New Build Help Please..

R

Red Devil

I am about to build my First PC (UK Based), based on some components that I
already have, and don't want to repurchase.
The machine will be used mainly for Word Processing, Net Surfing,
Programming and maybe some 'Photo Editing'
I don't want to spend too much, but I don't want to scrimp on quality (Hope
that I can have both!!!)

I have :
GForce 4 Ti4200 Graphics Card
Hitachi 120 Gb Hard Disk
XP Professional
Keyboard & Mouse

I am considering buying the following :
Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard
Antec SLK3700 Quiet Black Midi Tower - 350W SmartPower PSU
AMD Athlon XP 2800+
Corsair 512MB DDR XMS3200C2PT
Pioneer DVR-109 16x X 16x DVD ±R/±RW
3.5 inch Floppy Drive
17" TFT screen (Any suggestions welcome)

I have never built a PC before, and would therfore welcome any comments on
my selections from all you experts out there
Does this look a reasonable choice ?

I am thinking about ordering most of the bits from Tekheads as they seem to
have a good reputation based on previous postings. What is the general
opinion, or other reliable alternative suppliers ?
I was also basing my choice of supplier on the fact that I may need some
tech help, as it is my first build.

Any comments/tips gratefully accepted

PS Sorry for the long post.
 
D

Dave C.

Red Devil said:
I am about to build my First PC (UK Based), based on some components that I
already have, and don't want to repurchase.
The machine will be used mainly for Word Processing, Net Surfing,
Programming and maybe some 'Photo Editing'
I don't want to spend too much, but I don't want to scrimp on quality (Hope
that I can have both!!!)

I have :
GForce 4 Ti4200 Graphics Card
Hitachi 120 Gb Hard Disk
XP Professional
Keyboard & Mouse

I am considering buying the following :
Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard
Antec SLK3700 Quiet Black Midi Tower - 350W SmartPower PSU
AMD Athlon XP 2800+
Corsair 512MB DDR XMS3200C2PT
Pioneer DVR-109 16x X 16x DVD ±R/±RW
3.5 inch Floppy Drive
17" TFT screen (Any suggestions welcome)

OK, I'd ditch the 17" TFT in favor of a 19" CRT, and use the money you save
to add another hard drive around 200GB or better. Use the extra hard drive
and an image program like Acronis True Image or similar to back up your
entire primary hard drive nightly. Oh, the reason to switch to a CRT
monitor is not to save money. The reason is to NOT scrimp on quality. A
17" TFT for photo editing could easily cost 10X as much as the rest of your
system combined. You won't want to use a cheap 17" TFT monitor for photo
editing, not even casual photo editing. But then, any 19" CRT monitor will
work great for everything you intend to use the system for. Just get a good
quality name-brand CRT such as Viewsonic/Optiquest or NEC in
articular. -Dave
 
R

Red Devil

Dave C. said:
that

OK, I'd ditch the 17" TFT in favor of a 19" CRT, and use the money you save
to add another hard drive around 200GB or better. Use the extra hard drive
and an image program like Acronis True Image or similar to back up your
entire primary hard drive nightly. Oh, the reason to switch to a CRT
monitor is not to save money. The reason is to NOT scrimp on quality. A
17" TFT for photo editing could easily cost 10X as much as the rest of your
system combined. You won't want to use a cheap 17" TFT monitor for photo
editing, not even casual photo editing. But then, any 19" CRT monitor will
work great for everything you intend to use the system for. Just get a good
quality name-brand CRT such as Viewsonic/Optiquest or NEC in
articular. -Dave
Dave
Thanks for the reply.
I like the idea of another Hard Drive to use as a backup for the primary
drive.

As regards the photo editing, I will not be doing very much , and I would
prefer a TFT as I do not have enough space for a 19" CRT.
I take your point about needing a quality screen for photo editing.
 
P

philo

As regards the photo editing, I will not be doing very much , and I would
prefer a TFT as I do not have enough space for a 19" CRT.
I take your point about needing a quality screen for photo editing.

i use a 17" TFT for occasional photoediting...and really like not having a
huge CRT on my desk.

the 17" will do the job...but any 19" screen would sure be nice
 
M

Matt

Red said:
Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard
Antec SLK3700 Quiet Black Midi Tower - 350W SmartPower PSU
AMD Athlon XP 2800+

That's a good solid low-budget case/PSU combo, although the AMB version
is usually cheaper.

