Advice for a new gal... [Archive]

LostBok

08-30-2001, 02:55 AM

I agree with Camaro and Rhino...

Sacrifice CPU speed before video (eg a Duron 800Mhz would do fine for now and is easilly and cheaply upgradable - but the 1400's seem like a pretty sweet deal).

Start with 256megs Crucial 2100 DDR, again EASILY upgraded later, but if you find it cheap, go for it.

SB Live! is NICE http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Only thing I'd be more specific on is hdd's - I'd emphasise IBM a lot more and IBMGXP60's (40 gig or thereabouts is good) over the older IBMGXP75's which are very fast, but hot and noisy... if you REALLY want disk speed - a fistfull of these (GXP60's) RAIDed together http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif (yeah, go for four of them!) - or maybe's that's overkill http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Video - talk about an argument starter... if you're serious about games, a high end GeForce2 (DDR, Pro, Ultra, whatever) always does nicely... GF3's still pretty steep, although dropping fast and might be worth it for the future-"proofing" and I certainly wouldn't go for less than an mx400, but if you're serious about gaming you're probably not even looking that low...

And you won;t really need the DVD or CDRW's, but if you're on a budget then the Ricoh DVD/CDRW isn't too bad: 12cdr/ 10cdrw/ 32cd/ 8dvd... otherwise the Plextor 12/10/32 is a nice "budget" drive that'll copy anything... on the DVD front I've always been partial to the Pioneer SCSI Slot loaders... but these are my just my personal preferences... like I said - you don't need any of this lot for gmaing though.

Enjoy!

PS - how you going to be getting online?

As far as lan cards go, I highly recommend the 3-com 3C905TX 10/100TX - solid as a rock and decently quick too..

[This message has been edited by LostBok (edited 08-30-2001).]

Hellmund

08-30-2001, 09:06 AM

I think you guys missed a crucial little nugget of informations, how much do you want to spend? Also what country are you in so we know what currency to work with http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

camaro

08-30-2001, 02:47 PM

Actually that was my first line. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Infinitus

08-30-2001, 02:48 PM

For a mobo I've got my eye on the Asustek K7V-266. Factory overclocked to a 134.3MHz FSB. Has almost everything you'll ever need and can be found with onboard RAID and audio (although the audio is probably lame). Very expandable. Its also the only board that I've seen that supports the Palomino core.

If anyone knows any other board out now that can do this then I'm listening. I'm about to build my own system with this as the basis.

Warthog

08-30-2001, 03:47 PM

Yeah, some of those pcs they call "Gamer Machines" are wayyyyyy over done, like Rhino said. They'll say you need the latest and greatest, Geforce3, Pentium 3 1.7ghz, 512mb RAM, etc, etc. Then they'll be around $3k. CRAZY

Listen to the dudes here http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Warthog

madfish

08-30-2001, 04:18 PM

nerdgirl
The guys forgot the most important thing of all.
WELCOME TO SYSOPT!
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
Madfish

j moy

08-30-2001, 04:31 PM

For a sound card... go for a Hercules Game Theater XP best sound card in the world...! don't forget the box if you go on LAN parties... as for the burner... go to buy.com (Cheapest) and the sound card.. best buy... it might be an expensive place.. but they have this "sale" ... and it's been forever since they changed the price... go to newegg.com for the 1.4 GHz if you want it... and welcome to sysopt!

Warthog

08-31-2001, 10:37 AM

www.mwave.com (http://www.mwave.com) has a lot of stuff.

Yes, as my fellow Vermont brethren said, Welcome to Sysopt! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Warthog

chefde

08-31-2001, 02:14 PM

Go out and pick up a PC Gamer Magazine,
it has specs for three levels of Gaming Machines; Economy, Mid and Highend with estimated pricing from Pricewatch.com. Then you can follow directions from this website:
http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/index.htm

There may be better sites for instructions (this one seems dated) but I don't know of any.

nerdgirl

08-31-2001, 10:25 PM

Thanks, I'll check them out.

I'm adding another couple of questions here (I hope this is okay). I don't want to sound super-lame, but what is the difference (price?) in buying the hardware at a dot-com as opposed to a retail store like Compusa? Doesn't all the hardware come with manuals? (If these are really stupid questions, go ahead and blast me.) http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif I don't mind paying the price for a quality gaming system, but I also want to spend wisely.

Thanks everyone!

camaro

08-31-2001, 10:38 PM

Buying OEM from online is cheaper then retail. Even if you bough a retail box from online it would be still cheaper. I got my video card, DVD, etc white box. This means no manuals, white box, just the hardware. Sometimes it's not worth buying a pretty box and manual for $20 more. You can get all the drivers you need from the web and usually they are more up to date anyway. I got the cpus oem also. I knew the stock heatsink of a retail packadged cpu wasn't going to be enough and I'll need to change it anyway. The only thing that sucks is returning. Shipping is a ripoff sometimes.

TechDude

08-31-2001, 10:38 PM

How much $$ do you have?

With around $1100 (give or take a few 10s) i was able to build this..

VisionTek Geforce3
AMD Athlon 1.4Ghz 266fsb
Iwill KA266
SB Live! X-Gamer 5.1
IBM 60GB HDD 7200RPM
2x 256MB DDR-SDRAM
52x CD-ROM
14(?)/10/40 CD-RW
Antec(sp?) ... case /w 400watt PSU
Altec 4 pice speakers /w subwoofer
PS/2 Opticle Mouse
PS/2 Internet keyboard

It didnt include the moniter .. but i already had a 21' flatscreen.

The mobo i got has built in 4.1 sound so if you wanted to save an extra 50+ then dont buy the sound card.

nerdgirl

08-31-2001, 10:54 PM

I was anticipating having to spend around $1500-$2000, but I'm learning so much from you guys, that I'm starting to think I don't need to spend that much.

Building my own seemed scary (but fun) at first, but now it's sounding a more and more rewarding (both pride and price)with the more I find out. True or not true? http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks for the all the advice and the specs!

TechDude

08-31-2001, 11:10 PM

Oh btw, if your new to this then you might wanna buy retail boxs of at least the mobo and cpu since they come with handy instructions.

Retail box costs more, but you get a neat-o box and driver cd and instructionns.

OEM, all you get is the hardware.

And i would suggest you shop online, its much cheaper and eaiser. Plus UPS residental (which is the standard shipping or most sites) arrives in about 3-4 days.

Lemon

08-31-2001, 11:49 PM

Howdy neighbor.... It's sounds like you are on the right path. If you buy online check out http://www.resellerratings.com/index.html
before you buy. You can look up an on-line business and check out what experiences others have had with the businesses. This way you can limit yourself to doing business with only Reputable companies

nerdgirl

09-01-2001, 01:59 AM

Thanks for the welcome. You are all so nice. I really appreciate the comments and tips. Please keep them coming, because I am here to learn!

To answer your questions, I live in Seattle,WA. I can't honestly say that money is no object, but my main concern is QUALITY. I want performance and durabilty (don't we all?). Also, I don't plan on overclocking.

Again,I am grateful for any help, comments, and opinions on all this stuff. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks, nerdgirl

vass0922

09-01-2001, 08:30 AM

Oh and don't forget www.pricewatch.com (http://www.pricewatch.com) http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Great for finding good prices for items!

I agree with most of the people here on the hardware, stress on the crucial memory http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif ( www.crucial.com (http://www.crucial.com) )

I have a SB Live! Value, and yes the requirement for 2 interrupts is annoying, but they sound pretty **** good http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

I would also like to welcome you to SysOpt!!

Whir

09-01-2001, 09:40 AM

Greetings nerdgirl!

It doesn't seem like anyone has been recommending that you look for a decent monitor also. I highly recommend at least 17" inches of viewing pleasure. Look for something with a .26DP or smaller and something that will run 800x600 at like 75Hz or greater. Just about everything does now. I'm a big fan of Viewsonic monitors. Can't beat the price for the quality. We use them at work for our CAD stations. Also, a lot of people will tell you to get a 19", but I've found that a 17" is a much better value. You wouldn't believe how big 19" is until you sit face to face with one trying to game. Haivng to look around the screen instead of at it can prove tiresome from the eyes.

Anyway, I agree with mose of the above statements. You don't need some big magazine's go to heck computer to play games at a decent speed. I'd say most of the recommendations earlier are pretty good (not that I'm an expert either). I would maybe look into the Radeon video cards though, instead of the GeForce2. That way if you ever decide you want to do some video stuff, you have a better (in my opinion) card to do it with.

-Whir

Warthog

09-01-2001, 09:59 AM

Having to squint to see that target wayyyyyy far away is also tiresome for the eyes http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

I went from a 15" to a 19". AWESOME! I suggest you go to a store and use one for yourself if you want to see the differences in sizes.

