New Computer - Building it Myself!

[Graeme]

Alright.

I've been wanting to do this for probably 3 years now, and I've never had the guts (or the cash) to do it. Well, entering my senior year of highschool, I realize I'm going to need a computer really soon (for university), and I'd like to get one built over this summer. That way I can work any bugs out and get it all nice and worked out to my standards and likes for an entire year before I head off to my studies. I'll also be able to do any upgrades on my own, as I'll know the rig inside and out by the time I head off. Hoorah for not having to find a decent computer shop in Waterloo!

Anyway, I'm not so worried about putting all of the parts together and such, as I'll have a few good friends to help me out, one of which has built a computer in the past. Hopefully with our combined gray matter we'll be able to cook something up. I also have a few guides I've bookmarked and I've been reading them over, so I should be fine.

However, I am worried about what parts I'm going to have in my new rig, and I'm rather worried about compatibility issues X_x. I'd hate to spend 200 dollars on something, and then find it doesn't fit :(. So, I went searching, and I think (think being the keyword) everything jibes with everything. My list of computer parts are as follows:

$82.11 - RAIDMAX SCORPIO 868 MINI TOWER BLACK ATX 420W P4 W/ SIDE WINDOW & LED FANS - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=10824&vpn=868W-BK&manufacture=Raidmax
$225.28 - AMD ATHLON XP 3000+ 512K 333FSB BARTON SOCKET A RETAIL BOX 3YR MFR WARRANTY - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=9133&vpn=AXDA3000BOX&manufacture=AMD
$148.76 - ASUS A7N8X-E DELUXE NFORCE2 ULTRA400 SOCKETA DUAL DDR 5PCI SATA 1394 SOUND 1000LAN - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=11124&vpn=A7N8X-E&manufacture=ASUS
$117.30 - SAMSUNG 512MB PC3200 DDR400 184PIN OEM - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=9545&vpn=SAMSUNG3200-512M&manufacture=Samsung
$117.30 - SAMSUNG 512MB PC3200 DDR400 184PIN OEM - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=9545&vpn=SAMSUNG3200-512M&manufacture=Samsung
$133.40 - SEAGATE BARRACUDA 7200.7 120GB ATA100 7200RPM 8MB OEM HD 3YR - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=10866&vpn=ST3120026A&manufacture=Seagate
$121.90 - LG GSA-4082B 8X4X12 DVD+-R/RW/RAM 24X16X32 CDRW BLACK OEM W/ SW - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=11487&vpn=GSA-4082B%20&manufacture=LG%20Electronics
$11.76 - 1.44MB BLACK 3.5IN FLOPPY DRIVE - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=6139&vpn=BLACK-FLOPPY&manufacture=Panasonic
$15.00 - TSUNAMI 2-IN-1 PERSONAL MANAGER BLACK KEYBOARD & MOUSE PS/2 - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=11274&vpn=241233&manufacture=Tsunami
$267.90 - ATI RADEON 9600XT 128MB DDR AGP VGA DVI-I TV OUT RETAIL BOX - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=10900&vpn=100-437101&manufacture=ATI
$208.44 - VIEWSONIC E70FB 17IN 16VIS 0.25MM 1280X1024 BLACK - http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=10166&vpn=E70FB-5&manufacture=ViewSonic

Total Price: $1449.15 CAD
or $1,060.79 USD

It's kind of expensive, but I know it'll last me for a long while, so I don't think I'm incredibly worried. Although if anyone has any suggestions on ways to cut down cost and/or increase performance, I'd be more than glad to hear them. Also, if someone knows I'm missing something that I'll need without doubts for this to work out correctly, please feel free to tackle me and then inform me of what I'm missing ^_^.

Other than that, I'm wondering what people think of the rig itself. Will it work? Will it jibe? Will it jazz? Will I be entirely unsuccessful in putting it together?

Thanks to anyone that can help out.

[pixels]

if you're going to spend 1000 on a comp, get a mac ~_~

[TranquilNightElf]

Nice..i've been into assembled pc myself for as long as i can remember...although i have found that Seagate HDDs have a higher rate of failures than Samsung HDD.
Do you have onboard sound?...becuase i don't see any sound card in the list.

