[help] Pc Suggestions For £900?

Yes it's me again asking for all your wisdom..

I've, er, changed my mind about spending £1k on an iBook and I've decided it would be much more sensible to get a PC instead and since I haven't really been reading up on good deals of late I'm wondering if you clever bunch could help me out (again). Here's the info;

Top Amount to Spend: £900-£920

Minimum Speed: 1.8GHz

Minimum RAM (any type):: 256MB

Things I would like included but are not essential;

• TFT Monitor (or at least a moderately new CRT)

• 124MB Graphics card

• Good looking case

I've scanned a few places but most are either poor for the price or are too expensive (yeah, expensive PCs! No-one ever mentions them ). I do think the Alienware PCs look good but are expensive when I've seen the same componants in a £800 PC (and that usually includes a monitor).

I want to stay away from Dell, because they're one of my pet hates. Please don't suggest getting a Mac (iBook/eMac since they're the only ones of that price) because they won't get used when I eventually get my G5. Oh and please don't suggest "Buy parts and build it yourself", because I don't have the parts knowledge to do that and I'd die of old age before my brother-in-law would help.

If possible please give a link/image/specs to any suggestions, all help is great though.

Oh sods, General is wrong.. This should be in PCs damnit, sorry.

#99389

Originally posted by es.xxi@Jan 13 2004, 10:01 AM

• 124MB Graphics card

you mean 128

may I suggest a 9600 pro? dont know haw many pounds that is...and also an iBook is also a PC

#99423

Have you had a look at the many different packages out there on ebay?

#99427

Building your own computer is realy easy, and is the absolute best idea if your building your own computer. You can get MUCH more bang for you buck. I dont like prebuilts and thing there generaly much slower then an equilvent home buuilt, cause they can skimp on stuff like northbridges, and just sell it based on the 2.6ghz celeron (much faster that that dumb xp3200 running at 2.2ghz (totaly not true if you didnt know..)). Or ohh look this one has a 128mb gpu (too bad its like a suped up mx440). So for 900$ you can get a prebuilt one that is probaly slower then a system you built from the ground for 10-20% less cause they skimp on stuff they dont tell you.

If you need help with what to get, im shure anyone would be more then willing to help you. Mabie ask neowin for part sugestions and places to buy. Picking out the parts is the hard part, after that its easy, you cant stick the cpu or somthing in the wrong slot. Plus after building a computer you will learn a helalot about them, they wont be this mistery box that spits out preaty pictures. You also know EXACTLY whats in it, so updating things like drivers is a breaze.

Heres some quick links

http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardwarecen...utorials/109/2/

http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/

wow im not even gonna atempt fixing gramar on that post.... good god

#99436

great post lostspyder, and i completely aggree. i will probably never buy a desktop prebuilt again. building your own is always the way to go

#99448

i agree with lostspyder on this one. i made the mistake by buying an hp computer (the product of modern american capitalist hyperconsumerism!) and was disappointed with the performance and quality. the service was poor (my power supply died after a year and they refused to change it, but i got a better one anyway), the parts were basic (no agp slot? low quality parts!), and the software was bloatware.

big companies produce computers that are aimed at the mainstream, non-techie consumer--i.e. they build lower quality machines but advertise them in such a way that people buy them (for lack of knowledge).

i built my own computer (and sold off that hp partwise to finance it) and i'm very satisfied with this one. i can choose every part, from the cpu to the motherboard to the case. i know exactly what goes into the computer and i know exactly how things should work.

alienware produces good computers, but with a high premium. you can build the equivalent machine for a fraction of the price.

i would say avoid the high performance gaming machine producers like falcon and alienware if you want to save money. also avoid hp/compaq based on my experience with them. do not buy emachines (very cheap, i.e. low quality), and you said no dells. i don't know about sony, but you must avoid gateway. their computers aren't the greatest (my gf has one and she dislikes it so much she's asking me to build her one later), and they're even moving out of the computer market.

but seriously, if you're worried about building the computer, ease your worries. i can reassure you, i had no idea how to build computers before, but i built my own. connectors only fit one way, and there are only a handful of rules of thumb that you should keep in mind. and as always, there's always forums like this to help you along the way. i'd be more than happy to assist you. you will definitely be more satisfied with this option in the long run (and probably even short run!).

#99452

Topic Moved.

This goes in PC, as you well know .

