Advice on basic computer

[dazed woman]

I would like to build my own computer that would eventually be used to transfer and edit VHS tapes to CD's. I hope to be able to eventually record from cable and play back on my TV I also use my computer (old Toshiba Laptop AMD 380MHz) for web surfing (RoadRunner cable service), some digital photography, household type stuff, email, yada, yada.

OK, use out of the way...

I am thinking of the Athlon XP 1800+ I would like to start with a basic system that I can keep upgrading. Budget between $500-7500.
I get that I am going to need other parts (duh) but when I look at, say memory, there are so many choices and I don't even know if they work with the Athlon. I don't know how to determine what I need, or where to start. I have read that the AMD runs hot so I am assuming I need a case with a big power supply with lots and lots of fans. Right?

I have an external HP CD writer I am hoping I can use but will still need a monitor and keyboard. I have seen keyboards as cheap as $20, and a Samsung 17" monitor for $100.

I have looked at lots and lots of web sites on building my own computer and am almost ready to go out and buy a ready built system in overload.

And what is with this used parts stuff? How do you know if you are buying a used part?

Am I on the right track? Should I look at another CPU? I see lots of systems with gaming in mind but I am not sure that is what I need. Help! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif

So many questions, such an overloaded brain...

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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[HewittC4]

If you want to use your computer for video editing, you will need a good video card (ATI All in Wonder is a good consumer card designed for this), lots of RAM and a large hard drive. The type of RAM you need will be determined by the motherboard. I would recommend going to a local store that sells computer parts and talk to the technicians.

As far as knowing if you are buying used parts, if you buy from a legitimate store, they will label if the part is refurbished.

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It's a thankless job, but I have alot of Karma to burn off

[saphalline]

HewittC4 makes a good suggestion for the video card, but if you are truly serious about video editing and in & out solutions, you'll need a dedicated video editing card. You will someday, anyway, so an ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon is probably a good starter card. You can add the editing card later. Of course, an All-in-Wonder card will set you back quite a bit, so you may have to cut back else where, such as just getting a boring ol' 48x CD-ROM drive.

For a cheap but new Athlon XP motherboard, take a look at the MSI KT3 Ultra, which has USB 2.0, PC2700 DDR SDRAM support, etc. Thus you will also need PC2700 DDR SDRAM (aka DDR333 RAM), preferably from a good company like www.crucial.com (http://www.crucial.com) that will guarantee true DDR333 RAM (and they have free US shipping!). There are other memory types that will work with the Athlon XP (depending on the motherboard) but if you plan to upgrade as you go along you will need the latest PC2700 RAM ('cause it's the fastest http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif).

As for the fact that the AMD Athlon's run hot, yes they run hotter than Intel's P4, but as long as you have a 300W+ power supply and another 80mm fan in the case, heat won't be an issue. Though I would suggest getting a 350W or 400W power supply (you can get them separately). Also, get a good quality CPU heatsink & fan, designed specifically for the Athlon XP - they cost about $10.

This should help you get started, not too much at a time. And may I suggest staying the course and resisting the urge to give up and buy a ready-built system. At the price range you're looking at, they tend to cut quite a few corners and you will be sorely disappointed when you try and "upgrade" one of those systems.

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"No, we do not gnaw on our kitty." - Dr. Evil

[dazed woman]

Thank you for the advice.
Let me see if I understand this. I will need...

1) CPU-Athlon XP 1800 (I saw one for $88)
2) Motherboard-MSI KT3 Ultra $80
3) RAM-PC2700 DDR SDRAM 256K at $89.00
4) Case with power supply-look for one with 350W OR 400W Power supply add extra 80mm fan. Palo Alto Case for about $100.
5) CPU heatsink and fan (or is this the same fan as above?) about $10
6) Video Card-ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon. I saw lots of these on the web site. Which one would be best to start? The 8500 128mb AGP video card is $399-ouch! Do I need this much card? Can I go with one of the cheaper ones for now?
7) 48X CD-Rom drive (instead of my HP-CDwriter) $50
8) 40 Gig Hard Drive to start (With my current 4.1 Gig Hard Drive, I have gotten pretty good at transffering just about everything to CD-RW)
Someone suggested the IBM Deskstar 120GXP It is an EIDE type but I don't know what that means. It was about $70 on pricewatch.
9) Windows XP Home version $87 full version with disc

This system is about $900 without a monitor or keyboard and with the All-in-Wonder 8500 at $399.

