Well, I'm planning to make myself a new computer! (Yep, I'm that sure(and I'm 12 rofl. ) But don't worry i know lots and lots of computer. Well not alot but like I know more then every student in my school combined.(Other then my friend Theory on sals(He is my friend in rl too).

Well, I'm building this computer for gaming and it has to be at $650 or lower...I was checking Tigerdirect.com and I got up to $1010 <.<. I haven't checked Newegg.com yet, but i will and i will report back here rofl.

Also which one is better? Newegg or Tigerdirect? I don't wanna buy stuff from Ebay or something cause I don't trust them rofl. Also is there another place other then those two?

Please give me good parts for gaming and they gotta all add up to the budget $650 or lower...Any more information needed please post here.

Edit: I also want this rofl i hate vista!

If your outside of the U.S. your not going to be able to use Newegg. From the experiences I've had I think that if you can Newegg is better than TigerDirect.

What types of games are you going to be playing?

and

Are you willing to overclock?

I live in US and i don't know what games imma paly...lol any i guess. But they're mostly are like up-to-date games..What's overclock?

Edit: I found out what it is, but is it a good thing or bad? What's a microprocesser? According to what i know, i think it's a good thing right?

Overclock
To run a microprocessor faster than the speed for which it has been tested and approved. Overclocking is a popular technique for eking out a little more performance from a system.

Newegg.com is fantastic . I always recommend them, is this going to be your first system build? Buy.com sometimes has some good deals too.

Anyway i'll list a simple build and wait for bob-sama to come along.

Processor - E2180 - $79.99
Cooling - Xigmtek S969 - $24.99
Motherboard - Gigabyte DS3L - $89.99
Graphics - 9600GT - $169.99
PSU - Thermaltake Pure Power 500W - $59.99
Case - CM Master RC - $79.99
Memory - 2GB Geil DDR2-800 - $45.99
Hard Drive - 250GB WD - $69.99
Optical - Samsung 20X dvd-rw - $26.99

Total - $647.91

Thats without OS,

here's with;

Hard drive - WD 80GB
Processor - E2140
PSU - Antec Earthwatts
Graphics - Radeon 3850 256mb
Cooling - Stock
OS - Vista 32bit Home Premium OEM

That brings you down to $647.91 (yes no mistake exact same total just with OS )

So basically you'd be a lot better off if you have an OS disk or a spare hard drive to use. Oh just read you want XP instead of vista, they go for around the same price anyway. You could drop the 2Gb of ram if you wanted to and go for 1GB in that case.

Better buy legit windows or your computer will be full of viruses...if won't be legit (your'e in trouble)
i'd recomend ad-aware SE personal (free) from lavasoft...

Yep, first build rofl.

Hmm, so they're both the same price? Would the first one or second one be the best for gaming? Also I want a cool case xD. (It's gotta look pimp-just like me ) And you guys would recommend newegg?

@Edward: What's that mean? Rofl imma buy Windows XP..i think it doesn't have viruses...

Newegg is excellent--much better than TigerDirect with prices, selection, and customer service. So what's the actual budget--discuss it with the parents. If you want $650 or lower, Acid's configuration isn't that bad. I would personally change some things out.

I'd go with an E2160 ($10 less than an E2180), and get a Retail package so you have the stock HSF with it--you don't need an upgrade. $25 saved IS $25 saved. You're up to $35 (10+25) saved on a lower-end CPU and stock heatsink.
The DS3L is fine, though there's not much difference with the S3G, except the S3G has 6 USB ports on the rear and only 3 audio connectors (versus 4 USB and 6 audio connectors on the DS3L--and the DS3L has S/PDIF out, which the S3G doesn't). You can save $10 there.

That 9600GT is a good card for price/performance.

You can go for a less-expensive power supply. Look for FSP Fortron power supplies--they're rather good quality. You won't need any more than a 450W power supply with a PCI Express 2x3 connector. You can get a FSP SAGA+ 450R for $45--saving you another $15 making it a total of $50 saved so far.

Less expensive case is a must. Yeah the CM690 is a good case and relatively inexpensive, but you cannot afford to spend $80 on a case when $50 or less will do. Also look for deals on cases with free shipping--almost always, your case is the most expensive item to be shipped ($15 minimum, $25+ maximum), which adds to the sticker price. Take your pick out of the below cases.

