can I run this by you all real quick?

[cottoncandysky]

Could I get by with this one if Im just doing homework, and alot of DSL/dial up internet surfing, no serious gaming...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=51145&item=5126997351

Lower end Athlon...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=51136&item=5127487293

The next 2 are more expensive, but if the above 2 arent good enough, would one of these work...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=51139&item=5128195288

Or this one...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52475&item=5128197445


With either of those, is there anything I would need other than a monitor and operating system? I plan on having them install the OS because I just dont have the time or confidence to do it.
If I don't end up getting any of those, could you tell me which would be a good guide to go by when I do purchase a computer?
I am SOOOO looking forward to the day when I know what I am doing as far as building a computer myself!!! You guys are all amazing with the abilities and talents you have, you really do leave me in awe!!! No joke!!!

 

[B-MAN]

I'd say they're all good... better than mine anyway... and installing the OS is really easy... like 35 minutes for me... nearly all default settings.
And building pc is kinda easy if you've done it before... first time could be difficult if you have no idea.

 

[superflysmith]

You'll be more than just getting by with any of these.

 

[Praetor]

Not a bad setup really but you could do a lot better with both with respect to performance and price/performance.

 

[cottoncandysky]

Even with the Celeron I'd be okay?

 

[Praetor]

For a simpel machine like for school only or whatever, a bloody pentium 3 is more than adequate. For a general purpose home-computer, i wouldnt reccomend anything short of a CeleronD for Intel peeps or a Sempron for AMD people... and between the two, id go for the Sempron -- cheaper and better performing Realistically if you are using it for more 'serious' purposes then you'll be fine

 

[cottoncandysky]

one more time!!! have i told you guys how wonderful you are....? this seems like a REALLY good deal..i priced everything and even did one of those build your own computers on ebay and the price was more, WITHOUT the printer. of course, i could get a printer for $35 at walmart, but this printer is sold for $80..anyway...this is the one, if you guys all approve...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...d=999923200050006&id=pcmprd23300050006&cmp=++

its a tad expensive for ME (im a poor college student) but i never figured in a printer, and possibly a monitor. i wish i had the time to play and build my own, but i need to get through the next 4 years of school and im hoping this computer will do it. its sooo much easier for me to get all of it together at the same time, from one place. so what do ya think?

 

[4W4K3]

http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachines_T3256

check out emachines website...you can get a computer pretty cheap from them. BestBuy tends to overprice some of there hardware. a decent printer and monitor will bring you back up to about $899.99 probably....but at least you will get a better computer buying them individually. thats actuall $1220 computer b4 the 5 mail in rebates (which arent guaranteed. i hate rebates.

 

[cottoncandysky]

hey! haha okay i KNOW i said that was the one...but i realized when i was going through dell.com and customizing i was making things WAYYYY more advanced than i need...check this out...it comes to $786.78 with s&h and tax. good? i am SOOOO sorry to be such a pain

Dell Dimension 3000 Series
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533 FSB)
-Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2
-Memory 512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz 512M4
-Keyboard and Mouse Bundles Dell Quietkey Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse
-Monitors 17 in (16 in viewable,.27dp) E773c CRT Monitor
-Video Card Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics 2
-Hard Drive 80GB Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive 80
-Floppy Drives and Additional Storage Devices No Floppy Drive Included
-Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
-Modem 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem
-CD or DVD Drive Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + FREE UPGRADE! 48x CD-RW Drive
-Sound Card Integrated Audio
-Speakers Dell A215 Speakers
-Productivity Software Microsoft® Works Suite - Includes Word 2002, Streets & Trips 2004
-Security Software McAfee Security Center w/VirusScan,Firewall and Privacy,1-year subscription
-Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 90 Day Warranty, 90 Day At-Home Service, and 1Yr Technical Support

Or would i be better getting the emachine you posted? more bang for the buck? im not doing real gaming...just internet and school stuff. now that i look at it again....the only differences are the included screen, the antivirus software...and i think thats it....well, and the celeron d processor vs. the p4. they have the same processor speed, and memory, and ram...whatcha think?

 

[Timbo]

I'd go with the Emachine

 

[cottoncandysky]

here's a gateway too....

Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Application Software: Microsoft® Works 8.0
Processor: Intel® Celeron® D Processor 340 (2.93GHz)
Chipset: Intel® 845GV Chipset
Memory: 512MB PC2700 DDR (333MHz) SDRAM
Hard Drive: 160GB Ultra ATA100 7200rpm hard drive (Free Upgrade from 120GB Hard Drive)
Optical Drive: 8x Double-Layer Multi-Format DVD Writer (DVD±R/±RW)
Floppy Drive: 8-in-1 media card reader
Extended Service Plan Including Limited Warranty: Desktop Value Service Plan -- 90-day parts/labor/no on-site/technical support
Monitors: VX750 17" Flat CRT Color Monitor (16.0" viewable)
Sound System: Integrated Intel® High Definition audio
Speakers: 2-piece speaker solution
AntiVirus Software: Norton AntiVirus 90 day introductory offer
Case: Gateway 6-Bay Mid-Tower Case
Expansion Slots: 3 x PCI Expansion Slots (2 slots available)
External Ports: (4) USB (All 4 are rear ports - version 2.0), Front audio ports, Parallel, Serial, and (2) PS/2
Certification: Energy Star Compliant
Video: Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics with up to 64MB shared DDR memory
Keyboard: Gateway Premium 104+ Keyboard
Mouse: Two-Button PS/2 Wheel Mouse (no mouse pad included)
Music Sampler: Napster 2.0 and 150 Song Sampler (pre-loaded on hard disk)
Modem: 56K PCI data/fax modem
Network Adapter: Integrated Intel® Pro 10/100 Ethernet Adapter

For $730 with shipping.

 

[Praetor]

even did one of those build your own computers on ebay and the price was more,

I doubt it but for the sake of humoring... lets look at what you're getting:

Cursory Overview
CPU: Celeron-D 256K 2.93Ghz
RAM: 512MB PC2700
MOBO: Unspecified
VIDEO: Onboard
HDD: 80GB specs not provided
BURNER: 48x24x48x16, brand not specified
EXTRA CRAP: OS, Basic Mouse, Basic Keyboard
DISPLAY: 17" CRT, specs not provided
PRINTER: Inkjet, specifications not provided
Analysis: This is a piece of crap... I wouldnt pay more than $700CAD for it

Deeper Analysis
Lets take a deeper look at the parts selection. As a references, have a look at this base model which has the same specs: http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eMachines_T2984
http://www.emachines.com/products/products.html?prod=eView_17f2

Detailed Overview
CPU: Celeron-D 256K 2.93Ghz
Antiquted design running off a discontinued 533Mhz BUS, this is an attempt to improve the Celeron line of chips and compete with AMD on a price level. The only differences are (a) a drop to a 90nm process, (b) twice the cache as a Celeron (but still half that of anything decent -- and Intel procs NEED cache) and (c) a 33Mhz improvement on the FSB.

RAM: 512MB PC2700
The mobo is most defintely a single channel and as such you'll get a single stick. Whether thats a good thing or not is up to you to decide. The 166MHz memory is definitely obsolete in the age of 200Mhz being the standard (and for a whopping $2 more usually). Nice thing about the crippled mobo is you cant even upgrade to the PC3200 if you wanted -- its not supported.

MOBO: Unspecified
The mobo is most definitely a MSI MS-6577, the specs can be found here: http://shop.store.yahoo.com/justdeals/ms6577.html (not on MSI website because its an even crappier version of their already stripped down - but decent - mobos).Some more clearer specs can be found here: http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...n&tool=prodinfocategory&docname=c00063244#doc -- its used by Compaq -- nuff said.

Even that aside, from a technical perspective, the board uses the i845 chipset -- even older and more antiquated than the already crappy i848 which is the absolute bare minimum a new system should possess.

VIDEO: Onboard
Nuff said. You've got an Intel Graphics decelerator on there and it ssucking away your system memory so when you finally boot up, you wont have 512MB of memory -- you'll have 448MB (assuming I counted correctly)

HDD: 80GB specs not provided
Sounds like a 5400rpm 2MB cache drive -- if it was more, they'd advertise soemthing about it. Translation? Slow.

BURNER: 48x24x48x16, brand not specified
Sounds like an LG drive and while they aren't *overtly* BAD ... LiteOn drives (which are premium drives), can be had for an entire $1 more. I doubt its a LiteOn. Other options are Phillips and ... I cant remember (translation: craP)

EXTRA CRAP: OS, Basic Mouse, Basic Keyboard
Please dont get sold by the fact that it "includes' all this simple (and cheap stuff)

DISPLAY: 17" CRT, specs not provided
Probably not enough things to market as theyve not really noted anything of value.

PRINTER: Inkjet, specifications not provided
Sounds like Z32 -- one of the single crappiest printers availale (i had one, I also have the Z42, Z52 and X83 from Lexmark). The inkcartridges last ~1month (for black) and cost $40CAD ($30USD) to replace

even did one of those build your own computers

Now that ive completely bashed that system, time for me to back myself up:

Box
AMD AthlonXP 2500+ 512K
ASUS A7V8X-X
512MB PC3200 (KNGMX)
Radeon 9200SE 128MB
WD 80GB 8MB
Black case and 400W Enermax
Base Cost: $460CAD ($360USD)

Extra Crap
LG 17" 1600x1200 0.26
Keyboard and Optical Mouse
Extra Cost: $265CAD ($210USD)

Net Cost: $725CAD ($570USD)
Now thats with about 4 minutes of looking around. Getting a better price isnt that hard.

