First time Builder, Components Compatible?

ARStanley · 03-18-2008, 12:24 AM

Hey all. I've recently gone online looking at components, and before I ordered, I'd like to know if I'm getting parts that are completely compatible or not, as well as anything I'm missing that I need.

1. Case Xion DAZL Black ATX Mid-Tower with 500W Power supply
2. Asus M2A-VM AMD Motherboard
3. AMD Athlon 64 LE-1620
4. OCZ 1024MB PC4200 DDR2 Ram (533MHz) x 2
5. Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB Drive (might get 2)
6. GeForce FX 5700 LE Video Card (it's older, but I'm looking at cost effective for now, and will upgrade this later in the year)
7. Ultra 120mm Case fan (with Dual Ball Bearings)
8. Sound Blaster Audigy SE (basic sound, not looking for a full cinematic experience)
9. Lite-On LH-20A1-S Super All Write Sata DVD Burner
10. Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2
11. Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000
12. Logitech X-240 3-Piece Speakers

If anyone could be kind enough to offer me advice on if these are compatible, or if anything should be upgraded/replaced (only really wanting to play WoW smoothly, chat, edit/create pictures, and browse, with movie watching being done occasionally)

1. Budget: No more then $1000, at this point.

2. Brands: I'm not that particular, although I would like to try the AMD Mobo/CPU, but it's not a necessity if I can get a better deal on a different brand.

3. Multitasking: I will almost always have Firefox, Thunderbird, mIRC, Itunes, and a wide assortment of programs open, with occasional instances of processor heavy apps as CS3

4. Gaming: A fair amount. Maybe 12 hours a week. WoW primarily, until Spore and the new Star Trek are released.

5. Calculations: The most intensive thing I can think of will be running Photoshop CS3

6. Overclocking: I don't know how to over-clock, so, this is a no

7. Storage: As listed above, 500GB, as well as the 160GB HD I'll be bringing over. I'll be sorting a wide variety of files. Mostly games, photos, apps, Movies, the usual casual user items.

8. Legacy Support: No. all the devices I use are P2P, with the exception of the monitor. The monitor is the type with the pins, and the threaded screws. (which may be corrected)

9. Operating System: Windows XP, of any form or variety.

10. Case: I'd prefer a mid-tower,

11. Accessories: Any accessories that I would like or want are listed

12. Recycled Components: No, as my current computer is 8 years old. At most, I MAY recycle the 160GB Seagate Hard drive, Wireless Network card.

13. Monitor: No particular goals for a monitor. If I could get something NOT CRT, for under $175 in the 20-inch range, I'd be happy

14. Stores: I have no preference for stores, but I got all my prices at tigerdirect.ca
15. Location: I live Ontario, Canada

**linderman** · 03-19-2008, 08:14 PM

your parts look all compatible

I would not use the PSU that comes with case / psu combos they are VERY poor quality

look for OCZ 600watt or OCZ 700 watt

Corsair VX-550 watts

dont know exactly how well its gonna game though, your spec is much more suited to internet surfing and un-demanding games ??

I personally would wait until I could throw in another $250.00 and upgrade your motherboard and video card a scale better same with the CPU you are really leaving alot of muscle behind when you dont go dual core

enjoy, your parts will work

to be perfectly positive though, you should add the links to the products so we can make absolutely sure!

check tiger direct.com ships to canada i think ????

**TheMatt** · 03-20-2008, 04:10 PM

Your video card isn't just older, its by today's standards ancient. You could get a low end GeForce 8xxx series that would cost about the same most likely (or just a little more), be much more power efficient, and would be more powerful. Same with a Radeon HD 2xxx or 3xxx series.

Also look at a better quality motherboard like the MSI K9N Neo-F v3.

ARStanley · 03-20-2008, 05:29 PM

What about these?

video Card -
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...61666&CatId=28

Mother Board -
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...61666&CatId=28

Those are inline with my budget. Follow-up questions:
1. Are they still compatible with the previous products?
2. Are they more current/future-proof?

**TheMatt** · 03-20-2008, 05:47 PM

Motherboard is same link as video card.

That video card was a very good card of its time, but it is now obsolete. This is what I was talking about:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...060&CatId=1560

ARStanley · 03-20-2008, 08:22 PM

Sorry about that, this link is for real

Mobo -
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...&sku=A458-1200

Ok, that's a good video card.

Is the Mobo good, or do you have one you'd recommend for about $100CDN?

**TheMatt** · 03-20-2008, 09:57 PM

The board is OK, but I would look at this:
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...cture=Gigabyte

Tiger didn't really have the best selection of motherboards.

ARStanley · 03-20-2008, 10:49 PM

Thanks for all the effort you've put forth, i'll come back and respond in a few weeks once the computer is put together

**TheMatt** · 03-21-2008, 10:15 AM

You're welcome. Post back if you have any more questions in the future about this build.