Warthog

Cody

09-01-2001, 10:48 AM

I would say, for sure, don't get the SBLive!. Instead, get a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. With a 4.1 or 5.1 point speaker system, the sound card is going to make a ton of differencce, especially with those Klipsch beasts.

Richard_Cranium72

09-01-2001, 11:22 AM

Welcome, and to add to all the infinite wisdom that you've encountered so far, I'll introduce myself, I'm the Deal Doctor, mostly anyway.. When you actually decide upon the hardware, holler and we'll all argue the merits of this and that vendor.

For the CPU, Motherboard, Memory, Video Card and perhaps the case, modem and Hard Drive too, I suggest www.newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com)
Sometimes they add up the shipping for every item, sometimes not.

For your operating system (o/s) I suggest www.9software.com (http://www.9software.com) Win98 1st edition for $40

Before you build your dream system, would you like to start out with something less, or do you own a machine now ?

I tend to stay away from the top of the line hardware cause the price diff is not usually that noticable in everyday applications.

lotsa luck
DrVette

nerdgirl

09-01-2001, 07:27 PM

I really appreciate all the great advice that keepd coming in.

I do have a computer now, but it's lower than bottom of the line. It's my Grandpa's handoff, pretty much bare.

But, he did include a Viewsonic 17" monitor which is actually really nice. My one at work is 19" though, which is also nice. So, I'm still pretty undecided about a monitor. That's kind of the last thing on my list (for now). Thank for the tips though.

The hardware, I think is the hard part for me. There's just SO much out there. As in, how do I know what's right? But that's what you guys are for, right?! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

As always, thanks so much!!!
-ng

cheapster

09-01-2001, 11:10 PM

These guys have some great suggestions. One I might offer is to build a "decent", but not overpowering system for your first attempt. You can save quite a bit of money, and still have a very efficient and excellent performing system that is easily upgradeable to "bleeding edge" if that is your ultimate goal. For instance, if you are unfamiliar with mounting a heatsink on a AMD Athlon processor and you accidentally crack the core, you won't be nearly as upset if that core you cracked was a $45 Duron 850 rather than a $120 1.4 gig T-Bird. Also the Duron runs cooler and is not as demanding of a heatsink and fan. You can always upgrade later, once you gain experience and confidence. I was very intimidated by the stories of cracked CPU cores on the AMD processors, so the first 5 systems I built were all based on Intel processors because they were tougher and ran cooler. But I have to admit my newest system (MSI K7T Turbo/Duron 850@893) is faster than my Celeron 600@900 by a noticeable amount. Also you can pick up a Geforce 2 GTS video card that would do a decent job on games for a little over $100 (check newegg.com) instead of spending $150 or more for a 64 MB PRO or Ultra. For starting out, a 32 MB GTS or Pro would work great. Than later you can upgrade to the 1.4 T-Bird and Geforce 3 (hopefully the prices will have come down on the Geforce 3 by then.)
My strategy was to build a nice basic system and see how it worked and how different it was from an Intel based system (not very). The only other advice I would give is to NOT scrimp on your case/power supply. The case I bought for my Duron system is the Enlight 7237 with 300 watt power supply. ($65 shipped from newegg.com) I wouldn't recommend going for anything cheaper than that. Welcome to sysopt.com and let us know how it goes. If you have questions, fire away.
Chuck
PS If you feel you may require extensive support in your building endeavor, I suggest you check out compucheap.com. the proprietor, Russ, is well regarded for his unsurpassed expertise and standup business practices. His prices aren't the lowest, but the support is worth it, if you need it. And he may be close to you, his shop is in Kent!

voogru

09-02-2001, 01:16 AM

TechDude,

You get the drivers with OEM! it would be pretty retarded for thm not to give you the drivers with the hardware right? but you dont get the neat-o box which goes in the trash after the first few days.

also building the system is the best! i advise all my friends to build not buy. you learn something and the pc is better. and you know what ure getting unlike when you buy an HP you have almost no clue of the specs.

and nerdgirl, Welcome to sysopt! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/biggrin.gif

-voogru

blasterman

09-02-2001, 01:53 AM

Nerdgirl- Welcome to SysOpt. If you are in the Seattle area, there is a pretty good free computer mag distributed in that area called "Computer Source Magazine". You should be able to find it in any of the Fred Meyer stores, most libraries and computer stores. Also, recommend you go to their web site www.sourcemagazine.com (http://www.sourcemagazine.com) and start reading. Current issue has good article on 1 Ghz Duron. Then click on archives and go back and read all their articles on cpu's, video cards, motherboards, etc. Some very informative info written in laymans terms.As to where to buy , I have found that I can usually buy at as good or better price locally here in the Portland area than anything I find on the net. Some people take a print out of what they find on the web with them when they go shopping and the stores will give a very competitive price and no shipping.I have talked to some people who drive down here from Seattle because they say the prices here are quite a bit better. Info others have input is good. You will have to do a lot of checking and then decide which you think is best for your needs and pocket book. Good luck on your endeavor. If you need anymore info about the Portland area just post back. John

Hellmund

09-02-2001, 05:55 AM

Well I definitely recommend seeing Richard once you work out the PC to be's components.

Now is the system solely to be used for games only? Have you thought about whether you want to watch DVD's or any other things like that. Would you like a really high quality display or would you prefer brute power. What games do plan on playing with the system. Is there a resolution you specifically want everything to be able to run at?

Try to give as much information on what you want the system for, it helps us to design something you'll be a lot happier with http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

BTW, sorry camaro didn't see that http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Hellmund

09-02-2001, 05:56 AM

Just noticed one other thing, you said you were pretty new to this. Does that mean you want to custom-build a system at one place or will you be building it yourself at home with components from multiple places.

BobyJo

09-02-2001, 06:45 AM

Well you have a lot of opinions on what you asked for: I will recommend two of the most important components of you gaming system.

1: go for the Athlon T-Bird of at least 1.33 AXIA or 1.4 AYHJA. The price of these pieces are so low now, you will not go wrong with these cpu's. Also you will not have to upgrade later.

2: be sure and look at the Radeon DDR64 VIVO. This card must be purchased as the (retail boxed version) If you get this card you will get the ultimate gaming vid card arround. This vid card is actually the production version of the "SE" card that was referenced a couple of months ago. Great fps, super clairity and color depth, the VIVO (SE) version will outperform all GF2's except the "ULTRA", it will outperform most of the lower priced GF3's, equal to the midrange GF3's. nVidia does not have any vid card that will perform equal to this card for in the price range of $150.00. I know this will probably start a flame. GO ahead if you wish, all you will come up with is 3dMark2001 scores. That benchmarking tool "sucks" big time with anything else than nVidia products. Just remember the majority does not confirm anything in this topic. If you come up with a great mobo, either the Epox 8KHA KT266 chipset, or the 8K7A AMD 761 chipset, either of these is a great mobo. You don't want "RAID" so you may order the mobo without raid if you wish.

I have grandchildren older than most of the people posting here. So don't start anything about flaming on these topics. I never knock your stuff, you purchase what you want and the rest of us should do the same. We should never place 100% of our decision on what the majority in this forum would recommend. Read the features, performance, quality of the screen,(you look at the screen) this part of the video system is the most important component of the complete system. You need something that is good looking, easy on the eyes, and not prone to giving you migraine type headache after viewing the screen for a long time.

Whitehorse

09-02-2001, 10:02 AM

First i want to say Hi to everyone at sysopt. Some good info is put out here. I have built a few computers,just finished one with the new Soyo Dragon Motherboard in it,This is a great MB,Built on C-media 6 Channel audio which sounds great.And FastTrack 100-Lite Raid,and Lan i use for wireless internet(2 miles from town)and it is fast..OK for the new gal-from an old guy and new user at sysopt.And i hope this don't make anyone mad,but check out http://www.sharkyextreme.com/ Build it yourself,gather all the parts,and i'm sure everone at sysopt. would help you.

nerdgirl

09-03-2001, 12:01 AM

Thanks all for the great info, please keep it coming.

For Hellmund (and everyone), here's some more specifics. The system I want to build is for about 80% gaming and 20% word processing, internet, dvd, cd-burning, and spreadsheets. It's primarily for gaming, though, so stuff geared towards gaming is the most important stuff I want for it, but I don't want to compromise the other functions either.

I plan to get all the stuff from wherever and put it together myself at home. It sounds like a neat thing to do. I don't have good OR bad luck, so I hope it does turn out to be a neat thing to do. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

I do mostly strategy, rpg, and adventure games (Age of Empires and Baldur's Gate types of stuff).