----------------

Stevie BM

#99454

Originally posted by dreamz@Jan 13 2004, 09:59 PM

i agree with lostspyder on this one.  i made the mistake by buying an hp computer (the product of modern american capitalist hyperconsumerism!) and was disappointed with the performance and quality.  the service was poor (my power supply died after a year and they refused to change it, but i got a better one anyway), the parts were basic (no agp slot?  low quality parts!), and the software was bloatware.

big companies produce computers that are aimed at the mainstream, non-techie consumer--i.e. they build lower quality machines but advertise them in such a way that people buy them (for lack of knowledge).

i built my own computer (and sold off that hp partwise to finance it) and i'm very satisfied with this one.  i can choose every part, from the cpu to the motherboard to the case.  i know exactly what goes into the computer and i know exactly how things should work.

alienware produces good computers, but with a high premium.  you can build the equivalent machine for a fraction of the price.

i would say avoid the high performance gaming machine producers like falcon and alienware if you want to save money.  also avoid hp/compaq based on my experience with them.  do not buy emachines (very cheap, i.e. low quality), and you said no dells.  i don't know about sony, but you must avoid gateway.  their computers aren't the greatest (my gf has one and she dislikes it so much she's asking me to build her one later), and they're even moving out of the computer market.

but seriously, if you're worried about building the computer, ease your worries.  i can reassure you, i had no idea how to build computers before, but i built my own.  connectors only fit one way, and there are only a handful of rules of thumb that you should keep in mind.  and as always, there's always forums like this to help you along the way.  i'd be more than happy to assist you.  you will definitely be more satisfied with this option in the long run (and probably even short run!).

100% agreed.

Give it a shot, building it yourself can be fun and it really is not as touh as it seems, my PC is built all by me, every single piece si special and i have bought it personally and specifically.

I would also be more tan glad to help you out trough the process. I wouldnt recommend any computer available now. well alienware but have you seen the prices? id get a mac for that!

Seph

#99457

I've got to agree with lostspyder about this as well.

I used to build my own PCs, but stopped since I've got my laptop 3 years ago. :naughty: (Anyone does laptop DIYs? )

The flexibility on the parts, and the amount of control which you have in deciding what goes into that to-be mean machine of yours is a true blessing. Price-wise, everyone has said it. In this case, you're getting parts first hand off the shops, and you're not paying for the service those companies charged for putting the parts together, which is very much simply just look, slot and click.

Have fun, mate. :who's your daddy:

#99458

and plus, when you build your own, you get to get a sweet looking case for it, and put lights on it and get lighted fans and stuff (Y)

#99460

Originally posted by rooskee@Jan 13 2004, 10:11 PM

and plus, when you build your own, you get to get a sweet looking case for it, and put lights on it and get lighted fans and stuff (Y)

light in fans, cases and cables make me sick....

#99464

Righteo, so I should build it myself and spend the spare cash on a new monitor? (And it's £900 / $1,530ish, not $900 ) Err I'd really appreciate someone to talk me through parts via IM (or PM).. :shy:

I'd rather not buy on eBay, and get stuff from store so I can return if faulty.. Thanks for all the help! (Y)

#99479

ID be more than glad to help you out over MSN

#99482

Originally posted by Seph@Jan 13 2004, 12:42 PM

ID be more than glad to help you out over MSN

same here.

hit me up and we can all have a group convo.

#99514

Originally posted by rooskee@Jan 13 2004, 01:11 PM

and plus, when you build your own, you get to get a sweet looking case for it, and put lights on it and get lighted fans and stuff (Y)

:rule: :who's your daddy: Hell yea

#99518

Thanks to Dreamz and his patience (thanks!!) I've decided to go with the "build it yourself" option.. I'd love comments on the parts and suggestions for parts I/we can't decide on..

Motherboard: Abit NF7-S

Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2500+ Barton

Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 9600 Pro 128MB

Memory: 2x Crucial 256MB Modules

Hard Disk: Maxtor 160GB SATA/150 8Mb Cache 7200RPM

Power Supply: No idea yet

Optical Drives: No idea yet (DVD-R and CD-RW I think though)

Case: AX-01BD Aluminum Dragon Entry Level Server Case (I think..)

I'd love suggestions on a 350W+ Power Supply, optical drives and any nice looking cases (no transparent side(/s) or glowing inner lights).. Also does anyone have any suggestions for making sure the memory will be dual channel..?

Thanks again, especially Dreamz!

