asdfdfdfdfdfdf
@Level3.net
| reply to VishuzNinja
Re: Best route to getting a new box? Current one is 6 years old.
For a lower price you can get the corsair 750. The zalman is probably an fsp supply, which isn't bad, but there is no reason not to get the corsair under the circumstances.
You want to go with sli so I think you need to get an nvidia based motherboard, one of the 750 sli boards.
You don't want to get the lower performance outdated 640MB gts cards. The superior 8800gt 512MB g92 cards can be had for near $100 after rebate. A pair of these in sli still gives very nice performance.
What is the laptop being used for? |
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
Premium
join:2001-11-22
LOSTinSpace
clubs: 
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
 ·AT&T Southeast
| reply to VishuzNinja
I'd look for some real reviews on that power supply, reviews done using professional testing equipment. Two sites to start with are hardocp and jonnyguru. Personally, I'd rather have the 750 watt unit that Corsair makes, it's quiet, stable, clean power, dependable, good warranty, and so on.
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You know your life has gotten "DICEY" when it turns into an episode of LOST, like my ex wife, who I swear is one of "The Others". Cancer and other diseases kill fellow members here at DSLR! Easy: Join us in Teams Helix and Discovery to save the world! |
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VishuzNinja
Legalize Ganja
join:2007-04-21
Brooklyn, NY
clubs:
| reply to VishuzNinja
Quick update:
New wish list for a build under $1,000
Comments on the mobo, video card, CPU, and RAM especially appreciated. It all adds up to around $850 but I can put in some extra money into it if necessary.
CPU: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···19115037
CPU HSF: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···35186134
Mobo: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···13131299
RAM: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···20227178
Video card: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···14130317
PSU: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···17379006
HD: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···22136218
Burner: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···27151173
Any problems I should be aware of or are there any better components I should be considering? I want the ability to upgrade to SLI (2 PCI-E 2.0 slots). Intel Core 2 Duo is pretty much the CPU I'm shooting for. If the current parts I already chose are decent then I'll add in an LCD monitor.
Also looking @ this laptop to replace the one my girlfriend is using: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···34147768
Budget: Under $1,000 as well.
Thanks in advance, guys. 
& sorry for not replying individually, I'm too busy at the moment. :/
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"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." -Friedrich Nietzsche |
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Edge1
Workin' Ta Live
Premium
join:2006-03-01
·Verizon Online DSL
| reply to norwegian
Re: Is an investment possible? Budget box - Profitable??
said by norwegian  :I am surprised no one else commented on AMD for a cheaper alternative. Just built my first AMD machine ever and its smooth and fast. $77 CPU  . Cool and quiet also. That said, I also like the Gigabyte P35 boards asdf mentioned.
I also agree that sinking money into an old box is the last thing you should do. I blew $$$ on that once. Argh. 
Keep us informed OP. |
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norwegian
Premium
join:2005-02-15
Outback
·WestNet Broadband
1 edit | reply to Joe12345678
I am surprised no one else commented on AMD for a cheaper alternative. ViSHUZ mentions money as an issue, and that is very sound advice.
I know I took the plunge and went to my first AMD/Nvidia based box, only to find out it wasn't the processor it used to be in comparison to Intel's offerings, including a M2N32 sli mobo which aren't considered the hype that followed them as well.. Not that I mind now, but at the time for the same money, I certainly could have got more speed/power, and that was my aim.
If I had done the research I might have made a better box,
Listen to the good people here, do a little more research, and you'll be surprised at what you can get for a low price.
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The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing - Edmund Burke |
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Joe12345678
join:2003-07-22
Des Plaines, IL
| reply to pog
a low amd dual core is better the X2 4050e is $59.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000 is $59
AMD Athlon X2 BE-2400 oem $39 also has combo deals
a GeForce 8200 board with geforce boost is $69
or a 740g as low as $49 after RB
780v $52.99 after RB
780g $54.99 after RB
780g + side port ram $104.99
good 790gx $127.99 |
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
Premium
join:2001-11-22
LOSTinSpace
clubs:
·Future Nine Corpor..
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to VishuzNinja
Re: Best route to getting a new box? Current one is 6 years old.
ViSHUZ: I must say, you did indeed show a lot of grace in your reply. I had the wrong impression, I have seen people who try and take advantage of others and I wanted only to discourage that.
As asdf says, it isn't worth it to invest in old hardware to help it sell unless you've got a really hot line on parts for uber cheap that are absolutely necessary. HOWEVER: You could make a deal with the person you sell to, to add upgrades for a small fee if they agree to dollar for dollar compensation on said parts...
