First Computer

[gef4000 mx 0]

I am going to be making my first computer from scratch. I need as much suggestions and helpful links to help me choose from the tower to the motherboard to pretty much how to put it all together. I have no idea what will go wrong so any helpful advice would also be appreciated. Another thing is to rember price is important and I'm probably going to be mixmatching alot of things. I already have a spare video card, monitor. What I need is suggestions for everything else. I hope I gave enough information to where you can see what I need to know or need to get for this project.

[jmmijo 1]

OK, so you are going to use that graphics card, can you please let us know the make/model/type so we can further assist you

 

I'm going to assume you have a spare AGP graphics card, but if you could let us know what GPU, memory and if it is indeed an AGP card, whether it's a 4x or 8x card.

 

This helps to determine what you have to use in parts to build around this card...

[mjwebb007 0]

Going out on a limb here but based on his user name I would assume the video card is a GeForce MX4000. Now this limits us to either AGP 8x/4x, AGP 4x/2x or PCI.

 

As far as some simple suggestions gef4000, I have had good experience with Antec cases, both because they are well made and usually they come with fairly good power supplies (especially ones that can easily handle a video card of your caliber).

 

As far as motherboards, I have had good experience with Asus, Gigabyte and MSI (Gigabyte and MSI tend to be more finicky as far as components used but they come with a lot of great features).

 

Memory, I have used Corsair, Crucial, OCZ and GeIL. I prefer Corsair for stability and compatability but the other three are fine too (and you may have an asthetic preference). Also which motherboard you get will determine what kind of memory (speed and format i.e. DDR vs. DDR2) you get.

 

I am also an AMD fan (have used them from my second computer ever built to present ones). It used to be that the offered good performance for less money. Now they offer the best performance (I don't care about Conroes yet, they are not out) for the best price. But if you are sticking with AGP video you will be rather limited on choices of motherboards and CPU's.

 

Plus we really need to know what this rig is going to be used for.

[tool_462 0]

A couple good sites to find overall great prices are:

 

www.tigerdirect.com

and

www.newegg.com

 

What i like to do is, put all parts that you need in the shopping cart and add the shipping, then build the same pc again on the other site and see who is cheaper overall. Shipping is usually around 40 dollars so don't forget about that. Here is a link to a good build-it-yourself guide:

 

Guide

[gef4000 mx 0]

umm ... well i have several spare graphics cards because my mom is constantly getting new computers so I have a Nvidia geforce 6600 GT agp 8x 128 Mb and vga a raedon 9250 pro PCI and yes a PCI geforce mx 4000 graphics card

[gef4000 mx 0]

oh and i know how i want the layout to be I want 3 PCI slots, 1 AGP slot,1 PCI Express, and PCI express x 16, and 4 memory slots each capable of holding a max of 1000 MB each. I'm still not to sure on a tower to use but I would to find one with two fans already in it, I'm still not sure about the cd-rom storage devices and floppy device.

[jmmijo 1]

OK, you can forget about a combo motherboard that has both the AGP and PCIe slots together, I have yet to see any manufacturer come out with one in that configuration.

 

A good motherboard comes to mind that should work fine with the nVidia 6600 card, the Asus P4P800 SE.

 

It's an Intel 865PE chipset board that uses a Socket 478 CPU and supports Prescott core as well.

 

It supports dual channel DDR400 memory and has onboard SATA as well.

[Cormac 0]

I found this article last week on building comps, They build both a AMD setup and an Intel set up. http://www.legitreviews.com/systemguide.php

[gef4000 mx 0]

