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Thread ID: 70240	2006-06-26 12:24:00	Help with New System	Feelers (10034)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
466415	2006-06-26 12:24:00	I'm trying to build my own computer - got some questions about different bits n pieces . First off - am I correct in saying that super cheap is "super ****"? :lol: , becuase I was thinking about buying the whole system from them, but www . cbcnz . co . nz gave my friend excellent service, but a little more expensive . My price tag is around ~$1600, without screen . I've read about the supposed price drop-off of the AMD dual cores - how reliable is this? The computer industry is full of such rumors that dont eventuate - I dont know how much faith I should put into this happening . So far the tally is - 1x Seagate 250GB Barracuda 9 . 0 7200 rpm 8 Mb cache SATA2 Hard Drive $~150 . DVD writer - $80 Memory- I am unsure on this - I have been told two 512's are better than 1gb, I am happy to pay up to about $180, what should I get? I know nothing of the brands etc . CPU - AMD 939 socket 3800+, I dont know about waiting for the Dual cores? $400 What Motherboard should I get with this? I dont know the difference between brands etc - its a bloody mess trying to sort them out ~$170 :lol: Graphics Card - about $350 - $500, Prefer NVidia, whats the best around these ranges? Thanks for any input, I understand the basics of how to put it together but knowing the differnces between similar priced components can make a big change, I just dont know what . :thumbs:	Feelers (10034)
466416	2006-06-26 13:01:00	Hi, I would agree not to go with SuperCheapPC. However their nearly identically priced cousins, XP Computers and C1 Shoppingmall do at least honour their warranties. If you want the best service, go with Ascent, but expect to pay $250+ more for the same items. Since you're spending a fair bit of money, I would consider socket AM2. If you were to settle for a 3500+ it would be the same price pretty much as socket 939, but later on you'll have a lot more upgrading options. It would be a no brainer. However for the 3800+ you're looking at an extra $160 just for the newer socket ($540 compared to $380), so it's up to you. Socket AM2 now is like 939 was when 462 was the standard, although I don't see socket 939 disappearing for quite a while yet. For an extra $35 on top of the AM2 price you can make it dual core as well. The biggest benefit of socket AM2 is that you can use DDR2 ram, which may or may not be worth the advantage depending on how long you want to keep the computer for. Get two 512's for the RAM, that means you can use dual channel for better performance. If you go for AM2, I'd two 512MB DDR667 sticks for about $75 each, fitting nicely inside your budget. You can upgrade to DDR800 later on, or even now if you want to spend $125 each (not likely). I personally don't buy expensive high quality ram, but that's your decision. If you're using socket 939, then just whatever two 512MB DDR400 sticks you prefer will do nicely, at about $65 per stick (for average ram). My personal preference is Gigabyte motherboards - I like the BIOS and they're very reliable. I service PCs regularly and have yet to experience a failed Gigabyte motherboard, the same can't be said for any other major brand. I like the GA-M51GM-S2G for AM2, although it is the cheapest Gigabyte one sold for that socket it's still very decent IMO, and for Socket 939, possibly the GA-K8N51PVMT-9. Both are PCI-E. If you don't want to spend $175 for the socket 939 one, there are a large range of other decent boards down to about $120 (still decent). I am no expert on graphics cards, and couldn't give good advice on them, so that's best left to one of our gamers :p. Any inaccuracies in this post shall be blamed on Telecom.	george12 (7)
466417	2006-06-26 19:39:00	........... Get two 512's for the RAM, that means you can use dual channel for better performance......... I'm sticking my nose in here to learn, not to help! Considering the relatively low cost of RAM, do you not think it worthwhile to go to 2 x 1GB? I'm asking from the point of view of one who usually has 4 or 5 apps and many browser pages on the go at once.	Vallis (8886)
