This will be my first PC build.  Let's assume I get all my parts from a reputable mail order house like Newegg.com.

Current system:  2001-era Dell 8100 Dimension 1.7 GHz, 256 MB RAM, GeForce 32 MB video card, Sound Blaster Live! sound card, CD-RW drive, 60 GB hard drive.  Dial-up internet.

Objective:  e-mail, word processing, music ripping, DVD playing/writing and web surfing, with occasional FPS gaming about 2 years in arrears (meaning I don't buy games as soon as they come out; I usually wait until they drop to $20 or so).  

Price ceiling: $2k or so

Proposed components:

1.  Antec case w/500W PS.  Requirements:  lots of room and front USB ports.

2.  AMD Athlon 64 4000 CPU.  No real requirements here except that I don't want the 'puter to go obsolete in 1-2 years due to low chip speed.

3.  ASUS AMD motherboard.  Requirements:  AMD compatibility.

4.  Kingston 1 GB (2x512MB) DDR RAM.  Requirements:  at least 1 GB onboard memory

5.  ATI x600PRO 256 MB video card PCI-e.  Requirements:  PCI-e is a must and hopefully will not be obsolete for games in 3-4 years.  DVI is also a nice feature.  To tell the truth after reading some comments on ATI quality i am considering going with a GeForce card.

6.  Creative Sound Blaster Live!  24 bit sound card.  I won't be doing a lot of sound stuff but I may run my sound card through a home theater receiver -- my old setup was like this.

7.  Samsung DVD burner.  Requirement:  black color to match case and must be able to handle all DVD writable formats.

8.  Sony DVD ROM drive.  Requirements:  same.

9.  Western Digital 250 GB SATA hard drive.  Requirements:  nothing much, just something that won't handicap my storage needs.  I have a 60 GB hard drive right now and it's only 50% full after 4 years of use.

10.  Dell 20" LCD monitor.  Requirements:  DVI, at least 19" size and less than 10-12 ms response time.  I like FPS games but do not play online (well, I have dial-up internet but that may change).  I know this is listed at $700 but you can find coupons to knock this down to closer to $400 for a 20" LCD monitor from Dell.

11.  TEAC floppy drive.

Misc parts (some recycled from current 'puter):  Windows XP Home, GE optical mouse, Dell USB keyboard, Harman Kardon speakers.  

I will buy a cable modem if I get high speed internet and also buy a wireless router b/c my cable jack is not in the same room as my computer.

So what do you think?

Well, you don't have to get sgtar15-harsh, but don't hold back.    I'd rather find out now about mistakes rather than when I've got a pile of parts in my hand.  I should post a poll (don't know how) but I would put options like:

1.  Get a different monitor.  Dells suck.

2.  Get a different video card, that one will be obsolete in a year.  Or, forget the ATI card and get a GeForce (if so, which one)?

3.  Get more RAM.   You'll thank me later.

4.  Where is your supplemental cooling system?  You are going to have heat issues.

5.  Replace the Antec power supply for a real one.  That one is a cheap POS.

6.  Ditch the AMD chip and get an Intel.

7.  You need more hard drive space or a RAID.

8.  Your setup is incompatible, you dweeb.

9.  You're paying too much by going with Newegg.

10.  Your DVD drive choices suck, get a Plextor.

Much appreciated ... and remember, I'm a first-timer so any advice is greatly appreciated.  

Looks like a decent setup though I would go with a somewhat better video card like a nvidia 6800GT at least, no I would go with 7800GTX in a SLI setup but I'm crazy.

I've got the dell 20" LCD and it is very nice.  I play lots of FPS and see no ghosting.


I'm running it through a  ATI Radeon 850 XT PE 256 MB Videeo card, whihc also rocks for playing FPS at 1600 x 1200.

The ATI runs hot, and I had to adjust fan paremters.

Check out nVidia for a vid card, they rule the roost right now. Asus is a toss up. Have issues with them. And Dell for a monitor. ROCKS!!!!!  Cant go wrong with Dell.