ASUS P4P800SE ATX INTEL MOTHERBOARD - RETAIL

Newegg.com ------------------------------------------ $89.99

INTEL PENTIUM 4 631 800MHZ FSB LGA 775 EM64T PROCESSOR - RETAIL

Newegg.com ----------------------------------------- $185.00

WESTERN DIGITAL CAVIAR RE 250GB 3.5" SERIAL ATA150 HARD DRIVE - OEM

Newegg.com ------------------------------------------$96.00

SONY BLACK IDE 16X DVD±R DVD BURNER MODEL DW-Q30A-B2 - OEM

Newegg.com ------------------------------------------ $39.99

ANTEC LIFESTYLE SONATA II PIANO BLACK COMPUTER CASE - RETAIL

Newegg.com ------------------------------------------$94.99

KINGSTON VALUERAM 1GB 184-PIN DDR SDRAM SYSTEM MEMORY - RETAIL

Newegg.com ------------------------------------------$77.11

 

and my evga 6600GT graphics card is how I think I'm going to go unless there is any conflicts with the hardware anyone notices, or I am forgeting anything, just post if it's messed up or if its all good.

[jmmijo 1]

Change the CPU to a socket 478, this means no EM64T for that motherboard, however, you can still use the 1MB Prescott cores

[mjwebb007 0]

Actually there are two boards (on newegg.com) that support both AGP and PCI-e.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813135212

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813157081

 

Both are socket 939. I don't necessarily recommend either though since to maintain this kind of architecture there have got to be some performance hits. You obviously would have to go with Athlon 64 processors on these as well (which I do recommend). They would allow you to go with AGP now and upgrade to PCI-e later. Your choice of video card is a good one. I had that same card and it worked great for me. Both of these boards would be fine for your purposes though. The AsRock board has gotten some fairly good reviews online too. No speed busters but stable performance with good features and future-proofing.

[gef4000 mx 0]

So if I go with this Intel Pentium 4 3.0E 800MHz FSB Socket 478 Processor - Retail for $193 I should be good to go? But wait is there anyway I could get a processor with 2Mb L2 of Cache?

[jmmijo 1]

Originally posted by gef4000 mx:

Quote:

So if I go with this Intel Pentium 4 3.0E 800MHz FSB Socket 478 Processor - Retail for $193 I should be good to go? But wait is there anyway I could get a processor with 2Mb L2 of Cache?

 

Nope, these model 6xx CPU's are only for socket T/775 motherboards

 

Now if Intel did release a socket 478 version, then that's news to me....

 

As for those motherboards, I personally would shy away from ECS, they are the parent to other brands like PC Chips/Matsonic/Amptron and the like. This is just me and I'm sure others have had no issues with them, but pricing should't be the one and only factor as you need some quality parts to make a nice stable system/machine

 

The AS Rock is the Asus generic branded board, I've heard both pro's and con's but I've never used one so I can't really say one way or another.

 

Now another brand that I've used over the years with great success is Aopen so you maybe be able to find a decent board from them as well...

[tool_462 0]

I just installed an Aopen socket 478 board into my project pc that i put a bunch of old, but not useless parts into. I was very surprised with the quality of the packaging and the board itself. I have a PC Chips board that is very thin and flimsy, but haven't had any hardware problems with it, other than one of the three pin fan connectors shorts out. But a friend of mine has also been very impressed with the value and quality of ASRock boards. Just a little firsthand experience. No matter what board you go with, it may still come with a defect or something wrong, but AsRock and Aopen boards have proven, for my friends and I atleast, to be very solid boards and a good buy.

[gef4000 mx 0]

Ok here's what I would like, a motherboard that is really just outstanding and won't need to be changed for several years(5), a CPU with at least 2.8 Ghz(with 2mb of L2 Cache ), and is all compatible with my AGP Nvidia geforce 6600 GT 8x 128 Mb Graphics card. So this is my last question, Anyone know of a kick-A motherboard like this that's price isn't out of range?

[Relic 0]

Ummm, very important, do you intend to use this as a gaming system, or a video editing system?

[gef4000 mx 0]

well i guess I would probably lean toward's game more, but it is just mainly to show to my dad that I can make a computer and it is going to be better then anything from dell those cheap peices of ... and I'm going to be planning on changing when I have enough money to upgrade something.

[Relic 0]

Originally posted by gef4000 mx:

Quote:

well i guess I would probably lean toward's game more, but it is just mainly to show to my dad that I can make a computer and it is going to be better then anything from dell those cheap peices of ... and I'm going to be planning on changing when I have enough money to upgrade something.

