Need Advice on System Configuration (Starting Business?)

[Orcusante]

I'd greatly appreciate advice from some of the "higher-ups" on this forum. I've spent a few days online configuring an affordable system I (A) Want for myself and (B) Would possibly want to resell and make several. I was hoping for some opinions from those more experienced than myself on this potential system.

Mind you, I am on a rather tight budget...


AMD Athlon 64 +3500 Orleans 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor (2.0 GHz) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103633)
1 GB DDR2 667 RAM (2 modules of Mushkin 512 MB 240-Pin PC2 5300 Unbuffered) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820146090)
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822144701)
ECS Socket AM2 ATI Radeon XPRESS 1100 Micro ATX Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813135011)
SAMSUNG 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Black ATA/ATAPI (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827151118)
Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817103937)
Antec Solution SLK3000-B Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129152)


Help is greatly appreciated...

[Orcusante]

[Forgot to add this]:

Total cost (excluding shipping and OS) = $478.93

How'd I do?

[jlreich]

Hello Orcusante and welcome to the PcGuide forums.

Even though this is a budget system I would go with DDR2800 and drop the CPU down to the 3200+ with a clock speed of 2.0GHz. Or if budget allows bump it up to the 3800+ 2.4GHz.

The new AM2 systems need the the CPU clock speed and the ram speed to be synchronized in order to get the best performance. Which means DDR2800 and a CPU that has a clock speed the is divisible by 400 to match DDR2800. Which means that the 3200+ and DDR2800 will actually perform better than a 3500+ and DDR2667.

Also I would go with this mobo instead. It has 2 SATA 3G ports as opposed to 4 SATA 150 ports, I would much rather have SATA 3G on a new system. And two ports are enough for a budget system. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813135010

This will only bump the cost up $15-$20. Well worth it. ;)

[Orcusante]

Thanks for the suggestions jlreich...will edit my shoppin' cart @ newegg...

For anyone else with input, I wanted to mention a few other things:

~I'm looking for onboard video/audio for now and would like that taken into consideration with mobo suggestions.

~I'd like it to be expandable as far as video/sound are concerned as well, even with the onboard. Also like to give this system the option of being upgraded to dual-core.


All hardware advice is welcome and appreciated. :)

[Orcusante]

Also...I want 1 GB of RAM, should I get 2 sticks of 512 or just one 1 GB stick? I've heard RAM operates better in even pairs...

Lemme know.

[saphalline]

You need RAM in pairs for dual-channel, although it will work fine in single-channel as well. Dual-channel is more for performance rather than "it will work better".

What will this new system be used for? What are the eventual plans of this system as time goes on?

[Orcusante]

I eventually want to move from Onboard sound to one of the X-Fi soundcards for audio recording/production...But aside from that, basically just net-surfing, video/music downloads, some light gaming (Warcraft, Sims 2, would like to go higher end eventually though)...DVD burning, maybe storing recorded TV...

I run firewalls, do anti-virus/spyware scans as well...would like to be able to multitask very well.

Overall, I just want a capable, up to date system that is a good value as well as being as "future-proof" as my budget allows; with room for expansion.

[Orcusante]

And oh, about RAM...exactly HOW important is Latency and Timing? I'm goin' for the best value on RAM and am having a difficult time staying low end when I start taking those factors into account...

[saphalline]

Well, you obviously won't have any gaming potential with onboard video, so that is a concern. I mean, onboard video will technically run games, but the performance in games like The Sims 2 would be atrocious (definitely too slow for my tastes). So in that case, I think you should expect to get by as cheaply as possible for now and plan on doing a major upgrade sometime in the future. Is your budget limited to around $500? It's OK if it is - I just need to know what we're working with here.

Also, do you already have a copy of Windows?

[Orcusante]

Yes, $500...Hell, I'd like to get it around $400...

As far as OS, I'm not sure what I want to do...definitely don't want to spend the money on one, could I keep the 20GB HD off my current machine with XP already installed on it?

Also, is this power supply a good price cut decision off the Antec?

