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Newb Alert!!! I need your input on my 1st PC

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someone11

New Member
Joined
Apr 28, 2003
Location
Fresno, CA
Hey guys...

Well I decided to say screw Dell, and I'm making my own PC, so I came here for help on selecting the right equiptment for what I want to achieve. I have been skimming through many of the reviews and beginner guides at the OC site, and I have to say that those have helped me immenseley! I have been researching this thing, and I have been picking and pecking at newegg.com and directron.com to find the stuff that was right for me... so far this is what I'm looking at:

1. Asus Motherboard (P4PE? A7N8X Deluxe?)
2. AMD or Intel Processor (lol yes I'm sorry for saying this but I'm still torn between the 2. Please don't get mad at me for stating that :D )
3. ATI Radeon graphics card
4. Creative Labs Sound card
5. Antec 1000AMG case w/ 350 PS or 400+!?
6. Antec case fans
7. Corsair Memory
8. "X" brand CDRW drive
9. "X" brand floppy Drive
10. ?-brand monitor
11. etc...


I know there have been, and always will be many like me, and I would really appreciate it if you can guide me in the right direction. I want a rig that I will be able to overclock and be stable at a good price ...LOL don't we all ;) . I'm going to work my butt off this summer to have enough money to buy my dream machine, and hopefully you guys can help me decide!

Thanks for your time!

-Brian
 
asus a7n8x but id prefer abit nf7-s rev2
amd dlt 1700 1.5v
ati 9500pro or 9700non pro.but oc well and decent prices.
both the a7n8x and the nf7-s have good sound.asus lost its sound storm certification tho.
get a true power 430atx psu
corsair xms 3200LL/3500 or hyperX 3500
i use almost any brand monitors.but has to be a 19" flat crt tho.
get an optical mouse no matter what.
logitech z640 5.1 speakers

thats my suggestions on stuff.and yes alot of what i suggested is what i own.why? becouse i know it works and works well.
 
Whats the nf7-s?

Thanks for your help deathstar13. Any other set-ups? I hate to ask this question, but what the advantage to getting and AMD over and Intel CPU? From the beginning I was looking at the P4's because they're so much faster, but I learned that thats not what makes a system, its the motherboard and other components that you use combined. *Correct me if I'm wrong... hehe.
 
I love my P4PE rig so much I built one for my Wife.

CD: Catch on on a great sale. Office Max 52x24x52 for $29.99
Sound Card: P4Pe onboard sound is just fine for me
Network: P4PE is built in.
Floppy drive: $9 at newegg or leave it out entirely
Monitor: Personal choice
Ram quality makes all the difference in the world for your overclocking ability in a P4 system. Don't skimp on ram.
 
Welcome to the Forums!!!

Really, it's about time..
How much money do you plan on spending and how much experience do you have?

There are plenty of threads on people just starting out like you in this community. Just look around or use the "search" up at the top.

I like my set up(in sig)..
cd burner-- Cendyne.
cd rom- MSI
 
First of all, thanks for the welcome...hehe. I plan on spending around $13-14000 for everything. I've been researching building how-to's a lot recently, but before that I already knew the basic components and what parts a computer has. The thing is that since I've been to this forums it feels like my eyes have opened up. I mean now there are so many more options and variables that I can choose from; It's very, very hard to decide what to get when there are so many different companies. For example, this instant I just learned that epox made mobo's. I've been looking at directron.com & newegg.com to try to decide on what's in my price range and what will work the best. Hopefully you guys can get me started, and heading in the right direction.

I appreciate all your help!

-Brian
 
OCed_5150 said:
OOOOOOOoooooh... you want to spend some good old AMERICAN green back...

May I suggest here---- > http://www.voodoopc.com/ :D

I really want to build a computer, instead of buying a pre-built one. It will only make me more experienced to know whats inside that metal case, and how it works. Thanks for the suggestion though!

-brian

EDIT: Again that $1300-1400 is everything.... OS, mouse, keyboard, monitor, everything!
 
OCed_5150 said:


muuuuhahahha... added an extra zero didn't ya! :eek:

ROTFL!

OOOOoooooooooPPpppppPSSS :p I wish I had 14000 to spend on a computer.... it would follow me around for that kind of money!

-Brian
 
What do ya think?

Should I wait until DDR II memory comes out or something else comes out before I should buy? I have read much about the new canterwood and springdale chips, and I have to say that they sound amazing. Along with a new P4 800 FSB it would rock.... but the prices are high for 875 and 865 chipsets.

I talked with the computer tech at my school today, who builds PC's on the side, and he told me that I should go for an Intel Motherboard because they're super stable with the P4's. Although it's not as easy to overclock an Intel mobo as an Asus or Abit. Of course he doesn't like overclocking because it in most cases voids the warranty of products and things of that nature. He also said to stay away from Abit... bad experiences have led him to that conclusion I believe.

What you guys think?


-brian
 
Last edited:
i've been very satisfied with my abit motherboard (nf7-s 2.0)

if you've got everything working well, the warranty doesn't really matter
 
I've decided on a P4 cpu though, and I'm not sure if there is a n force mobo for the P4's... are there? I don't know... what else do you guys think is good for a budget of around $1300. Should I wait till something new comes out before I buy, such as DDR II?
 
He doesn't know what he's talking about..

Sure, Intel mobo's are fine when running at stock, although they may lack some features.. but when overclocking you should stay away from them.

Also, I can't come up with any reason to stay away from Abit. I've had two Abit boards (older versions though ZM6 and BX133-RAID) and both of them where excellent boards that were among the top overclockers. I've also heard very good things about the NF7 series now.

However, I'm starting to like Epox now also after purchasing the 8RDA+.. has worked like a charm for me. Now with 8RDA3+ coming out I recommend that you'd take a look on that when it's out. Those will support 400 Mhz Athlons by default.. which means no voltmods to reach 200 Mhz FSB (400 Mhz DDR),

I think you first should set your mind on whether to go down the p4 or the AMD road.. both are obviously good brands, but what really sets them apart (in my opinion) is the price/performance ratio. You can get a very fast Athlon for 100 bucks while that won't get you anywhere close with a p4.
 
Re: What do ya think?

someone11 said:
Should I wait until DDR II memory comes out or something else comes out before I should buy?

-brian

If you noticed Overclockers front page...

One of the reasons I gave up waiting on ANY new technology is that it could be delayed or never show up at all. Of course... your dealing with bleeding edge stuff. So you have to take certain chances when dealing with "vaporware".

I will usually go with what is already out on the market and try to get reviews, not PREVIEWS, of the product in a benchmark situation. Then I make my choice based on what I find.
 
That makes much sense. Thanks for the info. I believe that I want to choose an intel CPU, but later on my mind might change. I'm sure that most of the motherboards out on the market today perform well, or else they wouldn't even be on the market - not making any money. I really like the Abit IC7... it seems like I would be able to do the most with that motherboard in the future.

Thanks again for your help guys!

-Brian
 
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