Proposed New Computer For A Non-gamer

[zapjb]

I DON'T play modern games. I am going to use dependable parts ONLY. Reliability is paramount to my needs. These are the parts I'm considering. Pasted from my newegg wishlist. I'm on dialup. Do I need a seperate modem or does my proposed mobo have one integrated? My goal is not chase around hardware problems as on my current setup. The only hardware I'll be transfering from my old puter will be a TDK cdrw & my Altec Lansing 3 speaker system. Low cost is definite factor in these hardware picks. But also I don't want mess with this system for at least 2 years after I assemble it. I know that I'm choosing integrated video (I'm NOT a gamer). I also know that I can get a cheaper case, but I want the super reliable Antec psu. I hope to in the next 4 months purchase these parts all from newegg. Any constructive comments, welcomed. Thanks.


Antec Solution Series Case with 350W Power Supply,Model:SLK3700AMB,Retail.
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid-Tower
Color: Metallic bronze
Material: Steel
Drive Bays: 4x5.25'',7x3.5''
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0x2
Power Supply: 350W(SL350)Smart Power
Cooling System: 120mm Fan x 1
Mainboard Compatibility: Standard ATX
Dimensions: 18.3''x8.25''x18.6''
Special Features: Removeable Side Panels and Drive Cages. more info-> N82E16811129122 $73.00

Asus nForce2 IGP Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "A7N8X-VM" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket A AMD Athlon XP Thoroughbred/Barton Core Processors
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 IGP + MCP
FSB: 333/266/200MHz
RAM: 2x DIMM support Dual Channel Non-ECC DDR400/333/266 Max 2GB
IDE: 2x UltraDMA 100/133 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X(1.5V), 3x PCI
Ports: 2xPS2,1xLPT,1xCOM,1xVGA,1xLAN,6xUSB2.0(Rear 4),Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650 6-Channel Codec
Onboard Video: GeForce4 MX GPU + TV encoder
Onboard LAN: Realtek 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet
Form Factor: Micro ATX
Others: NVidia nVIEW Dual Display Architecture more info-> N82E16813131466 $89.99

AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton", 333 FSB, 512K Cache Processor - Retail
Specification
Model: AMD Athlon XP 2500+
Core: Barton
Operating Frequency: 1.83GHz
FSB: 333MHz
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.65V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket A
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included) more info-> N82E16819103379
$90.00

Crucial 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-2700 - OEM
Specification
Manufacturer: Crucial
Speed: DDR333(PC2700)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 2.7GB/s
Organization: 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820145059
$70.00

SAMSUNG SFD321B/LEB 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy Disk Drive, OEM Driver Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44MB
Average Access Time: not specified
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5 inch
Media Type: All Standard 1.44MB & 720KB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes
Features: Easy to Install, Just Plug & Play, For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers
Remark: OEM 1 Year Warranty more info-> N82E16821103202
$5.59

Western Digital SpecialL Edition 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD1200JB, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 120GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: High-performance with 8MB Buffer
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Remark: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822144118
$94.00

Samsung 16X DVD Drive, MODEL SD-816BEP, OEM
Specifications:
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: E-IDE/ATAPI
Buffer: 512KB
Access Time: 90 ms
Data Transfer Rate: DVD: 21,600 kByte/s, CD: 7,200 kByte/s
Features: Reduces noise and vibration with DVA, Stablizing DVD Play Back
Remark: OEM Pack (see pictures for details) more info-> N82E16827151026 $32.00

Subtotal »
$454.58

[Mad Cat]

No graphics card?

Well, if you really want it to be dependable, simply buy it ready made.

Maybe it'll cost a little more but you get warranty, which means if anything goes wrong, they pay for it.

[Tormentor]

Its has integrated graphics. The GeForce4 Integrated GPU is very compatible and it will run any new game out there on resonable settings, I know I have one :lol:

[ck-uk]

Yeah mate it should be rock solid..Thou i think i'd stretch a liitle more cash & get a g/fx card mate,even a slightly out dated one like fx5200 or geforce4 or ati so it wont share any resources at all from your other components.Imo its also better to have seperate parts incase one fucks up.With them specs mate too should also be good for movie dvd encoding if your into that thing , maybe a dvd burner instead of the rom.In the uk they're not that much dearer. :)

[Mad Cat]

In the UK a DVD rom is like £20, and a DVD rw is about £100.

