Help! :)

I am starting to plan out a new system since my old P3/500 is wearing out. I went to gamepc.com and configured the following:

1x Intel Pentium 4 2.53 GHz Retail $225.00
1x Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU Cooler for Socket-478 / 754 $40.00
1x Asus P4C800 Deluxe Intel 875P Retail $225.00
2x Samsung PC-3200 512 MB DDR SDRAM $95.00
1x Western Digital Caviar 80GB Special Edition OEM $112.00
1x Rounded IDE Kit OEM $18.00
1x Mitsumi 1.44 MB Beige Floppy Drive OEM $15.00
1x Lite-On 16X IDE Tray Loading DVD-ROM Retail $45.00
1x Lite-On 52x24x52 EIDE CD-RW Retail $65.00
1x Gainward Ultra/780 XP GeForceFX 5600 256MB Retail $217.00
1x Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 OEM $85.00
1x Antec 1080AMG Performance Plus w/ 430W TruePower PSU $150.00
1x Microsoft Natural MultiMedia Keyboard OEM $25.00
1x Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 OEM $45.00
1x Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition OEM $115.00
1x Sony CPD-G220R 17" CRT Monitor $305.00
1x Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 Network Card OEM $40.00
1x Iomega Zip 250MB Internal IDE w/ 1 Disk OEM $90.00
1x Standard 1 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor Warranty Included Free $0.00
1x Assembly, Benchmarks, Burn-In and Drivers by GamePC $180.00

Total: $2,187.00

I picked gamepc.com because they have an easy configurator utility - I'm not necessarily getting it from them, but I needed a place to start.

The problem is the price is several hundred dollars over my $1500 budget :(

The extras (zip drive, cdr, etc.) are needed for work stuff that I do on this machine, so they can't be cut. I'm also including the mouse, keyboard, etc. because I'm keeping my old system for my wife to use.

Can someone suggest some changes to this configuration that'll trim the cost without sacrificing too much power?

I'm on the list for the Horizons beta, plus with WoW, EQ2, Doom3, etc. coming out later this year, I'd like to get something that'll run them well, but I'm not made of money either :)

I'm not married to any of this stuff, so any suggestions will be welcome.

Thanks!

I've built my own before, so I can do it. My problem is the nearest computer store is like 80 miles away. So invariably I'd get home with a bag of stuff, try to install it and find something wrong... had to take it back 80 miles, etc. Pain in the rear.

If the price was right though I'd probably do it :)

Yeah, same here (well, not 80 miles, but 50 - close enough)...

Even if you had to take a trip back, you'd still be able to save money, even if you add on the gas...

Or you can try on-line ordering (Egghead, etc)...

<em>er, I meant Newegg....egg something =)...I was close!</em>

1x Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU Cooler for Socket-478 / 754 $40.00
Screw that, ditch the cooling fan, get the cheapest one they have, then go to pricewatch or something similar and get a real fan from Cooler Master or Tornado ($25ish) or whatever they're calling themselves this week. Pay the extra $10 to get a thermal bonding compound, it's worth it.

1x Western Digital Caviar 80GB Special Edition OEM $112.00
I'm pretty sure you can get this even at Best Buy for cheaper - especially if you remember to cash in on those mail in rebates.

1x Rounded IDE Kit OEM $18.00
This is horridly overpriced. If you pay more than $8 for rounded IDE cables, you're getting hosed.

1x Mitsumi 1.44 MB Beige Floppy Drive OEM $15.00
Here comes the big question - do you really need a floppy drive? Most OS CDs are now bootable from the install media. My new boxes don't even have floppy drives in them - the only time I really needed one was for some archaic NIC drivers I had to install. If you feel that you must have a floppy drive, get a used one for $5, or a new OEM (no pretty box) for $9

1x Lite-On 16X IDE Tray Loading DVD-ROM Retail $45.00
1x Lite-On 52x24x52 EIDE CD-RW Retail $65.00
Here's where I would change some stuff and say "pay more". DVD-ROMs are a PITA if the manufacturer doesn't write drivers for them. I'd say look for a Pioneer model if you can still find it. Same with the CDRW, if you can find one, go with the old Yamahas - they stopped making them so it might be a bit of a chore to find. I'd stick with the 48x if it'll save you money. You probably won't be buying much media that supports the full 52x burn speed anyhow.

