Computer Specs 101 - 2007-04

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 03:50 AM

Computer Specs 101

Revision History

v1.00 Feb 2006 Initial draft
v1.10 Apr 2007 Major rewrite (much needed!)
v1.11 Aug 2007 Internal link fixes
v1.110 Aug 2007 Updated $300 system (Thank you, Cromewell!)

Preface
It's been some time since the original writeup (over a year!) As with IT, without constant maintenance, things quickly become outdated and then useless but the fact of the matter is, these 101s take serious time to write-up (as they arent simply slapped together) and I've been busy as hell. I plan on updating the guide monthly when possible but it definitely need a quarterly update. This way, the guide can be refreshed with exciting new products.

Please note that while I do personally go through a lot of hardware (in busy times, up to 8 new systems a week averaging around probably two/week), I may not have personally spent extensive time dabbling with any given piece of hardware and as such, I may in fact have made a poor reccomendation (on the basis of incompatability or unomptimal configuration). As much as I tell myself otherwise, I'm still human and while every attempt has been made to limit errors. In short, use this 101 as a reference only and entirely at your own risk "insert legal jibberish here".

Some points that are applicable to the entire guide, please take note of them

I dont include tax, shipping, insurance, customs, VAT, special deposits, ransom money etc with the prices. I simply go to the website, take note of the price and move on. This brings us to the next point....
You may notice that when you follow the link, the price may be different than what I posted -- it happens. The prices are all effective as of the date of the post (I post the entire guide all at once, or within a day or two of each other). If there happens to be a sale or a rebate that was applicable when I originally made the post and its not on/available now ... nothin I can do about it.
None of the systems I spec out include monitors, mice, keyboards, speakers, software, temperature gauges, lava lamps, printers, card readers, USB keys, joysticks, voodoo dolls etc. I simply spec the box. Plain and simple. If you need more (i.e., OS, keyboard etc) then please take that into consideration beforehand.
I use Newegg simply because they have a very well laid out search interface, fast servers, standard layout, readily parsable pages. It's a coincidence that they have a large stock and decent prices (for most things). No I'm not affiliated with them (I wish I was )

Last Minute Questions

Hey what happened to the Canadian/UK Reccomendations? The short version is, manually building all these specs is a lot of work (making them balanced, finding good prices, etc). I dont mind that work. But, as I was going through the Canadian set of reccomendations, I realized how much of a pain in the arse non-Newegg style search engines were. Specifically, the lack of a multi-entry inclusive/exclusive search such as Newegg's Power Search or their multi-entry Advanced Search seriously reduces the usefulness of an e-store's search mechanism. This makes it an obscene amount of work for someone like me who isn't searching like their usual customer-base. UK e-stores suffer from the same. As such, I've completely dropped support for non-US reccomendations as a part of the 101 -- it's simply too much work manually loading each and every product the store has and examining it. Of course, the guide can still be used as a parts reference independent of locality.
How do I use this? Find the category (see immediately above this for what the categories are) that most accurately describes how you intend to use your computer, then go to the appropriate section of the guide.
I found a lower price! Yay you. Prices change all the time and I cant be here to constantly monitor and update the lists. Hopefully I will have the time to refresh this guide monthly but failing that, quarterly updates are definitely planned. Of course, to your advantage, as time passes, prices will probably drop.
I want to ask a question about a specific specification, how can I do that? With this revision of the 101, I'm trying a new approach, each spec is it's own post so they can be individually referred to. On the right hand side of each post there is a link noting the post-number. Right click on that, select "copy shortcut" and paste that shortcut into your post so you can refer to it.

Table of Contents
This 101 is tailored to the trends I've noticed over my time here and as such, I've dedicated them to "work" and "play" (although, from time to time, other categories do pop up)

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:30 AM

-- GAMING MACHINES --

Quick Jumps
$300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1000, $1100, $1200, $1300, $1400, $1500, $1600, $1700, $1800, $1900, $2000, $2100, $2200, $2300, $2400, $2500, $2600, $2700, $2800, $2900, $3000, $3000+

Back to start

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:35 AM

$300

Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($42.99)
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 PATA DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM ($27.99)
HIPRO HP-E4009F5WR ATX12V True 400W Power Supply 115/230 V IEC950, UL1950, CSA C22.2 NO.950, EN 60950, CCIB, BCIQ, CE - OEM ($26.99)
MSI K9VGM-V Socket AM2 VIA K8M890 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail ($46.99)
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory - Retail ($42.99)
Albatron 8500GT-256M GeForce 8500GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail($68.99) After MIR
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Orleans 1.8GHz 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor - Retail ($41.99)
Total: $298.93

All in all a very well-rounded config for $300USD.

