Fri Feb 8 04:21:27 2002

Here goes:

Pentium 4 Northwood 1.8gighz:

 $200

AOpen AX4B Motherboard with DDR support

:  $107

256MB Crucial DDR Sdram
: $75.59

Maxtor Diamondmax PLUS D740X 40.0Gig ATA 133
: $100

Turtle Beach Santa Cruz
: $59

Geforce4 MX 440 DDR
: $150

Antec Case
: $100

and other assorted goodies

what you fink? :)

Fri Feb 8 04:30:22 2002

I'm holding off on making a judgment about the P4 until the 533MHz FSB is fully fledged. It should be a nice boost, with either the i850E or Granite Bay.

Also, the value videocard to beat, though it won't be launched for roughly 8 more weeks, looks to be the GeForce4 Ti4200 -- better than GF3 Ti500 performance for ~$200.

256MB of RAM is, in my opinion, insufficient going forward. I'd like to have the option of at least a gigabyte, which shouldn't be a problem. Also, it just makes for bragging rights. Though not really anymore in the pricing climate of a few months back.

Also, no computer is really complete without SCSI. I think when I do eventually build the box, I'll boot off a 9GB 10K drive just because I can. :evilgrin:

Fri Feb 8 04:33:27 2002

The AOPen has an Intel 845 chipset.

I don't think the day will come when I will ever get an Intel Processor paired with a non-intel chipset based motherboard.  It just doesn't make sense!

Except for Serverworks chipsets of course! ;)

Fri Feb 8 08:45:22 2002

My .02 :)

Fri Feb 8 08:51:17 2002

Fri Feb 8 09:19:01 2002

why P4's when they are so expensive compared to AMD's???

For me, it's because you can't get a turnkey solution from AMD and you can get one from Intel.

AMD doesn't provide the whole package -- mobo, proc, chipset -- like Intel does. For some people, getting "packages" provides reassurance.

Fri Feb 8 09:29:01 2002

I like intel, but they aren't as godlike as everyone else makes them out to be. :)

Fri Feb 8 09:39:55 2002

Yea, like those people who bought the 810 motherboards where assured.

I've never had a single problem with an i810 board and neither has anyone I've ever met who deals with computers on a regular basis.

If you mean i820, I see your point. However, i820's worked fairly well with the memory they were actually meant for -- DRDRAM.

I like intel, but they aren't as godlike as everyone else makes them out to be.

I've never said they were godlike. But the fact remains that you can get an Intel-branded chipset/mobo/proc in one package and you cannot get that from AMD.

Fri Feb 8 09:40:28 2002

For some people, getting "packages" provides reassurance.

Yes and I hear the same for mac users who say its assuring to get a 'whole package' from a company and yet I think i remember someone saying that they hate this idea....

hmmmm...

Fri Feb 8 09:43:06 2002

Fri Feb 8 09:43:34 2002

Yes and I hear the same for mac users who say its assuring to get a 'whole package' from a company and yet I think i remember someone saying that they hate this idea....

For them it may provide reassurance to get the whole computer from one place. I don't like that because it means I have very little component freedom.

But getting simply the mobo/chipset/proc from one place I have no problem with. And if I choose I could get the mobo from many different companies other than Intel. Hell, I don't even have to get an Intel processor if I don't want.

(Edited by Imitation Gruel at 1:44 am on Feb. 8, 2002)

Fri Feb 8 09:45:42 2002

why DOESN'T AMD make the other parts of teh computer thingies???

1. Limited fab space
2. Limited budget
3. Laziness (not wish to provide component support)

(Edited by Imitation Gruel at 1:46 am on Feb. 8, 2002)

Fri Feb 8 09:49:11 2002

Fri Feb 8 09:53:48 2002

AMD does make chipsets

Yes, they do. However, the problems with their approach are multiple-fold:
  1. They don't make motherboards
  2. They cancel support for chipsets as soon as alternatives emerge
  3. Motherboard makers are cheap-ass bitches*

*: 686B problem. Info provided on request.

Fri Feb 8 09:59:37 2002

All I'm gonna say on that.

I actually threatened my roommate when he said he was gonna buy a VIA board. :)

Fri Feb 8 10:44:36 2002

Sat Feb 9 11:13:28 2002

Nice to see you value their reduction in the absurd intel prices...

You support monopolies, you get super high prices, and no alternatives...
gs

Sat Feb 9 14:16:07 2002

Nice to see you value their reduction in the absurd intel prices...

You support monopolies, you get super high prices, and no alternatives...

You support VIA, you get:

[size=18]CRAP[/size]

Sun Feb 10 03:27:26 2002

Pentium 4 Northwood 1.8gighz

Dude, a 1.6 will be fine.

Geforce4 MX 440 DDR
: $150

Waste. Its based on Geforce2 (nv17)  tech.