Building a computer

[Gunther]

Hey, I am building a computer for a friend, I have to keep in inside $300 now he already has: sound card, graphics card, and networking card.

For the MoBo I have this:http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4150913?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
With this processor:Intel Pentium 4 505J 2.66 GHz $130 at cheapest I found
and 512 MB kingston PC3200 RAM $53

He has an gForce 5200 graphics card, sound card, and network card. Total this all adds up to $303.

Am I missing anything? Any vital thing that I overlooked?

I have:

MoBO
Graphics card
RAM
CPU
Sound card
Network card
They have a hard drive + case w\ power supply {300w if I remember} and I'm giving them a CD RW 52x

I think that is everything right?

EDIT: I was also looking at maybe buying this MoBo insted:http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=6844187&type=product&id=1093469383475

Of the two what would you pick?

[batboy]

Is the processor you are using a socket LGA775? Do you already have DDR RAM or DDR2 RAM? The first motherboard you listed uses DDR2 and the second uses DDR. What interface vid card do you have, AGP or PCI-E? Looks like both motherboards you listed are for PCI-E. I bet you have an AGP card. If you have regular DDR RAM and an AGP vid card with socket LGA775, you'll need to find a "hybred" mobo like the Abit AS8 or Asus P5P800.

[Gunther]

The CPU is a socket 775 I checked that one out, the kingston is compadible with the MoBo also. The RAM will need to be bought because the type we have now...is crap and probably wouldn't work anyways {been tossed around so much, and touched, I would be pretty suprised.} The video card he has is an AGP slotted card I believe. Are you meaning to say that the first MoBo I posted does not an agp slot? I can't tell from the picture and it is not stated.

[batboy]

The first mobo you listed has no AGP. Here is what it says: Expansion Slot: 1 x (x16) PCI Express, 2 x (x1) PCI Express, & 3 PCI Slots. The "1 x (x16) PCI Express" is the PCI-E vid card slot that I was mentioning.

Both of those mobos use the i915 chipset, so they will have a PCI-E slot (no AGP).

RAM is pretty tough unless you static shock it. Just touching it probably won't hurt it. But, for these Intel systems, you want to use a pair of matched RAM modules to take advantage of dual channel memory which provides a significant performance gain. There are two types of RAM commonly being used now (DDR and DDR2) and they are not interchangeable (different size slots and different number of pins).

[Gunther]

Dang, whew I'm tired, but I gotta leave in like four hours, so I may as well stay up and keep looking. Need to find a 775 slot with an agp, I looked at the Asus p5p800 you mentioned earlier {http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4214354?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG} , but I don't think that the RAM is compadible. I don't know what DDR400 RAM is, I have never heard of that type of RAM, is it just normal DDR RAM? Or is it different?

[BrutalDrew]

Have you considr4ed going AMD? It would probably provide much more bang for your buck.

[batboy]

DDR400 RAM is PC3200 DDR RAM. Any regular DDR RAM will work in the Abit AS8 or Asus P5P800 motherboards. Not sure if you plan to overclock, but I'd get a pair of PC3200 if you are buying RAM, so you can O/C and still use the 1:1 ratio. Ignore the AMD fanboys, the Intel chipsets are still the most stable and most reliable on the planet. What RAM do you have right now?

[Gunther]

Naw my friend doesn't get to overclock... because I know he would set it to high and fry his computer, then I would get blamed =p I don't know what type of RAM he has, that is why I'm inclined to just get new RAM. So if I get the asus p5p800, a stick of PC3200 RAM, and the Pentium 4 505J 2.66 GHz, I will be all good to go correct?

[batboy]

No, you want 2 sticks of matched RAM for dual channel. If you are going to cheap out with only 512 MB, get 2X256 RAM. Well, at least with no overclocking you can save a few bucks and just use stock cooling.

[Gunther]

Why is it better to buy two sticks of 256 instead of just one stick of 512? LoL, cheaping out, if they said I could spend more I would get more RAM but 512 runs me great and I'm a pretty hefty game freak.

[Sshadow]

Listen to Batboy, he has given you the reasons why you should buy 2 sticks.

Batboy said: But, for these Intel systems, you want to use a pair of matched RAM modules to take advantage of dual channel memory which provides a significant performance gain.

And that performance gain is noticable.

//Christian

[Scott9027]

If you want to upgrade this in the near future, I would get one 512 MB stick and add a matched one later on for a GB of dual channel RAM, instead of needing to get two more 256 MB sticks for a total of 4 x 256 MB.