1x Gainward Ultra/780 XP GeForceFX 5600 256MB Retail $217.00
DO RESEARCH ON THIS CARD!!! Or ask Tudamorf.
NVidia came out with a card that they really, really should not have. Make sure that this wasn't it. (They made one that was slower than their old G4's, but cost more).

1x Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 OEM $85.00
I hate Creative with a passion, so this is my own personal bias speaking - go with Turtle Beach's Santa Cruz sound card. Besides, do you have a full 5.1 speaker set up to actually take advantage of the surround sound?

1x Antec 1080AMG Performance Plus w/ 430W TruePower PSU $150.00
Get a bigger one if there's not much price difference. 450/500.

1x Microsoft Natural MultiMedia Keyboard OEM $25.00
Take a look at this keyboard first. Microsoft has gone back to their "Elite" style natural keyboards. If you don't know what this means, it's when the Insert/Home/Page Up (etc) keys are in two columns instead of three. This bothers the hell out of me, and I look for the old legacy larger keyboards because of it. Also, if this is the new keyboard series, it does not have the dual USB ports in the back anymore.

1x Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 OEM $45.00
I'm pretty sure you can get this cheaper even in the mass market stores. Also, for that price, consider the Logitech cordless with recharger.

1x Sony CPD-G220R 17" CRT Monitor $305.00
As much as I love Sony, they are overpriced. If you're trying to save money, Sony is not the way to go - especially since many companies use Sony tubes anyhow. Also, this line (the G-Series) isn't all that great - take a look at the specs (http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start;sid=Plkf4raIK9ofzIhdKRwV6fmHKPIhh5AGyNI=?Cat alogCategoryID=HPAKC0%2eNUdUAAAD1BRmOZmju&Dept=cpu&TemplateName=item%2fsy_item_b&ProductID=5SQKC0%2eNJyQAAAD1F0%2eOZmjx&ContentItemPage=). It's got a max resolution of 16x12 at 85Hz (probably less) and a 0.24AGP. For the same price, you can go up to a 19" Viewsonic (http://www.viewsonic.com/products/crt_p90f.htm).

1x Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 Network Card OEM $40.00
Find a good 3COM card at CompUSA (or similar) for $30 or less. Hell, even the Linksys cards for $15 work, but I wouldn't recommend them. $40 is a bit much for a NIC these days.

1x Iomega Zip 250MB Internal IDE w/ 1 Disk OEM $90.00
Don't do it. You've got a CD burner on this machine - a 100 spindle of 70min CDs is around $30. CDs are also a hell of a lot easier to tote from person to person - most people I know ditched Zip drives a while ago. Even if you write one 2mb file to a CD, it's still more convenient than a Zip drive.

1x Standard 1 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor Warranty Included Free $0.00
1x Assembly, Benchmarks, Burn-In and Drivers by GamePC $180.00
Labor fee... you should see if they'll send you all the stuff and you put it together yourself. That way if something is broken, it's covered anyhow.

Wow, thanks Storm :)

It's been several years since I upgraded anything so there's a lot I didn't know which is why I posted this here. Great information.

I was thinking about the ATI 9800 card as an alternative, but it's higher price and I've just never been satisified with ATI cards overall. I'll check out that GEForce card though and make sure it's not the bad one.

As long as you actually take the time to fill out the rebates, and you follow up on them, mail in rebates are a very good way to save money. I got two Western Digital 120GB SE IDE hard drives two months ago for $180 with a $90 rebate (ie: $90 after rebate). If you can wait 6-8 weeks for money back, it's really nice.

As for ATI, they're in the same boat as Creative for me... I'll never buy another one. Ever.

I really wish Matrox knew how to make a good 3D card... it's still the best 2D card I've ever owned =(

Oh on monitors...KDS seems really nice as well. Boyfriend has a 21" flat screen (not flat panel) now for 2 years. It had a problem about a year into it and KDS paid for the shipping of the old one and sent him a new one in like 2 days.

uch nicer than my ViewSonic.