Two questions:
- Why have a DVD-ROM along with the burner?
- When was the last time you used a floppy?  Most of my builds don't even have one any more.

And I didn't look is the memory two 512 DIMMs or 4x256?

ETA:  Well I guess that's actually three.

Mo memora!

Four of these should do quite well.

Dual PROC!
Here!!!

MAYBE this mobo

linky

Don't be gentle? Ok, you are ignorant dork and your mother dresses you funny.  

Oh? The computer? It sounds fine to me.  

Swap out the Dell LCD for one of these:
Viewsonic VX924 19" 3ms - $369
I have it and its A W E S O M E. Sharp as hell and I play BF2 online without any ghosting issues. It's also fairly cheap compared to other offerings (LG wants over $500 for their comparable offer).

If it is for gaming LCD is'nt the way to go.
Also no need for floppies.

Quoted: If it is for gaming LCD is'nt the way to go. Also no need for floppies.

I have that monitor and it rocks for games.  It has a 16ms refresh rate!  Also, what are floppies??


I think your system will be OK.  

1.  Get a A64 +3000/3200 instead of the +4000.  You wont notice any difference in performance, but save a ton of $$$.

2.  Drop the soundcard.  Most motherboards today have just as good soundcards built onboard.  You will still be able to hook your computer to a home theatre receiver, its what I do.

3.  no need for a seperate DVD player if youre going to get a DVD burner.

Oh really? Then you havnt seen a good LCD then. I love my Dell 19" and its buttery smooth on games ranging from Diablo2 to Battlefield 2 and Need For speed.

Quoted: If it is for gaming LCD is'nt the way to go. Also no need for floppies.

newegg rocks!  My only source on the internet now.

Hmm....if it isnt' too much, Western Digital's 74gb 10000rpm hard drives are among the fastest you can buy on the market. It'll help load maps faster during gaming, allowing you to get a key weapon sooner than the opponent.

If you're serious about playing games, keep the sound card. Integrated mobo sound and video are not up to par as separate-purchased cards.

Your case choice is good. Although I would personally prefer a Silverstone TJ03 (hehehe)

The PSU is made by Antec, which is a good company. If you need to upgrade, I highly recommend Antec's new 500w Phantom (no FANS!!!) or PC Power and Cooling's 510.

Proccessor- AMD is better for gaming while Intel is better for office work.

1-2 years? Right now dual procs are getting popular, so in one or two years, they might be kinda big.

Kingston memory is great, but OCZ makes some of the best on the market today (Corsair too)

I wouldn't get that video card. Get the ATI 9800 Pro All in Wonder. Better buy AND better performer.

For gaming, CRTs are the prefered source, although LCDs area also gaing CRT-like quality as time flie sby.

If you are planning on hooking this up to a home theater system, you are going to need a quiet PC.

Maybe water cooling, if it is in your budget?

What fans are you using?

In this months  issue of Maximum PC magazine :

'How we built a killer rig for 1/10 the price of (their) Dream Machine'

note : many of these components were selected for their rich upgrade path

1.) Athlon 64 3000+ (Socket 939 gets you dual channel RAM, etc)

2.) nVidia GeForce 6800GT

3.) MSI K8N Neo4/SLI

4.) ANTEC Performance TX640B Series (case)

5.) Plextor PX-716A (Dual Layer DVD burner & CD-R)

6.) WinXP PRO

7.) Maxtor 300GB DiamondMax 10 SATA

8.) 1 GB DDR400 Corsair RAM (two 512 MB DIMMs, to take advantage of dual channel Mobo)

Total price was$1255.86

I hope I'm not breaking any copyright laws by reposting this, if I am please let me know and I'll delete it.
Anyway, looks like a great rig.  For more details get October 2005 MaximumPC magazine or post here and I'll look it up for you.





edit : I trust this mags reviews, and they recommend the Dell 2405FPW for a widescreen LCD monitor and a Dell 2001FP for a desktop LCD monitor.