Rosewill RD400-2-DB ATX 12V (V2.2) 400W Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817182021)

Don't know if 400W is enough...

[jlreich]

That mobo does have a PCIe x16 slot for graphics, so that is good. But as far as room for upgrades there isn't all that much. Only 2 PCI slots and 1 PCIe x1 slot. It's technically probably enough slots to plop in a sound card and maybe something else, but often times the adjacent slot to the the graphics slot is blocked by the video card, or it is so close I really don't like putting anything next to it to cause the video card to overheat.

If you are really looking for future proofing you need to spend a little more on the mobo. But that's not really bad at all for a budget machine though. You have to decide between "budget" and " upgrade options". You can't really have both in the $500-$600 range.

Yeah what about windows? You really have to consider that in the budget if you are thinking of selling a system like this. If you already have a copy for yourself that's fine, but that won't work for a system you are selling.

[saphalline]

With a budget like that, you'll have to make some serious compromises. I say use what you can from your current box, like the hard drive and optical drive. If you can't afford Windows, all this new hardware won't do you a bit of good. You also won't be able to afford a vid card or DDR2-800 RAM or a higher end CPU.

To shave the price as low as possible, I'd say move down to the Sempron 64 3400+ Manilla, get a 1GB kit of DDR2-667 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220066), use the mobo that jlreich linked to (the ECS C51GM-M), use the Rosewill PSU that you just picked out, and get an OEM copy of WinXP Home (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059). Not the best platform for future upgrading, but then again a working new computer is better than one you can't afford! :p

[Orcusante]

That mobo does have a PCIe x16 slot for graphics, so that is good. But as far as room for upgrades there isn't all that much. Only 2 PCI slots and 1 PCIe x1 slot. It's technically probably enough slots to plop in a sound card and maybe something else, but often times the adjacent slot to the the graphics slot is blocked by the video card, or it is so close I really don't like putting anything next to it to cause the video card to overheat.
^I'll look at better mobo options, but I'm hoping to make up some of the price increase there on a good quality case/PSU combo (is that an oxymoron? lol) in lieu of separate case and PSU purchases of $50 and $70...looking on newegg I see some potentially good choices (I'm looking to cut as much $ as is advisable here)

Yeah what about windows? You really have to consider that in the budget if you are thinking of selling a system like this. If you already have a copy for yourself that's fine, but that won't work for a system you are selling.
^Yeah I realize that...know any good sources for XP OS's?

[saphalline]

You'll eventually have to buy a stand-alone copy if you plan on legally selling the system, but you can get a free copy for yourself if you belong to a school that subscribes to Microsoft's MSDNAA. If not, you will have to buy a copy. Illegal activity is not condoned here on the forums.

There are very few case/PSU combos that are decent, and none that are worthy of a gaming system. Try Antec. That's really all I can say.

[Orcusante]

With a budget like that, you'll have to make some serious compromises. I say use what you can from your current box, like the hard drive and optical drive. If you can't afford Windows, all this new hardware won't do you a bit of good. You also won't be able to afford a vid card or DDR2-800 RAM or a higher end CPU.

To shave the price as low as possible, I'd say move down to the Sempron 64 3400+ Manilla, get a 1GB kit of DDR2-667 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220066), use the mobo that jlreich linked to (the ECS C51GM-M), use the Rosewill PSU that you just picked out, and get an OEM copy of WinXP Home (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16837102059). Not the best platform for future upgrading, but then again a working new computer is better than one you can't afford! :p
^lol...true...

With what you said in mind, would it be possible to sync the speed of a processor and the 667 RAM as jlreich had mentioned with the 2.0/2.4 GHZ CPU and the DDR 800 RAM?


Again, thanks for the help...I'm bookmarking this thread as one of my reference guides for desgning future systems...

I hate feelin' like a newbie though...hope I learn fast. :rolleyes:

[Orcusante]

PSU/Case Combo (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811200026)
^How about this?? lol fits my price range and reviews seem somewhat promising...

