PC Building

[caudio51]

So you tech guys, what are some systems you would personally put together. I've been doing some research and have some ideas but would like to see yours. I'm working with a budget of 700 for everything but the case and hard drives.

The machine will be mainly for browsing/burning with the occasional game.

 

[eyetek]

Tell you what...I have built several complete systems for myself and a couple for the Doc's that I work for. Give me a couple of days and I will check out a few sites and see what I can come up with for your $700.

Do you already have the case and hard drive?

eyetek

 

[cvm4]

I've always wanted to build a desktop, just don't know how, LOL.

 

[caudio51]

Tell you what...I have built several complete systems for myself and a couple for the Doc's that I work for. Give me a couple of days and I will check out a few sites and see what I can come up with for your $700.

Do you already have the case and hard drive?

eyetek

Already have the case, cooler master centurion and a 500 gig seagate SATA drive.

Thanks for the help, definitely appreciated

 

[eyetek]

Already have the case, cooler master centurion and a 500 gig seagate SATA drive.

Thanks for the help, definitely appreciated

Great, now a couple of more questions...you said that you might use it to play a game every now and then. A video card can be quite expensive, and in order to play current release games you would need a current video card, so my question is what games are you wanting to play, if you could be as specific as possible that would help me figure out what type of video card you will need. Realize that your main expense in this unit will be the mother board, memory, and the video card and of course your processor.

The second question and most improtant is what Operating System are you going to run. If you stay with Windows XP then we can make this work, but if you want to go to Vista then....well you may not be able to run it to the level you want with the funds you have available.

Third question, do you have your monitor or does that need to be a part of the $700's

eyetek

 

[caudio51]

Great, now a couple of more questions...you said that you might use it to play a game every now and then. A video card can be quite expensive, and in order to play current release games you would need a current video card, so my question is what games are you wanting to play, if you could be as specific as possible that would help me figure out what type of video card you will need. Realize that your main expense in this unit will be the mother board, memory, and the video card and of course your processor.

The second question and most improtant is what Operating System are you going to run. If you stay with Windows XP then we can make this work, but if you want to go to Vista then....well you may not be able to run it to the level you want with the funds you have available.

Third question, do you have your monitor or does that need to be a part of the $700's

eyetek

The video game part is coming second, odds are I would play older games anyway so maybe at this point I would just go with a decent video card and then upgrade later on.

I want to get the best bang for my buck with the processor. I'm thinking AMD might be the best way to go.

XP is what I plan to run, hell I still run 2000 Pro at the moment.

Monitor is not included. I'm decently happy with the one I have and will upgrade that down the road when the right deal presents itself

 

[Halon]

Built a desktop back in the days of LANs. Was pretty into aesthetics, and the chassis is painted blue and I modded some LEDs into the molex connectors on the DVD drives. UV shits inside, a couple-a fans and such.
You probably don't care about ricing your computer up at all, but if you do then hit me up and I'll help ya out.

Haven't even looked at buying stuff for a new desktop as I have a laptop up at college, but I'll check some shit out too and see what I can come up with.


TYLER

 

[caudio51]

That's pretty bad ass Tyler

 

[Wasch_24]

Built a desktop back in the days of LANs. Was pretty into aesthetics, and the chassis is painted blue and I modded some LEDs into the molex connectors on the DVD drives. UV shits inside, a couple-a fans and such.
You probably don't care about ricing your computer up at all, but if you do then hit me up and I'll help ya out.

Haven't even looked at buying stuff for a new desktop as I have a laptop up at college, but I'll check some shit out too and see what I can come up with.


TYLER

Wow man, that is hella cool!

Or, as my 17 year old BIL would say...that is DANK!

 

[ATCDub]

I like the model car on the bookshelf. Is it the "67 GT500 Eleanor?

 

[tedski]

You probably don't care about ricing your computer up at all, but if you do then hit me up and I'll help ya ou.

Time to unpimp your PC ...

 

[Halon]

I think it's the 67 GT350, but yeah. Same thing on the outside. My favorite classic car.


TYLER

 

[ClockworkDragonfly]

Damnit, now you guys have me wanting to build a new computer. And worse still, I figured out how I could "theoretically" afford it.

Hanging around on here with you guys is unhealthy for my wallet.

 

[caudio51]

Damnit, now you guys have me wanting to build a new computer. And worse still, I figured out how I could "theoretically" afford it.

Hanging around on here with you guys is unhealthy for my wallet.

You've figured that out early in the game. :rofl:

 

[ClockworkDragonfly]

You've figured that out early in the game. :rofl:

I pretty much developed a feeling like that back in the C-bid thread... this just cemented it.

I hate you all... but it's okay, I mean that in a brotherly, loving sort of way

 

[tobby4]

ha.. pimp my pc

 

[joshua]

Ya know what. I was going to build a PC from scratch last year but ended up buying something off newegg which had good parts in it and came with media center pre-installed. It ended up being $550, and every couple months I would just install something extra or upgrade it.

I added more ram first. Then put in a better video card than the on board so I could play games better. Then put in a TV tuner so I could use media center to record TV shows. Then last weekend I put in a new CPU (went from single core to dual).

If I was starting from scratch I would be going with a Core 2 Duo instead of AMD at the moment though. I am still happy with what I have since I mostly use my Macbook Pro most of the time.

 

[MithShrike]

Last parts list I put together I was given a budget of $1600...

Anyway, does your case come with a PSU? Do you already have a copy of XP Pro?

Here's a part list I thought up, I rounded the prices up to the nearest dollar. Anyway, it's below your $700 budget at $466. There are some things we could easily upgrade but I chose the components at the level of performance I thought you might need from your description. Add an extra $140 to that $466 for a legit copy of Windows XP Pro.

XWindows XP Pro - $140
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=604631

LG 18x DVD±RW - $39
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=174262

AMD Athlon 64X2 3800+ - $105
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80721-10

XLogitech Deluxe 250 Desktop - $20
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=213713

Corsair ValueSelect 1GB kit - $74
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=85016-44

MSI K9AGM2-L - $66
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=249644

If you don't have a PSU Antec SmartPower 2 500W - $72 (has a $20 MIR)
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=273503

XLogitech R-10 2.0 Speakers - $17
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=360430

eVGA GeForce 7900GS - $164
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=322824

OK big Xs on the stuff you don't need... total comes to... $520 OK I think I may have done my math wrong earlier... lemme look again.

 

[caudio51]

Thanks Matt

Well, I can get an install of XP from a friend. I have a keyboard, speakers, mouse, and the peripherals so it's really just the PC including PSU.

 

[acaffey]

Most recently, I built a water cooled PC into a rackmount case for the studio and one into a media component case with a vaccuum flourescent dusplay for use as a media center. I think I could have done both on your budget had it not been for the water cooling and specialized enclosures. You should be able to start a system with that budget even if you want to go with Vista.