Hope this helps and you look like you're off  to a good start for building a good rig.

Gaming will be the most CPU/Hardware intensive area(s).  If you don't game that much, you can save a bundle and just get an off-the-shelf system for a few hundred bucks.

Ditch the floppy drive.

Just a 512mb usb stick instead.

Quoted: Ditch the floppy drive. Just a 512mb usb stick instead.

I beg to differ. Many companies and individuals still use floppies. I always regret on not having a floppy drive on my laptop.

Please consider a Lian Li case and purchasing the power supply separately.  You won't be disappointed.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112025

You won't have cooling issues and it seems like you are leaning toward a better power supply anyway.

I can't say enough good about newegg.  The system I am running is almost exactly like yours that you have configured and I purchased most everything from them.  Good choices.  If you get the case, building the box will be a pleasure instead of annoyance.  Trust me and go for it, you will thank me.

-White Horse

Get 2 GB ram.

9.  Western Digital 250 GB SATA hard drive.  Requirements:  nothing much, just something that won't handicap my storage needs.  I have a 60 GB hard drive right now and it's only 50% full after 4 years of use.

10.  Dell 20" LCD monitor.  Requirements:  DVI, at least 19" size and less than 10-12 ms response time.  I like FPS games but do not play online (well, I have dial-up internet but that may change).  I know this is listed at $700 but you can find coupons to knock this down to closer to $400 for a 20" LCD monitor from Dell.

11.  TEAC floppy drive.

Misc parts (some recycled from current 'puter):  Windows XP Home, GE optical mouse, Dell USB keyboard, Harman Kardon speakers.  

I will buy a cable modem if I get high speed internet and also buy a wireless router b/c my cable jack is not in the same room as my computer.

So what do you think?

Well, you don't have to get sgtar15-harsh, but don't hold back.    I'd rather find out now about mistakes rather than when I've got a pile of parts in my hand.  I should post a poll (don't know how) but I would put options like:

1.  Get a different monitor.  Dells suck.

2.  Get a different video card, that one will be obsolete in a year.  Or, forget the ATI card and get a GeForce (if so, which one)?

3.  Get more RAM.   You'll thank me later.

4.  Where is your supplemental cooling system?  You are going to have heat issues.

5.  Replace the Antec power supply for a real one.  That one is a cheap POS.

6.  Ditch the AMD chip and get an Intel.

7.  You need more hard drive space or a RAID.

8.  Your setup is incompatible, you dweeb.

9.  You're paying too much by going with Newegg.

10.  Your DVD drive choices suck, get a Plextor.

Much appreciated ... and remember, I'm a first-timer so any advice is greatly appreciated.  



I would definately get 2GB of RAM.  The mobo has 4x DIMMS so you could run 4x512, with each pair in dual channel.

I would get  a better video card.  An X800 XL is a sweetspot on price/performance.

Ditch the Creative Live! for a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz.  Audigy performance for Live! price.

I would ditch the Samsung DVD-RW for an NEC for better compatibility and firmware hacks.

Don't know why you'd need a second DVD drive

You don't have to worry about extra cooling unless you're overclocking.

I would drop down from the AMD Athlon 64 4000 CPU down to a  3500 or 3700 and invest the difference in a better Nvidia 7800 series video card. You will not see much advantage in the Athlon 64 4000 over a 3500 you will see the difference in the video card and will for a couple of years.

That setup should keep you good foer a couple of years.

I would drop down from the AMD Athlon 64 4000 CPU down to a  3500 or 3700 and invest the difference in a better Nvidia 7800 series video card. You will not see much advantage in the Athlon 64 4000 over a 3500 you will see the difference in the video card and will for a couple of years.

That setup should keep you good foer a couple of years.

