Ok, here's the deal...

[drywall]

I was asking about how to get a new good computer and I was referred here about how to build a computer. I want to build a computer instead of getting an assembly line PC because from what I've heard you can get more bang for your buck. The problem is I know very little about computers. I was wondering if you guys could help me build a computer. I have about only an 800-900 dollar budget. I don't want to spend a whole lot more than that and I was wondering if there was an actual place that could build one for me(because I don't know what I am doing). I don't necessarily need to run my games on the highest settings, but it would be nice. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[drywall]

Originally Posted by drywall I was asking about how to get a new good computer and I was referred here about how to build a computer. I want to build a computer instead of getting an assembly line PC because from what I've heard you can get more bang for your buck. The problem is I know very little about computers. I was wondering if you guys could help me build a computer. I have about only an 800-900 dollar budget. I don't want to spend a whole lot more than that and I was wondering if there was an actual place that could build one for me(because I don't know what I am doing). I don't necessarily need to run my games on the highest settings, but it would be nice. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

oh and 1 more thing, this includes the operating system. my budget is more around 1000 dollars so i figured the OS would be 100-150 dollars.

[vtfanmv5]

I'm sure the people here would be more than happy to assist you, but some more details are needed.

What games do you play (little more detail on how much performance you need is required), do you have an Intel/AMD preference, do you need a monitor in that budget too?

[drywall]

Originally Posted by vtfanmv5 I'm sure the people here would be more than happy to assist you, but some more details are needed. What games do you play (little more detail on how much performance you need is required), do you have an Intel/AMD preference, do you need a monitor in that budget too?

o yeah, sorry. I usually only play games such as Warcraft 3 and Empire Earth 2 because my old computer has only... i think 256 mb of RAM. I plan on playing the new Command and Conquer Red Alert 3. I baqsically want my computer to play some of the games maybe 4 years from now. I have no problem turning down the settings as my computer becomes more and more obselete. I figure I can always upgrade if I need to. I do not need a monitor. Right now I use a "tube" but I can use that with my new computer. I have a flatscreen monitor in the house and I can always use that if necessary. I do not need keyboard and mouse, but i do require speakers. I have seperate cash for those though. As for the OS, I am willing to get XP or Vista. I heard that Vista is not as bad as it used to be so I am open to that idea. One thing I would like is a cool looking case(maybe with LED lights. But performance comes first and I can always get a little more money for that). Basically, I want to play some of the titles that will be coming out a little bit later and want to prolongue the obselenity for as long as possible. And i have heard both Intel and AMD are good. I have no idea which one to choose

[jon_e_33]

Try something like this to start out with:

Intel C2D e8400 - 189$
Asus P5K-E Motherboard - 140$
Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 RAM - 50$
nVidia 8800gt 150$ ish
Corsair 650tx power supply - 89$
Seagate 7200.11 500gb Hard Drive - 100$
XP Home OEM System Builders - 89$ // Vista Home Premium for System Builders - 100$
Lite-On DVD burner - 30$
Case: Browse newegg.com for a case you like the looks of. 50$-100$

So far that's about 850$ including your OS but NO case or speakers so you have some room to get a nicer case or get some nice speakers, whatever you prefer.

[MichaelApproved]

Originally Posted by jon_e_33 Try something like this to start out with: Intel C2D e8400 - 189$ Asus P5K-E Motherboard - 140$ Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 RAM - 50$ nVidia 8800gt 150$ ish Corsair 650tx power supply - 89$ Seagate 7200.11 500gb Hard Drive - 100$ XP Home OEM System Builders - 89$ // Vista Home Premium for System Builders - 100$ Lite-On DVD burner - 30$ Case: Browse newegg.com for a case you like the looks of. 50$-100$ So far that's about 850$ including your OS but NO case or speakers so you have some room to get a nicer case or get some nice speakers, whatever you prefer.

Why go for the P5K-E when the pro is $30 cheaper?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131275

[drywall]

Originally Posted by jon_e_33 Try something like this to start out with: Intel C2D e8400 - 189$ Asus P5K-E Motherboard - 140$ Corsair XMS2 DDR2-800 RAM - 50$ nVidia 8800gt 150$ ish Corsair 650tx power supply - 89$ Seagate 7200.11 500gb Hard Drive - 100$ XP Home OEM System Builders - 89$ // Vista Home Premium for System Builders - 100$ Lite-On DVD burner - 30$ Case: Browse newegg.com for a case you like the looks of. 50$-100$ So far that's about 850$ including your OS but NO case or speakers so you have some room to get a nicer case or get some nice speakers, whatever you prefer.

I MIGHT be able to recycle the case I have atm but i'd much rather get a new one(so i probably will). Im not sure if I need a 500 gb hard drive. I can probably live with like a 300 or something. I cant even fill up my 60 as it is. Oh and I can probably re-use my CD drive. And also can i use 2 fans?