I hope this helps for even more advice. Everyone's been great to me. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Thanks again, ng

Hellmund

09-03-2001, 07:52 AM

Well the 64mb DDr Radeon VIVO should suit your needs, I think it's main strengths are it's image clarity, it's Hardware motion compensation( great for watching DVD's, makes them really smooth ) and it should be more than adequate for any current strategy games http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

The processor only really should be 1ghz+ to complement the radeon, however as the others said the 1.33ghz and 1.4ghz are quite low right now and the price different is almost negligable.

You should only need 256mb but with OS's such as ME/2K/XP etc 512mb can come in handy. If you plan on using something older like Win9x just stick with 256mb.

HDD space is entirely upto you, you can get upto 180gb now but I doubt that's necessary. I'd recommend something just like 20-40gb.

Cygnus-X1

09-03-2001, 08:15 AM

What about the OS?
Is WIN98SE still the most overall compatible
for gaming?
Just Curious.

Infinitus

09-03-2001, 05:21 PM

I quite like Win ME. It may be a bit more expensive and the "features" may be better descrived as bugs, but it is better than Win98SE and it starts up/shuts down very quickly, especially when you compare it to a system with a network card and win98. I'd also agree with the Radeon VIVO seeing as the gaming demands aren't gonna be that high with strategy games.

sKiT

09-03-2001, 06:01 PM

AMD CPU's with GEForce cards out perform anything pentium for gaming and for half the price usually =P

my two cents

MistralBurn

09-04-2001, 06:38 PM

When it comes to monitors and frame rates, know this: LCD screens have a maximum refresh rate of 75 hertz (75 frames per second) whereas a CRT monitor (the one that looks like a TV) can go way up there into the 120 hertz (120 frames per second) and if you're getting into the GeForce3, then you're going to want a monitor than can put out more than 75 frames per second, because a GeForce3 most certainly will be able to. Besides the performance, CRTs are much cheaper than LCDs as well. You can get a 19" monitor for very good prices, it's when you go into the 21" monitors (like me http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif) that it gets expensive.

conjh13

09-06-2001, 09:39 AM

I think win98SE is still your best option for gaming. I've used ME some, and am very unimpressed with it, especially for the price.

As for HDD's, I'd buy a Maxtor over an IBM any day, and you'll want to make sure it's a 7,200 RPM.

Also, something that has surprisingly been unmentioned. Case cooling. Case fans are cheap, and you're best off if you at the very least use all the spaces provided in the case. Some people will even make more holes in the case for cooling fans, but that's hardly necessary unless you plan to overclock.

Another thing is surge protection. With an expensive toy like a gaming machine, you certainly don't want to take any chances, since an adequate surge supressor can be purchased for a mere $20 at many local stores.

Also, don't forget a mouse/trackball! There's some very nice optical models of each, and most current designs are made to fit your hand very comfortably. I prefer trackballs, but find what's right for you!

LostBok

09-07-2001, 07:35 AM

Welcome to SysOpt, NerdGirl, failed to notice you were relatively new to all of this... sorry - this is a bit of a long rambling session!

TechDude's spec's sounded pretty good... also depends on where you'll be storing/using/moving this system.

eg - if you're lugging it off to college you might not want a 19"/21" monitor that is a bit too bulky and could get damaged, etc.... I got myself a 17" monitor when I started college, 'cos we had to clear out our rooms each term so they could rent them out.... now that I'm finished with college, a 21" went in the budget http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

mice/trackballs... the Logitec optical trackballs are nice, but my persoanl preference is for the IntelliMouse Optical (5 button version)... it is silky smooth and I've only been using it a couple of weeks and have already fallen in love with those extra buttons!

CPU's: Sound's like you'd be more in line for an Athlon 1.4Ghz, the CPU's not gonna be THAT much more (they're all pretty cheap at the mo)... Going for the 1.4Ghz is better than going out and OC'ing your first ever system build and messing it up.... then sometime next year when faster PC's are coming out and if you feel confident, you can have a go at OC'ing it....

GeForce3 - the GF2's are pretty much all quick enough right now, but if you don't mind paying a little extra now, it'll save you replacing it within a year, if you wan tot link up a video-machine, non-digital camera or anything liek that, then seriously consider the ASUS V8200 DELUXE (with 3D glasses) - not a bad price too!

RAM - 512meg DDR is ideal, but a single 256meg DDR should do for now... you can always get more later if you find your system needs it - make it decent quality stuff though (Crucial CAS2 PC2100 come well recommended).

Motherboard - bit of a tricky one... I don't know enough about the newer Athlon Boards to recommend... there's one of the Epox boards that everybody's raving about, but the new VIA chipset is out (KT266A - note the "A" version!). It would seem to be worth waiting for for a board based on that, just keep an eye on Tomshardware.com or one of those sites to see how they all compare.

Hard-drives: My personal preference is IBM GXP60 HDD's, but that's just my preference, RAID striped if possible, but that can be risky... if price is no object, I've got a PC at work with 4 x IBM GXP60's - RAID 0+1 (striped and mirrored which gives you speed plus redundancy), but wastes half the space http://www.sysopt.com/forum/frown.gif.

OS: I'd go for win2000 EVERY time... althogh I've got one of my PC's dual booting win98 and win2000, so I can switch to the older OS for the few much older games that won't run under 2000 (Red Alert)... do yourself a REAL favour and steer WELL clear of Windows ME!! Although it supports virutally all games, it has SO many probelms with network gaming it is NOT funny... plus as unstable, etc as win98 if you use it as your main OS. winXP is debatable, but I won't even bother looking at that until MS realises people don't LIKE big brother watching... we get enough of that already!

CDRW... I've always liked Plextors and Ricoh's - again, just my preference. I've got a Ricoh CDRW/DVD 12/10/32/8, a Ricoh SCSI 4/2/6 and a Plextor 12/10/32... can't complain about any of those... my ideal: Plextor 12/10/32 SCSI CDRW and an UltraPlex 40x SCSI CDROM to feed it quick enough... all on a Adaptec 2940U.

DVD - Like I said before - Pioneer Slot loaders are very nice and convenient... if you get a SCSI card, might as well keep the IDE bus free http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Enough rambling!!

Nerdgirl... what are you thinking about? Let everybody in one your current "hotlist" and we can comment on what you've chosen, I think the motherboard is going to be the hardest choice though....

laters,
LostBok

[This message has been edited by LostBok (edited 09-07-2001).]

robin801

09-09-2001, 06:59 PM

hello nerdgirl. well here goes my .02. i just put together my first system about 3 months ago and my second system 1 month ago.

i don't do any real gaming so i don't know if my specs will help you.

1st. system

asus a7v133-mobo
amd duron 850-cpu
nvidia geforce2mx 400-video card
on board sound
samsung 8x dvd
antec speakers
256 mb ram
modem
ethernet card

2md system

epox 8kta3+-mobo
amd thunderbird 1mhz-cpu
phillips cdrw
nvidia geforce2mx 400
sound blaster live value-sound card
ethernet card
256 mb ram
ibm 40g 60gxp 7200-hdd

win98 and mandrake on system 1
win98 on 2nd system

spent about 600 on system 1
spent about 700 on system 2

i bought everything on-line except
i bought my mobo and cpu from a local store so that they could put the cpu and heatsink fan on the mobo. so i didn't have to worry about messing up my cpu.

if i can be of any other help let me know.

robin

[This message has been edited by robin801 (edited 09-09-2001).]

[This message has been edited by robin801 (edited 09-09-2001).]

BBA

09-09-2001, 09:04 PM

Hi nerdgirl! Little late...but welcome to SysOpt http://www.sysopt.com/forum/biggrin.gif

All these seem to be very good suggestions you are getting.

Personally, I would not skimp on the video card. It is pretty much THE heart of a gaming system.

I wholeheartedly recommend the GF3. I have had almost every hi-end card made so far, and nothing compares at all! It even makes a 728 MHz P3 system perform like a 1.4 GHz system ( well, in my case my 3DMARK2001 score went from 3150 with my GF2 Ultra all the way up to 4400 ).

Plus, the GF3 is good to go for the new games like Unreal 2, Quake 4, and even Doom 3 ( which is being designed on the GF3 ).

nerdgirl

09-10-2001, 08:23 AM

Hi everyone. Thanks so much for continuing to send in great info. Here's some more details. I will be using the system for about 95% gaming now (instead of the previously decided 80%, how things change http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif ).

I will be getting a GeForce3 (not sure which one yet) and a 60+ GB (most likely IBM) hard drive. I'm doing mostly rpg and strategy (is that more than enough GB for those?).

My biggest dilemas so far are motherboards (of course), cpu ghz/heatsink, and cases/cooling (I don't want temps to be a problem, but keep in mind I won't be overclocking and I live in Seattle http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif )

Questions I still have are how do you know what is/isn't compatible with everything else, and how do you know if you can add a second hard drive? The stuff I'm reading is a little confusing.

One more thing, I'm most likely going to start getting everything in October, so is there anything I should be waiting for?

Again, thanks so much for the super tips. Keep 'em coming. http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif It's REALLY helping me!! http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

-ng

LostBok

09-10-2001, 11:04 AM

All your indicated choices seem pretty safe bets:

GF3, if you can afford it, great!

IBM HDD's are "nice", stick to GXP60 (40 or 60gig), if you want more, get two drives, rather than buying a GXP75 (up to 76gig)... Don't stress about upgrades, most new PC's will take 2 to 4 drives quite easilly... I normally have five or six in my wide midi tower, but that's a bit TOO cosy! In terms of space - 60gig should be FINE for starters!!

Cases: I like the Lian Li cases and the Coolermaster one look pretty ugly but really do the job - I've got a couple of the Coolermaster ATCS 201's with Enermax 550W PSU's... nice and quiet and keep the dual 1Ghz CPU's at about 30-odd degrees under load http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif Defintely go for midi or full tower, not mini tower... there's a lot of very nice midi towers out there that will do the job nicely - keep an eye out for cases that provide some space between the HDD's and even better if they have cooling fans mounted there too (see the ATCS-201 design).

Don't take my preference in cases as a vote for Coolermaster HS&fans though! The Akasa SilverMountains are supposed to be good, but pricey - I like the ThermoEngine HeatPipes... or, I've heard some rave reviews about the ThermoEngine DELTA, but you can keep all that noise thanks!

Motherboard - I'm no good for exact makes for Athlons, although AMD761 chips or the VIA KT266A are apparently the ones to look out for.... also make sure there's DDR support on the mobo, if you can, steer clear of onboard sound and DEFINITELY well away from onboard graphics... ignore all those AMR and CNR slot: 5 or 6 PCI slots will be MUCH more use. ISA slots aren't much use anymore - all the usefull hardware is being re-released in PCI format.

My personal preference is to go for a mobo with HPT370 RAID onboard - even if you don't want to run RAID yet, it is an option for later, plus it gives you four extra IDE channels for harddrives / CDRW / DVD / LS120 (high storage floppy floppy drives) / IDE-ZIP... trust me, you'll use up four channels pretty quickly! Or if you're going for a SCSI CDRW / CDROM / DVD, then maybe onboard SCSI, but you tend to pay WAY too much as these are server-spec motherboards... stick to onboard IDE RAID and then just add a relatively cheap SCSI card later.

laters,
LostBok

Tron

09-10-2001, 11:13 AM

Hi Nerd http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

60 Gb harddiskspace is a lot!!
You will need to partition it to 2 or 3 drives.

MB´s: If you´d like to wait for the
new Via KT266A chipset, It´s worth it!

I will get a bord with SIS 735 soon http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
It´s cheap and available
+ it can run SD and DDR-RAM!

Good companys are MSI, Epox, Abit,
Luckystar-PC chips, Elitegroup,
Iwill and Asus.

With all normal MB´s you can connect
4 ide uata 100 devices resp. 8 with
ide raid controller.

I have bad XP with the Creative sb Live, get a Terratec card!

And Win2K is the best windows even for gameing.

rheteric

09-13-2001, 12:41 PM

Hi nerdgirl, from one bargain hunter to another:
For CPU, go for an Athlon Thunderbird of at least 1.2 Ghz (266mhz bus; $100 and up). As for sound, you can get decent onboard sound if you want to save some $$$ and not have to buy a soundcard. Iwill and Soyo have good onboard sound mobos. My gigabyte board has built in Creative Labs 4 channel sound it is sufficient for me. Also, the Altec 5 piece ACS-54 speaker system is great for the money (~$50). If you go with PCI sound, the Hercules Gaming Theater XP is a real nice piece (~$100 OEM), it does everything. You can get a motherboard with RAID for only a few bucks more than one without, and you can start out with a nice 20 or 30Gb 7200 rpm drive (~$100) and add another one later (if you need it). I am partial to nVidia video cards and think the GeForce3 is a great decision, but I suggest you wait until ATi introduces their competitor to the GeForce3 because prices will go down. I started out with an OEM GeForce2 MX 32Mb that I got at newegg.com for <$50, and it runs Max Payne (for example) very nicely. Don't skimp on case, power supply, or CPU/case coolers. And I highly recommend an optical mouse for gaming. Operating system seems to be personal preference to me. I haven't had any problems with Windows Me, but then again I haven't entered into the realm of online gaming either. Check out these links below regarding Motherboards:
http://www6.tomshardware.com/mainboard/01q3/010808/index.html http://www.tbreak.com/hard/mobo/iwill_kk266+/page1.asp

Also, if this is your first time, I suggest that you have a friend or someone knowledgeable to "hold your hand". It takes equal parts of skill and luck to be successful. Don't give up! Have fun!

[This message has been edited by rheteric (edited 09-13-2001).]

surrealchereal

09-14-2001, 04:00 PM

Motherboard Reviews (http://www.sysopt.com/mboard.html)

Cases: I like the Lian Li cases and the Coolermaster one look pretty ugly but really do the job

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. I think the Lian Li case is the most awesome looking case I have ever seen!:D

Hellmund

09-15-2001, 08:26 AM

Yeh I love the Lian - Li cases, you can throw em down stair and just pick em back up unharmed, also very SHINY:D Expensive though, cost more without a PS than most cases with enermax 400W+ supplies cost!

Mr.Goodbytes

09-16-2001, 07:26 AM

Hey, as long as we're on the topic of cases, if you like cool lookin' ones, head over here (http://www.colorcases.com) and see some pretty slammin creations.

Warthog

09-17-2001, 12:28 AM

hmmmmmmmm 48 replies.......and the original poster is nerdgirl.....seems fishy to me j/k;)

Warthog

Dudster

09-17-2001, 02:30 AM

LOL :D

nerdgirl

09-20-2001, 03:50 PM

Hey, I'm back. :)
I know this thing has gotten really long, but I'm starting to choose my stuff now.
Some more questions:

--How do I know if a case fan is intake or outtake and how many should I have?
--If I buy something, how do I know if it's OEM or retail if it does not specify?
--I'm a little confused on the EIDE thing. How many do I need (I'm wanting both a DVD and CD-RW)?

:confused: :confused:

I'm sorry for being so dumb, but I really appreciate the great advice!!

There are a few new games I can't wait to get and want to get this my new pc going so I can play them (Arcanum, CivIII, etc.), but I still need to learn a lot, so you all are REALLY really helping!:) Soon I'll be asking for game tips too for my cool gaming system!!

:p

I really like these smilie faces!!!:rolleyes:

As always, THANKS!!
-nerdgirl ;)

btw...what's fishy?:)

Dudster

09-20-2001, 10:53 PM

Hi nerdgirl

I could be wrong but I don't think there is any difference between an intake and an out-take/exhaust fan. Fans usually have a little arrow on them to indicate which way they're blowing. So intake, arrow pointing into the case and vice versa for the exhaust fan.

I think the standard amount of fans is one intake on the lower-front of the case (preferbly with a dust filter which BTW is part of the case, not the fan - if it's a good case) and one exhaust fan on the higher-rear of the case (presuming you get a case that allows fitting of these fans - which you should). This is on top of the CPU and power supply fan.

I don't know how you can tell whether or not something is OEM or not (unless it's indicated of course :)).

I don't know what you mean by "the EIDE thing" :)

My piece of advice; know what you're buying before you buy it. By that I mean read reviews, ask questions about it and make sure it's compatable with everything else you're getting.

nerdgirl

09-21-2001, 04:38 PM

I don't mean to be lame, but how do I know what is or isn't compatible with what?:rolleyes:

Thanks so much,
ng
;)

Dudster

09-21-2001, 08:57 PM

:) If you're unsure about the compatability of something, just ask. There are tons of people here who would know. I would also post a list of the stuff that you're planning on getting so people can look it over.

The search function on these forums is also quite handy sometimes.

Repairman Jack

09-24-2001, 07:00 AM

Hi Nerdgirl,

All these decisions are tough, aren't they? It took me two weeks and probably 100+ hours of reading reviews and checking prices before I made up my mind on what video card I was going to upgrade to. Ultimately, I had the money to spend (even though I didn't want to) and I bought an ASUS V8200 Deluxe (GeForce 3). I'm very pleased with my decision! The card rocks and it's very stable, even after overclocking it.

I'm now going through it again with my upcoming MB and CPU upgrade. :eek:

If you don't intend to buy DDR, the ASUS motherboards have received great reviews, as has the ABIT KT7A-RAID. If I were not planning to go to DDR, the ABIT KT7A-RAID is the board I'd buy (I currently have an ABIT KA7-100 board). If you intend to buy a DDR board, wait until the KT266A boards come out in October.