Thermaltake Matrix ($65)
APlus Monolith-II ($60 after $10 MIR)
XClio Coolbox ($66)
CoolerMaster Elite 330 ($55)
CoolerMaster Centurion 5 ($65)
CoolerMaster Centurion 534 ($65)

With a $50 case shipped ($65 total), you'll save about $30 over that $80 CM690. You're up to $80 saved--nearly enough to buy a copy of WinXP Home or WinVista Basic. I'll aim to cutting $120 total for WinVista Premium. We have $40 to go--a good enough task.

Truth be told--you don't need DDR2 800. DDR2 667 will be enough to overclock you to 3GHz on that processor--a limit on the HSF. For the price, you can get a $35 2GB DDR2 667 or DDR2 800 memory stick. Add $6 for shipping and you're set with RAM. Because of the meager price difference--I'd go with the DDR2 800 kit. You can change your FSB:DRAM divider from 1:1 to 1:1.2 (5:6) and thus get better performance when you're running at a 333mhz FSB (quad-pumped to FSB1333 rated). It's now another $10 saved--$90 saved.

Next--I'd actually recommend a similar hard drive. Look at the WD2500AAJS--it's $63, or $7 saved. We're up to $97 saved so far.

We'll go with a different DVD drive as well. Look at a Lite-On 20x DVD burner on SATA. $1 saved--now it's $98 total. You want SATA connection over an IDE connection, especially now. If you go with the S3G over the DS3L, you've saved a total of $108--enough for a WinVista Home Premium 64-bit OEM license. I'd personally do just that. At $100, it's a quick deal.

Add about $30 for shipping--total price should come to $680 or so.

Can i say nicely done I was scratching my head on that one thought i would leave it to you. Anyway that also leaves you with a little more money, since XP is $89.99 that should cover the shipping costs. Perhaps an AC Freezer 7 would be in order? I'm not sure what overclocks you could achieve with that stock cooler. With DDR2-667 you would be able to achieve an overclock of 2.66ghz without overclocking the memory which is fairly good.

I'd go with Vista over XP--just because the 9600GT is DX10 and relatively good and powerful. An AC Freezer would be OK--but I personally don't like them and they wouldn't fit in one or maybe two of those cases I listed. That, and the stock all-aluminum low-speed heatsink is enough to go to 3GHz or so--many people go to about 3.2GHz. It'll run a bit hot, so that $8 can be spent towards some Arctic Cooling MX-2. As it is, you can go to 3GHz easily with an E2160 (333*9=3000) fully on stock. It'll be maxed out--the CPU will run hot, but it's not a problem. I'm more comfortable with lower temperatures, but budget wasn't such a big factor on my own build. Also, that build would inevitably be less-expensive and perform the same or better than my computer was.

Hmm, thanks Bob-sama! I wanted WinXP though...

Edit: Well here's what i think i might get...

E2160-$70
S3G-$87
FSP SAGA+ 450R-$177
Raidmax Ninja ATX-918WB-$29
DDR2 800-$41 (Is this the RAM?)
GeForce 9600GT-$145
WD2500AAJS-$63
Lite-On 20x DVD burner-$33 (Can i play CD's with it? Or just DVD?
Windows XP Home Edition-$86 (I heard vista is kinda laggy with games)
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7-$34

You cannot save $25 without using a lower OS or taking a performance drop. The thing is a 9600GT is DX10--meaning that Vista is required to take advantage of DX10. Looking over the list and other items available--you can get a Radeon HD 3850 256MB for $140 after a $20 MIR--that'll save you a little bit. Using the CM330 case, S3G motherboard, and HD3850 256, I got it to $652 after shipping to my location--or $632 after a MIR.

Some other spaces you can save money is changing the graphics card. You can get a GeForce 8800GS 384MB for $140 (or $110 after a $30 MIR). You could also get a GeForce 9600GT for $165 (or $145 after $20 MIR). With an 8800GS, it comes to $630 shipped with an additional $30 MIR bringing it down to $600. Or, with a 9600GT, it's $657 before a $20 MIR, or $637 with the MIR.

How's that for savings? I'd personally say go with the 9600GT and going with the Monolith-II.

Imma get the Geforce9600...

Also would you recommend a good but not expensive LCD moniter? ($10-100?)

Edit: Ok, I found a moniter and i don't really care of it's size, but is it good? Press

oh my gosh It's $840 all together... I might have to repay my parents $249...Bob can you a moniter thats good and cheap?

No--because there are none. Look at $160 minimum or $200 for an "OK" LCD.

