Building my other sister a PC, need input - Page 3

awdrifter · October 3rd, 2008, 11:06 AM

If you do not plan to overclock, that ECS P43 board is ok. The only overclockable boards from ECS is their Black Series. The E5200 will definitely be able to hanle 720P and 1080P video playbacks. Even my old 2.81ghz Athlon X2 could do that.

Viper007Bond · October 3rd, 2008, 11:14 AM

No, I will not be overclocking.

My P4 3.0GHz could not do 1080p.

awdrifter · October 3rd, 2008, 11:22 AM

Just googled some info about that board, it's really nice for a budget board.

User Review
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=194843

The E5200 can definitely playback 1080P stuff.

Crazyjeeper · October 3rd, 2008, 04:36 PM

Yeah, my old S939 Athlon X2 at 2.0ghz could handle 1080p playback.

cvrefugee · October 3rd, 2008, 09:54 PM

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ & MSI K9N SLI-F V2 Motherboard - $129

AMD Athlon LE-1640 Processor & ECS GeForce 7050M-M V2 Motherboard - $59

crucial 4GB DDR2 PC6400 Dual Memory - $35 after rebate

awdrifter · October 4th, 2008, 01:35 AM

The LE-1640 may not be able to handle 1080P playback. The cheapest I would go is the Athlon X2 5000.

Viper007Bond · October 4th, 2008, 03:12 AM

As I said, 1080p isn't a requirement, it's just a nice bonus. images/smilies/smile.gif

awdrifter · October 4th, 2008, 03:39 AM

Still, I would at least get the X2 5000. Most new games and programs now can take advantage of dual core cpu. They will run much better on a dual core. If budget allows, I would still recommend the E5200, but if you want to save a bit, the X2 5000 is still a very nice choice.

Yaco · October 7th, 2008, 06:32 AM

I love WD hdds but I would not recommend that one as a primary hard drive. I have that hard drive for storing stuff. Its rather slow, especially on startup spin.

Also, you may be paying about $5-$25 more on that disc drive because of that litescribe stuff. If she doesn't need it, then don't get it.

Hope my info isn't too late.

NecroJoe · October 7th, 2008, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yaco

Also, you may be paying about $5-$25 more on that disc drive because of that litescribe stuff. If she doesn't need it, then don't get it.

Actually, every time I've looked for a DVD-burner drive over the past two years or so, the cheapest ones were either Lite-On or Samgung drives with Lightscribe.

Couple of tips:
1) Upgrade to version 1.2 Lightscribe software and go to a higher contrast setting. (Yes, it takes longer...)
2) Don't bother with HP discs, stick with Verbatim. Holy cow, the difference is huge. Blacks are sooo much darker, and you can get so much more detail out of 'em.

That said, I wouldn't not buy a drive for lightscribe next time...but as long as I have it, I'll use it. The novelty is still there, as long as I'm not hogging the drive, waiting to use it for something else.

Viper007Bond · October 7th, 2008, 07:28 AM

I couldn't care less about Lightscribe, the Lite-On I'm looking at just happens to have it and is cheap.

Hell, no one in the house has burned a DVD or even a CD in like a year.

Viper007Bond · October 8th, 2008, 03:11 AM

So I've had at least three different mobo/CPU/RAM combinations. How do I pick one?

I'm horrible at this stuff. images/smilies/sad.gif

awdrifter · October 8th, 2008, 03:45 AM

If you want to build the cheapest comp, go with the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ & MSI K9N SLI-F V2 Motherboard - $129.

If you want it to last a while longer and may overclock it in the future, then go with the E5200 and ECS P43T-A2. If you're definitely going to overclock it down the road, then go with the E5200 and ECS P45T-A Black Series.

Viper007Bond · October 8th, 2008, 04:23 AM

Will never bother overclocking probably (I'm not any good at it) and while cost is certainly an issue, she still wants a decent PC that will last her a few years.

awdrifter · October 8th, 2008, 04:46 AM

I upgraded from a Athlon X2 4600 (oc'd to 2.81ghz), I really feel that a Athlon X2 5000+ (2.6ghz) will not be fast enough, so I would say go with the E5200, and if you're definitely not going to overclock, then I would suggest the E7300, it's got a little bit more cache (3mb vs the 2mb in the E5200), and slightly faster (2.66ghz vs 2.5ghz of the E5200).

Viper007Bond · October 9th, 2008, 11:20 PM

Okay, here's what I have so far (I included even the peripherals just for the hell of it). No video card though as the one that was suggested earlier no longer has a MIR (i.e. I'd like a new suggestion). Yes, I realize I don't have a copy of Windows in this list.

