Weekly Buyer's Guide: Mid-Range System - June 2004
by Evan Lieb on June 18, 2004 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Mid-Range System Summary
| Hardware | Component | Price |
| CPU & Cooling | AMD Athlon 64 2800+ retail (heatsink and fan included) | $186 |
| Motherboard | MSI K8N Neo Platinum (nForce3 250Gb) | $131 |
| Memory | 2 X 256MB OCZ PC3500 EL (Enhanced Latency) | $135 |
| Video Card | 128MB Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro | $126 |
| Monitor | Samsung 19" DynaFlat 955DF | $200 |
| Computer Case | CaseEdge TS1 Mid Tower plus 360W PSU | $74 |
| Sound Card | Onboard sound | $0 |
| Speakers | Logitech Z640 5.1 | $55 |
| Networking | Onboard 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet | $0 |
| Hard Drive | Western Digital 800JB (80GB) | $67 |
| CD-RW | Lite-On 52x32x52x16 Combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM | $47 |
| Bottom Line | - | $1021 |
$1021 is the final price of this week's mid-range system, not including any money that you'll spend on software (Windows XP Home or Professional, Office, etc.) or a keyboard and mouse.
When you look at how fast this system is for the money and the fact that you're getting 64-bit compatibility across the board, you can't help but enjoy how much hardware has progressed during the last 5 years. While pace and innovation in the hardware industry (and semiconductor industry, in general) have slowed down compared to 2000-2001, there is a rapid surge of good ideas and well thought out and executed plans that are finally rearing their heads in our homes. 64-bit computing and speeds that didn't seem possible just a few years ago are just some of those things.
Anyway, go build your system and let us know what you think in our comments section. And tell us what new stuff you'd like to see in our guides.
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Holyhandgren - Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - link
where can i find the K11 case? i've looked around and havent been able to find it anywhere..Holyhandgren - Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - link
computerfan - Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - link
I am also looking forward to the SFF review. I am going to be building a system around the Antec Aria. I already have a good idea for most of the components except for the big question mark beside the motherboard. I want an AMD mobo that is fast, without IGP. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.wardhand - Monday, June 21, 2004 - link
Looking forward to your SSF round-up. I'm getting ready to build a budget SFF for my wife. I'm looking at the Antec Aria case and a Athlon XP CPU (probably a 2800). I have not decided on the motherboard, so I look forward to your review.Locutus4657 - Sunday, June 20, 2004 - link
#15 Last maxtor I had was absolutly silent... As is the IBM/Hitachi deskstar I'm currently using as my misc drive. My new WD 120 however I can actually hear which makes it significatly louder than my Maxtor 40GB or my IBM 80GB.Nighteye2 - Sunday, June 20, 2004 - link
Not a whole lot. Modern graphics cards do most of the visual work, anyway.michaelpatrick33 - Saturday, June 19, 2004 - link
i have a xp 2400 and i just ordered the x800xt platinum for $435.00 shipped online. How cpu clogged will i be until i upgrade to a 3500 or 3800 around september. I have a 9600 pro now. Also what power supply would i need minimum for the x800xt. i have a 300 watt now thanks sorry for a little off topicjustbrowzing - Saturday, June 19, 2004 - link
These are terrific guides & the idea to expand alternatives is a good one. But bang-for-buck performance shouldn't be the only criterion for selection.Component noise is important for many people, or should be, because you don't realize it until after you've bought & installed it that it's driving you crazy--those WD HDDs being a prime example.
Also, flat-screen monitors just simply can't be ignored anymore, and a 17 in. lcd should be included as a truly alternative monitor, not just another crt. You're fighting a losing battle here: crts just hog way too much desktop real estate & look like tech dinosaurs, no matter how well they perform (though lcds have no image distortion).
Xaazier - Saturday, June 19, 2004 - link
1200 is high end to me :(SKiller - Friday, June 18, 2004 - link
"The Maxtor drive is the obvious choice as it has no whine thanks to its fluid-bearings"Hmm not sure which model of Maxtor you're referring to, but the recent models I've seen are pretty loud. Noticeably louder than WD (assuming they're not the defective "whine" ones) and a definitely louder than Seagate's.