I'd spend $10 extra and get a 17" widescreen.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16824116360

Omg, imma wet my pants with these prices...I found a new screen...Would this do? I'm in need to save money! (Don't take away the performance of the computer right now though!)

@Stobbo
Is that 17" worth the price? It's $163

Edit: I gotta go eat dinner be back Also I told my mom the price($870) and she was kinda saying no, and then I told her that it's better then what you can buy in stores(Am i correct?)and now she is saying she's thinking about it...But keep responding! NEED CHEAP PARTS!Sorry to sound demanding and rude btw...It's just that it's really bad and I'm on a certain amount before they say no...And don't take away the performance of the computer lol.

Well ethier i can buy a new screen or i can take the screen which is here right now..But it's those big old ones..

Let me guess--17" CRTs? I say keep it for now--don't give up performance if you already have a monitor that goes up to 1280x1024.

My monitor right now goes up to 1024x768...

If it's a 17" CRT, try setting it to run at 1280x1024 at 60hz. If you want WinXP, Home is fine. That'll save you $15 or so--spend that on Arctic Cooling MX-2 and Arctic Silver ArctiClean 1 & 2 (a thermal compound cleaner). The DVD burner plays CDs and DVDs, but not Blu-Ray or HD DVDs. I summed up the entire price for shipping at $657 for the best price/performance. As I said, APlus Monolith-II would be better-looking, at least in my opinion. I'd say tell her about $850 total with an OK $200 LCD.

you could trade in the 9600GT for an 8600GT, go with a smaller hard drive, CM elite 330 and the monitor you suggested. That'll drop the price to $653 with os + monitor (shipping not included).

However you'll have a less performance. i say keep your current CRT until you can afford better. Also bob-sama don't most intel stock coolers come with their own pre-applied thermal compound?

also what you doing about sound?

Hmm..I guess I'll get the APlus Monolith-II cause it saves me $6...also i can't get the 2 Artics cause I have to save as much money as possible..And the case has a giant fan..So would that be the main fan and I don't have to buy another fan? OMG my brain hurts someone please help me out! The main thing is that I'm low on the budget..Maybe $500-$850 the most.... Also does the case light up? lol I want it to look cool And does the case's usally or all the time have the power cord come with them?

They all do--but they don't use a particularly good or efficient compound. That, and most people building a computer will have to replace whatever is on there at least once. It's easy to incorrectly set a cooler, and MX-2 is very good stuff and easy to use. The current CRT is great, and a 8600GT is a significant step down from a 9600GT (as I said before--double the price and triple the performance). You won't need another fan if you do get a good-cooling case. At least get the MX-2--you will likely have to reset the HSF. The ArctiClean is just an easy way to clean the CPU and HSF.

I don't know...I don't need a high tech sound card really...but do i really need a sound card and if i don't get it then i won't get sound?
And if i do need a sound card..would this work? It's cheap and looks good..

Also do i need the Antistatic thing? Or is it a waste of money?

Edit: I decided that imma get the AC Freeze 7 thing..

I'm running an 8600GT in my XP Pro system and it runs fine. I would definitely recommend it, it plays decent games like Battlefield 2 really well on the medium/high settings.

As for the monitor, I didn't see the cheaper 17" widescreen, but I would spend $8 or whatever it is more and get the ViewSonic personally, but I do like ViewSonic monitors. If your short on cash, then go for the cheaper on which is $163.

I didn't mean sound card, i meant speakers.Just checking everything so that your new build will be fully functional. You don't need the hassle of installing a cheap sound card to be honest.

AC7 pro is more expensive then i thought it would be over there. You could just go with the Ximantek HDT S963. However the AC7 pro is much easier to install because of the intel pushpins. You'll want some good quality thermal compound Arctic Cooling MX-2 has already been suggested or you can stick with the pre-applied MX-1 (however i like to keep a spare tube of thermal compound incase i need to reseat the HSF). If you need to clean off old thermal compound (if you reseat) then use either articlean or isopropol alcohol but articlean would probably do a better job.

If your strapped for cash just go with the stock intel HSF it'll do the job. Do you have anyone to help you build this computer? perhaps your mom?

Hmm, so i don't need a sound card? That takes off the $15 woot! Also one the Ximantek, what does it need to install it? Screws or pushpins? It doesn't really matter though because I got a screwdriver in handy rofl.

And For that last question, I'm planning to build it myself...No one knows about computer in my family but my bro (smaller then me) , but he's like always playing games so he'll be busy rofl.

Should i buy the Antistatic or is it a waste of money? I don't really wanna fry my cards...but i don't want to use the money on it ($10). And does Newegg use tax or is it just the shipping+price?