I was all set to buy (an ABIT KG7-RAID) when the KT266A reviews came out, and I'm not going to buy something now and kick myself later for making the wrong choice. Unless the reviews are lower than I expect, I'll be getting the ABIT KR7-RAID when (if) it comes out next month.

RAID - You may never use it, but you will use the additional ports. If you are buying a burner, CDROM, DVD and one or more drives, you'll need the extra ports. I have Plextor 12/10/32A CDR/CDRW and it's a great drive. Plextor STRONGLY recommends you put it on its own port as a master. You'll appreciate the extra ports even if you don't implement RAID.

Athlon CPU's range from $83.99 for the 1GHz, to $119.99 for the 1.4GHz (see http://www.theoverclockerzstore.com/ for prices). The price difference is very small. If you aren't going to overclock, get a 1.4 GHz. If you've even toyed with the idea of overclocking, The Overclockerz Store sells an overclocked (modified to allow overclocking) Tbird 1000 (AYHJA Y stepping) that has been known to hit 1.78GHz (average is 1.65Ghz) for the same price as the non-overclocked Tbird 1000.

Your only real concern with compatibility should be the CPU/MB/Memory. Some of the older Athlon CPU's are not rated for a 266 FSB (Front Side Bus), which means they probably won't work with a DDR board. The Duron may not work with them either (my bet, but I'm certain that someone more knowledgeable on this board will correct me :cool: ).

Once the CPU matches your MB, you need to ensure that the memory matches as well. Obviously, you need DDR memory for a DDR board. The Overclockerz Store also has great prices on memory. They have 256MB CL2 PC2100 memory for $39.99, and 256MB CL2 PC2400 memory for $54.99. Very few places carry CL2 PC2100 or PC2400 memory, and it's much more expensive if you buy from them. Trust me, at these prices, you want CL2.

Get a GOOD case. I have an ANTEC SX1030 case, and it's one of my best PC investments ever. I've added two fans to the front and two to the back, but my system runs very cool.

Get a good CPU cooler, even if you don't overclock. The Overclockerz Store also sells one of the best rated, and cheapest, CPU coolers. The basic Gladiator is $18.99, and competes with the high priced ($70+) coolers. You can also get it with a Delta fan. It's noisy, but it's cooler and you'll never hear the fan while you're gaming! :D

Good luck!

Harshu

09-24-2001, 07:07 AM

Hi,
Well as you have a bugjet of $1500-2000 so money is not a problem. Here in INDIA i could not tell you the prices in $ as here Rupee is the curency and there is a 100% tax on computer product so RAM costing $15 there cost $30 here. So estimated cost of Rs 1500. But still i can tell you a good configuration: -
Go with the rule first select a good Moniter ast this is a only thing which cannot be upgraded frequently so a 19" flat screen Moniter will do you work go for Samsung.
er is the other onfiguration according to its importance: -

2) Geforce 3 (I know it features r not used today but you will play the games of future) of ASUS they may cost higher but driver support and quality cannot be neglected.
3) Go for atlest 384 MB or 512MB of DDR RAM. As RAM is never enough.
4) A HDD 0f 75GB IBM Deskstar 75GXP DTLA 307070 spindle speed of 10000 an 2MB buffer. (Bigger HDD as an average game takes 1GB of space)
5) AMD Athon 1400 MHz for its breathtaking performance. It may have a high price but you can ajust it with the product mentions below.
6) Motherboard of ASUS again quality does matters
7) Soundcard SB Live! Platinum 5.1 or for ajusting price SB Live! Player but it should be of SB Live Series.
8) Speakers Creative Soundworks any which suports 5.1 Dobbly.
9) Spend a good money for cooling as AMD Athlon creates lots of Heat as much as they r hot in Market!!!
10) 16x DVD of Poineer or TDK.
11) Keyboard from Logitect preferbly Cordless & same with mouse.
12) For gaming periperals go for microsoft gaming consoles.

I hope this may help you a bit. Happy Computing.

;)

LostBok

09-24-2001, 07:42 AM

as I've said before: steer clear of the 75GXP's - too hot!

the spindle speed on the 75GXP is 7200rpm (not 10,000rpm), the same as the 60GXP: which is easilly the same speed, but just a bit more expensive and a LOT cooler and quieter!

60gig drive woudl be good or go for a couple of them, although 60 shold see you fine for now... with a RAID mobo, you won't be worrying about running out of IDE channels.

Surrealchereal: Just to clarify from before: the Coolermaster cases are V good, but quite ugly, the Lian-Li cases are fantastic, really good looking, but also wuite expensive... my next system is going to be a Lian-Li PC68 (although I'd bought two Coolermaster ATCS201's before the PC68's came out:(), with an Enermax 430W PSU - its $25 more than the 350W PSU, but you KNOW you can pack the case with HDD's, etc without worrying about power. But to be fair I've had a dual P3 running with 8HDD's, a CDRW, DVD and CDROM, plus a full collection of PCI cards: soundcard, TV card, SCSI card, etc etc all on a 300W PSU, so you would probably be fine with the 350W supply.

For mice: look at the MS Intelli-optical or the Logitech/Microsoft cordless & optical mice... I'd rate optical way ahead or getting cordless, but if you can get both, why not?

Check for compatibility on the soundcards first: the one I've heard people having the most problems with recently. Especially SB Live - don't get me wrong, I've got an SBLive that is doing an awesome job, but just ask them first, so you can always take it back as soon as you ahve any probs - in the UK the phrase "does not fulfull the purpose for which is was bought" is quite clearly stated in the statutory rights as a customer, so comes in handy when returning incompatible hardware :)

Mobo's still gonna be your sticking point... I'm gonan wait to see how the nForce chipset matches up against teh KT266A when they're both available... but then you can wait forever on things like these...

laters,
LostBok

The_dude99

09-24-2001, 12:22 PM

Hi nerdgirl,

I recently upgraded my computer and all i can say is that you should go for a audigy. Now that they are out the OEM ones are around at a very nice price. For parts I myself would recommend www.newegg.com , I got all my parts really cheap here. They have great prices, there fedex express shipping is quick. I got all my computer parts here.

If your thinking of getting a DDR board. I really can't say whats the best one but on the ram part go for crucial, www.crucial.com , they have 256 PC2100 sticks right now 35.99 with free shipping:) , but only till oct. 1:(:cool: :D

gfunkmartin

09-24-2001, 03:50 PM

Hey NerdGirl, welcome to Sysopt!

Congrats on having a really long post! that's cool!

BTW - good call Warthog

Anyway...

I personally suggest an Asus A7A266. Asus has a long reputation for reliable, high-quality products. Also, the A7A266 supports both DDR and SDRAM so you could go either way with your decision.

Case Fans - in or out, depending on which way you turn them, just like Dudster said...

OEM vs. retail - in my experience, most of what you get from dot.coms will be OEM, and will be labeled as retail in the product description if it's not OEM. Also, if there are 2 products, the lower cost is the OEM product.

EIDE vs. SCSI - EIDE lets you attach up to four devices (2 per channel), has the controller included on the motherboard, and is fairly simple to set up. SCSI can offer better performance, lets you attach up to 15 devices (I think) and requires a separate controller card (or a very pricy motherboard) to use. I think it's also a big pain in the rear to configure. I suggest EIDE, since a hard drive, CD-RW, and DVD-ROM will still leave you with one more channel to use for future upgrades (not a lot, but it's something....)

Also...don't apologize for your questions...how do you expect to learn anything if you don't ask questions? Besides, it's hard to have a forum w/o questions...

Hey guys...wasn't there a post somewhere on here with pictures from a guy who built a case from Legos?

For the CPU...Athlon will give you the best deal...why not get a 1.4 GHZ? Make sure you get the ones with the 266 FSB...I'm not sure what the difference between the different cores/batches (AXIA & AHYJA) are...but it's a great deal

Someone else here will be much better versed than myself in heatsinks, so refer to them...

hope this helps!

j moy

09-24-2001, 05:46 PM

You might want to get a Logitech Ifeel Mouse... great mouse! my uncle bought it from overstock.com which is reconditioned.. but I see nothing wrong with it.

nerdgirl

09-26-2001, 12:22 PM

Okay, I still have more research to do, but here's my narrowed down list:

CPU: AMD Athlon 1.4ghz 266fsb
Motherboard: Asus or Abit
Case: Antec sx-1030 300W
RAM: Crucial 256mb DDR PC2100
Floppy: Teac 1.44
CD-RW: Plextor 16/10/40
DVD: Pioneer 16x (front or slot?)
HD: IBM 60GB 7200rpm
Video card: Visiontek or Hercules 3d Prophet III GeForce3
Sound card: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz or Phillips Accoustic Edge
Modem: ??
OS: Windows 98SE or ME

I'm still undecided on the motherboard, modem, video and sound cards, but I've narrowed it down a bit.

