The (new) Official PC building thread!

some but not necessarily most. I've learned a great deal from 1st hand experience, from docTY (personally via phone), dvd hounds (another forum), and reading of articlecles, reviews, etc.

 

cool, I changed the 22" monitor for a 20" so now i am upgrading the video card and some of the other stuff you guys sujusted, would you mind explainin RAM timings to me? like the 5-5-3-3 stuff? I know the smaller the numbers the better right?

 

Try for the 7600GT if possible, it'll be much better than the 7100 or an 8400GS. Unless the user is solely an office worker a 7100 will be rubbish.

 

much better explained by doing some googling. here's a start. although this article is outdated, everything is basically the same with exception that you won't see as low of cas latency and tight of timings with DDR2 as you did with DDR, or if you do it will cost you big bucks.

 

I have learned from docTY as well. Unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure to have any tutalage from BigDK but I would listen intently if instructed.

On wearing out your welcome, NEVER in my book or circles for that matter.

DON'T sell yourself short either! You're a smart cookie and have plenty of knowledge the rest of us haven't gotten to yet. Maybe some day.

OK enough of that. You know how I feel about your presence here.

.....gm

@mike,
You get everything worked out buddy?

btw I've learned similarly to Mort81. NOT personal phone instruction from the docTY but plenty of PM's. And from DVDHounds as well (BroBear, Soph, Syxguns and a couple of others). There are some GREAT guys over there and very helpful as well. And READING too. I'm still an infant in the computer building process but I normally can figure out what goes with what. If I have questions I normally come hear and wait for the gurus to come a calling. @ GURUS. hehehe.

 

@mikeh0303
My Brother in Law just bought one through Circuit City...It works nice as a Media Center...
Hp bought alot of the quad core's at a good price...thats how they were able to price them so low...however...You can still build a better version for the same price...or just a little more...

 

here is my first attempt, its is 1811.76 after tax, and future shops is 1823.97, so here is the list, i had to get the CPU off ebay. and there was just no way i could get 2 320GB hard drives in there, but 500GB is really huge, I think i did a good job, but it took a long time and forced me to use very chep RAM which i hate doing.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=280131600251&rd=1&rd=1
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013517&cid=RAM.475
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=010880&cid=RAM.475
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=010805&cid=MB.157
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=010342&cid=999.243.390
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013569&cid=CS.664
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=008909&cid=PS.808
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=012497&cid=SW.815
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=013996&cid=CR.184
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=010282&cid=HD.96
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=011005&cid=MT.282

 

Can you buy parts from USA?..instead of Canada...
I'm not familiar with Canadian Retailers...

It looks like that E-bay retailer you chose has a lot of components at good prices...Might be the way to go for you...

 

ya, i was very impressed with them, they beat canada computers by 200 for the processor, and thats with shipping

 

You can save a lot of Ca$h by shopping around a little bit before you buy...

 

I was finally able to give people the same system with some better parts (800MHz RAM) for the same price, but for the version with out the monitor. Here is the part list

CPU- Intel Core 2 Duo quad core 2.4GHz
RAM-1GB x2 800MHz
512mb x2 800MHz
Mobo-Asus P5B Socket 775
Video-Asus 128Mb nVidia GeForce 7300LE
Mid Size tower
PSU-Thermaltake TR2 430W Power Supply
Windows vista Preimum
Optical Drive- LG GSA-H62N(Black) SATA
Hard drive- Seagate 320GB x2 = 640GB
TV Tuner/Digital Recorder
Internal All-in-1 internal 3.5" Card Reader
My total is $1598.55 and future shop is $1595.99

i think mine is a better deal due to RAM and stuff like the mobo.

 

@mike,
I don't know what you're trying to do. Are you selling these for profit or just doing a few favors for friends?

