Building a $600 base computer to expand later

[ajsellaroli]

Would it be possible to buy a new motherboard later and put it in the same case? Oh, and btw. I've never overclocked before (I've only ever had dell computers), so how would I know how to do that?

What are the benefits of doing it this way as opposed to building the entire thing from the ground up? Are all the components high quality?


Oh, and by the way - I'm curious about the power supply. What is the advantage of a higher wattage? or what comprises a 'high quality' power supply? more connections? higher wattage?

thanks

 

[ajsellaroli]

Caamsa - didn't see your post until after I posted. That sounds good - that's really all I'd need to use photoshop and edit video? not that that's not bad, sounds good. I'd still like to know that answers to my other questions: about powersupply, and about what the benefits of buying a 'barebones' system might be.

Lol, so you don't think I need a quad? I sorta agree, they are very expensive. that is not what roadrunner was suggesting, though, so I am still considering his idea..what do you think?

 

[roadrunner197069]

The barebone isn't a quad its a e2180 2.0 core 2 duo. Its the cheapest way to go for under your budget. I wouldn't buy a quad until the next ones come out in Jan. You would probably want a different PSU then the one that comes with the barebone.

My e2180 @ 3.34 GHZ is faster then a stock x6800. The x6800 costs $975.

My system cost me $650.00 total, if I would of put the x6800 in it would of cost me $1550. If you buy a namebrand with that fast of a CPU be prepared to drop close to $3000.00 I have seen bench after bench that proves cache dont make much difference at all. Definately not worth the premium you have to pay for it.

 

[ajsellaroli]

yah but roadrunner, how do I overclock? is it easy enough? how long will my processor last while it is being overclocked??

 

[caamsa]

Caamsa - didn't see your post until after I posted. That sounds good - that's really all I'd need to use photoshop and edit video? not that that's not bad, sounds good. I'd still like to know that answers to my other questions: about powersupply, and about what the benefits of buying a 'barebones' system might be.

Lol, so you don't think I need a quad? I sorta agree, they are very expensive. that is not what roadrunner was suggesting, though, so I am still considering his idea..what do you think?

Sounds like roadrunner has a decent system. The question is do you want to over clock? The case I recommended has a power supply in it. It should be adequate. Heck even if you don't over clock most of the CPU's recommended are more than adequate for what you need it for.

There are numerous combinations you can put together and in the long run if it works for you then that is what counts. A quad core would be nice but you can always upgrade to that later if you feel you need it.

I really don't know a whole lot about the bare bone systems I usually build my own. That way you can select each item individually. The bare bone systems are usually a case and a mother board combo. I guess if it is a decent set up and saves you come $$ then it should be ok.

 

[jalek]

If you're not after the maximum possible, it usually isn't a problem. With most Intels simple overclocking's just a matter of increasing bus speed in CMOS, or using utilities many motherboards ship with.

I'm running an 805 D 2.66 at 3.6ghz and it hasn't had a problem in a year so far. It does have a huge heatsink/fan (these were notorious for heat) and never gets over 50C. I haven't gone past that because I didn't want to increase the voltage My RAM's running below spec, I built it intending to upgrade the CPU but haven't yet.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Well overclocking is easy if you read the guide here at Toms. This is the first time I have ever done it. 3.34 with a stock fan is pretty good for a first timer. I might add that my ram is only single channel and it cost $48.00 for 2g. I just set my pci speed to 100 and my FSB to 333x10 and changed my vcore to 1.425. Very easy to do in the bios. I had mine boot windows at 3.8 but it got hot with the stock cooling. I will try water soon.

 

[lunyone]

Hey everyone. I'm new here, my name is AJ, I'm from California, nice to meet you all.

I am going to have $600 to build my own system (that is for the actual computer itself, I already have XP and a monitor/mouse/keyboard). That is all that I have right now, but I will be able to upgrade it in a few months (maybe as much as a year). What would you buy if you only had $600? I think its important to note here that I have never built a computer before, but am extremely interested in doing so.

I'm torn between buying a high quality motherboard, and buying an ok motherboard and great other stuff. Wait - I think for you guys to best help me, I should tell you what I want to use this computer for.


