Custom PC
 

Ok, i have agreed with my dad and his mate to let me have a custom built PC. This is to be used for Gaming, and music etc.

Your suggestions please

Re: Custom PC
 

Google?
Look around a few places that suppy PCs to see what specs are out there for gaming PCs.
How much are you budgeting for?

Re: Custom PC
 

as paul said , budget is the first thing to sort out , without that , we can go nowhere towards helping ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

:notopic: but just out of interest what does your Dad's mate have to do with it?

Re: Custom PC
 

www.meshcomputers.com

nuff said.

Re: Custom PC
 

good point , maybe his dads mate is going to build it for him :shrug: :D :D

Re: Custom PC
 

DON'T install AOL on it.....in fact DON'T let an AOL disc anywhere near it!!

Re: Custom PC
 

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Re: Custom PC
 

Best sugestion yet ;) Why not buy a Mac Wayne?

Re: Custom PC
 

:rofl:

Nice one

Re: Custom PC
 

So its been over an hour since your first post and subsequent answers Wayne, how 'bout some feedback, or is this a red-herring ??????

Re: Custom PC
 

Wayne's been offline since he made the original post. I'm sure he'll respond when he comes back online.....

Re: Custom PC
 

Maybe his computer is broken and thats why he needs a new one to infect with AOL's rubb... I mean software.

Re: Custom PC
 

Mmmm, maybe, hope this goes somewhere in the end.

Re: Custom PC
 

Yep you got it

Re: Custom PC
 

So basically you want a parts list from people here without mentioning a budget? :erm:

Re: Custom PC
 

I had a look at building a PC a while ago, and it seems to be very expensive, looks to be cheaper to buy a pre-built one!!!

That site Saxodriver posted seems to be very good :tu:

Re: Custom PC
 

I have one of there systems Kilro and I have found them to be very fair and there system to be built to a very high standard.

Re: Custom PC
 

Building your own computer doesn't really mean it is cheaper (you save on labour costs to build it, but think of the buying power of Dell and HP - they can buy things much cheaper in volume than you or I ever could), but the real advantage is you get to choose what you want. Every component is exactly what you want.

Re: Custom PC
 

Ok,

This mobo: Abit AV8 Via K8T800 Pro Athlon 64(FX) Skt939 DDR ATX

Processor: AMD (Winchester) Athlon 64bit 3200+ 939pin 512kb L2cache 90nm (not sure what clock speed as it doesnt say)

Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 9800/x800 (Not sure as it doesnt say whether its a 128mb or 256mb)

Hard Disk: Seagate ST3160827AS 160GB 7200rpm SATA 8MB Cache

Case: Ebuyer A-2540-2-LX ATX Case in Silver/Black with USB2.0/Audio/1394+Airguide+Fan and 350w PSU (Not sure if PSU is included)

DVD/CD RW Combo: Gigabyte 52x32x52x16 B5232A Combo Drive - Retail Box Black & Beige Bezels

Memory: Crucial 512mb DDR 333MHz PC2700 Memory Module (2x 512)

Sound: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro


and a firewire Card

Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2

Re: Custom PC
 

When it says "and 350w PSU", that means the PSU is included.

That isn't a bad spec, I would go with 1gig of RAM at least though. 512meg will hold you back. You might want to spend a bit more and get PC3200 RAM (that mobo supports it).

Re: Custom PC
 

So all the bits are there then that i have posted i mean. If it supports PC3200 Ram i was going to get 2 x 512 as i can then run in dual channel.

Re: Custom PC
 

Well, you need a heatsync and fan, although depending on if you get it oem or retail version, it might come with the processor.

I just noticed though, why aren't you getting a DVD writer? I didn't think you could buy a regular cd burner anymore. You can get decent branded (Pioneer, LiteOn etc.) DVD burners for like 40-50 quid. You can still burn CDs with them.