Do I need a sound card or is this included in the video card?

Is there anything else I need for this basic system? Any suggestions on any of the parts is/are appreciated. Thanks for the help.

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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

Case fan--CPU fan = 2 different things. If no onboard sound you will need a sound card too.

General concensus here IBM HDD = junk. Get a Maxtor or Western Digital, there's probably a few more. Keyboard at $20 must be fully automatic they seem to be $8-$12 unless you want one to do the dishes too.

Why opt to remove the CD-RW for a CD-ROM? Use both. Someone else will need to guide you with the video card, I'm still wet behind the ears on that one.

But I'm catchin' on,
FTT

[This message has been edited by Fruss Tray Ted (edited 06-19-2002).]

[gwallen4]

I've done what you are trying to do, record VHS tapes on CD, and I agree with most of the above.

However, I tried the ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon, and had so many problems that I finally took it back - couldn't get it to do what it said it would do and frequent crashes.

I finally settled on the Matrox 450e-TV and have been reasonably happy. It has very stable display quality at high resolution and fast refresh rates - very easy on the eyes.

Don't get a HD with less than 80 GB. Recording movies using MPEG2 runs about 1 MB per second before compression, so a 20 minute clip is one GB.

Finally, video capture cards like the Matrox 450e-TV are strictly amateur. Don't expect to get TV studio quality reproduction with VHS. I use Hi8 and the quality is barely passable. A digital video camera would be best.

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Sandman

[gwallen4]

Drats. I forgot. Video compression is very CPU intensive. With the Athlon XP 1800+ you will have heat problems, so start learning about it now.

Also you're are going to need a CD-RW to burn the CD's. Then you can make video CD's that will play in most DVD players.

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Sandman

[hiredgoonz]

You will not have heat problems if you buy a good heatsink/fan and install it correctly...

I can convert DVDs to DivX format, which takes hours of 100% CPU utilization, with my Athlon XP 1600+ (overclocked to 1800+ speed, with higher than spec. voltage) and I have NO problems with heat...

------------------
When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[saphalline]

Originally posted by dazed woman:
Thank you for the advice.
Let me see if I understand this. I will need...

1) CPU-Athlon XP 1800 (I saw one for $88)
2) Motherboard-MSI KT3 Ultra $80
3) RAM-PC2700 DDR SDRAM 256K at $89.00
4) Case with power supply-look for one with 350W OR 400W Power supply add extra 80mm fan. Palo Alto Case for about $100.
5) CPU heatsink and fan (or is this the same fan as above?) about $10
6) Video Card-ATI All-in-Wonder Radeon. I saw lots of these on the web site. Which one would be best to start? The 8500 128mb AGP video card is $399-ouch! Do I need this much card? Can I go with one of the cheaper ones for now?
7) 48X CD-Rom drive (instead of my HP-CDwriter) $50
8) 40 Gig Hard Drive to start (With my current 4.1 Gig Hard Drive, I have gotten pretty good at transffering just about everything to CD-RW)
Someone suggested the IBM Deskstar 120GXP It is an EIDE type but I don't know what that means. It was about $70 on pricewatch.
9) Windows XP Home version $87 full version with disc

This system is about $900 without a monitor or keyboard and with the All-in-Wonder 8500 at $399.

Do I need a sound card or is this included in the video card?

Is there anything else I need for this basic system? Any suggestions on any of the parts is/are appreciated. Thanks for the help.

Ok, so let's recap again. The mobo I suggested unfortunately does not have USB 2.0, that's the KT3 Ultra-ARU version which is significantly more money usually, but my suggestion still stands for the KT3 Ultra (non-ARU version) for its good features support and rock-bottom price. On the plus side, it has onboard sound so you will not need to buy a sound card.

