What do you think about this computer?

I

Igneus the Bold

EDIT 8/4/11: I have added a few more builds in my most recent post. :grinthumb

Actually, two computers, plural.
Tell me, citizens of the mighty TechSpot: What do you think of these custom-built computers?


___________The first machine (Basically USED):___________
FIRST IMAGE [MSI]

* White Mid-Sized Tower Case w/View Pane
* 450W Power Supply
* Cold Blue Cathode Light Strip
* MSI MS-7142 Motherboard
* BRAND NEW AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz Socket 754 512KB Cache Processor
* RADEON 9200 128MB PCI Video Card
* Rocketfish 5.1 PCI Sound Card
* FireWire 1394 PCI Net Adapter
* Realtek RTL8180 Wireless Mini LAN PCI Adapter
* 1GB DDR RAM (2 x 2 512MB)
* 120GB Hard Drive
* DVD+RW
* CD-RW
* CD-ROM


-----Problems it has:-----

-Two of six USB ports are not physically functional.
-Wireless Adapter does not include antennae for extra range
-Legacy support is not functional. (Both PS/2 ports physically do not work.)



.......


___________The second machine (Brand NEW):___________
SECOND IMAGE [ASRock]

* Black Steel Area 51 ATX Mid Tower
* 480W Power Supply
* x2 120mm Blue LED Fans
* x2 80mm Blue LED Fans
* 2m Sleeved Blue LEDs
* ASRock N68C-S UCC Socket AM3 Motherboard
* AMD Athlon II x3 450 Rana 3.2GHz Triple-Core Processor
* Radeon HD 6570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
* Rocketfish 7.1-Channel PCI Sound Card
* 802.11g Ultra Long Range 108Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter
* G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333 SDRAM
* Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
* x2 ASUS Black SATA 24x DVD Burners
* Rosewill 40-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader
* Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR Dongle USB 2.0


-----Problems it has:-----

-MB does not support 6GB/s SATA / 6GB/s SATA HDD isn't fully utilized by MB
-WiFi card does not support higher speeds for gaming, etc
-Lacks USB 3.0 support



.......


Assuming several factors:

What are they worth?
What are they good for?
What are they bad for?
What are they ugly for?
What would you do with them if you had them?
How much would you sell them for if you had built them?
How much would you buy them for assuming they were already assembled, tested, and ready to go?
How much would you add to their value for an OS like Winsows XP 32-bit, 64-bit, or another OS entirely?


Have fun with me if you like. Release the TECHSPOT HOUNDS OF HELL! I don't mind the people on here criticizing constructively, or even having a laugh at my expense. Keep it funny. :D

Thanks guys.
 

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Actually, two computers, plural.
Tell me, citizens of the mighty TechSpot: What do you think of these custom-built computers?


___________The first machine (Basically USED):___________
FIRST IMAGE [MSI]

* 450W Power Supply
* Cold Blue Cathode Light Strip
* MSI MS-7142 Motherboard
* BRAND NEW AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 2.2GHz Socket 754 512KB Cache Processor
* RADEON 9200 128MB PCI Video Card
* Rocketfish 5.1 PCI Sound Card
* FireWire 1394 PCI Net Adapter
* Realtek RTL8180 Wireless Mini LAN PCI Adapter
* 1GB DDR RAM (2 x 2 512MB)
* 120GB Hard Drive
* DVD+RW
* CD-RW
* CD-ROM


-----Problems it has:-----

-Two of six USB ports are not physically functional.
-Wireless Adapter does not include antennae for extra range
-Legacy support is not functional. (Both PS/2 ports physically do not work.)
First, I think we should change your screen name to, "Igneus the Lost", since this really belongs the the "Hardware" forum.

Then, I subtracted the "case with the side view pane", as not being a problem, (although it could well be, depending on ventilation), and left the rest of the parts in the list as "problems the computer actually has". (That said, the light strip could still be worth something, my bad).