The AMD chipset is cool but does tend to run hot so you should get a cabinet that hs a vent on the front as well.
I've found that the manufactures recommend dual fans on the cabinet..one the normal one at the back and a small one at the front near the vents at the bottom of the cabinet front.

So far it looks like a good set-up..

EDIT:
Check up on the maximum capacity of Ram per stick and total Ram your MB supports..


As for the pricing then I'm afraid i don't know the american price trends exactly

[Graeme]

if you're going to spend 1000 on a comp, get a mac ~_~

Hahaha, eww, no. I'm not alluding to the fact that macs are horrible machines, but I definitely wouldn't be able to use one now. Or if I could, it'd take me too long to get used to them X_x. As well, I play numerous different games and trials of games, and very few of them have been mac compatible :(.

[pixels]

mm yeah i suppose being on a gaming forum you game some and game makers are to ignorant to make games for PCCs ;P

well exe is viewing the thread so im sure hell be able to help you out a lot. :D

[Exedore]

You can get a mac for under $1500 USD?

First of all, three things about the computer:
1. The case specification says P4, which implies that the power supply is for pentium 4 class chips, no necessarily athlons. I think most are cross-compatable, but you may want to check to be sure
2. You may want to look into getting a Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB. They're ~$220 USD, so that should be just over $300 CDN and is a significant step up from the 9600 XT.
3. You may want to do a price comparison with the Athlon 64 chips. The Athlon 64's perform better than the XP chips with the same rating (Athlon 64 3000+ does better than XP 3000+), although they are more expensive. This is mainly a personal choice, and won't matter a lot in the long run, as you probably won't be maxing out your CPU usage on either.

Two suggestions about buying items:
1. ZipZoomFly (http://www.zipzoomfly.com) ships to Canada and has comprable prices to newegg, as well as free 2nd day UPS. You may want to check prices there and see if they have better deals
2. You may want to talk to PirateFace from Blizzforums/Warcraft Legacy. He works at a computer store in the Toronto area and may be able to get you a good deal on some hardware.

[Graeme]

Do you have onboard sound?...becuase i don't see any sound card in the list.

Sound is onboard, yep ^_^.


The AMD chipset is cool but does tend to run hot so you should get a cabinet that hs a vent on the front as well.
I've found that the manufactures recommend dual fans on the cabinet..one the normal one at the back and a small one at the front near the vents at the bottom of the cabinet front.

Alright, thanks for the tip ^_^. I'll look around a bit more and see if I can find something that works with everything so far. Not sure if mine even has front vents even. Yargh, I'll edit in a second.

Edit: I'm not 100% sure, but it looks like she should be fine. I read some reviews and they had absolutely no qualms with the cooling ^_^.

EDIT:
Check up on the maximum capacity of Ram per stick and total Ram your MB supports..

Checking this as well, will edit in a sec.

Edit: I believe RAM should be good as well ^_^.

[pixels]

You can get a mac for under $1500 USD?

First of all, three things about the computer:
1. The case specification says P4, which implies that the power supply is for pentium 4 class chips, no necessarily athlons. I think most are cross-compatable, but you may want to check to be sure
2. You may want to look into getting a Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB. They're ~$220 USD, so that should be just over $300 CDN and is a significant step up from the 9600 XT.
3. You may want to do a price comparison with the Athlon 64 chips. The Athlon 64's perform better than the XP chips with the same rating (Athlon 64 3000+ does better than XP 3000+), although they are more expensive. This is mainly a personal choice, and won't matter a lot in the long run, as you probably won't be maxing out your CPU usage on either.

Two suggestions about buying items:
1. ZipZoomFly (http://www.zipzoomfly.com) ships to Canada and has comprable prices to newegg, as well as free 2nd day UPS. You may want to check prices there and see if they have better deals
2. You may want to talk to PirateFace from Blizzforums/Warcraft Legacy. He works at a computer store in the Toronto area and may be able to get you a good deal on some hardware.

not a g5. it was just a mild joke @ the cost. and definitly dont get everything from the same place. well you can, just look around for good prices. and as much as i hate him, definitly talk to PirateFace about heading to Markham and picking up some low priced shiz ;)

[Graeme]

You can get a mac for under $1500 USD?