I want to use this computer first and foremost as a photo and video editor. My video editor is Sony vegas 7, my photo editor is photoshop cs2.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to need alot of ram and a fast processor for this stuff. I would also love a large hard drive. I have an older laptop now with 60 gb hd, and a desktop with an 80 gb hd, both of which are full.

I would like a dvd burner, firewire (for photos and external hard drives) and at least 2 gb of ram.



Now here's the big question: can I get this stuff, and have it be a powerful photo and video editing machine for only $600? Or should I buy high quality parts where it really matters (motherboard, processor, case, etc) and get low quality parts for now, expecting to upgrade them later (things like Ram, video card, power supply).

I would really appreciate your help, thank you alot.

First off, Welcome to the forums Hopefully we can help you and not confuse you too much. Alot of people here are very helpful and love to help people, I for one am one
Here is what I'm proposing. I know I'm going to get bashed for my choices, but I think this will 1) fit the budget easily 2) give you what you need within the budget 3) get you Firewire on the mobo !!!

CPU - $160 shipped! Nice solid CPU, not the best, but definately not the weakest. No OC'ing needed, but can be a little, but not the idea here.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Dual-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103773

Mobo - $83 shipped! Has Firewire, HDMI, Hi-Def Audio, 16gig DDR2 capable, etc. Probably one of the most feature rich mobo's for the $
GIGABYTE GA-MA69GM-S2H AM2 AMD 690G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128056

Memory $55 - $15 MIR = $40 shipped! Solid and fast DDR2 800mHz, CAS4!! Hard to beat at this price/speed.
A-DATA Extreme Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211174

GPU - $110 - $20 MIR = $90! Hard to beat for the $, plus can decode HD/Blu Ray DVD's! Plenty of power for video and some gaming!
HIS Hightech H260XTF512DDN-R Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161178

Case - $45 - $15 MIR = $30!! Hard to beat for a decent quality case. Has external firewire port too!!
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UB Black /Blue Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119047

PSU - $70 - $30 MIR = $40 More than enough for what you want to do. Can handle bigger GPU's, if needed.
Antec earthwatts EA430 ATX12V v2.0 430W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, CB, C-tick, CCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371006

DVD Burner - $36 shipped! Is retail version, so software is included! Also is a SATA drive, so you don't need EIDE connection to the mobo!!!
ASUS Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 14X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135146

Total ~$555 - $80 in MIR's = $475!!! Now that is one cheap Dual core setup with NO OC'ing needed!! Yes you could go with Intel build (e6550) and get a p35 mobo to work with it, but you'd spend about $20-30 more for it. Yes the 6550 would OC much better than the x2 6000, but if the OP doesn't want to OC he doesn't have too. Oh, and the Intel build wouldn't have Firewire or HDMI included with the mobo, which is about $30-$40 for both options on top of the $20-$30 price difference. This than inflates the price to $50-$70 more. Not sure if that is really an issue, but thought I'd point that out.
If you decided to go the Intel route and could afford the initial up front cost and wait for the MIR's, you could get a quad with these options:
CPU - $280
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017

Mobo - $90
GIGABYTE Intel® P35 + ICH9 Chipset DDR2 1066 ATX GA-P35-DS3L Motherboard Retail
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10006307

New total ~$686 - 80 in MIR's = $606!!! Now that would be nice!! Only thing is you lose Firewire on the mobo, but definately get multitasking bonus'!!!

You can decide which way to go, but for the $, the AMD build is cheaper and pretty equal to a comparable C2D in this price range.

I'm just showing the OP other options to consider, so please don't bash me too hard for showing him an AMD system.

 

[eric54]

Go for a q6600, given your use of video editing i recommed quad core. I recommend you get a solid but inexpensiver mobo, a simple gfx card like a 8400gt or the ati varient of it. You wont really need a gfx card for editing so its a matter of what you can spend on it. Get a 500gb hdd, they are less than 100 and you'll need it for the large files video editing tends to amass, this is even more prudent if you are in anything HD. As for ram get 2, i'd say 4 but you dont have a 64 bit OS so you wouldnt benefit from it. You could get 3 gb, 2x1gb+512+512 but the bang for the buck isnt worth it imo given your budget.

