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Tiretool · 07-10-2000, 05:37 PM

Motherboard: Go with a tried and true motherboard instead of cutting edge stuff. A motherboard based on the Intel 440 BX chipset should serve well with no compatability issues. My personal preference = Abit BE6-II. Price: about $125

Processor: My opinion? Go with a cost effective Celeron 2 600. Good solid processor and can be overclocked if you're into that sort of thing. Price: about $110

Memory: Don't substitute here... Go for the reputable stuff. Kingston, Crucial, Mushkin, Micron, etc. Also don't skimp. 128 megs minimum. Price: about $135-$160

Video Card: This one will draw many different opinions, but here's mine... GeForce 256 DDR. Any of the following:
---WinFast GeForce 256 AGP 4x nVIDIA, 256 DDR 32MB SDRAM W/TV OUT
---Guillemot Hercules 3D Prophet 32MB DDR GeForce256 TV OUT and DVI card
---Erazor X2 DDR NVIDIA Geforce256 32mb 4X AGP with TV out
---ASUSTek V6800 PURE 3D 32MB AGP GEFORCE256/DDR
Price: about $220-$260

Sound Card: A good game deserves a good quality sound card. I recommend the Sound Blaster Live. Either the X-Gamer edition or the Value edition if money's getting tight.
Price: Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer, about $75
Sound Blaster Live Value, about $45

Modem: For all the online gaming you'll need a good gamer's modem. Tried and true and with a good pricetag, I suggest a Diamond Supra Express 56k internal. Price: about $25-$30 bucks.

Hard Drive: Seagate, Maxtor, Samsung 20 gig drive. Stay away from Western Digital.
Price: around $100-$140

CD Rom Drive: Kenwood True-X 72X CD Rom
Price: about $125

Floppy Drive: You've still gotta have one...
Any one will do.
Price: about $10-15 bucks

Monitor: I like my KDS Visual Sensations 19 inch. Price: about $250-300

Speakers: Cambridge Sound Works 4 point surround set with Subwoofer. Price: about $80

Mouse: Microsoft Intellimouse USB
Price: about $40

Keyboard: They're all the same...
Price: $20

Case: Shop around for this..... It really depends on what you want it to look like. They make clear ones, colored ones, tall ones, short ones. You get the picture... Just make sure the power supply inside it is 250 Watts as a bare minimum. Mine is 300 watts... High end systems need juice to operate. Make sure they get it!
Price: probably around $90

A rough estimate of the products I've just listed comes out to about $1505.00
Did that come close to the system you're getting from Dell? Probably not. They probably want in excess of $2000. But remember this..... their computer will more than likely come with a hefty software bundle.....

Whatever system you get, make sure it's what you want the first time. If you settle for a middle of the line system, you'll wish you had spent a little more later when everyone has bigger better systems that you...

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tiretool@pcmech.com

[This message has been edited by Tiretool (edited 07-20-2000).]

07-10-2000, 05:37 PM	#3
Tiretool Member (12 bit) Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: Shreveport, LA Posts: 2,119	Motherboard: Go with a tried and true motherboard instead of cutting edge stuff. A motherboard based on the Intel 440 BX chipset should serve well with no compatability issues. My personal preference = Abit BE6-II. Price: about $125 Processor: My opinion? Go with a cost effective Celeron 2 600. Good solid processor and can be overclocked if you're into that sort of thing. Price: about $110 Memory: Don't substitute here... Go for the reputable stuff. Kingston, Crucial, Mushkin, Micron, etc. Also don't skimp. 128 megs minimum. Price: about $135-$160 Video Card: This one will draw many different opinions, but here's mine... GeForce 256 DDR. Any of the following: ---WinFast GeForce 256 AGP 4x nVIDIA, 256 DDR 32MB SDRAM W/TV OUT ---Guillemot Hercules 3D Prophet 32MB DDR GeForce256 TV OUT and DVI card ---Erazor X2 DDR NVIDIA Geforce256 32mb 4X AGP with TV out ---ASUSTek V6800 PURE 3D 32MB AGP GEFORCE256/DDR Price: about $220-$260 Sound Card: A good game deserves a good quality sound card. I recommend the Sound Blaster Live. Either the X-Gamer edition or the Value edition if money's getting tight. Price: Sound Blaster Live X-Gamer, about $75 Sound Blaster Live Value, about $45 Modem: For all the online gaming you'll need a good gamer's modem. Tried and true and with a good pricetag, I suggest a Diamond Supra Express 56k internal. Price: about $25-$30 bucks. Hard Drive: Seagate, Maxtor, Samsung 20 gig drive. Stay away from Western Digital. Price: around $100-$140 CD Rom Drive: Kenwood True-X 72X CD Rom Price: about $125 Floppy Drive: You've still gotta have one... Any one will do. Price: about $10-15 bucks Monitor: I like my KDS Visual Sensations 19 inch. Price: about $250-300 Speakers: Cambridge Sound Works 4 point surround set with Subwoofer. Price: about $80 Mouse: Microsoft Intellimouse USB Price: about $40 Keyboard: They're all the same... Price: $20 Case: Shop around for this..... It really depends on what you want it to look like. They make clear ones, colored ones, tall ones, short ones. You get the picture... Just make sure the power supply inside it is 250 Watts as a bare minimum. Mine is 300 watts... High end systems need juice to operate. Make sure they get it! Price: probably around $90 A rough estimate of the products I've just listed comes out to about $1505.00 Did that come close to the system you're getting from Dell? Probably not. They probably want in excess of $2000. But remember this..... their computer will more than likely come with a hefty software bundle..... Whatever system you get, make sure it's what you want the first time. If you settle for a middle of the line system, you'll wish you had spent a little more later when everyone has bigger better systems that you... ------------------ ************************************ tiretool@pcmech.com [This message has been edited by Tiretool (edited 07-20-2000).]