First of all, three things about the computer:
1. The case specification says P4, which implies that the power supply is for pentium 4 class chips, no necessarily athlons. I think most are cross-compatable, but you may want to check to be sure
2. You may want to look into getting a Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB. They're ~$220 USD, so that should be just over $300 CDN and is a significant step up from the 9600 XT.
3. You may want to do a price comparison with the Athlon 64 chips. The Athlon 64's perform better than the XP chips with the same rating (Athlon 64 3000+ does better than XP 3000+), although they are more expensive. This is mainly a personal choice, and won't matter a lot in the long run, as you probably won't be maxing out your CPU usage on either.

Two suggestions about buying items:
1. ZipZoomFly (http://www.zipzoomfly.com) ships to Canada and has comprable prices to newegg, as well as free 2nd day UPS. You may want to check prices there and see if they have better deals
2. You may want to talk to PirateFace from Blizzforums/Warcraft Legacy. He works at a computer store in the Toronto area and may be able to get you a good deal on some hardware.

Excellent. I totally forget about PF working at a computer shop near me ^_^.

I believe I read in a review for the case that it worked with athlons but I'll double check to be sure.

I was thinking about stepping up the videocard, but NCIX really wasn't being friendly. Their selection of cards is not exactly massive, and the prices as well as reviews for the 9800 weren't that exceptional. But I'll check out some cards on zipzoomfly. I'll also look around at the athlon 64 chips on zipzoomfly.

Out of curiosity, anyone know any other sites that ship to Canada for some more price comparison?

[TranquilNightElf]

Sound is onboard, yep ^_^.





Onboard sound can be very good.... but if you are an avid gamer and like to listen to a lot of music then a good sound card might be a better option One of the best soundcards nowadays i think is Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum Pro(haven't checked in a while) but that is a wee bit pricey and I don;t htink they come with speakers...A good option if you want to save is getting Soundblaster 5.1 Live or SOundblaster Live 5.1Value..
Both excellent cards in theri own rights (the value edition is cheaper.)
Here is a comparison page from the website
http://www.soundblaster.com/products/sblive/compare.asp

But you Must get good speakers...I highly recommend getting a set with a sub-woffer..you'd be amazed at the effect it can produced..(speaker sets priced between 50 to 120 dollars i think)


Even if you don't want to get a sound card..i would still recommend the subwoofer speaker set..
Btw should you DO decide to get a sound card then you won;t need to have onboard soud so get a model without it as it would then be cheaper.

And i'd agree with the others as well that you should do some hunting to find good prices as almost 99.99% of the time you can get it cheaper :)


EDIT:
Found another site that caters Canada:
http://www.pccanada.com/inventory.asp?cat=soundcards

Another site that is more general but should lead you to other sites is
http://www.builyourownpc.com

[WeekendLazyness]

Well, first off, I'd wait six months for BTX to become mainstream. It's a new case/motherboard design that improves airflow over the ten year old ATX. Problem is, it will probably be for Intel procs first, and it looks like you want an AMD.

I'd be cautious about the PSU you are getting with the case. It may be a low quality no-name. Speaking of power supplies:
1. The case specification says P4, which implies that the power supply is for pentium 4 class chips, no necessarily athlons. I think most are cross-compatable, but you may want to check to be sure
This makes no difference. If it is a standard ATX mobo, it will fit. The P4 thing is most likely refering to the 12V plug that provides extra power to a P4. I'm not sure if the Athlon XP model you chose uses it, but if you buy the case, you'll have the plug if you need it.


2. You may want to look into getting a Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB. They're ~$220 USD, so that should be just over $300 CDN and is a significant step up from the 9600 XT.
Not really. Keep in mind the 9800 Pro is an older card, and the 9600 XT may be faster. I suggest checking published benchmarks before making the decision, but only if you are really into gaming. If you are on a budget, go for the cheaper card, since it won't really matter in the long run.

I also suggest getting a SATA drive since your chipset and motherboard support it. SATA has a 7 conductor cable, as opposed to ATA's 40. This significantly improves case airflow and the SATA spec supports higher transfer speeds. But if you aren't really a power user, I'd say stick with your current choice if SATA drives happen to be more expensive.