-Definately go Quad Core q6600 and build around it
-Definately get a big HDD, 500gb or more, w/e you can afford
-Gfx card isnt as important, even integrated will work just fine
-Mobo matters if you are planning to stress your components, ie OCing. For what you need it for, a simple, very basic mobo will be more than sufficient...you dont need or have any use for a x38/680i mobo, nice cheap p35 is just fine
-ram brand means little, you dont really need anything more than 533 ddr2, but i'd still get 6400 just because its the current sweet spot for price/gb's/performance.
-Case, dont bother spending alot on a case, recycling an old one will save you money, with a simple setup like what you will have you wont need much airflow, a single hdd will be just fine with even the minimal airflow (seriously, theres literally millions of dells out there with crap airflow working just fine).
-Psu, you can get an antec case+psu bundled for a really good price, depending on your gfx card you shouldnt need more than 400 watts, antec has pretty decent power supplies and this can really save you some money.

 

[tlmck]

I am going to have $600 to build my own system (that is for the actual computer itself, I already have XP and a monitor/mouse/keyboard). That is all that I have right now, but I will be able to upgrade it in a few months (maybe as much as a year). What would you buy if you only had $600? I think its important to note here that I have never built a computer before, but am extremely interested in doing so.

I want to use this computer first and foremost as a photo and video editor. My video editor is Sony vegas 7, my photo editor is photoshop cs2.

Based on your requirements, here is what I cam up with. The item #'s are for Newegg.com.

Antec NSK4480B Black Case w/380W Power Supply
Model #: NSK4480B
Item #: N82E16811129032
$69.99

ECS Intel G33 Motherboard
Model #: G33T-M2
Item #: N82E16813135050
Mail-in Rebate
$89.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017
$279.99

GeIL Value Series 4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR2 800
Model #: GX24GB6400DCKA
Item #: N82E16820144064
Mail-in Rebate
$119.99

Western Digital Caviar 250gb SATA Hard Drive
Model #: WD2500AAKS
Item #: N82E16822136161
$69.99

Sony NEC Optiarc 20X SATA DVD±RW Burner
Model #: AD-7190S
Item #: N82E16827118002
$25.99

Subtotal: $655.94 - $45 MIR = $610.94

The MB is not made for high performance overclocking, but will do just fine at stock speeds. It also includes pretty good onboard video which is all you really need for video/photo work. It is also upgradeable to next generation Penryn processors.

If you ever decide to game, you can always pick up a PCIe video card. The case includes a good power supply that will be fine for all but the highest end vid cards. If you think that you may go high end video, then this case/PSU would be a better choice. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024

I also only included a 250gb hard drive for budgetary reasons, but you could get a 500gb for just over $100. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152052

Lastly, if you want to add on Firewire, there are a few options. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=40000073&Description=firewire&name=Add-On+Cards

 

[ajsellaroli]

Actually, I am interested in overclocking now. See what you've done to me roadrunner! When i came onto this forum I thought it was the last thing I'd ever do (I had a lot of myths keeping me back), but now, with your 'evidence' that it ca cheap processor can beat an almost $1000 processor - I'm real interested.

But roadrunner, how do you know that the mobo in that kit is good enough to overclock? Is it the same one you're using now?

Lunyone - Thank you very much. So far, the forums here have been my best find on the internet in months. Everyone is extremely helpful, I'm getting alot of great help from the people here.

Your setup is very interesting (I like the looks of that case, not that looks matter), but now i am just a little confused. What is the difference between AMD and INTEL? The specs on your setup are very good, but would they be better than the one roadrunner suggested if I were to overclock it?