As for the CD-ROM drive, I only meant you will possibly need an internal one for loading Windows XP Home. Definitely keep using your external HP writer. In all actuality, you could get the cheapest CD-ROM drive available, but brand names are a plus (for reliability).

I'm gonna have to agree with FTT on not getting the IBM 120GXP hard drive. The last two models they manufactured (75GXP & 60GXP) had an extremely high rate of failure. Any other hard drive from Western Digital or Maxtor, at least 40GB, 7200rpm, ATA/133 would be perfect for your system. The "EIDE" just refers to the type of connector and is standard so don't even worry about it.

80mm case fan is different from the CPU heatsink & fan combo. For a CPU heatsink & fan combo here are a few examples that are Athlon XP 1800+ certified: Globalwin WBK68 & WBK38, Cooler Master DP5-6I31C-A1, Thermaltake VOLCANO 6Cu & 6Cu+. These are just a few but make sure whatever you get is certified for your Athlon XP 1800+ or higher. If it doesn't say it, it isn't!

Now for your big video card problem. In light of the extreme priciness of the All-in-Wonder Radeon line (I thought they had come down to $300 or lower by now), perhaps gwallen4 is right about the Matrox G450e-TV or any other TV capable Matrox card. They are certainly better at video and picture display than either ATI or NVidia cards, and cheaper, too (tho not good for 3D games). Make sure you get an AGP card (not PCI) with 32MB of RAM on the video card.

Don't worry about the heat issue, the Athlon XP was designed to be cooler than the old Athlon T-bird (which I have currently) so the power supply fan and another 80mm case fan will do nicely. Oh and 80mm case fans generally cost only $8 so it's not like you will have to make a long hard decision if you really need another one later.

Any other questions, just post them. As you can see, I have nothing better to do late at night than scan the forums for questions I can actually answer! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

Oh yeah, almost forgot what all first-time builders will need: a tube of thermal paste. It's the gunky paste between the CPU and its heatsink/fan combo. Most heatsink/fan combos come with a "thermal pad" but these are mediocre at best. Current flavor favorite in thermal paste is Arctic Silver 3, and it comes in a nifty "syringe"-type package for easy application. Nice stuff, lasts quite awhile, wish I could send you my tube temporarily 'cause I'm never gonna use it all!

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"No, we do not gnaw on our kitty." - Dr. Evil

[This message has been edited by saphalline (edited 06-20-2002).]

[rond36]

I would like to build my own computer that would eventually be used to transfer and edit VHS tapes to CD's.Better trade that HP CD writer for a DVD-RW drive at $350-$500. A 2 hour movie in MP2 file format compressed is about 4GB and will not fit on a 700MB CD-R disk. For example last week I recorded the movie Dogs and Cats 1 hr 45 min video the MP2 file size 3.85GB if that would have been a 2 hr movie it would have hit the Windows 4GB file size limit. Better invest in some large hard drives one of my 100GB drives will only hold 23-25 movies and no room for anything else like the operating system or programs. If you want a good digital video system look in my signature if you want one on the AMD platform substitute a Athlon XP 2100+ processor and a Soyo KT333-Dragon Ultra motherboard
The system cost about $3000 W/O the DVD-RW drive. Bought most of the parts at Newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/index.asp) and googlegear.com (http://www.googlegear.com/jsp/Home.jsp)

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Antec SX1040B 400W, Soyo P4S-Dragon Ultra, Intel P4 2.0GHz(northwood), 768MB Samsung PC2700 DDRSDRAM, 2 WD 100GB HDDs, ATI A-I-W 8500DV 64MB AGP video, SB Audigy MP3, Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700 speakers, Plextor 40X12X40 CD-RW, Pioneer slot load DVD-ROM, Multi-boot Win ME, XP Pro, XP Pro striped down for games, Viewsonic G90mb 19" monitor.

