All those experianced in building PCs, look this way..

[chewie8008]

I am probably doing something stupid in trying to build my first computer. You will all learn quickly that i'm completely inexperianced in this field and don't know exactly what equipment i'm looking for. I took a quick(very quick) sweep of newegg.com and came up with the following parts. Please tell me your opinions on this equipment as well as it's compatibility with everything.

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Newcastle 800MHz FSB Socket 754 Processor Model ADA3000AXBOX - 2.0ghz Retail newegg.com $185
(w tax)

Harddrive: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 300GB 3.5" Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
300GB
7200 RPM 16MB Cache
Serial ATA150 $145.

RAM:
Kingston ValueRAM 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 333 (PC 2700) Unbuffered System Memory Model KVR333X64C25/512 - OEM
Cas Latency: 2.5
Heat Spreader: No
Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime
Voltage: 2.5V
Model #: KVR333X64C25/512
Item #: N82E16820144202 $52.65

VC: ATI 100-437105 Radeon 9550 256MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - Retail
Core clock: 250MHz
D-SUB: 1
DirectX: DirectX 9
DVI: 1
Memory Clock: 400MHz
Memory Interface: 128-bit
OpenGL: OpenGL 1.5
PixelPipelines: 4
TV-Out: S-Video Out
VIVO: No
Model #: 100-437105
Item #: N82E16814102428
In Stock $137.50

Computer case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811144151

Things I know i'm missing, would be fans(don't know which size/type/quantity i'm looking for, and also a motherboard. Don't know specs to look out for. Don't know compatibility issues w/ other equipment(RAM etc) or brands/price to look for. I wonder if I would want 256mb or 512mb video card. And as far as RAM goes, is it best to have 2 sticks of 256 or just one stick of 512?

Things I don't know about...how to get a power source into the case and running everything together and all the rest of the connections(keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc etc).

As you can all see i'm a long way off and am not sure I should attempt this. I have a friend who had one built for him by an individual and has more problems trying to keep the thing cooled down. I already have a moniter, mouse, keyboard, speakers and an OS(from previous PC).

Let me know just how far I am off and what I should look for. Any and all insight would be helpful.

Thanks!

[RabidDog]

an OS(from previous PC)

You can not use your Windows OS as this is illegal bill gates told me so!

Get two sticks of matched Ram every time (go down two processor steps eg 2.6 and get 1gb (2 x 512)

get a nice quiet power supply with plenty of juice 350-400 maybe even 600w

get plenty of front mounted USB ports 4,6,8?

All else is cash' n' taste.. and dont necessarily get OEM stuff .. that means no software and no screws..

[rallynavvie]

The case and the retail boxed CPU have the necessary fans. I think the retail box CPU also has a thermal pad with it? Someone who has ordered one of those may know, I always get OEM parts since I have the miscellaneous other parts required.

Get an Antec TruePowerII of 400-450W range, that should do you good in that department.

Also you should be choosing the motherboard before choosing the memory. Find an Asus board with an nForce chipset for that socket CPU (Socket 754) and go from there. I guess those were all still AGP so the video card you've got should work.

The hard drive should go. Do yourself a favor and get a smaller one, like an 80-120GB one for your boot drive. Then get an additional large one, like a 250GB or something you can afford with what is leftover, for your storage drive. Leave the boot drive to only your OS and apps (and a little scratch space) and map your "My Documents" and store all your other stuff on the second, larger drive. You'll be better off with that setup and the single large drive, even if it does have the big cache.

The one nice thing about getting a retail box motherboard and case is that between the two manuals for them you should be able to figure out how to assemble everything. IMO the only tricky part is affixing the CPU HSF, but with the simple thermal pads used with most retail kits it isn't too hard.

[budz]

Here's my suggestion for you:

AMD 64 3000+ VENICE 1GHZ FSB Socket 939 Processor - $146.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103537

ASUS AV8 DELUXE 939 Socket VIA K8T800 PRO ATX AMD MOTHERBOARD -
$114.00.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131510

1 GB CORSAIR VALUESELECT (2) 512 MB DUAL CHANNEL PC 3200 MEMORY - $88.75
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440

ANTEC LIFE STYLE SONATA PIANO BLK CASE W/380 TRUE POWER SUPPLY- $104.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129127

COOLER MASTER CASE FANS - 6 PACK OF 80 MM FANS - $9.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999073

BENQ 1640 DVD BURNER - $44.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827101651

LITEON CD/DVD-ROM MODEL 5236V OEM - $32.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106995

That's a decent system.
Wish I had the money for it!!!!

