hey can some people please help me

[tyler]

i need some help with parts and prices for a new computer around $1500-$1700.

[Disgrace]

What do you need exactly? Your signature shows some specs so which ones would you like to replace?

[tyler]

i want to build a new computer. but am so confused on what to get. my mate picked all my other bits for me.

[tyler]

do i get Intel or AMD, dual core or one core.... and so on.

[freakitchen]

Please use the EDIT button if you have something to add to a post.

Help us to help you - you've given us a budget, now tell us what you want this computer to be able to do. Does the budget include a screen and peripherals?

FK

[tyler]

well i do mostly gaming but also work. and im not sure about screen and peripherals deppends on the price of the computer itself then i might think of adding them. and i will edit post from now on sorry. (new)

[Katreat]

For that kind of money you can get a fantastic gaming box, or a very good gamiing computer with new peripherals. It is really hard for others to chose what you need most. What games are you playing and what type of work will you be doing? Also, take a minute and read through the forms a bit, there are specifications listed for quite a few computers in that price range on the first two pages so look around and try to define your needs a little better.

Kat

[LeftyAce]

*EDIT*
Katreat's right; pretty much everything I've said is on the first page of the forum.....

The Intel Core2Duo processors are highly recommended around here, and should give you a good upgrade path in the future. As for a motherboard, ASUS is very reliable, and quite beginner friendly. Their customer support rocks. The P5B series of motherboards is a good bet for the C2Ds. Pick one with the features you need; some have quite a few bells and whistles you may not need to pay for...

We're recommending single graphics cards (not Sli) because it's much mroe economical, and SLI doesn't benefit you much in the long run....My personal preference is for nVidia cards, but that's mostly because of their linux support. Right now, the GFX world is in a state of transition between DirectX 9 and 10, so I'd recommend getting a place holder card (such as a GeForce 7600GT) that will serve you well until some more next gen cards come out over the summer. Right now nVidia is the only one with a DX10 card (the 8800) and it costs an arm and a leg :-)

For gaming, you should plan on at least 2 GB ram; Corsair Valueselect DDR2 667 is fine if you're not planning on overclocking.

The Seagate 7200.10 HDDs are very popular right now; quite fast, and not too expensive.

For opticals, I'd recommend LiteOn drives.
I'll let others comment on Powersupply requirements.

[Cricket]

tyler: Where do you live?

Have you built a computer before?

Have you looked at any of the previous threads dealing with new builds? Lots of ideas there.

Cricket

[tyler]

Originally Posted by Katreat, What games are you playing

i play the sims 2, BF2142, FEAR, NFS:Carbon, Double Agent and much more.

i got lined up with a m/b today and was wondering if its a good one, it's an "abit FATAL1TY AN9 32X for $285"

cricket i live in australia and yes ive messed around with old systems before but not so much new ones.

[Alaron]

Just to clarify, is your original $1500-1700 budget in US dollars or Australian dollars?

That Abit board would be ok for an AMD build, but we have been recommending Core 2 Duo based builds because they outperform AMD chips right now.

Our basic list has been the Asus P5B motherboard, E6300 Core 2 Duo, and 1GB of Corsair VS DDR2-667.

[tyler]

australlian dollars and around how much are the intel (store price not net price)?

i just got a price on a cpu is an AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4600+ and it's $365. is that good??

[Alaron]

The Australian site we usually consult has the Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 for $275AUD.

Spec out the build using http://www.scorptec.com.au/ using that CPU and the board and RAM I suggested earlier. You will be able to make a great Intel system that will perform better then an Athlon build.

[tyler]

but those prices will be online ones then i have to add a whole tonne to get the normal price

[newbuilder14]

Sometimes buying online is actually cheaper than going to a store, if that's what you mean. I would recommend searching for parts using Alaron's link.

Some recommended choices:

Core 2 Duo E6600
Asus P5B Series
2GB Corsair ValueSelect
Seagate 7200.10 SATA
Lite-On Retail DVD+/-RW
Quality PSU

[tyler]

but i cant buy online..

[Mr.Ferrari]

We'll does your store have some kind of online catalog?

[Alaron]

And if they do not, you'll need to take our list to your store and price everything out. We can't shop at a store in Australia for you without a website.

[tyler]

yeah i know i'm getting the prices when i go there next
and dose anyone have some measurements to makea tower out of plastic stuff?
(and instructions)

[bd1886]

If you live in a metro area there should be some online resources for some stores (so we can see what you can choose from). Cases with decent design are easily found and will save you a lot of work by just modifying them yourself.

[tyler]

yeah but if i make a good enough one my friend will buy it off me

[bd1886]

Sounds like a fun project! Have fun!

[tyler]

i would if i could find some measurements and instructions

[eaglestrike7339]

which brings us back to square one. What do you want this computer to do? For light-med gaming, write down the advised components above, then head to the store and start looking for Mobos. Once you have a mobo in mind (or your friend has one), we can prolly give ya good estimates for a case.

**edit** in fact, once you have a mobo, look up the dimentions on newegg. They will also give a few letters, like ATX, miniATX (i think). Look up cases that are inside those parameters.

[tyler]

can't i build one to fit both ATX and MiniATX and that other size i forget what its called?

[tyler]

ne one here??

[flanzig1]

A fairly standard size mid-tower case is 17"Hx17"Dx8"W. Could use your case to get the dimensions for the internal mounting areas.