[url]www.pricewatch.com[/url]

I built a P4 2.4, 512DDR, 120GB HD, 128MB DDR video, DVD, CD-RW, 15" LCD for $800.

[url]www.pricewatch.com[/url]

I built a P4 2.4, 512DDR, 120GB HD, 128MB DDR video, DVD, CD-RW, 15" LCD for $800.

[url]www.pricewatch.com[/url]

I built a P4 2.4, 512DDR, 120GB HD, 128MB DDR video, DVD, CD-RW, 15" LCD for $800.

Most definetally it can be done!!  Go with AMD for your CPU definately!  Don't know if you have a Fry's Electronics in your area, but they sometimes have some kickass deals on combos.  Eg CPU/Mb combos.  Sometimes you get a bad part but they're not much over wholesale.  You can get a good video card for around 40-50 bucks and a good harddrive for around 200.  A WD with 8M cache.  Ram go with 512DDR+ that's fairly cheap, less than $100, you could probably get a gig for around 130-140 easy.  Can be done pretty easy in other words.  

He forgot to say that it also included the [b]  Triplicator[/b]  chipset........

I got this for $1100: P4 2.53, 1gig DDR 400 ram, ATI Raedon 9500 Pro 120mb 8xAGP, 16x DVD, 52X CDRW, 80 gig ata133 drive,  networking and 5.1 sound on mother board, and two extra fans.  And it was built for me.  Without OS it would have been close to a grand. Dropping half the ram would save you about a hundred bucks as well. You can pick and choose exactly what you want and they use/offer name brand parts.  Check out [url]www.ibuypower.com[/url]. Probably a little cheaper now.  

The system they built for my brother and the one I recently have built have had no problems.  They don't come with much in the way of documentation so it is similar to build your own that way.  Have yet to find a game that makes this system stutter, but I'm working on it.

I always wanted a custom built gaming rig, but could never save up the $$  Falcon Northwest builds some of the best, so when they started offering pre-built rigs I jumped on it. Check out [url]http://www.falcon-nw.com/talon.asp[/url] The Talon line is awesome for the money, and always highly rated in all the PC and gaming mags.

Duuuuh! [url]http://www.hynkel.com/sounds/duh.wav[/url]

Are you going to build it in an ammo can?

I'm thinking about an ammo can PC... I will use a 50Cal ammo can, tho.  Lots of space.  And I don't want a ton of obvious "this is a computer" crap on it.  I'll paint the screws all olive drab to match the box.  Maybe some airholes in some places for airflow, because if I do it, it will be a performance machine, which will create some HEAT.  I like what someone posted recently, especially how he mounted the CDROM in it.  (open the ammo can up, and the CDROM faces up from inside.)

I'd probably try to get another Shuttle XPC chassis/mobo combo.  You'd have the mobo, and a small PS.  If you could mount the mobo so it can still use the cooling solution it comes with, it would ROCK in a small case like an ammo can.  

If hardware only as you stipulated, then definitely! Be very serious about cooling that AMD chip. They run hot and a friend burned out three in a year and a half(manufacturer of his pc replaced them) with the factory heatsink. I'm not saying go crazy, but stick a quality heatsink and fan on it, and go with an extra fan or two in the case. It'll go a long way toward keeping your system stable (all those state of the art chips and drives put off a lot of heat).

Don't know what direction you want to go with the pc - compact or tower. If you've got the space, a tower case is easier to work in and easier to cool.
I've always liked the Antec Performance cases. They run a bit more than the generic stuff but are well designed and quite spacious. Of all the parts you buy, the case is likely to be the longest lasting (it's just a hunk of steel, after all), so it's the one purchase in this pc that won't immediately depreciate.

glad to see you liked it....I will prob post it in a new thread as I sorta Hijacked the other one...

[url]http://www.cyberpowerinc.com[/url]
got my gaming system from their for $850, liked it b/c i got to pick all the parts i wanted, and they built it and give me a warranty

Like others have mentioned I built my last one in an Antec tower.  It cost $125, but it has a clear panel and blue led fans and a 350w power supply.  Antec cases start at around $35 if I'm not mistaken.  They have well thought out setups.

If it is going to be for gaming, I would get at least a 400w power supply.