I really wouldn't involve myself with a machine with dead ports etc. I simply wouldn't be able to convince myself that a total motherboard failure was that far into the future. Plus, the CPU, and the socket are pretty much relics.
___________The second machine (Brand NEW):___________
SECOND IMAGE [ASRock]

* Black Steel Area 51 ATX Mid Tower
* 480W Power Supply
* x2 120mm Blue LED Fans
* x2 80mm Blue LED Fans
* 2m Sleeved Blue LEDs
* ASRock N68C-S UCC Socket AM3 Motherboard
* AMD Athlon II x3 450 Rana 3.2GHz Triple-Core Processor
* Radeon HD 6570 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
* Rocketfish 7.1-Channel PCI Sound Card
* 802.11g Ultra Long Range 108Mbps Wireless PCI Adapter
* G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1333 SDRAM
* Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
* x2 ASUS Black SATA 24x DVD Burners
* Rosewill 40-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader
* Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR Dongle USB 2.0
I really don't know enough about the AMD CPU in this thing to form a credible opinion. I use the GSkill memory in two machines, and I'm quite happy with it. DVD drives are pretty much all the same, except I won't buy anything by TSST corp. Currently I have been buying Sony SATA DVD burners.
-----Problems it has:-----

-MB does not support 6GB/s SATA / 6GB/s SATA HDD isn't fully utilized by MB
-WiFi card does not support higher speeds for gaming, etc
-Lacks USB 3.0 support
These are actually problems that are mostly in your mind. Any mechanical HDD cannot saturate the SATA 2 interface, let alone SATA 3, period. The only current tangible use for SATA 3, is with the very fastest SSDs, or medium grade SSDs in RAID 0. I really don't quite get what you're trying to say, by the board "not fully utilizing the SATA HDD".

Assuming several factors:

What are they worth?
What are they good for?
What are they bad for?
What are they ugly for?
What would you do with them if you had them?
How much would you sell them for if you had built them?
How much would you buy them for assuming they were already assembled, tested, and ready to go?
How much would you add to their value for an OS like Winsows XP 32-bit, 64-bit, or another OS entirely?

Have fun with me if you like. Release the TECHSPOT HOUNDS OF HELL! I don't mind the people on here criticizing constructively, or even having a laugh at my expense. Keep it funny. :D

Thanks guys.
That's really entirely too many questions in a row.

I received a promotional Email from "Newegg" a couple of days ago, offering Windows 7, Home Premium 64 bit, for 80 bucks, w/ free shipping. It's normally a hundred. That's really the only viable OS "solution" ATM. XP is a dead issue, at least for a new installation. This assumes that the parts for the new build are current. If this is so, then Windows 7 64 bit will have all the proper drivers available
 
I agree, moved to "Other Hardware".

:eek: Oh jeez. I am really sorry about that. I will try to be more attentive in the future. As for the other poster, thanks for the feedback. I know the MSI build is a hunker, though it actually serves me well as a basic internet and DVD burning machine (I am using it now actually). I was more curious about the ASRock build. I was looking to gain some insight on what others think of it.

Apparently, not to much, granted however that I posted in the incorrect area. In reference to the SATA ports I was under the impression that the port had to be 6Gb/s in order for a HDD to run at 6Gb/s. Am I mistaken? Does not the port limit the device? I guess I meant it seems a waste to have purchased a 6Gb/s HDD for a MB that lacks proper support for it.

To narrow down my questions, what do you think is good about it, bad, and ugly?

.......

I have a third build to ask about, which is obviously superior to the other two in every conceivable fashion, excluding only the price tag:

* Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz
* GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3-iSSD
* EVGA GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) x2 in SLI
* CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1866 Memory
* COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced Black Steel ATX Full Tower
* COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Gold Series 1200W ATX SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Power Supply
* CORSAIR H80 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler
* Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD
* Pioneer Black Blu-ray Burner SATA
* PLEXTOR Internal DVD Super Multi 24X DVD+R 12X DVD+R DL Black SATA LightScribe Support
* Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Thoughts on this one, as well as the other two, are very welcome. :approve:
 
Despite the lack of feedback, I think I am getting better at building computers. I'll add these last machines to see if I can get some insight:

FIRST:
* Intel Atom D525 1.8GHz Dual-Core Processor
* ZOTAC IONITX-S-E Intel NM10 Mini ITX Motherboard
* Next Generation NVIDIA ION Graphics
* Seagate Barracuda Green 1TB 5900 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD
* Kingston 4GB (2 x 2GB) 204-Pin DDR3 800
* Sentey Slim 2420 Slim Flex Case SECC .7mm
* 250 watt Constant, 450 watt Peak Power Supply
* LITE-ON Black SATA DVD Burner
* Rosewill 40-in-1 USB 2.0 3.5" Card Reader w/ USB Port


