if you're going to leave it at default speeds, then I would say go for the 3800+, because it's only $20 more.

but... if you're going to overclock, you can easily get the 3500+ to 3800+ speeds and above.

:wave:

Yeah everything else is looking very good ATM.

Well i'm not going to overclock because I have no experience and don't want to risk it on my new computer, especially since its the first computer im actually putting together. That's awesome that everything is looking good. I'm going to be ordering on Friday since thats when all my parts will be in stock.
Yay

Happiness

I feel your happiness, lol. I'm just about your age (14-ish) and I ordered my parts last monday, and I'm also a first-time-builder (no OCing for me yet).

In fact, our systems are a lot alike.
1) I chose the Radeon X850XT, which is a bit faster than the 7600GT, but has a bit less features (no SM3). In other words, it's pretty much the ATI alternative to the 7600GT.
2) I got the exact same ram.
3) You will get the single-core 3500+, right? I'm getting the X2 3800+ dual core since it's price dropped down all the way to $159.
4) I went with a similar Seagate, although it was 120GB and only Serial ATA 150.
5) Well, most of the other stuff is pretty general. I'm going to reuse my old monitor, keyboard and mouse, so all I'm getting is the box and it's components .

All in total, for a good budget pc I spent around 715$... And I'll probably spend another 30 for a floppy drive and an after-market coolor for the graphics card... ATI Silencer 5 I'm thinking...

Also, you might want to go to your local tech store (Best Buy, Radio Shack, etc.) to buy the wrist wrap... It's a bit cheaper, plus you get to see it before you buy it. Well, atleast that's what I did .

<random>I'm still waiting to recieve one of my packages, it was lost.... Oh well.</random>

Yea, this computers going to be very good for the price (hopefully), and I think i'm going to get the wrist strap, mic, and outlet strip at Best Buy (easier, cheaper, no shipping ).
Also, I hope I don't have any lost packages

Yay, all my parts are in stock! I should be ordering soon..!

Anyways, my friend is gonna buy a PC from Best Buy (I dont know what kind... like a Gateway, eMachine, or something like that) and he's wondering what parts he will have to replace to make it run reliably. He already knows he needs a new video card and PSU so yeah...
Well he looked at parts and this is what he wants...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...oductCategoryId=cat01173&id=pcmprd58900050004
w/
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103937
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130283
Do you think that would be reliable for him? He doesn't wanna make a custom one like me because he doesn't wanna put it together and go thru all that hassle... Also, he says he might get extra fans too...

Hmmm...

The power-supply seems fine...

But I can't find the specs for the motherboard in there. Make sure the motherboard has a PCI-Express x16 slot because that's what kind the graphics card he chose it.

"Total Expansion Slots 3 PCI, 1 PCI-E x16, 4 DIMM"
Yeah, it has a PCI-E x16 slot... Do you think that thing will be reliable? Like the PSU and mobo won't die right away?

it's an HP, it should be plenty reliable. (emachines are the ones that are famous for their garbage PSUs and mobos, not HP )

i don't think the mobo or the PSU will die anytime soon, but he might have to upgrade the PSU in if he gets a high end (or even medium end) graphics card.

also, adding fans is never a bad idea either. OEM PCs are usually designed to be quiet, as a result some of them tend to get pretty hot.

:wave:

Yeah, i thought so about the eMachine thing but I remember someone saying that most PC's from Best Buy or more casual stores and not PC only stores tend to be not-so-reliable... Well I told my friend about this and hes happy haha... I'm starting to think its a good idea to get that instead haha... I'd save like $100 total and it would have basically the same specs except 50GB less on the HD... Also, as of now i would still have to save like $50 for the other computer but if i got this one I could get it now and also not have to worry about assembly. Is there anything besides the extra 50GB that my computer would be better for? Would it be super noticably better or would it be basically the same?

There's also this computer...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...oductCategoryId=cat01173&id=pcmprd58100050008
Not much of a difference from the other one except the 50 extra GB and the option to get a 19" Monitor for $50 more

I would suggest that you stay with you current build that u have been planning.... besides i dun think pc's off the shelf are that gud... (my past experiance).... besides by building you own system u will be learning a lot and i am sure u will go through a hell of a adventure.. like i did on my first build...lol =D.... anyways good luck... nd have fun....