[Fruss Tray Ted]

I am confused here. Video capture has been around for longer than some of these processors and possibly the motherboards mentioned as well. What about someone on a budget? Do you actually NEED a 2 gig processor? Can you NOT use successive CD-R disks to do a 2 hour movie in well, it would have to be 6 disks at 20 minutes each? But I'm was getting CD-R's at 27 cents apiece but that supply has run out and even at the more normal 35 or so cents, 6 CD-R's run about $2.00 american.

A lot of the home movies I would (will) be interested in capturing are no longer than 1 hour at a time so the sets would be 3 disks apiece.

I already rip analog audio to CD or HDD in sections, I would assume analog video to be the same.

So all in all, would it be possible to do video work with for example:

A 1.2 - 1.4 ghz processor with:
pc133 RAM upwards of 256 or 512 megs
100meg or 133 meg FSB
A good but not $400 video card maybe half that?

I could go with more or better than this but it is just to know if possible. Thanks for any and all answers/opinions.

[dazed woman]

Thanks for all the help! This is great and just the type of information I need. Of course now I have even more questions. Yikes!

Originally posted by gwallen4:
Don't get a HD with less than 80 GB. Recording movies using MPEG2 runs about 1 MB per second before compression, so a 20 minute clip is one GB.

Finally, video capture cards like the Matrox 450e-TV are strictly amateur. Don't expect to get TV studio quality reproduction with VHS. I use Hi8 and the quality is barely passable. A digital video camera would be best.



I am confused. Are you saying not to transfer the movies/TV shows to CD's because they don't hold enough information?

Does this mean you transfer them back to Hi8's? Isn't that another type of video tape but smaller? Actually that kinda defeats my purpose of getting them onto disks. All I want to do is edit out the commercials and put them into a much, much smaller storage package. I certainly don't plan on storing them on my computer.

Ok, I re-read your post and think I understand what you are saying. You recorded on Hi8 and when you transferred the quality was poor. So with the digital video camera you record off TV then transfer to CD?

And when you say studio quality, hey, SciFi channel comes in nice and snowey anyway so some of my tapes aren't great but it is the best I could get at the time.

So just how much are the high-end video capture cards. Maybe I should just bide my time, build a basic computer for now and add this stuff way later when it is available at a reasonable price.

Hey, and how 'bout copying DVD's? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[dazed woman]

Originally posted by gwallen4:
Also you're are going to need a CD-RW to burn the CD's. Then you can make video CD's that will play in most DVD players.



I already have an HP-8200 CD-RW external that I use with my laptop.



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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[dazed woman]

Originally posted by hiredgoonz:
I can convert DVDs to DivX format, which takes hours of 100% CPU utilization, with my Athlon XP 1600+ (overclocked to 1800+ speed, with higher than spec. voltage) and I have NO problems with heat...



Is the program to convert to DivX format included with the video capture card? Does DivX take up less space on the recording medium? (Hey! I almost sound like I know what I am talking about http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif)
More information please.

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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[dazed woman]

And Saphalline, I am glad you have nothing better to do than answer questions! I get to actually use your information and search for the parts. The information is great. Maybe I actually can build a computer just for me. (She says hopefully, fingers crossed)

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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[gwallen4]

My videos are captured from Hi8 tape using the Matrox 450e-TV card and I capture in the highest resolution (720*480) and mpeg2. This yields huge files (1 MB/sec) so the next thing I do is compress the files to Mpeg4 using the DivX codec and Xflask. This yields an .avi file in mpeg4 format that is about a tenth the size. I store these files on my HD and can play them back (using Windows Media Player) on my computer or on a TV attached to the Matrox card. You could also burn the .avi files to a CD for long term storage.

Using Nero or other CD burning programs you can also burn a CD in the video CD format or super video CD format directly from the mpeg4 .avi file on your HD. Video cds can be played on most home DVD players.

My Athlon Xp 1700+ compresses the files at about 15 frames per sec (so a 20 minute clip takes 40 min to encode) and the CPU gets plenty hot while doing this.

