Going Cheap with lots of room to upgrade

[SKguy]

Hi

This is my first post and will be my first complete build once some decisions are made.

I currently have an older 733mhz machine so almost anything will be an upgrade at this point. I am not much into gaming but may do a bit in the future. I am interested in photo/video editing etc. I am interested in doing the overclocking to some extent, I have done a bit in the past.

I was wanting to get a MB that would run the quad core chip in the future, but for now some processor I can pick up cheap(P4 or Celeron). I would pick up a quad core when the prices come down.

What is the upgradability of MBs that come with the video on Board. Would it make sense to get one of these and then buy a better vid card in the future?

Can I buy Memory that will work for the Older processor and then the new quad core? or would I buy cheap stuff for the P4 and then upgrade this in the future too?

Any suggestion on potential components or comments welcomed.

Thanks

 

[g-paw]

What is your budget? That is always the starting point

 

[SKguy]

Well, the cheaper the better to start. Say $600 to get it started. Total budget would be double that

 

[HeavyF]

So many options! Cost depends on what you are willing (able) to re-use such as monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, hard drive, etc. This is what I would do:

1) 650i based motherboard- research reviews on asus p5n-e as this is the only one out a present BUT many more should surface in the next months. on newegg they are currently going for $139. If you can look yourself in the eye and honestly say that you are not interested in gaming at ALL then a 965g motherboard with integrated intel graphics will be OK and cost almost the same, BUT you will save on cost # 3 (video card)

2) 2gb corsair ddr2-800 5-5-5-12 1.9v memory $199 after rebate at newegg.

3) for gaming- atleast a 7900gs video card for ~140 after rebate from new. If you really want better game performance I think the sapphire x1950xt from newegg @ ~199 after rebate is the best deal going right now

4) E4300 C2D- the current low end of the C2D lineup but with lots of potential for overclocking with also a good upgrade path. Newegg right now lists $179 but these will certainly drop slightly in the next few weeks as the chip was just released and demand subsides. maybe wait a few weeks for a better #of options on the 650i front and the E4300 to drop in price a little bit

5) if you need to buy a hard drive- that means about $85 for a 320gb sata II (current king of price vs. performance)

6) if you need a new optical drive (DVD/CD) then plan on ~$40 perhaps more if you choose to get a SATA version. SATA optical drives are still a tiny bit hard to find in the states.

but you can do whatever with your build you want. I don't know your priorities very well.

 

[g-paw]

Video capture/rendering/burning takes a lot of resources. Usually, I render/burn overnight. Something to think about. While quad core will be ultimately the way to go, the problem is that they are not even on the market and when they do come on, they will be expensive and overtime will significantly drop in price. As HeavyF said, there will be many more mobo that can handle quad core eventually, which again will drive the price down. Right now Intel's dual core is definitely faster though more expensive both for the processor and mobo. No one knows how the Intel and AMD quad cores will match up in terms of performance or price. While putting together a system that can be upgraded, personally, I don't think it makes sense think about putting a system today that can be upgraded to the next generation of technology, especially when it's not even on the market, too many unknowns. You might want to think about putting together a less expensive system, pricing out one for my wife it looks like AMD would be less expensive in part because of mobo prices and as HeavyF points out, you save with onboard video, you can always add a video card later. Then in 2 years or so when the quad core shakes out, go with a higher end machine. This would be an example:

Case http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811129155 $99
Mobo http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131014 $85
CPU http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103735 $135
RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820134384 ://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820134384 $144 after rebate
Floppy http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16821104101 $7
Hdd http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148215 $100
Optical http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827136108 $30

System would be roughly $600 and will do what you want it to. In addition, the mobo has onboard firewire, which you'll need for a camcorder. Definitely reuse the case, hdd (at least for storage), and Floppy. Alternatively, would give you a solid backup machine for years.