[redwudz]

Really your first decision would be the motherboard. That's the main part of the computer. ASUS, or just about any major brand is good. Obviously, you would need a board with a SATA controller as per what you have listed., that's fairly common.

The AMD 754 CPU is a good value at present.The 90nm versions are better.

Memory: Go with a PC3200, DDR 400 memory. The slower speeds are no bargain. PC3200 is the normal standard these days. 512MB is OK, more is a little better, but you can add as needed.

Just for my uses, I like a DVD ROM and a DVD Burner. If you plan to backup DVDs, this is the best setup.

EDIT: I see there are a few people ahead of me. All good advice. Spend a litttle time with the MB selection. You should find a few reviews on just about any MB. Just look around. It costs nothing to look, and it will save you $$ in the long run.

Two hard drives are better. You only need a small one for the OS and programs. 80GB are priced low. Your video drive can be larger. 300mb is good. Make sure your MB will boot to SATA, most newer ones will.

The 9550 is a decent entry level video card. No problem there. I use one myself.

If you purchase a case with a power supply, 350W should be minimum. A good brand case will make you happier later. Antec cases are pricey, but great quality. Others, read the fine print. The power supply is an important item. Choose with care. A $20 case with a quality PS is still a good deal. With the 754 and other, make sure the PS has a separate 12V lead for the processor. This is standard with a P4 compatible power supply.

Back to MB chipsets. Nvida nforce 3, 250 is very good for socket 754, go for the later dhipset versions. Economy, the VIA 800 is good. Too much to cover to go through them all. I'm trying a Asus K8V-X with the next week . I'm using a AMD 3000+ 754 CPU with the K800 VIA chipset.

Odd&Ends: You are not being stupid. Knowing what you want and how
you want to do it is very intelligent. I know there's a lot to learn, but it's worth it. Not really that hard to build a computer. There are a lot of sites that will help you. Just type 'build your own computer' in Google and that should give you a few links.

Anyway, ask questions here if you are stuck. There's a lot of good people here that can help you.

Any other questions, we're here. Just strain out the odd posts. There's plenty of knowledge here.

[zenguitar]

Budz has given you some very good ideas for parts. I would go with the socket 939 as it will support dual core later on, better upgrade path means less money spent in the future.

I would pick a different case, but that is personal opinion. Coolermaster and Lian Li are my choices.

Building a computer is such a piece of cake, if folks only knew how easy it really is, we wouldn't have HP, Gateway and Dell to rip you off.

[Soopafresh]

The hardest part of building a PC is connecting the case On/Off switches and system LEDs to the mobo. You'll figure it out, but you'll understand what I mean

Right on, bro. Building your own system is the way to go. You'll know exactly how to fix and update your system in the future since you're gonna DIY.

[chewie8008]

I like the suggestions given so far. I would like to have a more flashy looking case. Is there anything specific I need to look for in a case that will go with the items that budz has listed? I wanted a case that had a clear side or something w/ some blue LEDS or something. I do want a good quality case though, something that will keep it very cool and do it's job well. Functionality(sp?) comes before cosmetics, but would like a little flash to it. I have been looking over the items and i'm gonna take it slow, look at everything, ask around before I go buying.

I really appreciate the help given thus far. Hopefully all goes well.

THANKS!

[erdons]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811105113

This case is pretty solid i have one and i have no complaints.

[budz]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129145
This case is aluminum with a side panel window. I like the Antec cases because they're easy to use with lots of room to work with. I like the slide mechanism with the rails that they use. I can easily slide out my dvd burners instead of having to take off screws.

[rallynavvie]

If you want to spend the dough this is one of the nicer cases you can get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129144

Next step up would be the new Lian Li series ones that look a little like the Apple G5 cases. Those probably offer the best cooling but not as easy to mod with lights and such. They're also $250 for the small ones IIRC.

You can always add case lighting and mods later. Visit frozencpu.com for a whole host of case parts like that. The Antec I posted has blue LEDs in each of those three intake ports on the front and a blue 120mm case fan for the rear. Plenty of room inside for a ballast (or whatever the box is that goes with most case lighting) to be hidden away for more case lighting.