Cyber

Yeah, I know but as of right now I am only 14 so I have plenty of time to build my own PC. Right now I just want to have a good PC that works, and I am really tight on money and I also have to save for a car soon. So is there gonna be a noticable performance boost between the two? Or would the cheaper one work good enough?

Well...

The HP's processor is socket 939 which is as good as dead... No one is making any more socket 939 processors and there will not be any more support for them.

While the processor you chose is Socket AM2, which is future-proof.

Same thing with the ram - DDR2 is the way to go - DDR1 prices are only going up up up.

Also, are you going to upgrade your video card from some integrated crap to that sleek 7600GT, too? Otherwise you'll probably have horrible, horrible, video performace (unless all you'll use the pc for is documents and the web).

I have no idea what motherboard that hp uses also, so it might not be as reliable...

I'll see if theres something else that should be noted and I'll edit my post if so.

I was going to upgrade the video card yeah. I guess I should just stick with mine haha... After all you guys do know best
Argh, now to save up some more money haha
Why is there always a catch on the cheaper stuff? I guess you get what you pay for

Well, I got my wrist strap and my headset haha, and I should be ordering the rest of my stuff tonight.
My mobo ->http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131024
is compatible with my video card (GDDR3) ->
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130283
right?

yes

:wave:

Well, I went to my local Best Buy and checked out their prices and stuff... The best deal they had would end up being about the same price as mine, but I wouldn't need to install anything... But it would be a Socket 939, not an AM2, so idk. Why are AM2's so much better? Are they the "future" machines? I'm just nervous about putting this beast together myself, because what if I can't do it, or I break something, or it doesn't work. I have no clue how to build it or even really where to start (Well kind of from King Cody's response). Is it basically just screwing things into your case, plugging things in, and eventually installing everything? I talked to a guy at Best Buy who was a computer specialist and he had built several computers and said it takes him 5 or 6 hours per computer and that he built his first computer like 3 years ago. I just don't wanna order everything then not be able to get it put together and set up. Also, if I do manage to get it all set up, I don't really know how to install everything. (Windows, Video Drivers, Wireless Network, etc.) Haha, any confidence boosting would be appreciated.

Also, for my outlet strip do I need a Battery Backup one because the guy at Best Buy said I should get one even though it was $40.

Oh, and one more question. How many computers have you guys built? (If too many to count, then just give a guess )

Lastly, whats a table test?

Well, I talked to my mom's friend who knows quite a bit about computers and he is gonna help me build my computer. I haven't ordered yet but should be ordering soon. It should probably be up and running by this weekend.

Also, can anyone help me with the questions above?
Pretty please?

1. windowsXP is a pretty painless installation. it practically does it all by itself. you only need to answer a few simple questions like "what time zone are you in" or "what is your name". make sure your XP version is up to date (as much as possible at least), so that you don't have to download a million updates from microsoft afterwards.

2. video drivers... just pop in the CD that came with your video card and follow the prompts. or download the latest drivers from the video card maker's website

3. windowsXP service pack 2 will set up the wireless connection for you. if you want a local network to share files and printers then just use the network setup wizard in "my network places"

4. don't worry. you'll do fine

you don't need one, but it's never a bad idea to have one. what he is referring to is a UPS (interruptible power supply). it can keep your PC powered for a short period of time if the power goes out (so you can properly shut it down), but more importantly it helps to regulate the AC voltage going into your PSU.

I have personally built around 10

this means connecting everything up on a... (yep, you guessed it...) a table .this is done to make sure everything works before you actually install it into the case. if something doesn't work right you can diagnose and fix it much easier outside of the case.

:wave:

Haha, well thanks a lot for that. You are extremely helpful haha. You should be like the Techspot Ruler.
For a table test you just plug in the all the stuff and turn it on? How do you know if it works, does it like beep and make noises or what? Haha
Also, I'm getting XP Pro now because at Best Buy its only $10 more then Home and many people have said Pro is the better choice.