466418	2006-06-26 20:28:00	Memory- I am unsure on this - I have been told two 512's are better than 1gb, I am happy to pay up to about $180, what should I get? I know nothing of the brands etc . If you only have money for 1GB and you want dual channel, then 2 x 512 is the way to go . As for ddr2, the clock speed sounds nice, but the latencies I am not too sure of . . From everything I know of amd processors they like low latency ram for best performance , and most ddr2 is not low latency . (if youre after ****hot preformance you want ram with timings around 2-2-2-5) CPU - AMD 939 socket 3800+, I dont know about waiting for the Dual cores? $400 The dual cores a are a great processor (I bought one!) but there is very little that is truly designed to take advantage of them yet, and at around $500 - $550 +gst fora 3800+ they arent cheap . . . . although it sounds like they will take a price cut around 24th july . However as a performance comparison, my friend bought a 3700+ single, 1MB L2 cache, and my 3800+ X2 pisses all over it . What Motherboard should I get with this? I dont know the difference between brands etc - its a bloody mess trying to sort them out ~$170 :lol: George is right, gigabyte seems to make nice boards, I have had them (have one right now), asus, albatron,asrock,shuttle, and a few others that I dont remember . . . the reason I like gigabyte is bang for buck . . . and the fact that a lot of their high end boards have dual bios which is the greatest invention ever (in fact the dual bios on my K8NXP-9 saved my machine when the power went out and the main bios got scrambled . . . wouldnt boot . . . went into auto recovery and boted from backup . . . auto restored the main and presto we're going again) Graphics Card - about $350 - $500, Prefer NVidia, whats the best around these ranges? If you want to play good games, this is where you need to spend the most . . . I would recommend at least a geforce 7900 series . . . probably a gt . . . they have power to burn and you can overclock the hell out of the standard issue (a friend ran his up form 450 core to 560 with no probs) Hope this helps	straitjacket (9698)
466419	2006-06-26 22:17:00	First off - am I correct in saying that super cheap is "super ****"? I've read about the supposed price drop-off of the AMD dual cores - how reliable is this? Memory- I am unsure on this - I have been told two 512's are better than 1gb, I am happy to pay up to about $180, what should I get? I know nothing of the brands etc . CPU - AMD 939 socket 3800+, I dont know about waiting for the Dual cores? $400 What Motherboard should I get with this? I dont know the difference between brands etc - its a bloody mess trying to sort them out ~$170 :lol: Graphics Card - about $350 - $500, Prefer NVidia, whats the best around these ranges? There will definetly, 100% guaranteed, be 30 - 50% price drops 24th July . Its not far off so I recommend you wait . Get an ASUS motherboard, the most reliable . 2 pieces of RAM is better if you want them to run Dual Channel - this is determined by the motherboard, not the ram . Good choice of hard drive brand . Graphics - GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB PCI Express $449 . 00 GeForce 7900 GT 256MB PCI-Express $506 . 25 As per Pricespy . The 7900GT if you can afford it . Yes, avoid SuperCheap if you want a warranty .	pctek (84)
466420	2006-06-26 23:33:00	Forget SuperCheap . As I am in ChCh like yourself I get most of my stuff from TasTech in Spreydon as his prices are amongst the lowest . As far as warranties go I had no problems with him when I had a motherboard issue not long ago . He has had a reputation in the past for poor communication but I haven't found that to be the case myself . Apart from his price another big advantage is that he is local so delivery is cheap or you can go collect . Also, if there is something in particular that you want and he hasn't got it listed on his site, ask about it as he can sometimes get things in .	FoxyMX (5)
466421	2006-06-27 03:51:00	Thanks for all the excellent replies, :D I am thinking I will wait for the price drop, although that latency thing with the ddr2 seems a little off putting . I am keen to overclock my setup a little too . I think I'll go with a gigabyte motherboard - I have seen friends ones and they were all really good/reliable . On the graphics card front - I find it REALLY hard to get reviews on all the cards - first there is the chipset rating, then the manufacturer which also chages the performance . I couldnt find much at all on the 6800 Ultra - is this marketed as something else in the States? How much better is the GeForce 7900 GT 256MB compared to the above? I cant find much info on either :waughh: Thanks peoples . :thumbs:	Feelers (10034)
466422	2006-06-27 05:51:00	7900GTs: www.firingsquad.com As for the 6800Ultas, try typing "6800Ultra Review" into Google - thers heaps. Don't get Gigabyte.....	pctek (84)
466423	2006-06-27 22:14:00	I, aswell, would not go to super cheap. I have had many problems with them in the past. If you want good service and delivery time go with C1. they're a lot better at delivering and they honour their waranty claims. I have one piece of advice about RAM: dont go with generic RAM. It has a whole lot of errors when you overclock it.	hoppo829 (10362)
466424	2006-06-28 03:47:00	I would add my backing for a dual core CPU . I like my X2 3800+ as it just feels so much more responsive in day-to-day use . Also, thanks, responders, for comments on suppliers . I have had good price/service from C1 but haven't had to test a warranty claim so your comments on this are helpful .	linw (53)
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