It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC

justanoldguy · 01-16-2008, 02:26 PM

Hello,
Like millions of others, I fit in that category where I have used computers since they first came out to the public. I have learned enough to build my own, but that's not saying a lot. I am in the market to put components together for a PC. The one I had is toast now, due to a PS meltdown. It served me for several years.
I will try to use your method of analyzing what I want, to help you give better answers to my questions. Here's the list, copied from a post here.

__________
Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
Less than $300.00 for just the PC, no mouse, printer, monitor, etc.

Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?
I had a real bad experience with ASUS Twice and also with 3 different ATI cards (squirrley drivers and performance)

Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?
No multitasking

Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?
I'm an old guy, my games consist of Deer Hunter 2004/2005, Trophy Hunter, Etc. Hunting, Fishing and Shooting games, from the Win98 to XP era.

Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?
No, Photo Processing using Paint Shop Pro and Adobe, is the toughest it gets.

Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?
Don't Overclock

Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?
I have an 80GIG HDD EIDE & Plan to use it for my main HDD, No SATA at the time, unless I use a CD/DVD-RW with SATA.

Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?
NO

Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?
Windows XP Home, since I own it and can't afford any other.

Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?
Mid-Sized ATX Case, plain jane, just a reputable PS.

Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?
NO

Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?
Only my Monitor 21" VGA. No PC components

Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?
NONE

Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?
I used to always use Mwave, but it appears that NewEgg is the loewst price and best selection going.

Location: What country do you live in?
USA
__________

Now for what I am had, what I'm looking for & what I need to know...
I had an AMD Athlon processor (1.3Gig I believe, socket 754? - before socket 939 came out, way before). Ram was SDRAM 233MHZ - 512KB, EIDE HDD, DVD-RW for backups, I had an older 4X AGP card (can't remember the version - sorry, but it was Nvidia) Integrated Sound - I don't need surround for what I do.
What I need? To me it seems obvious that anything with the AM2 socket will surpass my old system by leaps and bounds, but doing it with a very low $ balance is harder. It can be done. I see that I can build a system from NewEgg for $200-250 for CPU, MB, MEM, Vdieo card, DVD-RW and case. My question is will it be much better than I had, or am I fooling myself?
I would like to know about which chipset I would be better off with - VIA-K8M800, VIA-K8M890, NVIDIA NF6100-405 or go up to AMD 690G.
All of these boards are Micro ATX with integrated video, but I will use a PCIE card for Video. I still don't think even the newer integrated chips can handle any type of game at all... Deer Hunter 2004 used to slow way down in FPS after playing a few minutes with my old system, when it was set at anything but 800x600 with Low detail settings.
I plan to buy one of the AM2 Sempron processors like the Sempron 64 3600+ Manilla. I don't think I need dual processing....
I will use my current HDD 80gig EIDE IBM Deskstar 7200rpm.
I was looking at 2gig of DDR2 800 2X1GB, most of these boards only have two slots for Memory.
The video card is where I really wonder the most. I want to stick with Nvidia, but which one? Do I need a 7300GS, 8400GS or a 7300GT, or maybe something even less than a 7300GS? The more I read, the more confusing it gets...
What I need to know is input on components that will make a basic system, that allows for the gaming I do and the photo editing I do. I need to do it as cheaply as possible $200-250.00 due to the fact that I'm semi-retired not by choice, but because of health, so the budget is TIGHT...

If you can give me any info, it would be helpful...

Here is what I found on NewEgg; but I could use some thoughts here;
Broadway Com Corp 808PA Beige Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: 808PA
Item #: N82E16811162041 $29.99

ASUS M2V-MX SE AM2 VIA K8M890 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: M2V-MX SE
Item #: N82E16813131223 $48.99 I thought about MSI instead, I don't like ASUS
BIOSTAR V7302GS56 GeForce 7300GS 512MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: V7302GS56
Item #: N82E16814141054 $37.99

AMD Sempron 64 3600+ Manila 2.0GHz Socket AM2 62W Single-Core Processor Model SDA3600CNBOX - Retail
Model #: SDA3600CNBOX
Item #: N82E16819104317 $39.99

Update A-DATA Value Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model VDQVE1A16K - Retail
Model #: VDQVE1A16K
Item #: N82E16820211165 $35.99

Update SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S202J - OEM
Model #: SH-S202J
Item #: N82E16827151161 $24.99

Subtotal: $217.94

**Jtsou** · 01-16-2008, 03:45 PM

Ouch at your budget. But far as i know it looks fine.