One last thing: Get a USB flash drive. At least 128MB. They are very handy, especially when transfering large files between computers.


Edit: You have chosen only one optical drive. I suggest getting a cheap DVD-ROM drive in case you want to do any disc copying of any kind.


Edit #2: You don't need a sound card for this rig. The nForce 2 chipset can decode and encode AC-7 (Dobly Digital 5.1). Get a 5.1 speaker system to go along. I have the Logitech Z-640, about $60.00 USD if you look around.

[TimP]

And with the amount you'd be spending on your RAM, I'd recommend getting dual channel instead. Better performance.

[hammocksleeper]

Altec Lansing makes really nice speakers. You should be looking for 5.1 if you want to spend the money, but really any package you get from them will be quality.

[OboeGuru]

The Logitech Z-640's are a very good budget 5.1 system, I'd highly reccommend those (I have Z-5200's myself, but WL is very knowledgeable about such things) if you don't have 5.1's already might be interested in an upgrade, and I also echo his statement about SATA HDs.

I would also like to say very good choice in DVD burner. I have a slightly older model of that burner and it works flawlessly. :)

[Exedore]

I'd be cautious about the PSU you are getting with the case. It may be a low quality no-name.

I agree. No-name power supplies are rather hit-and-miss. I've had one that's lasted over 3 years and one that didn't even last for a whole year.

Speaking of power supplies:
This makes no difference. If it is a standard ATX mobo, it will fit. The P4 thing is most likely refering to the 12V plug that provides extra power to a P4. I'm not sure if the Athlon XP model you chose uses it, but if you buy the case, you'll have the plug if you need it.

I always thought they were both ATX and that it didn't matter for AMD chips, only for P4's, which need the extra connectors, but I wasn't entirely sure. I just never was motivated enough to find out.

Not really. Keep in mind the 9800 Pro is an older card, and the 9600 XT may be faster. I suggest checking published benchmarks before making the decision, but only if you are really into gaming. If you are on a budget, go for the cheaper card, since it won't really matter in the long run.

Yes really. The 9600XT goes for about $150 USD, and the 9800 Pro 128MB goes for about $210 USD. However, in terms of performance, the 9800 Pro is leaps and bounds ahead of the 9600XT (30-50 fps depending on the application), and in some tests, even outperforms the 9800 Pro 256MB by an fps or two. I'm mostly going off Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com) benchmarks, but people who swear by other benchmarks will say the same thing. The extra $60 USD is worth it.

The only thing you have to watch out for is the memory bus. You want a model with a 256bit memory bus. Some recent, cheaper Radeon 9800's have a 128bit bus, which cripples the card a bit.

On a side note, most of the people at Blizzforums what have built new computers recently have purchased this card (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-268&depa=0) (or the retail version of it).

I also suggest getting a SATA drive since your chipset and motherboard support it. SATA has a 7 conductor cable, as opposed to ATA's 40. This significantly improves case airflow and the SATA spec supports higher transfer speeds. But if you aren't really a power user, I'd say stick with your current choice if SATA drives happen to be more expensive.

Agree. SATA drives are pretty much the same price as a same speed, capacity, and cache size IDE drive.

[WeekendLazyness]

I always thought they were both ATX and that it didn't matter for AMD chips, only for P4's, which need the extra connectors, but I wasn't entirely sure. I just never was motivated enough to find out.
Actually, all new motherboards need the extra power connector.


Yes really. The 9600XT goes for about $150 USD, and the 9800 Pro 128MB goes for about $210 USD. However, in terms of performance, the 9800 Pro is leaps and bounds ahead of the 9600XT (30-50 fps depending on the application), and in some tests, even outperforms the 9800 Pro 256MB by an fps or two. I'm mostly going off Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com) benchmarks, but people who swear by other benchmarks will say the same thing. The extra $60 USD is worth it.
Listen to Exedore here. I hadn't looked at the benchmarks.


And with the amount you'd be spending on your RAM, I'd recommend getting dual channel instead. Better performance.
Actually, the one Radlin picked is a dual channel mobo.

[3laLEU]

in moldova allmost everything is cheap. u can get HDD Segate Barracuda 7 ATA/100 7200rms with 107 $. look on the site www.matrix.md or www.riscom.com