My "new" Desktop: Budget-Performace

[Brooklyn]

I decided to build a budget performance desktop based on some parts from my brothers old Dell computer(used to be a 2.4ghz celeron). I had a Dell case, 2 disc drives and a 120gb SATA HD already. Then I went on ebay and got the following:

Asus Mobo with Athon64 X2 5000+ processor ($120)

eVGA nVidia 512mb 8800 GT ($115)

4gb DDR 6400 ($46)

600W PS ($42)

HP L2235 23" Panel ($150)

Total: ~$475

This is likely become my main computer, and for gaming. Installing Windows 7 now, thinking about having a dual boot to OSX just for fun. I am excited to see what sort of graphics this PC can handle, since I haven't ever had a PC with a graphics card this good before. Check it:

http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01167mm4.jpg

http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01171ps9.jpg

http://img91.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01173da3.jpg

http://img50.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc01165du8.jpg

 

[joshc]

You have made a big mistake: cheaping out on your PSU. $42 for a 600W PSU? Waaaaaay too cheap for anything decent. I seriously hope it doesn't blow up on you, and I'm not joking or trying to be an asshole. If I were you, I'd get another PSU (preferably a 450W Corsair) ASAP!

 

[Strimkind]

I second that you never cheap out on the PSU. A good one will almost never die on you. Big names like Antec or sparke and others are good.

 

[chris]

I'm somewhat confused by the above comments. I spent $40 on a 500watt PSU about 3 years ago and it's been working perfectly ever since. I don't remember the brand, but it hasn't had any problems.

As for the OP, congrats! I have a more-or-less identical system, and it's great. Actually just installed XP on it over the Vista that was there, and it's really fast.

A note though - OSX86 had problems with almost all nVidia graphics cards I've tried.

 

[coius]

I had 10.5.2 Kalyway on my desktop with little to no issues IIRC, in fact, it was pretty much put the disc in and boot up, do the install, reboot and you are there. No mucking about. Then again, I had a PCI-E 2.0 Geforce 8400 GS 512MB, which was like supported from the beginning. I doubt the onboard nForce 430 would work (6100 shared vram).

I am trying an experiment on my gateway laptop that was supposedly not supposed to be able to even BOOT it.

I turned off legacy USB support, turned off the CPU Power states (totally off), turned off PXE boot, and booted from the internal DVD-+RW and right now, it's doing the installer. Let's see if i can get the internal Radeon X600 mobile graphics going. Someone on a Dell forum said they got their X600 going with a patch, but we shall see...

 

[Unknown_K]

When you get a power supply you need to look for 2 things, is it CE, UL, etc rated , and is the rating on the 5V and 3.x V lines ok for the system you are building. So,e supplies are rated 600W but only on the 12V line used for HDs etc and not so much on the lower voltages used for the CPU and video card. So a 650W supply might only be as good as a 450W supply from somebody else.

The rated supplies also tend to shutdown or not start when shorted out, and are tested at the rated specs. There are cheaper supplies that are not rated by nay agency and those are suspect.

Unless you are using some power hungry CPUs along with multiple HDs and SLI video setups its not a big deal picking out a PS.

 

[Unknown_K]

So a standard ATX motherboard fit in that Dell case with no hacking?

 

[LCGuy]

I assume it would...I've got a Dell PC from around that era (2003), and its a standard MicroATX case, about as standard as they come. The only thing thats different is the connectors used for the power button and LEDs on the front, and the USB and headphones port. The Dimensions were mostly standard ATX up until about 2005-2006ish when they started using BTX.

 

[Brooklyn]

You guys might be right about the power supply, but I'll just see how it goes for now - it did get good reviews online anyway. I actually had an Antec I was going to use, but I plugged it in and it was dead and smelled like burnt electronics, so I guess even good brands aren't always reliable. The one I bought is an Ultra "X-Finity."

The board did fit fine to the Dell case. I was a little afraid I was going to have to hack up the case fan shroud but it turns out I didn't have to. I did have to change around the pins in the connector for the power switch, HDD light, and power light to get those to work. Front usb ports plugged right in and worked. The front audio port has some special connector-I don't know if I am going to get it to work. Not worried about it right now.

 

[~Coxy]

An 8800GT should work fine in OS X. It does take a little screwing around with to get QE/CI working depending on what version of the OS you run, though.

 

[Brooklyn]

An 8800GT should work fine in OS X. It does take a little screwing around with to get QE/CI working depending on what version of the OS you run, though.

I am going to try Leopard. I tried Leopard in my Thinkpad but couldn't get qe/ci working.

 

[joshc]

When you get a power supply you need to look for 2 things, is it CE, UL, etc rated , and is the rating on the 5V and 3.x V lines ok for the system you are building. So,e supplies are rated 600W but only on the 12V line used for HDs etc and not so much on the lower voltages used for the CPU and video card. So a 650W supply might only be as good as a 450W supply from somebody else.

This is the point I was trying to make. Also, why 600W? A 450W PSU would be more than enough for the hardware config you listed. *shrug*

 

[Unknown_K]

Why 600W, because the ones I seen on geeks.com cost as much as the 500W ones and you never know what you might stick in that case down the road.

 

[joshc]

Why 600W, because the ones I seen on geeks.com cost as much as the 500W ones and you never know what you might stick in that case down the road.

But as you said yourself, a cheap 600W might not even be as efficient and useful as a more expensive 450W in the end.

 

[Christopher]

Why 600W, because the ones I seen on geeks.com cost as much as the 500W ones and you never know what you might stick in that case down the road.

But as you said yourself, a cheap 600W might not even be as efficient and useful as a more expensive 450W in the end.

Leave him alone.

 

[joshc]

Why 600W, because the ones I seen on geeks.com cost as much as the 500W ones and you never know what you might stick in that case down the road.

But as you said yourself, a cheap 600W might not even be as efficient and useful as a more expensive 450W in the end.

Leave him alone.

You want a piece of me too? } [)] ]'>

 

[Unknown_K]

Might not be unless you use alot of 12V lines (as in extra HDs). So if the supply is equivalent to what a 500W one is for the motherboard, but provides more 5/12V for hard drives it might be worth getting anyway.

Mostly you have to get what is available for the price you want to spend and make sure it does what you need. Some people also like to match the case color to the power supply (black PS in a black case for example).

I never seen the need to use a $100+ supply in a simple home setup.

 

[Dan 7.1]

Leave him alone.

you wouldn't happen to be blonde, would you?

 

[Christopher]

Leave him alone.

you wouldn't happen to be blonde, would you?

Slightly, yes. But why would that matter? Your attacking him, leave the guy alone.