Post #239,346
12/24/05 7:17:04 PM
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Has anyone been following DIY prices lately?
I haven't built a pc in years and think it's time I got back in the habit. I want to put a decent system together for my sister. No need of blazing speed, killer graphics etc. Just a decent machine for surfing, email, college papers (let's all applaud self improvement) and so on, but no compiling, heavy duty graphics or bleeding edge bus speeds. I'd like to keep this under $700/800 US. I don't know who the reputable dealers/manufacturers are either, so some help in that direction also would be lovely.
-----------------------------------------
No new taxes.
--George H. W. Bush
We don't torture.
--George W. Bush
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Post #239,347
12/24/05 7:41:41 PM
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I'd do something like this.
[link|http://z.iwethey.org/forums/render/content/show?contentid=215689|#215689]
It's been a good machine. You can economize some on the case, slower processor, the DVD-RW, video card, etc. I'll let you run through the prices. It might be difficult to get it below $800 though. But something in that ballpark should yield a very nice machine that won't need to be upgraded for a while.
But it's probably cheaper and less aggravating to get a prebuilt machine. It'll also come with Winders, saving that expense. I've had good luck with refurbished Compaq machines. The [link|http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/product_detail.do?storeName=storefronts&landing=outlet_store&category=refurb_desktops&subcat1=compaq_presario&catLevel=2&product_code=PY059AAR%23ABA|SR1550NX] sounds pretty good. $450 after rebate. Note that it uses shared video memory with the system.
HTH a bit. Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #239,348
12/24/05 8:52:57 PM
12/26/05 1:48:15 PM
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Costs
Based on a machine I built for a home user about 2 weeks ago. Shipping costs are included in costs. All except cabinet purchased at "dealer cost", but I seem to remember back a few years ago the whole justification for the Internet was that everyone would be able to buy at below dealer cost, right? | Cabinet & Power | $65 | Directron (off Internet - my former vendor only does container loads now). | | Motherboard | $90 | Asus Socket 754 | | CPU Semperon 3000+ | $87 |
| | CPU Fan | $0 | (included) | | Memory 512-Meg | $43 | PC3200 | | Floppy | $17 | Teac | | Hard Disk 120-Gig | $77 | Maxtor | | CD-RW/DVD-RW | $61 | Samsung | | Video Card 120-Meg | $56 | AGP | | Keyboard | $20 | Keytronics | | Mouse | $4 | PS/2 | | Network Card | $0 | On-board | | Sound Card | $0 | On-board | | Total | $520 |
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[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #239,380
12/25/05 4:37:21 AM
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The reason your table disappears like that..
You laid out your HTML with lots of linebreaks. Those linebreaks wind up being displayed before the HTML.
Either uncheck "Convert Newlines To BR Tags" or else remove the returns from your table definition.
Cheers,
Ben
I have come to believe that idealism without discipline is a quick road to disaster, while discipline without idealism is pointless. -- Aaron Ward (my brother)
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Post #239,383
12/25/05 6:16:30 AM
12/25/05 6:21:05 AM
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Thanks, knew there must be a reason.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #239,394
12/25/05 2:22:41 PM
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Don't do it for costs, do it for quality
I can go to Fry's and get a PC for under $300. But I wouldn't trust the quality, especially power supply quality.
Building your own (or speccing your own) lets you build a quiet system (using resources such as Silent PC Review), a compact system (e.g. Shuttle), etc -- and also makes it easier to troubleshoot and upgrade later.
Tony
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Post #239,446
12/26/05 12:17:42 PM
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Please tell me the units are wrong on the HDD
===
Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats].
[link|http://DocHope.com|http://DocHope.com]
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Post #239,452
12/26/05 1:50:06 PM
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Ok, ok, fixed.
You could tell by the price. If I really needed a new 120-Meg drive I could probably get one, but it'd cost me a whole lot more than that.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #239,407
12/25/05 4:30:56 PM
12/30/05 10:56:38 PM
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Matter of fact, I have.