[jlreich]

With what you said in mind, would it be possible to sync the speed of a processor and the 667 RAM as jlreich had mentioned with the 2.0/2.4 GHZ CPU and the DDR 800 RAM?
At that point in the budget it's not something to worry about.

That PSU is junk. It isn't even the latest PSU spec since it doesn't have dual 12v rails and not fit to run a modern system.

Like Saphalline said your only chance of getting a decent case/PSU combo is to look at Antec. And it it isn't going to be under $50. ;)

[Orcusante]

^LoL...alright guys, thanks a lot...I'll be back on here in the thread tomorrow with more questions, haha...

Ya'll been very helpful thus far...

[Orcusante]

And oh, about RAM...exactly HOW important is Latency and Timing? I'm goin' for the best value on RAM and am having a difficult time staying low end when I start taking those factors into account...
^Nobody ever addressed that. :confused:

LoL *waits*

[jlreich]

A lower latency is better, particularly with the AM2's. But just get regular ram. Like you said the cost starts getting higher and were talking budget here so I wouldn't worry about high performance ram.

I probably wouldn't even start thinking about low latency ram until you get into the $1000 range. And then only if I had money left over after getting everything else I needed. There are more important things to worry about first that the money can be put into.

[Orcusante]

^Arright jlreich...with that; and all the other advice given in this thread...here's my new system configuration...

AMD Sempron 64 2800+ Manila 1600MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model SDA2800CNBOX - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819104301)
MSI K9N Neo-F Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 550 MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813130050)
CORSAIR XMS2 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWIN2X1024A-6400 - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820145566)
SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series HD160JJ 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822152020)
LITE-ON Combo Drive Black SATA Model SHC-52S7K-05 - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106040)
Leadtek PX6600TD-256 Geforce 6600 256MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814122203)
Antec Solution SLK3000-B Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129152)
Rosewill RD400-2-DB ATX 12V (V2.2) 400W Power Supply - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817182021)

Total Price: $473.45


*thinks he did well*...How'd I do this time??

[saphalline]

That looks good, but what about Windows? You'll have to address that issue sooner or later. But the parts look good.

[jlreich]

Yeah that looks good to me as well. :cool:

Only thing I might suggest is upgrading to a DVD burner for a few bucks more. Newegg has at least one burner on sale everyday. Check out this Samsung 16x DVD burner with Lightscribe for $30.99 with free shipping on sale today. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827151118

It's amazing what kind of system you can put together for $500 (+ windows) if you really take the time to figure out the best components. :)

[Orcusante]

^Yeah, I know

But anyways...I was wondering if there's a big performance difference between and ATA/ATA 1000 Burner and one that connects via SATA...I noticed only 2 SATA burners on the site and the one I selected is one of them.

I have a feeling I'm explaining this awkwardly. Blah w/e, just enlighten my ignorance please. :cool:

[Orcusante]

And BTW I'ma just get a copy of Windows OEM and save a few more pennies. :cool:

[jlreich]

Well SATA is better for several reasons, but the one you picked is only a CD-RW/DVD-ROM. Unfortunately the only SATA DVD burners are the very expensive ones. So stick with the PATA/IDE DVD burners. Also there is an NEC burner without Lightscribe for $28.99 with free shipping. The deals change everyday, but like I said they always have at least one DVD burner on a really good sale. Usually $29-$35.

[saphalline]

Yes, stick with PATA optical drives until SATA becomes standard for them as well. Optical drives are the last hold-off of clumsy cables in our systems. (Floppy drives don't count.)

[jlreich]

It will be nice when SATA becomes standard for optical drives as well. And there is finally absolutely no need for a floppy anymore. The floppy drive just refuses to die doesn't it... :p

[saphalline]

Yes, I'm imagining computers of the future. Composed of nothing but a floppy drive, a floppy connector, and a multidimensional interface. :p

[jlreich]

Who would have thought, it all comes back to the lowly floppy drive... :p

Oh no! Maybe it's another worm hole! :eek: