Fool proof build suggestions?

Exfoliate

Exfoliate

Geek Trainee
As many of you know know my most recent build attemp went to hell, seems like a number of components were defective or imcompatable or I just wan't doing it right. Well either way I've RMA'ed everything I could. I have to get a Processor replacement from AMD as newegg won't do it so I'm waiting to hear back about instructions. Fortunately the items Newegg didn't offer a refund on were items that were functional. So he has speakers, a mouse and keyboard, XP pro, a monitor, sound card, cpu cooler, and a modem.
So my question is for around $600 what should I get that's super reliable, stable, and very easy to setup, preferably with a detailed manual as ASRock bairly had anything resembling that:(
Anyway he'll need the following:
Video card, something fast but economical, it will have to be able to play Call of duty 2 on higher settings.
1GB of nice stable ram.
A mobo that is known to work with a 3200+ Venice Proc, and whatever ram and gfx card. No more ASRock for me.
Suggestions as to a stylish, roomy, case that's easy to configure and tooless (no screwing in drives and crap). For around $50.
A really stable PSU that's PCIe compatable, will obviously have to play nice with the mobo too.
A nice 100-200gig drive for around $90 or less that offers good performance yet is still stable.
A normal sized DVD burner, preferably quiet.
I'll probably need a floppy drive too but it really doesn't matter.

Thanks for the help:)
 
Here are my preliminary suggestions:
Looks like a good mobo in his price range: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127222
Memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440
Good way to play it safe I guess. Perhaps this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145449
DVD burner:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106988
HDD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148034
PSU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103928
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103937
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103931
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104154

They all look really good but I'm leaning towared the OCz as I really would appreciate modular.
GPU:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102589
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814142052
Looks like some very nice stuff, hopefully there would be no compatability or stability probs.
 
I have the smart power 500 and it is a modular PSU, i the other smart power PSUs arent though
for $203 get the HIS GTO, 500 core 1000 memory, arctic cooler, 12 pipes,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814161146
the mobo looks good

just to make sure modular PSUs are the ones where the extra power cords arent actually plugged into the PSU but you plug in only the ones you need.

the centurion 5 w/window not gorgoes, but not ugly, clean cut tool free
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119077

now another case not tool free but pretty cool raidmax x1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811156179
 
Surely there must be some components that are still working? I've never seen failures that bad.
 
I have no doubt there were some perfectly functional major components but what I suspect happened is perhaps, putting all the perfect reviews aside, his powersupply was damaged or defective in some way and when I connected it to his mobo things got messed up somehow. And it could have done the same when I tested it with my mobo. It's a long shot but you never know. So to be safe I sent all I could back to start with some top notch base components.

---------
Thanks Girtho, I looked at the same case and liked it too, sleek enough to feel sophistocated yet simple enough to feel refined. Tooless is a must and it seems like the highest quality case in the price rang. Sounds like a plan!

No need to pay extra for the GTO, the X800Pro is just about there, with a minor OC I'll be able to save money.

Yeah modular PSU's are the ones where you pick and choose how many cables you attach. Which would be quite nice as they were everywhere in this last build, enough cables to strangle a small horse.

Thanks for the advice.
 
true, the extra 25MHz on the core probably wont make very much of a difference, and the PROs are supposed to be pretty good overclockers arent they.
Well if you want a cheaper alternative to the OCZ the 500 watt Smart Power is the only one it that family that is modular, I bought a 450watt for my friends comp expecting it to be modular, but it wasnt, so be sure to get the 500 watt if you do decide on that PSU.
 
I chose the Nec, seemed fine but I usually just pic the most popular item if it's not really critical and the specs are good.
 
I just built an A64 system with the GA-K8N Pro-SLI mobo from Gigabyte. Everthing went smoothly, except when I was trying to get the SATA drivers to install, which was my fault...I did not have my USB keyboard enabled and was wondering why it did nothing when I hit F6 during the Windows XP installation. :eek:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128301

<--rest of specs.
 
Yeah I say that, cheapest SLI board out there pretty much. Gigabyte is really good but the ABIT seemed to have more OC options:)
 
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