66.196.196.167/forums/sho...eadid=2902 (http://66.196.196.167/forums/showthread.php?s=eb301c6fd699ad70b906b039559d8b1b&threadid=2902)

^link^ is to some guy on my server selling some dell's. I have a dell that's close to that one, only slightly lower specs since it's 6 months old. Although it doesn't have a monitor, I was glancing at the forum and it doesn't seem like a bad deal.

/shrug

Don't forget, www.pricewatch.com is your best friend.

Damn, some of those prices you quoted are a serious ripoff. Go to a reputable online e-tailer like <a href=http://www.newegg.com/>Newegg</a> and you'll save 30% right off the bat on some of those components.

A couple of suggestions in addition to what others have said

1) If you're going P4, don't get the old 2.53B! Get one of the newer "C" models that runs 4x200 FSB (as opposed to 4x133 FSB of the 2.53) and has hyperthreading. You've already got the nice Canterwood motherboard, you should take advantage of it! A 2.6C costs about $240, so it's only about $20 than you expected to pay. Or, you can save about $250 by going to a nice nForce 2 ($140) / Barton 2500+ ($93) AMD platform, which will perform very nicely.

2) You don't need the network card, since the Asus P4C800 Deluxe (you are getting the Deluxe right?) has built-in gigabit ethernet (or, if you get the nForce 2 board, it has two built in 10/100 adapters). Save $40 or so.

3) I doubt you need two CDROMs, just get the burner. Save $40 or so.

4) Audigy2 probably won't be better than the on-board 6-channel sound on the P4C800 (or the on-board Soundstorm on the nForce board), so you can probably hold off on it. Save $75 or so.

5) For the video card, if you can wait just 2-3 weeks you should, because Nvidia is coming out with the FX5900 which is their "answer" to ATI's latest and a very nice performer. Prices on other cards will surely go down too. I would strongly suggest a good video card if this is going to be a gaming system. If you need to buy right now, ATI's Radeon 9700, while 6 months old, is at a pretty good price/performance point now. I would also suggest you not get the first generation FX cards from Nvidia that are out now, as they are pretty much a flop.

6) ZIP drive = why? CDRW pretty much killed that technology. Save $90.

ilwein says: Don't forget, www.pricewatch.com is your best friend.

Or your worst enemy. Be sure you are buying from an e-tailer with a good reputation. Check resellerratings.com if you're not sure. Many times, a component can be a few dollars cheaper on another site, but they will have horrible service, or they will jack up the shipping charges. I've dealt with a number of places like this, and trust me, the last thing you want with your components is getting damaged stuff, or having some shipping or RMA nightmare.

One of the most popular, and reputable places I know is Newegg. I suggest you check it out at least as a starting point to see what typical prices are like.

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>For the video card, if you can wait just 2-3 weeks you should, because Nvidia is coming out with the FX5900 which is their "answer" to ATI's latest and a very nice performer[/quote]

No problem there. I'm planning on upgrading around the end of June, so 2-3 weeks isn't a problem. Are there any reviews of this card out? I haven't heard much about it?

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Damn, some of those prices you quoted are a serious ripoff. Go to a reputable online e-tailer like Newegg and you'll save 30% right off the bat on some of those components.[/quote]

Thanks. The overall price was higher than I expected for that system, so I figured there were better prices out there. :)

Here are a couple of thorough reviews:

<a href=http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NDcy>GeForce FX 5900 Ultra versus Radeon 9800 Pro on [H]ardOCP</a> and <a href=http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NDc0>Doom III Benchmarks</a>

<a href=http://www.digit-life.com/articles2/gffx/5900u.html>GeForce FX 5900 Ultra review on Digit-Life</a>

There's one from <a href=http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.html?i=1821>Anandtech</a> too.

If you want the short version, the two cards are pretty close in current-day benchmarks, although the GeForce 5900 is a little faster overall and much faster in Doom III. Some of this is really up in the air because the 5900 isn't on the shelves and these sites are testing a reference design, and Nvidia is coming out with a supposedly great new Detonator driver revision soon, and Doom III doesn't really exist in final form. But you get the idea. A lot of it is going to come down to price, features included by the various manufacturers, driver stability, and brand loyalty.