Very similiar to mine. running a bit slower proc but once the dual core's get reasonable i'll swap out my 3500 for one of those. you might just get the cheapest Processor you can now and then get a new one once the DC's drop down.........getting 3 Hard disks and running RIAD 5 and getting a somewhat slower (cheaper) processor will definetly benefit you. make sure the processor is RETAIL not OEM, it has a fan with it and a better warranty. The mobo you are looking at is socket 939, AMD is going to be using that socket for awhile so its somewhat future proof. go cheap on the CPU and spend the money on other stuff (memory, hard disks, video card) and then just get a better cpu in a year.

get better memory...such as corsair...this is what I have and its been perfect...

www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=BA20336


Look at a mitsumi floppy with the build in media card readers.. its sweet, gives you a floppy and reads a ton of memory cards.

www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA32400


definetly look at a 6800 GT, ASUS has one that you can use with SLI if you add a second one(plus i've had nooo compatibility issues)

www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA32720

The A8n MB Rocks (get the deluxe, it has more RAID controllers, will do raid 5, I wish I had.)....I wouldn't bother getting a sound card, the on board is great

www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=BA20954

...make sure the DVD is a dual layer. I have the plextor dual layer...works f'in fantastic.

www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=3610174

I like the HITACHI SATA...super fast and quiet...running raid 0 and it rocks..make sure it supports native command queueing. I would reccomend getting 3 and running RAID 5, would give you some redundancy in your disk hardware (you could lose a disk and not lose your data) and its also super fast. RAID 0 is fastest but if either disk dies you lose all your stuff.

www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=AA34700



Also the dell monitor actually rocks, I have the 21" @ work. multiple inputs (svideo, dvi, VGA) swithcable with a button on the front.

watch www.techbargains.com for Dell coupons, they frequently have good ones.

for that matter they have newegg coupons too. newegg and mwave are about the cheapest for stuff. I used mwave and had no issues. (except they WILL want to verify your DL so you'll need to fax it to them.) I prefer that frankly


good hardware reviews here: www.tomshardware.com/index.html

you might just get the cheapest Processor you can now and then get a new one once the DC's drop down.........getting 3 Hard disks and running RIAD 5 and getting a somewhat slower (cheaper) processor will definetly benefit you. make sure the processor is RETAIL not OEM, it has a fan with it and a better warranty. The mobo you are looking at is socket 939, AMD is going to be using that socket for awhile so its somewhat future proof.

I would recommend against that. First off they might change sockets. second other parameters miight change that your motherboard might not have such as FSB speed, Or cmos and Bios compatability, chipset issues the list is endless. MOBO makers don't have crystal balls to see into the future so they make the board compatable with only what is out now not what is in the pipeline. I tried twice to get a "super MOBO" so I would'nt have to buy another one in future but two years down the road iit would'nt accept the newest CPUs and some of the boards that did were fairly cheap so buying one was'nt an money issue.

Quoted: Two questions: - Why have a DVD-ROM along with the burner? - When was the last time you used a floppy?  Most of my builds don't even have one any more. And I didn't look is the memory two 512 DIMMs or 4x256? ETA:  Well I guess that's actually three.

Quoted: 3.  no need for a seperate DVD player if youre going to get a DVD burner.

Quoted: Don't know why you'd need a second DVD drive

Extra DVD drive:  Well, I copy a lot of music CDs (and I anticipate the same with DVDs).  Legally, of course.  Whenever I buy a new music CD, I usually burn two copies -- one for the office and one for the road.  I know I could get by with one drive but I figure if I am doing a lot of copying it will be easier with two drives.

Floppy drive:  I am re-thinking this choice as well.  I originally planned to get it so I could transfer files between work and home computer.  Sometimes I will work on a document at home and want to bring it into the office w/o e-mailing it (because I have slow dial-up internet, ugh).  If I get cable modem service then this will not be a huge concern.  Plus, work just gave me a new laptop and it doesn't have a floppy drive.  Consider it scrapped!  

Memory:  The memory I selected is 2x512.

Thanks!

Quoted: Dual PROC! Here!!!

Hmm ... looks very interesting.  I don't know a thing about dual-core processing though.  Is dual-core the "wave of the future" at this time?  