Just built a new computer from parts. Yesterday. Case: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811209002|Atrix cool-lookin' thing] CPU: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103443|AMD Athlon 3200+] CPU fan: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835106038|Big-ass thing with knobs that go to 11] RAM: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820223041|1GB DDR SDRAM] HD: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148065|Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 250GB] CD/DVD: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827106008|Lite-On combo drive] Video: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130241|eVGA GeForce 6200 w/128M on-board] Monitor: [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824021020|Rosewill 19" LCD], and the most expensive part of the get-up. Sub-Total, excluding tax and shipping: $771. But you don't see a motherboard. NewEgg was outta stock on 'em, so I got it here: Motherboard: [link|http://store.yahoo.com/directron/k8n4edeluxe.html|Asus K8N4-E Deluxe]. Sub-Total, excluding tax and shipping: $90. Total, excluding tax and shipping: $861. There are a couple of things about this set-up that are worthy of note. This is experience speaking here. - The heat sink will not contact the CPU directly unless and until you remove the four small plastic nubs at the corners of the big black plastic thing that surrounds the CPU area on the motherboard. Greg recommends nail clippers. I say skip 'em and go with the razor blade.
- The current version of Windows XP you have won't install. Setup has detected many many errors while setting this thing up. I still don't have it completely cleared up. I'm downloading the trial version of the 64-bit Windows XP from MS right now. Cost: $Free. Time remaining in download: an hour and change. Time remaining till kids return: 2 hours and change. Nothin' like cuttin' it close.
I'll have to update again once that download finishes...
And here's the aforementioned update. Wow, that was a pain in the ass. Had to download the latest revision of the motherboard BIOS, along with the Award BIOS updater program. Had to format a bootable flop...Waitasec. I've got 3 computers in the den. I've got one floppy drive. And it's in my Linux server. I'm very happy that I run my computers with the cases off, cuz that saved me at least 10 minutes. A little bit of floppy drive disco, and I've got a bootable floppy with everything I need on it to install the BIOS update. Boot the new PC from the floppy. Update the BIOS. Get some freakin' error that says I don't have the right BIOS. WTF? Google on the error text. Find out that I need to add a /f parameter to the commandline for the BIOS-update utility (no help on it, but probably force.) So I do. It works. Windows installs without a hitch. Le woo, le yay, computer's finally up and running, about a week late. -YendorMike
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
Edited by Yendor
Dec. 30, 2005, 10:56:38 PM EST
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Post #239,447
12/26/05 12:18:26 PM
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Nifty handle on the case
===
Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats].
[link|http://DocHope.com|http://DocHope.com]
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Post #239,924
12/31/05 6:30:41 AM
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That's a unique take on "cool-lookin'"
I've no doubt that it's a fine box to put the bits in.
But it's hideous.
Peter
[link|http://www.no2id.net/|Don't Let The Terrorists Win]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Home]
Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
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Post #239,928
12/31/05 9:53:40 AM
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Cool-lookin' == more interesting to look at than Beige Box
-YendorMike
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 Historical Review of Pennsylvania
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Post #239,929
12/31/05 10:30:51 AM
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You wanna lian-li, then.
V2000 is nice:
[image|http://lib1.store.vip.sc5.yahoo.com/lib/xoxide/pcv20004.jpg||||]
Clearly inspired by the G5, but hey. Better than beige boxes.
Peter
[link|http://www.no2id.net/|Don't Let The Terrorists Win]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Home]
Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
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Post #240,039
1/1/06 8:38:43 PM
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Economy. Case w/PS, Mouse, Keyboard and Speakers for $55.99.
Reasonable. LianLi would have been [link|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112053|$259.99]
I guess, since you are making all that extra money now you can tell people how to make a machine.
-- [link|mailto:greg@gregfolkert.net|greg], [link|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ iwetheyFreedom is not FREE. Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars? SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0;
0 rows returned.
