I'm building a computer for the first time and was getting ready to order all the stuff I need, but I wanted to run it by some computer savvy people real quick just in case. So here are the parts I'm ordering... - Sunbeam ATX Mid Tower: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811166022 - Thermaltake TR2 W0070 ATX 430W Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817153023 - ECS RX480-A (1.0) Socket 939 ATI XPRESS 200P ATX AMD Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813135009 - AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103533 - OCZ 1GB 184-pin DDR SDRAM (PC3200) Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820146969 - MSI GeForce 7600GS 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x 16 Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814127210 - Acer AL1916W 19" 8ms Widescreen LCD Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16824009073 It all comes out to $650 shipped, just a hair over $600 after rebates, and I talked my dad into chipping in $200 since I'll be giving him my current computer which will replace the ancient artifact he has now. So in the end, I'll be paying $400 for all this stuff. By the way, I'll be taking my 80G HD out of my current computer to use on the new build, as well as a 512MB stick of DDR. Like I said, I'm building for the first time and I just want to get a feel for whether or not I'm getting my money's worth. I've read reviews extensively for all the products I listed, so I'm not really looking for approval of the seperate parts as much as I am for reassurance that they will all be compatibile and run well together. The only concern that comes to mind for me is that I'd be running an ATI chipset on the motherboard and an NVidia chipset on the graphics card. Will that be a problem, or just more of an annoyance from time to time? By the way, I'm just looking to run a game now and then with good framerates and nice visuals. I don't expect to run the latest games with all the bells and whistles on at 60+fps. I also do not plan to run SLi, and I don't want to blow a lot of money on a vid card since DX10 is on the horizon anyway. I also do some video editing, but nothing too taxing. With all that said, this build should give me what I'm looking for, no? Thanks for any and all help with this. I just want some feedback before I order all this stuff.
Fuzzy, I appreciate the e-mails. The reason I use newegg is because they've got great prices and I'd like to get all my stuff from one place (to reduce shipping headache), but if I can get a great deal from somewhere else I'm definitely open to it. I don't think there's anything wrong with the tone of your e-mails, by the way. I realize I know little about building, so please feel free to set me straight. It will only benefit me in the long run. (The video card deal you found is great)
Man I really appreciate it when people appreciate me... thanks, because sometimes I get no response from people and it just feels like (why do I even care?) makes my day to hear back
Hey Clutch, check out www.directron.com that's where we buy 90% of our computer parts for my computer consulting firm...unless we find something really good from tiger direct or new egg...they are right here in houston so you can save on shipping costs if you can find what your looking for there....or maybe just some of your parts. EDIT - I just checked out the prices and probably the only thing you can get cheaper is the Memory and MB because of the rebates. Other than that everything else is the same price right here at directron. After shipping i am pretty sure it would be the same price as the stuff your ordering with rebates. That just gives you a chance to pick them up here instead of waiting for delivery.
I definitely feel the same. Don't mention it. The 19" LCD you found is a hell of a deal, but (call me paranoid) I don't like depending on large mail-in rebates (in this case half the price). I also really like the idea of having a widescreen monitor since I don't have a nice TV at all (21" i think) and thus I'll be watching DVD's on the monitor. Keep'em coming though. It never hurts to have more options to choose from, and with the weekend here I'll be holding off until Monday to order anything anyway. I've got time to deliberate.
Yea, Directron prices rock, but their service is taken out of some horror story. I have seen the only older white dude who works at the place yell at customers for ordering improperly, or surfing on the internet. Also sometimes you wait at the counter for 5-10 minutes and no one ever asks you if you need any help. Prepare to wait at least 30 minutes after you place your order in the store.
