HELP build a MEDIA pc (not gaming) less than $700

[vnyce928]

I started to look and had problems choosing a MOTHERBOARD AND CPU!!!
im so pissed off, i read the reviews at newegg for the motherboards and most were DOA, wont post, died after couple days, and other issues. The cpu should be fast enough as long as it fit in the budget and can handle media entertainment, movies, music, not much gaming. I'm looking to spend not more than $700. Anyone got any ideas on a great setup for that price. I only need some major components =p and your suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Or just give me some very very reliable motherboards and cpu..and no they dont have to be a combo.

Motherboard-?
what would be a good board to go with the cpu chip?**

CPU-?
what would be a good cpu chip for my needs?**

power supply- SeaSonic SS-400EShttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151040

hard drive- Western Digital Caviar SE WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drivehttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136098

graphic card- XFX GeForce 7600 GT XXX Edition (maybe)http://www.pcworld.com/product/specs/id,28239/xfx_geforce_7600_gt_xxx_edition.html

sound card-? (would only use a 5.1 setup or 2.1 for music not gaming)

thanks soo much for you help

 

[Samstoned]

what do you want this to do
media ,what you mean ,watch or make or edit.
is this just the box or the monitor and speakers/keyboard/mouse
I saw a deal on a Emachine pretty good
299.00 USD
if you like to build them
you must start with cpu work your way back

any top end video editing would use a dual cpu or at least dual core
nothing under 2ghz 1mb cache 800fsb
with ddr2 533 or abouts 2gb memory
sound card ok make sure board takes pci-e 16x
watch out for olde sound card like sb090 audigy can be hard to install drivers
go with Sound Blaster X-Fi
wd is ok but I use seagate I don't use any over 200gb eggs i none basket so to speak
dvd burner 20x nec sata
and a good 600 watt PSU
I think you'll find it fast enough
ASUS is a good maker of boards
EBAY LINK

 

[vnyce928]

amd or intel

what is better for my needs?

AMD or INTEL?? motherboard

amd is cheaper and i know its better for gaming and graphics
intel is better for text and is more expensive

soo..amd but which chip?
am i correct?

what does it mean if it is "Motherboard / CPU / VGA Combo" ??
what is vga? is that the video chip or something

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

That's a misconception. Right now, Intel CPUs trump anything available from AMD in all areas, be it gaming, graphics designing or anything else that is even remotely stressful for the CPU.
Also, a Motherboard/CPU/VGA combo is a combo that includes a motherboard, a CPU and a video card.
Anyways, here's a good configuration for you:
COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-SKN2-GP Black / Silver Aluminum & Mesh bezel / SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $24.99 after $15 rebate + $9.99 shipping
Intel Pentium E2180 Allendale 2.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E2180 - Retail - $88.99 + free shipping
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $89.99 + $5.84 shipping
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ - Retail - $44.99 + free shipping
VisionTek 900206 Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR4 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail - $199.99 + free shipping
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail - $169.99 + free shipping
COOLER MASTER eXtreme RP-500-PCAR ATX from factor 12V V2.01 500W Power Supply 110 - 115V/220 - 230V Nemko, TUV, cUL, CE, BSMI, FCC, CCC - Retail - $9.99 after $30 rebate + free shipping

Grand Total = $644.76 including shipping and rebates. All products are of excellent quality and will work together well. The resulting PC build will give you excellent performance in anything you choose to do with it. I chose a large HDD because you mentioned watching movies and playing music on the PC, so I figured you'd probably need a lot of space for them. Also, the onboard soundcard will be quite sufficient for everything you need. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[Samstoned]

Video Graphics Array I like adapter or accelerator
on board or off
Intel bought the 64 bit license form amd
after that Wow there stuff is screaming fast
Its all candy to me

 

[vnyce928]

wowww
big thanks rage 3k Moiz!!!
you went the extra mile..i really appreciate it...the only things that i will change is the video card and the power supply.
hmm i noticed the prices of the dual and single core.
the single cores are pretty fast i seen 3.0ghz for $70..http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116004but the dual core would be a better deal correct?
what would you recommend if i wanted a faster cpu but still under $150?? (or that can be overclocked for that price)
and i plan on leaving on my pc on for 2 days straight..(normally) so i would need extra fans and maybe a new heatsink(got those covered)
and i should stick to the dual core right?
i just bought the motherboard you recommended =)

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Happy to help you mate. As for the CPU, I'd recommend this as the best for under $150. It's a great overclocker as well.
About the video card, I'd recommend getting an HD 2600 series card if you're considering a cheaper alternative, since they're much better at decoding H.264 and VC-1 than the nVIDIA 8600 series.
Lastly, make sure you get a good-quality 450W or above PSU from Antec, OCZ, Thermaltake, Silverstone, PC Power & Cooling, CoolerMaster, Fortron FSP, Seasonic, Corsair or Enermax.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.