so, my computer took a cr*p

[jims69camaro]

and i have been thinking about a new budget system, something like this:

AMD Athlon X2 4800+ 2.5GHz AM2 socket
MSI K9n4 Ultra-F AM2 socket nVidia nForce 550 chipset
EVGA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB
OCZ Gold DDR2-801 - 2 x 1GB
Western Digital 250 GB 16MBcache Sata II
Diamond Xtremesound XS71 7.1
Antec Smartpower 2.0 SP-506

yes, i know there are other parts out there. this is as cutting-edge as i think i can get for less than $500.

comments?

[ryanfx]

doesn't look bad.. consider mirroring or going hardware raid.

[enRo]

Originally Posted by jims69camaro

and i have been thinking about a new budget system, something like this:

AMD Athlon X2 4800+ 2.5GHz AM2 socket
MSI K9n4 Ultra-F AM2 socket nVidia nForce 550 chipset
EVGA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB
OCZ Gold DDR2-801 - 2 x 1GB
Western Digital 250 GB 16MBcache Sata II
Diamond Xtremesound XS71 7.1
Antec Smartpower 2.0 SP-506

yes, i know there are other parts out there. this is as cutting-edge as i think i can get for less than $500.

comments?

Chuck the MSI idea and get an ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe Mobo. In the longrun, its for the better. I built Vitali a budget computer, the thing is a friggin monster, for around $500.

Dont go for the Diamond Soundcard, go for a SB 9C00 w/X-Fi. Its 7.1 channels and will meet the needs better than that POS.

And if your into overclocking (prolly not), u can save some money and get a 3600+ and easily overclock it to a 2.8 without serious aftermarket cooling.

[enRo]

Originally Posted by ryanfx

doesn't look bad.. consider mirroring or going hardware raid.

Hardware RAID is useless unless your into video editing AND want that extra 2-5 seconds shaved off your Win XP bootup. Having RAID is basically the internets version of "whos got a bigger dick" contest. Honestly, dont go for it.

[GP99GT]

sounds good except for the sound card and the hard drive...get a soundblaster card, and a seagate hard drive...ive had way too many problems with western digital

[shane27]

aye dont get a 7.1 card their useless. if anything 5.1 is the way to go. also make sure you get a good powersupply too. people often forget about it and its actually a very important part of making your rig run to its full potential. try to get around 600W with the dual 12v rail. i recommend: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817190012

i have the EVGA 8600GTS and it rocks go for that instead.

[ryanfx]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

Hardware RAID is useless unless your into video editing AND want that extra 2-5 seconds shaved off your Win XP bootup. Having RAID is basically the internets version of "whos got a bigger dick" contest. Honestly, dont go for it.

what the hell are you talking about.

RAID is basically the most efficient way to safely store your data when you have a hard drive failure..

being able to have 4 disks of data, 1 parity disk, and recover everything in case of a failure is far from a dick measuring contest

[enRo]

My bad, i got my ***** all discombobulated in my head, cuz I was recently doing research on RAIDing two 10K Raptors, and everyone said its useless unless you are editing video. Just got my definitions mixed up ATM

BUT...... why spend money on 4 hard disks... hes building a budget computer. 1 hard drive will suffice.

Originally Posted by ryanfx

RAID is basically the most efficient way to safely store your data when you have a hard drive failure..

On the other hand, so are CD's, and not downloading porn, along with falling into virus-infected links.

Jim, unless you download alot of music, porn, or are an extreme gamer, 250gb is a bit much. Try a 160, save money, and if u need more space, buy another one down the road. I have a whopping total of 560GB of hard drive space. Its a bit much. I have ALOT of music, and alot of games... and I am only using roughly 40gigs.

[ryanfx]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

My bad, i got my ***** all discombobulated in my head, cuz I was recently doing research on RAIDing two 10K Raptors, and everyone said its useless unless you are editing video. Just got my definitions mixed up ATM

BUT...... why spend money on 4 hard disks... hes building a budget computer. 1 hard drive will suffice.



On the other hand, so are CD's, and not downloading porn, along with falling into virus-infected links.

Jim, unless you download alot of music, porn, or are an extreme gamer, 250gb is a bit much. Try a 160, save money, and if u need more space, buy another one down the road. I have a whopping total of 560GB of hard drive space. Its a bit much. I have ALOT of music, and alot of games... and I am only using roughly 40gigs.