Optional Video Card: SAPPHIRE 194L Radeon X1650 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail ($49.99) After MIR

Optional Total $279.93

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:39 AM

$400

Drastic improvements across the board (as compared o the predecessor), the extra budget goes towards improving CPU, RAM, HDD & optical.

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:39 AM

$500

The extra budget allowed for the transition the tried-and-true Athlon 64 X2 platform as well as a few improvements here and there. Not enough left-over for a serious video card upgrade though.

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:40 AM

$600

The extra allocation allows us to move to a Core-based platform and add a much needed videocard upgrade. This is the first serious gaming box: you're getting a lot of for your money.

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:40 AM

$700

The allocation here allows for CPU/mobo refresh as well as the jump to two gigabytes of RAM. Definitely starting to round out the system.

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:41 AM

$800

The extra allocation allows for a minor upgrade on the videocard but more importantly balances out the motherboard, CPU and storage options.

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:41 AM

$900

The main additions here are the upgraded motherboard, use of an aftermarket cooler and a videocard refresh.

**Praetor** · 04-02-2007, 04:41 AM

$1000

A minor upgrade to the cooler and the use of discrete case + PSU. The biggest jump was the upgrade to the DirectX-10 card.

04-02-2007, 03:50 AM	#1 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	Computer Specs 101 - 2007-04 Computer Specs 101 Revision History v1.00 Feb 2006 Initial draft v1.10 Apr 2007 Major rewrite (much needed!) v1.11 Aug 2007 Internal link fixes v1.110 Aug 2007 Updated $300 system (Thank you, Cromewell!) Preface It's been some time since the original writeup (over a year!) As with IT, without constant maintenance, things quickly become outdated and then useless but the fact of the matter is, these 101s take serious time to write-up (as they arent simply slapped together) and I've been busy as hell. I plan on updating the guide monthly when possible but it definitely need a quarterly update. This way, the guide can be refreshed with exciting new products. Please note that while I do personally go through a lot of hardware (in busy times, up to 8 new systems a week averaging around probably two/week), I may not have personally spent extensive time dabbling with any given piece of hardware and as such, I may in fact have made a poor reccomendation (on the basis of incompatability or unomptimal configuration). As much as I tell myself otherwise, I'm still human and while every attempt has been made to limit errors. In short, use this 101 as a reference only and entirely at your own risk "insert legal jibberish here". Some points that are applicable to the entire guide, please take note of them I dont include tax, shipping, insurance, customs, VAT, special deposits, ransom money etc with the prices. I simply go to the website, take note of the price and move on. This brings us to the next point.... You may notice that when you follow the link, the price may be different than what I posted -- it happens. The prices are all effective as of the date of the post (I post the entire guide all at once, or within a day or two of each other). If there happens to be a sale or a rebate that was applicable when I originally made the post and its not on/available now ... nothin I can do about it. None of the systems I spec out include monitors, mice, keyboards, speakers, software, temperature gauges, lava lamps, printers, card readers, USB keys, joysticks, voodoo dolls etc. I simply spec the box. Plain and simple. If you need more (i.e., OS, keyboard etc) then please take that into consideration beforehand. I use Newegg simply because they have a very well laid out search interface, fast servers, standard layout, readily parsable pages. It's a coincidence that they have a large stock and decent prices (for most things). No I'm not affiliated with them (I wish I was ) Last Minute Questions *Hey what happened to the Canadian/UK Reccomendations?* The short version is, manually building all these specs is a lot of work (making them balanced, finding good prices, etc). I dont mind that work. But, as I was going through the Canadian set of reccomendations, I realized how much of a pain in the arse non-Newegg style search engines were. Specifically, the lack of a multi-entry inclusive/exclusive search such as Newegg's Power Search or their multi-entry Advanced Search seriously reduces the usefulness of an e-store's search mechanism. This makes it an obscene amount of work for someone like me who isn't searching like their usual customer-base. UK e-stores suffer from the same. As such, I've completely dropped support for non-US reccomendations as a part of the 101 -- it's simply too much work manually loading each and every product the store has and examining it. Of course, the guide can still be used as a parts reference independent of locality. *How do I use this?* Find the category (see immediately above this for what the categories are) that most accurately describes how you intend to use your computer, then go to the appropriate section of the guide. *I found a lower price!* Yay you. Prices change all the time and I cant be here to constantly monitor and update the lists. Hopefully I will have the time to refresh this guide monthly but failing that, quarterly updates are definitely planned. Of course, to your advantage, as time passes, prices will probably drop. *I want to ask a question about a specific specification, how can I do that?* With this revision of the 101, I'm trying a new approach, each spec is it's own post so they can be individually referred to. On the right hand side of each post there is a link noting the post-number. Right click on that, select "copy shortcut" and paste that shortcut into your post so you can refer to it. Table of Contents This 101 is tailored to the trends I've noticed over my time here and as such, I've dedicated them to "work" and "play" (although, from time to time, other categories do pop up) Gaming Machines Work Machines __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI Last edited by DCIScouts; 08-19-2007 at 05:30 AM.

