PC Hardware → budget build

I've pretty much settled on all but the most expensive and i guess crucial componants for my machine. The only other parts I'm still reserching are motherboard, CPU, and video card... and possibly memory because i'm not sure if i will go with sticks that have or don't have heat spreaders.

anyway, here's what i have so far:

CHAINTECH NVIDIA nForce4 Model "VNF4"
»www.newegg.com/app/ViewP ··· 3&depa=0

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8Ghz
»www.newegg.com/app/ViewP ··· 1&depa=0

POWERCOLOR ATI RADEON 9800SE Video Card, 128MB
»www.newegg.com/app/viewp ··· d3alt1me

Geil Value Series 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 x2
»www.newegg.com/app/ViewP ··· 5&depa=0

so a budget of about $500 on just these parts. what do you all think?

That's not gonna work...you have picked a PCI Express MB and an AGP video card.

Here is a good MB review: »www.tomshardware.com/mot ··· dex.html

After you choose one of the 3 video slot types, you will then have to pick a matching video card.

Any of the memory will work fine (Kingmax, Geil, Corsair), get whichever is cheaper, unless you plan on aggressively overclocking.

Ahh, yeah. =( i'm thinking of going with a MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum board as an upgrade to what i had originally planned. That has an AGP slot.

»www.newegg.com/app/ViewP ··· 8&depa=0

I'm not sure how significant the difference between this board which is labeled as nforce3 ultra chipset and the other boards there that all seem to be nforce4 and with PCI Express 16 slot instead of AGP.

Say with the PCI-x build and get this 6600GT only 40 dollars more expensive but much faster than a 9800 pro. Plus the difference between the AGP motherboard and the PCI-X more than makes up the difference between the two cards in price.

»www.newegg.com/app/ViewP ··· 7&depa=0