Purchasing First Computer

Computer Forum New Build / Upgrade Advice
1

Hi,

I am looking for some help on purchasing my first custom made computer.

My price range is from $800 CAD to $900 CAD (which is about 667.251 USD to 750.657 USD) without the monitor but including the mouse and keyboard.

I am not a total gamer but I would like something a lot better than the average workstation. I am willing to raise my price range if it is unsuitable for what I want. I use my computer to watch movies and occasionally play the newest games. It would be great if someone could give me an idea of what I should be looking for.

THANKS!

2

so you’re going to be buying it ready made and not building it yourself? look for:
*AMD Athlon64 Processor (socket 939 for future upgrades if you want them)
*1GB of DDR400 RAM
*6600GT/6800GT Graphics Card (PCIe for future upgrades if you want them)
*Hard Drive - well that depends I’d say 160GB minimum although you may not need all that space.
*DVD+/-RW Drive (dual layer)
*SOund Card - On board if you’re not bothered about amazing sound quality, but you can specify a good card if you want i’m sure.
*Decent Power Supply (you may have to specify this as they dont usually come with one)
*Case with good ventilation, spaces for fans, front air intake, top and/or back air exhaust.
other people may be able to specify more on the parts but thats what you should be looking for.

3

Sorry but you’re are going to have a very difficult time buying all that components for under $1000CAD unfortunatly. I helped my friend pick out components today and was just able to get it under $1000 with shipping USD. And that was pretty much a no comprimise plan. You’ll also have to work in the build cost of this and the charge for you’re copy of Windows XP. Tally it up and things are going to get tricky. My suggestion is to expend your budget a bit so you can run the latest games at good clip.
Similar to Matt’s suggestions:

Inexpensive socket 939 motherboard
AMD athlon 3000+
512Mb’s or PC3200 (DDR400) ram for now, upgrade to 1GB when you can afford it.
Probably a 80-120GB hard drive from companies like Seagate or Hatachi
Dual layer DVD burner
No need for a sound card
An inexpensive brand-name powersupply supporting PCI-Express. Brands like Antec, OCz, and Thermaltake are very good.
Pretty much any keyboards and mice form Logitech are just fine
Cases with 120mm fans are the way to go but aren’t mandatory. More airflow and often times quiet.
X800GT video card

4

Hi,

Thanks for replying, here is what I was thinking around. Considering the parts I want what kind of video and sound card should I look into.

$185 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3000+ Socket-939 512K Box
$235 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3200+ Socket-939 512K Box
$299 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3500+ Socket-939 512K Box
$425 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3800+ Socket-939 512K Box
$485 AMD® Athlon™ 64 4000+ Socket-939 1MB Box

HARD DRIVE

$102 Maxtor 160GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (ATA-133)
$107 Maxtor 160GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (SATA)
$105 Hitachi 120GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (ATA-100) #7K250
$109 Hitachi 120GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (SATA) #7K250
$112 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB 8MB
$115 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB 8MB SATA
MEMORY

$139 1GB DDR2 533Mhz (Kingston KVR533D2N4/1G)
$135 1GB DDR2 533Mhz (Corsair VS1GB533D2)
$145 1GB DDR2 533Mhz (OCZ OCZ25331024V)
$139 1GB(512x2) DDR2 533Mhz (Corsair VS1GBKIT533D2)
$135 1GB PC3200 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Samsung)
$139 1GB PC3200 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Kingston KVR400X64C3A/1G) $139 1GB PC3200 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Corsair VS1GB400C3)
MOTHERBOARD - need help here

DVD WRITER - do i need backup? - what does dual layer mean?
$62 Pioneer DVR-109 internal 16x16 DVD±RW drive (OEM)
$56 LG GSA-4163BB internal 16x16 DL DVD±RW drive w/Software
$49 BenQ DW1620 Pro Black Internal 16x Dual Layer DVD±RW drive w/Software
$49 Samsung TSH552U internal 16x16 Dual Layer DVD±RW drive w/Software

VIDEO CARD - need help here
SOUND CARD - need help here

Thanks Again!!

all prices are canadian

5

Hey there, you picked out some very nice hardware but with you’re budget I’ll have to hightlight what you can afford (and it will still come out a little expensive:()

[QUOTE=ExquisiteCutie]
Hi,

Thanks for replying, here is what I was thinking around. Considering the parts I want what kind of video and sound card should I look into.

