Help reqd. for Assembling an AMD3000+ or better at limited budget...

[jyotirupam]

I am going to purchase a new machine for my home. I am planning to get the following configuration within my budget.

Athelon 64 3000+ (Venice core) = Rs. 5000 (Guwahati price)
ASUS A8N VM = Rs. 3850
DDR 256 (Hynix) = Rs. 1750 (High price at this moment, expected to fall)
80 GB SATA = Rs. 2350 (I am not sure , What to take , Seagate, Samsung or WD)
DVD Combo (Sony) = Rs. 1250 (Suggest me a better one, if any)
Cabinet with a 350W SMPS = Rs. 1250
Key Board + Mouse = Rs. 500 (Please suggst good quality within this budget)

TOTAL Budget = 16000 app ( May be + or - 1000 but not 17000+)

Am I paying more or prices are ok ? I already have a monitor , TV Tuner card, UPS and a speaker set.

Can you suggest anything better configuration or I should go with this configuration ?

- Initially I thought of Athelon 3500+ and ASUS A8N VM CSM.

BUT : ....
I will use my computer for basic Ms Office applications, casual RPG or racing games, Image editing ( not professional but the pictures taken by my Cannon Powershot), to watch some cartoons by using DVD or by TV tuner with my one year old kid... thats (not) all ..

MAY BE if my configuration permits :
Recording some TV prgrammes, using PAUSE Live TV programme feature.
Doing some basic video editing with windows movie maker.
Bit of sound Forge, FRUITY LOOPS.

Will there be any problem or any precautiones have to be taken while assembling the Athelon processor. As it will be my first try to assemble a Athelon based machine? Please tell me .....

[coolsunny]

U should do some changes
Athlon 64 3000+ (Venice core) -3400 bucks
ASUS A8N VM CSM. 4500/- dont know exactly.i think for video capturing u need it onboard grafix better than ur option.
atleast 512mb ram. trancend is other option
i ball Kb+mouse --650/- good one
i ball case+400watt smps --1100/- i m using this
for prices see www.deltapage.com.
go www.asus.com & compare between two mobos.

above changes may need 2000/- more but its not too much for ur full satisfaction.
& inform us after assembling.

P.S.-don't compromise with dealers while buying.take time

[drvarunmehta]

Athlon64 3000+ Rs. 3500
512 MB DDR RAM Rs. 2500
Aus A8N-VM mobo Rs. 3800
Seagate 80 GB SATA Rs. 2300
Liteon DVD Writer Rs. 2100
Logitech keyboard+mouse Rs. 800 (please don't take iBall kbd and mouse)
VIP cab+350W Powersafe PS Rs. 1500

Total 16500

[jyotirupam]

Thanks all for your suggestions.

But still a problem. Ram prices are sky rocketting. Today 256 DDR is Rs.1750 at Guwahati,Assam. And I learned that AMD is stopping the 939 processors.

So... What about the AM2 3200+ and Asus AM2 VM combination instead of 3000+/3500+ and ASUS A8N VM or ASUS A8N VM CSM.
Will it cost more or any performance difference ?

[drvarunmehta]

Socket 939 is soon going to be extinct, so yes, socket AM2 is better in terms of upgradebility. But there is no performance difference between the two sockets.
I don't know the prices for AM2 mobo's but they will cost a bit more that 939 mobo's. Even with the prices of RAM being so high, 512 MB is within your budget of 17k. So get that and upgrade to 1 GB when the prices fall a bit.

[coolsunny]

for AM2 ur buget should be more than 20K.& u may need grafix card for video capturing.

[drvarunmehta]

You don't need a graphics card but you do need a video capture/TV tuner card.

[jyotirupam]

I have a TV tuner already. So it will be okay.
I am almost finalising the configuration like this.....

Athlon 64 3000+ (Venice core) = Rs. 3650 ( Initially I had the rate of 3200+ as 5000)
ASUS A8N VM = Rs. 3800
DDR 256 (Hynix) = Rs. 1750
80 GB SATA Seagate = Rs. 2375
DVD Writer (Sony) = Rs. 1900
Cabinet with a 400W SMPS = Rs. 1250
Key Board + Mouse = Rs. 500

But the biggest setback is that the ASUS A8N VM is out of stock with the dealer whom I can trust and known to me. But anyway I am now trying to get it using other contacts.

[deathvirus_me]

BUT : ....
I will use my computer for basic Ms Office applications, casual RPG or racing games, Image editing ( not professional but the pictures taken by my Cannon Powershot), to watch some cartoons by using DVD or by TV tuner with my one year old kid... thats (not) all ..

MAY BE if my configuration permits :
Recording some TV prgrammes, using PAUSE Live TV programme feature.
Doing some basic video editing with windows movie maker.
Bit of sound Forge, FRUITY LOOPS.

For such things i'd suggest a Intel based platform ...

[drvarunmehta]

Your finalised config seems ok except for the power supply. I really doubt you'll get a good 400W PSU + cabinet in Rs. 1250. Spend a little more and get the Powersafe 400W PSU.

[dOm1naTOr]

All normal cabs now come with at least 400w 24pin SPU nd is enough for normal purposes. nd the cab wont cost higher than 1200/-

[jyotirupam]

Many many thanks to everybody. Finally I got all the components today and may be tomorrow I will assemble the machine. Thanks for everyone's comments to procure a good configuration.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (Venice)
ASUS A8N VM
Western Digital SATA 80GB

I got a 400 watt PSU and 512 MB DDR. Now please help me in assembling and installation.

I got a chassis fan already and a roomy cabinet. I have a WD 80 GB SATA. Is the SATA driver disk is mandatory during Windows XP installation ?

[nishant_nms]

ya it necessary. but u may slipstrem ur driver in ur XP CD to avoid it

[jyotirupam]

Thanks.
Actually I did not buy a FDD so I borrowed one and did the installation. Till now I have installed XP with SP2.

But thanks to nishant_nms for the slipsteam idea! I really did not know about the integration of SP2 and SATA drivers. I browsed and got some links like this one:

http://www.maximumpc.com/2005/01/how_to_slipstre.html

I will definitly try it but not at this moment.

Today I have downloaded all the driver updates for the Motherboard. My machine is running fine till now. Now I am going to install the drivers and Directx9c, Avast, SPY BOT and the other programmes.

Any other suggestions ?

[akshayt]

DDR prices will only rise

get AM2 or core 2 duo

[jyotirupam]

I have already purchased AMD 3000+ with Asus A8N VM due to a tighter budget. I have upgraded my machine after a long 5 years. Its running fine now. I was just about to do read some info about overcloking of AMD. Got the link from akshayt's Signature. Thanks !

It is safe to overclock A8N VM with Athlon 3000+ ? I mean, is there anyone who owns this combination and overclocked it ?

[samrulez]

^^
Its quite safe....but keep and OC and temps under control....
for oc'ing 500MHz+ take care.....and take care of the mem. modules..and keep the temp under 60 degs @load/...

[jyotirupam]

My current CPU temp is 38 c under no load and 44 in Max Load like during games etc. But I think since my pc is only one week old I will try in in a few days later. Anyway thanks for everything and everyone.

Here is another problem. I have a Odyssey TV tuner cum capture card. Viewing TV is no problme for me. I can also record in good quality (I have not tried the MPEG2 ; i.e. BEST option). The recording is also fine for me.
But when I press the recording button the TV screen window becomes GREEN but there is no problem with the sound. I can hear what I am recording but I can't see anything (pity).
I have alredy tried : 1. Changing screen resoultion 2. Driver updates 3. Changing recording quality but no avail....
Please.....