http://www.surpass.com.au/content/standard.asp?name=Systems_Noir

cbfed linking properly. I'm thinking of getting it... pending the interesting and informative views of the QGL community.

Why don't you price a system like that at other stores but with a better mobo?

Cause I wouldn't know what a better mobo was. What's wrong with that one?

I wouldn't trust foxconn with my life. But just look for a mobo with the same features but a more reputable brand like Abit or ASUS.

Ok, I'll take a look. Thanks.

BTW, your avatar is disturbing :P

Would you buy this PC?

Hmm, let's see:

* Codegen PSU -- known to be very bad!
* Kingston 1024MB DDR -- wouldn't touch it. buy a brand for a few extra $$
* 19" LCD Flat Panel -- very undescriptive, probably a crappy analog LCD
* Pioneer 16X DVD -- undescriptive, but ok

In short: No way.

Check Umart.net and you'll get a better system for a better price

My soon to be system:

1 x AMD A64/3800 SKT939 DUALC CPU: Desktop Athlon64™ X2 Dual-Core Processor SKT 939 $455.00
1 x Antec P180 ATX Super Midi Tower Case: No PSU $220.00
1 x Asus A8N SLI Premium NVIDIA nForce4 SLI AMD Socket 939 Athlon 64FX/Athlon 64 $263.00
1 x GeIL GE2G3200BDC 2GB (2 x 1G) Dual Channel Kit PC3200 3-8-4-4 $254.00
1 x Antec SP500 Power Supply: Smart power 2.0 500W ATX $116.00
2 x Seagate ST3300622AS 300GB SATA II 300Mbps 7200rpm HDD 16Mb Cache w/NCQ $364.00
1 x XFX 7900GT PV-T71G-UDE XFX GeForce 7900GT 256MB DDR3 Extreme Edition $537.90

Total $2209.90

Pioneer 111D DVD-R +$72
Floppy Disk $CBF Checking
Logitech KB+Mouse +$116 for MX3000 (awesome) OR +$28 for random logitech combo
Random 2.1 Stereo set +$20 onwards (don't go cheap, you get what you pay for)
Benq monitor for $404 seems like an awesome choice, but I'm on the fence as I'm not in the market for a new monitor and haven't done my research.
Windows XP Pro SP2 OEM $205

Final Total $2938

That's with 600GB HDD, 2GB Ram, an awesome case, a great mobo, a power supply that most likely will not blow up on you in the first few hours, a video card that beats the combined power of the two on offer and a name brand monitor with some credibility. If you'd like I could download AVG and Open Office and email them to you for "FREE!!!1"

Grab a mate to help you build it and you're all set. You can save $182 by removing one 300GB HDD, $90 by removing a GB of Ram and up to $100 by getting a less functional, but still practical case, your choices to make.

Good luck in your deliberations.

Edit: Added OS. Can you not transfer your old OS from your old comp if you're not using the old comp? I planned on using my current XP for my new rig and using Linux on the rig I'm typing on so I can learn it and use it as a server/music box.

last edited by Seven at 01:29:50 18/Apr/06

a power supply that most likely will not blow up on you in the first few hours

Burning down the house and bringing the cost of the system to $302,999

cbfed linking properly.

Then you're lucky anyone cared to answer your question properly.

Seven's advice is solid, the rig you linked looks dodgy as sin. Seven seems to have neglected an O/S though.

Ok soz about the lack of OS, Windows XP Pro was like $110-ish with student discount at my uni last time I checked so surely someone could get you a similar price. Hm, SP2 OEM seems to be $205 on the site, but added for full comparison.

Post editted to include price for OS.

Thanks Seven, that is a pretty cool system... I've lost the burn for chasing down every bit of hardware, so I thought a packaged off the shelf thing might do.

I'll try to link more effectively in the future Hashy. I wouldn't want to jeopardise any valuable replies.

urr...

