It seems like every few weeks a thread just like this pops up.
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It seems like every few weeks a thread just like this pops up.
Yeah, sorry about that. It's just that it's quite a big investment, you know? And I realise that there's a lot of shit out there, and it's difficult for someone who doesn't know their hardware to sort it all out from the good stuff.Quote:
Originally posted by Rumpy
It seems like every few weeks a thread just like this pops up.
Plus, of course, I assume it's a pretty individualised thing - everyone has different needs.
Get an NForce 2 chipset motherboard. They usually have on-board 5.1 sound, dual channel RAM capabilities (so your 2 sticks of RAM will get a boost), and on-board video, as well as a bunch of other stuff that will save you money. Unlike most onboard stuff, the NForce 2 is high-quality.
The cheapest I can find is the Biostar NForce 2 that I recommend, and the ASUS A7N8X Deluxe is the most expensive, since it contains about every feature in the world.
Also...
2x Samsung 256MB PC3200 400MHz DDR 184 pin RAM - £80.62
AMD Athlon XP2600+ 333MHz FSB - £77.55
It's better to have your RAM and processor on the same bus speed... get PC2700 RAM with the 333MHz bus. You can stay with the PC3200, but you're basically paying more when you could get just about the same power from a coordinated 333MHz bus system.
When you get that person to put it together for you, watch over if you can, because building a PC is a lot easier than it looks. After deciding to take apart an old system and put it together for myself to learn, I wondered why I shelled out so much cash over the years to get various upgrades done for me.
If you don't go with onboard video, that Geforce 3 you have is perfect, since I use that myself and I play all the latest games fine. A similar version of that card is used in the Xbox.
Well, I have the same mother board, and it runs great. Its not that expensive(you can find it for about $125-130(but there ARE cheaper cards). It has plenty of features(2 Network cards, Onboard sound, etc)Quote:
Originally posted by omfgninjas
ASUS A7N8X Deluxe is the most expensive, since it contains about every feature in the world.
It's better to have your RAM and processor on the same bus speed... get PC2700 RAM with the 333MHz bus. You can stay with the PC3200, but you're basically paying more when you could get just about the same power from a coordinated 333MHz bus system.
I also running 333Mhz set up, with RAM and Processor(I have Athlon XP 2600+ :p), and it works great.
As for video card, another alternative would be Radeon 9500 Pro, which is quite decent card, has lots of power(it runs better than GeForce4 Ti4200), and last time I checked was running for about $180 or less.
I'll also recommend a motherboard with the nForce2 chipset. The amount of onboard features is great and eliminates the need for so many add-on PCI cards. I'm currently running the FIC AU11 (which appears to have been replaced with the AU13). It runs in the $100 range.
Ah, man, I can't wait till they get 200GB drives at 10,000 spins.Quote:
Originally posted by Dragonmaster Dyne
get one of those new 10,000rpm seagates :D *drool*
and caliander...why would he need good video and a fast processor if he already said hes just going to use it for music?
And everyone needs good video and a fast processor...
Or I will kill them! MWA HA HAHAHAHA! Or something like that.
No, seriously, a better video card makes XP look nice and pretty and makes it run smoother. Plus, even if you don't like FPS's, there's still Morrowind. ;)
Heh, I totally understand. I did the same thing.Quote:
Originally posted by red_war_machine
Yeah, sorry about that. It's just that it's quite a big investment, you know? And I realise that there's a lot of shit out there, and it's difficult for someone who doesn't know their hardware to sort it all out from the good stuff.
Plus, of course, I assume it's a pretty individualised thing - everyone has different needs.
get a Shuttle
Yes.
Media box! Hook it up to your TV.
One thing about the sound card-
The Sound Blaster Live is an excellent sound card, but if you are going to be using Windows XP, I might step up to the standard Audigy card. They are cheap too, but the main reason is that for some reason (drivers probably) with Win XP the sound quailty of the Audigy is better than the Live. With Win98 or ME, there was no difference.
Of course, that could have just been some freaky thing to do with my setup.