03-18-2008, 12:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
ARStanley Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro, SP2	First time Builder, Components Compatible? Hey all. I've recently gone online looking at components, and before I ordered, I'd like to know if I'm getting parts that are completely compatible or not, as well as anything I'm missing that I need. 1. Case Xion DAZL Black ATX Mid-Tower with 500W Power supply 2. Asus M2A-VM AMD Motherboard 3. AMD Athlon 64 LE-1620 4. OCZ 1024MB PC4200 DDR2 Ram (533MHz) x 2 5. Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB Drive (might get 2) 6. GeForce FX 5700 LE Video Card (it's older, but I'm looking at cost effective for now, and will upgrade this later in the year) 7. Ultra 120mm Case fan (with Dual Ball Bearings) 8. Sound Blaster Audigy SE (basic sound, not looking for a full cinematic experience) 9. Lite-On LH-20A1-S Super All Write Sata DVD Burner 10. Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 11. Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 12. Logitech X-240 3-Piece Speakers If anyone could be kind enough to offer me advice on if these are compatible, or if anything should be upgraded/replaced (only really wanting to play WoW smoothly, chat, edit/create pictures, and browse, with movie watching being done occasionally) 1. Budget: No more then $1000, at this point. 2. Brands: I'm not that particular, although I would like to try the AMD Mobo/CPU, but it's not a necessity if I can get a better deal on a different brand. 3. Multitasking: I will almost always have Firefox, Thunderbird, mIRC, Itunes, and a wide assortment of programs open, with occasional instances of processor heavy apps as CS3 4. Gaming: A fair amount. Maybe 12 hours a week. WoW primarily, until Spore and the new Star Trek are released. 5. Calculations: The most intensive thing I can think of will be running Photoshop CS3 6. Overclocking: I don't know how to over-clock, so, this is a no 7. Storage: As listed above, 500GB, as well as the 160GB HD I'll be bringing over. I'll be sorting a wide variety of files. Mostly games, photos, apps, Movies, the usual casual user items. 8. Legacy Support: No. all the devices I use are P2P, with the exception of the monitor. The monitor is the type with the pins, and the threaded screws. (which may be corrected) 9. Operating System: Windows XP, of any form or variety. 10. Case: I'd prefer a mid-tower, 11. Accessories: Any accessories that I would like or want are listed 12. Recycled Components: No, as my current computer is 8 years old. At most, I MAY recycle the 160GB Seagate Hard drive, Wireless Network card. 13. Monitor: No particular goals for a monitor. If I could get something NOT CRT, for under $175 in the 20-inch range, I'd be happy 14. Stores: I have no preference for stores, but I got all my prices at tigerdirect.ca 15. Location: I live Ontario, Canada Last edited by ARStanley; 03-18-2008 at 12:42 AM. Reason: making adherent to forum suggestions

03-19-2008, 08:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
linderman Moderator, Hardware Team Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 20,437 OS: win 2000 pro / Win XP pro My System	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? your parts look all compatible I would not use the PSU that comes with case / psu combos they are VERY poor quality look for OCZ 600watt or OCZ 700 watt Corsair VX-550 watts dont know exactly how well its gonna game though, your spec is much more suited to internet surfing and un-demanding games ?? I personally would wait until I could throw in another $250.00 and upgrade your motherboard and video card a scale better same with the CPU you are really leaving alot of muscle behind when you dont go dual core enjoy, your parts will work to be perfectly positive though, you should add the links to the products so we can make absolutely sure! check tiger direct.com ships to canada i think ???? __________________ I still know nothing and I respect that fact, striving to improve and, along the way, help anyone that comes from the place that I used to be! Power Supply Selection LEARN TO BACK-UP YOUR DATA FREE & EASY YouTube - Runtime Software DriveImage XML tutorial

03-20-2008, 04:10 PM	#3 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? Your video card isn't just older, its by today's standards ancient. You could get a low end GeForce 8xxx series that would cost about the same most likely (or just a little more), be much more power efficient, and would be more powerful. Same with a Radeon HD 2xxx or 3xxx series. Also look at a better quality motherboard like the MSI K9N Neo-F v3. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides

03-20-2008, 05:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
ARStanley Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro, SP2	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? What about these? video Card - http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...61666&CatId=28 Mother Board - http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...61666&CatId=28 Those are inline with my budget. Follow-up questions: 1. Are they still compatible with the previous products? 2. Are they more current/future-proof?

03-20-2008, 05:47 PM	#5 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? Motherboard is same link as video card. That video card was a very good card of its time, but it is now obsolete. This is what I was talking about: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...060&CatId=1560 __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides

03-20-2008, 08:22 PM	#6 (permalink)
ARStanley Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro, SP2	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? Sorry about that, this link is for real Mobo - http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applicatio...&sku=A458-1200 Ok, that's a good video card. Is the Mobo good, or do you have one you'd recommend for about $100CDN?

03-20-2008, 09:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? The board is OK, but I would look at this: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.p...cture=Gigabyte Tiger didn't really have the best selection of motherboards. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides

03-20-2008, 10:49 PM	#8 (permalink)
ARStanley Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 4 OS: XP Pro, SP2	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? Thanks for all the effort you've put forth, i'll come back and respond in a few weeks once the computer is put together

03-21-2008, 10:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
TheMatt TSF Enthusiast Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 13,701 OS: Win 3.1, 98, NT 4.0, XP Debian 4.0, Kubuntu 6.06 My System Blog Entries: 3	Re: First time Builder, Components Compatible? You're welcome. Post back if you have any more questions in the future about this build. __________________ - Matt M - KB1OSC - Folding@Home 85015 [url="http://www.techsupportforum.com/hardware-support/"] If TSF has helped you, please consider donating. If I have stopped responding to a thread, feel free to send me a PM with a link to the thread. It is advisable to subscribe to threads so you will receive updates when replies are posted. You can subscribe to threads from the "Thread Tools" Menu. »Memtest86 »Prime95 »UBCD »SpeedFan »NHC Personal »Everest »Sandra »PC Wizard »RivaTuner »ATi Tool Click here for Useful Articles and Guides