Speaking of price, both of these high-end cards are going to stay at about $500 for a while, so if you're on a budget you might do well to buy one of the "lite" versions. For example, the Radeon 9800 with only 128 Mb of memory is nearly as fast but $100 less, and the same will likely be true with the 128 Mb version of the 5900 that Nvidia is going to put out. In any case, there will clearly be an advantage to waiting a few weeks until the 5900 and the various value versions are out there.

Thanks Tudamorf. I'll check those out. I'm not surprised that the GEForce runs so well on Doom3. id software was working very closely with NVidia from the start.

I looked around last night and with making some of the changes you guys have suggested I can cut the bill quite a bit. One thing bothers me though.

I work 20 miles away from where I live (so it's not convenient to pop back to the office). I bring files home a lot to work on using the zip drive. A couple people mentioned using the CDR instead. Does anyone besides me have problems writing a CD on one machine and not being able to read it on any machine but the one that wrote it?

That's why I've hung on to the zip drive so long. Maybe it's just that the CDR on my office machine is a piece of junk, but I have the same problem once in a while on the machine at home. Maybe it's the CD media itself - are there some that are better than others?

Few more things to add.... If your really trying to drop prices.

Athlons are MUCH cheaper power/performance to Intel. Sure intel owns the fastest (this year..) but once you take 2 jumps down, Athlons are much better for the price.

ATI is cheaper for performance also. Consider going one jump down or so... OR... if you don't need the performance right now, for the games your playing... put off the video card until Doom2, HL2 comes out. There will be more / better options by then. You will also be able to read reviews that are basing their speed comps on real engines. Consider getting a 20 geforce2mx card or something similar until then... Not a bad extra card to have around.

But after all that... one reason to stay with geforce... you can get the cheap (20-40) 3d glasses... REALLY worth it... The one thing I miss since I upgraded to a radeon9500->9700

Don't get the floppy. You will find that most of your old floppies don't work anymore... and you can use your wifes on your old computer if they are networked (really)

Don't get a nic card. Many motherboards have them onboard. Convient mainly. But so many have them, if you look for a slightly better motherboard (40 better) you will find that you will probably get a bunch more options at the same time with the same money.

onitors. Trinitron screens are also really nice. There are only a few companies in the world who actually produce the tubes and they sell them all around the world in different names. Look for max res and max refresh on each. Get something that can handle 120hz at the refresh desired if you want the 3d glasses... And last... don't get a monitor so big, that you have to move it to the back of your desk... I did that at the office... If you need more realistate for work, consider a 2 monitor solution. Works well.

Good luck! and pricewatch is your friend :)

Trinitron is copyright of Sony, any monitor that has that trademark "gray line" in the middle is probably manufactured by Sony, or has lots of Sony parts.

Also, I've found that the top of the line AMD and Intel are neck and neck right now... for the same money, I'd rather go with an Intel. I haven't had any problems with my AMD 1900XP, but if I had the choice, I'd go Intel next time.

As for the CDR thing, some old crusty CDROMs may not cause... well cause they suck. A lot of car CD players do that too. However, you can spend $30 on a cheap 48-52x CDROM for your other computer and as long as it's pretty new, you should have no problem.

BriennaMonk says: Does anyone besides me have problems writing a CD on one machine and not being able to read it on any machine but the one that wrote it?

If you have a really old CD-ROM drive (as in, 2+ years), it may not have the firmware to read CDRWs. Sometimes the manufacturer will have a newer firmware version for download that fixes this (in the case of the bigger companies). Other times it's best to spend $25 on a new one. <img src=http://lag9.com/biggrin.gif>

That explains it. My CD drive is more than 2 years old :)

I have a set of cambridge soundworks speakers. They are the best part of my computer. Well the plat panel gateway included is cool as well.

Your Cambridge speakers will never beat my Klipsch Pro-Medias!!!!!

Seriously, I love my speakers. I paid lots and lots of money for them, but heck, I listen to my computer speakers more than the speakers on my entertainment center.

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Consider getting a the geforce2mx card or something similar until then... Not a bad extra card to have around. [/quote]

Please NO! gForce__MX cards are the worst deals ever. Basically, they says "4 MX" but really are the same as a normal "2". I had a geForce 2 MX in my last machine. It looked cool and MX made it sound fast, but it was a nightmare. There are plenty of other cheap options, including other nVidia cards (which I still use and enjoy), just NOT MX!

