The (new) Official PC building thread!

Gee cases have become quite unusual to downright gorgeous. Here is another case to consider:

If you are purely going for ventilation then consider getting a Cooler Master Centurion 5

It uses a 120mm fan for the intake and exhaust, pair that with a PSU with a 120mm fan as well and you will have a very silent system. All for way less than the other cases mentioned.

As far as looks go though, the other cases you've all been showing blows this out of the water.

As for my HTPC build I've opted just to go with an Intel Celeron 3.2Ghz (Cedar Mill) I'm guessing it should be plenty fast for HD video playback. Do you think I'll see much improvement with DDR2 over DDR1 with a celeron CPU?

 

@sarthak14
I will make a list for you by Tuesday...I have court again tomorrow...tomorrow should be a very good day for me...

You want to use a DVI cable...which should have came with that 24"dell...I know my 24" Gateway came with one...

@6spdSER
I have a Centurion 5...picked it up for $9.99 from SVC on Black Friday...They have reran the sale twice since then...I'll let you know when they have them again at that price...if you want...shipping was under $6...Love SVC...You can-not touch their sale prices...Shipping is always at their cost...what ever it cost them is what you pay...SVC is my favorite computer store of all time...They are Extremely friendly...Their policy is that "the customer" is always right...even if "the customer" is completely wrong...They understand that the customer always has other options...so they will take care of you...and make you happy...No Matter What!..

 

I currently have a custom from about 6+ years ago and its verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...y old. Now I want to know if I can even make a decent system for $400.
Its currently a
CPU- AMD 1.1GHz
RAM- 640MB (dont ask me why its an odd number, my dad made it)
USB- (get this)1.1
Graphics- Nvidia GeForce2 MX 100/200
Now, I really want more like a media center but you cant even get them anymore because of all the stupid vista PCs coming out. They are wasted or refurbished. So I want to build. I have good enough knowledge to build one without screwing it up and know how it works and what parts are most important. What I really want is a
CPU- 2+GHz with a massive heat sink and cooler to overclock the CPU as much as possible.
RAM- 2+GB
Graphics- not that picky, just something that is competent
Also, please just let me know if this is possible or if im dreaming and its just a lost cause. Thanks in advance for any useful help.

 

400 bucks isn't going to get it done maybe double that

 

Figured. Thanks anyways.

 

save your money and do it right it will be worth it in the long run

 

aabbccdd is right...you will not get anything with 2gb of ram for that price...

He is also right that you would be better off saving your money and doing it right..the first time

You can get something that is an improvement over what you got...for $400...If you can catch the right product...on the right day...

At Frys...I picked up a 2ghz AMD Linux box...it came with a full copy of Linspire...I use it for a downloader...it has on board graphics...it has a 40gb hard drive...and 128 stick of DDR...I paid $169 for it...I added a 512 stick...that I had lying around...It is the cheapest I have ever seen a decent computer go for...It would be a huge improvement over what you have right now...Adding the 512 made all the diffrence in the world...

512+128=640 thats how your dad came up with that figure...

 

Thank you Lp531 sir
Will be Waitin For da list
thanks in advance

Jus another query if u cud anwser this plz
1)da Hard Disk Question
2)I hav da X360 with Vga cables. my problem is that i knw where da vga cables go but also 2 more cables red and white for audio, i dnno where to attach these because my speakers are attached to my pc and which is attached to the dell monitors ? and i suppose Vga can only transmit video signals ?

thanks in advance will be waitin fr da list

 

Do you have an Audio input on the back...or front...of your PC...that is where you want to hook-up your audio for your X-Box...

Where are you Located?..so I know what stores to look at...

I only know stores in the USA...If you are outside the USA...I can still help you to pick components...It's just that you would have to find stores for purchase...

The Hard Drive Question is Yes...If we pick the Right case and Power Supply...which should not be a problem with the budget you have...

If outside of USA...What is your power source...A/C...D/C...

 

Ya i'am Outside Da US Bt u temme da parts through US Stores No problem bout that. I can Get all the Parts here in INDIA.

My power Source is AC. I would really like a case that could handle the HDD Configration so as to i can upgrade da HDDs in my sweet time.
Btw can da Mystique case handle it ???


Bout that analog input i hav my 5.1 attached to da Sound blaster Card
and i cannot figure any outher audio input or output port? do u hav a pic of a port lik dat on a computer? will help betta

thanks fr da help!!!! friendliest board eva

 

@sarthak14...hello to you in India...from the =USA=...
So you are 110 A/C...
What sound blaster do you have?..
If you have the book for it...look for the "Audio In" Port...

