Parts Compatible?

Well..I'm building a PC..mainly for browsing..and using a few programs...like ms office 10, photoshop possibly. I don't do any gaming or anything like that..just want a fast pc for my uses. Anyways...I am shopping from this place...ONLY..no NewEgg or TigerDirect..I am in Canada. Newegg won't ship here btw...will all of these things work together?

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 505, 2.66 GHz, 1MB L2, 533 MHz FSB, Socket LGA775 $140

MOBO: Asus P5S800-VM Socket 775 SIS 661FX Dual DDR 400 Ultra-AGPII Lan Audio SATA $70.00

RAM: Corsair Value Select PC3200 DDR400 512MB 184-pin DIMM $52.00

HARD DRIVE: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 SATA/150 100GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache (OEM) $70.00

or

Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 SATA/150 80GB 7200RPM 8MB Buffer (OEM) $70.00

Case + PSU: a-POD P4 ATX Mid Tower Case with 420w PS (Black/Silver) $50.00

TOTAL: $380

Already Have: Monitor, Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers, CD/DVD Drive, Floppy Drive, Sound Card.

1. Does everything work?

2. Which hard drive is better, same price...100gig or 80gig?

3. The Asus mobo comes with a video card right..the SIS Real 256E Graphics? Remember..I don't game so if it's a card..it works!

4. Is this case good enough?

5. Will my PC run fast for internet browsing, etc. I have rogers high speed cable btw.

6. Am I getting ripped off?

 

Anyone have advice or opinions?

 

the mobo is micro ATX it might not fit in that case otherwise it looks ok, but I would suggest getting a mobo with pci-e instead of agp, and imho AMD cpus are a better value.The 100gb Hdd is a better deal and that set up should be fine for internet browsing.if you aren't agming you probably don't need a video card but still pci-e is a better bet if you ever want to upgrade

 

I just found this hard drive, much better deal

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148065

 

can't shop at newegg..i'm in canada!

Also..a few people say that amd is way better than intel..but the intel is 2.66...i found a amd athlon 939 1.8 + a dif mobo...i may get a whole dif case anyways..i am mainly concerned about cpu/mobo/harddrive right now...the other amd ones are..

http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006028&cid=CPU.611

http://canadacomputers.com//index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=008258&cid=MB.693

I spend 20 bucks more..is it worth it?

 

I would reccomend that processor, it has 64 bit support and should be a little bit faster than the p4, The mobo is decent but it has only 2 pci and 2 RAM slots so it would be pretty limited if you plan to upgrade.

 

you might want to try looking at some other computer stores but I'm not really sure where you can shop since you are in canada.

 

AMD, way back, started naming its cpus so that consumers would understand the comparison. AMDs by nature run at a slower clock speed that P 4's to do the same work. So, an AMD 3000+ is meant to sound like a P 4 3.0 MHZ.

That socket 939 AMD 3000 will run away and hide from that P4 you listed. The socket 939 mobos will have dual channel ram so you'll want to divide up your sticks - get at least 2 matched ones, like 2X256 MB sticks.

You might look for the biggest HDD for the buck. No PATA or SATA drive made now can saturate the bandwidth of even the ATA 100 DMA bandwidth and you'll only really want to watch that you get that 8 meg cache and 7200 RPM.

Since this looks like a really nice but budget build, I'd stick with the AGP. I agree that the pci express x 16 is better, but considering the speed of all else you have, just my $.02 says the AGP is more bang for the budget buck. maybe a radeon 9600 chipset 8x AGP down the road for about $60 would match the rest of what you have and do great if someone wants gaming.

I think you're doing great on choices and prices. That will scream. You can overclock that 939 chip 10 percent without a thought. Gives you a 3300 equivalent.

Good luck, you'll love it.

--techsalong

 

okay..techsalong...about the memory...u say to get 2X256 instead of a single 512 right? They look expensive...can u find anything on canadacomputers.com?

 

OK, here's a pair of 256's. Granted they cost more than 1 512, but in dual channel, you double your bandwidth for memory when you have 2 sticks. Also, some dual channel boards won't run with just one stick. You can check the mobo manufacturer's website for documentation about that. Here:

http://tinyurl.com/92r4p

Good luck

 

Okay..that looks good..i suppose I will take that RAM considering it seems like it will be best....I found the mobo on asus' site too.. http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=15&l3=0&model=743&modelmenu=1

It says it supports 512 and 1mb cache's...what is mine? i couldn't find it..

 

If you look at the pic of that mobo on the link you gave, it has only 2 ram slots. If you buy 2x256 you have no expansion ability. You might want to ask ASUS or download the manual to find out if it will run on one chip so you can get 1 512. Most dual channel mobos have 4 slots, but this is micro atx so space is saved.

I know I said that the 2x256 would be faster and it would somewhat because you would have a stick on each channel, and each channel has its own bandwidth among other things. The difference wouldn't be great enough for me to want to lock myself out of adding another stick later without having to toss the 2 x 256 sticks and get 2 x 512s. If you can make 1 512 work there, I would.

Have you considered maybe getting a full sized ATX mobo (asus is GREAT) and then springing for a cheapo video card which is all that's on the mobo anyway? PCI (basic PCI) video cards are cheap even on Ebay. I'm down to my very last dump truck load of those myself that I got as pulls for upgrades. They are often very high quality corporate level pulls, just not the fastest things on earth.