Also i wanna thank everyone for helping me

Edit: FOUND A SUPER CHEAP CASE! OMG! But is it good? Press! It only has 1 fan though...Or is that 2? can someone tell me how much fans it has?



NEW UPDATE:

RAIDMAX NINJA ATX-918WB Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -- $29

LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R (DVD Drive) ------------------------------------------------------------- $33

E2160 (Procceser) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $70

S3G (Mother board) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $87

GeForce 9600GT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $150 After MIR

450R ATX12V 450W Power Supply ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $54

DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ $41

WD2500AAJS 250GB (Hard Drive) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ $63

Acer X163Wb Black 16" 8ms Widescreen LCD Monitor ------------------------------------------- $163

Microsoft Windows XP Home -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $86

Shipping&Handling ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $30
________________________________________________________________________________

Total - $806

Which all adds to $806 Any thing you see wrong?

The case is up to you, everyone has their own personal preference. It has one exhaust fan and one other fan designed to keep the case cool. Its a plastic case though, if you favor looks over quality then thats fine just be careful with it , for your system you don't need an epic amount of cooling anyway.

ESD straps are useful if your working on a lot of computers, but you can solve the issue by simply touching the metal sides of the case before working, be sure to ground yourself (which shouldn't be hard ). Take your time and you'll be fine .

I would imagine the xigmantek would require a backplate on the motherboard and then for screws to be fitted through, they can be a bit fiddly. On odds and ends you may want to pick up a small torch, screwdriver, cable ties, thermal compound, thermal compound remover. I would suggest you just go through everything with your mum since shes paying for it its a solid computer and would perform brilliantly for the price.

Personally I would go for an 8600GT. I have one and it does its job well and works fine with average games.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814150265

$67.99 after MIR.

You shouldn't do it, but it doesn't cause viruses. I've been using the free version of Windows since Windows 3.11, and I've never run into virus trouble because of my OS.

Thanks lol. The problem is how do i ground myself? I don't get it. Do i touch the computer's metal and then i don't touch the ground?

Sorry to sound stupid. lol

@Stobbo
Thanks! Saved me almost $50!

RAIDMAX NINJA ATX-918WB Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -- $29

LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R (DVD Drive) ------------------------------------------------------------- $33

E2160 (Procceser) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $70

S3G (Mother board) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $87

GeForce 8600GT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $75 After MIR

450R ATX12V 450W Power Supply ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $54

DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ $41

WD2500AAJS 250GB (Hard Drive) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ $63

Acer X163Wb Black 16" 8ms Widescreen LCD Monitor ------------------------------------------- $163

Microsoft Windows XP Home -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $86

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------$34

Shipping&Handling ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $30
______________________________________________________________________________

Total - $765

Connect your computer to a metal stick in the garden. (Some people might get where I am coming from )

Seriously, just touch something metal which is touching the ground.

lol stobbo, yes i mean grounded as in standing on the ground, none of that anti-gravity stuff.

If you need any help don't be scared to ask, happy building .

edit: What games do you play exactly? I know the 8600GT is a great card but i would strongly recommend pushing for a 3850 or 9600GT since there much faster.

Well, I'm planning to play Counterstrike source and thats for sure rofl.

And to ground myself all i have to do is touch like the refrigerator and then I'm all set? I lol'd at stobbo lol

RAIDMAX NINJA ATX-918WB Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -- $29

LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R (DVD Drive) ------------------------------------------------------------- $33

E2160 (Procceser) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $70

S3G (Mother board) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $87

GeForce 8600GT ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $75 After MIR

450R ATX12V 450W Power Supply ---------------------------------------------------------------------- $54

DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ $41

WD2500AAJS 250GB (Hard Drive) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ $63

Acer X163Wb Black 16" 8ms Widescreen LCD Monitor ------------------------------------------- $163

Microsoft Windows XP Home -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $86

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------$34

Shipping&Handling ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $30
______________________________________________________________________________

I have a Battlefield 2 which I imagine is fairly similar to Counter Source and it runs fine on my 8600.



What I was referring happened before you joined. Basically, someone thought that to ground themselves they should dig a hole, stick a metal pole in and connect
the computer to that or something.

So simply I touch the refrigerator and I'm set? And if that doesn't work imma do that stick a pole in the ground. That should do the trick rofl.


OMF MY POST NUMBER IS POSSESSED!

Just touch the metal sides of the case to discharge any electrostatic you may have picked up then begin work. 666 post number lol.