Most cases have sufficient numbers of bays...you can install a Hard Drive...in an open 3.5 floppy bay...or an open 5.5 bay with an adapter that usually comes with Hard Drives...The Mystique would work with one of the two options that I listed above...to fit the 5th drive...

I will get as close to $1500 in US currency...I can not guarantee that it will be the same prices in India...Some Markets the prices are a lot higher...some they are a lot lower...

 

Hello From India 2 U LP531

lol ya and dnt wrry bout the cost because i hav folks in USA living in California, So i can get my stuff from there.

Btw we on 22OV AC

and ya kant find the port newa wen u choose my PC parts include a card that has 2 Audio in Ports kause da Vga Cable has 2 audio ports red and white { i think this made sense). Stupid Friggin laptop

 

That will make it easy...except for the Power Supply...Going to need some help on that one...

Where in California?..I'm in Modesto CA...

I did not quite follow you...on the audio...

 

I think tusten CA nt sure bt newa frgt that, my guy said he can get all my parts and that power thing ill sort that out.

About the audio thing i said that wen u choose an audio card for my pc can u jus try to choose one that has 2 audio in ports as the VGA cable for the Xbox 360 has 2 audio lines one red and one white for L and R.

btw.
these questions nt so important.
bt Hw Gud is da NVIDiA 8800 GTX 768 MB
and Hw many years future proof is it or shud i buy da 320 mb or 640mb version nw and upgrade to this in a a year or two ??

Btw frgt 2 mention fr my PC i will be PLayin FPS's And RPG's Mainly Oblivion so i need them to run at full settings

And ya wat OS shud i use my trusty Windows XP PRO or Windows Vista Ultimate bt i heard that it had problems with NVidia 8800's and gaming issues.

btw i think i will be needing a very well cooled Case as to control da heat of 4*750 GB and 1*120GB plus a High end Graphics Card

Sorry fr so many queries...if im irritatin you im sorrie

 

Lp531,

I could be wrong but isn't a 1/8" stereo audio jack to left/right rca audio adaptor what he needs for audio in. http://www.frontx.com/pro/c215_012.html This link was for picture only. They are available at any radio shack.

 

hey whats up,

sorry if I skipped past all the replies to this topic but i need some help rebuilding a pc.

I have an old computer and am going to replace the mobo, power supply, RAM and processor. All together I'm trying to keep it under 400$. I'm only using for beatmaking and soon cd/dvd ripping and copying.

I roughly figured,

AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+ 2.0GHz Windsor
?Thermaltake TR2 PSU?
Not sure on RAM

And on the motherboard I'm completely lost. I know I want something under 120$ and it has to have good built in sound.

Please shoot me as many suggestions as you can!

 

@Lp531

Thanks for the SV tip. They do have some great prices! However the shipping to Texas is at least $15+. I miss living in CA, where there was laways a Fry's close by, well at least where I lived. I'll keep an out out for their specials though, as it seems SV drops the prices well below MSRP.

@Rob21

Onboard sound is always going to be so so at best. There are some motherboards with decent audio reproduction but at the $120 mark it's going to be tough. Nvidia based boards have promising audio reproduction, but a dedicated soundcard is going to be the best.

@sarthak14

For your request of having RCA in, red and white audio ports, as on your 360 you can simply use a mini-jack (headphone port) to RCA (red/white) cable, to the audio-in of the sound card. Something like this:
And as for the video card, as with any computer product..it is the best now but who knows what it will be in a month or two...that's just the nature of computing hardware....the 8800 will surely keep you up to date longer than say a 7900, getting an SLi motherboard will also prolong your videocard's life by allowing you to add another at a later date, that is of course if they, the Mfg. doesn't decide to stop making the 8800.

 

@6spdSER
The price for delivery of (2) Wavemasters and 4 small items was $15 to Modesto CA last week...arrived the next day...Absolutely reasonable shipping price...

Got to love Frys...You never know what you will find at the San Jose store...Silicon Valley...you see stuff there that is not at any other of there stores...

 

Ya, I probably am going to save.

@LP531-
Same^. I want to get a PS3 so maybe someone will make a bootloader for Windows(what Im used to) and/or Mac(laptop I think I might ask for as my grad gift).

Thanks for your guy's help.

 

Thanks 6spdSER i think i got it plus u get a connector with the VGA Cables and im trying to find direct speakers for it.

LP531 sir, Wen am i gettin my system list.

thanks