All aside, ill check em out and get back to you. thanks.

P.S. As much as I know about computers, i love that 3 ghz processor. And im looking for 3 gb of RAM if possible

[jon_e_33]

Originally Posted by MichaelApproved Why go for the P5K-E when the pro is $30 cheaper? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131275

The P5K Pro is on sale, it's normally 25$ more. When they are normal price, the P5K-E is a better board for the extra 5$ or w/e they normally run for. The P5K-E has a better soundchip in it also.

Drywall:

You'll probably want to stick with either 2gb or 4 gb of RAM to stay in dual-channel mode.

This: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146692
or this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145184
will work wonders. If you keep your old CD-Rom you'll have the price difference.

You can use 2 fans, most cases will probably come with a few fans. Maybe look at the Antec 900 case since it will keep your components extremely cool; however most any case will do just fine.

The reason I offered that 500gb Hard Drive is because it has a 32mb Cache which will improve your seek times. If you don't care for the extra speed, look for a Seagate or Western Digital SATA 3.0 hard drive.

[MichaelApproved]

Keep in mind that Vista 32 bit (the most common way it's installed) will not see all 4 gigs of memory. Depending on the video card you go with you'll probably only get to use 3gigs. You might want to go with only 2 gigs of ram instead.

Knowing this I still went for 4gig in my build. I have a video card with only 256mb of memory and the RAM was so cheap I figured it was still worth it just for 3+gig even though i'm paying for 4gig.

Check these google links for a deeper explanation of the issue.
http://www.google.com/search?q=4gig+...x=&startPage=1

[MichaelApproved]

Originally Posted by jon_e_33 The P5K Pro is on sale, it's normally 25$ more. When they are normal price, the P5K-E is a better board for the extra 5$ or w/e they normally run for. The P5K-E has a better soundchip in it also.

I went to newegg, asus,and googled to try to figure out the better board and I'm still clueless as to why. What is it I should be understanding about the -E that makes it better over the Pro? I can understand the sound is better, I did a search and saw the differences between the two but what about anything else on the board? What else should I be looking for that doesn't come on the pro?

[jon_e_33]

All I'm saying is that for the normal difference of a whole whopping 5 dollars, the P5K-E has more features than the Pro. If I could get the pro for 100$ instead of it's normal price, I'd get it. But since the -E version has better features for 5$ more, it's a better board.

Some of the things the -E version has that pro doesn't:

An extra PCI slot.
2 E-Sata ports compared to zero on the pro.
An Optical S/PDIF port.
The Pro version seems to only have a 4 pin CPU power connector, while the -E version has the ability for 8 pins.
On the newegg component pics, the -E version includes a 3 in 1 Asus "Q connector" which is rather nice and I'm using it in my build. Plus a usb bracket.
Better layout imho on the -E since your 24-pin power connector isn't below the HSF fan. I'm just a little bit cautious and having the 24 pin where it is on the pro, I'd think that the cable could possibly fall into the HSF fan which would not be good.

Plus the (also imo) significantly better sound on the -E version makes it a better board, especially for another 5$

I'm sure he'd find either board satisfactory, but my opinion is that with regular prices in effect, he'd be better served with a P5K-E.

[vtfanmv5]

Check out the Antec 900 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...pk=antec%2b900) for a case. Blue LEDs, great air flow, and I had an easy time working with it for my first build.

[drywall]

Can someone explain to me the difference between 64 bit and 32 bit? and if i go with the 64 bit is there more maitenance? and if i go with the 32 bit why do i need to get a 4 gb RAM instead of a 3 gb RAM for the same effect? im confused

P.S. What videocard do i use?

P.P.S. What about this one? it seems to be getting good reception and what if i take the fan(s) off my current pc and place them in here for better control?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144104
This?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156093

I know airflow is probably pretty important but i just dont know if i have it in me to spend 130 dollars on a case

[vtfanmv5]

Originally Posted by drywall Can someone explain to me the difference between 64 bit and 32 bit? and if i go with the 64 bit is there more maitenance? and if i go with the 32 bit why do i need to get a 4 gb RAM instead of a 3 gb RAM for the same effect? im confused P.S. What videocard do i use? P.P.S. What about this one? it seems to be getting good reception and what if i take the fan(s) off my current pc and place them in here for better control? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144104 This? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156093 I know airflow is probably pretty important but i just dont know if i have it in me to spend 130 dollars on a case

64-bit performs slightly better, but the main problem at this time is the lack of 64-bit software and support.

32-bit can only use ~3GB RAM (my system uses 3.25GB). 64-bit can use muuuuuuuuch more than that. However, there are plenty of 4GB quality ram choices in the $65-90 range, so I would recommend just going with 4. Vista itself will use about 800-900MB of RAM, so I don't think 2BG (only 1.1-1.2 GB left over after Vista) is quite enough.

