What should I build for under $6-700?

[OremuS]

I have been reading some reviews have kinda been drawn towards getting the following equipment:

P4 2.23GHz w/ 533 FSB- $250
Gigabyte GA-8IHXP Mobo - $180
2x128 PC1066 RDRAM - $150

Also, I am hoping to get a new video card...I am not a hardcore gamer, but want something that will be up to it for an occaisonal game. I was thinking maybe a GeForce4 4200 or 4400. Just thinking, but wanted to get some input here.
Something in the $200 range

To save some money, I will be reusing my current 24x CD Burner and 8X DVD Rom Drives.

If anything else that is better might be coming down the pipline, I will wait, but I was curious as to what I should get.

Also if anyone could recommend a decent case, I would appreciate it. Nothing fancy, just something with a fair amount of fans. Thanks for your help and rec's everyone.

[Windsor]

Originally posted by OremuS
I have been reading some reviews have kinda been drawn towards getting the following equipment:

P4 2.23GHz w/ 533 FSB- $250
Gigabyte GA-8IHXP Mobo - $180
2x128 PC1066 RDRAM - $150

Also, I am hoping to get a new video card...I am not a hardcore gamer, but want something that will be up to it for an occaisonal game. I was thinking maybe a GeForce4 4200 or 4400. Just thinking, but wanted to get some input here.
Something in the $200 range

To save some money, I will be reusing my current 24x CD Burner and 8X DVD Rom Drives.

If anything else that is better might be coming down the pipline, I will wait, but I was curious as to what I should get.

Also if anyone could recommend a decent case, I would appreciate it. Nothing fancy, just something with a fair amount of fans. Thanks for your help and rec's everyone.

I'm assuming without the monitor?

As with recent years, going the AMD route is still going to get you a better bang for the buck, as they say if you're going to be building it yourself.

If I was on that kinda budget, I'd go AMD and with some good DDR.

But, as for Vid Cards, I suggest A GF4 4200 with 128mb ram. Even though the 128mb is clocked slower than the 64mb, it should pay off having more ram available later on. 128mb 4200's are available from Newegg and Googlegear for about 175-185 range.

[GraingerGuy]

If you aren't going to be overclocking you can get a retail AMD 1800+ for 107 dollars, and a good motherboard for under 100 dollars at newegg.com, DDR 2100 at crucial for 39 (with a 10 dollar rebate), with the money you save from the CPU and mobo, you would be able to get a ti4400.

A good case to get is an Antec or Chieftec case.

Hope this helps.

[i6s1]

Go with an XP 1800, a 4200, some ram, a mobo with raid, and another hard drive the same size as your current one. RAID-0 baby!

[PoloM1]

I've been putting together systems for people and I've been sticking with AMD because I think they are a much better deal. In the last 2 systems I put together I used an AMD 1700+ XP CPU with the Gigabyte GA-7VTXE motherboard. It's not an overclocker's board but it makes a great budget board. Best of all, I got the cpu, motherboard and cpu heatsink for $130 shipped (everything was OEM so that brought down the cost a bit). I know the P4's are now suppose to be the best performers but most people don't need that much power (I even think 1 gig is more than what the typical computer user needs) so I figure it's better to save them money.

[attgig]

is everyone newegg's b-tches?

they aren't THAT great....

[Memo]

Originally posted by attgig
is everyone newegg's b-tches?

they aren't THAT great....

They are reliable, constantly have the lowest prices and have good shipping costs. I'd have to say that they ARE that great :)

[xsiled2]

since memo says they have good shipping rates ill bring this back,

http://xsiled.homestead.com/files/newegg.jpg

[GraingerGuy]

And just because they have a horrible shipping charge on one means they have horrible shipping charges on all things? hmmm...no. :)

They usually do have really good shipping charges on stuff.

I also like to shop at

Essential Computer (http://www.essencom.com) and EMS Computing (http://www.emscomputing.com/)

[Ladogaboy]

Originally posted by xsiled2
since memo says they have good shipping rates ill bring this back,


Atleast they are upfront about it! ;)

[Showtime]

1.6a pentium 4 and overclock it :)
-jel:halo:

[Memo]

I got my entire system shipped to me 2nd day FedEx from NewEgg for $13. I guess you just got unlucky with that thing xsiled.


OremuS: If you are not a hardcore gamer the 4200 is MORE than enough. I am a hardcore gamer (I guess?) and I have the 4200 and love it. You can get the 64MB one for ~$150 and the 128MB one for less than $200.

[Windsor]

www.googlegear.com

Over there, they have 50 cent or free 2nd Day FedEx on certain products. Those products include retail AMD XP1800+, Maxtor 740 DX, and Ti4200's...Good prices, too, the 1800 is only $104.

The latest computer I'm putting together is mainly bought from newegg and googlegear.

[OremuS]

Thanks everyone for all of your input. My current computer is a Micron P-III 667 and it is just too dang slow. I know that anything would be a good upgrade, jsut wanted to get as much out of it as I possibly can. Gonna keep looking around. Since everyone here has pretty much been saying AMD, I may end up going that route, but for now I am going to dream of a P4 2.26, 512MB PC1066 Ram and the Gigabyte GA-8IHXP. I guess what it comes down to is how much money I can scrape together in the next few weeks. Again thanks for your input everyone.

[i6s1]

Anytime money is an issue, go with AMD. Performance/Price is higher with AMD then with Intel.

[Windsor]

Originally posted by OremuS
Thanks everyone for all of your input. My current computer is a Micron P-III 667 and it is just too dang slow. I know that anything would be a good upgrade, jsut wanted to get as much out of it as I possibly can. Gonna keep looking around. Since everyone here has pretty much been saying AMD, I may end up going that route, but for now I am going to dream of a P4 2.26, 512MB PC1066 Ram and the Gigabyte GA-8IHXP. I guess what it comes down to is how much money I can scrape together in the next few weeks. Again thanks for your input everyone.


That 512 mb of PC 1066 is gonna cost around 240, I think and thats like a third of your budget right there. It depends on what else you're going to put in it, it just seems unlikely that you'll be able to get that system under your $700 budget. But, if you can swing it, more power to you!

For the HDD and the vid card, I'd recommend ordering from googlegear, 1 dollar FedEx 2nd day shipping is amazing :D .

[Ladogaboy]

Originally posted by i6s1
Anytime money is an issue, go with AMD. Performance/Price is higher with AMD then with Intel.

Well, unless you OC. Intel is a much better OCer than AMD, for now anyway...

[Speedfreak]

Originally posted by Ladogaboy


Well, unless you OC. Intel is a much better OCer than AMD, for now anyway...

the 1.6a is not Intel's whole line. ;)

[Windsor]

Originally posted by Speedfreak


the 1.6a is not Intel's whole line. ;)

Even so, from the review's I've read, most of the P4's OC pretty well, and are cooler running than the AMD's to begin with, but I don't know too much about overclocking.

[Ladogaboy]

Originally posted by Speedfreak


the 1.6a is not Intel's whole line. ;)

Oh, that's right... I forgot about the 1.8a. :P

[Speedfreak]

Originally posted by Windsor


Even so, from the review's I've read, most of the P4's OC pretty well, and are cooler running than the AMD's to begin with, but I don't know too much about overclocking.

So does that mean to don't do it yourself? :eek: