Pre-built Systems

[hardnrg]

This is what i'm gonna do (and do it on newegg):

 

Case - Apex Beige Mid-tower w/ 350w PSU ($24)

CPU - AMD XP 2500+ Barton (not mobile) ($85)

MOBO - Abit NF7-S v.2 ($91.00)

RAM - Kingston HyperX PC 2700 2x256 dual kit ($123)

Video - ATI AIW Radeon 9600 (he wants to do VHS to DVD conversion) ($139)

HD - Hitachi 160gb SATA ($93)

DVD recorder - LiteOn 8X Dual-layer ($80)

RAM - OCZ Enhanced Latency Series Dual Channel Optimized 184 Pin 512MB(256MBx2) DDR PC-3200 ($124)

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-146-882&depa=1

(pc3200 @ cl2, a lot faster than pc2700)

 

CPU - AMD 35 Watt Mobile Athlon XP 2400+, 266 MHz FSB, 512K L2 Cache Processor ($86)

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-103-439&depa=1

(will clock WAY higher than a desktop 2500+)

 

MOBO - DFI "NFII ULTRA INFINITY" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU ($90)

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-136-137&depa=1

(dfi owns all, i wish i had one )

 

think about buying a separate psu and case... the psu that comes with the case will likely blow up... i'm not even joking, i had one, and it blew up with a bang and smoke poured out....

 

oh yeah, and you'll need a hs/f for the xp-m since it doesn't come with one...

 

Thermaltake SILENT BOOST Highest Performance Cooler for AMD AthlonXP up to 3400+ ($28)

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....-106-037&depa=0

(there are better heatsinks, but this is a reasonable price, good cooling, and pretty near silent...)

[Agallion]

hardng remember who is is buildng for...someone who will not overclock

[hardnrg]

yeah, i'm saying that for the same price (or pretty much the same) he could have a system running at 3200+ speeds @ 400fsb instead of a 2500+ system @ 333MHz...

 

a 2400+ xp-m might even do 2.2GHz at stock voltage... an xp-m produces less heat, so you can go with a more silent cooling solution...

 

for the same price you can do a very modest oc, but run a lot cooler, and therefore a lot quieter... which is good for video editing... that's what i was thinking...

[BiPolar]

Hmm, good suggestions, but since I'm not getting a good case with airflow or a good PSU, I didn't want to risk OCing it. Why the DFI over the Abit? Anyone else want to weigh in on that?

 

What's going to be the cheapest CPU (sub 100) at the fastest stock speeds? I really don't want to risk burning this guy's system.

[Agallion]

he isnt going to want it overclocked man...think about if u were to tell ur non computer oriented friends that ur going to build hem a computer and overclock it..ya that wont fly to well

[BiPolar]

yep, that's why i want stock speeds at the best price point. What processor doyou suggest for what he wants to do?

 

...or, I can get myself the Mobile Barton 2500 (or 2400 any thoughts...45W or 35W), and give him my t-bred 2700.

Edited August 2, 2004 by BiPolar

[Pent uP Rage]

I should kill you for insulting Dell in such a way. And the fact that your statement is an ignorant lie, makes it that much worse. I in fact have a Dell Dimension 8300, and a Dell Inspiron 2650, both upgraded in some way, NOT throught Dell. The Desktop has an extra 512MB of RAM added to it, Courtesy of Crucial, the Laptop also had an upgrade from 128 to 256MB, also thanks to Crucial. The Desktop has a CD-Burner I got for 25 bucks made by LG. A 6GB IDE hard-drive, used to back up files. Has a Sound Blaster Live! X-Gamer from out of an old computer. And to top it all off, it has a 60mm Generic Who knows what fan I got from Techtronics for $4, for an intake. Really, saying that you can't upgrade them, except through Dell, is a lie

 

Any idiot can install the parts. The point is that you can't install any of the MAJOR upgrades without going through DeLL. That's not a standard AGP slot in there buddy. When you opened it up did all the wires look like spaghetti? I KNOW they did. I drink beer with two friends that work on the factory floor and know a lot more about Dell PCs than you or I. THEY say that they suck. (unless you happen to have an XPS) The parts they use are substandard. But you got alot of nice parts in your PC. But in a year or two after we have all bought new processors, all the Dell users are stuck. Unless they want to get raped to upgrade.(Because they want you to buy a new one). So you're stuck with a marginally upgradeable system with a lot of goodies.

 

AND I SAID THEIR LAPTOPS ARE KILLER!!!!

[DECwakeboarder]

...or, I can get myself the Mobile Barton 2500 (or 2400 any thoughts...45W or 35W), and give him my t-bred 2700.

Great idea, doing that with my girlfriends family, they wont know the difference and you can OC alot more then

[BiPolar]

Yep, just did it, doing my burn-in at stock speeds right now.

[xpandapuss]

i would talk him into diy builds for 4 reasons

1.he will get twice the system for half the price

2pick his own parts/prices

3you still get tec support on the peices you buy,+ factory support is bad/expensive

4$800 on a factory will get abit less than nothing maybee less than half the rig you could knock up yourself's

DITTO!!!!!!

[OptikaliLLusion]

Anything Dell that is not an XPS blows. Even that is an overpriced piece of crap. If I had bought my current parts from the beggining (I was an Uber-n00b and bought crap parts), It would've hit around.... $1000 (sans monitor). Much cheaper than an Xtremely Pissy System or anything else that Satan spawned with Dell.

[BiPolar]

For all interested parties this is my friend's new computer. Parts are arriving today.

 

 

Case - Apex Silver Mid-Tower w/400W PSU

CPU - AMD XP 2700

Mobo - DFI NFII Ultra Infinity

RAM - OCZ Enhanced Latency Dual 512 (2x256) PC3200

Video - ATI AIW Radeon 9600 128mb

HD - Hitachi 160GB SATA 7200

DVD - Liteon 8x Dual Layer

 

I"ll also be reusing his existing CD-R drive and floppy in the rebuild. Grand Total was about 670..