Oh, and BTW: I wouldn't use an FSP supply on anything but an old, well downrev build, their build quality is questionable, not the worst, but not "good" either.
--
You know your life has gotten "DICEY" when it turns into an episode of LOST, like my ex wife, who I swear is one of "The Others". Cancer and other diseases kill fellow members here at DSLR! Easy: Join us in Teams Helix and Discovery to save the world! |
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pog
Premium
join:2004-06-03
Kihei, HI
·Hawaiian Telcom
| reply to VishuzNinja
Re: Is an investment possible? Budget box - Profitable??
said by VishuzNinja :The current CPU is an Athlon XP 2100+ Palamino (1.7GHz) The amount of RAM is 1.5GB DDR PC-2700 (1x 512, 1x 1GB) 1. What would be the highest end video card I can purchase whilst avoiding any bottlenecks? Would this be better than just selling this old box as it stands? ... There's a lot you can upgrade in your system... but the time for doing that has come and gone... unless you have access to free/cheap parts.
You could do FAR better than what you have now, just buying low-spec'd modern stuff.
Just a quick look at newegg (not examined carefully), just as examples:
lga board $50 »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···13130177
dual core celeron $50 »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···19116064
PSU $50 »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···17104953
2GB RAM $40 »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···20134635
250GB HD $60 »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···22148262
NV 8600GT $40 »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···14130085
This adds to almost $300... you just reuse your existing case, optical/floppy drive, some internal cables.
If you were to upgrade around your existing motherboard (keeping it, IOW), you might spend a significant % of $300... and not really have much to show for it!
--
My Site |
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asdfdfdfdfdfdf
@Level3.net
| reply to VishuzNinja
Re: Best route to getting a new box? Current one is 6 years old.
POWER SUPPLY:
corsair 550 $75 after rebate. Quality supply 41A 12v should be plenty:
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···17139004
If you could continue to get this deal for a corsair 750 for $100 after rebate, then the extra $25 are probably worth it. If the price goes back up I wouldn't pay more than $100 for it because you really don't need it.
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···17139006
CPU 8400 wolfdale $169
If you decide you would rather trade some gaming performance for photoshop performance you could go with a quad core.
I would use the stock heat/sink fan included with the processor. This isn't an area you need to throw money into.
MOTHERBOARD $85
I'm still partial to the gigabyte ds3l boards. There are a number of options that are essentially the same
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···13128347
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···13128345
»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···13128337
They are all 4 phase, solid caps. I would go with the $85 p35 based board if it was my setup. I don't think the differences are going to matter to most people. They can handle quad core chips.
There are also the asus p5k boards. The epu version is 8 phase.
I would consider all these boards roughly comparable for most situations.
GRAPHICS CARD $150
A 4850 based card is the sweet spot right now. They are $160ish. Since you wanted a 280 to begin with you could consider a 4870 which is $260ish.
The brand can be changed depending on what the deals are at the time you buy.
MEMORY OCZ reaper memory is fine. They presently have a nice rebate. If the rebate disappears you could move to something else because you don't need to spend $65 for 2 GB ram: $35, after rebate
DVD-BURNER of your choice : $30ish
HARD DRIVE 640 western digital is fine. If you really don't think you will need that kind of space you could save $20-30.: $84
CASE:
I don't have strong feeling on this. If it was me I would get an inexpensive $50ish case.
This can come in around $700-725 with shipping.
Key areas to focus if you want to cut costs further would be hard drive space truly needed, memory choice, case choice.
I wouldn't change the power supply because those are good supplies at an excellent price. In order to save money there you will need to take a hit in quality.
Compare a setup like this to your dream machine:
4 cores at lower clock will trade game performance for photoshop performance. Spending $300+ doesn't buy you much and would actually hurt gaming.
Motherboard- I have no complaints about your choice, but the choices I gave are very solid for lower cost. You really aren't giving up anything.
Memory ddr3 is a waste of money. You aren't giving up anything.
280 graphics: Of course this will be faster than a 4850, but it isn't worth all the extra money. If this is something that really bothers you spend another $100 and get the 4870. I think you are better off getting the 4850, saving the money and, if need be, replacing the graphics card a couple of years down the road. An ultra expensive card is still going to be surpassed in performance by later generation mid-range cards(i.e. the cards that will be out a year from now).
Corsair 1000 watt supply. You need quality, but having massive amounts of unused potential isn't getting you anywhere. You aren't sacrificing anything going with a corsair with more reasonable specs.