Re: Custom PC
 

i dont suppose there is any chance of your proposed budget is there ???? , i could spec you a top end machine , the only problem is , it would be in the region of £3000 , do you get what we are on about now by any chance ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

Could you recommend a good Heatsync and a burner for me?

Re: Custom PC
 

What's your budget anyway, Wayne?

Re: Custom PC
 

echo echo echo , i have given up asking , either this is just a random ' lets get ppl talking thread ' or b.s. , @ wayne , please state your budget or this is just going to go round in circles ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

It's also bound to be a cheapo one which is generally of inferior quality. I'd suggest going for a good quality branded PSU - it might cost more to start with but you'll end up paying for it in improved reliability and consistent performance. It's one of the core components and often overlooked when building a system.

Re: Custom PC
 

Yeah, not too mant people consider that all the components need enough energy to run most effectively, if you have 350w and need 400w you have a load of kit going to waste.

Re: Custom PC
 

Pioneer, LiteOn, NEC are amongst the better burners.

HeatSync wise... Akasa aren't bad in the cheaper end of the market. In the higher end, CoolerMaster, Antec, Thermaltake

Re: Custom PC
 

I wouldn't put Coolermaster, Thermaltake or Antec in the "higher end" range, they're most definately in the low - middle. For really good heatsinks you need to look at the higher end Arctic Cooling, Thermalright (in conjunction with a decent low noise akasa, papst or panaflo fan), possibly even Zalman.

As for the 3 DVD burners, as I recall, Pioneer, LiteOn and NEC all come off the same production line, so whichever one of them 3 are the cheapest.

Re: Custom PC
 

Ok i dont know my budget yet, im getting all the bits together to see what he can do, and then he will price it.

I cant seem to find any fans on ebuyer.

Re: Custom PC
 

well yes, i was very sad, and plugged all that into ebuyer. gives a price of roundabout £800, just for the system. seems steep to me for what it is :erm:

obviously there is then labour charges for him building it on top of that ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

Ok i need the fans which i cannot find on ebuyer, but i found this combo drive on there: LG 52x32x52x16x CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive Black

Ok for the fans i found this: Coolermaster Aero Blower Fan (FG-004-CM)

and this: Akasa AK-170CB-4BLS Crystal 4x Blue LED Fan (FG-003-AK)

How many fans do you think ill need?

Re: Custom PC
 

you will find you can't buy friends, Wayne - computers are cheap, though, but a video card can cost as much as a whole pc...........

Re: Custom PC
 

the processor you listed is a retail box, soo looking for separate heatsinks and fans isn't *absolutely* necessary. hoewver, searching for "fan" on ebuyer throws up many, many results...

Re: Custom PC
 

...but from the description, this id CD burner but DVD READER only.

Re: Custom PC
 

why the refusal to go for a dvd burner? pioneer dvr-109 is £33 on ebuyer

Re: Custom PC
 

Well im going to email all the requirements anyway so ill take your ideas.

Re: Custom PC
 

see post #27 ;) :rolleyes: :D :D :D

Re: Custom PC
 

yeah but but but... see post... whatever it was.... i spent a good 5 mins putting it into ebuyer to work out what kind of budget he's got... ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

I use an NEC DVDRW drive.
Burns everything very quickly and as far as I know, till recently it was one of the fastest out there and can write to all standards of CD and DVD. Cost about £40 and is black.

As for you mentioning getting a firewire card ? Do you need it. Check the motherboard. It may already have some ports on it.

The 9800pro graphics card is good and will play Half life 2 ok. I have it and its a nice card, however it will struggle on some games and there are better cards out there now that really blow this away and you may want something a little more powerful if you intend to play some of the newer games to come out.

Re: Custom PC
 

ahhhhhhhhhh right , i see , what is his budget then :erm: :D :D :D



edit :- oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii , i aint from hartlepool ;) :D :D :D :D

Re: Custom PC
 

Think it's just a xmas wish list really. :D

Re: Custom PC
 

£800 ish.... plus another £150-£250 for a decent monitor, plus KB and mouse, and speakers...

looking at at least £1000 :)

teeside is roughly on the east coast, which is close enough to hartlepool for me to make my snide comments :p:

Re: Custom PC
 

I'd highly recommend an NEC DVD drive - the one that I sold with my previous PC was the best I've ever used, the Sony that I got just to match my case is crap and usually takes several attempts to recognise a game disk.