**simpswr** · 01-16-2008, 03:58 PM

1. That looks like a really cheap case . . I worry about the PowerSupply. If you have any wiggle room in the Budget, try to find a better one.

2. With the motherboard you have chosen, you do not need a video card for your uses . . the onboard one will do fine. That will save a bit . . maybe enough for a better case.

3.Since you do not like Asus ( me neither ) consider this board for about the same price . . it also has onboard video and does not use the VIA chipset.

4. For the uses you list, you do not need 2 Gig of memory . . consider droping back to 512 or 1 Gig and save a few quid.

With the savings on the video card and memory you should be able to afford a better case/Powersupply.

justanoldguy · 01-16-2008, 04:20 PM

Yes, I agree with the case. I worry about that most of all & I do feel I have to get a better case/PS. Especially the PS. I figure that in the long run, I would go with a better case manufacturer.
I'm surprised about the integrated graphics. I have looked at many "reviews" stating that integrated is still just as bad as it used to be, so that's what I was planning on a card. Like I say, I've been out of the loop for a few years now, so maybe it is better than what I had with AGP. I will look more at integrated and do some more research.
I am also surprised about the memory. I figured 1gig would be the absolute minimum, since XP steals half it of for itself?, so I didn't feel 512meg would suffice. I will also have to look at that more and then I will absolutely get a better PS.
Any thoughts on the minimum PS, I would need. I mean in the "lower" price range PS available that are dependable?
Thanks for the thoughts about this. It's been so long since I worked on one and researching is a lot harder than it used to, for me......

**simpswr** · 01-16-2008, 04:32 PM

Intergrated Graphics are fine for everything other than heavy gaming and graphic processing . . the onboard one is likely about twice as strong as the add-in you are using now. You can always start with the onboard and add a video card later if that does not do the job for you.

512 Mb of RAM is the "sweet spot for XP . . you will see slight performance boost with 1 Gig, but unless you use some heavy graphics programs, you will not begin to use over 1 Gig.

This is a great case with all the P/S you will need:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129033

**simpswr** · 01-16-2008, 04:37 PM

I just saw this on DealNews . . http://dealnews.com/Antec-ATX-Mid-To...te/207738.html

Hell of a deal . . and Antec is a dependable brand

**simpswr** · 01-18-2008, 07:01 AM

. . . and this one . . it does not have a PowerSuppoly though

http://dealnews.com/Antec-Solo-Mid-T...te/208859.html

**FreoHeaveho** · 01-20-2008, 06:20 AM

When you say you own the XP version, is it OEM or retail. If it is an OEM variety, you will need a new OS as well.

ShosMeister · 03-21-2008, 05:12 AM

I was doing some searching for BIOS help and found this thread. Not sure if you got this resolved, but, I thought I'd offer what I did to upgrade my box.

Extreme Makeover Shos Style:

Replaced ECS-K7S5A Pro

with MSI K9VGM-V (I liked the MSI over the ASUS as well)

Replace AMD Athlon XP 2000+
1.25 gigahertz AMD Athlon
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
256 kilobyte secondary memory cache

with AMD Athlon 64x2 4000+
2.10 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core
128 kilobyte primary memory cache
512 kilobyte secondary memory cache

Replaced 1GB DDR SDRAM with CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB)

Added Arctic Cooling Freezer

Replaced Power Supply with ENERMAX PEG365AX-WFMA

All for about $200 (minus shipping).

