Build me an AMD Performer for under $700

[Ace No-Money]

My friend is finally convinced to build his own computer and im going to help him. We are trying to keep it under $700. We dont care about case mods or fancy speakers. We would rather spend less money on the appearance and more on the performance.
I know P4's are good performers but lets try and keep it AMD. He will need to do two main things on it -

Play Half-Life 2 and the newest games

Burn CD's and play music

I'm thinking he should spend less on processor and focus more on memory/Video Card. Try and find him a nice, Beige CRT monitor and peripherals. Keep in mind He's starting from Scratch, no operating system, no hard drive, nothin'!

I dont think he'll need 1gb of memory especially if he gets just an Athlon XP.

It needs to be sort of cool and quiet. Oh, and no overclocking, sry.

Everyone give me your suggestions and Build us a Computer!

 

[uzi9mm]

Death to Durons!!!!!!!

 

[gaara]

Anyways...

With new monitor, keyboard, mouse and OS, I don't think $700 is a big enough budget to work with, but I will try...

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-506&depa=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-136-141&depa=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-200-054&depa=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=14-130-220&DEPA=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=22-135-106&DEPA=1

Those are your basic parts right there, I've left out case, PSU, optical drives and peripherals because those aren't really as important as the above parts, and you can probably go with second rate parts and still be ok. I put the most money into the video card because I felt it would be best to invest a lot of money into that now and not have to replace it for quite a while.

 

[Capricorn]

If I assume that we don't need a new monitor, keyboard, mouse or speakers, how about this one? (All from newegg.com - Neweggus maximus)

ANTEC Solution Series Super Mid Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700AMB" - Retail
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid-Tower
Color: Metallic bronze
Material: Steel
Drive Bays: 4x5.25'',7x3.5''
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0x2
Power Supply: 350W(SL350)Smart Power
Cooling System: 120mm Fan x1
Mainboard Compatibility: Standard ATX
Dimensions: 18.3''x8.25''x18.6''
Special Features: Removeable Side Panels and Drive Cages more info-> N82E16811129122
$62.00

$62.00

MSI "K8T Neo-FIS2R" K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors
Chipset: VIA K8T800 + VT8237
RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 2GB
IDE: 3x ATA 133(1 from Promise 20378) up to 6 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),SPDIF Out,Audio Ports,2xIEEE1394a
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC655 6-Channel Audio Codec
Onboard LAN: Realtek 8110S GbE
Onboard SATA/RAID: Promise 20378, 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1/0+1; VT8237, 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1
Onboard 1394: VIA VT6307, 2 Ports
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813130434
$104.00

$104.00

MSI ATI RX9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/S-Video, 8X AGP, Model "RX9800PRO-TD128" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon 9800 Pro/378MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/676MHz
BUS: AGP 4X/8X
Ports: VGA + DVI + S-Video
Support 3D API: DirectX 9.0, OpenGL 2.0
Cable/Accessories: S-Video Cable, Driver, Games Bundle (see pics)
Max Resolution@32bit Color:2048X1536@85Hz
Retail Box (See pics for details) more info-> N82E16814127127
$199.00

$199.00

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - Retail
Specifications:
Model: AMD Athlon 64 3000+
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 2GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13 Micron
Socket: Socket 754
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included) more info-> N82E16819103486
$146.00

$146.00

PDP SYSTEMS Memory 184-Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200, Model PEP5123200LL - Retail
Specifications:
Manufacturer: PDP SYSTEMS
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184-Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2-3-2-5-T1
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820220018
$91.00

$91.00

Samsung Black 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy Disk Drive, Model SFD321B/LBL1, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44MB
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5 inch
Media Type: All Standard 1.44MB & 720KB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes
Features: Easy to Install, Just Plug & Play, For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers
Packaging: OEM 1 Year Warranty more info-> N82E16821103203
$8.50

$8.50

Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD800JD, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 80GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822135106
$66.00

$66.00

SONY Black 16X DVD-ROM Drive, Model DDU1613/B2s, OEM
Specifications:
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: E-IDE/ATAPI
Buffer: 512KB
Access Time: 80-220ms DVD, 165ms CD
Data Transfer Rate: 1,800~3,600 kB/s (CD), 8,788~21,632 kB/s Single Layer, 5,586~13,520 kB/s Dual Layer
Features: Compatible with all CD formats
Packaging: OEM Pack Drive only (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827101124
$24.00

$24.00

Subtotal »

$700.50

 

[Capricorn]

You might want to consider the

Lite-On 16X DVD-ROM, Model SOHD-167T Black, RETAIL
Specifications:
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Access Time: 120ms
Buffer Size: 512KB
OS Support: Windows 98SE/ NT4.0/ ME/ 2000/ XP
Features: SMART-X: Smart Monitoring & Adjusting Read-speed Technology for eXtraction, ABS: Auto Balance System
Packaging: Retail (w/ PowerDVD 5) more info-> N82E16827131119
$25.50

$25.50

for $1.50 more. It includes PowerDVD so you can watch DVDs on the computer. If you already have software, the Sony should work.

 

[Capricorn]

Sorry. Totally missed the "starting from nothing" part. That makes it much more challenging. (I'd usually expect to spend at least $1000 when starting from scratch.)