04-02-2007, 04:30 AM	#2 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	-- GAMING MACHINES -- Quick Jumps $300, $400, $500, $600, $700, $800, $900, $1000, $1100, $1200, $1300, $1400, $1500, $1600, $1700, $1800, $1900, $2000, $2100, $2200, $2300, $2400, $2500, $2600, $2700, $2800, $2900, $3000, $3000+ Back to start __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI Last edited by DCIScouts; 08-10-2007 at 02:38 AM.

04-02-2007, 04:35 AM	#3 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$300* Western Digital Caviar SE WD800JD 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM ($42.99) 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 PATA DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM ($27.99) HIPRO HP-E4009F5WR ATX12V True 400W Power Supply 115/230 V IEC950, UL1950, CSA C22.2 NO.950, EN 60950, CCIB, BCIQ, CE - OEM ($26.99) MSI K9VGM-V Socket AM2 VIA K8M890 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail ($46.99) CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory - Retail ($42.99) Albatron 8500GT-256M GeForce 8500GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail($68.99) After MIR AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Orleans 1.8GHz 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor - Retail ($41.99) Total: $298.93 All in all a very well-rounded config for $300USD. Optional Video Card: SAPPHIRE 194L Radeon X1650 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail ($49.99) After MIR Optional Total $279.93 Last edited by DCIScouts; 08-19-2007 at 05:32 AM. Reason: Updated components/specs.

04-02-2007, 04:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$400* Intel Pentium D 915 [Presler, 2.80, 2MB, 800, BX80553915] ($88.00) Foxconn 945P7AA-8KS2 [i945P, ICH7] ($66.99 after $10.00 MIR) Samsung SpinPoint P-Series HD160JJ (160GB, 7200, 8MB, SATA3.0, NCQ) ($50.99) Patriot eXtreme Performance 1GB PC2-6400 [2x512, CAS4@2.2] ($68.99 after $35.00 MIR) Linkworld 431-10 C2228 + 430W PSU [12V@18A] ($24.99) Sapphire 194L Radeon X1650 256MB ($64.99 after $15.00 MIR) NEC 7170A-0B ($30.99) $395.94 Drastic improvements across the board (as compared o the predecessor), the extra budget goes towards improving CPU, RAM, HDD & optical.

04-02-2007, 04:39 AM	#5 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$500* Patriot eXtreme Performance 1GB PC2-6400 [2x512, CAS4@2.2] ($68.99 after $35.00 MIR) Sapphire 194L Radeon X1650 256MB ($64.99 after $15.00 MIR) NEC 7170A-0B ($30.99) AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ [Brisbane, 2.10, 512K, ADO4000IAA5DD] ($125.00) MSI K9N4 Ultra-F [nForce 550 Ultra] ($58.99) Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L250R0 (250GB, 7200, 16MB) ($59.99) Antec Sonata II + 450W [12V@15+17] ($69.99 after $30.00 MIR) $478.94 The extra budget allowed for the transition the tried-and-true Athlon 64 X2 platform as well as a few improvements here and there. Not enough left-over for a serious video card upgrade though.