$185 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3000+ Socket-939 512K Box
$235 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3200+ Socket-939 512K Box
$299 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3500+ Socket-939 512K Box
$425 AMD® Athlon™ 64 3800+ Socket-939 512K Box
$485 AMD® Athlon™ 64 4000+ Socket-939 1MB Box

HARD DRIVE

$102 Maxtor 160GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (ATA-133)
$107 Maxtor 160GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (SATA)
$105 Hitachi 120GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (ATA-100) #7K250
$109 Hitachi 120GB HD 7200rpm 8MB (SATA) #7K250
$112 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB 8MB
$115 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB 8MB SATA
MEMORY

$139 1GB DDR2 533Mhz (Kingston KVR533D2N4/1G)
$135 1GB DDR2 533Mhz (Corsair VS1GB533D2)
$145 1GB DDR2 533Mhz (OCZ OCZ25331024V)
$139 1GB(512x2) DDR2 533Mhz (Corsair VS1GBKIT533D2)
$135 1GB PC3200 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Samsung)
$139 1GB PC3200 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Kingston KVR400X64C3A/1G) $139 1GB PC3200 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Corsair VS1GB400C3)
MOTHERBOARD - need help here

DVD WRITER - do i need backup? - what does dual layer mean?
$62 Pioneer DVR-109 internal 16x16 DVD±RW drive (OEM)
$56 LG GSA-4163BB internal 16x16 DL DVD±RW drive w/Software
$49 BenQ DW1620 Pro Black Internal 16x Dual Layer DVD±RW drive w/Software
$49 Samsung TSH552U internal 16x16 Dual Layer DVD±RW drive w/Software

VIDEO CARD - need help here
SOUND CARD - need help here

Thanks Again!!

all prices are canadian
[/QUOTE]

For memory you can not use DDR2 on an AMD system, this technology is at the time, exclusive to Intel systems. Don’t worry though, at the moment there is no real reason to jump on the DDR2 bandwagon as there is littler performance gain and sometimes a decrease in performance. So stick with DDR400.

You will need a motherboard as well, I would suggest brands like Gigabyte, ASUS, or ABIT. Make sure they are socket 939 boards though. Also verify that they have at least on PCI-Express slot (also listed as PCIe) not just PCI as all motherboards have at least 2 of those.

Dual-layer is a tehnology that allow the user to burn a dual-layer DVD. This DVD can hold up to 8.5GB’s or data so if you burn lots of movies or large files this is a worthy investment as dual-layer drives are very inexpensive these days.

You will not need a sound cards as the onboard audio that is built into every motherboard will be enough, I use it and the sound is just fine.

For you’re video card I would seriously look into the X800GT, this is a very fast card for the price and if you purchase it you will not be dissappointed.

6

Athlon 64 2800+ or higher (definitly socket 939 like others said)
Nvidia Geforce 6600 or Ati radeon
80gig hard drive or more 120gig recommended (SATA would be good but IDE 7200rpm is fine)
at least 512mb ram pc3200 or above 1gb highly recommended for dvd burning or games
DVD +/- RW drive
CDRW drive
8in1 Media reader
floppy drive in case of boot problems
motherboard ask about it find out what types and its upgradability
at least 3 fans in case
400 watt power supply and above for new graphics cards and other parts
good sound card

7

Cool, except the 2800 is socket 754 only:( There’s really no need of a sound card with integrated audio, concidering the budget any way.