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Sandman

[gwallen4]

The following links provide good info on converting video files to mpeg4:
http://www.divx.com/divx/ http://www.vcdhelper.com/dvdtovcdflask.htm http://www6.tomshardware.com/video/index.html

Divx and Flask Mpeg are free.

Hiredgoonz: I know you don't have heat problems. You're an overclocker - you've given special attention to cooling. Nevertheless, some ordinary XP1800+ computers have inadequate cooling that can lead to problems during CPU intensive tasks. I simply meant in my comment about heat problems that some attention should be directed toward this problem (adding extra case fans, etc.).

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Sandman

[ranchdog]

dazed woman....

Wish I had your budget: $500-7500.

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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I spent a lot of money on women... liquor... motorcycles.
The rest I just wasted.

[hiredgoonz]

I didn't do anything crazy to cool my system...big heatsink with a fast fan and a couple of case fans. These are good ideas for any system. The Athlon XP does not have "heat problems" unless you use a cooler that is not rated for the job...

Admittedly, Intel has better thernal protection in place for their CPUs, so you can't burn them out. However, if you buy inadequate parts for any system you will have problems.

You need a compatible case and PSU for the P4. If you don't buy them, would it be fair to say that the P4 has power problems? Of course not. Any system builder needs to do some research and make sure they buy the right parts.

When you buy an Athlon, you need to buy a heatsink that is sufficient in size to cool the processor. This is not a special measure, but rather just building a system correctly.

I'm not trying to be belligerent, but I do want to dispel the MYTH that Athlons are troublesome CPUs. Any computer part that is installed incorrectly will not function properly whether it's an Athlon CPU or a video card...

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When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[saphalline]

Geez, ya leave for a day and look what happens! This thread has doubled in size! Anyway, there's a lot to chew on tonight...

If you're only going to be moving some snowy TV shows to CD's (while taking out the commercials) then you won't need an expensive DVD writer or a huge 100GB hard drive. DVD writers don't have a standard or a decent price; and 40GB may be small to some, but considering your budget that's about as high as I would go, unless you find a bigger drive on sale. I mean, even if you only use half the space for storing movies, that's still about 20 hours stored on your hard drive! That would be enough for me! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

FTT - Yes you could do video editing on even a lesser machine than you listed, because as you have said, video editing has been around for quite awhile now. Last I heard, it only required a 500MHz+ CPU and even that may have been a recommendation rather than a requirement. And great leaps in video card technology have put video editing into the laps of people with sub-$1000 budgets!

And it sounds like gwallen4 has given you a primer on how to turn VHS tapes into video/super video CD's, so no worries there. And no worries with heat due to your Athlon XP 1800+ CPU, either, because if you just follow our instructions on what CPU heatsink/fan to get and how many 80mm case fans to install, your CPU should be pretty comfortable. We'll worry about the heat, you just put it together.

So, if you don't mind snowy and slightly low quality movies, you should be able to get within your budget. Or at least pretty darn close. Just don't forget to factor in the cost of an OS - remember, this doesn't come with your hard drive! I assume you'd want to use something like Windows XP Home Edition?

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"No, we do not gnaw on our kitty." - Dr. Evil

[dazed woman]

Yes, I will be adding Windows XP Home version to the system. I see some sites sell them without the disk. I think I will opt for the disk.

I also need to add a network card since I use cable for the internet. Any recommendations there?

I added up my system so far and have come up with around $1000. I may be doing this in bits and pieces since my car decided it didn't want to go anymore and three mechanics cannot find the problem. Grrrr

I will take my list to my local CompUSA and see what parts I can buy there. I am still unsure on the case. I would really like lots of expansion slots so I can add as I go along. What is the general concesus on CPU/MoBo combonations. I don't feel there is much enthusiasm for this.

As for how to do the transfer stuff. Thanks so much Sandman! If it wasn't for my !@#$%! car I would feel lots more enthusiasm at the moment.