If you haven't completed your upgrade, hope this helps.

**FreoHeaveho** · 03-21-2008, 05:53 AM

that psu is rubbish and i wouldn't recommend it.

ShosMeister · 03-21-2008, 03:37 PM

You know I respect all your guys opinions, but, a bit more info as to why would be helpful. I'm sure the only reason I got this one for the backup system was because someone recommended it (probably on here). For what I'm running, it's more than enough as far as power goes and I didn't see any bad reviews. Please share!

**FreoHeaveho** · 03-21-2008, 04:25 PM

Look maybe rubbish is a bit to harsh, but if you get anything other than integrated video, you will need to upgrade the psu. My point is, it is not great quality, and gives you no upgrade path. Worth spending a few bucks more i think to get a better psu.

ShosMeister · 03-21-2008, 05:11 PM

Ahh. That's better. Thanks!!! Actually, I do have on-board video and don't plan on upgrading it. This is just my e-mail, internet, play, backup box - NOT my gaming box. Still working on the planning for that one (in another thread).

Thanks for clearing it up. The reason I suggested it was it didn't seem as if his requirements were that high for a serious gaming machine either so, I thought I'd share.

01-16-2008, 02:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
justanoldguy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: East Texas Posts: 2 OS: Windows XP	It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC Hello, Like millions of others, I fit in that category where I have used computers since they first came out to the public. I have learned enough to build my own, but that's not saying a lot. I am in the market to put components together for a PC. The one I had is toast now, due to a PS meltdown. It served me for several years. I will try to use your method of analyzing what I want, to help you give better answers to my questions. Here's the list, copied from a post here. __________ Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build? Less than $300.00 for just the PC, no mouse, printer, monitor, etc. Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want? I had a real bad experience with ASUS Twice and also with 3 different ATI cards (squirrley drivers and performance) Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much? No multitasking Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games? I'm an old guy, my games consist of Deer Hunter 2004/2005, Trophy Hunter, Etc. Hunting, Fishing and Shooting games, from the Win98 to XP era. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding? No, Photo Processing using Paint Shop Pro and Adobe, is the toughest it gets. Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much? Don't Overclock Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing? I have an 80GIG HDD EIDE & Plan to use it for my main HDD, No SATA at the time, unless I use a CD/DVD-RW with SATA. Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices? NO Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility? Windows XP Home, since I own it and can't afford any other. Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it? Mid-Sized ATX Case, plain jane, just a reputable PS. Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included? NO Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have? Only my Monitor 21" VGA. No PC components Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen? NONE Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from? I used to always use Mwave, but it appears that NewEgg is the loewst price and best selection going. Location: What country do you live in? USA __________ Now for what I am had, what I'm looking for & what I need to know... I had an AMD Athlon processor (1.3Gig I believe, socket 754? - before socket 939 came out, way before). Ram was SDRAM 233MHZ - 512KB, EIDE HDD, DVD-RW for backups, I had an older 4X AGP card (can't remember the version - sorry, but it was Nvidia) Integrated Sound - I don't need surround for what I do. What I need? To me it seems obvious that anything with the AM2 socket will surpass my old system by leaps and bounds, but doing it with a very low $ balance is harder. It can be done. I see that I can build a system from NewEgg for $200-250 for CPU, MB, MEM, Vdieo card, DVD-RW and case. My question is will it be much better than I had, or am I fooling myself? I would like to know about which chipset I would be better off with - VIA-K8M800, VIA-K8M890, NVIDIA NF6100-405 or go up to AMD 690G. All of these boards are Micro ATX with integrated video, but I will use a PCIE card for Video. I still don't think even the newer integrated chips can handle any type of game at all... Deer Hunter 2004 used to slow way down in FPS after playing a few minutes with my old system, when it was set at anything but 800x600 with Low detail settings. I plan to buy one of the AM2 Sempron processors like the Sempron 64 3600+ Manilla. I don't think I need dual processing.... I will use my current HDD 80gig EIDE IBM Deskstar 7200rpm. I was looking at 2gig of DDR2 800 2X1GB, most of these boards only have two slots for Memory. The video card is where I really wonder the most. I want to stick with Nvidia, but which one? Do I need a 7300GS, 8400GS or a 7300GT, or maybe something even less than a 7300GS? The more I read, the more confusing it gets... What I need to know is input on components that will make a basic system, that allows for the gaming I do and the photo editing I do. I need to do it as cheaply as possible $200-250.00 due to the fact that I'm semi-retired not by choice, but because of health, so the budget is TIGHT... If you can give me any info, it would be helpful... Here is what I found on NewEgg; but I could use some thoughts here; Broadway Com Corp 808PA Beige Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450W Power Supply - Retail Model #: 808PA Item #: N82E16811162041 $29.99 ASUS M2V-MX SE AM2 VIA K8M890 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail Model #: M2V-MX SE Item #: N82E16813131223 $48.99 I thought about MSI instead, I don't like ASUS BIOSTAR V7302GS56 GeForce 7300GS 512MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Model #: V7302GS56 Item #: N82E16814141054 $37.99 AMD Sempron 64 3600+ Manila 2.0GHz Socket AM2 62W Single-Core Processor Model SDA3600CNBOX - Retail Model #: SDA3600CNBOX Item #: N82E16819104317 $39.99 Update A-DATA Value Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model VDQVE1A16K - Retail Model #: VDQVE1A16K Item #: N82E16820211165 $35.99 Update SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S202J - OEM Model #: SH-S202J Item #: N82E16827151161 $24.99 Subtotal: $217.94