So...what do you all think? Am I doing okay?

I need some help in making the final decisions here. Looking at what I've narrowed down to, will everything work together?

The motherboard is my biggest indecision. With what I've listed, what would work best? I guess since this is my first bulid, I would like a bundled motherboard, cpu, heat sink. Is that smart??

Also, I guess since I'm a rookie, I would prefer to have retail stuff.

Lastly, keep in mind, I do mostly RPG and strategy gaming.

Again, I REALLY REALLY appreciate all the help and suggestions. Feel free to voice your opinions, because I am still learning and everything helps.

As always, THANKS!!
nerdgirl ;)

btw...Is it bad that this subject is so long?:) :)

PS: WHAT IF (and that's a big IF) I wanted to go with a Pentium processor? Does my stuff still work with that? :rolleyes:

gfunkmartin

09-26-2001, 03:27 PM

okey dokey....

This stuff will work well with either Pentium or Athlon (you can really tell which one wins our hearts & $$$ here). If I were to build a Pentium machine, I would probably just go with a Pentium 3 to keep costs a little lower, so I wouldn't have to worry about RDRAM too. Also, the i815 chipset for Pentium 3 is incredibly stable...but you won't be able to reach as high of clock speeds as you could with a P-IV. Secondly, you've made good choices, but if you're not going to be doing any FPS games such as Quake 3 or UT, etc., a GeForce 3 is probably overkill. You don't really need the fastest video card for strategy or RPG games. If you want it though, go ahead and get it.

I think either sound card would work fine for you.

As far as motherboards, the main thing is to make sure you're not getting one from a no-name company...my 2 favorites are Asus and MSI (never really used Abit that much, but heard great things about them) Definitely decide on either AMD or Pentium 3 or Pentium 4 before choosing the mobo.

Don't worry about the length of the post...it just means everyone wants to help you, so therefore you must be nice (either that or we're all entranced by the thought of another girl here in the forums)

Jason

[edit]

IMO, definitely choose Win 98 SE over Win ME

Dudster

09-26-2001, 04:07 PM

:) Looks like you're gonna have a wicked gaming machine there. With those specs, I think it would be a shame not to check out the game Black&White.

If I was going to get a motherboard soon, I would definately wait for one that has the KT266A chipset. I would also want one without onboard sound and video and with RAID support (even if I never used RAID, I like to have four IDE ports so that none of my IDE devices share cables). I don't know what the best brand is but I would go for either ASUS or Epox.

I think getting a CPU/Motherboard/HS bundle is a good idea (fitting a heatsink is quite a scary thing) but I would only want to take that route if I could pick it up from a shop myself. I wouldn't like the thought of trusting a courier to be careful with it.

If you also want a video input in your GeForce3 (VIVO), I would go for the Gainward card. If you get the Hercules one, make sure it is the newer "A5" card revision. The original Hercules GF3 was not quite as good as the other GF3s that came out (they all came out after the GF3 had been revised). Oh yeah, I would avoid the Leadtek GF3. That's the one I got and later regretted (not much but my main gripe with it is the bundled utilities are pathetic).

You can look into the various GF3s here http://www4.tomshardware.com/graphic/01q3/010709/index.html

StingRae

09-27-2001, 05:03 AM

Well well ..the system config u have there is a replica of many pcs out there >>including mine.ok now for the suggestions....

>>Geforce3?
__________________________________________________ _
Qoute:"Lastly, keep in mind, I do mostly RPG and strategy gaming. "
__________________________________________________ _

i'd agree with martin..i know ur building the ultimate gaming pc and all but u said u want to be playing Arcanum and stuff like that....those are all games which in reality don't even utilise even a fraction of the power a Geforce3 gives in such a scenario a GF2 MX/GTS/Pro should do fine u can use the money saved on a kickass sound system.
.....BUT just in case due to a freak accident or something u start playing FPSs or any of the other grafix intensive genres...the GF3 is gonna ROCK.....aaaaaaanyways...if ur still buying the GF3 i recommend Asus ,maybe a wee bit slower than others but has a heck of a name in stability.especially the v8200 Deluxe coz it has a great software bundle and also comes with fancy 3D glasses which add a bit of variety.if not, Elsa Gladiac 920 is also gettin rave reviews everywhere AND it has a DVI port.

>>great CPU.pair it up with a great mobo from Asus again..also if u buy d mobo and cpu at a retail store u can ask the guys there to fix the heatsink/fan for you

>>opt for a slot-in DVD drive as no breakable parts (i'm not suggesting that u drop the pc down a flight of stairs or sumthin)

>>u didn't mention any speaker setup..but in any case u should be looking only at 4.1 or 5.1 rig coz it really adds to the gamin experience.check out Altec Lansing ACS54...real bang for d buck.have had bad exp wit creative stuff.

>>geeez how much bucks u got huh? flat panel ??? AMAZING!

>>why not 512MB RAM??

as a signoff note here's my current configuration...
Athlon-C TB 1.4Ghz (266mhz FSB) wit CoolerMaster heatsink-cum-fan,
ECS K7S5A (SiS 735 chipset) mobo,
Transcend PC2100 256MB DDR RAM,
Asus TNT-2 TVR-D ..{gonna get a Leadtek GF3 in a week's time},
Seagate Barracuda IV 40 GB 7200 rpm,
Creative 52X CDROM drive,
SB Live! Value,
Altec Lansing ACS 54 gaming speakers,
Sony FDD,
300W PS of some unknown company.
Windows ME.

wildchild978

09-27-2001, 11:19 AM

Quote"
CPU: AMD Athlon 1.4ghz 266fsb
Motherboard: Asus or Abit
Case: Antec sx-1030 300W
RAM: Crucial 256mb DDR PC2100
Floppy: Teac 1.44
CD-RW: Plextor 16/10/40
DVD: Pioneer 16x (front or slot?)
HD: IBM 60GB 7200rpm
Video card: Visiontek or Hercules 3d Prophet III GeForce3
Sound card: Turtle Beach Santa Cruz or Phillips Accoustic Edge
Modem: ??
OS: Windows 98SE or ME
" End quote

A pretty good list, but......

This is going to be a high drain energy appliance. You'll need a 350W power supply at least.

Floppy drive? does anyone use these anymore? if you need floppy backwards compatibility get a superdrive. enough with this floppy drive nonsence.

My dvd is a poineer 16x slot. if you want to get this one, I have a bios patch to unregion the player.

wtf do you want with a 60GIG HDD? well it's your money I guess.

wtf do you want with a geforce3? Geforce2 is plenty powerful! well, it's your money I guess.

Also...

You're forgetting the most important things in the system! HIDs, or Human Interface Devices. Such devices include Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers (Microphone?), Monitor. Also, don't forget things like scanner, printer, web cam (all the guys here want to see you) ;-)

The best all round sound card currently on the market is the Sound Blaster Audigy. There is no debate on this issue.
You will also need a suitable set of speakers capable of deafening you - Creative Inspire™ 5.1 Digital 5700 should do nicely.

As for a mouse, most people here will tell you the microsoft intellimouse explorer, however they're all 6" men with big ugly (and most probably) hairy hands. You might want a smaller mouse fit for petite hands. The intellimouse optical is a good mouse choice.

If you're going to get a dial-up internet connection, get a USB modem. they're self powered and convienant. try and find a v.92 one.

The monitor is going to be your biggest single outlay. My personal favourites are the LG monitors.

Now as for a scanner, HP and Canon make good ones. The one I have is the Canon N650U

Printer? you going to print out anything? things to take into consideration are ink resevoirs, dpi, ppm, etc. etc. etc.

Finally, don't short change yourself on a suitable desk, and CHAIR. you need a good chair!

gfunkmartin

09-28-2001, 12:28 PM

whoa wildchild...you go all out! :) I just sit on the floor with mine!
j/k

anyway, just wanted to mention, some websites will do some installation for you....if you were buying online as opposed to a brick-and-mortar, maybe you could get them to do some assembly for you (just a thought)

if you can...definitely go for broadband. Your wallet may not thank you but it's worth it

KennyPolo

09-28-2001, 06:00 PM

for an IBM Hard Drive is that wise?

