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Building your own computer can cost a lot more than the cost to have someone else build it for you! Here are some tips on what to look for in what kind of machine.
Building your own computer can cost a lot more than the cost to have someone else build it for you! Here are some tips on what to look for in what kind of machine.
If you are going to use your computer for general home use I would suggest buying a computer with the following specs:
Dimension B110
CPU: Intel Celeron D Processor 325 (2.53 GHz, 533 FSB)
OS: Windows XP Home Edition
RAM: 256 MB DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
HDD: 80GB Ultra ATA/100 7200 RPM Hard Drive
ODD: 48x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive
Mon: 17" E773 (16" View) Conventional CRT
V/C: Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Cost (Dell.com on August 8, 2006): $299.00
If you are looking for a little more bang for your use and want to use this machine for gaming then I would suggest the following:
XPS 200
CPU: Pentium D Processor 820 w/Dual Core Technology (2.8GHz,800FSB)
OS: Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition with re-installation CD
RAM: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz (2x1GB)
HDD: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ 8MB cache
ODD: 24x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive
Mon: 20 inch UltraSharp™ 2007FPW Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
V/C: 128MB PCI Express™ x16 ATI Radeon™ X600 SE
S/C: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Cost (Dell.com on August 8, 2006): $1,400.00
If you are looking to work with media and other such content I would suggest the following:
Dimension E510
CPU: Pentium D Processor 930 with Dual Core Technology (3.0GHz, 800FSB)
OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
RAM: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz (4x512M)
HDD: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ 8MB cache
ODD: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
Mon: 20 inch Ultrasharp 2007FP Digital Flat Panel
V/C: 256MB PCI Express™ x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X600 SE HyperMemory
S/C: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Cost (Dell.com on August 8, 2006): $1,666.00
Now I will agree that you can build any of these for cheaper if you know what you are doing. The main down side of building yourself is the need for things like cooling gel and time. The cooling paste normally will run about $10 a tube. If you only are building 1 computer that is a waste of $10 because you will only use up about 1/40 - 1/20 of the tube. Also the know how in placing the chip so there are no pin bends and no heat pockets is not too easy for the beginner. So I would suggest staying away from building PCs and leave it to the paid professionals to do it for you. You will not be sorry paying an extra $200 or so to save the change of you overheating a CPU which can cause a lot of damage. (Take it from someone who over-heated an AMD Duron 950MHz and blew out his motherboard, video card and a stick of ram.)
So I would suggest unless you have the know-how stay away from the do-it-yourself computers unless you have a tech to do it for you.
If you are going to use your computer for general home use I would suggest buying a computer with the following specs:
Dimension B110
CPU: Intel Celeron D Processor 325 (2.53 GHz, 533 FSB)
OS: Windows XP Home Edition
RAM: 256 MB DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
HDD: 80GB Ultra ATA/100 7200 RPM Hard Drive
ODD: 48x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive
Mon: 17" E773 (16" View) Conventional CRT
V/C: Integrated Intel Extreme Graphics 2
Cost (Dell.com on August 8, 2006): $299.00
If you are looking for a little more bang for your use and want to use this machine for gaming then I would suggest the following:
XPS 200
CPU: Pentium D Processor 820 w/Dual Core Technology (2.8GHz,800FSB)
OS: Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition with re-installation CD
RAM: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz (2x1GB)
HDD: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ 8MB cache
ODD: 24x CD-RW / DVD-ROM Combo Drive
Mon: 20 inch UltraSharp™ 2007FPW Widescreen Digital Flat Panel
V/C: 128MB PCI Express™ x16 ATI Radeon™ X600 SE
S/C: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Cost (Dell.com on August 8, 2006): $1,400.00
If you are looking to work with media and other such content I would suggest the following:
Dimension E510
CPU: Pentium D Processor 930 with Dual Core Technology (3.0GHz, 800FSB)
OS: Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
RAM: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz (4x512M)
HDD: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/ 8MB cache
ODD: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
Mon: 20 inch Ultrasharp 2007FP Digital Flat Panel
V/C: 256MB PCI Express™ x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon X600 SE HyperMemory
S/C: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Cost (Dell.com on August 8, 2006): $1,666.00
Now I will agree that you can build any of these for cheaper if you know what you are doing. The main down side of building yourself is the need for things like cooling gel and time. The cooling paste normally will run about $10 a tube. If you only are building 1 computer that is a waste of $10 because you will only use up about 1/40 - 1/20 of the tube. Also the know how in placing the chip so there are no pin bends and no heat pockets is not too easy for the beginner. So I would suggest staying away from building PCs and leave it to the paid professionals to do it for you. You will not be sorry paying an extra $200 or so to save the change of you overheating a CPU which can cause a lot of damage. (Take it from someone who over-heated an AMD Duron 950MHz and blew out his motherboard, video card and a stick of ram.)
So I would suggest unless you have the know-how stay away from the do-it-yourself computers unless you have a tech to do it for you.
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