He doesn't need to buy four, it was just an example. I would sooner buy two 200 GB hard drives and mirror them before I buy a 400 GB

[jims69camaro]

AMD Athlon X2 4800+ 2.5GHz AM2 socket 109.99
ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe 79.99 (open box)
EVGA GeForce 8600 GT 256MB 139.99
OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 95.99
Western Digital 250 GB 16MBcache Sata II 64.99
Diamond Xtremesound XS71 7.1 25.99


power supply:
Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply - Retail
Dual +12V: Yes
Efficiency: 70%(min.) at full and typical loads, 115V/230Vac
Fans: 2
Hold-up Time: 20ms at full load
Model #: SP-500
Item #: N82E16817103937

but you are saying that this is better?
XION PowerReal XON-600F14T-201 ATX12V 600W Power Supply - Retail
Dual +12V: Yes
Fans: 140mm Silent Blue LED Fan
Input Current: 10.7/6.2A
Input Frequency Range: 47 - 63 Hz
Model #: XON-600F14T-201
Item #: N82E16817190007

because it's got 100 watts more power and a blue fan? i see it for 99.99 and it's got a $50 rebate, so the end price is 49.99. at that price, it actually comes in cheaper than the antec, which is 69.99. nice call. 566.93 before tax, which is about where i wanted to be. as for the soundcard, i don't know one from the other and was unable to find anything on the 9c00 except someone complaining on a sound board about time delay loops.

[jims69camaro]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

And if your into overclocking (prolly not)

i was into overclocking back in the day when all it took was a number 2 pencil line across the chip to double the speed. since then i haven't touched a chip. i know of the website, but i haven't been there in ages, either.

[GP99GT]

with most boards these days overclocking is as easy as going into the bios and changing the FSB speed and upping the voltage....that msi board should have those features, mine does

[Tru2Chevy]

Yea, you should be able to overclock it from the motherboard easily.

Something to think about in terms of performance - I am planning on getting a 74gb Raptor (10k RPM) drive to use for the OS and main applications, and a 160+ secondary drive to use purely for storage when I get the money together for a new box. That will speed boot time and application loading time quite a bit....

As for a sound card, I would just go with any old SoundBlaster 5.1 card, unless you have plans to get a fancy 7.1 speaker system and you do a lot of watching DVDs or gaming.

Also, make sure you have air blowing across your hard drive(s). Heat is a major cause of hard drive failure. I keep all of mine cool, and haven't had a single issue with any of the drives I've used (WD, Seagate, and Maxtor).

- Justin

[enRo]

Did u buy that M2N-SLI ??? if so, u really dont need a soundcard, its got Soundmax Hi-def audio. IMO, its good, but I wanted a 7.1 card cuz i have a 7.1 speaker system.

Anyway, good choice in a budget system.

[bobb1589]

i dont know how much space you want, but unityelectronics.com has 18.4gb fujitsu 15k rpm drives for $10. they would really speed up your boot time as well as speed. (say if you got like 4)

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by 95 red slp

i dont know how much space you want, but unityelectronics.com has 18.4gb fujitsu 15k rpm drives for $10. they would really speed up your boot time as well as speed. (say if you got like 4)

Those are refurbished SCSI drives.....refurbished and hard drive should never be spoken in the same sentence.

- Justin

[Knipps]

i'm picking up a pretty good laptop in the morning (NIB) for < $600

[jims69camaro]

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

Those are refurbished SCSI drives.....refurbished and hard drive should never be spoken in the same sentence.

- Justin

well, for $18.75, that's right around $1/GB... just ordered one.

[jims69camaro]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

Did u buy that M2N-SLI ??? if so, u really dont need a soundcard, its got Soundmax Hi-def audio. IMO, its good, but I wanted a 7.1 card cuz i have a 7.1 speaker system.

Anyway, good choice in a budget system.

haven't ordered it yet. i'm getting it a piece at a time - low-budget, ya know.

[Tru2Chevy]

Originally Posted by jims69camaro

well, for $18.75, that's right around $1/GB... just ordered one.

Don't forget that you'll also need to order a SCSI controller to go along with them. Any standard motherboard sold today for a desktop won't have a SCSI controller built into it, so you won't have any way to use it without buying more stuff......

I say you're better off with SATA drives. See if you can cancel your order.

- Justin

[jims69camaro]

Originally Posted by Tru2Chevy

Don't forget that you'll also need to order a SCSI controller to go along with them. Any standard motherboard sold today for a desktop won't have a SCSI controller built into it, so you won't have any way to use it without buying more stuff......

I say you're better off with SATA drives. See if you can cancel your order.

- Justin

i did. not sure if it worked or not, but i gave it a shot. just have to wait and see. a scuzzy controller wouldn't be that much of an expense, but i am trying to keep this down to the bare wire. anyhow, i'll order the mb next week. maybe i'll have it up and running in a month's time (crosses fingers). it sucks working on a budget.

[jims69camaro]

whaddya think about this? about halfway there, it looks like...

[jims69camaro]

might help if i include the GD link: http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-ATHLON-64-46...QQcmdZViewItem