computer info

I'm going to (hope to convince my parents to) buy a new computer, and some info would help a bit.

Im happy with my video card/dvd/cd drives. for now. got a nice optical mouse, a sucky keyboard, and a monitor. other than that i need everything else. I have a compilation of system requirements:
CPU Pentium 2GHz+ (do you recommend dual core? how does that work for you?)
RAM: DEFINATELY 1GB+
and atleast 50GB, preferably much more, hard drive
watercooled sounds cool, but my bank account is cringing as i type, so heh
basically, how much will this cost, wheres a good place to buy this(gateway, dell....), will this be obselete in a month?

main complaint with this box is that its borderline on system requirements for new games and the like. no HD space and its slow as frozen shit. if there's free software i can use to speed it up, cool

last thing i promise - is there anything i can do on my side to improve playing games online?

 

Hi again ST47! Just a question for ya...have ever entertained the notion of building your own machine? I have built 3 so far and I will never buy another 'commerical.' machine. Building your own you'll at least have the option of choosing your own parts, you put in what YOU want in...not what some company thinks you need!! Ironically, it's not as difficult as it sounds and the satisfaction knowing you built one is rewarding. If you need help there are many sites that can help you in the assembly, and the people here can help you make sure of the compatibility of the parts you choose. What do you think?

 

actually yes, however i was told it was complicated/more expensive. however for the flexibility, i'd be willing to think about it - one thing that confuses me is - ive never seen a 'box' for sale, nor a power supply, so i'd have so cannabalize this comp, and then i cant get help when(yep when not if) i screw up. of course ill look into it though

 

i suppose i would need a checklist of what a computer needs, and how to do it - can i have a link to some of the sites you mentioned?

 

kay. would this mobo:
http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/d945plm/index.htm
with:
Two PCI Conventional* bus connectors
One PCI Express* x1 bus add-in card connector
One PCI Express x16 bus add-in card connector

fit my ati radeon 9250PCI(doesnt say pci express/conventional)

 

the motherboard says this:
Video One PCI Express* x16 bus add-in card connector
which mean i need a new video card or a new motherboard, right?

 

heh why cant i edit?
well i switched mobo to the D945GNT with the proper connector and (i think) integrated video, until its off its feet
link: http://www.intel.com/products/motherboard/d945gnt/index.htm

 

First off, you won't have to canablize your present system. Everything can be bought indivudally, including the PSU and the case. Some cases come with a PSU, but wary of those unless it's a brand name case like Antec or ThermalTake, or a number of others. Secondly, determine how much you can spend on this project and I'll help you pick out compatable parts. From that link you sent, I guess you're going with an Intel CPU? They are good, but AMD will give you more bang for your buck, and they are, for the most part, cheaper. As for the check list of what you'll need:
Case
PSU
Motherboard
CPU (HSF included with retail package)
RAM
Video card
Sound card (or use on board sound)
CD or DVD player (recorder optional)
Floppy drive (optional)
HardDrive
Cables (usually supplied with Motherboard)
Fans (if not included with case)
OS (Win2000, WinXP, etc.)
I don't think I forgot anything, but if I did I'm sure someone will remind me!! However, like I said, what's the budget? Once that's known, you can take it from there.
As for those sites I mentioned, I haven't used them for over 3 years, but I'll see if I can find them again.

 

box has no power supply.
X Case
Working on it PSU
X Motherboard
X CPU (HSF included with retail package)
X RAM
X Video card
X Sound card (or use on board sound)
X CD or DVD player (recorder optional)
X Floppy drive (optional)
X HardDrive
Not too sure :S Cables (usually supplied with Motherboard)
see below Fans (if not included with case)
have winXP Home - will get vista when its out OS (Win2000, WinXP, etc.)

as for the fan, thats gonna need some help, THEN ill think about power eh?
the box has thus:
80mm Fan Ports 1
120mm Fan Ports 1
so i can have a small fan or a smaller fan.

do i need a seperate fan for the CPU? ive seen conflicting info and just am confuzed...the box info says this:
Adjustable CPU Air Duct
Keep the temperature of your CPU down by bringing cool air directly from the outside onto the CPU.

 

As for the fan for the CPU. If you buy the retail CPU, it will come with a HSF (heatsink & fan). That air duct you are reffering to is a usually a 'tub-like' looking thing that fits over the HSF and pulls air from the outside of the case directly onto the heatsink via the heatsinks fan.
As for the cables, they are usually ribbon cables that attach the HDD, CD, floppy, etc to the motherboard. As for the fans, I'm assuming that the 'box' has one fan mounted in the front and the other in the rear? Is that what you meant?

 

If your video card is a Radeon 9250 PCI (or even AGP for that matter) then it's only good for basic use.

If you enjoy gaming, you'll need a better video card.

It's not a good idea building a new system around a dated and slow video card.

 

Good point about the vid card Insomniac. I knew I'd forget something...Thanks!!!

 

alright thanks

 

how about cooling?
and any recommendations on video cards?

 

Stock cooling is more than adequate.

As far as video card, if you play games, minimum of a 6600GT or ATI X800 GTO.

If you can afford a 6800GS, they are excellent value and even better.

 

got an X13000 - please see my other topic