New Machine-Good specs?

Not a hardware guy but, I am upgrading my machine and would appreciate opinions on the hardware I have been recommended-ANY help appreciated...I am upgrading rather than buying new as I just got a new sound card and CD-RW...here is what I have had recommended: Intel Pentium 4.2.40cGHz 220.00 512mb dd-400 PC3200 CAS@ memory w/heat spreader 120.00/ea (getting 2 for 1 gig ram) Gigabyte GA-8PE667 motherbooard 110.00 NVIDIA Ge Force FX5600 (128mgb) 170.00 Windows XP Home 120.00 Adding to: Sound Blaster 5.1 Sound card CD CD-RW Plain old fashoined modem 80 gig HD (plenty for me-only half full now..).. Does this sound like a fair system?...price seem ok? Kevin (aka tlgtr) **** "A GOOD friend will come bail you out of jail... but, a TRUE friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn we screwed up!!!!."

what country are you from...? coz if that is in Estonian dollars its way cheap....:) AD

I'm sorry never thought of that..US dollars...and that's just parts-labor another $150 us Kevin (aka tlgtr) **** "A GOOD friend will come bail you out of jail... but, a TRUE friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn we screwed up!!!!."

"TlgtrProd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Not a hardware guy but, I am upgrading my machine and would appreciateopinions > on the hardware I have been recommended-ANY help appreciated...I amupgrading > rather than buying new as I just got a new sound card and CD-RW...here iswhat

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> I have had recommended: > > Intel Pentium 4.2.40cGHz > 220.00 > 512mb dd-400 PC3200 CAS@ memory w/heat spreader 120.00/ea > (getting 2 for 1 gig ram) > Gigabyte GA-8PE667 motherbooard

110.00 > NVIDIA Ge Force FX5600 (128mgb)170.00

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> > Windows XP Home > 120.00 > > Adding to: > Sound Blaster 5.1 Sound card > CD > CD-RW > Plain old fashoined modem > 80 gig HD (plenty for me-only half full now..)..

Prices are a little on the high side. For example, you can get a retail boxed 2.4C from Newegg.com for $177 shipped free or you could step up to a 2.8C for $267. For $170 make sure that is a FX 5600 Ultra, otherwise you can get non ultra 5600s for less than $150. The current state of graphics cards could not be more confusing with the different number of pipelines and varying core and memory speeds coupled with similar naming conventions that don't always equate to higher number = more performance. Not a bad price on the RAM if it is a good brand and quality. New motherboards can be picky about the memory you use. Is that a full version of XP or an upgrade? Also, I think the Gigabyte GA-8PE667 motherboard is based on the Intel 845 chipset. If so it only supports a 400/533 MHz front side bus and will not work with the 2.4C that uses the 800 MHz bus. I would suggest a motherboard based on the Intel 865 or 875 chipset. There are several good 865 based boards available for right around $100. Best advice is to do as much research as possible before you make a purchase. Buy the fastest processor and Graphics card that you can afford within your budget and try to build in some room to upgrade in the future. I recommend the following links and online vendors: http://www.pricewatch.com/ http://www.anandtech.com/ http://www.accupc.com/ http://www.newegg.com/ http://www.googlegear.com/jsp/Home.jsp Kyle

In article <[email hidden]>, TlgtrProd says...

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> Not a hardware guy but, I am upgrading my machine and would appreciate opinions > on the hardware I have been recommended-ANY help appreciated...I am upgrading > rather than buying new as I just got a new sound card and CD-RW...here is what > I have had recommended: > > Intel Pentium 4.2.40cGHz > 220.00 > 512mb dd-400 PC3200 CAS@ memory w/heat spreader 120.00/ea > (getting 2 for 1 gig ram) > Gigabyte GA-8PE667 motherbooard 110.00 > NVIDIA Ge Force FX5600 (128mgb) 170.00 > > Windows XP Home > 120.00 > > Adding to: > Sound Blaster 5.1 Sound card > CD > CD-RW > Plain old fashoined modem > 80 gig HD (plenty for me-only half full now..).. > > Does this sound like a fair system?

Sure, no problems running LFS, Netkar etc with that ;) I'd go for AMD but ok. > ...price seem ok? Well, XP Home is $120 too much. -- Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. ICQ: 138579247

The XP is full 'Home' version. (I am buying locally, because with my 'limited to none' hardware knowledge I want a place to go back to if I have problems.) And yes I hate giving Bill the money, but I have heard that XP is better for games than win2k that I am running now. Will check on the mother board-?buss speed? and'ultra'... Thanks a bunch this was the type of advice I was hoping to get here.... Kevin (aka tlgtr) **** "A GOOD friend will come bail you out of jail... but, a TRUE friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn we screwed up!!!!."

Good advice on motherboard-buss speed was wrong-will have to change-will call after they open.....thanks man! Kevin (aka tlgtr) **** "A GOOD friend will come bail you out of jail... but, a TRUE friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn we screwed up!!!!."

>For $170 make sure that is a FX 5600 Ultra, otherwise you can > get non ultra 5600s for less than $150. Do *not* buy a non-ultra 5600. I suggest instead a Radeon 9800 128mb non-pro. This is fast as is, and will easily flash to a 9800pro, free upgrade! >I would suggest a motherboard > based on the Intel 865 or 875 chipset. Abit IC7-MAX3, 875P chipset is one of the best, combined with the P4 2.4C cpu. This will give you maximum overclocking headroom. rms

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a GeForce FX 5600, having just bought one a couple of weeks ago. However, if I were going to spend $170 on it, I'd spend $20-30 more and get the 5600 Ultra. Got my 5600 at googlegear.com for $159 but it came with cables galore that I would've had to spend extra on (DVI-VGA Adapter for dual monitors, etc). "Madden 2004" plays beautifully on my P4 1.6GHZ @ 1024x768x32. Overclocking to 2.1GHZ didn't make any real difference. It's even playable at 1280x1024 but a little jerky. "F1 Challenge '99-'02" - same story. Perfect at 1024x768 but jerky at 1280x1024. You can find current (well, July) video card benchmarks here: http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030714/vga_card_guide-12.html They should help you with your decision. "Roger Squires" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<Nzw7b.352$[email hidden]>...

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> >For $170 make sure that is a FX 5600 Ultra, otherwise you can > > get non ultra 5600s for less than $150. > > Do *not* buy a non-ultra 5600. I suggest instead a Radeon 9800 128mb > non-pro. This is fast as is, and will easily flash to a 9800pro, free > upgrade! > > >I would suggest a motherboard > > based on the Intel 865 or 875 chipset. > > Abit IC7-MAX3, 875P chipset is one of the best, combined with the P4 2.4C > cpu. This will give you maximum overclocking headroom. > > rms

$150 for labor is really high. Places where I looked either put it together free if you got all the parts there or charged a nominal $25 or so. "TlgtrProd" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > I'm sorry never thought of that..US dollars...and that's just parts-labor > another $150 us > Kevin (aka tlgtr) > **** > "A GOOD friend will come bail you out of jail... but, a TRUE friend willbe > sitting next to you saying, "Damn we screwed up!!!!."