Building a new gaming machine--need help

[tomster2300]

Hey,
I have a problem. I'm wanting to build a new gaming pc but only have around a $500 budget. My neighbor is really big into computers and has many spare parts, but I'm not sure if I should really buy anything fron a friend. If I did buy a 20 gig hard drive from him and use my current monitor, keyboard, and mouse for awhile, what configs would you suggest for the rest of the pc? I'm keeping an eye on ebay hoping to find a good deal on a radeon 9700. I heard that you can skimp a little on processing power but buy a nice video card and still have amazing gaming performance. Is this true? Or should I get a geforce 4 and buy the newer generation of mobo and processors? I'm lost here and I'd appreciate any help.

 

[devlish96]

may i suggest that if you're planning to build a new computer,..might as well buid it with brand new components, because they all come with warranties, unlike if you buy used components from you're friend.

as for your processor-video question,...here's the deal,..my first pc is an intel 1.7, it's currently rigged with a ti4200.. gaming is fairly ok infact its good...but at some point your processor will have to keep-up with the speed of your graphics card and the game that you're playing.

its true that you can forego proc performance...but i think it all depends on your standards as to what is good gaming and best gaming is...

check this out to,..you might find what you're looking for

http://www.ibuypower.com/mall/lobby.htm

goodluck with your pc!

 

[devlish96]

btw if money wasn't an issue...i'd go for the new gen of proc/mobo/video everything..

 

[tomster2300]

what brands of new generation mobo would you suggest? Plus what brand of cd burner is the best? Lite On or something else?

 

[þÄ®âÐÖx]

I'd have to say wait until you have enough money to build a whole new computer. If you buy a nice video card and a slow processor now you'll only be replacing the proc in a few months, so you'd be better off to just hold off and buy something that's gonna last. Also, Devlish made a good point about used hardware - if you buy something used and it dies on you, you're sunk. If you buy it retail there's at least a chance you can get it replaced or repaired without having to spend a ton of money.

 

[devlish96]

what brands of new generation mobo would you suggest? Plus what brand of cd burner is the best? Lite On or something else?

hmm,...that's a very good question....i've been reading articles and websites about mobos since im planning to build my first athlon based pc(im basically an intel fan). so far, gigabyte and soyo dragon are on the top of my list.

to save up,..get a mobo with on-board audio.


as for burners, well, i can't really say which or what is best. i'm using a sony on my first pc and an asus on my second...not one gave me problems. i'd say it boils down to the burning software you're planning to use..nero works best for me..

btw, its best to have burn-proof features in your burner. burners nowadays have this feature,..so i wouldn't worry about it

 

[tomster2300]

Alright, thanks for the advice. My next question is should I buy an asus a7n8x mobo? If I bought this should i buy a athlon processor which has a 333 fsb or can i stick with a cheaper 266 fsb?

 

[tomster2300]

i forgot to ask, if i went with a cheaper mobo and 266 fsb athlon processor then would there be a huge decrease in framerate and gaming performance if i were to buy the radeon 9700 then if i went with newer generation hardware?

 

[tomster2300]

I plan on getting 512 ram, but does it matter whether I get 2700 or 3200?

 

[devlish96]

check this site,..it should answer all your questions..

http://www.digital-daily.com/motherboard/asus-a7n8x/

it lists all the requirements( limitations and all)..plus review