[ck-uk]

Are they mate. :rolleyes: ..i bought my burner a while ago & rom were more than 20 a the time.I know that burners are cheaper now i'm after a new one. :)

[DWk]

lol those specs are ALMOST a gaming-type rig....just excluding the gfx card hahahaha...

it looks really good though

[bigdawgfoxx]

Yeah but if he doesnt play any games, I would think intergrated would be fine and more stable anyways...I dont know that though I'm not stating that as a fact.

Dont you guys think he should just get the A7N8X and buy like a 9200 because the board hes getting is not very nice.

[3RA1N1AC]

it looks fine to me, though you might wanna consider getting a different case since that Asus board is a Micro-ATX board, so if you only intend to use one CD/DVD-Rom and one hard drive, you could build that PC in a Micro-ATX case that's only about the size of a VCR.

it'll work fine with an ATX tower, but that board does give you a nice opportunity to save space and build a smaller computer. i put an Athlon XP 1800 and an Nforce running off of 200 watts in one of these (it includes a vertical stand) for my mom, and she's never had any problem with the PSU-- http://usa.aopen.com/products/Housing/H340.series.htm

[zapjb]

@3RA1N1AC, I'm going add my TDK cdrw also. And in the way future 2-3yrs I'm going to get a dvd burner to replace either my cdrw or dvd/cdrom. So a Antec case/psu is critical. I'm expecting to get 4-5yrs out of this setup. I hope. I'm being overly cheap about this maybe. But my current cheapo setup cost $350 and has lasted 2yrs +. I hate spending $ as my current job is 50% of my tech job in 2001. The fn economy sucks for tech in the US. Still saving for this setup. Figure around $500 USD otd. Oh yeah happy new year to all. :lol:

[_John_Lennon_]

If he just wants a dependable board, he can get a board from some company OTHER THAN ASUS.

Jesus christ you would think you guys are married to ASUS, with all the people that just pick one out of the blue. ASUS is on the expensive end of Mobo's, you can get one that does the exact same purpose as the ASUS one, for 40% less.

And your CPU, is a bit on the expensive side, but I guess it will last you for 2 Years. Though a 1700+ will do all you want to do know, and will still be fine 2 years from now. Just like I know people who still have k6's that work perfectly fine. But heck, my OLD Toshiba from 95, P1 200Mhz MMX will be fine for your needs....

See my point?

[DWk]

hehe.... although MSI aint that cheap...i still prefer that :)

[_John_Lennon_]

For instance how about this one.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc....34&searchdepa=1 (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?DEPA=1&sumit=Go&description=13%2D138%2D234&searchdepa=1)

Comprarable to the ASUS, except its like 65 dollars.

Go read the reviews, its not cheap junk.

AND YOU GET A FREE NEWEGG TSHIRT!!!!

[DWk]

Originally posted by _John_Lennon_@30 December 2003 - 14:56
AND YOU GET A FREE NEWEGG TSHIRT!!!!
thats the best of the deal :w00t: hahaha

[_John_Lennon_]

Originally posted by DWk+30 December 2003 - 17:00--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (DWk @ 30 December 2003 - 17:00)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-_John_Lennon_@30 December 2003 - 14:56
AND YOU GET A FREE NEWEGG TSHIRT&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;
thats the best of the deal :w00t: hahaha [/b][/quote]
Hey, Free stuff always rocks.

[DWk]

hell yea..... but it would be better if you had to buy a t-shirt and get a mobo for free :rolleyes: :D

[_John_Lennon_]

Fine then, its a high quality, black, 65 dollar T-Shirt, and you get a free mobo with purchase.

[3RA1N1AC]

Originally posted by _John_Lennon_@30 December 2003 - 13:40
If he just wants a dependable board, he can get a board from some company OTHER THAN ASUS.

Jesus christ you would think you guys are married to ASUS, with all the people that just pick one out of the blue. ASUS is on the expensive end of Mobo&#39;s, you can get one that does the exact same purpose as the ASUS one, for 40% less.
actually, i don&#39;t prefer Asus over any other brand. i&#39;ve only owned one Asus board and it has done fine by me. i couldn&#39;t really say their products are any better or worse than the next company&#39;s... although there is something to be said for going with a popular brand, just for the greater availability of tech support from the company & from fellow users.