BTW - don't buy PC2700 RAM, you'll be setting yourself up for a whole load of hassle.
Go for decent PC3200, the lower the latency the more the CPU will be able to stretch it's legs.

Re: Custom PC
 

:mad: ;) , anyway :D , so you reckon about a grand all in , probably going to be easier to go to pcworld :erm: , when it is broken it will be easier to sort out , just a case of ' its broken , fix it ' :D , seriously , for £1000 , if that is the budget , there is a lot of pc to be had for that money , and i wish my parents had been that generous :erm: :D :D

Re: Custom PC
 

well i priced it with a radeon X800, that was £250 on its own...

Re: Custom PC
 

It seems a bit of a back to front way of doing things. If I might suggest an approach;

- Decide what you want the system to do specifically
- Decide how much money you have available
- Get the best you can for your money

Re: Custom PC
 

been there already , the op wont play ball though :(

Re: Custom PC
 

he might play hangman? ;) :monkey:

Re: Custom PC
 

Yep ive stepped up the ram to PC3200. Should i go for 2x 512mb sticks, as i can then run in dual channel?

Re: Custom PC
 

Might as well, that's the usual approach.

Re: Custom PC
 

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh for ****s sake , how hard can it be to give us a roundabout figure that you have available to spend , surely to god it has to be better than random , this drive is better than that drive posting :erm:

Re: Custom PC
 

Well id say £800 - £1000

Re: Custom PC
 

Surely, you don't need a radeon x800 for that? :confused:

Re: Custom PC
 

told you paul, dead on the money i was ;)
__________________

missed the joke i think... between me and mr 666... about his location... oh never mind :erm:

Re: Custom PC
 

whayhay , now we are getting somewhere , the pity is , it is too late to arse on looking about , i will give it a go tomorrow ;) :D


on it my mate , on it :D :D


monkeys , hanging , hartlepool - danielf :)

Re: Custom PC
 

Its for games such as the Sims 2, you need a high quality gfx card for that

Re: Custom PC
 

you definitely dont need an X800 though... the sims2 plays fine on my living room HTPC, which only has built in graphics... admittedly on low quality, but still runs along merrily :)

Re: Custom PC
 

Id preferr an x800 though.

The processor i mentioned, will it be good enough and what clock speed is it?

Re: Custom PC
 

i cant see why not , does it matter what clock speed it is ???? , as long as it has enough lead in its pencil then i cant see why it matters , ok , about 2 ghz , is that better for you :erm: :D :D :D

Re: Custom PC
 

don't got a clue really do you... asking if an athlon 64 3200+ is ok to play the sims 2? :erm:

incidentally the clock speed is 2000mhz according to google...

Re: Custom PC
 

You'd say.... or your parents have said (afterall... they are the people paying for it!!!!!)

Simple question coming up... please use a simple answer to reply

How much has your dad said you can spend on your PC parts?????

Or has he not said anything and is waiting to see how much it is going to cost for the sort of system you want before he says yes or no? :erm:

Re: Custom PC
 

he is waiting to see, i think ill change that mobo for something like a 3.0GHz, as thats powerful enough, after the Sims 2 requires at least a 2.8

Re: Custom PC
 

it needs 2000mhz if your graphics card can't cope with T&L, my understanding is most on the market can do that nowadays... otherwise 800mhz can run it :)

like i said, i have an AMD 2400+ sempron and it runs smooth as a baby's arse :)

Re: Custom PC
 

But the CPU has a performance rating of 3.2GHz...

Re: Custom PC
 

Do you really need to spend a grand just to play Sims2? :erm:

Re: Custom PC
 

It requires one heck of a system to play.