I recommend Epox motherboards, I've built multiple computers with them and have absolutely no complaints.  just another option to check out on newegg.  

Quoted: If you are planning on hooking this up to a home theater system, you are going to need a quiet PC. Maybe water cooling, if it is in your budget? What fans are you using?

Yes, I really want a quiet PC.  My current Dell 8100 sounds like a turboprop airplane and it is really annoying.    

I was going to rely on the fans that came stock with the Antec case.  It says it comes with two fans.

I have seen pictures of water cooling but I didn't know if I needed water cooling for my system requirements.  Tehy certainly look cool!

Quoted: In this months  issue of Maximum PC magazine : 'How we built a killer rig for 1/10 the price of (their) Dream Machine' note : many of these components were selected for their rich upgrade path

Thanks, I will buy a copy this weekend.  This is my first build so I may opt to track a magazine's step-by-step instructions instead of flying blind with my selection of components.  

Quoted: Quoted: Dual PROC! Here!!! Hmm ... looks very interesting.  I don't know a thing about dual-core processing though.  Is dual-core the "wave of the future" at this time?

Dual core (different than Dual Processors) has two complete processors on one die (and thus one chip).  They use the input-output paths much more efficently.

When Sun introduced the UltraSparcIV with dual cores the processors were just shy of twice as fast as the same speed single core UltraSparcIIIs.

Although I would research if you were leaning towards Intel's dual core pentiums, I've heard some bad things about their implimentation of it.

There is only one problem that i have with your build. Your Graphics card is a little on the light side. Should have gone for an nvidia 6800 or 7800.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Dual PROC! Here!!! Hmm ... looks very interesting.  I don't know a thing about dual-core processing though.  Is dual-core the "wave of the future" at this time?   Dual core (different than Dual Processors) has two complete processors on one die (and thus one chip).  They use the input-output paths much more efficently. When Sun introduced the UltraSparcIV with dual cores the processors were just shy of twice as fast as the same speed single core UltraSparcIIIs. Although I would research if you were leaning towards Intel's dual core pentiums, I've heard some bad things about their implimentation of it.

Do please lecture me of the diffirence between SMP and SMP and while you are at it tell me all about intel's pipelining/thermal issues.

I'm all ears

Everything looks good. However, I wouldn't go with Kingston memory. Kingston memory is typically not that tolerant of the aggressive memory timings used by Asus. Our lab has extensively tested Corsair PC3200XL (2x512MB) memory in the A8N-SLI and it runs great. I have also built about 200 systems using this combo.


Note: Check out the "premium" version of the A8N-SLI. It uses a heat pipe instead of a fan on the southbridge. It's much quieter.

No western digital drives, period!!!  When I worked for a computer store they were droping like flies.  Those drives fail like crazy.  We had so many WDs go bad on us we stoped carrying them. Go Maxtor,  IBM (hitachi),  seagate or toshiba.  Great choice chooseing SATA!!

Why two DVD drives?  Look into Plextor, they make some really good drives.

I wouldn't bother with the floppy ethier, even if it is a pulled drive you won't ever use it.

Good choice with the memeory, Kingston has a lifetime warranty, however Corsiar is a better brand name with the same lifetime warranty and pretty close to the same price the last time I checked.

Your getting a MB with SLI, so why chose ATI for a video card? Go with Nvidia for the video card which will give you a head start if you ever want to use the SLI

Keep AMD its very obvious your building a high end computer, AMD is slaughtering Intel in video game preformance.

Quoted: Floppy drive:  I am re-thinking this choice as well.  I originally planned to get it so I could transfer files between work and home computer.  Sometimes I will work on a document at home and want to bring it into the office w/o e-mailing it (because I have slow dial-up internet, ugh).  If I get cable modem service then this will not be a huge concern.  Plus, work just gave me a new laptop and it doesn't have a floppy drive.  Consider it scrapped!   Memory:  The memory I selected is 2x512. Thanks!

Get a USB drive you can get a 256 meg at best buy for $20, just a few more dollars for the key drive that holds more, and you'll use it a hellva lot more.