Isnt western digital and seagate preferrer over IBM? even corsair?

in my opinion seagate is the best hard drive brand availabel right now, you can get a 60GB 7200 rpm at some places around here

usually if you wanna buy parts.. its better to look at .com sites and small stores nearby.. most small places sell items cheap because their based on network..

i set up a lot of systems for friends/family even to make some money on the side so i have a lot of leftover parts laying around you can have if you live nearby

some things i have are 1.1 - 1.4Ghz TBirds, 512mb PC133 mem sticks, CDRWs, 10x - 12x DVDs no 16x's, floppy drive, kb's, mice, standard 120w speakers

im out of hard drives so i dont have any you can just take but ill help you find a nic e60gb 7200rpm seagate if you need the help, have a few MATX cases and 300w PS's

i have a few deals with small nearby pc shops, i can buy most things in bulk at low prices

if you live nearby ill let you take most of the stuff, but im asking for small fees on the CDRW and Processor.. perhaps $20 on the 1.4ghz processor, and only $60 on the CDRW btw they are 16x12x40x

also got a few new CDR's if you need them

email me if you need some more info

Ken
sizume@hotmail.com

KennyPolo

09-28-2001, 06:00 PM

BTW ill ship them if you want but you have to cover shipping price

KennyPolo

09-28-2001, 06:03 PM

ewwwww :p

Parts

09-28-2001, 06:38 PM

These two config are from Sharky..I luv Sharky and the info there:D

1.http://www.sharkyextreme.com/theguide/high_game_pc/

2.http://www.sharkyextreme.com/theguide/value_game_pc/

The config. are high-end pc gaming $2500 and value pc gaming $1000. I'd go for the high value and try to remove the components that r useless to me.These are very new specs too.

Parts:p

KennyPolo

09-28-2001, 08:16 PM

but thats wasting a lot of money on a pre-built pc and parts she wont need..

her original post stated she 'wants to build' her own pc for fun and save a couple of bucks

nerdgirl

10-02-2001, 03:55 PM

I'm going to start buying the stuff that I'm decided on. I am only undecided on the video card, motherboard, and os now. :confused:

I super appreciate all the great input (you can still help me with those three undecideds).:)

Any advice on quality places to get my stuff would be great.

I am feeling a little trepidation on building (now that I'm going to actually walk and not just talk).:cool: But, you all have been so helpful, I think I'll be okay. I'll keep asking questions though, because I'm still pretty new. That's what you're here for right??:):)

Just wanted to update.:)

Thanks,
ng ;)

r0l0e

10-02-2001, 05:40 PM

her's a rig i have that was built on ~$1000. i've added a few toys to it which raised the cost but was worth it for me. 'hope it helps..

http://www.mydestiny.net/~dgnetwork

lots a luck...

KennyPolo

10-02-2001, 07:31 PM

id suggest an ati radeon 54mb ddr good price nice card

not sure about the mobo thats all on your own opinion, i think SiS makes the best mobos in my own opinion

as for OS i would choose win 2000 pro.. but if your not into that stuff you should probably pick win 98 se

F4_Hunter

10-03-2001, 12:23 AM

If your going to get a GeForce3 as you mentioned earlier I would suggest the Gainward/CardExpert model. Its one of the cheaper cards and Anandtech's GF3 roundup (http://www2.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1507) suggests it has the best 2D image quality of the ones tested. As for the motherboard once again I'm going to have plug the Epox 8K7A. Good stability, overclockability, and features.

-F4

KennyPolo

10-03-2001, 12:47 AM

why settle for top 2D graphics when she said she was goinna play 3d games?

i still say ati radeon 64mb ddr would be the best if she making an athlon system

F4_Hunter

10-03-2001, 01:14 AM

Ummm.... the GeForce3 can kick a Radeons **** in 3D gaming. The soon to be released (or is it already?) Radeon 8500 might be a opponent though.

-F4

KennyPolo

10-03-2001, 01:16 AM

its been out as long as ge3 and i think it owns ge3 -_-<^>

Annika

10-04-2001, 08:13 AM

You could always go with the ASUS A7V266 Motherboard. Nice to see another girl building PCs :D

KennyPolo

10-04-2001, 08:37 AM

so many asus mobo fans around this forum eh o_O

Annika

10-04-2001, 08:38 AM

.... and everybody knows AMD & nVidia go well together :D

KennyPolo

10-04-2001, 09:13 AM

ehh i think AMD goes well with nVidia but the prob is usually with the motherboards

nVidia doesnt match too well with asus mobos

Dudster

10-04-2001, 10:14 AM

nVidia doesnt match too well with asus mobos In what way? Like many people I use nVidia graphics cards on an Asus mobo.

LostBok

10-04-2001, 10:47 AM

Welcome to SysOpt Annika...

Guys and gals, no need to fight: ATI make a lot of very good products, at present it would seem that general opinion would favour nVidia for performance, however I don;t think I know a single ATI Radeon owner who's sounded disgruntled... I suspec the Radeon 8500 could knock the GF3 off its throne, or certainly rattle its cage if nothing else... however the GF3ti500 looks liek it could claim back the performance crown for nVidia...

Lets just face it... they're all good cards and competition is good for the market! It keeps the manufacturers wokring hard at new products and keeping prices down - look at what happened with 3Dfx when they got to dominate too much... suddenly they were just re-hashing old products and selling them on at over-inflated prices...

Not heard anything from Nerdgirl for a while.... where you at gal?

LostBok

10-04-2001, 11:07 AM

Another thing - why bicker about which has teh highest FPS / quailty picture when all she's playing on this is RPG's and such...

Another thing, NG, go for win98se over winME ANY DAY... however definitely consider win2000 for stabillity... my personal preference has been NT4 or win2000 for a while...

I used to use dual boot win98se and winNT4, then dual win98se and win2000, but only have one game that doesn't run properly on win2000, so I just use an old P200mmx to play that one (yup, that how old the game is!) and now I run win2000 only, although the FPS lunatics out there will swear you can get "6.37% higher frame rate" or something like that.... who cares?!? Simple and stable :cool:

KennyPolo

10-04-2001, 09:02 PM

i read there were a lot of issues showing up while testing ge3 with various mobos and cpu's

asus and fic had the most probs

as far as 3dfx.. you're right about them being the best and then dying out just as quickly

the ge3 vs radeon issue, i think they are both great cards but i think radeon still dominates ge3, at one point i was an nvidia fan but that was when ge3 first came out

when they started releasing ge2 i started going back to the old school.. ati and 3dfx

Annika

10-05-2001, 04:54 AM

Strange to hear somebody saying ASUS and nVidia cards are a bad match .... read my spec-

Windows ME operating system (with CacheMan 5 optimization)
AMD Athlon 1.4GHz CPU
ASUS A7V133-C Mainboard (1005a BIOS)
768Mb PC133 memory
Quantum Fireball AS Plus 30Gb HD
HPT370 Raid Controller
2x 20Gb Seagate UDMA100 HDs
Samsung 308-b 8x4x32x12 CDRW/DVD drive
LG CRD-8522B 52x CD drive
Gainward CardExpert GeForce2 Mx 64Mb graphics
SoundBlaster Live! 1024 sound
HP UltraVGA 1024 Monitor
Microsoft Natural Elite USB keyboard
BrowserMouse USB wheel mouse
Thrustmaster Firestorm USB gamepad
MicroLab USB powered speakers
Mustek 1200UB USB Scanner
EPSON Stylus 580 USB inkjet printer
WinTV PVR USB Video Capture unit

... Home-built, and proud of it.

KennyPolo

10-05-2001, 08:03 AM

Most gaming magazines quote on that

My MAIN Setup: (note: i have 7 systems set up in my room)

System 1
Windows 2000 Pro OS
AMD Athlon 1.4GHz CPU
MSI MS-6341
1GB DDRam
Western Digital 40Gb HD 7200RPM
BTC 24x12x40 CDRW drive
Toshiba 16x/40x DVD Drive
(2) ATI Radeon 64MB DDR VIVO
Soundblaster Live Audigy Platinum
Sun Microsystems 17" Monitor
NEC 17" Monitor MultiSync A500
Compaq Erase-Eaze Split Button Keyboard PS2
Microsoft Scroll Wheel
Creative Labs FPS 2000 Speakers/Sub
Microtek SlimScan C3 (shared)
HP Deskjet 1220C (shared)
Logitech Quickcam Pro 3000

System 2
Windows 2000 Pro OS
AMD Athlon 1.1GHz CPU
MSI MS-6341
1GB SDRAM PC133
Western Digital 40Gb HD 7200RPM
Cyber Drive 16x12x40 CDRW drive
Toshiba 12x/40x DVD Drive
GeForce 2 MX 200
Turtle Beach Montego II Quadzilla
Viewsonic 17" Monitor E771
NEC 17" Monitor
Microsoft Natural Elite PS2
Microsoft Scroll Wheel
Altec Lansing AVS300 Speakers/Sub
Microtek SlimScan C3 (shared)
HP Deskjet 1220C (shared)

gfunkmartin

10-08-2001, 03:45 PM

Welcome to sysopt annika

You guys...LostBok's right ( I think I got the name right, the font is set really small on the machine i'm on and I'm really lazy ) ... Why bicker over frame rates when she's doing RPGs and Strat games? it doesn't matter!!