CPU + RAM: Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail + G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail $133.98
Mobo: ECS P45T-A LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $89.99 - $15 MIR
PSU: Rosewill RP500-2 500W ATX12V v2.01 Power Supply - Retail $42.99
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE WD5000AAJS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $64.99
Monitor: Acer X203Wbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $159.99
Burner: SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM $25.99
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $59.99
Speakers: Logitech X-240 25 Watts 2.1 Speaker - Retail $35.99
Keyboard: Microsoft BX1-00005 OEM Silver/Black USB + PS/2 Wired Standard Digital Media Pro Keyboard - OEM $14.99
Mouse: Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail $39.99
Mic: Labtec PC Mic 333 980184-0403 Silver 3.5mm Connector Microphone $4.99

That comes to a grand total of:

$743.54 (ow) + $70 in shipping (even more ow)

Suggestions for shaving that cost down are appreciated.

awdrifter · October 9th, 2008, 11:37 PM

Everything looks good, not sure where you can cut the cost though.

Here's another 9600GSO $85 ($55 after MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121251

Crazyjeeper · October 9th, 2008, 11:52 PM

This one is 49.99 AR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130361

Viper007Bond · October 10th, 2008, 12:06 AM

Thanks guys. images/smilies/smile.gif

Seasonone · October 10th, 2008, 12:19 AM

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1184768699170

You would lose an inch but how much is shipping on the monitor alone? It's in stock at the fancy new best buy next to the airport.

EDIT: The refresh rate is different too, bummer.

October 3rd, 2008, 11:06 AM	#41
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	If you do not plan to overclock, that ECS P43 board is ok. The only overclockable boards from ECS is their Black Series. The E5200 will definitely be able to hanle 720P and 1080P video playbacks. Even my old 2.81ghz Athlon X2 could do that. __________________ TP

October 3rd, 2008, 11:14 AM	#42
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	No, I will not be overclocking. My P4 3.0GHz could not do 1080p. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

October 3rd, 2008, 11:22 AM	#43
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	Just googled some info about that board, it's really nice for a budget board. User Review http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=194843 The E5200 can definitely playback 1080P stuff. __________________ TP

October 3rd, 2008, 04:36 PM	#44
Crazyjeeper Joined: Nov 29th, 2006 Last Online: 04:26 AM Location: Texas Age: 19 Posts: 2,497 Car: 1985 Jeep CJ7, 1997 Ford F150 Rep Power: 50	Yeah, my old S939 Athlon X2 at 2.0ghz could handle 1080p playback. __________________ Toy: 1985 Jeep CJ7 Lifted and Locked Daily Driver: 1997 Ford F150 4.6L with a massive 220hp MSI P6N Diamond 680i, E8400 @ 3.15ghz, CM Hyper 212 Cooler, XFX 8800GT 512mb Extreme, MSI 8400GS, Creative X-FI, 2x1gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800, PC Power & Cooling 610w EPS12v, 1.6tb of HDD, CM Centurion 690.

October 4th, 2008, 01:35 AM	#46
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	The LE-1640 may not be able to handle 1080P playback. The cheapest I would go is the Athlon X2 5000. __________________ TP

October 3rd, 2008, 09:54 PM	#45
cvrefugee Joined: Aug 16th, 2004 Last Online: 09:00 AM Location: Corona, CA Age: 28 Posts: 3,399 Car: 2005 Scion xB Rep Power: 58	AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ & MSI K9N SLI-F V2 Motherboard - $129 AMD Athlon LE-1640 Processor & ECS GeForce 7050M-M V2 Motherboard - $59 crucial 4GB DDR2 PC6400 Dual Memory - $35 after rebate

October 4th, 2008, 03:12 AM	#47
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	As I said, 1080p isn't a requirement, it's just a nice bonus. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

October 4th, 2008, 03:39 AM	#48
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	Still, I would at least get the X2 5000. Most new games and programs now can take advantage of dual core cpu. They will run much better on a dual core. If budget allows, I would still recommend the E5200, but if you want to save a bit, the X2 5000 is still a very nice choice. __________________ TP

October 7th, 2008, 06:32 AM	#49
Yaco Joined: Jan 17th, 2008 Last Online: 07:29 AM Location: Whitney Point, New York, USA Age: 20 Posts: 277 Car: 95 Cutlass SSL, 91 Dodge Spirit Rep Power: 7	I love WD hdds but I would not recommend that one as a primary hard drive. I have that hard drive for storing stuff. Its rather slow, especially on startup spin. Also, you may be paying about $5-$25 more on that disc drive because of that litescribe stuff. If she doesn't need it, then don't get it. Hope my info isn't too late. __________________ "Hear that noise? ...coming from behind my left ear? That is the sound of money exploding!" -Jc That tray that pops out, yeah, that's not a cup holder.