And again let me remind you that the power supply will be the most important part of your new PC so preferrably get a case without one in it so that you can choose a better one yourself.

[chewie8008]

Ok, I think i'm gonna try doing mostly what budz suggested. With the exception of the case and things he didn't mention.

Here is the HD's i'm looking at...

80GB Seagate for the OS and progs http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148015
$58.75

and a

200Gb Maxtor for the rest...$86

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144184

Maxtor and Seagate are the only two i've ever heard of, so since Seagate apparently doesn't have anything over a 120GB I am looking at a 200gb Maxtor.

I just choose the cheapest of the listings because i'm not sure the difference. If you guys would suggest one of the other maxtor/seagates...or any other brand/model for that matter, let me know what you think.

I'm assuming this Mobo will boot to SATA...ASUS AV8 DELUXE 939 Socket VIA K8T800 PRO ATX AMD MOTHERBOARD -

I like this case here...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129145
It comes w/ two 120mm Fans. So should I still buy the additional fans, and does this case have a space for them?

Here is the power supply I am looking at...Antec TruepowerII 480w $99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103929

It has a separate 12V lead for the processor right? Says "Dual +12V Yes".

What makes this most difficult is I don't know what i'm looking for in some of the simplest of things. Like he mentioned the above "make sure the PS has a seperate 12v lead for the processor" the thing is, I don't know what that looks like or anything. So i'm winging a lot of this.

Hopefully after the initial purchases of the equipment, w/ the help of online tutorials and help files I can do a lot of it by myself.

Despite the millions of questions already posted, I really am trying to ask the bare minimium.

I currently have an AMD Athlon XP 1600+ 1.4ghz CPU that came in my retail compaq. How big of a difference am I looking at in getting the Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8ghz CPU?

I am not sure about a Video card either. I assumed an ATI Radeon of some sort, either 256 or 512mb, but again don't know about compatibility w/ the rest of the stuff and am not sure which model to get...

Let me just get this one out of the way...what is a 'chipset' for the mobo?

Still not sure on the DVD/CD ROM and burners yet. I may use those as money savers. As I already have a Pioneer 107D I can pull out of my current PC and use it to read and write dvds/cds.

Thanks a lot guys.

[rallynavvie]

That case is a good one, most aluminum ones are. The power supply you posted is hot, I would pick one of those up in a heartbeat if I were building something similar to what you've got so you hit the nail on the head there.

As for a video card it will depend on what you're going to do with it. Lots of VRAM on the card doesn't mean squat if the card itself sucks. The one you posted earlier was OK, but if you can spend the cash maybe bump up to the latest gen cards. If you get a board with PCI Express (PCI-E) graphics then you'll have a lot of good cards to choose from. Even the entry level ATi like the X600 is great card for most everything. You really only need a faster one if you're going to do a lot of gaming or 3D design. Or if you prefer nVidia cards the GeForce 6600GT is a great value card, or even the 6200 has great performance.

As for putting it all together you shouldn't worry too much. All the connectors have different shapes to keep you from putting things in the wrong place. The hardest part is probably connecting the motherboard headers to the front ports on your case, but if you can read instructions properly you won't have a problem with it. As I said, between the manuals that come with everything, most notably the case, power supply, and motherboard, you'll be able to put it all together. Once you're finished with it you won't even believe how easy it was.

There are some hints for doing things properly, like when mounting the motherboard into the case, cable management, and a few other things but you can search here or some other sites for more info or we can just help you out when you get that far.

Oh and the motherboard chipsets: get an nForce for the money. That one you posted uses a VIA chipset (as you can see in the name of it). Also check the socket in that description, it says 939 so it is for a 939-pin Athlon64, not a 754-pin one like the processor in your first post. You may want to go with a 939-pin processor though, it offers a little better performance and a better selection of motherboards. If you go Socket 939 get the Asus A8N, if you go Socket 754 get the new K8N4 (not the plain K8N).

[chewie8008]

So I read up on chipsets a bit and learned some, got lost mostly. However, I do get the main idea behind a chipset. I can't find chipsets for sale on newegg.com.