System so far:
CPU: AthlonXP 1800+ $88.
MoBo: MSI KT3 Ultra (non-ARU version) $80
RAM: PC2700 DDR SDRAM 256K $89
CD-ROM (haven't picked yet) $40 approx
Network Card ?
Hard Drive (suggested Western Digital or Maxtor 40Gigs, 7200rpm, ATA/133) about $100
Case (Palo Atlo Brand?) with 350W to 400W and 80mm case fan approx. $125
Video Card: Matrox G450e-TV $200
Thermal Paste $3
WinXP $89
Keyboard $12
17" Monitor $125 (any suggetions welcome)

This comes to about $925 without tax so $1000 it is.
Actually my husband says he works, I spend. I like to think I am keeping the economy going. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif And since he will be enjoying this project also...


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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[gwallen4]

If you have an extra $50 I would add the following:

Upgrade the HD 40 GB to 80 GB. I have the larger drive and on it I have Mp3 files 2GB, photos 10GB, compressed video 20 GB, programs and os 5GB. This would completely fill a 40 GB drive but I still have 37 GB free space. If you watch the ads closely you can get the 80GB Western Dig for $125 at Office Max or Office Depot.

Splurge on the CD drive and get a burner. I know you can get a decent CD burner for $65-75.

Get advice from Hiredgoonz on a good CPU heat sink and fan.

Also Comp USA is okay if you don't mind paying full retail. Shop the discounts at BestBuy, Office Depot, or order over the internet. I've had good luck with Digiconcepts:
http://www.digiconcepts.com/index.htm?x=78&y=5
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Sandman

[This message has been edited by gwallen4 (edited 06-21-2002).]

[hiredgoonz]

Bigger hard drive is definitely a good idea...if you can find the Western Digital special edition with 8mb cache, that would be the best...

------------------
When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[rond36]

Originally posted by gwallen4:
My videos are captured from Hi8 tape using the Matrox 450e-TV card and I capture in the highest resolution (720*480) and mpeg2. This yields huge files (1 MB/sec) so the next thing I do is compress the files to Mpeg4 using the DivX codec and Xflask. This yields an .avi file in mpeg4 format that is about a tenth the size. I store these files on my HD and can play them back (using Windows Media Player) on my computer or on a TV attached to the Matrox card. You could also burn the .avi files to a CD for long term storage.

Using Nero or other CD burning programs you can also burn a CD in the video CD format or super video CD format directly from the mpeg4 .avi file on your HD. Video cds can be played on most home DVD players.

My Athlon Xp 1700+ compresses the files at about 15 frames per sec (so a 20 minute clip takes 40 min to encode) and the CPU gets plenty hot while doing this.

DivX will not even open an MP2 let alone convert it to MP4. I can record in video CD format(.avi) but the quality is unbearable when recording from DVD or VHS and it is really bad when recording from TV so bad you might as well record it to VHS tape and forget it.

How do you get these movies to Hi8 tape. If you are recording them from VHS tape you are recording all the bad quality in the VHS tape plus degrading the quality even more by recording it again. If you are recording from DVD why bother with Hi8 tape when you can record them to the HDD it is higher quality recording medium than any video tape and you can avoid recording them again.



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Antec SX1040B 400W, Soyo P4S-Dragon Ultra, Intel P4 2.0GHz(northwood), 768MB Samsung PC2700 DDRSDRAM, 2 WD 100GB HDDs, ATI A-I-W 8500DV 64MB AGP video, SB Audigy MP3, Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700 speakers, Plextor 40X12X40 CD-RW, Pioneer slot load DVD-ROM, Multi-boot Win ME, XP Pro, XP Pro striped down for games, Viewsonic G90mb 19" monitor.

[gwallen4]

rond36:

The program to convert mpeg2 to mpeg4 is FlaskMpeg: http://www.flaskmpeg.net

FlaskMpeg uses the Divx codec to do this compression.

I get my home movies onto Hi8 by using a Hi8 video camera. LOL. I'm talking about home movies here. Then I capture the video using the Matrox 450e-tv video card, and I capture in the best format which is mpeg2. The files created have the extension .mpg.