First of all...wait a bit for the 4th of July sales. It's almost here, might as well wait one more week.

Don't want to drive 80 miles...what happens when the stuff that they send UPS ground arrives all jacked? 80 miles is 2 hours max, UPS is at least 2 days. Besides that, you can't get in their face if they try to pull some shiesty stuffs.

Definitly check out the processor. There are a couple of companies out there that the serious geeks are touting, saying they are as good as Intel and AMD. Do a bit of research and see if they are worth it, and maybe cheaper.

Can certainly get a cheaper fan, and make sure you ask them if they know for sure if the fan will fit.

ight be able to find the RAM a bit cheaper, but research the brands. Some are just notorious.

Do you really even need a 80GB HDD? You will need at least 30GB I'm sure if you're going to be playing all those games. Remember you are getting the CD-RW. Much slower, but if you just store a lot of mp3, jokes, video and such...put them on CD, get a smaller hard drive, and upgrade the drive at a later date if you think you need to.

Personally, EQ is the biggest game I play. The other ones are small. I have a 13GB HDD, and have a couple of GB left over.

I'm kinda thinking the same thing as the one guy...do you need a floppy? One side of me is saying you are dumb if you don't, on the other side...as long as the bay is there, you can add one later.

Definitely do the research on the graphics cards. You might be able to get it cheaper, but more importantly read the reviews. You don't want to pay out $200+ for a piece of crap that will lock because it overheats itself.

Someone else said something to the effect of, make sure you have the equipment to utilize the capabilities of that fancy sound card. If you don't...then get a cheaper sound card. You can upgrade that later too...speakers one month, new card the next.

I'd check a couple of places on prices for supplies. 430 W should be fine, but make it sure it fits the case you are getting.

Definitely take a look at the keyboards in a store before you buy one from anywhere. A bad keyboard doesn't just mess up your game play, it messes up your wrists, shoulders, back, fingers etc.

Forget the Explorer mouse. Just get an intellipoint at most. All you really need is a scroll mouse. I think you can pick up a logitech wheelman for like $15.

If that monitor isn't a flat one...I'd look for a better price. I saw a 15" at WalMart for about the same price the other day.

See if they will just ship you the parts, if you can do it yourself...$180 off the price right there. Make sure to get a stupid wrist band though. I don't care what anyone says, they help.

ALWAYS SHOP AROUND, for everything, not just computer stuffs.

For kicks I tried to build a similar system to the one you propose via Alienware's site. Power supply inferior by 10, motherboard not very overclockable(intel instead of asus), superior processor (2.8-800fsb), goofy case(eye-blinding yellow), mystery memory, NEC monitor, and a t-shirt.

1-Year AlienCare Toll-Free 24/7 Phone Support with Onsite Service
Alienware Full-Tower Case (420-Watt PS) - Nova Yellow
AlienIce™ Video Cooling System - Astral Blue
Alienware Cable Management System
Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 2.8GHz 800MHz FSB w/ 512KB Cache & HyperThreading
Intel® Desktop Board D875PBZ - Intel 875P Motherboard
1GB DDR SDRAM PC-3200 - 2 x 512MB Module
80GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 Serial ATA 8MB Cache - Quantity 1
16x DVD-ROM - Black w/Software MPEG-2 Decoder
Lite-On 52x24x52x CD-RW - Black
NVIDIA GeForce™ FX 5600 256MB 8x AGP w/DVI & S-Video
Creative Sound Blaster® Audigy 2 - 6.1
Integrated Intel Pro/1000 CT Gigabit Ethernet Adapter w/CSA
NEC 17" MultiSync FE771SB Flat CRT - Black
icrosoft Internet Keyboard - Space Black
icrosoft IntelliMouse Explorer 3.0 - USB - Standard Color
icrosoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Free Alienware® T-Shirt - Black
Bonus 12-Month Subscription to Computer Games Magazine!

Subtotal: $1,600.00
Shipping & Handling: $30.00
Used Internal Zip Drive from half.com = $60-80
Order Total: $1,690 - $1,710.


I put windows xp home... but everyone says to get xp pro for some reason *shrug*. I'm building my own... but I like to see what companies can do it for.

