New Comp System!

Hi, Im new to:
-These forums
-Modding
-All this technical language (so plz dont use any)

I am quite good with computers, I wish to buy and build my own kickass system .

I live in Aus and my budget is pretty damn tight. So think about prices a bit when you are quoting them to me plz... just say if they are American, I know the conversion rate.

I want an awsome system with enough grunt to play games happily for as long as possible without being outrageously expensive.

From what I've read so far in these forums it looks as if an AMD 2500+ Burton processor (overclocked) is pretty damn awsome, but I dont know a thing about mobo's, RAM, HD's, Gfx Cards. In a recent article it was stated that the Gainward nVidia FX(5700?) Gfx card was good, but really I need some help with that.

I dont need a good screen/keyboard/mouse/speakers, I can bludge them off something even if they end up cr*p. I want to mod a case so it looks awsome, but im not really wanting to muck up a expensive case. Does anyone know a good *cheap* case which looks good and is easy to mod?

I know its a long post (first 1 too )

Thanks in advance

Mike

ooooook. Here is the general system that my friend and I are discussing building for me, when I get the money. All prices are american. Hope it helps you some. *BTW, the prices are rough estimates, getting them used and all*

Processor: Mobile XP 2500 - $100
Motherboard: NF7-S - $100
RAM: 2 GB RAM ( 1x1GB, 2x512GB) - $350
HDD: 120 GB 8MB Cache Wester Digital x 2 - $100
PSU: 450 Watt Fortron PSU - $65
Vid Card: Radeon 9700 Pro - $150
Heatsink: Thermalright
Fan: SmartFanII x 3 - $40
Fan Controller: Rheobus - $30
Soundcard: Audigy - $35

2 gigs of ram? what do you need 2 gigs for? Server maybe but thats to much for almost anything else. Also fosent the nf-7 have built in sound?

I have some modifications to whats above:

Processor: Mobile XP 2500 - $100
Motherboard: DFI Ultra II Infinity- $95
RAM: 1gb of good pc3200-3500(most people still use 512mb) - $170-$220
HDD: 120 GB 8MB Cache Wester Digital x 2 Serial ATA - $100
PSU: 450 Watt Fortron PSU - $65
Vid Card: Radeon 9800 Pro - $210
Heatsink: Thermalright SLK 900a($40) or SP97($50)
Fan: SmartFanII x 1 - $15
Fan2: Enermax Speed Blue x 3 - $25
CD Burner: Any kind you want - $30
Case: Raidmax Silver 10 Bay case- $30 OR
Raidmax Blue Case 10bay(comes w/2 fans, maximum of 7 on case) - $40

Nukemall said:

2 gigs of ram? what do you need 2 gigs for? Server maybe but thats to much for almost anything else. Also fosent the nf-7 have built in sound?

Click to expand...

I do alot of art. Like....alot.

Ok first The NF7-S dose have sound and why in the heck would you want to add an infier sound card on there since the NF7-S has a great bulit in sound, i personlay belive it is better than me aduigy platium. ! GB of Ram in dual channel should do fine i would get PC-3500 so it dosent creat a bottle neck. With the money you just saved on RAM i would get a 9800 PRO insted of a 9700, and i would also get a Antec True Power 430 of 550 but what ever you do do not get a Fortron, i have had a hole computer ruined buy one, get quality parts.

cbakey said:

Ok first The NF7-S dose have sound and why in the heck would you want to add an infier sound card on there since the NF7-S has a great bulit in sound, i personlay belive it is better than me aduigy platium. ! GB of Ram in dual channel should do fine i would get PC-3500 so it dosent creat a bottle neck. With the money you just saved on RAM i would get a 9800 PRO insted of a 9700, and i would also get a Antec True Power 430 of 550 but what ever you do do not get a Fortron, i have had a hole computer ruined buy one, get quality parts.

Click to expand...

Alright, I will write that down and make the recommendation to JoT. Also, I need the 2GB of RAM, because with the art I do, it will eat up more RAM than you could imagine. As for the sound card, I have a need for 2 seperate systems, hence the other card. And, I have seen from several sources, that the 9800 Pro is not as good as the 9700 Pro.

I would like some onfo

If you don't mind could you provide the URL's that claim the 9700 is better than the 9800. I am not doing this to argue but I would like to learn thier resoning on this-- Thanks

Hi,

Nice, those specs sound pretty damn good

I worked those prices out and it comes to $770 AUS (i think)

Damn, I dont have quite that much money, can somone give me a system that maybe is cheaper?

Which parts in a system is most important for good gaming.

Is it:
-Processor
-Mobo
-RAM
-Gfx Card

Which should I put most money into?

Also looking at most of you guys specs, you all only have 40Gb HD's. Does is mean that you recon this is enough?

Thanks

Mike

I will find them if I can, thought it was alittle go. I remember that the 9800SE is just terrible on several basis' compared to the 97-98 cards, and that the 9800XT is not worth the extra money, in relation to 97-98 cards.

Midnight Dream said:

I will find them if I can, thought it was alittle go. I remember that the 9800SE is just terrible on several basis' compared to the 97-98 cards, and that the 9800XT is not worth the extra money, in relation to 97-98 cards.

Click to expand...

Pretty much everyone here recommends the 9800pro. It is better than the 9700's and most agree that it is not worth the cost to upgrade to the 9800XT. I also am not wanting to argue or call you a liar, I just haven't seen anythig about the 9700 being better than the 9800.

*edit*
I wasnt really into this as much when the SE's were out. Mabey the article was comparing them to the 9700's and not the pros's.

ou_phidelt said:

Pretty much everyone here recommends the 9800pro. It is better than the 9700's and most agree that it is not worth the cost to upgrade to the 9800XT. I also am not wanting to argue or call you a liar, I just haven't seen anythig about the 9700 being better than the 9800.

*edit*
I wasnt really into this as much when the SE's were out. Mabey the article was comparing them to the 9700's and not the pros's.

Click to expand...

Yea, I understand. I am still looking for those pages, cause I swear that I read that in most cases, the 98 was beat out by the 97.