I'm a little worried about the choices for a PSU and the video card you chose. You have a lot of stuff going into that box for the 430W PSU to power let alone expand at any time. Like another DVD drive, another HDD, external components and the like. NOT picking on your choices but the PSU is the last thing to go "CHEAP" on. AND the GPU is less than desirable. Like sammorris said about some of the other psu's you were looking at, "only for an office worker" or something like that.

I'm being nice here and no malice intended but you don't want your first "high end" build to fail because of a "low end" PSU or GPU.

.....gm

Mort, sam, or Lp you wanna add anything? :S

 

Lp531,
I almost forgot ddp is from Canada if I remember right. He would know some quality retailers up there. ddp you got any ideas other than the few mentioned on Canadians retailers for computer parts and PC's?

...gm

 

@ greensman & mike
Yes...I would be concerned about the thermatake 430...He didn't have link to P/S for me to look at connectors and spec's...But I would be nervous about that low of a P/S with a Quad Core...

I would look at Seagate 500gb drives...500gb drives offer the best...GB for $ ratio right now...

The Video card is weak at best...I would spend more there...and I would run either 2GB or 4Gb of memory...Not 3Gb...
3Gb will not be running in Dual channel mode...Hp misleads customers on the memory...
They will tell you that the 3Gb's of memory are dual channel...which is correct...however in that configuration it will only be running in single channel mode...It is Dual Channel memory running in only single channel mode...

 

what i am trying to do is see if i can match HP with their computer for a very similar price, at first i thought it would be impossible, and i knew i would have to choose some terrible parts, but I was able to do it, and i know that PSU is very week, but i dont know what else I could go lower on to allow me to spend more on a PSU.

I just want to be able to make a computer very similar to HPs just incase someone ever asks if I can match it.

 

I think you're wasting your time on trying to "match" HP. They put out less than superior products most of the time and buy in huge quantities when they purchase components. I'm talking 1000's of pieces and you can't compete with that.

If you're gonna build something like a Quad you gotta sell the people on the superiority of your components. LIKE the PSU. Put some monster in there that you know will never fail under normal conditions. (700W minimum) AND the GPU, install a GPU that will push sammorris's LCD. @ sam. hehehe. It's all about value for the user.

LIKE I said I learned the hard way on buying "cheap" components. If I would have been more attentive and receptive on other people's ideas (mainly Mort and docTY) I could have built a Core 2 Duo machine for what I had to replace "wonky" parts for on the AMD 939 system I built on the "cheap". LESSON learned and NOT afraid to bug the crap out of the people I trust NOW.

Hope I'm making some sort of sense and NOT offending anyone.

...gm

 

Your right, I think it would be better to build a better computer and charge a little more ($200-$300??) because right now its like:



CPU








Hard Drive


RAM Motherboard

Graphics
Other



PSU










Windows vista lol





*ok, the cart i tried to make really didn't work out, but your get the idea (top is high quality)

 

I'm interested in your current "brand choices" signature. You limit yourself to one specific brand every time? That's not how I do things. Admittedly I haven't actually built as many PCs as you, but I've priced up a lot, and I usually go with whatever works out the best value using brands and models I can trust. Solely going with Intel and nVidia isn't always so great. Core 2 Duos are pretty much a given now, but just because the HD2900XT was a flop doesn't mean you can discount ATi altogether, they make some reasonable stuff. Likewise with Hard disks and Power supplies, good deals come and go. Remember this is probably the area where you're being stopped short of beating hp. They use very cheap power supplies, we never do for obvious reasons.

 

@ Mike

Smart decision... your goal should never be to build a Hp...you want to build something better then a Hp...Hp uses the cheapest components that it can get away with...They do stupid things like offering 3Gb of Dual Channel Memory...when it will only be running in Single Channel Mode...

Greensman & Sam are giving you good advice...especially about using Good Quality Components...Do not stick to just one Manufacturer or Retailer...great Deal are out there to be found...You just have to look...and DO RESEARCH...it can save your A$$ in the long run...which it looks like you are doing by being here...