building my first computer

C

cpc

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i want to order some parts online to build my own computer for the first time. basically i'd just appreciate if anyone could point me in the direction of what parts are good for what i'm looking for. i'd like to keep it as cheap as possible obviously.. but i dont want crap either.


amd athlon 64 dual core processor 2 ghz at least... or intel core 2 duo

motherboard that would work with the processor

2gb of ddr2ram (what brand?)

decent video card

one (at least)160 gb hd 7200

cd/dvd drive with burner

power supply and case? fan? anything else i'll need?

i'd appreciate any help or opinions greatly.. i know enough about computers in general.. i just dont know what brands are good for the lesser known components...and what's best for audio recording. i dont want a 3,000 dollar pro setup.. i just want a decent computer for a hobby audio recorder.

i already have a sound card ,2nd hardrive, mouse, keyboard, and monitor
 
These days, you would be better off just buying one from Best Buy or Dell or something. If you're really jonesing to build the computer yourself, you can't go wrong with an ASUS mobo, Crucial or Kingston memory, an Antec PSU, and an Antec case. For case fans, just go with something reliable and quiet.

As for video card, unless you're also gaming on it, the built in video on the mobo should work out for you just fine.

As far as hard drives, Seagate is great. Western Digital would be my next choice. Are you going to be using samples? I do...therefore, I have three hard drives. One for the system, one for audio recording, and the other for samples.

Wouldn't hurt to have a DVDRW for making CD's and backup's...and you'll need it for installing software.

You might also look at getting a PCI based firewire card or a mobo with one built in. They're fairly cheap these days and are great for FW interfaces and hard drives.
 
I have the worst damn luck with cd burners. They only last me maybe a few months then they go bad. Dont know what it is.
 
make sure to remember to get a nice, quiet, cool cpu heatsink! i know i did and then i had to wait another week for one to show up so i could boot my new pc.

i use the corsair value selects and they've been working great for me.
 
I'm sure everyone is familiar with them, but i just wanted to point out (just in case) that newegg.com and zipzoomfly.com have some of the best deals online for pc components. For a PC case, i would recommend the Antec 900 series case. It is silent, looks cool, and has 3 120mm fans to keep the insides cool. As for speeds, the intel core 2 duo's beat the speed of dual core amd's hands down (hence why they are called amd killers).
Memory, you'll probably want to go with DDR2 800 (PC2 6400). Corsair XMS is a good brand, and you can get 2GB's (2x 1GB sticks) with good latency timings for $58 +s/h after rebate! :cool:
Hope this helps, and that i wasnt preaching to the choir!
 
wow, that's a good memory deal for the 800 mhz Corsair...I'm gonna try and build a computer so I think I'll get that memory. I have a question though...I'm planning to get a MOBO with a 1333 mhz FSB. Would the 667 DDR memory be a better match because it's half the speed of the FSB, or will the 800 mhz memory be faster? Thanks.

Also, that Mobo I'm talking about is a Asus P5KPL-VM. It's their cheapest in that category and also has onboard video which I'd disable because I have a dual head Matrox. Myriad_Rocker, you said you can use the onboard video but I thought I've read not to for best performance for DAWs? My question is does that mean that mobo's that have onboard video are automatically slower, or does it not matter if you disable it? Thanks a bunch!
 
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