01-16-2008, 03:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jtsou Hardware Specialist Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Louisburg, NC Posts: 1,214 OS: Vista Home Premium SP1 My System	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC Ouch at your budget. But far as i know it looks fine.

01-16-2008, 03:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,296 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC 1. That looks like a really cheap case . . I worry about the PowerSupply. If you have any wiggle room in the Budget, try to find a better one. 2. With the motherboard you have chosen, you do not need a video card for your uses . . the onboard one will do fine. That will save a bit . . maybe enough for a better case. 3.Since you do not like Asus ( me neither ) consider this board for about the same price . . it also has onboard video and does not use the VIA chipset. 4. For the uses you list, you do not need 2 Gig of memory . . consider droping back to 512 or 1 Gig and save a few quid. With the savings on the video card and memory you should be able to afford a better case/Powersupply. __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow? Last edited by simpswr; 01-16-2008 at 04:00 PM.

01-16-2008, 04:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
justanoldguy Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: East Texas Posts: 2 OS: Windows XP	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC Yes, I agree with the case. I worry about that most of all & I do feel I have to get a better case/PS. Especially the PS. I figure that in the long run, I would go with a better case manufacturer. I'm surprised about the integrated graphics. I have looked at many "reviews" stating that integrated is still just as bad as it used to be, so that's what I was planning on a card. Like I say, I've been out of the loop for a few years now, so maybe it is better than what I had with AGP. I will look more at integrated and do some more research. I am also surprised about the memory. I figured 1gig would be the absolute minimum, since XP steals half it of for itself?, so I didn't feel 512meg would suffice. I will also have to look at that more and then I will absolutely get a better PS. Any thoughts on the minimum PS, I would need. I mean in the "lower" price range PS available that are dependable? Thanks for the thoughts about this. It's been so long since I worked on one and researching is a lot harder than it used to, for me......

01-16-2008, 04:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,296 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC Intergrated Graphics are fine for everything other than heavy gaming and graphic processing . . the onboard one is likely about twice as strong as the add-in you are using now. You can always start with the onboard and add a video card later if that does not do the job for you. 512 Mb of RAM is the "sweet spot for XP . . you will see slight performance boost with 1 Gig, but unless you use some heavy graphics programs, you will not begin to use over 1 Gig. This is a great case with all the P/S you will need: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129033 __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow? Last edited by simpswr; 01-16-2008 at 04:51 PM.

