesonal and microsoft office xp professional (word, excel, outlook, powerpoint, and access)

now, i need to first know if this will even work after i bolt it all together...i need a computer that turns on. also, hoe would it preform? what would be its strong and weak points (i didnt have a taget while i was adding to kart because i dont know what would be good for what..just sorta randmlly chose things i liked)

also, it wont be awhile till i get it (its so hard t get a job when ur 16, and only have your permit) so i could use some advise on what to get...it all totals to about 660 including shipping and tax..i really dont want to save up much longer that that if ya know what i mean...

also, if i havent asked enough stupid questions yet, i have one more. could somebody please give me a link to site that would explane overclocking. like what it is (i have a general idea) and how to do it.

well, if youve read all this, thank you. if you decide to post, thank you x 100. ;D

Comments

  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited May 2004
    you will need a heatsink for that processor...would be a shame to boot it without one only to fry it seconds later. also, if you want "decent" gaming ability ... get a 9600se ... pretty darn good and pretty darn cheap
  • kduveykduvey san diego
    edited May 2004
    entr0py wrote:
    you will need a heatsink for that processor...would be a shame to boot it without one only to fry it seconds later. also, if you want "decent" gaming ability ... get a 9600se ... pretty darn good and pretty darn cheap


    wow, thanks for the fast reply.
    i knew i forgot something. :banghead:
    and ill look into the video card...
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited May 2004
    Pay the extra few dollars and get the retail box version of the XP2500+.

    The difference is you get a heat sink and a three-year warranty with the retail version. The OEM comes with a 90-Day warranty only, and no heat sink. :)
  • FormFactorFormFactor At the core of forgotten
    edited May 2004
    That looks pretty good for a midrange PC. I dont see a PSU listed tho.
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited May 2004
    take a look at the second pic of the case on newegg ... my bro has the same case (only no clear side) and the psu is built in
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    I'd myself use Corsair VS versus Apacer RAM, and a Liteon of same speed CD-RW to start and a cheaper DVD reader only instead of an Aopen combo drive. Unless you are doing extreme video development now, you really do not need to burn DVDs, DVD readers are real cheap now that most folks are getting into DVD burners that do video work.

    Apacer is not bad, but it is not hugely better than average overall in quality, while Corsair VS pairs are not only quality tested stick by stick but timed and sold with like speed sticks in pairs. Look for prices at ZipZoomFly for Corsair VS RAM if you can buy via web and are in the US.

    Aopen sells good PSUs and cases, not so great (though not evenly gawdawful either) burners usually. Again it is an uneven quality thing that would send me AWAY from Aopen for burners.
  • kduveykduvey san diego
    edited May 2004
    humm... that processor advice was great..thanks!

    whats a pcu? im gonna take a wild guess and say Power Supply Unit??? but wouldent that be the same as power supply? the case has a 400 watt power supply...?
  • qparadoxqparadox Vancouver, BC
    edited May 2004
    Heh thought I replied earlier but I must have closed the tab. Yes PSU = power supply unit. The generic 400W in that case will likely be "good enough" but sometimes there's major problems with el-cheapo psu's which is why many of our members recommend higher end psu's which may cost from $50 to $200 depending on your needs. Higher end power supplies will typically have more constant voltages, dedicated rails (this means each of the 12V, 5V and 3.3V draw individually from the AC terminal rather than having a combined AC->DC conversion and then voltage dividers / regulators), dual fans, temperature sensors etc.

    The high end is by no means necessary and probably overkill for the standard PC, but if you do have stability problems (crashing etc) then a cheap PSU is a primary target of fault.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited May 2004
    I agree with the video card comment. A 9600 based card would be a much better bang for your buck.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Video card comment was correct. Don't get a 9200 anything, if you plan on doing a lot of gaming. They don't have enough headroom for challenging or next generation games. I just built a computer for my daughter (thread here) with a 9200/250/256MB. After two days of testing, I've pulled the card out and replaced it with something a bit more powerful. I picked up a GeForce FX5500 from BestBuy for $99. Would have preferred the ATI 9600 Pro, but the 5500 was on sale with a rebate.

    (Leo plugs his ATI 9200/256MB.
  • GuyuteGuyute Gamehenge
    edited May 2004
    I have a Radeon 9200 and I am fairly happy. I find it is great with games like Painkiller, but VERRRRY choppy with Unreal II, an older game...maybe I should have spent the extra $30 and gotten a 9600 or an FX5200 series. I now wonder if my card has DDR RAM?

    KDUVEY- #1) Keyboard? I would suggest as an accessory for gaming a left-handed keyboard , as I have read (never used it myself) that they really help you because you have all of these extra keys right at your fingertips.

    #2)- Joystick? I spent $30 on one with 8 programmable buttons, but no z-axis. A stick is a MUST when you play the Battlefield 1942-type games...I can't fly for beans with a mouse.

    #3) Optical mouse- I love the feel of it but I find they all of the sudden spaz on me and won't move, then they jerk. i don't know if that is due to my wife's cute Labrador Retriever mousepad, but I'd think about trying it first.