You really don't need to spend all the money you were considering and you shouldn't feel that a system like the one I suggest is poor quality or is forcing you to sacrifice much.
Appreciate anyone commenting on errors or omissions. |
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lhamp
Premium
join:2000-02-20
Stone Mountain, GA
clubs:
| reply to VishuzNinja
This isn't the stock market. A PC built today is worth less tomorrow. You can throw big $$ on the best of the best today. By tomorrow it will be outdated and worth crap.
---------------------------------------------------------
rrently I have a build I made in 2002 (Athlon XP, DDR, GF 6200, 19" CRT,
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You might get $200-300 for that depending on the specs. As an example I just sold a 2002 Athlon XP 3400 system loaded with the best of the best in 2002. I got $250 on Craigs List. It's a crapshoot. In 2002 I spent over $2000.
As far as making a profit on any PC build? Forget it. |
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VishuzNinja
Legalize Ganja
join:2007-04-21
Brooklyn, NY
clubs:
| reply to VishuzNinja
I'm pretty busy today, but would just like to say your comments aren't going too far... I'm pretty open minded especially about this so any suggestion is perfectly fine and beneficial.
I do have money on hand to spend on a machine that has a max cost of $1,000 -- yet preferably something like $800 and perhaps 50% faster and more efficient than the current machine I have.
The only gaming I do right now is with Battlefield 2 & with my 6200 I get crappy refresh rates (decent for some people but not me, lol; around 35-50 FPS constant @ 1024*768). I'd like to achieve 99 FPS @ 1280*1024.
I would also most definitely wanna try out Crysis and other games that have been out for quite some time now.
There are malfunctions going around with some NV cards so, whats up with that? Is there a certain card(s) I should be avoiding that are still up for grabs @ Newegg??
One thing I'd need help with is deciding on a CPU HSF. A few years back I was planning on just installing a Thermalright HS with a 120mm case fan on top. Any cheap case with a removable mobo tray would be awesome as well. I've been searching on Newegg for quite a while but can never put my finger on a case I wanna get.
OK, thanks guys.. appreciate anything ya can gimme.
Peace!
--
"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." -Friedrich Nietzsche |
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asdfdfdfdfdfdf
@Level3.net
| reply to VishuzNinja
If you feel my last post went too far then just tell us about the key games you are interested in.
Gaming will be the most demanding use of the machine and you want a 22" monitor so we can then construct something that will meet your needs for 1680x resolution and the games that you mention, while trying to minimize cost. |
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SysOp
join:2001-04-18
Douglasville, GA
 ·Comcast
| reply to VishuzNinja
You might be surprised just by upgrading your HDD to a RAID. Your Athlon Xp platform would be just as fast as the most expensive computer out there for running FireFox, P2P, MS office, IM, etc....
DslReports won't load in your browser $1,000 faster!
I upgrade if hardware or software applications require me to do so. When you do upgrade, consider if you should do it all, motherboard, cpu, ram, video card, etc... as not much from the old computer is worth going into the new computer.
If you upgrade part by part, any upgrade in the future will cost you twice, once for the old part, and then again for the new part, etc... So, buy the best you can afford. |
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asdfdfdfdfdfdf
@Level3.net
 from:
Edge1
| reply to VishuzNinja
" my intent wasn't to cheat anyone.. "
I didn't think you were willfully trying to mistreat anyone. Thanks for the follow up for handling our responses with such good grace.
On the question of upgrading your present machine before selling it I think you will only lose money doing that.
It won't appeal to a gamer so the graphics card will be irrelevant. The parts you buy will be worth very little as soon as you install them. Whomever buys it will probably be buying it because their financial position requires them to slash costs to the bone. If they could afford $3-400 they would probably just buy a complete, newer wal-mart low cost special. In short I would just sell it as is and I think you would be throwing away any additional money you try to put into it.
Since you have been good natured about the posts so far and not offended I'll continue to speak frankly so you can avoid some traps that someone can fall into when they are on a tight budget.
Firstly I would stay away from the preferred account and deferred payment unless you are absolutely sure that you can pay it off by the finance charge avoidance date. Deferred payments can be seductive if someone wants something and doesn't really have the money to buy, but it is designed to suck you into something that will screw you every way from monday. I can understand the desire to develop a good credit rating, and I'm no specialist on this so hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think a safer way to do this would be to make small purchases on any such account and pay them off within the grace period. I think this would accomplish much the same result without exposing you to the possibility of getting pulled into considerable debt that you may have trouble getting out from under.