#99586

Looks good, but i would get an 9600xt inplace of the pro its about a 20$ us difrence, but a major preformance gain. and in place of one 160 gig SATA drive, 2 smaller SATA drives in raid (combining the drives, it splits the data between them for MUCH faster acess times, and combines there total storage). You WILL notice the difrence. Windows loads like 3x faster.A powersuply can realy be anything if your not overclocking. As for optical drives, ive been nopthing but 100% happy with lite-on. As for case, i realy like the cheiftec matrix series. For the ram, i would get one big module if you plan on ever upgrading. I dont rember how many ram bays the nf7 has off hand, but having to take out ram because you dont have egnouf slots isnt cost efective. The counter argument of dual chanel is dumb, cause the preformance increase you get it VERY small, typicaly only like 1%, much higher for onboard graphics cards tho.

ps make shure youve got power adapters for the sata drives, cause it sucks without em. Your MB and HD might come with them, and depending on what PS you have it might too, but if they dont thats another week to wait, and it sucks.

#99620

Thanks alot for the help lostspyder!

- I think the 9600 XT upgrade would be worth it, I'll see if I've got the spare little bit extra once I've got the prices for all the parts settled.

- Would that be hard to setup? It sounds like a good idea..

- Aye, Dreamz also recommended Lite-On, I'll have a look after a sleep.

- It seems that it would be cheaper to get two modules, I won't be wanting to upgrade from 512MBs.

- SATA drives need adapters? How can I check if I need an adapter? Do I only need them for the HD, or for the power-supply?

Thanks again for the help..

Updates

Okay I'm going through and pricing and sorting out where to order stuff.. Here's what I've got priced so far (will update as found);

Abit NF7-S Motherboard - Around £93

AMD Athlon XP 2500+ Barton - Around £76

ATI Radeon 9600 XT 256MB (couldn't find 128MB) - Around £130

(x2) Crucial 256MB DDR RAM - Around £55

(x2) Maxtor 80GB UDMA 150 7200RPM - Around £135

Vantec Stealth Aluminium PSU 420W - Around £66

Lite On CDRW Drive (52x32x52x) - Around £30

Lite On DVD+-R/+-RW - Around £120

Thermaltake Xaser III v2000+ AST Case - Around £122

Thermalright SLK-900U Heatsink - Around £33

Logitech Cordless Desktop (Optical) - Around £40

Total: Around £900

* - Yes I said no glowing but they look rather cool.. Plus it'd be like.. Backlighting when it's dark.. ;;

Things to find and price (that I think I need please tell me if I need more/less);

Heatsink & Fan(/s)

#99631

Originally posted by es.xxi@Jan 14 2004, 01:28 AM

Thanks alot for the help lostspyder!

- I think the 9600 XT upgrade would be worth it, I'll see if I've got the spare little bit extra once I've got the prices for all the parts settled.

- Would that be hard to setup? It sounds like a good idea..

- Aye, Dreamz also recommended Lite-On, I'll have a look after a sleep.

- It seems that it would be cheaper to get two modules, I won't be wanting to upgrade from 512MBs.

- SATA drives need adapters? How can I check if I need an adapter? Do I only need them for the HD, or for the power-supply?

Thanks again for the help..

2.Raid drives are fairly easy to setup, depending on what software comes with your board.

4.If your defiantly not upgrading dont worry about the ram. Dual chanel is a good choice then. Also are you plaing on overclocking? The xp2500 can reach speeds of an xp3200 VERY eaisly, on a stock cooler even. If you do plan on overclocking your going to want to make shure the ram is DDR400 or pc3200 (same thing, diffrent name).

5.SATA is kind of a new technology, and it uses a difrent power plug. I know my OEM drives didnt come with a poweradapter. I think retail might depending on the brand, your going to have to research this. It will be called like a 'molex to SATA power adapter' or just 'SATA power adapter' something like that. You shoulnt have to pay more then 3$ each for them. Heres a link so you can check them out. http://www.bestbyte.net/Product.cfm?Produc...ryID=9&Keyword= The white part is the standard female molex conecter that will plug into your powersupply, and the black one is the male conector for a SATA drive.

ps: everyone got there opinions on what type of hardware to buy, chose what you think is the best and fits in your budget then go with it. Homebuilt PCs generaly look dirt cheap on the surface, but little things start to raise the bar (like sata poweradapters, but still cheaper then a prebuilt) so make shure you factor thoes in. There kinda like snowballs, dont drag them over the ground or theyll get realy big.

#99644

Updated previous post.. Will those ATA HDDs need adapters? Would that solve the issue? I'd rather just buy a more easily installable bit of kit then install adapters all over the place. I would like to overclock it to get some more speed but I think I'll ask a bit more about it, since I've never attempted it before.