    #4) go the extra $30 and get a 120GB HD. I just bought one and it will take me...well, hell I'll go out on a limb and say I'll NEVER be able to fill it. 80GB seems big but I have already filled a 40 and have 5 more on my 120...If you are a packrat like me and keep games installed, have 20 Gig of porn I mean Pastoral scenes, and like to back up your CD's, then 80 GB will probably go faster than you think. Plus WInXP keeps a chunk for system restore...
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited May 2004
    dont get the kt600, dont get the kt600, dont get the kt600, dont get the kt600
    i had a bad experiance with a KT600, ask thrax lol its kinda redicoulus when it wont start becase the cpu fan isnt plauged into the correct headers
    id use a Biostar nForce2 board
    http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-138-234&depa=0
    it was the easiest AMD system i have EVER put together, it has onboard video but it has an agp port for more advanced video cards
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    KT600 is evil.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    Buy a Western Digital hdd, not the Hitachi.
    There is bad mojo with JHitachi drives.
    I picked up a 80Gb WD at Circut City yesterday for $50 (99-50 rebate).

    If you can get a non-SE 9600 in your budget do it. The SE is nice, but slow.

    Look at the PSU in the case. What is the rated load for the 3.3V + 5V lines? It should be over 200W for those together. If there is no spec for the two combined, then worry.

    What is the bill going to run? It has been so long since I bought new parts for a box I have no idea what it would cost. All of mine are mostly used stuff.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited May 2004
    I also agree with both the preceeding posts about the KT600 chipset boards. Instead, get either the Biostar M7NCD Pro or the Shuttle AN35N Ultra nforce2 boards instead of that Soyo. I'm going to go against what other people have said about the desktop XP2500 and instead, recommend the Mobile XP2400+ processor, along with a Thermalright SLK900A and a Thermaltake SmartFan 2. The mobile 2400 is a Barton proc that is hand picked for stability while running a lower core voltage than the desktop procs and overclock well and are also multiplier unlocked. The Biostar board will only let you choose a multiplier up to 12.5 with this processor but that's more than enough to set your speed to whatever you want to with it. The Shuttle board has no problem with any multiplier that isn't reserved, just like the Abit NF7-S boards.
  • BudBud Chesterfield, Va
    edited May 2004
    yea stay away from the via stuff, the shuttle a35n is a good board for the price. I have one and it runs really stable. Get a mobile amd cpu and a thermalright cpu to save you any heat issues. Also the 9600se or 9600 are great ways to go, the sapphire cards are pretty reasonable in price.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited May 2004
    qparadox wrote:
    Heh thought I replied earlier but I must have closed the tab. Yes PSU = power supply unit. The generic 400W in that case will likely be "good enough" but sometimes there's major problems with el-cheapo psu's which is why many of our members recommend higher end psu's which may cost from $50 to $200 depending on your needs. Higher end power supplies will typically have more constant voltages, dedicated rails (this means each of the 12V, 5V and 3.3V draw individually from the AC terminal rather than having a combined AC->DC conversion and then voltage dividers / regulators), dual fans, temperature sensors etc.

    The high end is by no means necessary and probably overkill for the standard PC, but if you do have stability problems (crashing etc) then a cheap PSU is a primary target of fault.


    I have a P4 Prescott folding 2X and in heavy use, on a PSU that ran me about $32.00 shipped (I buy qty 6 at a time, that is how, and no I do not sell for that) and singles of those are about 38.00 shipped clear across the country. I have clients that are using them also. The PSU is a 450 W P4 and AMD Approved Just4PC OEM. TigerDirect had them for about $30.00 last I looked and their shipping is about 9.00. The curious thing about this PSU is that it is a Channel Well Technology OEM. Quite decent for price.
  • MediaManMediaMan Powered by loose parts.
    edited May 2004
    Kduvey


    This article/guide should prove to be helpful as well.
  • kduveykduvey san diego
    edited May 2004
    yea, ive read that a few times :tongue: its awsome. i think its great that you write up allll those reviews and articals. not many people would spend that kind of time working. i cant tell you hom much i apprtiate that. really helps us newbs out.
    also, some bad news. i dont have win xp. but, good news is ive gotted a a-o-k to sell so crap i have layin around, so i dont really have to save up that long. yay. also, i think i can get a 17 in monitor free....double yay! but it has this wierd puple tint to it...thing if i do shift+F6 it will fix it?
    also, i have come up with what i belive to be a better set up using your advise. it is all the same cept a new different case, a Shuttle "AN35N-Ultra" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL , a
    Mushkin Basic Green 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-2700 - Retail , a
    SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600SE Video Card, 128MB DDR, 64-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -OEM , and of coure windows xp. all that is 580 before shipping and tax. (no monitor...hoping to get that puple-tinted one)
    so, whathca all think?
  • ArmoArmo Mr. Nice Guy Is Dead,Only Aqua Remains Member
    edited May 2004
    you will be VERY happy with an nForce 2 board, very happy, ive NEVER had any good encounters with VIA, so i try to warn others, free monitor is a good deal :) but the tint might just keep getting worse and worse untill its hard on the eyes, i have a monitor that is getting darker and darker lol,
    good choice for the ratail AMD processor, they make really good heatsinks, when putting it on use a pair of needle node pliars instead of a screwdriver ( not sure which the tutorial says to use ) grab the little tab with the death grip because u dont want it to slip and punch the mother board. u may want to ask others about the mother board and if it supports dual channle DDR, if so get 2 sticks of ram, if not.. ignore me :p
    if u must byu a monitor, id go with Samsung, NEC or my most facorite ViewSonic omg ViewSonic
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited May 2004
    um, about the person with the spazzing mouse ... (i forgot who, sorry) ... that happened on my wireless optical as well...given, it was a GE brand and crappy, but any $10 wired optical mouse will not do that, and will work far better than a ball mouse. (just got my mx510, expensive, but beats the hell outta ball mice)
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