 

[cottoncandysky]

hey! haha i take it youre not a huge fan of intel? thanks for all the info, would you mind sending a link for the example you gave? is it the parts or a system? im searching ebay right now, finding similar stuff but im unsure

 

[Praetor]

hey! haha i take it youre not a huge fan of intel?

Thats not it. Find me a P4C platform for the same bracket -- and it can be done (ive done it) -- its just much easier for avg people to find AMD systems. Throw in the fact that you can geta a Athlon64 system for roughly the same price as the P4C (more but not significantly so) ... it doesnt seem feasible. Intel systems fit very well into a $1200-$1600 USD budget

would you mind sending a link for the example you gave? is it the parts or a system?

I wouldnt mind at all except it would just be a link where i posted exactly what i just posted above The system i specd out is what it would cost me to build it. Add $150 and you'll find the cost of a decently priced prebuilt system ... add $300 for an OEM system

 

[cottoncandysky]

haha okay so around $950 i could have a sufficent computer system? im only using it for school and net...thanks again for everything!!!!

 

[cottoncandysky]

hey...real quick question..i ran the DXDIAG thing, and under my processor (currently) it says

Pentium III 490MHz

isnt that really good...as far as the 490 goes? the ones im looking at now have 333MHz or 400MHz

 

[cottoncandysky]

me....AGAIN!!!! okay i found this off of Ebay, one of those custom, build your own computer things....this is what i made...

ASUS A7V8X-X Socket A Mboard (D4ALA133)
AMD Athlon XP-2800 2.083GHz 512K 333MHz
Cooling Fan CPU Socket A Plus
512Mb PC3200 - 400MHz DDR Memory
WD Caviarâ"¢ 80GB Ultra100 7200rpm 8M
========== No FDD
Radeon 9600SE 128MB 8X AGP Dual Head DVI&TV
BLACK PS2 Enhanced Keyboard
BLACK Optical Mouse
PCI 56K V92 Modem
52x Speed IDE CD-ROM
LITEON 52x32x52x Black CDRW Drive IDE
Sound Blaster AUDIGY-2
Super Woofer 3-Piece Multimedia Speakers
RaidMax Scorpio Black 420W UL Front USB
Windows XP Home Edition CD ver.
3COM 10/100/1000 Network Card PCI
-$850 w/ s&h...then id have to buy a screen and printer...aka lots of $$. i wish i knew how to build a friggin thing...maybe i should try....im so scared to! i dont have money to play with, in HOPES that whatever i friggin build WORKS...know what i mean?

i was unsure about the network card and modem...what it is (ill have either DSL or dial up if it matters...) and i was unsure about the CDROM if i even needed one...

 

[Praetor]

haha okay so around $950 i could have a sufficent computer system? im only using it for school and net...thanks again for everything!!!!

You can certainly have a fine computer (hell i can easily squeeze and Athlon64 into that ... as you can see above where i spec'd out an uber-simple system. NOw whether you can find a comparable system from a store (or build it yourself), thats a adiferent story

isnt that really good...as far as the 490 goes?

Well if its supposed to 490 and it runs 490 ...wouldnt that be "expected"? rather than good?

i wish i knew how to build a friggin thing...maybe i should try....im so scared to! i dont have money to play with, in HOPES that whatever i friggin build WORKS...know what i mean?

Its not as hard as you think

i was unsure about the network card and modem...what it is (ill have either DSL or dial up if it matters...) and i was unsure about the CDROM if i even needed one...

You dont really need a discreet CDROM. The NIC will be fine. To be honest you're paying about $120 too much (at least) for that system.

 

[cottoncandysky]

Well if its supposed to 490 and it runs 490 ...wouldnt that be "expected"? rather than good?

I dunno what ya mean? I meant I have a laptop now and the PIII says its running 490MHz...so if i get a new computer that is 333MHz...is it gonna be slower....? Im new at this stuff. Some of it I understand and some of it is new to me. Im learning though! I think I spent about 2hrs last night just reading posts on the boards, old and new...I learned quite a bit!! The more Im seeing how much all this crap will cost to have pre-built, the more Im willing to attempt to make my own!! Im getting a daily email from About.com that tells you how to build a computer...maybe I will try...my little brothers and sisters do need a simple computer to play kiddie games on....Maybe I could get some cheapo, not so up-to-date parts off Ebay or something..hmmm! Its something to think about!!!

 

[4W4K3]

Maybe I could get some cheapo, not so up-to-date parts off Ebay or something..hmmm! Its something to think about!!!

thats what i did with my gf's rig. gave her all my spare older parts and got her the cheapest hardware she needed. then slowly upgrade as you have time/money. it's not much, but its better than nothing. 2ghz PC/512mb pc-3200/oldergfx/little beige speakers/8GB hd....shes happy with it for now lol.