The currently selected HW (previous post) adds up to £750ish.. Think I'd be able to get a good TFT for the remaining cash (£150ish)? In fact I wouldn't mind just a decent CRT (what do they call those flat screened tubed ones?).. With two fans do I need a heatsink?

Again thanks for the help, blessing me and ridding me of my ignorance!

#99655

Thoes drives are just parell ata, to RAID them you have to use SATA drives (well you dont have to, its possible to RAID PATA drives, but i dont think that board lets you, and besides raided SATA drives will be a bunch faster the raid PATAs)

http://www.casetech.co.uk/product_info.php...products_id/354

I have no idea if they come with the power adapters, might want to give them an email or a call. If your realy woried get this one, it should have 2 SATA powerconectors, and runs about the same price/quality.

http://www.overclock.co.uk/customer/produc...&cat=266&page=1

Your going to need a heatsink no matter what you do, CPUs run WAY too hot. If you buy a retail CPU it comes with a stock heatsink and a 3 year warenty, and the OEM CPU with 90 days and no heatsink for very little price difrence.

If your serious about overclocking your gonna want a little beter heatsink then stock, its all a matter of how much your willing to spend on an heatsink. For low range the vantec areoflow, high range either the thermalright skl900 or 947 (any thermalright skl series for that matter). Even higher is water cooling but....

#99681

see? i told ya lostspyder was really helpful with hardware.

i don't have raid set up, but the nf7-s motherboard comes with instructions on how to configure it.

and yes, you need a heatsink and fan no matter what. a few seconds without it can cause the cpu to burn up. as lostspyder said, get a good one. the vantec aeroflow is relatively cheap and supposedly quiet (but i don't know. any experiences, lostspyder?). high quality heatsinks are usually made completely of copper, while the cheaper ones are made of aluminum. aluminum/copper hybrids are a nice balance. artic silver paste can also lower temps by several degrees.

so what else is needed?

#99689

Originally posted by dreamz@Jan 14 2004, 04:23 AM

the vantec aeroflow is relatively cheap and supposedly quiet (but i don't know.  any experiences, lostspyder?).

I used to have one before my skl900, it cooled realy well, i got my 2600 (not know for overclocking like the 2500) up to 3400 speeds rock stable on it, it was cheap too. The noise wasnt awsome, but it wasnt unberable. I would recomend it if you didnt want to dump $$ into a good one. Sound is another thing, do you care how loud it is, ie i sleep right next to mine so it makes a difrence. With a bunch of case fans, while each individualy may not be loud, they kind of add up, as each fan generates a little difrent kind of hum. Also i dont recomend multicolor led fans, they look like crap imho.

Artict silver is too expensive for the little gain you get if your building a budget PC. Its realy only for hardcore overclockers who want every mhz they can get so they can show off at there crappy pimplefilled lan party. It makes a difrence of like a digree, and if you were to get the aeroflow, just dump the $$ into a beter heatsink. I havent found a heatskin that doesnt come with come sort of thermal compund, i think ive got like 10 tubes :6 Make shure you use it tho, bad bad if you dont.

Another thing about coper/aluminum hybreds is the weight. The SKL900 is heavy. So you gotta be a little carefull transporting it with the skl on it, keep it flat and you should be fine.

#99736

God, i go to bed and see all tat i have missed!

If you are like me and like to have the computer on all day and sleep in the same room, youll want a regulatable CPU fan... i have an Aero 7+ from coolermaster and if its running on the lowest is silent as hell, if i need to do some processing well i just pump it up... I would also recommend a volcano, ive read pretty good reviews about it.

Overall thats a kick ass pc your getting there Es.XXi congrats!

Nevermind the ODD comment youve chosen LiteOn... good choice... thers nothing else for me to tell you here! (Y)

That is a great owersupply, the same im running on my pc...

Shame on you about the led fans!!!! <_<

#99744

Thanks again for the help!

@lostspyder; Thanks for those two products, so with the power adapters (that hopefully come with the PSU (I'll check on that)) the HDDs should work fine?

@Dreamz; Ah but you've been swell helping me pick parts! Can you recommend a heatsink for £20ish? I may bump the DVD+-R/+-RW down to just a DVD-R to save a little money..

@Seph; I couldn't resist.. They're all glowly and rainbowy.. I swear I won't replace a side with clear acrylic!

So this heatsink?;

http://www.tekheads.co.uk/s/product?product=601860

#99817