Whats this about a refrigerator? If you get hungry just be sure to discharge yourself when you go back to work on the computer since you might pick up static if your walking across carpet. 8600GT is fine for BF2 or CSS, the 9600GT would be a good choice if you wanted to play newer games like crysis or assassins creed since they don't exactly treat the 8600 too nicely.

However i'm sure you should be able to play COD4, maybe tune down the eye candy

Rofl. No i don't walk, I slide with cotton socks! lol Well, don't close this post yet! I might have something like a question or something! I don't want to say bye to all the friends and computer techs i met in the last 2 days!

Edit:Is the motherboard a PCI or PCI-E?And what's thermal paste? and do i need it?

I already told you about those.

Anyways--I'll still strongly push for stock heatsink and a 9600GT. The 8600GT, while fine for some gaming, isn't exactly what I'd use myself. They're OK cards for casual gamers, but I'll still say go with a 9600GT--it's twice the price but it's more than twice the performance.

That, and...

Sceptre X20WG-1080P for $190 upfront and a $20 MIR. Just something to think about.

Thanks!
I made up my mind and I'm getting 9600GT, but I'm not gonna get the Sceptre...It'll all add up to much...Also do you just add the Shipping and Handling to the price or do you add it to the price and at the end you add them all together?

Always at the end. NewEgg will send as few boxes as they can comfortably get away with--so it'll probably be 1-2 boxes of components, a second/third box with the case, and a third/fourth box with a monitor.

Ok, but is there tax or do i just round up to the nearest dollar?

And what you mean at end for shipping and handling? Add them all to the price and then add them together in the end? Or do i add all the prices and then all the shipping and handling and then add them both together..?

There's always tax--most of the time we forget to pay it if there's no sales tax put on your bill. If there's no sales tax, you're legally required to pay a usage tax in most states. Most people don't know and thus don't pay it.

Anyways--just put together everything in your NewEgg shopping cart, put in your zip code, and estimate price on the credit card.

How come it's not working?

I put everything I need on the Shopping cart and then I select all of them and then I scroll down and type my ZIP code and then it I hit GO and then it returns to the same page...

Am I doing anything wrong?

Tig, reading back I think you should really take advantage of DirectX 10, which is only on Vista. That's basically the sole advantage of the 9600 as well.

I know, but Vista is still new and has lots of bugs...And it isn't that friendly with some games...Also I am getting the 9600. The problem is that I can't get Newegg to see how much everything my computer cost...

And i decided to get a New Case that has a power supply that came with it Saves me like at least $40. It looks cool and it's made of steel!

Edit: Would this RAM fit in my motherboard? I don't really think it will...That's why I'm checking, I'm not sure lol. Also is it good? I was reading the reviews and some people hate it...

Don't make any changes to the key components. That RAM would fit but wouldn't even run XP games very well. The Case+PSU combo is pretty bad, and I would just go with the setup bob-sama suggested. If your looking to shave money off keep your old CRT monitor.

Kk, so I just keep everything bob-sama told me and don't change anything? Also I need this computer like this 'cause my cousins need a computer and we have to give it to them... Also how is the case+PSU bad? I don't see a difference..Can you please tell me why it's bad?

Vista had been out for some time, and with the new SP, you should be confident.

If you're just going to use XP, then I advise you to downgrade to something DX9 just to save some cash, because it isn't really worth it for the 9600.

So your saying i should get 8600 or something? Also how isn't the PSU good? It gives the same power...Can you tell me why it's not the good? I wanna save money but get a cool case also.

Its not about power, its about efficient output. Case PSU combos usually provide poor PSU, remember the power supply is keeping your whole system stable, an inefficient power supply = unstable computer. I would still stick with the 9600GT even if your going with XP. You'll appreciate the extra performance boost, after all this is a gaming computer. However if you really are strapped for cash then go for the 8600GT.

I would only recommend a case/psu combo if you know what PSU the case comes with paying attention to the ampage on the rails and efficiency.

Kk, thanks, made up my mind and now I'm going back to my Raidmax Ninja And then PSU Bob-sama provided. Also I think imma keep the 9600..it'll let me play a little more games and make it a little faster

Also I asked my mom and she said that she'll order the parts maybe in Summer cause of school and stuff

Please PM me if you got more better things!

Mods can close this now I might come back though!

Edit: Almost forgot to say something!


Thanks to everyone who helping me out in building my first computer! I won't forget! You guys have made my future in computer building!