The system you have put together in your latest post is really overkill, even for someone with a lot of money to throw around. I understand the desire to have the very best but I think the focus should be more on assessing what you really need to meet your uses and then minimizing costs so this can be achieved without cutting corners in a way that will cost you more in the long run.
My approach would be this:
1. Forget about using debt here. I see that as a big trap that could easily cause you a lot of grief down the road. You don't want to run any risk of carrying debt at 22%.
2. Come up with a realistic number(not just a very best case optimistic number) as to how much you could afford to spend today
if you had to buy the system outright. Also a realistic idea of what kind of budget you would have to work with if you accumulated additional savings by the end of the year.
I would NOT include the money you predict you could get on your old system. This will help you to err on the side of caution so you will be likely to be better off than you expect, rather than worse off.
I think you could be quite satisfied with a much more scaled down system then what you have as your first choice. It wouldn't perhaps have the same bragging rights but computer equipment is surpassed by faster equipment so rapidly that such satisfactions evaporate in a matter of a few weeks or even days so don't throw away money on the emotional satisfaction of simply having a fast system.
3. Lets get to some specifics about the games you are most interested in, since performance requirements can vary greatly.
"I would also like this new PC to be a long term investment - as in, the products would have to be very efficient and reliable, fast, and provide large amounts of power for possible future peripheral additions. That is why I choose a very strong PSU."
It's a reasonable desire, but one can't really stave off obsolescence. The sweet spot for best value for money is in the mid to upper-mid range. Buying at the high end costs a lot of extra money and doesn't in the end, significantly extend the life of the system so I feel that playing at the high end is really for the few people for whom money is no object. |
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VishuzNinja
Legalize Ganja
join:2007-04-21
Brooklyn, NY
clubs:
| reply to VishuzNinja
Re: Is an investment possible? Budget box - Profitable??
Thanks for everyone's responses - all very much appreciated & my intent wasn't to cheat anyone.. that is why I asked on here before going with this. I'm also not even middle class & that is another reason why I'm looking at all possible investment opportunities I may come up with. Many of you have noted that it would be somewhat immoral to do this, and I agree now that you all have pointed that out for me.
Of course I would be offering services such as technical support when I'm available; software installations; etc. but now that I think about it I'd much rather just build myself a new box that is reasonably priced within my budget.
However -- it's my mistake for not mentioning this but I would be using a Newegg Preferred account so I wouldn't have to pay for 12 months (any comments on this would also be very much appreciated). I also just began building my credit but know someone that would be able to apply for the Newegg account for me who has decent credit.
This wish list was intentionally created for a possible investment -- it's not a PC I would be looking forward to buying for myself.
Therefore, here is a wish list I created that does not have a budget if using a Newegg Preferred account (so long as being approved; any comments!?!?):
XFX GX280NZDF9 GeForce GTX 280 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI S upported Video Card - Retail
$449.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 Power Supply - Retail
-$20.00 Instant $259.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q94 50 - Retail
$324.99
OCZ Reaper HPC 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Des ktop Memory Model OCZ3RPR13332GK - Retail
$147.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$84.99
LG L227WTG-PF Black 22" 2ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
$339.99
RAZER RZ01-00170100 Banshee Blue 9 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Laser Lachesis Gaming Mouse - Ret ail
$79.99
Subtotal: $1,687.93
Obviously this list isn't complete & it has no budget, but any comments would be appreciated nonetheless.
Aside from upgrading from this old 2002 machine, I would also like this new PC to be a long term investment - as in, the products would have to be very efficient and reliable, fast, and provide large amounts of power for possible future peripheral additions. That is why I choose a very strong PSU.
The reason I want to get rid of this monitor is because:
1. It heats up extremely and literally drives up my room temperatures.
2. To save space.
3. I want something bigger - like a 22"
-------
Another pretty important question I have is.. wouldn't it be better for me to upgrade this current Socket A/DDR/AGP 4X PC & then sell it? I would have to just get a better video card (currently a GF 6200 AGP), larger HD (currently 80GB), perhaps a DVD burner, and a new keyboard (already have a brand new Logitech), as well as a new CPU HSF as the current one is extremely loud and sucks (TT). The parts that I would remove I could just sell separately, obviously for a very low amount.
The current CPU is an Athlon XP 2100+ Palamino (1.7GHz)
The amount of RAM is 1.5GB DDR PC-2700 (1x 512, 1x 1GB)
1. What would be the highest end video card I can purchase whilst avoiding any bottlenecks?
Would this be better than just selling this old box as it stands?