If you could do that, you'd have a much better board with much more upgradeability and a lot more room for about the same price. I know keep pushing the budget, but the A8V on that site you sent is only $13 more than your A8V MX.

About the cache, in this case they are talking about the L2 cache in the processor. The cpu you are looking at has 512 so you're fine. AMD's in 939 run from 128 (some semprons) to 1000k. You're looking at a very good, very fast cpu. Very good.

 

okay...I don't really care about spending a bit more money...i may even be able to get a card from an older friend of mine that i know..he's into computer stuff..may have a few extras that he can spare me. Or maybe even not go with asus...i know everyone says it's great...how is gigabyte? I've don't know too much about them..i found one that has 4 ram slots instead of 2 slots...but is it any good? same price.. http://canadacomputers.com//index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=008049&cid=MB.693

 

To really confuse the issue, you might look at the socket 754 AMD's. They don't have dual channel ram and the parts are cheaper. You might, if budget is a real issue, look at a Sempron as long as it has 256k L2 cache. They are very fast in themselves. You'd be looking at something like:

http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=007658&cid=CPU.183

and maybe something like:

http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=005537&cid=MB.259

and then maybe:

http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006416&cid=999.821

or maybe we could talk off-list about a good used pci video card if you'd just pay shipping.

Is that illegal to say here? I'm new - mods, please don't bust me too bad?

Then you'd go with that single stick of 512 MB RAM, and I like that brand too, btw.

Don't knock that Sempron, it's very good.

 

wow..i'm in love with the cheapness! lol, okay..so how fast does that sempron really run...like 2800+ 1.6 ghz...is that like 1.6..or do u add 2.8 to it..lol, confusing....about the card..maybe..do u have msn or yim?

 

My $.02 says there's nothing wrong with gigabyte mobos at all. I like the easy configuration of the asus better (overclocking, asus ez flash, asus probe, etc.) but that might be just because I'm so used to asus. I just put a box together yesterday with a gigabyte K8 Triton socket 939 mobo and an AMD 3000+ Venice core, and it's fine.

 

See..with the sempron and asus mobo...will it still be fast? like i'm saving quite a bit of money here with a 754 instead of a 939... considering it is like 160 for both when the 939 was 150 alone...and what speed does it actually run? It says 1.6ghz...but i suppose the 2800+ has something to do with it?

 

You can't compare MHZ on the cpu clock speed on AMDs to the Pentiums. They have a whole different architecture and simply run slower to do the same work. It's kind of like the difference between a big V8 engine with lots of low end torque and a small high revving engine, both rated at the same horsepower. Even if the small motor has a higher HP rating, you could chain it back to back with the big V8 which would then promptly skid the wheels off of the "higher" HP motor.

That's why gamers tend to like the AMDs including Semprons if the budget calls for that. They run slower and generate less heat. That's why they overclock so well. Pentiums tend to run hot, and too hot maybe when overclocked or worked really hard.

I read in Maximum PC mag that in Oct. and Nov. of this year, AMD for the first time sold more cpus than Intel did, both in completed retail computers and as individual processors. That's why the price of the AMDs has shot up in the last month. AMD is tiny compared to Intel and can't keep up, they say.

>wow..i'm in love with the cheapness! lol, okay..so how fast does that sempron really >run...like 2800+ 1.6 ghz...is that like 1.6..or do u add 2.8 to it..lol, confusing....about >the card..maybe..do u have msn or yim?

 

okay i see. So do you think the sempron + asus is best for me..considering I'm saving lots of money..and mainly for browsing, and a few programs?

 

The 2800 is the name AMD gives it so that you will know that it compares in "power" to a 2.8 Intel. (2.8 GHZ pentium is 2800 MHZ and that's the speed that the 2.8 P4 actually runs at. Note the G and the M.)

You can set that Sempron to a 10% overclock and leave the ram at 1:1 ratio, I'll bet, and have a 3.1 P4 equivalent or AMD 3100+, still have your 64 bit capability (Coming Windows Longhorn/Vista will like that) and your ram will then be running at DDR 440 instead of DDR 400, again 10 % faster RAM too.

Right now I'm sitting at a box with an Athlon Venice 939 3800+ that's overclocked 20% including the ram which is DDR 480 MHZ instead of the rated 400. (asus A8V Deluxe board and the very same corsair value select ram you chose.) In round numbers, that puts my cpu at over 4500+ or Pentium 4.5 if they even make one.

 

Well, please understand I'm not telling you what to do? I'm just trying to help you understand the meaning of the options.

Considering what you want to do, this will fly.

 

okay..b/c the pc i am on right now is an acer desktop...with an intel.. 2.8 ghz...and it runs really fast for the net...i love it. Like is the sempron considered about the same speed? It isn't overclocked eithers..as it is my moms

 

OK, if you decide to look at Semprons, just watch that it has 256k L2 cache. About half of those have only 128k and my $.02 says they aren't a good deal considering that the 256's are about the same price...

 

My $.02 guess is that this setup will be faster than that P4 2.8.

Not on the net, understand. That's an issue of bandwidth from your ISP and even across the whole internet and individual servers at times. Almost any old computer, and any 10/100 (either speed) or wireless LAN is WAY faster that the up/download speeds of a broadband connection.

 

Well..if it is just as fast..and a lot cheaper..I like it WAY better...plus most people say amd is better than Intel...but we don't need that big arguement.