Note the Asus P4C800<strong>-E</strong> Deluxe revision just released.
www.asus.com/products/mb/...erview.htm (http://www.asus.com/products/mb/socket478/p4c800-e_d/overview.htm)

One difference is that the P4C800-E has the Intel CSA-based Gigabit LAN controller instead of the 3com Gigabit non-CSA controller. Two potential bottlenecks (given high network, storage/RAID, PCI, and similar traffic) are bypassed; those bottlenecks being the 'MCH and ICH bridge' and the 'PCI bus'.

Another difference is that the P4C800-E appears to have Intel's ICH5R with an Integrated SATA controller in addition to Promise's SATA controller chip (their page is a bit confusing... but it certainly appears to have two controllers). The ICH5R SATA RAID solution is supposedly better in SATA RAID 0, probably because it doesn't go through the PCI bus.

I'm currently thinking I'm going to get a intel 2.4c and overclock it to 3.0Ghz-3.3Ghz as in the <a href="http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/p4-2400c-oc_3.html" target="top">Xbit article</a>.

My computer upgrade sheet modified to BriennaMonk's conditions (the main difference being that I'm scavenging parts from my old computer).

<span style="text-decoration:underline"><strong>Budget 3(2.4 OC) GHz Intel Powerhouse</strong></span>
Case: ($117)1080AMG Performance Plus ATX Tower with 430w TruePower
Power supply:($ 0) see above
Cooling: ($ 0)Stock cooling provided with the Pentium 4-2.4 GHz CPU
Processor: ($180)Googlegear - Pentium 4-2.4 GHz CPU - 800MHz FSB (OC to 3.0 - 3.3)
otherboard: ($208)TheNerds.net - P4C800-E Deluxe
emory: ($267)Mushkin.com - 1GB PC3500 Black Dual Pack (2x512MB) 10% discount using the code ANAND
CD/DVD: ($ 66)Lite On Black 48x24x48x16 CDROM/CDRW/DVD Combo Drive
CDRW/DVDRW: ($ 60)Half.com - Iomega Zip Internal ATAPI 250MB
Hard Drives: ($ 80)Newegg - Western Digital Caviar 80GB Special Edition OEM
Graphics: ($380)Googlegear.com - Radeon 9800 Pro with 128 MB
onitor: ($~130)Some Monitor... not a clue what to suggest.
Sound: ($ 0)Built into the P4C800-E Deluxe
ouse: ($ 18)GoogleGear.com - MS Optical mouse 5 Button OEM or Logitech Optical Mouse
Keyboard: ($~31)Newegg or somewhere else - MICROSOFT NATURAL MM KEYBOARD
NIC: ($ 0)Built in Intel Gigabit in the P4C800-E Deluxe
odem: ($ 0)None
OS: ($143)Newegg.com - Operating System: Windows XP Professional /w SP1 OEM CD
Floppy: ($~13)1.44 floppy disk
__________________________________________________ ___________________
Total: (<span style="color:green;">$1693</span>)Budget 3(2.4 oc) GHz Intel Powerhouse