What would be better to have, a mobo w/ PCI-E but no AGP slots or a mobo w/o PCI-E but one 4x/8x AGP slot?

This...Asus A8V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131510
$114

vs
Asus A8N-E
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131530
$120
I understand that if I get the one w/ PCI-E I will be able to choose from different video cards.

I had previously already choosen this video card to go w/ the Asus A8V
Radeon 9550..
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102428

Where can I find chipsets for one of these mobos? I read a little about the chipsets and from what I read there is the north and south bridge. Which i'm assuming comes together in one 'chipset'...

I'd appreciate any help guys.

[chewie8008]

bump bump

[redwudz]

The PCI-E equivalent (more of less) of the AGP ATI 9550 is the ATI X300, such as the Asus EAX300SE-X. It has DVI and VGA output, same as the 9550. They have similar prices. Make sure with the X300 you get one with a fan, mine runs a little hot without one. DVI is a good thing to have, even in an inexpensive video card. Gives you the option of a DVI input monitor for future use. PCI-E is starting to take over from AGP, especially in high end cards.

If you can afford it, the AMD 939 is a good CPU. The Nforce 4 chipset is also very good. It's from Nvidia. One of the competing brands is the VIA K8T800 chipset.

The North and South chips control the interfaces within the motherboard and to the outside.

I just assembled a AMD 754 CPU motherboard. 30C CPU idle temp. The 754 and the 939s run very cool. I use a VIA K8T800 chipset MB (Asus K8V-X) in this computer, and a Nforce 4 motherboard in my profiled computer.

[rhegedus]

I like this case here...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129145
It comes w/ two 120mm Fans. So should I still buy the additional fans, and does this case have a space for them?

For a minute, I thought it was a LADYBOY case

Seriously, ditch the flash case and get a tower with loads of drive bays like:

Silverstone Temjin TJ05

- Aluminum front panel/door
- 4 x 5.25" Drive Bays (external) 10 x 3.5" Drive Bays (2 x external, 8 x internal)
- 4 x USB 2.0 Ports
- 1 x Firewire IEEE1394 port
- 1 x Audio
- 1 x Mic
- 120mm intake fan, 2200rpm, 21dBA (Front)
- 120mm exhaust fan, 2200rpm, 21dBA (Rear)
- Dimension: 213 mm (W) x 504 mm (H) x 617 mm (D)

[chewie8008]

Ok here is the list of everything i'm getting. Can everyone look this over and check compatibility and quality...and make sure i'm not missing something. I already have DVD/CD ROM, DVD/CD Writer, KB, moniter speakers etc.

CPU:
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Processor - Retail $146.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103537

MOBO:
ASUS A8N-E Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $120.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131530

RAM:
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Dual Channel Kit System Memory -

Retail $89.75

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145440

FANS:
COOLER MASTER 80mm Case Fan Value Pack With 6 packs - Retail $9.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999073

POWER SUPPLY:
Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-480 ATX12V 480W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, TUV, CB, FCC CLASS B,

CUL - Retail $95.00

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103929

CASE:
Antec SUPER LANBOY Silver Computer Case With Side Panel Window - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129145 $85.00

VIDEO CARD:

ASUS EN6600/TD/256M/Silencer Geforce 6600 256MB 128-bit DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121199 $125.00

Here is the deal with the video card. The ATI 9550(AGP slot) I had looked at was 256mb and was $125 and the Asus EAX300SE-X(PCI-E) is only 128mb and runs like $60. Which, lower price is better, but from the reviews, it seemed to be quite the entry level VC. I'm not looking for the best, but I would like to think I will be able to run pretty much any modern day game w/o any problems. Was I looking at the wrong Asus EAX300SE-X. I searched for a 256mb version and it doesn't seem to exist. I need PCI-E and I am getting the MOBO w/ the nforce4 chipset.


BTW, total price: 670.74 + shipping.
Thanks guys!

[redwudz]

It looks good to me. The video card I mentioned is probably equivalent, but is definitely entry level as far as PCI-E cards go.

Those Cooler Master fans I have a problem with. They are sleeve fans, no ball bearings. Not a big thing, but they are the cheapest version possible. You don't have to spend a lot on fans, but they should be at least ball bearing types. Ball bearing fans would have considerably longer lifetime, and not that much more in price.

