First new build PC - help requested

[greg20]

Hi, I'm new to the forum, although not to computers/ the Internet. I have a Dell XPS R400 from 1998 and it's desperately time for a new system! Although I haven't built a system yet from the ground up, I've made a number of upgrades to my Dell so I'm somewhat familiar with the components/process. I've upgraded/added:

400 mhz PII to 800 mhz PII
128MB RAM -> 256MB RAM
CD-RW drive (last summer, details escape me now)
10/100 NIC
etc.
Win 98 -> Win XP Pro

I'd like to build as powerful a new system as possible with a max budget of $1500 including shipping, etc. I hear that newegg.com is good and have done some browsing there. I use it primarily for the internet, managing finances, and some gaming (flight sims and action), but I'm also becoming increasingly interested in squeezing every last bit of performance out of it.

I'd appreciate if someone could recommend a full set of specific components (minus monitor, mouse, keyboard, and printer which I'll salvage for now) in my <$1500 price range. I have no Intel/AMD or other brand preferences. Thanks!

[HAL9000]

The standard build I have been doing for customers that has been working out quite well is;

ASUS P4S533 or P4B533 motherboard
Maxtor hard drive
P4 1.6A or 1.8A processor
256 or 512Mb RAM
ATI Radeon 7500/8500 video card
ASUS 52x CD-Rom

Then optional components such as:

SoundBlaster Live or Audigy to replace the onboard sound
LiteOn CDRW
Pioneer or LiteOn DVD

[DrZaius]

Hi greg20, welcome to the PC Mech forums!

Here are my recommendations.

Motherboard

Asus P4S533 (Intel); EPoX 8K3A or Soltek SL-75DRV5 (AMD)

Processor

Intel Pentium 4 1.6/1.8A GHz; AMD Athlon XP 1800+

Memory

Crucial/Mushkin 256MB PC2700 DDR

Hard Drive

Western Digital 80GB ATA/100 7200RPM 8MB cache

Video Card

ATI Radeon 8500; GeForce4 Ti4200

Sound Card

Turtle Beach Santa Cruz

CD Writer/DVD

Lite-On 40X/Pioneer 16X

Case

Antec SX830/1030/1040 with 300W PSU

All parts available at NewEgg and should fit your budget nicely. Hope that helps.

[Cricket]

Hi greg20,

Here are my suggestions (sorry, I'm not going to suggest any specific parts)...

Read the Build Your Own PC tutorial on this site and then find a few more on the net and read them. It's just to familiarize yourself with what's involved.

For the components I'll just say to get all good quality name brand parts...never buy generic, not even the case or power supply.

$1500 will get you a really good system.

Cricket

[greg20]

Thank you for the help, welcome, and quick replies. I've previously read the tutorial and I'll start pricing the components.