Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Common Interests I think I might build a computer ...

I certainly can't afford to buy a computer ... but I desperately need to get off the 366 MHz PII with 224 MB RAM and using 3.5 GB of a 4.0 GB drive. I mean, really, I'm 87.5% done an MS Comp Sci - I should be able to build a good computer for under $1000, right? And then I can set this PC up with Linux and be a real geek!

Anyway, people with experience can feel free to offer suggestions since I've never done this before. I don't plan on doing any serious gaming or real video intense stuff. General use along with some school type junk that this computer chokes on. I DON'T need top of the line stuff, but I want something that will be fine for some years like this one has been.

Case: Antec SLK 1600 - comes with a 300 Watt power supply and I can run two 80 mm fans, front (intake) and rear (exhaust) - $75

CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton", 512K on-board RAM, 333 Front side bus (and can work with DDR400 RAM) - $100

Motherboard: Asus A7N8X-X or Abit NF7-M - each has built in sound and 10/100 LAN - $100

RAM: at least 512K (additional), 333 or 400 MHz, no more than $100

CPU cooling: Thermaltake Volcano 9 - $20. That thing works awesome for the CPU I like.

Storage: Hitachi 120GXP 80 GB drive for $70, a cheapo floppy for $10, and a Lite-on 48x24x48x16 CD-RW/DVD-ROM for $60 - $140

So I'm at $530 or so. A decent (but not nuts) video card should only run $70 I think. Not sure if I really need one or if the MoBo's support would be sufficient.

I damn near could spend the rest of the $400 on a monitor. I'd really like a flat screen but not for what they cost. Then again, the CRT monitors aren't that much better of a deal. Anyone have a suggestion on that?

So, am I nuts or does this sound like a good idea for someone who knows how to USE a computer but never spent any real time putting one together? Keep in mind that I have worked in industrial electronics assembly, so I know about ESD and all that good jazz.

You might need a tad more than 512K of RAM. I would suggest 4GB of RAM, but that might be overkill....

You can get a DVD-/+RW drive for $200 or less. You can probably get a 15-17" Flatpanel for around $400.

Good Luck!

--Matt

Sounds good to me as far as specs go , Id go ahead and get a decent but cheap video card , just incase. GF4 Ti or Radeon 9600. Im more of a gaming computer man , but that should meet your needs pretty well. My computer cost me 2700 , so be happy :P (Alienware , topoline everything)

you can get a 17" flat lcd monitor for $350, you could also get a much more attractive case with a much more powerful PS 400-500W for that same price.

I like to build my own stuff, & it sounds like you can easily handle the assemble of a few components. BUT, if you have any doubts, you should know that there are alternatives. Not as good a performer as what you proposed, but simple, functional, new, warranty, and should last until you're out of school easily.

My wife just bought an eMachine (ewwww).

2.6Gig Celeron,
256Megs of ram,
80 Gig HD,
CD-RW,
DVD player,
17" Monitor,
printer,
& all the matching periferals (mouse, keyboard, speakers).

Cost her $800 bucks or so, then she got a bunch of rebates & the whole setup net cost under $450 with Windows XP Home & a bunch of other software installed. Plug N Play.

Now on your setup, I would suggest a 17" monitor will be fine for school - and they can be had for relatively little these days. Hell I bought a 19" for my youngest for $128 at Brandsmart. Use part of the difference to buy XP Pro, you get a nice discount.

Definately get a VGA video card as well.

Your list looks good. You will need to get a video card. The MBs you listed dont have on board video. IMO on board video is a headache anyway. You can get an older GeForce card for around $50. I would go with the Asus MB. But thats just me. There's not much difference between the two. Both are good boards. Putting a computer together isn't that hard. Just watch how you put your heatsink on your CPU. If you push to hard you might crack the CPU. Also don't forget to put thermal paste on your heatsink. If you don't you'll cook your CPU. Installing your hard drive might be a little tricky your first time because you have to "set it up" for you operating system. But it really shouldn't be a problem because most hard drives come with a setup disk. Just follow the directions.

I'd go with a beefier power supply / case. Maybe SLK3700AMB. It takes 120mm fans, which can run slower and quieter, and still push more air than an 80mm fan. Too bad you didn't post this last week, Best Buy had a deal on the Antec Sonata case -- I picked one up to hold some parts I ordered today.

No games, so you would be alright with integrated video on the NF7-M or A7N8X-VM. That would save you a few bucks. But the GeForce4 MX stuff really is junk, I'd up your budget to around $100 for the vid card and try to find a GeForce4 Ti 4200 (hint: watch newegg's refurb section).

On Newegg, check out the Speeze Falconrock cooler. Only about $9, but it does a bang up job and is pretty quiet. It should be fine if you don't plan on overclocking. Volcano 9 runs 17-48dB, the Speeze says 26.5dB. I ordered this to go with the AMD 2500+ that I ordered. Or, if you don't plan on overclocking, the retail version of the chip includes a heatsink and fan and should be alright. Only $5 more on newegg for retail vs OEM.

Check the Sunday sales, you can get some decent hard drive deals. I picked up a WD 80GB 7200RM 8MB cache drive from OfficeMax for $40 after rebates. 50 cents/gig is considered a good deal these days.

FWIW, I went with a MSI K2N2 Delta L motherboard. I had pretty much decided on it, but it was nice to see Sharky's recommendations for a value gaming system for $1000. Kinda cemented my decision. They recommend a 19" Samsung CRT, that'd save ya $200 over the LCD I list below.

Let's see, real quick through newegg:
ANTEC Solution Series Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700AMB" -RETAIL
Lite On 48x24x48x16 Combo Drive, Model LTC48161H, Retail
MITSUMI D359M3 1.44MB 3.5INCH Floppy Disk Drive, OEM
Kingston ValueRAM Dual Kits 184 Pin 512MB(256MBx2) DDR PC-3200
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton", 333 FSB, 512K Cache Processor - Retail
GAINWARD GeForce4 TI4200 Video Card, 64MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 4X AGP, Model "GeForce4 PowerPack! Ultra/650 TV/DVI GS" -RETAIL
HITACHI CML174SXW 17" TFT LCD Monitor ?RETAIL
MSI nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "K7N2 Delta-L" RETAIL
Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only

$ 993.99 shipped

Guess you'll need to get a really cheap keyboard and mouse If you're sure you won't do any gaming or 3D stuff, look in to a Matrox G450 or G550.