These files are opened by FlaskMpeg which compresses the video into mpeg4 format with an extension .avi. These video files have fairly good quality but would be improved by using a better video camera - eg. a digital video camera.

The mpeg4 avi files can be changed to video CD format using Nero and burning them to a CD but the resolution is reduced to 350x240 which isn't very good quality. To maintain the resolution you have to use the super video cd format but I haven't done this yet. My home DVD player supports only Video CD, not super video CD.

You can also compress DVD movies to mpeg4 using FlaskMpeg. It's been awhile since I did this but I think you have to rip the DVD to your HD first. Then you open the .vob files with FlaskMpeg and convert them (takes hours). A DVD movie can be compressed to the size of a CD if you're lucky.
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Sandman

[This message has been edited by gwallen4 (edited 06-22-2002).]

[saphalline]

Originally posted by dazed woman:

I also need to add a network card since I use cable for the internet. Any recommendations there?

Just about any 10/100 Base-T, PCI network card will work. You can go ahead and get a 3COM or other expensive brand name variety, but the cheap ones do the basics, too.

I added up my system so far and have come up with around $1000. I may be doing this in bits and pieces since my car decided it didn't want to go anymore and three mechanics cannot find the problem. Grrrr

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif

I am still unsure on the case. I would really like lots of expansion slots so I can add as I go along.

Take a look at the Antec 1040 Plus. 6 hard drive bays, 4 CD bays, nice drive rails, and a 400W power supply included.

What is the general concesus on CPU/MoBo combonations. I don't feel there is much enthusiasm for this.

Sorry, what's the question? You need to choose the right CPU to go with your mobo, if that's what you mean, but you've already done that.

17" Monitor $125 (any suggetions welcome)

Me gots a Viewsonic 19" monitor, very nice on a budget. I can only assume that a Viewsonic 17" monitor might also be good. Of course, there's always the elusive monitor sale, but you'll have to see when you get to Office Depot or whatever (monitors should be bought in a store where you can see them and return them if necessary with no shipping charge).

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"No, we do not gnaw on our kitty." - Dr. Evil

[dazed woman]

Thanks everyone for the great advice. Here is what I have...

CPU: Athlon XP 1800 $88
MoBo: MSI KT3 Ultra non-ARU $80
Ram: PC2700 DDR SDRAM 256K (to start) $89
Network card: 10/100 Base-T $22
CD-ROM: Lite-on 48X IDE - $25
Hard Drive: Maxtor 6L080J4 80GB, 7200rpm, ATA/133-$105 (I picked this one because of an article on a website where they were comparing actual transfer rates. Thanks for steering me towards a larger hard drive.) http://www.upgradingandrepairingpcs.com/articles/upgrade04_02_02.asp
80mm case fan $20
Video Card: Maxtor G450e-TV $200
Case: Antec SX1040 w/400w PS: $135 at Newegg
Windows XP Home: $87
Still at $995 with monitor and keyboard.

Since I just went out and bought a car yesterday http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif, I will start with the monitor from Best Buy or Office Depot. I can hook it up to my lap top and make sure it is acceptable. I may get a keyboard too since they are so cheap, but I don't think my laptop has a jack for a keyboard. Then in two weeks, the case, then the CPU and mobo,etc.

Thanks for everyone's patience in answering all my questions. Well one more...
How important is the power supply? I saw cases with 300W that, of course, were cheaper. I do remember when I upgraded from my XT to an AT I had to buy a larger power supply. (OK, I just dated myself http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif ) Do I want this larger supply in case I want to upgrade? Or do I need this much power now? Or did I answer my own question? Actually, what power supply does an Athlon XP 1800 need?


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Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

[This message has been edited by dazed woman (edited 06-23-2002).]

[This message has been edited by dazed woman (edited 06-23-2002).]

[Fruss Tray Ted]

I've posted this so many places and it still gets asked about all over the place. Add these together per what you have then add 25% at least for safety margin. In my opinion this is just like a "car" and you know what that's like don't you?? LOL You should NOT run them for all they are worth all the time or you are asking for trouble. You don't run your car with the pedal to the metal now do you?) Get the bigger PS and it will not work as hard and heat as badly therefore not dry up the components and lead to premature failure.

