sup chaps.

After I just booted the s*** out of my current pc I need a upgrade.
I want the best pc I can get, possibly including monitor depending on what I can get for my spending money. Im not that much of a gamer but if I had a decent system I would propably play more. I want a reliable HDD setup with around 500gb.
maximum spending money is 1500 and I can get stuff at near cost price.

1024MB (single stick) Value Select PC-3200 DDR RAM Corsair
ASUS A8N-E Socket 939 nForce 4 Motherboard
AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor Retail (939))(Venice)
Albatron GeForce 7600GS 256MDDR2 DVI/TVO PCI-Express
Antec SLK3000B ATX Tower Case (No PSU)
Power Supply 24pin with 1xSATA 450W 12CM Fan

= $750.00 that will give you something to play with, but is a decent upgrade path.

First thing's first, swap that 3200+ with an X2 4400+ or similar. For $200ish difference, there's no point getting anything on the low end.
Don't skimp on power supplies. Get an Antec, Thermaltake, or something else GOOD.

what brand hdd's should I go for?

500gb... why the hell do you need that much space :)

500gb... why the hell do you need that much space

porn collection obviously

1. Don't get a Socket939 system, go AM2 instead. That way you'll have an upgrade path later on as Socket939 is currently being phased out.

2. Get a minimum of an X2 3800+ as they are damn cheap thanks to recent price cuts ($228 @ MSY)

500gb... why the hell do you need that much space :)

I do heaps of video editing and I collect car vids. not to mention id have to copy all the s*** i already have over which is 100gig so yeah. More memory would be handy as it chews ram while editing large files.

so, im thinking

-2x 1024MB (single stick) Value Select PC-3200 DDR RAM Corsair

some kinda AM2 Motherboard>?? need more info, like model number so I can just walk in and say, I need this this and this.

AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+ Processor Retail (939))(Venice)
or would a X2 4400+ be better

Albatron GeForce 7600GS 256MDDR2 DVI/TVO PCI-Express

Antec SLK3000B ATX Tower Case (No PSU)
Power Supply 24pin with 1xSATA 450W 12CM Fan - Antec of some sort?

whats the cost range for this stuff going to be also?

dont buy anything Albatron. its the crapest/cheapest junk out there.

Parabol has done his homework. 939 is on its way out. Go AM2. I also hear AM3 could be out at the end of this year, along with support for DDR3 and SATA3. Now might not be the best time to upgrade :/

Whats wrong with Albatron? Iv had nothing but great success with them. 2 in my PC, 1 in the GFs PC, 1 in my parents PC with their albatron board cause it was nice and cheap, 1 in my dad's PC. Never had a problem.

Albatron make decent videocards, mainboards on the other hand not so good... Had many silly issues with them at work.

Also see the othe thread I posted a 1.6k AM2 system (box only) in there based off CA pricing. If you don't value the warranty side the I'm sure you could get and equivalient a bit cheaper elsewhere.

some kinda AM2 Motherboard>?? need more info, like model number so I can just walk in and say, I need this this and this.

I can't recommend any specific models as I don't own an AM2 system myself.

As AM2 processors cost almost identical to their Socket939 counterparts, it would be very silly to not go the AM2 path. Ignore people here who recommend Socket939, they are stuck in the past unfortunately and will be crying when they are unable to upgrade in the coming months.