And then I would get a brand new one for around $1,200 or something (preferably under $1,500).
Any comments? :] I'll revise my thread topic of course.
Thanks in advance,
-Denny
--
"You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist." -Friedrich Nietzsche |
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Edge1
Workin' Ta Live
Premium
join:2006-03-01
·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | reply to VishuzNinja
General thoughts:
PCs are like cars - they depreciate quickly over time and are not an "investment"
You stand the best chance of making that $500 by building and selling immediately.
There is the matter of Operating System and software which I don't see in your budget.
You could cut some expense by going with a less expensive case. In fact, I bet you could get equivalent performance by looking at each category of part and seeking the best part/price/rebate/offer out there. The cumulative effect of such a strategy can really trim the overall cost. One example: The Antec Sonata 3 comes with a solid PSU that will power that system and can often be had for $99 at the Egg periodically. So you'd cut out the cost of the PSU and also be getting a nice quiet classy case.
Anyway, best of luck in your endeavor.
*Edit - and why the aftermarket cooler? Are you really going to need to overclock a 3.0 GHz C2D? Especially on a machine you want to resell? Stock cooling will be just fine. |
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gallowsroad
join:2004-08-09
Tulsa, OK
| reply to VishuzNinja
said by VishuzNinja :From the business perspective, people do buy built PCs that are overcharged. The difference is, most of those over priced PCs come from established major name companies that offer brand confidence and warranty support. Hence, people are willing to pay.
A couple of searches both on the BBR For Sale forum and someplace like Ebay ought to disabuse you of the notion you are going to put out just shy of $1000 and make a 30-50% profit. Computers drop in value immediately after they ship, whether as parts or entire machines. A few cutting edge parts-of-the-moment may hold close to their original value for a short time when they are new to market, but all that does is help you to recoup some of your cost, and still won't leave room to profit.
If you want to try to make money building computers, the profit isn't in the resale value, it's in a builders fee. For that to work you need a market to offer your services.
Your old XP based machine might go for $200, possibly a little more to an inexperienced buyer. The market is flooded with those Socket A parts, so they carry little value these days.
If there is a machine you are wanting to put together for yourself, save up money or ask for recommendations within your budget and buy what you intend to use. A quick resale of a machine sourced from Newegg isn't going to net you more than $100 (if that), unless you play the huckster and get some fool to way over pay. And then be prepared to play tech support for said fool.
--
Ha ha haaaaaaa....ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
- John Lydon, last Sex Pistols show |
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signmeuptoo
Folding and Crunching Not just Breakfast
Premium
join:2001-11-22
LOSTinSpace
clubs:
·Future Nine Corpor..
·AT&T Southeast
| reply to VishuzNinja
Selling a computer for more than you paid for it? Wow, just wow. I could see charging a fee for making it IF you provided support for it, but seriously...
You must realize that people here are going to frown on someone doing something like that and not want to help you do it! Shame shame! I am poor, struggle meal to meal, and even I couldn't do that to someone, not even to buy food.
Oh well, do what you must, but it may come back to haunt you.
And yes, I wouldn't go with that supply, for several reasons, but that's all I'm going to say.
--
You know your life has gotten "DICEY" when it turns into an episode of LOST, like my ex wife, who I swear is one of "The Others". Cancer and other diseases kill fellow members here at DSLR! Easy: Join us in Teams Helix and Discovery to save the world! |
|
jouno53
Palin 2012
join:2006-03-04
United State | reply to VishuzNinja
1. Get an ATI 4850, cheaper and better.
2. Get a P45 board, like the Asus P5Q Pro that can support crossfire x
3. Get a Corsair 650 or 750watt psu |
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ChiTang
Premium,MVM
join:2002-08-23
Alhambra, CA
| reply to VishuzNinja
said by VishuzNinja :I want to make an investment and build a box for around and under $1,000 but use it for a while & then sell it to make some profit and possibly even repeat the process. A sucker is born every minute and I am sure you can.
said by VishuzNinja :Currently I have a build I made in 2002 (Athlon XP, DDR, GF 6200, 19" CRT, Logitech stuff, sound card, network card, etc.) but don't think it'll get me enough money. I'm thinking this machine is worth $200-300 on eBay or elsewhere. What do you think? I can't speak for others but I won't pay for it.
said by VishuzNinja :The rest of the post (refer to the top). Good luck, these days, you can only make money by going directly with suppliers, if someone already make a profit, there will be little or no room to make another dime. Of-cource, refer to the top answer, a sucker is born every minute.
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I used to be indecisive, now I am not sure. |
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