Quoted: Do please lecture me of the diffirence between SMP and SMP and while you are at it tell me all about intel's pipelining/thermal issues. I'm all ears

Posting before you had your coffee this morning?

I just suggested that he read up on a new technology before he jumps in feet first.

I'm a CRT snob, so I don't like LCD's for gaming.  The ATI is not bad.  I prefer the X850XTPE myself.

Go for 2G ram!

Forget those DVD burners.  Grab a pioneer dual layer burner

Definitely ditch the video card choice. It's already out of date. Get a Nvidia 6800 Gt/Ultra (PCI-E) or 7800 GT if you have the bucks for the PCI-Express setup. AGP is going the way of the dodo. I got a 6800 Ultra last December, and I'm already contemplating ditching it for a 7800 GTX/PCI-E.

Processor is a bit too expensive for what you're doing. You could easily downgrade the processor to a 3800 (Venice core). The 4000 is 2.4ghz w/1mb cache, and the 3800 is 2.4ghz with 512kb cache. You won't notice the difference, certainly not over $100 more worth of difference. Invest that $100 in a better videocard.

Go with Corsair Value Ram if you're not overclocking. Higher quality than Kingston, with fewer compatibility issues. I've Overclocked mine to 220mhz (stock is 200mhz) with no issues. Get at least 1GB. If you even think you might go higher than 1gb, don't get 512MB sticks; get 2 1GB sticks (there are still issues running 4 DIMMs in 4 slots with some boards, most notably not being able to use the 1T command rate, which loses you about 5% performance right there). Nforce3 boards are even worse than NF4 boards in that regard, generally requiring you to run 4 DIMMS at 333mhz vs 400, because of memory controller issues.

Get a better sound card. Many newer games don't even support SoundBlaster Lives anymore. Get an Audigy 2. Or better if you desire.

If it were me I would look at a Shuttle kit for the PC.  I think NewEgg has them.  We have bought two recently and like them better than the Dell boxes we have been buying.

Thanks for the continuing input. Looks like the consensus is:

1.  Get more RAM.

2.  Ditch the ATI x600 for a GT6800 video card

3.  Ramp down to an AMD Athlon 64 3700 or 3800 and use $ on video card

4.  Corsair memory over Kingston

Any further input appreciated.  

Quoted: If it were me I would look at a Shuttle kit for the PC.  I think NewEgg has them.  We have bought two recently and like them better than the Dell boxes we have been buying.

What is a Shuttle Kit?  I did a search on NewEgg and it came up empty.  

Quoted: you might just get the cheapest Processor you can now and then get a new one once the DC's drop down.........getting 3 Hard disks and running RIAD 5 and getting a somewhat slower (cheaper) processor will definetly benefit you. make sure the processor is RETAIL not OEM, it has a fan with it and a better warranty. The mobo you are looking at is socket 939, AMD is going to be using that socket for awhile so its somewhat future proof. I would recommend against that. First off they might change sockets. second other parameters miight change that your motherboard might not have such as FSB speed, Or cmos and Bios compatability, chipset issues the list is endless. MOBO makers don't have crystal balls to see into the future so they make the board compatable with only what is out now not what is in the pipeline. I tried twice to get a "super MOBO" so I would'nt have to buy another one in future but two years down the road iit would'nt accept the newest CPUs and some of the boards that did were fairly cheap so buying one was'nt an money issue.

Oh i'm not arguing that. but even now, you could get a 3200 (less than 200$) or so athlon 64 then go pick up a FX57 or something (current;y 1000) next year for a song and get a kick ASS computer, or a Athlon 64 x2 4800 (currently 890 or so) for probably a couple hundred. Both of those will work on socket 939 in the board he is looking at. Also AMD has commited to using 939 for at least a little while. its only been available for 6months now so in a year they'll probably still be using it. can't guarantee that but I would say the chances are decent at least..here is info about socket 939 from amd's site...

www.amd.com/us-en/Weblets/0,,7832_8366_5733~74563,00.html#85570

Quoted: Quoted: If it were me I would look at a Shuttle kit for the PC.  I think NewEgg has them.  We have bought two recently and like them better than the Dell boxes we have been buying. What is a Shuttle Kit?  I did a search on NewEgg and it came up empty.

