[melba toast]

Okay, I'm going to 1/2 build this computer myself, but I REALLY don't wanna deal with the cpu & motherboard issues (gluing...scary stuff). So as of right now I have an idea of what I want, I'm just looking for good sites to buy the barebones. Everything I'm finding is missing one of the components I want, but I did find one on amberpcusa.com that has all this for $273...the cases seem kinda cheap though (Raidmax 822WBP cobra 420W gaming was what I was looking at) and I'd like to see some more prices to make sure its a decent deal...

I want a midtower gaming pc case, nothing expensive, just something that looks cool. Preferably with the see-thru windows and LEDs.

AMD Athlon 64 4000+
ASUS A8N-SLI-P nForce4/SATA RAID/PCIE/1394

That's really all...its crazy that its so hard to find. My bf bought me an ATI radeon x800 xl graphics card for Xmas, and I'm planning to drop around $1000-1200 on a nice gaming pc. I think I'm going to stay away from the dual-cores since if the games aren't using them, then they're only using one core so you're losing power unless you've got the big bucks to spend on a higher end model.

Second Question: I'm looking at 2 GB Corsair memory...was originally looking at the DDR400, but now I see the XMS3200 with black heat spreader....what exactly does that mean and is it worth the extra $40? My boyfriend and I both SUCK at knowing anything about memory aside from how much we want. I'm assuming that the higher the better (i.e. DDR400 > DDR300), but how bout this XMS stuff?

If either of these have been answered before - sorry - I just really didn't have the time to surf around and look (I gotta work hard to afford these things! haha)

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Well barebones is a completely different thing you get the parts and put it together yourself usually as well, barebones are small PCs usually MicroATX not the midtower atx.

There isnt any glue involved there is thermal compound yes but if you buy amd you take the stick HSF pull back the platic protector and clip it on as the compund is pre applied.

Games are only just starting to use dual cores, the first are coming out now, and dual core offers a bit more future proofing, you have to balance the good now and good tommorow argument its up to you.

XMS is the good stuff, the pro stuff has the balck heat spreader and can be slightly faster but its not really worth the extra money.

Case i like my lanboy it has a good side window and a blue led fan, but there are lots, most of the beter quality ones are a little more discreet and classy cases with a window sometimes but lights usually have to be added later. If you want them. There is lots of cheaper cases that look flashy.

You also want to look at a good PSU.

[warriorscot]

Well barebones is a completely different thing you get the parts and put it together yourself usually as well, barebones are small PCs usually MicroATX not the midtower atx.

There isnt any glue involved there is thermal compound yes but if you buy amd you take the stick HSF pull back the platic protector and clip it on as the compund is pre applied.

Games are only just starting to use dual cores, the first are coming out now, and dual core offers a bit more future proofing, you have to balance the good now and good tommorow argument its up to you.

XMS is the good stuff, the pro stuff has the balck heat spreader and can be slightly faster but its not really worth the extra money.

Case i like my lanboy it has a good side window and a blue led fan, but there are lots, most of the beter quality ones are a little more discreet and classy cases with a window sometimes but lights usually have to be added later. If you want them. There is lots of cheaper cases that look flashy.

You also want to look at a good PSU.

[melba toast]

Really? Weird...my boyfriend & his brother tend to mess with and build computers a lot and they always buy "barebones"...meaning case + motherboard + cpu, which is prebuilt, and then they add the rest. Reason I don't want to build that part of it is because neither of them have done it before, and since I'm nervous to begin with (first computer I'm building, woot) I was shying away from it.

And there's games out already that use dual cores? Didn't know that. I figure it will probably take years before games actually use DCs, they still have to use the 64 bit now, haha, so I figure I'm future-proofed for as long as a $1500 gaming computer built now will last, regardless of the DC or SC.

As for XMS, the ones I was finding with the black heat spreader were only a couple bucks more...the big diff was the $40 between regular ram & XMS ram. I guess I'll spend that extra 40

I can't justify spending more than, say, $50 for a case unless I REALLY like it...looks aren't too important to me but I really like the whole LED thing (esp since I usually play games in darkness)

You also want to look at a good PSU. <~ Should be included in the 'barebones' I'm looking at 350-400W minimum.

[jrm20]

Yes the first game for pc I have seen is peter jacksons King Kong. I have the game but you dont have to put the dual core option on. A single core cpu runs it fine.

[warriorscot]

Yeah cod2 has a patch to enable dual cores as well, alot of the games next year will make use of it and all of them released past 2007 definatley will, most will even need it to run as they are meant to.