01-16-2008, 04:37 PM	#6 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,296 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC I just saw this on DealNews . . http://dealnews.com/Antec-ATX-Mid-To...te/207738.html Hell of a deal . . and Antec is a dependable brand __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

01-18-2008, 07:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
simpswr Moderator Hardware Team Join Date: May 2007 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 12,296 OS: XP, Vista, Win 7	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC . . . and this one . . it does not have a PowerSuppoly though http://dealnews.com/Antec-Solo-Mid-T...te/208859.html __________________ Rich MemTest86 \| BenchTest \| Virus/Trojan/Spyware Help How to post a Screen Shot \| PC running slow?

01-20-2008, 06:20 AM	#8 (permalink)
FreoHeaveho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 3,227 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64 SP2, Windows XP Professional SP3, Mac OSX Leopard My System	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC When you say you own the XP version, is it OEM or retail. If it is an OEM variety, you will need a new OS as well. __________________ PC Wizard-VGA 2009 Charts-Power Supply Info-Multi/Single Rail PSU?-Speedfan-Driver Sweeper

03-21-2008, 05:12 AM	#9 (permalink)
ShosMeister Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harpers Ferry, WV Posts: 400 OS: OS X 10.4.x	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC I was doing some searching for BIOS help and found this thread. Not sure if you got this resolved, but, I thought I'd offer what I did to upgrade my box. Extreme Makeover Shos Style: Replaced ECS-K7S5A Pro with MSI K9VGM-V (I liked the MSI over the ASUS as well) Replace AMD Athlon XP 2000+ 1.25 gigahertz AMD Athlon 128 kilobyte primary memory cache 256 kilobyte secondary memory cache with AMD Athlon 64x2 4000+ 2.10 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 128 kilobyte primary memory cache 512 kilobyte secondary memory cache Replaced 1GB DDR SDRAM with CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) Added Arctic Cooling Freezer Replaced Power Supply with ENERMAX PEG365AX-WFMA All for about $200 (minus shipping). If you haven't completed your upgrade, hope this helps.

03-21-2008, 05:53 AM	#10 (permalink)
FreoHeaveho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 3,227 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64 SP2, Windows XP Professional SP3, Mac OSX Leopard My System	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC that psu is rubbish and i wouldn't recommend it. __________________ PC Wizard-VGA 2009 Charts-Power Supply Info-Multi/Single Rail PSU?-Speedfan-Driver Sweeper

03-21-2008, 03:37 PM	#11 (permalink)
ShosMeister Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harpers Ferry, WV Posts: 400 OS: OS X 10.4.x	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC You know I respect all your guys opinions, but, a bit more info as to why would be helpful. I'm sure the only reason I got this one for the backup system was because someone recommended it (probably on here). For what I'm running, it's more than enough as far as power goes and I didn't see any bad reviews. Please share!

03-21-2008, 04:25 PM	#12 (permalink)
FreoHeaveho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Australia Posts: 3,227 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate 64 SP2, Windows XP Professional SP3, Mac OSX Leopard My System	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC Look maybe rubbish is a bit to harsh, but if you get anything other than integrated video, you will need to upgrade the psu. My point is, it is not great quality, and gives you no upgrade path. Worth spending a few bucks more i think to get a better psu. __________________ PC Wizard-VGA 2009 Charts-Power Supply Info-Multi/Single Rail PSU?-Speedfan-Driver Sweeper

03-21-2008, 05:11 PM	#13 (permalink)
ShosMeister Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Harpers Ferry, WV Posts: 400 OS: OS X 10.4.x	Re: It's Been asked a Million times; Building a New PC Ahh. That's better. Thanks!!! Actually, I do have on-board video and don't plan on upgrading it. This is just my e-mail, internet, play, backup box - NOT my gaming box. Still working on the planning for that one (in another thread). Thanks for clearing it up. The reason I suggested it was it didn't seem as if his requirements were that high for a serious gaming machine either so, I thought I'd share.