Jason

Infinitus

10-08-2001, 06:26 PM

Welcome, Annika
Agreed.
Another Asus fan here. I'd wait for the KT266A chipset before getting it though. Benchmarks are very impressive.
Graphics card I'd go with the GF2 Ti assuming you wait. Otherwise one of the other GF2 cards. Probably not worth the brute power of the GF3 or Ti500. May consider ATI cards if you use D3D a lot.
As for the OS, I'd go for ME or 98SE for gaming. I personally like ME because it boots/shuts down quickly even with network cards. (plus i had problems shutting down with 98SE)

Tamahome

10-08-2001, 09:14 PM

hi guys! welcome me too :)

why is it no one seems to suggest ABIT motherboards? I have read some reviews that tells it was cool!!! :D

I have posted a thread "I want to build my own super PC" and sad to put it on forum named "CPU Overclocking" (hwaaaa!!!)

Niweiz back to business... what good combination of motherboard would you suggest guys?

isn't it? ABIT and NVidia???

CocoMan

10-10-2001, 11:36 AM

Hey guys and gals, how about waiting for the new nforce motherboards? I hear they'll sell for under $200.

The onboard geforce 2 and XBox sound are more than enough for her gaming needs. It also comes with onboard 10/100 ethernet and a 56k softmodem so she can do some online gaming.

Here's the real reason I think she should get the nforce. It'll be so easy to setup. Just pop in the cpu,heatsink,2 ddr memory sticks,attach the harddrive and cdrom,install the OS and load the drivers from the cd supplied with the motherboard. No need to mess with jumpers or bios settings. The driver cd will probably use point and click menus for loading drivers. In the event that she might want to upgrade to faster graphics in the future, she could just pop in a geforce 3 without the need to reload drivers, since nvidia uses unified drivers.

Infinitus

10-10-2001, 06:12 PM

Welcome to you too, Cocoman. Looks like you are also fairly new here.

I'm split between the nForce and KT266A chipsets. nForce has convenience and KT266A has pure performance. Anyone know whether the nForce has good OCing facilities? I suppose that would be dependent on the board manufacturer though........

CocoMan

10-10-2001, 08:21 PM

Thanks for the welcome! Infinitus.

Yep, I'm a newbie. Just started yesterday, didn't know it was going to be so much fun!

I have come to the realization that no matter how much money I spend or amount of time spent studying and planning, will result in the perfect computer that fits all my needs. Therefore I have decided to build 3 seperate computers. (YYes...!)

1. A multimedia workstation for video editing, dvd and cd ripping, mp3 and dvd encoding and authoring.

2. A desktop pc for word processing, internet, home productivity, nude jpegs.

3. A kick-*** gaming pc for the latest games, bragging rights, boosting my deflated ego, even more nude jpegs. Also, it will be housed in a small flex-atx case with a flat panel display, so I can carry it to lan parties without breaking my back and looking like Quasimodo.

These are my modest life goals for my remaining years.

Annika

10-11-2001, 04:35 AM

My goal is to achieve all of the above in one (apart from the cheesey jpegs) and I am quite happy so far.

__________________
Girl Genius(TM)

Windows ME operating system + CacheMan 5
AMD Athlon 1.4GHz CPU (266Mhz FSB)
<settings 10.5 x 133>
ASUS A7V-133C Mainboard (1007 v2 Beta BIOS)
768Mb PC133 memory
Quantum Fireball AS Plus 30Gb HD
HPT370 Raid Controller
2x 20Gb Seagate UDMA100 HDs
Samsung 308-b 8x4x32x12 CDRW/DVD drive
LG CRD-8522B 52x CD drive
Gainward CardExpert GeForce2 Mx 64Mb graphics
SoundBlaster Live! 1024 sound
HP UltraVGA 1024 Monitor
Microsoft Natural Elite USB keyboard
BrowserMouse USB wheel mouse
Thrustmaster Firestorm USB gamepad
MicroLab USB powered speakers
Mustek 1200UB USB Scanner
EPSON Stylus 580 USB inkjet printer
WinTV PVR USB Video Capture unit

Homebuilt and proud of it!

CocoMan

10-11-2001, 07:11 AM

Annika, sorry about the jpeg crack! In these times of political correctness, it's hard to make a joke without offending someone. I tend to have a cronic case of foot in mouth disease.

Anyway, that's a very nice system you have. I especially like the amount of ram.

I noticed you have a wintv-pvr. I own the pci version. What do you think about the mpeg2 capture quality? My captures even at 12mbs seem dark and muddy. Also are you effected with audio sync problem on long captures? I would appreciate another users opinion.

Annika

10-11-2001, 09:30 AM

Actually, for some reason only the HalfD MPEG2 formats are available on my installation - maybe this is a limitation of the USB version?

The synch problem might be down to the speed of your CPU and hard drive ... or possibly a clash with a systray background program (like RealPlayer control center) ... or even with your existing soundcard (requiring a sound driver update).

nerdgirl

10-11-2001, 01:17 PM

The great stuff just keeps coming in. So, how do you find out about the nforce motherboards (when they come out, etc.)? I am still pretty undecided on motherboard. Just when I decide on one, I hear about the good/bad stuff of another. :confused: I'm very close in starting to buy my stuff, so I appreciate the super advice still coming through.:)

Thanks (as always),
ng ;)

Infinitus

10-11-2001, 06:24 PM

Hear ya on that one Cocoman! I think I'm going down the route of Annika though. An all in one system that will incapacitate me if I try to lift it! Tell you the specs when its built (waiting for the components :o .

Anyhow the nForce chipset has been finished by nVidia and some benchmarks have crept out. Slower than the KT266A (but not by much) and faster than any of the other competition. The general comment is "A hell of a good effort for a newcomer". I think at the moment its down to the manufacturer to optimise the boards and taylor them to their grand plan (benchamarks conducted on the reference board). This may mean that the final product of some manufacturers beats the KT266A :)
The KT266A is out now, and the updated boards should be released fairly soon if not already.

Nerdgirl, my suggestion is that you post the specs you're thinking of and any excess cash you may have above the price of the components you've listed. We can then all poke through the details, find the best deals and improve the spec. "Many hands make light work".

Hope the system goes to plan (eventually..........:D )

CocoMan

10-11-2001, 06:48 PM

Thanks Annika,
Yeah, your right! It's probably the onboard ac97 codec I'm using.

Nerdgirl,
You can find more info on the nforce chipset at Nvidias website or go here (http://www.anandtech.com/chipsets/showdoc.html?i=1535&p=1) for one of the better previews.

Nvidia just posted a news release stating that all their graphic products (including the nforce) are now optimized to support all AMD processors. This includes the Duron and Athlon XP, along with optimization for Windows XP. This could just be marketing hype but still...!

It sounds like your feeling the itch to pull the trigger? My advice is pull away. Go find something else to do. Go read a book or find a boyfriend. Most modern relationships only last 2-3 months tops! By that time, the new stuff will be out and you can go back to gaming. At the very least, you can get a few free dinners out of the experience.:)

PS:Nerdgirl, if your only concern now is with the motherboard, may I suggest moving over to the motherboard forum and starting a new thread.

ReefDogg

10-12-2001, 02:26 AM

Welcome Nerdgirl,

You'll find every one here is great and will give you good advice, they all did the same for me! So it's just a matter of doing your homework on mobo's, cards, procs. etc. I would say buy from a good online dealer, way cheaper than your local business's.

NewEgg, Allstarshop and Axion Tech are good and I've never had any problems with them. Just look at how much you want to spend and then go from there. But I do agree that the Samsung 955df is one awesome monitor!! Check Pricewatch for prices and also check the reseller ratings on a company.

Buts of luck!:)

ReefDogg

10-12-2001, 02:27 AM

Lord Sech

10-17-2001, 03:41 PM

Nerdgal...

sorry im so late but as you were about a month ago, i was in the same situation 4 months ago.

as for the video card, you waited for the perfect time to build your system. There is such a great range of ge-force 3's to choose from right now. especially the new titanium 200 and 500 models from elsa.

If you re still undecided on the video card i would recommend the elsa 721. It has very impressive features (all of those of the gf-3) with a faster transfer speed and a tv-out option at a relatively low cost. I have heard retail prices at 250. Check it out at http://www.elsa.com/international/europe/produkte/grafikkarten/gladiac721.htm

As far as speakers go, i didnt see what you are going to get but i bought the cambridge fps 1800 about 2 months ago and am very happy with them. And make sure you get a good heatsink/fan combo...preferably the gladiator ocz just in case you feel like getting the extra kick out of your system from overclocking.

Either way, keep the forus updated with your decisions.

-Sech