I am in need of a hardware guru who is up to date with computer hardware parts.
I've decided to build a very limited yet functional "barebone"
computer that will strictly be used for heavy business work, no
gaming.
The problem is, that I am very limited when it comes to hardware. I do
understand how to parts together to make the whole, but when it comes
to knowing what Serial ATA is and how each motherboard relates to what
RAM and so on, that is where Im lost.
Therefore I need someone's very educated opinion that can give me very
specific hints on which parts to buy (types and actual model names
would be very nice)
I am not looking to spend anywhere more than a $400-600 at most. This
is a barebone system (as you will see below) and parts like Hard
Drive, CD/DVD Drives, floppy drives and so on and so forth will be
purchased separately by me.
CASE
- Regular case with alot of space for upgrades, good airflow and the
possibility of installing multiple fans and perhaps a small cooling
system.
* 400W+ power supply is a must, since I believe in the future I'll
slowly upgrade the computer which will require sufficient power
* Must already include fans or atleast have a fair-to-setup scheme
where I can attach one or two regular fans, one HD fan for each HD,
and so on
MOTHERBOARD
- I would say this is where I am completely lost. I dont see the
difference between my current motherboard and the motherboard in my
old 486.
* Must be very flexible and upgradeable. Must comply with somewhat
current technology. AGP is a must and ..dont know if im saying this
right SATA port.
* 4 PCI slots minimum
* Not too many extras. I dont need onboard LAN for example, but an
onboard Sound would be OK.
* Very well known manufacturer is a must, I need a bios that has alot
of functions (such as booting from a USB device as an example) No
no-name brands
* Must be compatible with the RAM and the CPU below
MEMORY
I also dont understand much about memory. I know the difference
between sizes, and how they fit the board. But what DDR is silences me
without an answer.
* Must be the "fastest" available. Yet within a limit. I know
something like DDR 133Mhz (dont laugh) is the fastest out there, but
if there's a $500 Super Memory chip that came out a couple of months
ago thats 30% faster, I DO NOT NEED THAT, remember money is an issue.
GRAPHICS CARD
I have a PCI card, hopefully its compatible
SOUND CARD
Onboard is ok, as long as it can play music at a fair quality, I dont mind.
"Offboard" that wont give me any driver issues (ie brand name) yet
cheap. Nothing like SuperBlaster 1053MXP Duple-Surround Sound 4D Alien
Technology $250 cards.
CPU
I am aware this is the essential part. And once again, I know little
about them. I know that there are two main ones, Intel and AMD. There
are others like Celeron.
I need a one thats in the range of 80-90% of being the fastest on the
market, yet somewhat cheap. I just need a system that will able to
function well with multiple applications open at once. I am not a
gamer nor do I run a server.
An example: If there's a 2.8Ghz AMD that goes for $100 (I dont know
the prices yet, just estimating), and a 2.8Ghz Intel that goes for
$120, and a 3.5Ghz Whatever going for $250, I'd rather get the Intel
(if there's a reason why its $20 more)
* With heatsink/fan
SPEAKERS
Got them already.
KEYBOARD/MOUSE
Got them or will purchase separately
MONITOR
Got a couple
OTHER
Network card, floppy, HD, DVD/CD/CD-RW will be bought separately. I
can read reviews on those. So we can assume that I have those already.
What about wires? Any connectors or whatever else I need? Please advise.
COOLING
Fans - Any suggestions on good $10-30 range fans that work well, are
quiet and without any extras (like flashes or lights)
Cooling system - how do these work? Anything in $40-60 range?
HD Fans - I must stress this, I CANNOT afford to have the HDs fail.
Even with a backup HD I still wish to cool my HDs well enough that
they dont burn out.
Any suggestions? Any comments?
Lets start a conversation if there's anything missing or if something is not clear.
I need a system that is compatible with itself. In another words I
dont want to buy a 1997 motherboard and not have it compatible with
the CPU or the "new" type RAM.
Summary:
Total Price Range : $400-600 ($700 at most if something is a MUST) for
a CASE, CPU, MEMORY, MOTHERBOARD, MEMORY, COOLING and any needed
accessories
The actual names & average prices for each. I dont know where I'll be
buying the parts, but www.pricewatch.com is a good start.
Make sure everything is compatible.
Thank you. |