SECOND:
* AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
* ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/S USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
* X2 BIOSTAR Radeon HD 5670 DDR5 Video Cards in CrossFireX
* Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD
* G.SKILL Trident 4GB (2 x 2GB) SDRAM DDR3 1600 Memory
* Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
* Rosewill Green Series 630W Power Supply
* Samsung DL DVD Burner
* Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit


THIRD:
* Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz CPU
* MSI P67A-G43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 Motherboard
* X2 EVGA GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) Video Cards in SLI
* Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD
* G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) SDRAM DDR3 1600 Memory
* Rosewill CRUISER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
* Rosewill Xtreme Series 750W Power Supply
* LITE-ON DL DVD Burner
* Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit


Last try. Let me know guys. Thanks.
 
I'm confused.
What's going on?
What are you looking for?
You've just thrown six radically different computer configurations at us.

If you are the one coming up with these computers, and you want my opinion, I don't really like them.
 
Despite the lack of feedback, I think I am getting better at building computers. I'll add these last machines to see if I can get some insight:

I really don't think you can get "better at building computers", until you've actually built one. Posting endless lists of combined parts , doesn't really qualify.

Remember, you asked for that, all the way back in your first post....:rolleyes:
 
Lets start again; what are you trying to achieve here Ingenius the Bold?

Are you looking for a new setup? In which case, what is your budget, and does it need to include an OS, keyboard, mouse etc.?
 
I'm confused.
What's going on?
What are you looking for?
You've just thrown six radically different computer configurations at us.

If you are the one coming up with these computers, and you want my opinion, I don't really like them.

Now we're warming up. I just want to know if people like them, and if so, why? Apparently you do NOT like them. Fair play, but why don't you?


I really don't think you can get "better at building computers", until you've actually built one. Posting endless lists of combined parts , doesn't really qualify.

Remember, you asked for that, all the way back in your first post....:rolleyes:

Fair enough. Most of the time I get stuck working with really old tech, which is a bummer. I suppose I meant that I feel more confident in the conception phase. And I did ask for it (jesting and the like), and you just keep right on delivering.


Lets start again; what are you trying to achieve here Ingenius the Bold?

Are you looking for a new setup? In which case, what is your budget, and does it need to include an OS, keyboard, mouse etc.?

Alright Leeky, from the top: I want to know how others feel about these computers. The first two are a matter of what do I do with them. I don't like them as they are, and wish to either make modifications, sell, or dismantle and sell. I need a gaming computer for myself basically, so any of those with gaming properties have potential.

The ITX build is something I am interested in as a family computer. I have been told I should add Blu-Ray to it, but that I may require a GPU. Is this true?

All in all I want to hear what others have to say about these builds. I know what I see, but I want to know what YOU see. If one seems worthy of gaming, let me know. If there appears to be a problem with the combination, such as an unused feature of one component due to a lack of MB support, please let me know. If you think one of the computers is overkill, let me know; Not good enough for gaming, let me know, et cetera.

No budget here really. I have a big family and I may end up making several computers this summer alone. I would say that I am personally more interested in the i5-2500K build the most for gaming, and the Intel Atom build for a family room PC.

My friend likes the ITX computer for my family room, but thinks I should go with the cheaper Athlon II x4 build for gaming. He says it is "good enough". My main issue here is that I know most games don't fully utilize really expensive hardware to the fullest, or that the Human perception cannot differentiate certain micro advances in performance..

Thanks in advance for bothering with me guys. I apologize if I have been vague in my purpose here.
 
Was the ending word in your reply to Captaincranky really neccessary? In either case I have removed the final sentence in your response to him, and I will remove future posts in full if you use language like that again.

In reference to your first post, I think your best bet will be to build them up, and then sell them, and use the money to purchase hardware for a gaming computer. That would make the most sense.

The third system is the only one really worthy of gaming, but is also the most expensive. That's the Sandy Bridge build. The CPU will be a limiting factor to some degree in the 2nd system, and the first is pointless for gaming.
 