These urls should get you started:

http://sys.us.shuttle.com/

http://www.nextag.com/buyer/outpdir.jsp;jsessionid=8AFE28DDCF666FA998BD8B690B686EE3?nxtg=5b7087_10CB2FE849328BE1&search=shuttle+pc

Quoted: Quoted: Floppy drive:  I am re-thinking this choice as well.  I originally planned to get it so I could transfer files between work and home computer.  Sometimes I will work on a document at home and want to bring it into the office w/o e-mailing it (because I have slow dial-up internet, ugh).  If I get cable modem service then this will not be a huge concern.  Plus, work just gave me a new laptop and it doesn't have a floppy drive.  Consider it scrapped!   Memory:  The memory I selected is 2x512. Thanks! Get a USB drive you can get a 256 meg at best buy for $20, just a few more dollars for the key drive that holds more, and you'll use it a hellva lot more.

USB Thumb Drives are great!  I have a 512 MB one that I use for backing up work items and for transferring things between work laptop and home PC.  Only thing I have a floppy for in my home PC is for upgrading MB BIOS.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Floppy drive:  I am re-thinking this choice as well.  I originally planned to get it so I could transfer files between work and home computer.  Sometimes I will work on a document at home and want to bring it into the office w/o e-mailing it (because I have slow dial-up internet, ugh).  If I get cable modem service then this will not be a huge concern.  Plus, work just gave me a new laptop and it doesn't have a floppy drive.  Consider it scrapped!   Memory:  The memory I selected is 2x512. Thanks! Get a USB drive you can get a 256 meg at best buy for $20, just a few more dollars for the key drive that holds more, and you'll use it a hellva lot more. USB Thumb Drives are great!  I have a 512 MB one that I use for backing up work items and for transferring things between work laptop and home PC.  Only thing I have a floppy for in my home PC is for upgrading MB BIOS.

FYI - You can actuall make a usb memory key bootable if your PC BIOS supports it. Most do nowadays. Its how I do servers and stuff at work.

Quoted: 10.  Dell 20" LCD monitor.  Requirements:  DVI, at least 19" size and less than 10-12 ms response time.  I like FPS games but do not play online (well, I have dial-up internet but that may change).  I know this is listed at $700 but you can find coupons to knock this down to closer to $400 for a 20" LCD monitor from Dell.

Hmm, Dell has their 2005FPW 20.1" LCD widescreen monitor on sale for $500 (shipped) this week.  Might opt for this one instead.

Dell Deal off of techbargains....

www.techbargains.com/jump.cfm?id=217&arg=320-1578

Stackable Online Codes (Combinable with auto discounts) Th 9/29 5:59am CT or after 7000 uses (It will not last very long)
$20 off $150 Code: KLP5W4KQSWRHST
$35 off $300 Code: PNNX5W983D34B5
$60 off $500 Code: LZZNW2HFTM0LLM
Offer may be combined with select other offers but do not apply to items $1000+

2% additional off using Dell Preferred Account during checkout. Select Credit card as payment to see this offer.

LCD Monitors

Dell 2001FP (20”) Digital LCD Flat Panel 1600x1200, 400:1 contrast ratio , 16ms response, DVI, Svideo, Composite Video originally $749, now for $464.30, free shipping after $60 off $500 coupon.

Tag

also try outlet.dell.com for the monitor. Its all new gear that was returned, same warranty as new and there are some great deals on there.

Thanks to all who replied.

I am starting my computer build.  

Today I bought my LCD screen.  I got the Dell 2005FPW 20" widescreen LCD monitor for $394!  Shipping was $7 and sales tax () made the total around $415 but I still think it's a good deal.