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Thread: Looking For Some Suggestions For

  1. #1
    As the title says, i'm looking for some suggestions. In the next two weeks i'll be looking to get into the market of some good gaming. the key things i'm looking for are: performance and upgradeable.

    meaning i'll probably be looking to get the most out of 500-700 dollars (price range) in the next two weeks and then add on some goodies like a high end video card, etc in the next month or so.

    I would prefer a pentium w/ 800mhz fsb. a solid mb that can handle hyper threading and can be upgraded for at least a little while before it becomes obsolete. a large hard drive w/ a good amount of cache as well as 1gb ram.


    The people i used to purchase my computers from have gone out of business. And since i haven't really been keeping track of where to get some good deals... I thought i would ask you all.

    What would you do for a good gaming computer if you had, 500-700 dollars to spend? I'm no stranger to building a system so that wouldn't be a problem... but i wouldn't mind a system set up for me either.

    My current system is a athlon xp 1700. with 1gb of sdram and a 64 meg geforce video card. it worked well, but is a few years old and can no longer handle the games i like to play (bf1942, halo at good settings).


    Any suggestions would be helpfull... Thanks!!

  2. Software & Hardware   -   #2
    Benno's Avatar Poster
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    Originally posted by reignking@2 October 2003 - 23:08


    My current system is a athlon xp 1700. with 1gb of sdram and a 64 meg geforce video card. it worked well, but is a few years old and can no longer handle the games i like to play (bf1942, halo at good settings).
    Buy a new video card and it should not have any problems handle all recent games.

    You Better Keep In Mind That I Can Read Between The Lines


    Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to there level and beat you with experience!!

  3. Software & Hardware   -   #3
    I've thought about that... but at the same time want to get a new one.

    the motherboard can't handle more than the 1700 i'm running now, and i want to get more fsb and l2 cache. i know that the biggest thing holding me back is the video card, but it doesn't pay to invest on a 350 dollar ati 9800 pro when i would be running it in a 2 year old system.

    i've been looking on ebay but don't like the way they cheap out on the important things on their systems. guess i'll keep looking...

  4. Software & Hardware   -   #4
    _John_Lennon_'s Avatar Poster
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    Originally posted by reignking@2 October 2003 - 19:09
    I've thought about that... but at the same time want to get a new one.

    the motherboard can't handle more than the 1700 i'm running now, and i want to get more fsb and l2 cache. i know that the biggest thing holding me back is the video card, but it doesn't pay to invest on a 350 dollar ati 9800 pro when i would be running it in a 2 year old system.

    i've been looking on ebay but don't like the way they cheap out on the important things on their systems. guess i'll keep looking...
    Frogive me, but I am looking crunching some numbers on an AMD system for you, because thats just what I do best.

    Also a few things,

    1.- Do you want a new hard drive?
    2. Do you want a new monitor?
    3. New speakers?
    4. Do you need a high end sound card, because you have high end speakers?
    5. Do you need a mouse/keyboard?
    6. Do you need an operating system? (you can usually use the backup discs for the computer your using now.)


    Any other specs you would like, like the size of a new hard drive if you want one?

  5. Software & Hardware   -   #5
    john,

    thanks for taking the time to look into it...

    i have a amd system now and love it... however i was always under the impression that intel w/ the higher fsb and higher l2 cache was the better choice for gaming. is it comparable? as in does the fsb and l2 cache make as much difference as i've been led to believe?

    your other questions:
    1: i could probably use a new hd. my current one is 60 gigs and i would probably move it into my new system as a secondary drive for kazaa use. the new one i would get would be 80+ gigs at 7200.
    2: i don't need a new monitor. just recently purchased a new one.
    3: don't need new speakers either. the ones i have now are the best i've ever owned.
    4: i could probably use a upgrade in the soundcard department. sblive 5.1. but it does the job for a cheap card.
    5: will need a new mouse but keyboard i'm ok on.
    6: i shouldn't need a new os. i'm running xp pro... and have a copy of 98se if i ever decide to go back to it.


    anyways... that's about what i have. I would love the new amd 64 but i would have to be sure it would be worth the money to put that much on plastic.

    rk

  6. Software & Hardware   -   #6
    _John_Lennon_'s Avatar Poster
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    Scroll to bottom.