And again, it is often as cheap to have someone build it for you that to build it yourself since they have the pricing power due to the volume they purchase.  Even PC Gamer says it is most often not worth it to build yourself anymore.  I priced all the same parts that went into mine and it would have cost me 80 bucks and a whole lot of hassle more to build it myself with the same components.

The only reason to build yourself now is for the satisfaction of having done it. There is nothing wrong with that, but if you are trying to save money, have someone else deal with the headaches and give you a warranty in return.  To have one built by [url]www.ibuypower.com[/url] or [url]www.cyberpowerinc.com[/url] allows you to have any part you want for a reasonable cost and they make sure there are no conflicts that you may run across on your own.  It is not like shopping from Dell or HP where you only have a couple of options for each part.  I think I had fifteen video cards to choose from when I put my system together. Just a suggestion.

That said, having a new computer is awesome.  It is nice to be able to walk into the game section at the store and know my computer can run any of them well.

I was visiting family this weekend and had to "borrow" their computer to get my ARFCOM fix.
I forgot how slow dial-up is and kept punching the submit button. Excuse my ignorance.

[url]http://newegg.com[/url]
[url]http://overclockers.com[/url]

I think you should look into the system Apple used on their Cube model.  These were not great sellers at the time, but like a few other Mac products, the have a cult following that even surprises those of us who use Macs.  

Apple designed the Cube with a convection cooling system, precluding the need for a fan. Heat rises through a grill atop the unit.  Thus, there is no need for noisy and space consuming fans.

Many upgrades and extra parts are available for these machines.  Since they last sold for $1299 and many people are still able to get over a grand for theirs,  there is a lot of info on building your own if you start from here.

[url]http://www.cube-zone.com/[/url]

I think utilizing this simple technology could make you CAN PC a whole lot easier, and remember, you don't have to use Mac OS simply because you could benefit from some of their designs.  

Lets please not open that can of worms. [:D]

BrotherNick

Yes, provided you have a monitor allready...

A 'state of the art' gaming system requires:

AMD AthlonXP CPU (Model 3000). Buy the 'retail box' version that comes standard with AMD's pre-tested fan...

Motherboard with NO integrated components. Onboard video is a sure sign of a junk board...

NVidia graphics card, latest revision, 128 MB RAM. Avoid the 'MX' variants, and anything lower than GF4 is obselete...

512MB or more DDR400 Memory

For a monitor, use a CRT not a flat-panel. Cheaper, and you get a better picture when dealing with fast motion...

Also, avoid Windows XP. There's nothing in it that justifies the purchase, and it adds a whole bunch of problems...

As for cases, any old case will do, as long as it has a big enough (350-400W) power supply. $25-75 is a good price range, buy this locally (from a small storefront dealer. they have the best prices) to save on shipping... Make sure it's a 'Full ATX' (BIG) case (3-5 CD-size (5.25") bays), since small cases create problems with fitting drives in and motherboard installation (because the components don't clear the power supply), and can cause cooling issues...

To get the best price, use [url]www.pricewatch.com[/url], this will find the current 'low price' from a wide range of small shops that sell through the internet... Don't buy from a retail store, esp CompUSA, Fry's, etc...

I'll guess $1200-1300 with a good 17 or 19" CRT monitor...

[url]newegg.com[/url]

i've ordered from these guys several times.  Fast service.

I also order from [url]www.cnetpc.com[/url]

good advice. but I would like to add that if you use www.pricewatch.com check out the seller at [url]http://www.resellerratings.com[/url], because some or most of the guys on pricewatch are crappy merchants.

Someone likes ATI too much...

From personal experience with the ATI RagePro 98 (The best drivers for this card were the Linux ones, specifically because [b]they were not written by ATI[/b]. Windows had untold trouble with it - not because of microsoft, but due to ATI's ineptatude WRT software) ATI Rage 128, and successive other ATI products, I can not in good conscience reccommend them to anyone... They are the volume-leader (as a result of getting their wares soldered to thousands of store-brand PC motherboards), but nVidia produces a much higher quality product, especially WRT software (drivers)...

As a software designer, I have found the only video cards with a sh*t are ATI cards. No other cards are capable of displaying clear text at high resolution like ATI. In fact, they were one of the pioneers in high-resolution text 10 years ago and it appears they still are today. If you code at 1600x1200 or higher and need to debug with 10 windows open at the same time, ATI has you covered. I'm not a gamer so that area is of no interest to me.