This is what I was looking for courtesy of the ocuk boards
PSU: What you need
AGP video card - 20-30W
PCI video card - 20W
AMD Athlon 900MHz-1.1GHz - 50W
AMD Athlon 1.2MHz-1.4GHz - 55-65W
Intel Pentium III 800MHz-1.26GHz - 30W
Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHz-1.7GHz - 65W
Intel Pentium 4 1.8GHz-2.0GHz - 75W
Intel Celeron 700MHz-900MHz - 25W
Intel Celeron 1.0GHz-1.1GHz - 35W
ATX Motherboard - 30W-40W
128MB RAM - 10W
256MB RAM - 20W
12X or higher IDE CD-RW Drive - 25W
32X or higher IDE CD-ROM Drive - 20W
10x or higher IDE DVD-ROM Drive - 20W
SCSI CD-RW Drive - 17W
SCSI CD-ROM Drive - 12W
5400RPM IDE Hard Drive - 10W
7200RPM IDE Hard Drive - 13W
7200RPM SCSI Hard Drive - 24W
10000RPM SCSI Hard Drive - 30W
Floppy Drive - 5W
Network Card - 4W
Modem - 5W
Sound Card - 5W
SCSI Controller Card - 20W
Firewire/USB Controller Card - 10W
Case Fan - 3W
CPU Fan - 3W


Also consider the need for wattage for adding new components in the future.



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I've got it made in the shade as long as the tree don't fall...

[hiredgoonz]

$22 is WAY too much for a network card...you can get them at Compusa for $15 every day and I thunkeither Best Buy or compusa has one for $5 after rebates...

I just went to crucials website www.crucial.com (http://www.crucial.com) and when I looked for pc2700 it came up for $89.99, but it gave me a $20 off coupon, try this link:
http://www.crucial.com/store/couponpricing.asp?PARTNO=CT3264Z335&BASEPARTNO=CT 3264Z335&x=10&y=13 (http://www.crucial.com/store/couponpricing.asp?PARTNO=CT3264Z335&BASEPARTNO=CT3264Z335&x=10&y=13)

Don't know if it will work for you, but it's worth a shot to save $20 and Crucial has free 2-day shipping...

Actually, if it doesn't work, you can try this coupon code that it gave me, I'm not using it, I just upgraded to 1gb of ram so I'm good for awhile...

Coupon Code: GENMBPJN20


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When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[This message has been edited by hiredgoonz (edited 06-23-2002).]

[saphalline]

Originally posted by dazed woman:

How important is the power supply? I saw cases with 300W that, of course, were cheaper. I do remember when I upgraded from my XT to an AT I had to buy a larger power supply. (OK, I just dated myself http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/eek.gif ) Do I want this larger supply in case I want to upgrade? Or do I need this much power now? Or did I answer my own question? Actually, what power supply does an Athlon XP 1800 need?

After adding up the Wattage totals from gwallen4's list, just remember that no matter what, your power supply will only use that many Watts. If it needs more, it uses more.

So let's say you add it up and pretend your total came to 280W. If you have a 300W power supply there's no problem, but you're running it pretty close to the max so the lifespan of the power supply could be shorter. On the other hand, a 400W power supply can easily handle 280W and will probably outlive its internal fan at that Wattage.

With power supplies, it's not about having enough, it's about making sure something as important as the device that supplies your PC with electricity isn't being pushed too hard. Power supplies are rather unglamorous and largely ignored, which may be the reason so many cheapo PC's die before their time.

Oh by the way, you might want to check Newegg's site again 'cause last time I checked, 80mm case fans were in the $8 range. True, there's another $6 in shipping, but if buy multiple items (like with your case) the shipping per item goes down. Also check how many fans are included with the SX1040, it might already have an extra case fan.

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"No, we do not gnaw on our kitty." - Dr. Evil

[This message has been edited by saphalline (edited 06-24-2002).]