Is this comp ok for a friend?

[black_dog]

Hi everyone, yah another "is my rig ok" question

My friend is looking into getting a computer sometime after christmas. I just did a rough estimate for him and here are those parts so don't flame me;
mobo = $110 msi/asus/abit
cpu = he might want intel, 1.8a or a C1 stepping $160
ram = pc2700 256, I would like toget 512 but its kind of expensive $120 or $200
video card = Gf4 Ti4200 $125
hard drive = 80giger for $115
cd-rom + burner + floppy= $110
case + fans = $80
speakers + mouse + keyboard = $60
he could use an older monitor

This adds up to $880 with 256megs of ram without an operating system

He was looking at this sytem at http://www.krazy-kenny.com/product.php?item=381
Here is the description pasted from the above site;
"ASUS A7S333 motherboard 512MbDDR PC-2700 (exp. to 2GB) 40GB Ultra-DMA Hard Drive 7200 RPM 128MB Geforce 4 TI 4600 Nvidia 32x12x40 CDRW 56K internal Data/Fax/Vioce Modem 6 Channel Compatible Digital Surround Sound 10/100 Network Card ATX Mid-Tower Case 300W Multimedia Speakers W/ Subwoofer 104 key Standard Keyboard 3 Button Optical Mouse "

It seems ok to me with the components listed. For some reason they didn't list what processor and monitor it comes with!!
What are your opions on this system? It would be nice to build him a sytem but it would be more expensive, especially for college students

 

[Top Hat Theater]

I'd seriously consider putting 512MB of RAM in. But otherwise, yeah it looks good.

 

[Captain Slug]

Go AMD. You'll get a much faster CPU for the same amount of money.

 

[deathstar13]

hmmm i dont know how to put this.that place is close to where i live so ive been there and purchased stuff.not whole systems tho.just parts.
i dont like them and i cant pin it down why.except they do carry cheap ram.what he will get will be ocz or just generic 2700.

also ive noticed they dont say what cpu you get with it.
also thier online prices are differant from the store prices. really upset me when i went there to buy stuff.

also i cant find a darn thing at resselerratings.com either. under ccw,ccw online,or custum computer warehouse.or krazy-kenny.com that store has been online 2 years id say now.

i dont want to link you to the shop i use as id say it isnt fair.but i havent had the best times at this place.
but i do wish him luck tho might just be fine and im paranoid hehee

 

[Captain Slug]

i dont want to link you to the shop i use as id say it isnt fair.but i havent had the best times at this place.
but i do wish him luck tho might just be fine and im paranoid hehee

Don't worry, my voices tell me the same thing.

I'll see if I can squeeze together a part list that beats the pants of that one...

Edit: Here's a machine I have saved on Newegg for $660 and it beats the flaming short off the "Krazy Kenny" thing.

AMD 1900+ 1.6ghz AGOGA
Abit Geforce 4 Ti4200 128mb DDR
Shuttle AK35GT2 KT333 motherboard w/ onboard 6-channel audio
Samsung 256mb PC-2700 DDR
Maxtor 60gb 7200RPM ATA133 Hard Drive
Cyberdrive 36x12x48 CD-RW
Foxconn Black case with 350w PSU
Black floppy
Quiet & effective TI-V77L heatsink fan
3 case fans
Arctic Silver 3

Would require the addition of a monitor ($35-100) and keyboard $12 to be complete. The complete shipped total is still less than the deal in the first post and this machine will be MUCH faster.

If you want a tighter budget machine you could build a small gaming box for $400.

 

[The Spyder]

that ram price is damn high........ cause i think my micron pc2700 cost $140......... and get a GOOD 350w ps MINIMUN please if you want a GF4 thats stable.........
oh and an eduactional licence for XP PRO is like $57

 

[black_dog]

Thanks for the replies guys

I don't think he's too set on this company or system. I'll have to ask him why he picked this one though. I appreciate the info about that store, I also checked ressleratings.com and found nothing. They might be ok but not advertising the brand of monitor and cpu seems fishy to me. How can they put a Ti4600 128mb video card in for that price?

I'm not sure if my friend is stuck on intel or not. Getting an Intel 1.8a or even a 2.4 and a mobo compared to an AMD 2000+ and mobo seems somewhat even to me, only overclocked of course.

I am also thinking about upgrading sometime after christmas and i'm concerned about the logenvity of current chipsets. I would buy a Nforce2 for an Amd cpu and a PE or Granite Bay (I can dream) for an Intel. To me Amd will run out of steam with 3400+ cpus and then start huslting hammers. This might be ok since hammers mostlikely will not be cheap enough for another year. Intel seems to have a longer longevity with the P4's scaling upwards. Even here they will introduce prescott and that will not affordable for another year. It looks like if I go either way I will be in the same boat, too many decisions.

I will start looking at more complete systems from other vendors if thats more convient for him. Does anybody have any good recommendations?

p.s. deathstar13 you're paranoid too? too much recreational activities

 

[Captain Slug]

Thanks for the replies guys

You're welcome. But the megahertz ratings no longer have meaning. The AMD 1900+ (while rated at 1.6ghz like the P4 your listed) is actually 25% faster in all applications.
It's hard to rate something objectively when there are so many factors involved in performance.

 

[black_dog]

I know megahertz are not equal anymore
I was just mentioning that at a certain price point that amd and intel platforms are pretty similar. For most situations amd is definetly cheaper and faster.

 

[deathstar13]

just a little help in finding a place that makes decent rigs and should be good at resselratings in the amd buyers guide of providers. basically amd partners they link from thier site.

ive looked at a few before and seem cost effective such ,but is a decent sized list to go threw and many choices.
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_756_3734^3098,00.html
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_756_3734^3109,00.html

manoarch,googlegear,and falcon nw stand out in my mind but just by what recomendations ive had given to me,not personal experiance.

 

[Namagomi]

uh. krazy-kenny.com? does that sounds reputable to YOU?

Anyways, this is what I'd go with
Athlon XP1600 or better
Abit AT7-Max (dont really need a KT400)
Alberton(or however you spell it) 4200 Turbo
512mb of Corsair XMS 2700
80gig Western Digital Special Edition
Lite-On 42x Burner and 8x DVD-Rom drive
Mickeysoft Optical Mouse
USB Keyboard (no legacy on the AT7-Max, thank god)
Some Enermax >350w PSU
Some enlight mid-tower case, maybe a 7237 or something similar.

Ta-da!

..and for the love of God, go with newegg.com

 

[Captain Slug]

..and for the love of God, go with newegg.com

And because God loves it too!
hehehehe

But yes. Neweg beats the pants off all other online retailers when it comes to prices, service, AND selection combined.

 

[black_dog]

Don't have to worry about me guys, I have been a follower of the Newegg way for awhile now.
As sombody once quoted here "If Newegg doesn't have it, it doesn't exist."

 

[ed8150]

i third newegg. check out sparkle psus. try to get 512 ddr in there, it makes all the difference.

 

[Namagomi]

i third newegg. check out sparkle psus. try to get 512 ddr in there, it makes all the difference.

incorrect. 1 gig makes all the difference.