    Qty Product Item # Unit Price Qty x Price

    Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
    Aspire (Turbo Case )X-Dreamer Black ATX Mid-Tower Case w/Window and 350W Power Supply, Model ATXB3KLW-BK/350W
    Specifications:
    Form Factor: Standard ATX
    Drive Bays: External 4 x 5.25" - 2 x 3.5" Internal 4 x 3.5"
    Expansion Slots: 7
    USB/IO: 2x USB 2.0 + Audio/Mic
    Case Fans: 2 x 80mm (see pics)
    Power Supply: 350W
    Approx. Dimensions: 7.75" x 18.5" X 16.75" (LxWxH) more info>
    N82E16811144001 $55.00
    $55.00

    CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
    Samsung SW-252BEN 52x24x52 CDRW Bulk- OEM
    Specifications: Data Transfer: Read CD : 52X (7,800 KB/sec),Record CD : 52X (7,800 KB/sec),Rewrite CD : 24X (3,600 KB/sec)
    Burst Transfer Rate PIO Mode 4 (16.6MB/sec),UDMA Mode 2 (33.3MB/sec)
    Buffer Memory 2MB
    Interface EIDE/ATAPI
    Average Access Time 110ms
    Size: 148.2 x 42 x 184
    OEM Bulk Package (see pics for details) more info>
    N82E16827151020 $37.99
    $37.99

    Floppy Drives
    ►Top Seller!
    MITSUMI D359M3 FDD 1.44MB 3.5INCH - OEM
    Specifications:
    Connector: 34-pin Floppy cable Standard Connector.
    Modes: HD(1.44MB) Supports: Dos, Windows 3.1, 95/98 NT3.51 and 4.0
    2DD(720kb) Supports: Dos, Windows 3.1, 95/98 NT3.51 and 4.0 more info>
    N82E16821103104 $6.99
    $6.99 ea.@10+
    $6.5 ea.@20+
    $6 ea.@60+
    $6.99

    Hard Drives
    ►Top Seller!
    WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 80GB 7200RPM EIDE HARD DRIVE MODEL # WD800JB - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
    Specifications:
    Size: 80 Gigabytes
    Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
    Seek time: 8.9ms
    RPM:7200
    Cache 8MB
    OEM(Drive alone) 3 Year Manufacturer Warranty more info>
    N82E16822144122 $78.00
    $78.00

    Keyboards
    Aopen KeyBoard KB-858 107-key Windows Layout
    107-key Windows layout
    3 Windows 98 power keys
    Membrane tactile switch
    Laser engraved printing keys
    PS2 connector
    20 million life cycles more info>
    N82E16823144001 $3.00
    $3.00

    Memory (System Memory)
    GEIL DDR RAM 512MB PC-3200 Value 400MHz Ultra- CAS 2.5, 2T Command With Extreme Performance Heat SpreaderGL5123200B Value. DDR400, CAS 2.5, 184 Pin Dimm, High Quality 6 Layer PCB OEM - Lifetime Warranty. High Performance at Affortable Price!!! more info>
    N82E16820144305 $83.00
    $83.00

    Monitors - CRT
    Hitachi CRT Monitor V700 17" - Retail
    16.1" Viewable, .24mm DP horizontal, .14mm DP vertical
    1152 x 864 native resolution, 1280 x 1024 maximum resolution
    3-Year Manufacturer Warranty
    "This monitor produces vibrant colors and crisp text as well as flicker-free performance..."
    (Mac use may require adapter, not included, see Detail Specs)
    more info>

    Standard Warranty only N82E16824134022 $99.00
    $99.00

    Motherboards - AMD
    Biostar Motherboard for AMD Athlon/AthlonXP/Duron processors , Model# M7NCD PRO Retail.
    Specifications:
    CPU Supported: AMD Athlon/AthlonXP(Palomino, T-bred and Barton)/Duron processors
    Chipset: Nvidia nForce2 Ultra 400, MCP2
    FSB: 200/266/333/400
    RAM: 3x 184-pin DDR DIMMs (PC3200/2700/2100/1600 DDR SDRAMs), supports both 64-bit and 128-bit DDR SDRAM,Dual Channel DDR
    Slots:1xAGP (4x/8x) 5xPCI.
    Ports:2xCOM,1xLPT,2xUSB, 1xLAN, and Audio Ports
    Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650 6-Channel AC'97 CODEC
    Onboard LAN: Intregrated 10/100 Ethernet more info>
    N82E16813138227 $72.00
    $72.00

