Building PC need ideas

I bought a
AMD Athlon 64 3800+ Venice 1Ghz fsb . Now I'm looking for my MB,Video card. Like to stay around $300. Any ideas . Thanks chuck. This will be my first AMD. Looking forward to see how it works next to my p4 3.2

 

What do you intend to use the PC for so you can get a more targeted response?

 

Geforce 6800 for $170:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133155

Gigabyte K8N-SLI for $92:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128306

 

If he or she isn't into gaming, an SLI motherboard and 6800 card would be overkill and a waste of money.

 

Sorry I did't get back right away, Some gameing, movie recording,I have cable TV on it .Transfer vcr to dvd. Thanks again Chuck

 

If you're not a hard core gamer, then there is no real need or benefit for SLI, and it costs more.

As far as video card, a 6600 GT, or if the extra isn't a problem, a 6800. Both are very good and can easily play current games.

For motherboard, Abit AN8 is very good value and has great features.

There is no better chipset for AMD than nForce 4 (which the Abit, Albatron and Gigabyte have), so whichever motherboard you decide on, make sure it uses that chipset.


If you want the option of SLI at a good price, then Albatron do a K8SLI for a bit cheaper than the Abit, however it doesn't have as many features.

The Gigabyte linked above is also good value, but has less PCI slots than the Abit.

Not sure if it has Firewire either, which the Abit again has.

 

I need the TV in on the video card, I have cable tv into my computer now and use it alot. Thanks Chuck

 

"If you're not a hard core gamer, then there is no real need or benefit for SLI, and it costs more."

They aren't that much more. The Gigabyte mobo I linked to is $92. That's pretty cheap for a good quality motherboard. With or without SLI.

If you need TV in, I would suggest the same motherboard:
Gigabyte K8N-SLI for $92:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N82E16813128306

and an ATI X600 Pro All-In-Wonder for $145:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102463

 

Wyatt Earp I bought the Gigabyte K8NSLI .As you suggested ,I have a ATI 9000 pro and I want to try another brand. It seams like every time I update the ATI it takes a while to get it running right again. I read the reveiws on the ATI you suggested and some of them have had the same troubles.Any other idea's of another brand of Video card With TV in. Thanks Again for your time, And suggestens Chuck

 

Wyatt, If you still think the ATI is the better way to go then I will. Don't get me wrong My ATI 9000 has been a good card. Like I said the only trouble is when I up date it,after I get it back running right it does the trick. Thanks Again Chuck

 

I"M Sorry I was not thinking you suggested the Geforce 6800 ( My wife was talking to me in background)
I'm going to hold off on the vidieo card for right now.Hard to choose.
I guess the Hard drive and Memory is next I found Western Digital / Caviar SE / 160GB / 7200 / 8MB / SATA-150 / Hard Drive At Tiger dir. For $94& Crucial 400MHz PC3200 2 x 512MB $108.97. Does this look alrigh? Thanks Chuck

 

Yes, and I said it was good value, however he said that he wanted to stay around $300, so if he wasn't a hard core gamer, then that money could have been put towards other things and would have been wasted. (It also takes up a slot on the motherboard)


Chuck, if you can get a Maxtor DiamondMax 10 with 16 mb cache for a similar amount as the WD, then that would be a better buy in my opinion.

Just make sure it's 16 MB cache and not 8.

 

This is were I"m at . Please let me know if something is not going to work together. As always Thanks for you alls help.Still thinking on the Video card.I don't do any gameing ,But my son is a big gamer and someday down the road he will get this on I'm building. So I might get a average Vid.card for now and get a better one later. Never know about me. Thanks Chuck





CPU AMD 64 |3800+ ATHLON 64 939P RT
MB GIGABYTE NF4 SLI | GA-K8N-SLI
Maxtor 300GB EIDE HD 7200/16MB/ATA-133

Crucial 1024MB PC3200 DDR 400MHz (512MBx2)