I don't have any experience with those two cases that you linked, but I really highly recommend the Antec 900. And it's only $90 after the $40 MIR.

[drywall]

Originally Posted by vtfanmv5 64-bit performs slightly better, but the main problem at this time is the lack of 64-bit software and support. 32-bit can only use ~3GB RAM (my system uses 3.25GB). 64-bit can use muuuuuuuuch more than that. However, there are plenty of 4GB quality ram choices in the $65-90 range, so I would recommend just going with 4. Vista itself will use about 800-900MB of RAM, so I don't think 2BG (only 1.1-1.2 GB left over after Vista) is quite enough. I don't have any experience with those two cases that you linked, but I really highly recommend the Antec 900. And it's only $90 after the $40 MIR.

so basically... its a better idea to get the 32 bit and just go for the 4 gb RAM?(also is that just 2 2gb RAM sticks?

[vtfanmv5]

I think it's the best choice for now unless you need a machine with like 8GB RAM for heavy work...which you don't.

Yes, generally 4GB of ram will come in 2 2GB sticks.

[drywall]

Originally Posted by vtfanmv5 I think it's the best choice for now unless you need a machine with like 8GB RAM for heavy work...which you don't. Yes, generally 4GB of ram will come in 2 2GB sticks.

the 32 bit tho right?

[vtfanmv5]

Yes. Go for 32-bit and 4GB RAM.

[drywall]

how do i kno which graphics card to get?

[vtfanmv5]

The GeForce 8800 GT that jon_e_33 recommended is probably a good choice.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127329 is a popular 8800 GT

[drywall]

Hmm well I will probably give the parts one last look-over and then i will most likely order them in the next week or two. If I have never built before, what are the chances I will get it working right, or mess something up. I am a little nervous and fear i might have to find someone to help build it for me.

[vtfanmv5]

Originally Posted by drywall Hmm well I will probably give the parts one last look-over and then i will most likely order them in the next week or two. If I have never built before, what are the chances I will get it working right, or mess something up. I am a little nervous and fear i might have to find someone to help build it for me.

I just built my first system last week, with minimal previous experience. I had installed new RAM and PCI slot items before, but nothing else really. Got through it with minimal problems (just one forgetten thing to plug in, the PCIe power cord into my GPU). Just make sure you do some research beforehand, there are plenty of guides for building a PC on the net.

[drywall]

Originally Posted by vtfanmv5 I just built my first system last week, with minimal previous experience. I had installed new RAM and PCI slot items before, but nothing else really. Got through it with minimal problems (just one forgetten thing to plug in, the PCIe power cord into my GPU). Just make sure you do some research beforehand, there are plenty of guides for building a PC on the net.

k i feel more confident now

[jon_e_33]

While I never researched it alot, last I heard was that 32bit Operating Systems could *use* all 4gb's of RAM, you just couldn't *see* all 4GB's. Even if that's not true, either way it's just about as cheap to get 4gb's so you might as well do it and run 3.25gb and have the 4gb just in case you ever upgrade to a 64bit OS.

Either of those cases are fine, just pick whatever looks the best. Unless you are a crazy overclocker, your system ought to run pretty cool.

Go with the 8800gt, it's a good card. eVGA is a good brand, the card that vtfanmv5 linked is good and factory overclocked with some crazy cooling. Or this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121224 is really cheap at the moment.

And we will help you with any problems you might encounter.

[drywall]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121224

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127329

is there a difference?

[vtfanmv5]

Originally Posted by drywall http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121224 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127329 is there a difference?

The MSI has a 10% faster core clock and 5% faster memory clock (factory overclocked). And it might run a bit cooler.

[drywall]

Originally Posted by vtfanmv5 The MSI has a 10% faster core clock and 5% faster memory clock (factory overclocked). And it might run a bit cooler.

if i dont plan on overclocking though i dont need the optimal one?

also could someone please give me a link to that motherboard on newegg? there's like 3 that look similar. im also having a hard time determining which one is right for vista (i edited it- sorry)

[Alaron]

Asus P5K-E Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131225

[jon_e_33]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131225

If you want wireless internet, there is a p5k-e with that built in for another 10$

Both those links are down so I can't read them, but the ASUS also comes with overclocking software so you can match the MSI by moving a slider bar. Either will work fine though.

[drywall]

Originally Posted by jon_e_33 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131225 If you want wireless internet, there is a p5k-e with that built in for another 10$ Both those links are down so I can't read them, but the ASUS also comes with overclocking software so you can match the MSI by moving a slider bar. Either will work fine though.

i have a wireless hub but thats another thing i was wondering about. Do i need a seperate piece of hardware for ethernet connections? and dont pc's require sound cards? can i have a link to vista 32 bit please?