Parts for New PC?

[persianxballer]

Hello, I am trying to build my first computer and I need some help determining which parts are the best for my needs.

What I will be doing with new PC:
surfing the web
misc programs
school work
med range gaming, but I still want to be able to play the best games
also want it to be future proof, so that I dont have to do mcuh upgrading for a while

Could you guys help me determine what I need to get (from newegg)?

I appreciate it very much.

 

[PizzatheHut06]

I'd be glad to help you, but I have three questions:

(1) What amount is the maximum you would be willing to spend?
(2) Is this just for a computer, or do you need a monitor, speakers, keyboard, etc.?
(3) Do you have any old parts or anything that you would like to use (for example, an old hard drive), or are you planning to buy everything brand new?

 

[persianxballer]

1. I am planning to spend around 800-900 U.S. dollars or around that.

2. This is just the computer.

3. I am buying everything brand new

 

[persianxballer]

I was looking into CPUs for around what I want to pay. Which one is better?

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - Retail

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)

$148.00

OR


Intel LGA 775 Pentium 4 520 2.8 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology - Retail

Model: Intel Pentium 4 520
Core: Prescott
Operating Frequency: 2.8 GHz
FSB: 800MHz
Cache: L1/12K+16K; L2/1MB
Voltage: 1.4V
Process: 90nm
Socket: LGA 775
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail box (with Heatsink and Fan)
Notice: This Processor Works with SocketT (LGA775) Motherboard ONLY!

$159.50

 

[PizzatheHut06]

Alright man, here's my recommendation (by the way, these prices are using www.zipzoomfly.com and www.newegg.com ):

CPU-AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (Socket 939)...$155.90
Motherboard-ASUS A8V Deluxe...$129.50
RAM-1 GB Corsair Value Select PC3200....$146
Hard Drive-Western Digital 80 GB IDE...$59.50
Video Card-ATi Radeon 9600XT...$160.50
Optical Drive-Sony DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive...$39.99
Case-RAIDMAX Gaming case w/ 420 watt power supply...$89.99
Operating System- Windows XP Home OEM...$92.25

Which comes to a total price of $873.63. I think that system would perform well under the conditions you listed. What do you think of it?

 

[GeckoEcho421]

I'd suggest getting one stick of 512mb corsair xms low lat ram and upgrading the 9600xt to a 9800 pro.

 

[persianxballer]

That sounds great and thanx for the quick response.

If I wanted to spend a little extra money, would a 6600 GT 128 mb be the best video card for $190?

And why is AMD 64 a better option? Is the LGA Socket P4 not good?

 

[PizzatheHut06]

GeckoEcho421, I was having that same problem as well. I didn't know whether to get less RAM and a better video card, or more RAM and a worse video card. I guess it depends on how much gaming he will be doing.

 

[PizzatheHut06]

the AMD 64 will perform better for gaming. Also, if you don't want to upgrade it, the AMD 64 will work well when the 64 bit windows comes out. And yes, if you could save up some more money and get a 6600GT that would be ideal. That way you could have 1 GB of RAM and a nice video card.

 

[Leonidas]

amd 64 is definitely better than the p4 for the price at the moment especially if you go for AGP graphics, however you wont find agp 6600 gt for 190$