8

oops forgot about the 2800 and its socket 754 but yeah it doesnt matter about the sound card but i know some ppl who has lots a music on the comp or are into music and want the right sound want a good sound card but when a budget thats good

so is she building this comp herself or perurchasing a custom comp?

9

From the parts you have listed:

-CPU: Athlon 64 3000+. If this isn’t the retail box, make sure to pickup a cooling fan. I’m using the Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 myself and it’s a good performer, not to mention stylish.
-RAM: I’d probably go with the Samsung first, followed by the Corsair, then the Kingston. None are necessarily bad, but I know some motherboards have trouble with the Value stuff. If you stick with those brands, you might want to invest in something a little higher up. Corsairs own XMS stuff has become surprisingly affordable these days and really might be worth the extra cost.
Something like this is about $30CAN or so more. I’ll reference NCIX as my Canadian resource for anything I suggest outside of what you have.

Hard Drive:
-From the list, you really shouldn’t consider Maxtor. There’s been a large number of people with issues with those brands of drives. I would look into Western Digital’s line as well, but my pick would be the Seagate 160GB drives.

Optical drives:
I’ve picked up the Pioneer DVR-109A recently and that’s been a pretty solid drive, but there’s none on that list that scream ‘do not buy’.

Motherboard: While I love the DFI LanParty NF4 Ultra-D, they have a lot of settings so I’m not comfortable recommend them to new DIY’ers. I’d probably check out either the Asus A8N-E for $146.05 or the Chaintech VNF4 Ultra for $114.00.

Power supply:
While I would recommend the Enermax EG-565P-VE that I use, I found this Tagan 480W for $85.68. Probably your best bet.

Video card:
At $193.79, this Sapphire Radeon X800GT is probably your best bet.

Sound:
Depending on how much of an audiophile you are, you may very well find the on-board stuff to be fine. If you want something better, I’ve been hearing very good things about the Chaintech AV-710. For about $40CAN, it’s cheap, but alot of audiophiles say it’s a very good card, especially for the price.

10

I built this system a short time back for my younger sister. Having it to do over again, the chassis isn’t the greatest and the system didn’t like Corsair RAM (I swapped her for a stick of my Kingston RAM), but it’s a great system for her and she has similar usage habits to yours.

Hope it helps,
-AT

11

[QUOTE=Big B]
From the parts you have listed:

-CPU: Athlon 64 3000+. If this isn’t the retail box, make sure to pickup a cooling fan. I’m using the Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 myself and it’s a good performer, not to mention stylish.
-RAM: I’d probably go with the Samsung first, followed by the Corsair, then the Kingston. None are necessarily bad, but I know some motherboards have trouble with the Value stuff. If you stick with those brands, you might want to invest in something a little higher up. Corsairs own XMS stuff has become surprisingly affordable these days and really might be worth the extra cost.
Something like this is about $30CAN or so more. I’ll reference NCIX as my Canadian resource for anything I suggest outside of what you have.

Hard Drive:
-From the list, you really shouldn’t consider Maxtor. There’s been a large number of people with issues with those brands of drives. I would look into Western Digital’s line as well, but my pick would be the Seagate 160GB drives.

Optical drives:
I’ve picked up the Pioneer DVR-109A recently and that’s been a pretty solid drive, but there’s none on that list that scream ‘do not buy’.

Motherboard: While I love the DFI LanParty NF4 Ultra-D, they have a lot of settings so I’m not comfortable recommend them to new DIY’ers. I’d probably check out either the Asus A8N-E for $146.05 or the Chaintech VNF4 Ultra for $114.00.

Power supply:
While I would recommend the Enermax EG-565P-VE that I use, I found this Tagan 480W for $85.68. Probably your best bet.

Video card:
At $193.79, this Sapphire Radeon X800GT is probably your best bet.