Anyway ive gone for this mobo: AMD Athlonââ€Ã⠀¦Ã‚¾Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¢ 64 FX Processor

Re: Custom PC
 

Oh, I get it now...........he's said 'find out how much you think it will cost and I'll let you know if thats ok' :D

Re: Custom PC
 

:erm: :erm: Thats not a mobo - thats a CPU :erm: And you wanna do what at college??????:dozey:
__________________

Yeah...... one hell of a system... :rolleyes: :erm: ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

Isnt that the minimum requirements though?

Re: Custom PC
 

Sims 2 requirements: http://compsimgames.about.com/od/the...mrequireme.htm

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sims_2

Sims 2 system reqrements checker: http://sims2.servopro.com/TS2sysreqc.htm

Re: Custom PC
 

Dunno.... check here like i did

http://thesims2.ea.com/help/detail.php?help_id=165

The official sims2 site... it just says system requirements... doesnt say minimum or recommended.... and i cant see the recommended being a 2.8Ghz processor, if the minimum is a 800Mhz processor............... and i cant see the recommended being a 256mb graphics card if the minimum is a 32mb graphics card...... so not sure...

Anyway... im just filling this thread with drivel, and not really offering any advice (which is what your after).......... so i'll sit on the side lines and see how this turns out rather than disrupt your thread... :)

Good luck building your mega gaming machine to play sims2 on.... :erm: :D

Re: Custom PC
 

Definitely sounds like overkill just to play Sims2

Re: Custom PC
 

Yea sure, go pay approx £400-500 for the CPU it's self then ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

What about this card from www.savastore.co.uk : 256MB ATi Radeon 9250 AGP 8X CRT/DVI/TVo Graphics

Re: Custom PC
 

you may want to research your subject a little more, Wayne ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

You seem to be aiming very high with the graphics card, especially it's onboard RAM, yet the CPU itself as a 3200XP is comparatively entry level. Seems an odd combination to me.

How about an alternative approach to speccing the system. Look at prebuilt systems from the likes of Mesh, Evesham, Dell :eek:, and even some of the smaller perhaps more specialist suppliers like poweroid, overclockers, etc. Have a look at the specifications offered for the money. That gives you a clue about the basic balance of a system. Once you have that then you can start to look at tweaking individual components to suit your "specialist" needs. i.e. smaller HD (you can always add another later on) might give you money for more RAM or a better DVD drive now.

If SIMS 2 is anything like SimCity in it''s demands it is infact not so much about a big powered graphics card as the PC itself having sufficient power and memory to handle the increasing data of your ever larger simulation. But if you are building a gaming PC, you don't want to be one game specific. It wants to be balanced for all you can throw at it. Today I'd aim at at least an Athlon 4000+ chip socket 939 type (higher if I had the money), 1GB PC3200 RAM (again can always be easily added to later), SATA hard disks (access time is noticeably faster - ask the clan how quickly I'm usually ready to go on the next maps in COD), and a reasonable graphics card, but a 128MB onboard RAM on something like a 9800 card could be failry well balance for that sort of system.

I'm comforably running MOH, COD and now Battlefield 2 on a system that has slightly lesser specs than that. Move much higher and your into cutting edge and thus high priced technology that your current gaming expectations will not really show value for money.

Re: Custom PC
 

That's a bit of a step down from a x800. That processor is a bit high for a card like the 9250. Bare minimum you should get is a 9800 pro.

Re: Custom PC
 

Wayne.... maybe it would be easier if you simply bought a pre-built system, & gave up on the idea of having a custom one built?

Re: Custom PC
 

I had no problem running Sims 2 at 1280x1024 with 4xAA & 8xAF on a Radeon 9800 Pro.
I may have been running an Athlon FX with 1GB RAM but an XP 3200 would do the job just as well, it's still a very fast CPU.

Re: Custom PC
 

I Built my wife a PC for sims 2 - spent prolly under £300!

