[thegreenguy]

Hi, this summer I am building my first PC so bear with me here. I was curious as to what some of you thought of what I've compiled here to create a pretty decent computer that can run higher end games but is at the same time affordable. Here's what I've put together:

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Newcastle Integrated into Chip FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 754 Processor - Retail
$146 at newegg

Aluminum Chenming X-Pider Case w/(4) Tri-LED Fans - 420W P4 Ready PSU
$109 at svc.com

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail
$86 at newegg

Leadtek PX6800TDH Geforce 6800 256MB 256-bit DDR PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
$288 at newegg

MSI K8N NEO3-F Socket 754 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
$75 at newegg

TOTAL PRICE: $704

I will pull my DVDROM, CDRW, Audigy 2 Soundcard, and 120 GB WD HD from my existing PC.

Comments please.

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seems good to me... but im not too experienced with building computer and such so its best not to listen to myself.

[addy_010]

seems good to me... but im not too experienced with building computer and such so its best not to listen to myself.

[hacp]

Get a 6600GT and cheaper ram. Newegg has PQi ram that is half decent at 69 dollars. Use the money to get a better proc. However, if you plan to overclock, get the EPOX nf3 250GB board and a sempron 2800+. Use the 3:2 Divider and you'll OC to 2400.

[RogueComGeek]

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Newcastle Integrated into Chip FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 754 Processor - Retail
$146 at newegg

why a 754 socket amd64?
they have 939 that has dual channel memory not single channel memory like 754.

[Hawker]

newegg..... www.pricewatch.com

[thegreenguy]

Thanks for all the replies. I do not plan on overclocking, thats all a bit over my head. I'll consider getting a better processor but that all depends on how much more expensive the 949 socket is. If I do that then I would probably get a better mobo cause the one i have on there doesn't have as much room for expansion as others.

EDIT: I found three new mobo's on newegg that I'm considering. Which one would you recommend?

MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail at Newegg.com
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813130484

CHAINTECH VNF4/Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail at Newegg.com
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813152049

GIGABYTE GA-K8N Ultra-9 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail at Newegg.com
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128283

EDIT: This is my new planned build. Let me know what you think of the changes and what needs to be changed.

AMD ATHLON 64 3000+ (1.8GHz) 939-PIN 512KB L2 CACHE 64-BIT PROCESSOR - RETAIL BOX
*$146.00*
http://www.buyxg.com...d=1364&catid=35

Aluminum Chenming X-Pider Case w/(4) Tri-LED Fans - 420W P4 Ready PSU
*$109.00*
http://www.svc.com/aspire-xp.html

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM System Memory - Retail at Newegg.com
*$80.00*
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820145505

Leadtek PX6800TDH Geforce 6800 256MB 256-bit DDR PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
*$288.00*
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814122207

MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813130484
*$142.00*

$765 TOTAL

Edited by thegreenguy, 19 June 2005 - 01:40 AM.

[warriorscot]

Looks good the msi board is the best out of the 3. And get a venice corp it is only little more expensive and is a far better cpu than the winnie. It looks good other than the x-pider cases being the ugliest case i have ever seen, but then again i dont like spiders. Its just a bit cheap and nasty lookin for my tastes check out arctic and antec they make good budget cases with a bit of style. Since you arent going to overclock you can sacrifice wattage on your psu for better quality.

[RogueComGeek]

have to agree with Warriorscot
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD
deffintly looks awsome
deffintly a great list of computers parts :-)

[Hemal]

Looks like a pretty nice rig- if you buy a processer at 3000 or above its not really nessasary to overclock unless you really want to, what type of games are you going to run and what else will you do?

[thegreenguy]

Yeah I'm pretty much decided on the MSI board. Warriotscot, its interesting that you recommend the Venice, everyone else i have talked to always recommends the Winchester. I don't even know what the difference is myself. Here is the latest build a couple changes were made. Let me know what you think.

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Winchester Integrated into Chip FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor - Retail
*$199.00*
http://www.buyxg.com...d=1364&catid=35

Thermaltake SViking VA4000BWS Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133142
*$69.00*

CORSAIR XMS 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail
*$144*
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820145505
Someone recommended this on another forum because its XMS. What so great about XMS that it makes it cost so much more money?

MSI NX6600GT-TD128E Geforce 6600GT 128MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
*$172*
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127147

MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813130484
*$142.00*

THERMALTAKE Silent Purepower W0014RU ATX 480W Power Supply 100 - 240V - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...17153007#sctNav
*54.00*

Soxrok, I'm not a huge gamer but thats mainly because most of the good games that have come out in the past four years my current comp hasn't been able to run WELL. It can run them, but they are sometimes bearable and sometimes not. Rome: Total War for example is a game i bought when it was released but i've never really gotten into it because playing it is torture. Hopefully with this new comp I'll be able to get into HL2, CS, CS:S. be ready for Age of Empires III and a few other games that will be coming out. I just want to be ready for another 4 years...

Edited by thegreenguy, 19 June 2005 - 09:34 PM.

[RogueComGeek]

the winchester is 130 nm built
the newcastle is 90 nm built
the venice is 90 with added sse3

kinda cool they still have the same crunching stats but the heat and wattage is going down
i have been following AMD64 since the opterons started to come out

Edited by RogueComGeek, 19 June 2005 - 09:35 PM.

[thegreenguy]

RogueComGeek, I'm not exactly sure of what you're talking about. Which one would you recommend then?

EDIT: Nevermind, I got it. I'll take a look at the Venice.

Edited by thegreenguy, 19 June 2005 - 09:38 PM.

[warriorscot]

Yeah the venice is vastly superior, it can be occasionaly slower in terms of raw output but it is minimal and is more than made up for with its other features. I havent ever had a winnie reccomended over a venice its strange why anyone would read some reviews on it the hexus one is good.

http://www.hexus.net...mlld19JRD0xMjU1

Its actually about how fantastic it is to overclock, but they benchmark and review it as a normal cpu, the overclocking potential is unbelievable 2.8 ghz stable everyday from a cpu that runs 1.8 ghx out the box and a stock amd cooler its fantastic.

Nice case much better the xpider really is the most plasticily garish thing you can buy. If you like that check out the super lanboy (its so nice im gettin one). I dont know if its the same price as american pc prices are quite different stuff thats cheap here is expensive over there and vice versa, but the lanboy is cheap here so.

Edited by warriorscot, 20 June 2005 - 05:27 AM.

[thegreenguy]

Alright. Thanks for everyone's help so far. Here is the latest and possible last build. I'm going to buy this week possibly.

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice Integrated into Chip FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819103535
*$190.00*

Thermaltake SViking VA4000BWS Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133142
*$69.00*

CORSAIR XMS 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820145505
*$144*

MSI NX6600GT-TD128E Geforce 6600GT 128MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127147
*$172*

MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813130484
*$142.00*

THERMALTAKE Silent Purepower W0014RU ATX 480W Power Supply 100 - 240V - Retail
http://www.newegg.co...17153007#sctNav
*54.00*

[warriorscot]

Thats almost identical to my current build plan, i have to say the x800 is a much better gfx card than the 6600GT i was all ready to buy one myself but when i started to look at reviews i noticed that the x800s always beat them and were the same price.

Is that the ram with the activity leds?