Sound:
Depending on how much of an audiophile you are, you may very well find the on-board stuff to be fine. If you want something better, I’ve been hearing very good things about the Chaintech AV-710. For about $40CAN, it’s cheap, but alot of audiophiles say it’s a very good card, especially for the price.
[/QUOTE]

i agree with big b, the maxtor hater :wink:

12

Is no one going to stick up for the Pentium crowd?

I would, but I live in the UK and cannot comment on prices on the other side of the pond…

What ever you buy…
Keep it cool! :waycool:

:ff:

13

[QUOTE=sabashuali]
Is no one going to stick up for the Pentium crowd?
[/QUOTE]
Nope, I don’t think so. Generally speaking, AMD processors are cheaper and faster than their Intel equivilents. The only thing Pentium 4’s really excel at is video encoding.

14

Or if you want dirt cheap dual-core procs and DDR2, which isn’t something I’d totally go for. Not that it would be in the budget anyway.

15

[QUOTE=Big B]
From the parts you have listed:

-CPU: Athlon 64 3000+. If this isn’t the retail box, make sure to pickup a cooling fan. I’m using the Thermaltake Silent Boost K8 myself and it’s a good performer, not to mention stylish.
-RAM: I’d probably go with the Samsung first, followed by the Corsair, then the Kingston. None are necessarily bad, but I know some motherboards have trouble with the Value stuff. If you stick with those brands, you might want to invest in something a little higher up. Corsairs own XMS stuff has become surprisingly affordable these days and really might be worth the extra cost.
Something like this is about $30CAN or so more. I’ll reference NCIX as my Canadian resource for anything I suggest outside of what you have.

Hard Drive:
-From the list, you really shouldn’t consider Maxtor. There’s been a large number of people with issues with those brands of drives. I would look into Western Digital’s line as well, but my pick would be the Seagate 160GB drives.

Optical drives:
I’ve picked up the Pioneer DVR-109A recently and that’s been a pretty solid drive, but there’s none on that list that scream ‘do not buy’.

Motherboard: While I love the DFI LanParty NF4 Ultra-D, they have a lot of settings so I’m not comfortable recommend them to new DIY’ers. I’d probably check out either the Asus A8N-E for $146.05 or the Chaintech VNF4 Ultra for $114.00.

Power supply:
While I would recommend the Enermax EG-565P-VE that I use, I found this Tagan 480W for $85.68. Probably your best bet.

Video card:
At $193.79, this Sapphire Radeon X800GT is probably your best bet.

Sound:
Depending on how much of an audiophile you are, you may very well find the on-board stuff to be fine. If you want something better, I’ve been hearing very good things about the Chaintech AV-710. For about $40CAN, it’s cheap, but alot of audiophiles say it’s a very good card, especially for the price.
[/QUOTE]

Hi,

Thanks for all this, is the Pioneer DVR-109A dual layer?? If it isn’t, should I purchase a dvd burner that is?

16

yes i believe it is

17

Hi,

Thanks for all this, here is what I was thinking…please comment..

$185 AMD Athlon™ 64 3000+ Socket-939 512K Box
$145 1GB(512x2) 400Mhz 184pin DDR (Corsair VS1GBKIT400C3)
$115 Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160GB 8MB SATA
$193.79 Sapphire Radeon X800GT
$146.05 Asus A8N-E
$62 Pioneer DVR-109 Black internal 16x16 DVD�RW drive (OEM)
$104.72 Enermax EG-565P-VE

Is there anything else I need, someone will be putting it together at the place where I purchasing it.

Thanks!

18

looks good, u staying with ouboard sound then? also you might think its un-neccessary but a floppy drive wouldn’t hurt, just in case, and they’re only cheap, also get some good rounded cables and think about a case with good airflow.

19

Just to have on hand, yes, a floppy drive wouldn’t be a bad idea. You wouldn’t need to have it there permanently, but it might come in handy for installing the SATA drivers during the Windows XP install.

Which reminds me: you do have the OS or have budgeted for that, right?

20

yeah Big B, i completely forgot to remind about that, you do need to budget for the OS as well so remember that.