[_John_Lennon_]

Originally posted by 3RA1N1AC+30 December 2003 - 18:11--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (3RA1N1AC @ 30 December 2003 - 18:11)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-_John_Lennon_@30 December 2003 - 13:40
If he just wants a dependable board, he can get a board from some company OTHER THAN ASUS.

Jesus christ you would think you guys are married to ASUS, with all the people that just pick one out of the blue.&nbsp; ASUS is on the expensive end of Mobo&#39;s, you can get one that does the exact same purpose as the ASUS one, for 40% less.
actually, i don&#39;t prefer Asus over any other brand. i&#39;ve only owned one Asus board and it has done fine by me. i couldn&#39;t really say their products are any better or worse than the next company&#39;s... although there is something to be said for going with a popular brand, just for the greater availability of tech support from the company & from fellow users. [/b][/quote]
Well, popularity and market share isnt everything.

By selling volume alone, Windows seems pretty popular in the field of OS&#39;s.

So you see my point........

[zapjb]

@_John_Lennon_ I looked at that mobo. Looks nice but I&#39;ve been told to stay away from Biostar mobos. A good friend of mine has had trouble with his Biostar mobo. They wouldn&#39;t even RMA it. If I could find a comparable mobo from Abit or Epox at newegg, I consider it. But a company (Biostar) that won&#39;t stand behind their products isn&#39;t for me.

[_John_Lennon_]

Originally posted by zapjb@31 December 2003 - 01:39
@_John_Lennon_ I looked at that mobo. Looks nice but I&#39;ve been told to stay away from Biostar mobos. A good friend of mine has had trouble with his Biostar mobo. They wouldn&#39;t even RMA it. If I could find a comparable mobo from Abit or Epox at newegg, I consider it. But a company (Biostar) that won&#39;t stand behind their products isn&#39;t for me.
They have great reviews, and from my understanding if its DOA, newegg has awesome RMA policy.

But I will look around some more for u.

[zapjb]

Thanks _John_Lennon_. I&#39;m not worried about newegg at all. I&#39;m concerned about Biostar&#39;s RMA policy.

[_John_Lennon_]

Originally posted by zapjb@31 December 2003 - 01:49
Thanks _John_Lennon_. I&#39;m not worried about newegg at all. I&#39;m concerned about Biostar&#39;s RMA policy.
Ahh, thats the thing though, most of the time you can just RMA it through newegg, and they will send you a new/reconditioned one&#33;

Thats why their RMA policy rocks.

I know friends that send back their perfectly find moterhboards just because a new revision their model has come out, and been shipped to Newegg. Newegg sends them a new board, and if their lucky, its with the new revision they wanted&#33;

[Keikan]

If you want to save more money get a duron/celeron

[bigdawgfoxx]

Originally posted by Keikan@31 December 2003 - 04:57
If you want to save more money get a duron/celeron
hmm. Why would he get a duron or celeron over an athlon?

[DWk]

Originally posted by Keikan@31 December 2003 - 03:57
If you want to save more money get a duron/celeron
thats not even the question in matter.... he wants a computer for 2 years.....

[clocker]

You could drop the floppy drive and save a few bucks too.

[DWk]

Originally posted by clocker@31 December 2003 - 08:09
You could drop the floppy drive and save a few bucks too.
ok thats just plain cheap clocker :angry: :P

[clocker]

Well, he did say that money was an issue...

[DWk]

lol but they aint that expensive..... you just have to miss like 5 mcdonald&#39;s trips and you&#39;re set ;) B)

[clocker]

Originally posted by DWk@31 December 2003 - 08:34
lol but they aint that expensive..... you just have to miss like 5 mcdonald&#39;s trips and you&#39;re set ;) B)
You&#39;re right.

I&#39;m gonna run right out and buy some new tits for my boar.

[DWk]

lol :unsure:

[Balrog39]

I used to have a Biostar mobo.. then it overheated... :( (I didnt even overclock it or anything...)

Now I have an Asus A7V333... it rocks, never had any problems.