    Mouse
    ►Top Seller!
    Designer Scroll Optical Mouse Model HC3003/49P Retail
    Optical Scroll Mouse for Windows Opperating Systems
    Navy with silver buttons
    Optical Lens for Superior control. Works with Windows 95,98, and 2000
    Specifications
    Connector: PS2
    Buttons: 2 button + scroll wheel
    Technology: Optical more info>
    N82E16826129003 $5.00
    $5 ea.@2+
    $5 ea.@5+
    $5 ea.@10+
    $5.00

    Processors
    ►Top Seller!
    AMD ATHLON XP 2500+ "Barton" 333 FSB PROCESSOR CPU- RETAIL
    Specifications:
    CPU: 1.83 GHz
    Type: XP 2500 Barton Core
    Cache: 512K L2, 128K L1, Total 640KB
    BUS: 333MHz
    Socket A
    Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included)
    more info>
    N82E16819103379 $91.00
    $91.00

    Software - Operating Systems
    **This item is NOT REFUNDABLE, exchange for same exact item only!!**
    ►Top Seller!
    Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack SP1a - OEM Designed exclusively for home computing. From digital photos, music, and video to building a home network, Windows XP Home Edition brings you into the digital age with ease. Built on the solid foundation of Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition also sets the new standard in efficient and dependable computing.
    *Must be Purchased with Hardware!!* more info>
    N82E16837102141 $96.00
    $96.00

    Extend my Standard Warranty on the above qualified items: $31.68


    Subtotal » $626.98
    Shipping and Handling Charge »
    Tax Instruction for All Resellers How Newegg.com calculates shipping $ 48.81

    Grand Total » $ 675.79


    Here is something I just threw together, but it has onboard sound, but everything else, minus speakers.


    EDIT: Im re chaing this as we speak, so gimme a few, and I will readjust things.

  7. Software & Hardware   -   #7
    _John_Lennon_'s Avatar Poster
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    Btw, do you live in the US? And can you build your own computer? Or would you like a prebuilt one from a retailer.

  8. Software & Hardware   -   #8
    i live in the us and i do have experience building my own... so that wouldn't be a problem.

  9. Software & Hardware   -   #9
    _John_Lennon_'s Avatar Poster
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    Okay, small condensed post, before I work on some papers.

    (All prices from www.newegg.com and are in USD.)

    55.00 =Black windowed Case with 350 PS, and LED fan, and top fan.
    38.00 =52x24x52x CD-RW, Black.
    8.00 =Floppy drive
    105.00=WD 120GB 7200GB Hard Drive
    83.00 =512MB Geil 3200 (400Mhz) DDR-Ram
    72.00 =Biostar AMD motherboard, Nforce2 chipset, 8x AGP, onboard LAN.
    10.00 =Optical scroll mouse
    91.00 =AMD XP 2500+ Processor, Retail.
    80.00 =Creative labs sound blaster audigy - OEM.
    125.00= Powercolor Radeon 9600 128MB DDR Graphics card.

    670.98. Subtotal
    29.00 SHipping and Handling, (to me atleast in NC.)
    ---------
    689.98


    Now, as for suggestions, im open to them, but I wont be able to give anymore input for awhile I think, but, we can scale back on the 80 dollar sound card if you like, to try and push more money into the Graphics card (Though its a perfectly fine one) or we could just cut some money off that final price tag.

    Also, we can trim back to the 78 for an 80GB hard drive, but its up to you.

    Any bases I didnt cover?

  10. Software & Hardware   -   #10
    that looks good... i'll have to go over to newegg and price out the differnce in video cards between say a 9600 and a 9500 pro or a 9700pro. but that's a good start.... thanks.

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