hey guys, a friend of mine asked me to put together a new pc for him. while he wont be playin newer games (or almost NO PC GAME AT ALL), he said he'd like to be able to run ps2/n64 isos, be able to watch movies etc etc and he wanted a solid pc for a couple of years. this is what i came up with real quick, what would you keep/change n why? also i dont really know if that 500w psu that comes with the case can handle the computer, so i'd like some comments on that as well. he's willin to spend around $1300-$1500 tops...and i gotta add a monitor n some other small stuff in that list. pls keep in mind that he's no gamer! thx in advance for ur time and help =]
cpu $209.99 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor FSB 1333MHz
asus uses cheap components nowadays, you should a gigabyte p35 mobo instead and get an xtreme gamer or music for the sound card, the audio one doesn't even have hardware acceleration.
ty for ur answers #2 he told me he'd like to have a machine that'd last him a couple of years and we were discussing what parts while i was lookin around newegg; he doesnt want a 'cheap' (for brazilian standards) new pc.
#3 i dont know if he'd be willin to spend extra $ on better sound cards, but thx on the mobo tip
anyone can figure what a good reliable psu would be for this setup? or is the 500w on included in the case enough? cuz i dont think we'll be able to get that particular case (again, brazil ftl), so i should be lookin into some psu's as well...
Actually Asus is still probably the best in terms of quality especially with their P35 chipset and their X38, both of which have great stability as well as a great ability to overclock. If you are looking for a psu that is around 500w look into getting an antec earthwatts, great psu.
Looking at what he is getting i would say 500 is easily enough except for the fact i am not familiar with how much power a hauppauge takes up...but as for the other parts 500w will take care of it with ease.
Those Specs are awesome (I'm jealous, my comp is crap atm). Playing PS2 Iso's on the Computer is a horrible idea. PS2 Emulation is far from being perfect. It's better just to buy a PS2. Also if he mostly uses his PC to watch movies consider saving some money to buy a really nice monitor!
damn lol, i just ordered the athlon 6400+ with my new build today, didn't know the E8400's were in stock again =(, good build though, is the soundcard and extra 2gb necessary?
4gigs of ram is a bit much for normal apps, two should be more then enough. correct me if im wrong but cant only 64 bit windows detect more then 3gb of ram? Also i agree with #19 if you are going to get a videocard get a 8800gt although i dont see why he needs a very expensive card if you are 100% sure he is going to play no real games. Good build though.
QUOTE:only 64 bit windows detect more then 3gb of ram?
Windows 32 bit OS will use up to 3.25GB of RAM, due to the fact it is unable to address the remaining memory with 32 bits. Vista SP1 (32 bit) cheats by showing the user that they have 4GB of RAM installed, but the actual operating system will still only address 3.25GB. They introduced this in order to clear up confusion with consumers that bought 4GB of RAM, then complained that they had faulty DIMMS. To answer the question, yes, you can only use 3.25GB of RAM with a 32bit OS.
edit: I personally use Windows x64 Edition at work, and it causes me nothing but compatibility issues with various pieces of software. RAM being the price it is nowadays, I would simply recommend buying 4GB, and just using a 32bit OS. You only lose 750meg of RAM which is nothing for the money, and you still get all the compatibility of a 32 bit OS. I never really knew this until using it myself for the last year.
This comment was edited at 04/22/2008 10:04 AM
Studying - Microsoft Certified IT Professional Server Administrator
help with build parts
cpu $209.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz
6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor FSB 1333MHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
mobo $149.99
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
FSB 1333/1066MHz
Memory Standard DDR2 1066 - max 8GB
SATA 3Gb/s - 6
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
ram $144.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2
SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
hd $64.99
Seagate Barracuda 250GB
7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
gfx $144.99
EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB
320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
dvd $32.99
LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
tv $99.99
Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
sound $62.99
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
case $119.95
Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid
Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
cooler $53.99
ZALMAN CNPS9700 LED 110mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp..
and get an xtreme gamer or music for the sound card, the audio one doesn't even have hardware acceleration.
#2 he told me he'd like to have a machine that'd last him a couple of years and we were discussing what parts while i was lookin around newegg; he doesnt want a 'cheap' (for brazilian standards) new pc.
#3 i dont know if he'd be willin to spend extra $ on better sound cards, but thx on the mobo tip
anyone can figure what a good reliable psu would be for this setup? or is the 500w on included in the case enough? cuz i dont think we'll be able to get that particular case (again, brazil ftl), so i should be lookin into some psu's as well...
Playing PS2 Iso's on the Computer is a horrible idea. PS2 Emulation is far from being perfect. It's better just to buy a PS2. Also if he mostly uses his PC to watch movies consider saving some money to buy a really nice monitor!
who the heck knows what soft companies will throw at us next, right?
and the soundcard i think is one of those things he can go without, but since it's a new pc n everything, why not
but i think it'll be windows
No cheaper than any other company. If you could actually back that statement up with some proof, I would be very suprised.
Windows 32 bit OS will use up to 3.25GB of RAM, due to the fact it is unable to address the remaining memory with 32 bits.
Vista SP1 (32 bit) cheats by showing the user that they have 4GB of RAM installed, but the actual operating system will still only address 3.25GB.
They introduced this in order to clear up confusion with consumers that bought 4GB of RAM, then complained that they had faulty DIMMS.
To answer the question, yes, you can only use 3.25GB of RAM with a 32bit OS.
edit: I personally use Windows x64 Edition at work, and it causes me nothing but compatibility issues with various pieces of software. RAM being the price it is nowadays, I would simply recommend buying 4GB, and just using a 32bit OS. You only lose 750meg of RAM which is nothing for the money, and you still get all the compatibility of a 32 bit OS. I never really knew this until using it myself for the last year.
i'd suggest a 500mb or 1 tb Preferred HD
i'd suggest also a LITE-ON Black BlueRay disc drive. ( DVD+Rw 4x DVD+R 12 DVD-R 6x DVD-RW 12x DVD-ROM 32X CD-R 24x CD-RW 32x CD-ROM SATA )
You'd be stupid to want to listen to movies on standard sound. I would recommend an X-fi Platinum
alongside a vid card with HDMI ( 9800 GX2 ). This is a comp that will last him a few years, by any standards. Next Question?
Submit Comments
Registered Users Only
In order to post comments, you must be a registered member. If you have not registered, it's free and easy!