October 7th, 2008, 07:28 AM	#51
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	I couldn't care less about Lightscribe, the Lite-On I'm looking at just happens to have it and is cheap. Hell, no one in the house has burned a DVD or even a CD in like a year. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

October 8th, 2008, 03:11 AM	#52
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	So I've had at least three different mobo/CPU/RAM combinations. How do I pick one? I'm horrible at this stuff. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

October 8th, 2008, 03:45 AM	#53
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	If you want to build the cheapest comp, go with the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 5000+ & MSI K9N SLI-F V2 Motherboard - $129. If you want it to last a while longer and may overclock it in the future, then go with the E5200 and ECS P43T-A2. If you're definitely going to overclock it down the road, then go with the E5200 and ECS P45T-A Black Series. __________________ TP

October 8th, 2008, 04:23 AM	#54
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Will never bother overclocking probably (I'm not any good at it) and while cost is certainly an issue, she still wants a decent PC that will last her a few years. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

October 8th, 2008, 04:46 AM	#55
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	I upgraded from a Athlon X2 4600 (oc'd to 2.81ghz), I really feel that a Athlon X2 5000+ (2.6ghz) will not be fast enough, so I would say go with the E5200, and if you're definitely not going to overclock, then I would suggest the E7300, it's got a little bit more cache (3mb vs the 2mb in the E5200), and slightly faster (2.66ghz vs 2.5ghz of the E5200). __________________ TP

October 9th, 2008, 11:20 PM	#56
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Okay, here's what I have so far (I included even the peripherals just for the hell of it). No video card though as the one that was suggested earlier no longer has a MIR (i.e. I'd like a new suggestion). Yes, I realize I don't have a copy of Windows in this list. CPU + RAM: Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E5200 - Retail + G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail $133.98 Mobo: ECS P45T-A LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $89.99 - $15 MIR PSU: Rosewill RP500-2 500W ATX12V v2.01 Power Supply - Retail $42.99 Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar SE WD5000AAJS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $64.99 Monitor: Acer X203Wbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $159.99 Burner: SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM $25.99 Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $59.99 Speakers: Logitech X-240 25 Watts 2.1 Speaker - Retail $35.99 Keyboard: Microsoft BX1-00005 OEM Silver/Black USB + PS/2 Wired Standard Digital Media Pro Keyboard - OEM $14.99 Mouse: Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail $39.99 Mic: Labtec PC Mic 333 980184-0403 Silver 3.5mm Connector Microphone $4.99 That comes to a grand total of: $743.54 (ow) + $70 in shipping (even more ow) Suggestions for shaving that cost down are appreciated. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005 Last edited by Viper007Bond; October 9th, 2008 at 11:23 PM..

October 9th, 2008, 11:37 PM	#57
awdrifter Joined: Aug 29th, 2004 Last Online: 01:58 AM Posts: 1,490 Rep Power: 25	Everything looks good, not sure where you can cut the cost though. Here's another 9600GSO $85 ($55 after MIR) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121251 __________________ TP

October 9th, 2008, 11:52 PM	#58
Crazyjeeper Joined: Nov 29th, 2006 Last Online: 04:26 AM Location: Texas Age: 19 Posts: 2,497 Car: 1985 Jeep CJ7, 1997 Ford F150 Rep Power: 50	This one is 49.99 AR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130361 __________________ Toy: 1985 Jeep CJ7 Lifted and Locked Daily Driver: 1997 Ford F150 4.6L with a massive 220hp MSI P6N Diamond 680i, E8400 @ 3.15ghz, CM Hyper 212 Cooler, XFX 8800GT 512mb Extreme, MSI 8400GS, Creative X-FI, 2x1gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800, PC Power & Cooling 610w EPS12v, 1.6tb of HDD, CM Centurion 690.

October 10th, 2008, 12:06 AM	#59
Viper007Bond Lazy Head Dude Joined: Sep 21st, 2003 Last Online: 09:04 AM Location: Portland, Oregon Age: 24 Posts: 20,988 Car: Dodge Viper (I wish!) Rep Power: 234	Thanks guys. __________________ Fight back against the evil Quiky by +1'ing this post! There is no replacement for displacement. - Wolfgang Bernhard, Chief Operating Officer, Chrysler Group talking about the Dodge Viper SRT-10 ... I ask Herb Helbig, vehicle synthesis manager for SRT and a member of the original Team Viper development group since day one, if they'd ever thought of adding traction control. "It comes with two," he says, pointing at my feet. "Learn to use them." Got it. - Motor Trend on the 2006 Dodge Viper Coupe, November 2005

October 10th, 2008, 12:19 AM	#60
Seasonone Joined: Jun 30th, 2008 Last Online: 08:30 AM Location: Portland, Oregon USA Age: 24 Posts: 595 Car: RB25 "silvia" Rep Power: 16	http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1184768699170 You would lose an inch but how much is shipping on the monitor alone? It's in stock at the fancy new best buy next to the airport. EDIT: The refresh rate is different too, bummer.