noob builder needs your advice

[ikonone]

hi everyone,

well, at first i was not thinking that i wanted to take the time to build a computer but it has just been too entertaining even doing the research. i think i have put together all of the parts that i want and i was hoping to get a critique on them.

i am going for a CHEAP desktop without sacrificing quality. it will handle little to no gaming but plenty of multitasking, video watching, downloading, etc.

another aspect that i was going for was the ability to upgrade in the future without too mutch hassle (mobo can handle faster FSB, better CPU, and more RAM, case is cheap but functional, graphics card is sufficient but not top notch, etc.)

finally, i wanted a somewhat easy install with reliable parts. i do not need the best of everything but just good parts that work well. all this being said, here is what i am looking at (p.s. i am planing on just using my TV as a monitor for now)

i asked this question on another forum and they all suggested a core 2 duo. most of them are too expensive for me but a few are in my price range. the problem is that the ones in my price range have much lower operating frequencys than the chip that i am looking at so how can they be all that much better? i asked on the other forum and no one responded. i know frequency is not everything and i think that the core 2 duos handle things differently (redirects certain tasks to one processor while dedicating the other one to other tasks) that this dual core processor might not do (just sends machine code to each one as it comes???) but i do not know how that would make up the huge difference in frequency for similarly priced chips. anyway, any advice would be appriciated

here is what i was planning on:

Intel Pentium D 945 Presler 3.4GHz 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116255

BIOSTAR 945P-A7A (8.0) LGA 775 Intel 945P ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138034

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146580

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3160811AS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148149

LITE-ON Black 2M Cache SATA DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106046

XFX PVT72GWANG GeForce 7300GS 256MB Onboard (512MB TurboCache Supported) 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Low Profile Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150128

Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC ATX 430W Power Supply 115/230 V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153023

COOLMAX CS-480-Black W/O PSU Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811212033

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186134

Logitech Cordless Desktop Keyboard Mouse Included
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126150

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835100007

any thoughts or suggestions would be very much appriciated

chris

 

[Rundat]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115005

get this cpu instead

 

[Nukem]

you can get this for not much more... but I can't tell exactly cause I can't see your links..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148144

more storage with a higher cache... much better if your doing a lot of audio/video streaming for the hard drive.

 

[ikonone]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115005

get this cpu instead

this is what i got on the other site. why? why get the MUCH slower dual core cpu vs the MUCH faster cpu. i have been only shown what i should get with absolutly no explination why.. i am asking WHY should i get this MUCH slower cpu?

 

[Nukem]

Just because the one you picks it 3.4 Ghz doesn't mean anything... the Conroe is a better AND faster chip... MUCH faster. it's in the chip itself... the 1.8 vs 3.4 only shows the operating frequency, not the actual speed of the chip...

http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=123957

 

[Rundat]

u can overclock it like crazy on stock heatsink or get the e6600

 

[ikonone]

sweet, nukem you are awesome, that is exactly what i have been trying to figure out. i was thinking that the processors execute one machine code level instruction per clock cycle so how could such a difference be made up but now it makes sense. i am not seeing a lot of those things that make some chips better (pipeline length) obviously available in the specifications though

oh here are some of those links again, sorry that the others didn't work. i just copied and pasted so i have no idea why though.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116255

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148149

i am seriously considering the core 2 because you all suggested it and i am sure you all know what you are talking about better than me but i am still not sure because of the price and thinking that i really do not need the extra performance (my 366MHz laptom is almost cutting it now for most things). i think that i will stick with the cheaper HDD though, just don;t have the $$$ thanks for the suggestion though.

good to get an answer on that though, that has been bugging me for a while, thanks again nukem and everyone else!

 

[Nukem]

for what you need the other chip may work, but if you spend the money now, you save yourself a lot of upgrade money later... the next time you upgrade will be a few years from now when a WHOLE new plethora of parts come out... just my 2.5 cents