Was the ending word in your reply to Captaincranky really neccessary? In either case I have removed the final sentence in your response to him, and I will remove future posts in full if you use language like that again.

I apologize. I meant no offense. That particular word is a legitimate part of the English language however, and simply implicates someone as an illegitimate child, as in, born out of wedlock. Either way, if the word offends, I will refrain from its use.


In reference to your first post, I think your best bet will be to build them up, and then sell them, and use the money to purchase hardware for a gaming computer. That would make the most sense.

The third system is the only one really worthy of gaming, but is also the most expensive. That's the Sandy Bridge build. The CPU will be a limiting factor to some degree in the 2nd system, and the first is pointless for gaming.

Thanks for the advice. What do you mean by build them up? Do you mean more hardware in general?
 
It is still offensive in the way you intended it.

No I mean if those first systems are ones you already have, I would recommend you sell them on and fund your new computer with them. Unless you have others in need of a budget computer for web browsing. etc.
 
I apologize. I meant no offense. That particular word is a legitimate part of the English language however, and simply implicates someone as an illegitimate child, as in, born out of wedlock. Either way, if the word offends, I will refrain from its use.
Much the same you, I've also read the dictionary. I contains all manner of slang and profanity.Unfortunately, most of those terms are inappropriate here as well. Hence, I avoid using them as adjectives or nouns, but rather as interjections, which tend not to attach themselves to a particular individual.(and then only infrequently).

Even the "F Bomb", can be dropped in a PG-13 movie. But once and only once, and only as an interjection, and absolutely not referencing itself to the act of sexual intercourse for which it actually is the most vulgar colloquial term..

The additional component I always attempt to bring to the table, is functional literacy. This I feel is sadly lacking in many young people today.

In spite of the self aggrandizement, hubris, and pomposity of your entry tome, and for that matter, your chosen screen name, "Bold Fire", I gave you an answer related to your question. As it turns out, that was virtually the only hardware related answer you received.

So, all of your subsequent posts, which constitute nothing more than lists of vaguely related parts, seem to have been generated during a bout with ADHD. Either that, or they exist merely as a portion of a overall "quiz", you think we're going to take on your behalf, or perhaps, desperate pleas for attention. Speaking for myself, this is as close as I'm coming to that bait.

I've been here quite a while, and simply don't care about a broadly defined, "you", or "your computer". The foregoing references itself to any real, envisioned, or fantasy computers, that you may be entertaining the notion of possessing. If that makes me a b******, so be it. More often than not, posts and requests resembling yours, are generated by teenage boys, that are under the impression their wants and wishes, are directly connected to their parents bank account. Well that, and the wildly incorrect impression we have nothing to do but type all day, in the process of humoring you. That normally isn't the case. What amuses me most, is the egos that come roaring into the site. But that too, gets old in a big, big, hurry.

So, whatever your "plot" turns out to be, for it to be successful, it's going to require less yakking here, and more self initiated research elsewhere.
 
Okay then! This is a mess, lets start with each build individually alright?
Well, I'll start out saying that the first computer you posted, well, it's pretty trashy to be honest. If you want to sell it, it'll have to be cheap.
The second computer is decent for the family PC you were talking about actually. Intel Atom is really a low power laptop processor you know? It's also really weak. I would just keep the one you already have that you posted second.

Now, why do I not like those computers you posted? Many reasons. If you combine them all, it boils down to they look as if they were compiled by someone who's clueless.

I'm still unsure of exactly what you're looking for, I think it was one gaming computer, and one family computer?
So, gaming computer, it really does not help that you say you have no budget. No, I don't believe that it's true that the Athlon II X4 is "good enough". You don't even really mention what you want to play, and at what settings.

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
ASRock Z68 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-620 620W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
SAPPHIRE 100312-1GDP Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

Total is about $800, but you'll need an optical drive, if you want one, a case, and I would personally throw in an SSD. In fact, I would use an SSD for any computer I get in the future, including the family one.

More often than not posts and requests resembling yours, are generated by teenage boys, that are under the impression their wants and wishes, are directly connected to their parents bank account.
Whenever I see a "poorly" written post, I really wonder how old they are. I'd be very disappointed if a lot of them are not just little kids, but actual adults.
more self initiated research elsewhere.
Oh yes.
 