How about this one? It's not quite the same gamer as the previous one, but it's decent.

This does not include shipping.

ANTEC Solution Series Super Mid Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK3700AMB" - Retail
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid-Tower
Color: Metallic bronze
Material: Steel
Drive Bays: 4x5.25'',7x3.5''
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0x2
Power Supply: 350W(SL350)Smart Power
Cooling System: 120mm Fan x1
Mainboard Compatibility: Standard ATX
Dimensions: 18.3''x8.25''x18.6''
Special Features: Removeable Side Panels and Drive Cages more info-> N82E16811129122
$62.00

$62.00

MSI "K8T NEO-FSR" K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors
Chipset: VIA K8T800 + VT8237
RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 2GB
IDE: 2x UltraDMA 133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI 2.2(32-bit,3.3V/5V)
Ports: 2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),SPDIF Out,Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC655 6-Channel Codec
Onboard LAN: Realtek 8110S GbE
Onboard SATA/RAID: VT8237, 2x Serial ATA, RAID 0/1
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813130449
$70.00

$70.00

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600XT Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9600XT/500MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/650MHz
BUS: AGP 4x/8x
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub)+TV-Out(S-Video Out)+DVI Connector
Support 3D API: DirectX®9, OpenGL®2.0
Cable/Accessories: 1 Cable, PowerDVD, Driver CD
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz more info-> N82E16814102326
$138.50

$138.50

AMD Athlon 64 2800+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - Retail
Specifications:
Model: AMD Athlon 64 2800+
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 1.8GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/ 512KB
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket 754
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail(Heatsink and Fan included) more info-> N82E16819103452
$124.00

$124.00

Mushkin 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Mushkin
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5-4-4
Support Voltage: 2.6V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820146219
$69.00

$69.00

NEC 1.44MB Black Internal Floppy Drive, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44/0.72 MByte
Average Access Time: 3ms
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5"
Media Type: 3.5" double-side high density, 3.5" double-side density
Features: Maximal performance in minimum space
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16821152005
$7.00

$7.00

Western Digital 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD800JD, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 80GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822135106
$66.00

$66.00

Logitech Media Keyboard PS/2 104 keys -RETAIL
Specifications:
Interface: PS/2
Number Of Keys: 86 keys+34 Function Keybr> Palm Rest: Detachable
Design Style: Standard
Features: Ultra-flat profile with Zero-Degree Tilt, Higher standard of comfort and style, One-touch keyboard controls, Easy two-hand navigation more info-> N82E16823126160
$15.00

$15.00

ViewSonic E70B 17" CRT Monitor –RETAIL
Specifications:
CRT Type: 17" (16.0" viewable)Shadow Mask CRT
Dot Pitch: 0.23mm horizontal, 0.27mm diagonal
Max / Optimal resolution: 1280 x 1024 @ 66Hz / 1024 x 768 @ 87Hz
Frequency / Bandwidth: fh: 30~70kHz; fv: 50~160Hz / 120MHz
Features: Anti-static, anti-reflection screen treatment
Dimensions & Weight: 15.7" x 15.8" x 16.7" (WxHxD), 32.7 lbs
Manufacturer's Warranty / Phone No.: 3 year limited warranty on CRT, parts and labor. / 800-688-6688
(Mac use may require adapter, not included) more info-> N82E16824116253
$115.50

$115.50

Logitech Premium Optical Wheel Mouse USB / PS/2 -OEM
Specifications:
Interface: USB / PS/2
Number Of Buttons: 3x buttons + 1x Wheel
Optical/Ball: Optical
*Must be Purchased with Hardware!!* more info-> N82E16826104165
$11.50

$11.50

Samsung Black 52X CD-ROM, Model SH-152AEBUB, OEM
Specifications:
Read Speed: 52X Max CD-ROM
Interface: E-IDE/ATAPI
Buffer: 128KB
Access Time: 80 ms
Data Transfer Rate: 7800KB/sec
Supported Disc: CD-R/RW,CD-DA,CD-ROM/XA,Video-CD,CD-I, Multisession Photo CD,CD-EXTRA
Packaging: OEM (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827151046
$14.50

$14.50

Subtotal »

$693.00

 

[Capricorn]

You might do better getting a CRT locally. The shipping on those is like $20 from Newegg.

Also, I forgot speakers. You won't get much for $7.

 

[erikkellison]

Funny you should mention that. I just built one up from scratch (minus printer) for under $700. However, with a Radeon 9200, it's not really geared for serious gaming. It did include a copy of WinXP though, so we really are from scratch here. However, my MoBo and RAM both have problems (see my post), so I won't exactly recommend those parts. Bought it all on Newegg.
17" black KDS CRT
SOYO case/PSU/MoBo Bundle
AMD XP 2800+ Barton
512mb Mushkin PC3200
Sapphire Radeon 9200 64mb
BenQ CD-RW
NEC Floppy
WD 40gb SATA HD
WinXP Home
Thermaltake Volcano 8 CPU fan
Microsoft keyboard/optical mouse package
Two speakers and a sub
Under $650 before shipping, under $700 after.
I'm not sure what you could downgrade so as to have more money to spend on a video card though, as my MO was to build the cheapest and fastest computer for a couple of people who won't be doing anything strenuous. Good luck.