 

Okay, forget about getting an AGP board then, you want an AMD board, PCI-E, and a PCI-E vidcard, you say you want this to last 5 years, AGP will be dead in 2 years.

 

DFI LanParty is the way to go, and AMD for gaming. I've been an Intel fanboy for 15years, just swapped over to AMD for gaming, and I'm very impressed.

 

Your 6600GT AGP(I have one in my old system) is a very good card, but in 2 years it won't be able to play the new games, damn, it will have a very hard time playing some of today's games with the eye-candy turned on. If you're not worried about eye-candy, you're not a gamer.

 

If you want "future-proof" for the next 5 years, you have to go PCI-E. Your CPU/RAM/vidcard/PSU will be your high-ticket items, expect to pay $1200 Canadian for those items, and that will get you about 3 years of "future-proof", you'll be upgrading in 2 years to play new games at good frame rates(I know I will).

 

Now is a bad time to upgrade(I did it anyhow, I was hurting), Intel's Conroe smokes EVERYTHING by AMD, and that's their bottom of the line Conroe. AMD "SAYS" they have an answer for it, but when that may appear remains to be seen......

 

Conroe will not be cheap, no matter how you look at it, but then again, the next generation of AMD chips means a new mobo/RAM config, which is not going to be cheap either.

 

What it comes down to is that you cannot build a "5 year future-proof" system right now, your system will be about 2 year future-proof with an AGP setup, provided you go with an nVidia 7800GTX setup, and that's pushing it, 3 to 4 years(pushing it) with a top of the line PCI-E setup.

 

The problem is that you're limiting yourself by designing/building your system around a videocard, and not exactly the best videocard available, especially in AGP form. To play the newest games with a 6600GT AGP you need a top of the line CPU and RAM, if you want the eye-candy turned on. That's big bucks, for something that's very close to being obsolete.

 

If you want a system to "work" with current games, for the next 5 years, I can give you suggestions, but an AGP system is not "future-proof" in any sense of the word/term.

[gef4000 mx 0]

I'm trying to stay away from AMD they seem to me from alot of reviews to be kinda I don't know slow and plastic. I don't know what to do everyone is saying go with it it's better but I can't see how it is and also I'm on a pretty tight budget but i just need a motherboard that can take constant upgrading from swapping vidcards and mem sticks that DFI Lan party seems pretty good I'll have to check it out more but, can you please explain how AMD is better then intel I have been curious about that for the longest of time.

[Relic 0]

AMD just does more work faster, that's it in a nutshell. When it comes to gaming, that means a lot, my AMD Athlon 3700+ 2.2ghz stock is running @2.75ghz, that is equal to an Intel 5.5ghz, which of course Intel doesn't make.

 

That says it all right there.

[gef4000 mx 0]

Sounds good so if I go with the DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard the CPU I should get would be a ... sorry I'm having trouble finding that but im thinking it would be the AMD Anthlon 64 4000+ (socket939)

[Relic 0]

Originally posted by gef4000 mx:

Quote:

Sounds good so if I go with the DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard the CPU I should get would be a ... sorry I'm having trouble finding that but im thinking it would be the AMD Anthlon 64 4000+ (socket939)

 

Definitely the Ultra-D, it can be "pencil-modded" to an SLI board, tis why I got one, an SLI board for $60 less.

 

No need to get a 4000+, a 3700+ will OC to those speeds, more bang for the buck.

[gef4000 mx 0]

well actually is there anything really bad about the 3200 or the 3500 cause that seems more in range price wise and if it is then I am able to get started collecting my parts

[Relic 0]

Nothing wrong with those chips, providided you're talking a socket 939 chip, they all OC very well, the "bang-for-the-buck" is very real.

 

If I knew then, what I know now, I would have jumped camps to the AMD bandwagon a long time ago.

[gef4000 mx 0]

haha allright thank you all for your help I'm going to be getting each product one at a time from newegg.com when I get off the couch and start working for some money, it totals out around $560 but then there's like $40 mail-in rebates, so I think it's pretty good price