Much the same you, I've also read the dictionary. I contains all manner of slang and profanity.Unfortunately, most of those terms are inappropriate here as well. Hence, I avoid using them as adjectives or nouns, but rather as interjections, which tend not to attach themselves to a particular individual.(and then only infrequently).

Even the "F Bomb", can be dropped in a PG-13 movie. But once and only once, and only as an interjection, and absolutely not referencing itself to the act of sexual intercourse for which it actually is the most vulgar colloquial term..

The additional component I always attempt to bring to the table, is functional literacy. This I feel is sadly lacking in many young people today.

In spite of the self aggrandizement, hubris, and pomposity of your entry tome, and for that matter, your chosen screen name, "Bold Fire", I gave you an answer related to your question. As it turns out, that was virtually the only hardware related answer you received.

So, all of your subsequent posts, which constitute nothing more than lists of vaguely related parts, seem to have been generated during a bout with ADHD. Either that, or they exist merely as a portion of a overall "quiz", you think we're going to take on your behalf, or perhaps, desperate pleas for attention. Speaking for myself, this is as close as I'm coming to that bait.

I've been here quite a while, and simply don't care about a broadly defined, "you", or "your computer". The foregoing references itself to any real, envisioned, or fantasy computers, that you may be entertaining the notion of possessing. If that makes me a b******, so be it. More often than not, posts and requests resembling yours, are generated by teenage boys, that are under the impression their wants and wishes, are directly connected to their parents bank account. Well that, and the wildly incorrect impression we have nothing to do but type all day, in the process of humoring you. That normally isn't the case. What amuses me most, is the egos that come roaring into the site. But that too, gets old in a big, big, hurry.

So, whatever your "plot" turns out to be, for it to be successful, it's going to require less yakking here, and more self initiated research elsewhere.

I am deeply surprised to find that you too have read the dictionary. I feel like I know you, which is unfortunate really. I am not at all surprised to find that grammatical examples are made plentiful by the obviously and obliviously self-righteous (hypocrisy made abundant by the actually pompous, who claim pomposity in their rivals, whatever the weight or measure) but that is merely an observation, and is not at all meant to be attached to or in anyway otherwise affiliated with any particular individual(s). I suppose apologies are owed all around. I am clearly no expert in matters of colloquial vernacular.

To be referred to as that apparently infamous seven lettered word beginning with the letter "B" when one's name already implies a definitive inclination--or in this case an affirmation really--toward anything synonymous with "strange" or "bad-humored" should come as absolutely no surprise, and in jest was thoroughly meant to be favored as humorous. Little did I know that I would be received so negatively by the emotional reaction of a prepubescent and his cart of minions; I would have not bothered posting at all! I am certain that this assumed reciprocity is perceived by demand of some sort. Allow me to assure you it is not desired or sought.

Any ego in need of crucifixion is doubtfully my own, though a predisposition on anyone's part would at the very least be expected; a universal paradigm I cannot supersede I'm afraid. It is regretful that anyone would look so poorly upon a simple inquiry, but I was wrong to expect more from a group of intelligent computer-literate adults, wasn't I? I think Occam's Razor actually applies here, and something kin to a simple response would have been very welcome. Here is a list of examples:

"The first computer is trash, good only for browsing the internet"

"That ITX build is mediocre really, and could use more _____"

"Using AMD for gaming is a waste"

"AMD is sufficient only for casual gaming, so it depends on you"

...and so on.

Now seeing as no one here has the foresight to state a simple answer to a simple question, I suppose I'll discontinue my need for this thread. Thanks for "helping". Consider that with any thread, all that is ever asked is that those who respond do so with intent to aid the original topic, and in the best way they themselves can afford. A very lucid idea when you think about it for but a brief moment.

I am glad I have a new plentiful source of griping, moaning, complaining, and of course, denouncing of the original poster's intellectual capacity as a living entity, all based entirely off of a few hurried humble letters on an electronic page, summoned from the hands of someone with no ill intentions, and only a simple curiosity for the opinions of others, whom he HAD BEFORE NOW supposed to be beings of a superior intellect.

I am ecstatic we cleared this up. This thread has definitely served enough of a purpose for me, albeit not the originally conceived one. I call FIN.
 
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