AMD's pricing policies don't quite make sense ... I would move up to an
Athlon 64 system for a very similar price and be ready for 64-bit
software.

Buy the Retail-boxed CPU so as to get a heatsink and three-year warranty.
 
R

Red Devil

Matt said:
That's a good solid low-budget case/PSU combo, although the AMB version
is usually cheaper.

AMD's pricing policies don't quite make sense ... I would move up to an
Athlon 64 system for a very similar price and be ready for 64-bit
software.

Buy the Retail-boxed CPU so as to get a heatsink and three-year warranty.

Hi Matt

Thanks for your comments.

If I upgrade the processor to a AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (754 Pin) do I have to
upgrade my Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard ?
 
R

Red Devil

AMD's pricing policies don't quite make sense ... I would move up to an
Athlon 64 system for a very similar price and be ready for 64-bit
software.

Buy the Retail-boxed CPU so as to get a heatsink and three-year warranty.

Based on Matt's comments for a 64 bit system, has anybody got any comments
on the following ?

DFI LanParty UT nF3 250Gb AGP (Socket 754) Motherboard

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Newcastle 130nm (754 Pin) - Retail
 
M

Matt

Red said:
If I upgrade the processor to a AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (754 Pin) do I have to
upgrade my Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard ?

Use the product search facility for motherboards at newegg.com. Find
the most popular 754 pin mobos and check the prices and read the reviews.
 
M

Matt

Red said:
If I upgrade the processor to a AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (754 Pin) do I have to
upgrade my Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard ?

Okay, you are kinda short on knowledge. Make sure you do enough
googling and reading before buying and building. Get a good power
supply. Make sure you select compatible RAM. Make sure your heatsink
is on right. Be gentle with your screwdriver ... go placidly amid the
noise and haste ... walk softly and carry a big stick ... <stuff of that
nature>
 
R

Red Devil

Okay, you are kinda short on knowledge. Make sure you do enough
googling and reading before buying and building. Get a good power
supply. Make sure you select compatible RAM. Make sure your heatsink
is on right. Be gentle with your screwdriver ... go placidly amid the
noise and haste ... walk softly and carry a big stick ... <stuff of that
nature>
Correct. I am no expert on hardware, but you have to start somewhere !!!
 
R

Ruel Smith

Red said:
I am about to build my First PC (UK Based), based on some components that
I already have, and don't want to repurchase.
The machine will be used mainly for Word Processing, Net Surfing,
Programming and maybe some 'Photo Editing'
I don't want to spend too much, but I don't want to scrimp on quality
(Hope that I can have both!!!)

I have :
GForce 4 Ti4200 Graphics Card
Hitachi 120 Gb Hard Disk
XP Professional
Keyboard & Mouse

I am considering buying the following :
Abit NF7 V2 AGP Socket A Motherboard
Antec SLK3700 Quiet Black Midi Tower - 350W SmartPower PSU
AMD Athlon XP 2800+
Corsair 512MB DDR XMS3200C2PT
Pioneer DVR-109 16x X 16x DVD ±R/±RW
3.5 inch Floppy Drive
17" TFT screen (Any suggestions welcome)

I have never built a PC before, and would therfore welcome any comments on
my selections from all you experts out there
Does this look a reasonable choice ?

Sounds like you're well on your way to a successful build. I personally like
the choices you've made. However, I feel that a good CRT monitor is both
better in performance and a better buy. Yeah, they take up some desktop
real estate, but you'll never have dead pixels, get ghosting what-so-ever,
better color accuracy, and you'll save money in the process. You can also
display resolutions outside of native resolution much better and get a
bigger 19" monitor for still less money than you'd shell out for a 17" LCD.
17" LCD's are a bit small for their native 1280x1024 resolution, IMO. Don't
buy into the hype of the sexiness of the slim profile get more for your
money, instead.
 

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