I checked out the directron.com website and they definitely had some nice stuff, but after looking online alllllll night I have pretty much narrowed down all my stuff to newegg.com. I like to buy everything from one site to reduce confusion on shipping, plus I found some deals there that I couldn't pass up. I found 2G (2 x 1g) of RAM for $164.49 with heat spreaders, and I was able to save about $70 by purchasing a combo of motherboard (better than what I was going to get) and video card (comparable to what I was going to get). On top of that, I only have to deal with a single $10 rebate, which is a sigh of relief for me. Fuzzy, I hope you don't feel like I didn't like any of the deals you tracked down for me. I was definitely going to go for a couple of them, but... - The deal you found me on the LCD monitor that was the same as the newegg LCD but $3 cheaper with free shipping, well...turns out the shipping isn't exactly as free as they say. They start you out at a standard 3-5 days for $14 (which makes it exactly the same as newegg), and to get free shipping you have to select 7-9 business days. That's just too long for me to wait, considering everything else would be coming in probably a week earlier at least. I'm anxious - The tower you found for $22 with the $40 rebate was great, and I was definitely thinking of going for that, but then I noticed that the dimensions seem to be on the small side (7.8" x 19.0" x 16.0"). I have a fear that it might be a bit crowded. I really want a case that gives all the components plenty of breathing room (the one I plan on getting is 8.7" x 17.9" x 20.3"). - The video card and motherboard deals were great too, but I was able to really get a steal by combining the two purchases on newegg. Again, I appreciate the help a lot. I'll check this thread once more before I place my order later today, so if you can make me feel a little better about the size of that smaller case, I might just give it a shot.
Hmm...I just noticed that the link is accurate (it is the Sunbeam case) but for some reason I said it was a PowMax case (I think I had been looking at one earlier). Original post is edited now. As far as the looks of the case, I definitely agree. I like a lot of the Sunbeam designs...some of the best for the money as far as I can tell. Does it feel sturdy?
Yes. I took the right side lid off and lightly tried to bend it back and forth but it wouldn't budge. The same goes for the left side and the front cover; it's a solid case.
Those parts look solid. When I last upgraded about a year ago I bought just about everything from newegg, except for the case. I went to Directron for the case because they have a nice selection, and I could save on the shipping. I got the Thermaltake Tsunami which I reccomend to everyone, but it is a little expensive. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133140
I'll also say those are solid choices, but you may want to read this before making your decision. 4.1 GHZ Dual Core The water cooling aspect might scare you off but I did it way back when on my Celeron 300a (to 450+MHZ!! 50% upgrade) It was much easier than it sounds, virtually silent and safe, imo. Just so you know, I have a setup very similar to what you've proposed and I'm happy with it. Well, except that I got an AGP8x motherboard which limits my upgrade options.
Hey CCR, I don't mind at all, for your first build, it's always great to have the least hassle as possible for it to be a good experience. It's good that you're not getting an ECS motherboard anymore, and Rizzy's review of the case makes things sound better. And don't worry about the other case, don't get it because it's a lot UGLIER than your current one, and it would be a hassle comparatively. Good job on getting the combo, it should get you closer to rock bottom value and I understand the rush, it's a lot of fun to build for your first time.
Alright...here are the alterations I made to the original list of components: Case: Same as first post Power Supply: Same Processor: Same Monitor: Same Motherboard: ASUS A8N5X nForce4 http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131569 Video Card: PowerColor Radeon X800GTO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI-E x 16 http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814131007 RAM: G.SKILL 2G (2 x 1GB) DDR 400 (PC 3200) w/ heat spreaders http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231047 The motherboard is definitely an upgrade from the one in my original post, and the fact that I'm getting 2G of memory instead of the original 1G is great, especially for that price and with heat spreaders. The video card is definitely a budget card, but that makes perfect sense considering that the DX10 cards will be out soon. No sense in breaking the bank now. In the end, the grand total shipped is only $35 higher than the components I listed originally, but for the price I doubled the RAM and substantially upgraded on the motherboard. I think I'm ready to place my order now. Thanks to everyone for their input. I'll make sure to post the results when all this stuff arrives and I get it up and running. EDIT: Just ordered...so if you see any unbelievable deals, please don't tell me
Hey I got that same power supply from the egg. It works great and is an excellent bargain. The rest of the parts you selected look pretty good. Have fun with your first build.