Don't you just love it how what you started with mushrooms into what you can barely afford. Still, that should be a awesome system that should last you a long time. The final price you came up with is very reasonable for that kind of system . I think you will be happy with it. Always here to help.

[budz]

Hey! That system looks 8) to me!

[rallynavvie]

You don't need the fans. The case should come with all the fans you'll need. Don't add more until you're certain you need them. Besides you're going with a video card with a passive cooling system, why mess up that quiet with more fans? Ditch those and spend more on quality memory. Everything else there is solid stuff, only the memory I have issue with.

Get this perferrably:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220033

Or perhaps this if not:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220006

That first one uses Samsung TCCD chips, second only to Winbond BH-6 chips for the best PC3200 memory out there, but good luck finding BH-6 for anything less than a few hundred per GB.

Otherwise the rest of your rig is solid. I hate seeing the price though, makes me want to scrape up another $800 and put together a fire-breathing gaming rig based on that board. But I've gotta save for the system I'm building for these 3.2 Noconas I've got sitting here as paperweights first

[chewie8008]

What about something like this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999602

80mm 2ball bearing fan... $8.69.

I'm not sure what size I need for this case. Don't the fans just screw into a slot premade into the case, or where exactly can they mount?

Ordering very soon...thanks so much.

[redwudz]

I didn't really look at the case specs. As stated, it may come with the necessary fans. You would have to check with the case manufacturer to see what it's set up with.

That said, that type of fan is a big improvement. I like a intake fan blowing across the hard drives and at least one exhaust fan on the opposite side. The 939 processors run relatively cool so lots of fans won't be necessary. You can always add them if needed.

Fans normally come with 4 special screws to mount them in the case. Some cases have snap-in fan mounts and don't need screws. Also with case fans, there are 3 pin types that plug into the MB and 4 pin molex plug fans that plug into the power supply, same as a HD connector. Which you use depends on how many fan plug ins the MB has. But as I mentioned, those can be added as needed.

I've used your Corsair spec memory in a couple of systems. For memory, look for a lifetime guarantee. If you are not overclocking, a good brand of memory such as that should work well.

Good luck

[chewie8008]

Case says it comes with two 120mm fans. I'll just add as I go then.

Thanks.

[chewie8008]

Didn't even see your post rallynavvie. Now i'm not sure about RAM. Seems that the Patriot got better reviews but is also almost a $40 difference. I think i'll just make a last minute decision.

Thanks again for all help!

[rallynavvie]

The way I look at it is you're spending more from the beginning so you should never have to worry about it for the life of your PC. In fact that memory I recommended (the first of the two) is pretty much the fastest PC3200 you're going to find so unless somehow the board you chose suddenly supports faster RAM (without overclocking) you aren't ever going to need better memory. 2-2-2 memory is hot stuff. BTW what are you using this rig for mostly? Perhaps you won't even notice having the faster memory and can go with something cheaper.

I think you're going to love your power supply, board, and CPU the most out of that whole setup though. I wish I could build one like that right now.

[chewie8008]

Well, I went to order it all and realized I forgot something...harddrives!

I never got any opinions on these harddrives, so let me know...

80GB Seagate for the OS and progs http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148015
$58.75

and a

200Gb Maxtor for the rest...$86
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144184

so now i'm looking at $840 w/ those.

[rallynavvie]

Those are just fine. I figured you were taking hard drives out of your old machine for the new one. Still a good buy for that system though.

[chewie8008]

One more quick question about all of this. I'm ordering all of this as we speak. However, I noticed something...in the specs the mobo says it's "1x PCI Express x4" and the video card says "PCI Express x16". With one being 4x and the other being 16x will there be any compatibility issues here or complications.

Need help as soon as possible, since i've already ordered this stuff, if I can get info soon, then I will know to cancel in time or not.

BTW, official total after shipping/tax was: $949.82

Thanks a lot guys!!!

[rallynavvie]

You're still getting that Asus A8N-E board like you listed above, right? If so look again at the specs. It also has two PCI-E x1 slots in addition to that PCI-E x4 slot AND a PCI-E x16 slot. You also have three 32-bit PCI slots on there for your mainstream PCI expansion cards so keep that in mind when you're getting more functionality from it. However it looks like the only thing that isn't onboard is FireWire so I don't know what else you'd want to add to it.