So,
this for graphics (it'll hit hard, though...),
this for processor,
motherboard,
the RAM. Is this the biggest stuff? I might be able to get a job and pad the budget for the comp, but I would still want to keep all this really low. I don't need a DVD drive ass I bought one for my old one and I can just take it out (I'm pretty sure it'll work.It works on this and it's just a drive. Nothing fancy.) If this is from scratch then I'll probably need a case.
This? Might need a fan, too.
Urgh. This is gonna be steep. I was poking about at CyberpowerPC, and I managed to get what I think will work for now.
INFODUMP
Cyberpower Rig $710 (too damn high) said:
Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Mid-Tower Case
Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Default case fans
CPU: AMD Athlon™II X2 260 Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
Cooling Fan: AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK
Motherboard: Asus M4N68T-M V2 AM3 DDR3 NVIDIA Geforce 7025/nForce 630a Chipset mATX w/ Onboard Graphics and Core Unlocker, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB 2.0, SATA-II RAID, 1 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
Memory: 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 5670 1GB GDDR5 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by ATI)
Multiple Video Card Settings: Non-SLI/Non-CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors
Power Supply Upgrade: 500 Watts - Standard Case Power Supply
Hard Drive: 500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
Sound: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
LCD Monitor: 19" Widescreen 1366x768 Sceptre X195W-NAGA 5ms TFT Active Matrix LCD Display LCD (Black Color)
Keyboard: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
Mouse: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
Flash Media Reader/Writer: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
USB Port: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
My reasoning:
- I have a perfectly functional DVD drive. Matches the case, even.
- There's this silver thing lying in a bin somewhere in the house that I can plug into a USB port, basically serving a similar purpose to a power strip. It turns that one USB port into I think four. Hardly use USBs anyway.
- I don't like speakers. I haven't used the ones on my comp in months, probably a year. I prefer earbuds, not even expensive ones, just ones that will stay in my head. Mine work fine for the moment.
- I have a flash drive.
- I'd like to have liquid cooling, but I'm trying to keep the price down. If I get a job, then I'll change the cooling fan to a better one.
- I don't need a terabyte of hard drive space. I don't even need 500 gigs, but that's as low as it'll get. Hell, 150 gigs would be more than enough.
- Noise doesn't bother me. My fan runs almost constantly right next to my ear. I;m a heavy sleeper anyway.
- The processor is probably weaker than piss, but again, price.
- No need for any unneeded bitz. Just what it needs to run.
If I get Office (which IMO is stupidly overpriced), and the surge and power protectors (which my gut tells me I need, unfortunately because they aren't cheap), then this thing is pushing $900. *sigh* I might be able to get a job sometime soon, but in time to afford all this? If the return is as low as I'm thinking (and I'm a notorious pessimist), then this is going to get awkward.