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Post #240,068
1/2/06 12:11:26 AM
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Economy was not the issue at hand, Greg.
Aesthetics was.
I know that Lian-Li cases are expensive. But they're good to look at.
Peter
[link|http://www.no2id.net/|Don't Let The Terrorists Win]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Home]
Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
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Post #240,075
1/2/06 1:14:54 AM
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take a phot of yer favorite stripper and paste on case
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
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Post #240,078
1/2/06 1:28:30 AM
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May have unfortunate domestic ramifications
Besides, I don't have a favourite stripper.
Honest.
Peter
[link|http://www.no2id.net/|Don't Let The Terrorists Win]
[link|http://www.kuro5hin.org|There is no K5 Cabal]
[link|http://guildenstern.dyndns.org|Home]
Use P2P for legitimate purposes!
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Post #240,079
1/2/06 1:46:22 AM
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'Honest' he says - just in case
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #240,089
1/2/06 10:39:19 AM
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Hey ADMIN, how about a Shuttle update?
Thinking that I'm going to build one...reclaim some desk space.
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. Fudd's First Law of Opposition
[link|mailto:bepatient@aol.com|BePatient]
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Post #240,174
1/2/06 10:15:48 PM
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Eh? I don't know of this "Shuttle" of which you speak...
Have me confused with someone else?
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #240,178
1/2/06 10:39:37 PM
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Did you not build a micro not long ago?
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. Fudd's First Law of Opposition
[link|mailto:bepatient@aol.com|BePatient]
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Post #240,180
1/2/06 10:43:50 PM
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Nope.
I was looking at it for a MythTV box, but just went with a regular case.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #240,181
1/2/06 10:52:15 PM
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Ahhh....sorry.
If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. Fudd's First Law of Opposition
[link|mailto:bepatient@aol.com|BePatient]
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Post #240,094
1/2/06 12:14:06 PM
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P.S. Don't buy ABit.
They had some serious problems, and they're about 1/20th the size they used to be. The formula used to be:
ASUS = reliability
ABit = performance
Now it's:
ASUS = reliability, performance
ABit = teh suxx0rz.
When somebody asks you to trade your freedom for security, it isn't your security they're talking about.
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Post #240,103
1/2/06 12:52:09 PM
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I was prejudiced against ASUS . . .
. . for some time because of a couple of Slot-A boards that just didn't work right. I've been using their boards lately with no problems - except the Debian/LSI SCSI RAID problem but that isn't their fault. They seem to be pretty solid boards and perform well.
On the Debian/LSI SCSI RAID problem, ASUS had an alternate board with the nVidia chipset and that worked just fine. The problem is simply with VIA chipsets that support SATA.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #240,112
1/2/06 1:38:02 PM
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I try to avoid VIA like the plague.
Their chipsets tend to suck, badly.
When somebody asks you to trade your freedom for security, it isn't your security they're talking about.
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Post #240,175
1/2/06 10:16:59 PM
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Agreed.
I tried a VIA board for my MythTV box. Bad mistake. Lots of lockups and general wonkiness.
Regards,
-scott anderson
"Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
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Post #240,177
1/2/06 10:37:41 PM
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RuhRoh
I'm considering a stack of these:
[link|http://shopping.hacom.net/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=76|http://shopping.haco...hp?products_id=76]
Any comments?
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Post #240,179
1/2/06 10:42:53 PM
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Depends on the board designer.
Since about 80% of the machines I've built have VIA chipsets and since about 90% of the machines I've built have no serious problems from cradle to grave, I can't say VIA chipsets are bad. I have, however, encountered particular motherboards that were the pits regardless of chipset.
[link|http://www.aaxnet.com|AAx]
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Post #240,182
1/2/06 10:59:04 PM
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Looking for OpenBSD boxes
Will probably setup some network isolation and need to separate our various businesses from each other.
So I'm looking for small utility boxes with 3GBIT ports.
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