04-02-2007, 04:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$600* Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 [Allendale, 1.80, 2MB, 800, BX80557E4300] ($169.00) MSI 945GM3-F [i945G, ICH7, mATX] ($66.99 after $10.00 MIR) Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L250R0 (250GB, 7200, 16MB) ($59.99) Antec Sonata II + 450W [12V@15+17] ($69.99 after $30.00 MIR) NEC 7170A-0B ($30.99) Patriot eXtreme Performance 1GB PC2-6400 [2x512, CAS4@2.2] ($68.99 after $35.00 MIR) Sapphire 100189L Radeon X1900GT 256MB ($129.99) $595.94 The extra allocation allows us to move to a Core-based platform and add a much needed videocard upgrade. This is the first serious gaming box: you're getting a lot of for your money.

04-02-2007, 04:40 AM	#7 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$700* Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 [Conroe 2M, 1.86, 2MB, 1066, BX80557E6300] ($183.00) MSI P965 Neo-F [i965, ICH8] ($86.99) Antec Sonata II + 450W [12V@15+17] ($69.99 after $30.00 MIR) Patriot eXtreme Performance 2GB PC2-6400 [2x1GB, CAS4@2.2] ($139.99 after $50.00 MIR) Sapphire 100189L Radeon X1900GT 256MB ($129.99) Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L250R0 (250GB, 7200, 16MB) ($59.99) ASUS DRW-1612BL-BK ($29.99) $699.94 The allocation here allows for CPU/mobo refresh as well as the jump to two gigabytes of RAM. Definitely starting to round out the system.

04-02-2007, 04:41 AM	#8 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$800* Foxconn P9657AA-8EKRS2H [i965P, ICH8R] ($92.99) NEC 7170A-0B ($30.99) Samsung SpinPoint T-Series HD403LJ (400GB, 7200, 16MB, SATA3.0, NCQ) ($99.99) Patriot eXtreme Performance 2GB PC2-6400 [2x1GB, CAS4@2.2] ($139.99 after $50.00 MIR) Antec Sonata II + 450W [12V@15+17] ($69.99) JetWay X19PR-ED-256M Radeon X1950Pro 256MB ($144.99 after $15.00 MIR) Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 [Conroe 2M, 2.16, 2MB, 1066, BX8057E6400] ($218.00) $796.94 The extra allocation allows for a minor upgrade on the videocard but more importantly balances out the motherboard, CPU and storage options.

04-02-2007, 04:41 AM	#9 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$900* Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 [Conroe 2M, 2.16, 2MB, 1066, BX8057E6400] ($218.00) Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 [i965P, ICH8] ($122.99) NEC 7170A-0B ($30.99) Samsung SpinPoint T-Series HD403LJ (400GB, 7200, 16MB, SATA3.0, NCQ) ($99.99) Patriot eXtreme Performance 2GB PC2-6400 [2x1GB, CAS4@2.2] ($139.99 after $50.00 MIR) Antec Sonata II + 450W [12V@15+17] ($69.99 after $30.00 MIR) eVGA 256-P2-N636-AR GeForce 7950GT 256MB ($184.99 after $15.00 MIR) Scythe Mine SCMN-1100 (43cfm, 22db) ($32.99) $899.93 The main additions here are the upgraded motherboard, use of an aftermarket cooler and a videocard refresh.

04-02-2007, 04:41 AM	#10 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,882	*$1000* Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 [Conroe 2M, 2.16, 2MB, 1066, BX8057E6400] ($218.00) Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 [i965P, ICH8] ($122.99) NEC 7170A-0B ($30.99) Samsung SpinPoint T-Series HD403LJ (400GB, 7200, 16MB, SATA3.0, NCQ) ($99.99) Coolmax CP-500T [500W, 12V@18+16, 20+4] ($39.99 after $20.00 MIR) Spire SwordFin SP-9007B Case ($54.99) Scythe Mine SCMN-1100 (43cfm, 22db) ($32.99) eVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB ($259.99 after $20.00 MIR) Patriot eXtreme Performance 2GB PC2-6400 [2x1GB, CAS4@2.2] ($139.99 after $50.00 MIR) $999.92 A minor upgrade to the cooler and the use of discrete case + PSU. The biggest jump was the upgrade to the DirectX-10 card.

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