Eric54 - Hey, thanks for responding. So you would go quad, huh? those are fighting words for some people in this thread. Who was it, oh yah caamsa was saying that quad is too expensive for my budget, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I need it. What does a quad do? is it only for multi tasking, or can it simultaneously thread the same processes too? I'm pretty sure there aren't many programs that are written to do this yet.

tlmck - Jeez, now I don't know what to do. Your idea now seems to be the best out of the pack. I'd get 4 gigs of ram, a quad core, and I wouldn't even have to buy video for a while?? That's pretty tempting too. I had wanted to wait on the video until I could afford the nvidea 8800 gt, because I do want to game, but as it isn't important I can do without gaming for a little while. At least this way, I'd have my system, and then when I am ready, I could upgrade it, while still having a quad.

Once again, though, there are two things bothering me. For one - will this processor be fast? if so, I wouldn't have to overclock it. But if I did want to overclock it, I would be risking a much larger investment, wouldn't I? buying a cheap processor and ocing it is alot different than buying an almost $300 processor and overclocking that. If something goes wrong and i've voided my warranty, what would I do then?
Ok, lets say you respond and say, "you don't have to overclock it, it is already fast enough at 2.4 ghz. If I were to buy a cheaper dualcore processor, could I overclock that to a speed faster than the 2.4? Would that not be more worth it?

I don't know...I'm afraid my inexperience with overclocking is affecting alot of what I say. I am afraid of a couple things - of voiding my warranty, and of shortening the processor's life. I'm sorry this is such a long post, I have alot of questions.


Thank you all once again, I am so fortunate to have found you guys here

 

[roadrunner197069]

Now we are talking. The bare bones I showed you, you could add 4 gigs of ram a 500g hdd and a DvD burner for $380.00 It has onboard video asd well. Or you still got $220 in your bugget for graphic card, buy you would also need a different PSU for a good graphics card.

I read the manual on the board with the barebones last night. The oc options arent fancy and confusing, they are very straight forward.

Option B pick out parts similar to mine and I can help you over the phone at OC time.

I got e2180
Asus P5K SE
Adata value ram $24.00 per gig.
Ultra 500 w modular power supply
80g HDD
500G HDD
Asus DvD burner

The mobo in the kit says right on it OCers dream. The board supports 1333 FSB so 1333/4= 333.25 FSB. Up the vcore volts to 1.425 change the FSB to 333, and monitor your temps. I'm using a stock cooler. Idle 42c stress 59c. You might be able to bring the vcore down some I just like 1.425 for a starting point.

I cant wait til Jan, I'm getting a quad core Penryn and a better cooler, water if I have to but I'm going for atleast 4.0.

If you got a month this rig will be for sale $600.00.
Vista Ultimate
Office 2007
Any DvD
Clone DvD
Clone CD
Hacked media center so you can archive DvDs on HDD and view them by cover and specs right in media center library.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Wow I just had 15 windows open, was jamming mp3s, anti virus going and I didnt even notice until it said scan complete.

 

[ajsellaroli]

Why are you waiting a month for the penryn? what is so good about it? Will it be able to go with the p5k se motherboard?

Oh, and an even more important question - how expensive will it be?

 

[roadrunner197069]

Its 45nm tech instead of 65. The chips have bigger cache then current and new instructions to improve video editing and such.

And since they are smaller they can make more on one platter of silicon; hence cheaper by a bit. They might not be a whole lot cheaper depending on demand.

Some think the current CPUs will come down; however, this is not true. Merchants arent willing to loose money on them as they already paid for their stock.

 

[roadrunner197069]

Oh the penrynns over clock higher as well.

 

[ajsellaroli]

Now we are talking. The bare bones I showed you, you could add 4 gigs of ram a 500g hdd and a DvD burner for $380.00 It has onboard video asd well. Or you still got $220 in your bugget for graphic card, buy you would also need a different PSU for a good graphics card.

I read the manual on the board with the barebones last night. The oc options arent fancy and confusing, they are very straight forward.

Option B pick out parts similar to mine and I can help you over the phone at OC time.

I got e2180
Asus P5K SE
Adata value ram $24.00 per gig.
Ultra 500 w modular power supply
80g HDD
500G HDD
Asus DvD burner

The mobo in the kit says right on it OCers dream. The board supports 1333 FSB so 1333/4= 333.25 FSB. Up the vcore volts to 1.425 change the FSB to 333, and monitor your temps. I'm using a stock cooler. Idle 42c stress 59c. You might be able to bring the vcore down some I just like 1.425 for a starting point.

