New PC
 

Attached is a quote of a system I want to purchase. This is not for me, just for a friend as a new system. They currently have a Celeron 1.7, 256 RAM old Packard Bell system.

As I haven't built a PC up for some time from scratch, can somone advise if they see any problems with this one.

Thanks

Re: New PC
 

I would rather go for a PATA (also known as ATA, IDE or ATAPI) dvdrw drive, as they are slightly more compatible when installing the OS.

Also, since your using a SATA hard disk, dont forget to feed windows a SATA driver disk?

Re: New PC
 

It really depends what he will be using it for, and how long it want's to keep it before upgrading again. You haven't listed a graphics card. The mobo only has AGP with is now getting dated. The memory is a bit slow, you should really go for PC3200 at least.I'd be more inclined to go for a newer board with DDR2, PCI-E and a Core2Duo. Probably a bigger power supply too.

You really need say what sort of things it will be used for.

Re: New PC
 

My sharp eye is failing me :P

I didnt notice the graphics card. Unless its onboard.

Re: New PC
 

Thanks for pointing that out, the board doesn't have on board graphics, thought it was cheap! Noted about the DVDRW. Will check memory out as well.

The system is only going to be used a basic system. Needed something cheap and better than the previous system.

Re: New PC
 

Made a few changes, what do you think?

Re: New PC
 

Seems good :) Just ensure the power supply is good enough.

Re: New PC
 

you wont need sata drivers very rare you do nowadays

---------- Post added at 19:19 ---------- Previous post was at 19:10 ----------

that psu is really poo too

Re: New PC
 

Not if your using XP. Unless the SATA device is ancient, you will need a SATA drive to feed in during setup bootstrap, cause XPs hardware detection sucks (hopefully it will be better by SP3).

Vista and Linux's hardware detection amazed me, EVERYTHING :O

Re: New PC
 

i would beg to differ

I have not come across a motherboard that has need a boot up floppy to install windows in a long time and dude ive set up a fair few systems with xp in my time ;)

Edited to make things neater

Re: New PC
 

Ever tried an nForce 4 (CK804, M2N) SATA?

my asus mobo even has an image on cd, marked SATA Drivers for Windows XP setup ;)

Re: New PC
 

Because the SATA normally goes into weird IDE compatability mode when being searched for. Or so my BIOS makes out (Gigabyte 965p-DS3 F11 BIOS).

Re: New PC
 

That is true, it does show up as IDE-1 during POST.

Re: New PC
 

SATA usually gets seen as an IDE port on most modern motherboards
unless RAID is on.

Re: New PC
 

Its been a long time since I seen a none native sata chip as I said. Often drivers are on the cd still does not mean you need them as I said I set up a few systems I DO knwo what im talking about

---------- Post added at 20:26 ---------- Previous post was at 20:22 ----------

may I point you at scan Matt

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=605379 I used this board with my old E6600 this week

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=600158 same cpu

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=567853 Hdd

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=689181 The 340 version of the case

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=472566 I prefer these drives

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=291364 equivilent ram

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=518661 dlink card same price as linksys

all thats left I think is a psu now I knwo this is 25 quid more than the ebuyer one but this one should last (maybe) http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Produ...oductID=138556


main reason I gone to town on this for you is I fell out with ebuyer lol lol

Re: New PC
 

It's not a problem if I need the drivers, can soon sort that.

I will take a look at Scan but would prefer eBuyer, used they many a time and never had a problem. It doesn't have to be the best system in the world, its not me using it, its a dam sight better than the one they are using at the minute.

Re: New PC
 

Scan are brilliant IMO everything i've ever ordered from them has always come very promptly, and they email you at every stage of the order so you know exactly what's going on.

Re: New PC
 

Thanks for that dragon, I may look at them in the future but at the minute I'm sticking with eBuyer, I know where I am then.

Does anyone see any problems with the final system I put up?

Re: New PC
 

crap psu

Re: New PC
 

Apart from the PSU is everything ok then?

Re: New PC
 

Hi
You may need to order a ribbon cable for the DVD-RW and a SATA cable for the hard drive - unless you already have some.
Those drives are OEM devices so they probably come with no fittings and fixtures.
:cool:

Re: New PC
 

they will supply one of each with the motherboard

---------- Post added at 11:24 ---------- Previous post was at 11:24 ----------


yeppers

Re: New PC
 

Sorted :);)

Re: New PC
 

Didn't need a driver disk during setup for my Asrock AM2NF3-VSTA; not with XP SP2, & not with XP x64 edition either.

Matthew: As for the RAM, why not get some DDR2 800 instead of DDR2 667? It's pretty cheap these days. I looked to see if Ebuyer did the same stuff that Zingle, Dilli, myself, & probably plenty of others have, but they don't seem to stock any Geil memory at all.

Hmm, weird, Scan haven't got any either. :confused: OcUK has though.

Re: New PC
 

So would this memory work? Also is this PSU any good?

Memory isn't my strong point any more.

Re: New PC
 

yes to the ram and the psu still blows. You will need to point this out to the customer as a none warrenty option as obviously budget is tight it could last for years or it could blow tomorrow

Re: New PC
 

Would it work? Yes. Do I think it's your best bet from what Ebuyer has available? No. With memory you have 2 lots of numbers that are important, frequency [e.g. 800Mhz] & timings [e.g. 4-4-4-12]. With frequency, higher is better; with timings, lower is better [the most significant 1 being CAS]. The RAM you picked is CAS 5, & also just 1 GB stick, so you'd want 2, which would be £54. For an extra quid you could get a 2GB matched pair kit of OCZ that's CAS 4

Zingle's not kidding, that really blows. The 2 cheapest ones I'd consider viable options on there are this Seasonic, & this Antec.

Re: New PC
 

Right I am not after anything fancy as I have stated before. This needs to be built at cheap as possible and as long as everything works I am happy and so will my friend when they get a free upgrade to what PC they have,

Re: New PC
 

well the psu could go bang remember that

Re: New PC
 

Taking out everything that's connected to it as it surges in the process.

Worst case scenario but It does happen, the motherboard/cpu tend to be most vulnerable.

Admittedly I probably have a cheap PSU in this machine but its a Dell so as far as i'm concerned its their problem if it goes pop

Re: New PC
 

Thanks for all your help people.