I think hers is a Sempron 2600, in a Asus Terminator barbone, 512Mb RAM and a top-end-ish GF4, runs with a little bin of slow-down on some of the cut scenes, but hardly noticable.....

Re: Custom PC
 

OK, I am going to cut to the chase as some people are going WAY TOO overboard here for his needs.

Don't rate graphics cards on how much memory they have.

Don't get an x800 or any of the equivalent or above to play the sims 2; 9600XT to 9800 Pro will suffice.

Might aswell get 1gb ram with it being so cheap - timings - forget about them, just look for a stick of PC3200.

Don't bother buying a separate heatsink/fan - you obviously are not going to overclock it to some juggernaut - it isn't needed; there is one in the retail box.

You aren't a pirate, you don't need a 'top of the line' DVDRW, just get a 16x DL established drive manufacturers' job and you are done.

AMD 3200+ PR rated processor or Intel 3.0ghz is good enough for your needs.

Any reputable 7200rpm IDE drive with 2mb cache or more is fine.

The Sims 2 will run on any bottom of the line POS. If you don't have horizons beyond that game there is no need to go higher.

Re: Custom PC
 

Well it needs to run Call Of Duty as well, right Wayne? ;)

Re: Custom PC
 

I would offer advice but whats his budget? what will it do? what does he prefer it to excel like?

Re: Custom PC
 

The top end GF4 was the 4600 ti (which I had)
then the 4800 ti which came out when agp 8 first reared but was not as powerful as the 4600,then comes the 4200 ti nice mid card of the day then the lowely 440 and the ilk

Re: Custom PC
 

That's the one in her's a 4600ti...

I have a 32Mb GF2 MX400 in mine - suits me fine!!

I really just don't see the point in spending a fortune on them unless you really want it for playing high end games, and then you're probably looking around the 3 grand price mark!!!

I'm building myself a new PC at the mo, asus T2-P deluxe (£100), second hand P4 2.4GHz (£25), 1GB 3200 RAM (£60) 160GB HD (~£60), NEC 16x DVD (£30). Sticking with the onboard video as I don't play games on it, but from what I believe it would be up to playing sims 2....

Re: Custom PC
 

Well he doesn't need such a powerful graphics card then, I play fine with my Radeon 8500LE and Athlon 2400+ :erm:

Re: Custom PC
 

What are the 9800 pro cards like?

Re: Custom PC
 

My 9800 is running everything I can throw at it very nicely thankyou.

Re: Custom PC
 

A bit better than the 9250, its completely different level card. If you are getting that high a processor no point getting less than a 9800pro. You can get the 128m branded version for 80 quid. If you are going to get the 256m version, you might as well get the x800.

Re: Custom PC
 

Wayne, you've mentioned you have £800 - £1000 to spend, I'd recommend the following (and please don't PM me and ask me for help on this again, there have been countless people trying to help you in this thread already and ignoring their advice is a bit insulting)

Corsair 2GB DDR XMS3200C2PT TwinX (2x1GB) £144.95
Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra nForce4 (Socket 939) PCI-Express Motherboard (MB-030-EP) £93.94
Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 Plus 200GB HDD - £69.27
NEC ND3540 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) - £27.90
OCZ ModStream 450w ATX2.2 Power Supply - £70.44
Antec SLK3000B Midi Tower Case - No PSU (CA-027-AN) £29.00
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 CPU Cooler (Socket 754/939/940) (FG-000-AR) £14.95
OcUK ATI Radeon X700 Pro 256MB DDR3 TV-Out/DVI - £111.57
AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 90nm (Socket 939) - £204.95 £204.95


= £946.69 + Add another tenner or so for a floppy drive and various cables.

Re: Custom PC
 

Thank you. :tu:

Re: Custom PC
 

I have built mine and also a few others using www.aria.co.uk for the parts, good prices. Just about to build a new one for my dad.

Re: Custom PC
 

Yeah Aria are good, so long as you ignore pretty much all of the advice offered by their stupid staff in the product comments.