I cant wait til Jan, I'm getting a quad core Penryn and a better cooler, water if I have to but I'm going for atleast 4.0.

How does your motherboard and system measure up to the one tmlck suggested? his sounds pretty good - I wouldn't mind having a quad, but can you overclock a quad? though it is much more expensive, I feel it might be worth it, as I don't need a video card as of now (don't need to game).

 

[roadrunner197069]

How does your motherboard and system measure up to the one tmlck suggested? his sounds pretty good - I wouldn't mind having a quad, but can you overclock a quad? though it is much more expensive, I feel it might be worth it, as I don't need a video card as of now (don't need to game).

Well I read the reviews on that one and, evidentally it doesn't have overclocking options. I would like a quad as well but opted for the "cheap" e2180 to try my skills at overclocking. And I'd rather get a penryn quad instead of the q6600 because the penryn will oc better.

 

[ajsellaroli]

Alright.......I'm really confused about what to do now. So many people have given me their opinion on what's good..I'm lost. I have to come to some sort of a conclusion on what to buy. Can anyone help me clarify this mess?

here is my big question: What do I gain by building my own system if I don't overclock? Can I find dells, etc cheaper, or is it still worth it to build, even if I buy a quad and don't overclock it?

 

[roadrunner197069]

You can always build cheaper. If you build and have trouble you got to try forums for free advice or pay top dollar for help locally. MAnufactured you get warranty on labor and parts. Build you only get parts warranty if you keep alll the receipts and boxes. Manufactured cant be tweaked as muck like overclocking and such.

Best bang for your buck might be to hire someone such as myself to build you exactly what you want. I charge $100 to build and $50 more to OC. I can make an auction and a person could buy via paypal on ebay.

 

[ajsellaroli]

Thank you so much for your offer, roadrunner, but I think i'm going to try to build this one myself, my budget's tight as it is. I really appreciate your help on here, though.

I think I've decided what I'm going to do. I am going to get an e2180 and overclock it. That will probably be plenty enough speed for me, for now.

I also think I should invest more money in the motherboard - ie, one that is good at overclocking, and also one that will be able to handle the penryn's when they come out (that way i'll upgrade later). Any suggestions?

 

[caamsa]

Thank you so much for your offer, roadrunner, but I think i'm going to try to build this one myself, my budget's tight as it is. I really appreciate your help on here, though.

I think I've decided what I'm going to do. I am going to get an e2180 and overclock it. That will probably be plenty enough speed for me, for now.

I also think I should invest more money in the motherboard - ie, one that is good at overclocking, and also one that will be able to handle the penryn's when they come out (that way i'll upgrade later). Any suggestions?

Link

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=3169&p=5

 

[roadrunner197069]

Any P35 board should work. I like P5K SE its the cheapest Asus p35.

 

[ajsellaroli]

Hey, caamsa, that looks really good, thanks!

Ok, here's a tentative 'draft' of what I might buy, tell me what you think, anyone:

Processor: Intel core 2 duo e2180
$90

Motherboard: MSI P35 Neo2-FR
$120

Case: Not sure about this yet. I like the centurion 5, but then what psu should I get?

Ram: 4 gb ram (GeIL Value Series 4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR2 800)
$120

DVD burner: Sony NEC Optiarc 20X SATA DVD±RW Burner
$25

PSU: I don't know..

Graphics card: any suggestions?
someone suggested: HIS Hightech H260XTF512DDN-R Radeon HD 2600XT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card
$90

I'd love the nvidia 8800 gt, should I keep this in mind when looking for PSU?

Hard drive: undecided

Fans - any special fans I would need??



Alright, so there's my tentative build. What do you think? I think that I am going to go with an overclocked e2180 for now because I am trying to save money, and I'm guessing the new penryn's will be much more than $90. Later, I'll upgrade (and hopefully they will have worked all the problems out of the penryn by then) I will upgrade to a quad. Thanks again

 

[roadrunner197069]

Looks good. The mobo looks like it OCs well. Asus P5K SE is cheaper but might not have what you need.