[Antares]

Okay.

I've been putzing around talking to various people and looking at various offerings, and I've come up with a basic computer setup for my summer purchase designed to give me the greatest performance at the lowest price.  I'll be including the core setup along with some optional components that would make the machine better, but would also pump up the price by a few hundred dollars each.

Intel Pentium 4 3.2Ghz E (when the new "D-0" stepping is released sometime this May--I've heard that the 3.4 and 3.6 processors due out within the next couple of months will already possess this stepping, so I may pop for one of those, if that's true)
Windows XP Pro
1 gig DDR SDRAM (might go for 2 gigs)
128 MB ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (if I go for a better processor, I'll get a better system chassis as well, making this choice a 256 MB ATI Readon 9800 XT)
120 gigs hard drive space (might go for 250)

Approximate price: $1985

[HotSnoJ]

Why aren't you going to get an athlon XP or FX?

[aldo_14]

Why would you need 250GB HD space?  Unless you;re using large volumes of uncompressed audio/video data.....I've still to fill my 28GB Hard Drive.

[HotSnoJ]

Originally posted by aldo_14
Why would you need 250GB HD space?  Unless you;re using large volumes of uncompressed audio/video data.....I've still to fill my 28GB Hard Drive.

And I've yet to fill my 120GB, let alone my other 40GB! I have about 70GB left and I have of anime.

[Antares]

I like big hard drives mostly because I never delete anything.  Ever.    And since this will be my personal system for a few years (longer than that, if I go to the trouble of actually getting it upgraded), I'd like to be able to essentially install everything I own on it, for the sake of ready access.

I'm not popping for an AMD processor for three reasons:  most importantly, I suppose, is that I want a Dell system, and Dell is an Intel-only company.  Secondly, AMD does not yet offer Hyper-Threading tech, and I'm really not willing to wait another year or two for its implementation before I can buy a new system.  Lastly, there's a practical side to it; the only advantages AMD really has over Intel are its performance in some really graphic-heavy games--stuff like Unreal and Return to Wolfenstein, games I don't even play--and its 64-bit capabilities.  64-bit applications are an empty market for "casual" users like me right now; there are no specially-coded programs that make use of the feature, no operating systems, and so on.  In addition, I'm not sure about how 64-bit processors handle older, 16-bit applications; I play a number of old games like Master of Orion II and Dune 2000, and I'm worried about issues of compatibility.

[Ghostavo]

I've got 360GB... 5GB of free space...

*runs*

[aldo_14]

Hyper-threading is largely useless.

 It only offers an advantage to programs specifically coded to take advantage of it, and it actually slows down those which aren't.

[HotSnoJ]

bah, just build your own, you'll save money and/or get more.

And actually it isn't that hard, basicly B card goes into slot A.  Also there are online guides, and don't forget, we're here for you.

I think my biggest problem when I built mine was when I coudn't figure out why I couldn't get POST. But it turned out I had put to many risers in so it was cutting the circut short.

[Grey Wolf]

64 bit at the moment is about as useful as Hyperthreading. The difference is, 64 bit will eventually be useful. Hyperthreading will just be replaced by true multi-core CPUs.

If you're set on an Intel, at least get a Northwood. Prescott is just a horribly designed processor....

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Grey Wolf 2009
. Prescott is just a horribly designed processor....

....just like the person?

[Antares]

I'd like to pick up one of the Extreme Edition P4s, since they perform pretty well, even on par with AMD, but they're insanely expensive.  They use the Northwood core.

[vyper]

Originally posted by aldo_14

....just like the person?

on both counts

[Grey Wolf]

Originally posted by Antares
I'd like to pick up one of the Extreme Edition P4s, since they perform pretty well, even on par with AMD, but they're insanely expensive.  They use the Northwood core.

No, they don't. They claim to, but they use the Northwood core as much as the Athlon FX processors use the Clawhammer. They're both server chips (the Emergency Edition is a Gallatin core, the FX a Sledgehammer).

I mean you should pick up a real Northwood, probably a 3.0C or so.

[Fury]

Not meant to hijack the thread or anything, just thought I'd see what you have to say about my system I am going to buy sometime soon.

New PC.

This is not the final setup, I am still waiting for AMD64 3400+ 939 CPU's and maybe next generation video cards from ATI and NVDIAI to see how much current prices will get lower or if it is worthwile to get one of the upcoming cards.

The two Seagate 7200.7 160 GB drives are meant for RAID 0.
I have an older 7200 RPM 160GB Maxtor HDD as well, which will make a good secondary hard drive. I'll probably get two SATA-adapters and put the older maxtor and new Plextor to SATA connector.

Not going to wait DDR2 since it's not really any faster at current speeds than DDR. BTX is also coming but it's just a new form factor, although more effective.

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Antares
I like big hard drives mostly because I never delete anything.  Ever.  

I can appreciate that, but I must tell you, that's a really bad practice from a backup perspective. If your HD is fried, all of your data is fried. A DVD burner drive would be a vastly better option there. But if you're not worried about keeping your data safe, go ahead and just have a ridiculously large drive.

[Grey Wolf]

Originally posted by Mr. Fury
Not going to wait DDR2 since it's not really any faster at current speeds than DDR. BTX is also coming but it's just a new form factor, although more effective.

That's good that you're not waiting. DDR-II isn't going to be present in AMD based systems until early 05 I believe, and BTX isn't needed for AMD's. Only Tejas of the 150w+ really needs BTX.