Seriously, an Asus board is very reliable, has many usefull options in the bios settings and has good tech support.

Also, the biostar board ran a LOT slower than the Asus board, even though I used the same CPU and memory, etc...

[Duffman]

still saving in america, banks are practically giving away money at like 1% interest with interest for a year and shit, soon theyll be paying you to take money

[3RA1N1AC]

Originally posted by DWk+31 December 2003 - 07:19--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (DWk @ 31 December 2003 - 07:19)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-clocker@31 December 2003 - 08:09
You could drop the floppy drive and save a few bucks too.
ok thats just plain cheap clocker :angry: :P [/b][/quote]
honestly, how many people even need a floppy drive anymore?

[Keikan]

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....epa=0§ion=1 (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-104-159&catalog=343&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=0§ion=1)
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc....y=BROWSE&depa=0 (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-404&catalog=22&manufactory=BROWSE&depa=0)

[zapjb]

@Keikan the 1st link doesn&#39;t work. The 2nd MSI KM266 only has FSB of 266 & my proposed cpu is 333. Thx anyways.

[zapjb]

Any other ideas for a mobo with integrated video for this NON-gamer. Thanks. :)

[clocker]

I don&#39;t think that integrated video is really the best way to go, Zap.
Your first choice of board was just fine, IMO.
Get a good, high quality board ( you did say that dependability was a prime concern) and then a cheap AGP add on card.
That way you can always upgrade as the mood dictates.

[3RA1N1AC]

Originally posted by clocker@2 January 2004 - 18:27
I don&#39;t think that integrated video is really the best way to go, Zap.
Your first choice of board was just fine, IMO.
Get a good, high quality board ( you did say that dependability was a prime concern) and then a cheap AGP add on card.
That way you can always upgrade as the mood dictates.
uh... the board he listed in his original post includes integrated video and an AGP slot. there&#39;s nothing stopping him from upgrading the video on that one, later on. ;)

[Keikan]

Originally posted by zapjb@1 January 2004 - 02:16
@Keikan the 1st link doesn&#39;t work. The 2nd MSI KM266 only has FSB of 266 & my proposed cpu is 333. Thx anyways.
The first link was a duron

[zapjb]

Got all the parts about 10 days ago. Only parts changed from original list were 80GB WD instead of 120GB & used my old FDD & got a LiteOn DVD-Rom. Took my time assembling it. Tend to get stupid with my own toys if I rush things. lol. Runs sweet. Only problem not resolved is fn XP Corp won&#39;t recognize my printer. But I thank all who gave me courage to build it myself. Sense of pride. Coupled with getting the exact parts I want & saving &#036;400-&#036;800 is quite a feeling. Thanks again all. Newegg rocks&#33; The Antec case on their site was supposed to have 2 120mm case fans. Only came with 1. So Newgg sent me &#036;25check & the missing Antec 120mm fan. Sweet. Final price &#036;441.99 - &#036;25 = &#036;416.99. :P

[_John_Lennon_]

Originally posted by zapjb@13 February 2004 - 18:34
Got all the parts about 10 days ago. Only parts changed from original list were 80GB WD instead of 120GB & used my old FDD & got a LiteOn DVD-Rom. Took my time assembling it. Tend to get stupid with my own toys if I rush things. lol. Runs sweet. Only problem not resolved is fn XP Corp won&#39;t recognize my printer. But I thank all who gave me courage to build it myself. Sense of pride. Coupled with getting the exact parts I want & saving &#036;400-&#036;800 is quite a feeling. Thanks again all. Newegg rocks&#33; The Antec case on their site was supposed to have 2 120mm case fans. Only came with 1. So Newgg sent me &#036;25check & the missing Antec 120mm fan. Sweet. Final price &#036;441.99 - &#036;25 = &#036;416.99. :P
They sent you a 25&#036; check?

Wow, newegg does rock.

[adamp2p]

Wow, that&#39;s great, congrats. That&#39;s what this community is all about. There sure are some characters around here, eh?

[zapjb]

@JL - Yes Newegg sent me a &#036;25 check & a Antec 120mm case fan free (&#036;19 incl s&h)

@adamp2p - Yes this community is great. The delusional egotisical nuts are a little hard to take though.