Other ways to cut costs:
-(SUB <span style="color:red;">$5</span>) I noticed a 5 button programable optical mouse by GE in Best Buy for around $13. It seems about intelli-mouse quality, but last I checked there are no reviews nor even a listing of the item on the US distributer's homepage.
-(SUB <span style="color:red;">$10</span>) Keyboards are less expensive than the MICROSOFT NATURAL MM KEYBOARD can be obtained.
-(SUB <span style="color:red;">$50</span>) Get XP Home instead of XP PPro.
-(SUB <span style="color:red;">up to ~$100</span>) Less expensive memory can be obtained... but you have to make sure the memory is stable at the timings you set. Given FSB:MEM=5:4, to OC to 3.3 you need memory that will have stability at 220MHz (440MHz DDR) at the desired timings. If I am not mistaken, to OC to 3.0 you only need memory that is 200MHz (400MHz DDR) at the desired timings. The reason I choose Mushkin pc3500 is because some have obtained very aggressive timings (2-2-5-2) up to 205Mhz... in other words 3.1Ghz. <span style="color:olive;">EDIT: Blast it all.. Mushkin now reads:<em>512MB PC3500 Black *SOLD OUT* $ 999.99</em>.. now I gotta find a new memory.</span>
-(SUB up to <span style="color:red;">$30</span>) Save up to about $30 by selecting a smaller/older hard drive.
-(ADD <span style="color:green;">$33</span>) A Serial ATA 80GB Seagate can be had for $113.
-(ADD <span style="color:green;">$58</span>) A 36.7GB Serial ATA 10,000RPM can be had for $138(the first 10k RPM SATA Drive).
-(ADD <span style="color:green;">$20</span>) For about $20 more, seperate DVD and CDRW drives can be had
-(ADD <span style="color:green;">???</span>) An alternative to both CDRW an ZIPDisk for transporting files to and from work, you might consider USB Flash/keychain drives, which can actually be used as bootable devices on newer computers.
-(SUB <span style="color:red;">$80</span> to <span style="color:red;">$245</span>) Graphics cards: In order of decreasing power:
*(SUB <span style="color:red;">$80</span>) The Radeon 9700 pro around $300.
*(SUB <span style="color:red;">$180</span>) The Radeon 9700 runs around $208.
*(SUB <span style="color:red;">$200</span>) The Radeon 9500 pro runs around $181.
*(SUB <span style="color:red;">$245</span>) The Radeon 9600 pro runs around $135.
<em>I believe comprible G-force cards are priced similarly.</em>
- <em><strong>TIP:</strong></em> Go to Neighboorhood yard sales in middle-class areas and get older 15" monitors for about $5-10. I got 2 this weekend; one for $3 and one for $10, and the $3 was ironicly the better unit. I also saw (but didn't buy) floppy disk drives, speakers, fans, hard drives, ball-mice, and keyboards, which I'm sure all would have been in the $1-$3 range.

I probably won't upgrade until Horizons, WoW, or EQ2 comes out.

Ok, bet you could easily trim $500 off this

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>1x Intel Pentium 4 2.53 GHz Retail $225.00
<strong>1x Zalman CNPS7000-ALCU Cooler for Socket-478 / 754 $40.00</strong>
1x Asus P4C800 Deluxe Intel 875P Retail $225.00
2x Samsung PC-3200 512 MB DDR SDRAM $95.00
1x Western Digital Caviar 80GB Special Edition OEM $112.00
1x Rounded IDE Kit OEM $18.00
1x Mitsumi 1.44 MB Beige Floppy Drive OEM $15.00
1x Lite-On 16X IDE Tray Loading DVD-ROM Retail $45.00
1x Lite-On 52x24x52 EIDE CD-RW Retail $65.00
1x Gainward Ultra/780 XP GeForceFX 5600 256MB Retail $217.00
1x Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 OEM $85.00
1x Antec 1080AMG Performance Plus w/ 430W TruePower PSU $150.00
1x Microsoft Natural MultiMedia Keyboard OEM $25.00
1x Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 3.0 OEM $45.00
1x Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition OEM $115.00
1x Sony CPD-G220R 17" CRT Monitor $305.00
1x Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 Network Card OEM $40.00
1x Iomega Zip 250MB Internal IDE w/ 1 Disk OEM $90.00
1x Standard 1 Year Parts and 1 Year Labor Warranty Included Free $0.00
1x Assembly, Benchmarks, Burn-In and Drivers by GamePC $180.00

Total: $2,187.00
[/quote]


I wouldn't skimp on cpu cooling, get a good fan is cheaper than buying a new CPU.
<strong>1x Iomega Zip 250MB Internal IDE w/ 1 Disk OEM $90.00
</strong> Do you really need this? I never use mine.
<strong>1x Intel EtherExpress Pro 10/100 Network Card OEM $40.00 </strong> I'd buy a 10/100 network card for about $10.00. Linksys, D-Link and others have decent cards.
<strong>1x Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 OEM $85.00</strong> There are much less expensive sound cards out there.
<strong>1x Sony CPD-G220R 17" CRT Monitor $305.00</strong> Seems pretty pricey for a 17" CRT. I'm thinking you can find good 17" CRT's for under $100 now can't you?

Can you reuse some of the parts in your old PC? Keyboard, network card, mouse, CRT? If you want to use your old computer too, consider getting a KVM (Keyboard, Video, Mouse) switch and sharing those between the two system. I actually 2-box in EQ that way. :)