Building a new computer from the mobo up.

[Ikith]

I plan to spend about $450. I've been looking at a few deals on new egg and looking at compucare but I really have no clear idea on what to get. I need:
Motherboard (AMD Preferably, Socket AM2 and up, PCI Xpress x16, DDR2, Something thats good but won't break me)
Processor (Dual core, Something in a package deal, or something good but won't break me, Must match the mobo duh)
Hard Drive (Something big but not to huge I barely use the 250 gigs I have right now)
Graphics Card (Something nice thatll run good games decently but not something that will break me)
DDR2 RAM (About 2 gigs maybe 1)

And thats about it I can use the rest of my parts (CD ROM FLOPPY ETC ETC) that I have. Right now I'm looking at this board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128014

As well as the package deal for the board and the proc. Please help me bg !

Edit: Also if theres not enough cash I could probably wait until the end of june where I'll probably have maybe 250 more.

[levish]

~22$ for 2x512mb of ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820144199

~150$ for a processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115032

~99$ for a mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128059

re-use the 250gb drive, psu, cd/dvd drives, case

And you are left with about 179$ for a video card which means you'll need to save a few bucks for
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814102715

Should play games fairly nicely

[Ikith]

~22$ for 2x512mb of ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820144199

~150$ for a processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115032

~99$ for a mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128059

re-use the 250gb drive, psu, cd/dvd drives, case

And you are left with about 179$ for a video card which means you'll need to save a few bucks for
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814102715

Should play games fairly nicely

HDD is IDE not SATA :-p!

[Gunslinger]

If you want the new HD too I'd wait, if not levish has made some good choices.

I'd probably go with an NVidia card, but if your primary thing is FFXI ATI may be better for you until they get everything straighted out. Are you going to be using Vista or XP? If it's XP, make sure you're using a legit copy. You can get one through your school or work normally for under $50... it's well worth the price of admission. Only reason I point this out is that people usually leave out the cost of the OS with their computer because A) they have an old copy or B) they assume the copy they downloaded or got from a friend is fine.

[Ikith]

If you want the new HD too I'd wait, if not levish has made some good choices.

I'd probably go with an NVidia card, but if your primary thing is FFXI ATI may be better for you until they get everything straighted out. Are you going to be using Vista or XP? If it's XP, make sure you're using a legit copy. You can get one through your school or work normally for under $50... it's well worth the price of admission. Only reason I point this out is that people usually leave out the cost of the OS with their computer because A) they have an old copy or B) they assume the copy they downloaded or got from a friend is fine.

Not worried about OS... I get free os's since I'm in CNET (Computer Network Technologies)

[Don Katsu]

I think the best bang for your buck was either the 4400+ or 4800+

Does your current PSU support SATA hardrives?

[Ikith]

I think the best bang for your buck was either the 4400+ or 4800+

Does your current PSU support SATA hardrives?

Actually... I don't think so...

[Cjskater]

Right now I'm looking at this board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128014

Your combo deal is fine, that processor OCs really well (Tomshardware). It doesn't come with a heatsink though... even though it is retail.

EDIT:
Although seeing that last post, might have to go cheaper then your combo deal. D:

Well heres a $20 after rebate RAM link:
http://www.buy.com/prod/ocz-2gb-2-x-1gb ... 71640.html

[Shuemue]

If you want the new HD too I'd wait, if not levish has made some good choices.

I'd probably go with an NVidia card, but if your primary thing is FFXI ATI may be better for you until they get everything straighted out. Are you going to be using Vista or XP? If it's XP, make sure you're using a legit copy. You can get one through your school or work normally for under $50... it's well worth the price of admission. Only reason I point this out is that people usually leave out the cost of the OS with their computer because A) they have an old copy or B) they assume the copy they downloaded or got from a friend is fine.

Do you work for Microsoft?

[Avanarius]

If you look around you should be able to get 2gb of ddr2 for under $50 that's not value select as pointed out in the link.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820148078

Is a pretty hot deal for some tracers.

[Gunslinger]

Do you work for Microsoft?

Nope, just a web/technology deployment designer for a living.

I asked about Vista because I would avoid a NVidia card for FFXI if he was going to run vista as well. If it’s XP, doesn’t really matter.

Idk how anyone else feels about it, but the inability to update your system because you're too cheap to pay the $50 or less (sometimes even free through your work/school if you look) is just a bad idea all around. If you want a free OS run Ubuntu, it will do all of the most common things you do just fine. However, if you’re going to run a commercial OS to play your game, do it the right way. Aside from the recent string of account hijackings on less-than-secure computers, the cloud is not super-happy-friendly place, right? The reasons to do it are multiple. All my opinion, but it was mostly shaped by working in IT I guess… lol.

And this doesn’t even involve the ethical debate about stealing software from programmers who often work very long hard hours to design it (even if it is “M$;” no matter what you think about the company, still people like us that work there).

All this said, if you own the software and want to torrent it for whatever reason (like a FFXI reinstall) I’m not going to argue with that… reinstalling can be such a pain in the ass with 7 different CDs/DVDs.

Anyway, back on the rails... it seems like you may do best waiting if you think you'll have more money for it in the future. Technology only gets cheaper, and this game isn't going to increase its system requirements. Guess it depends on your urgency to be running a new box.

[Shuemue]

I won't get into a piracy debate, but it's very easy to have all updates whilst not paying for Windows.

[Gunslinger]

For people who know about such things a pirated copy is easy to maintain (and I don't mean Joe Blow who just learned how to download from a Warez site or a torrent).

For this type of "average user," the Joe Blows of the world (in my experience) if it doesn't get done automatically, it doesn't get done at all. Hell, most people don't renew their anti-virus after their trial expires on their new computer. And I don't believe it's stupidity, just ignorence. Not everyone has the interest / time to care about tech.

Or you know, get it through work, school, etc etc and get a copy that's free and legit. It's a beautiful thing

That was my only point

[Cjskater]

@Gunslinger Just wondering, have you ever used a Academic Code? You can install as many copies of it as you like on as many PCs as you like and it will never give you any trouble. If you get what I'm saying.

Back on topic, if you do end up waiting, you could save that money for a E8400. It should be around the same price as a E6750 now but with higher clock speed and a bigger L2 (and 45nm).

[Gunslinger]

Yep, and most the time it's actually legal for you to have a copy of that software at your house if you use that computer for school work at all. Different rules rules for everything ofc, but I just like to make people aware they have other, legal and safe, options for times they would often resort to piracy