* Kingston 1024MB DDR -- wouldn't touch it. buy a brand for a few extra $$

Not like I work for them or anything, but Kingston are a massive massive company. According to them...

Kingston Technology Company is the world's largest independent manufacturer of memory enhancement products

I know that in the laptop segment of the DRAM module market, Kingston are the "recommended" brand of Toshiba. And they are the most popular "upgrade" brand by far. They cover almost every model.

What you might have been thinking of saying was... That ram isn't very good for overclocking which may be true, But Mantrap is old and crusty and he probably doesn't intend to overclock his pc.

No.



I heard all the silicon used in ram chips was made by Samsung anyway. Any truth to this?

Kingston are a massive massive company. According to them...
Kingston Technology Company is the world's largest independent manufacturer of memory enhancement products

The size of a company implies nothing about the quality of their products. Look at McDonalds and Microsoft as examples. Their products are -just- good enough for the masses.

What you might have been thinking of saying was... That ram isn't very good for overclocking

No, that's not what I was saying. Overclocking didn't even cross my mind.

I've used enough Kingston and Kingmax sticks in the past to know to stay away from them. Buying a proper brand is a very small price to pay for better PC stability.

Is Generic RAM the Way to Go?

In a word, no. When you're shopping for RAM, you'll come across two types: generic RAM, often called "unbrokered," and name-brand RAM from companies such as Crucial Technology, Kingston, and Corsair, and others. The unbrokered RAM will always be less expensive, but there's a reason for that: this RAM is usually made up of memory chips left over from the larger name-brand buyers.

The reality is, only a few factories in the world create RAM chips. They resell the chips to other companies, and not all the buying companies have the same standards for quality. I've had problems with RAM going bad on me in the past, and diagnosing bad RAM is one of the most frustrating processes there is. And the bad RAM I've had has always been the less expensive, generic type.
Since switching exclusively to Crucial-brand RAM a few years ago, I've never had a problem. Kingston and Corsair are equally good brands. When buying your RAM, ask the seller whether the RAM is unbrokered. If it is, don't buy.

Link

Personally I would recommend crucial ram for sure. Although you buy it online from overseas, they are by far the most customer friendly company I have seen. Best service ever. Geil and corsair are pretty reliable too, kingston are alright, have had a few issues with them.

The main problem with ram is the fact that it doesn't have the decency to die. It will just act like its working but f*** everything else over, making you tear your hair out trying to diagnose.

acutally you find kingston use winbond chips witch is top range imho, low cas and better over clock, but that system looks ok mantra for a SLI 7900 setup price wise not bad ihmo but dealing with sunlit is another issue.

ihmo if you can build your own far wiser choice id rather go opteron 165 then x4800+ more cache per core also you might want to hold out till DX10 cards hit the market since 7800/7900 will be obsolette soon.

last edited by 0z at 02:27:58 19/Apr/06

Point was, at least in Laptop memory, Kingston are the best. Most stable, most reliable, they have a lifetime warranty, and are generally regarded as, the shiznitz

I don't see why anything would be different in desktops.

Because they are two different products? I dont know about the notebook values they, hold, but I wouldnt touch either of them because of the desktop side problems. Can you say incompatibility? I hope so because I dont think I can spell it :P

Looking at it again, I'm beginning to think the SLI stuff is a bit over the top for me. And as some other people mentioned, the monitor is a bit generic. I don't know that Kingston RAM is bad, or that Codegen PSUs are bad, so that's handy to know. Although I don't know WHY they're bad, just that they are according to some people.

Either way, I'll probably wait a while until I've paid off my laptop. Financially wise I think :)

oh, and thanks for the info everyone!

ive never had any dramas with kingmax or kingston products

pay me mantra
ill build you a system

I've had a Codegen PSU for 3 years now. I didn't choose it as such, it just came with the case and I was none the wiser.

Never had any problems with it except as of a few days ago the fans only work when they want to. But still, I don't expect many PC components, especially budget ones, to last any longer.

pay me mantra
ill build you a system

Do you take VISA?