advise on my £500 computer spec plz

[YorkieBen]

the socket 754 semprons (e.g. 3100+) are pretty fast actually

[RDL]

The only reason the 3100 is good (far above the rest) is because it overclocks like hell. If you're not overclocking, don't get one. If you can afford a winnie, don't get one.

And Tom, I don't agree. That system is crap, and would fall down on all modern games. The GPU wouldn't get a chance to be used at its full potential. A waste of time and money.

[tom deloford]

If you can afford a winnie

he cant.

The P4C800 is still the best S478 'Canterwood' mobo out there, it costs about £80 in shops.

yea, i never even knew that, better dust it off and get it working again, so does that mean it still outperforms newer p4 boards??

Would not do this, whats the point of having a super card, when the rest of the system moves at snails pace.

Well, its not that simple is it. A really good gfx card of course will be limited by sys performance granted, but it probably would right up to AMD 4000. Does that mean you shouldnt buy a 3500? Its a balance, but if you are into games I think the balance should lean towards spending $ on gfx card and not on the quietest psu, thats all I was saying, perhaps the example I cited with xt pe is a bit of an extreme inbalance, but its roughly what I did and it worked well. On pifast my 3500 hits about 45secs, my p4 hit about 70secs. while the p4c800 was a decent mobo I still feel that the system held up the xt pe and yet gaming was still a revelation. RDL you are wrong about all modern games would fall down.

[owen1978]

yea, i never even knew that, better dust it off and get it working again, so does that mean it still outperforms newer p4 boards??

If its the Asus P4C800-E deluxe, then its the best 478 mobo.

[owen1978]

he cant.

Everyone: Oh yes he can!!!!!

(check his original post)

Coolmaster centurion black with blue trim £40
400W Scan 3XS power supply £12
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus10 160Gb £54
512MB PC3200 Scan Elixir £30
120mm Cool River Water Cooling Kit £70
Socket 939 Athlon 64 3000+ £87
128MB XFX Geforce 6600 £78
Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 Motherboard £66

total: £437

[reflex_182]

cheers for ure help, which turned into an argument lol.

Another question, is it worth saving money and buying second hand components which are in gd condition?

[mike_w]

Another question, is it worth saving money and buying second hand components which are in gd condition?

I always buy components first hand - I prefer knowing that the product is in good condition (or at least, very likely to be in good condition!), as well as having the warranty.

[Jonny]

It depends - can you trust them? Ebay can be bad, there is often a reason why things are being sold other than "upgrades". But if you can try the item out, or see it working, go for it. Be wary of second hand power supplies, processors, etc. They are more likely to die on you, causing more expense than necessary.

[reflex_182]

so guess buying an athlon 64 3000+ in gd condition for £72 is a definate no.

[Hans Voralberg]

From Ebay ?? NO. If you can test it then that might be good.

[RDL]

There are genuine reasons for that sale. If I were you I would be asking the big question - has this chip been overclocked before? I don't like the thought of buying a thrashed CPU myself.

[Jonny]

Even if you got it for that money and it worked, chances are it's been roasted or damaged by bad overclocking. So it may die quite soon after purchase...
I'd find a new one, as cheap as possible instead. Sorry....
Plus, at that price, it wasn't a 754 was it? lol...

[iranu]

For a first build (and any build!) you want the least number of problems possible. Paying that tiny bit extra for components from a reputable retailer will save you hassle if any bits are dead on arrival.

Certainly the cpu, ram, mobo (and maybe gfx) should be bought from a pukka retailer as these items will give you the most grief if faulty. If you are looking second hand (e.g. gfx card) then there is a Classifieds/sales/trade forum on Hexus.

You will need 50 posts to post a reply there, but you should be able to contact the seller by PM.

[reflex_182]

what r the best 120mm case fans to use?

[reflex_182]

can someone check this CPU at dabs cos £87 for an athlon 64 3000+ socket 939 seems much cheaper than anywhere else:

http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/comp...linx=3M11&mc=6

[owen1978]

can someone check this CPU at dabs cos £87 for an athlon 64 3000+ socket 939 seems much cheaper than anywhere else:

http://www.dabs.com/uk/channels/comp...linx=3M11&mc=6

Thats a good price, it doesnt come with a retail HS & Fan hence OEM.