To get you started, we've listed down the components which we're using in this guide to showcase the building process. You can always change the components recommended here to suit your budget and usage. However, do take note that some of the steps shown in this guide are specific to the hardware used in this guide and they are by no means universally applied to all types of components.
Here's the list of components we recommend as a start. Some of the parts used in this guide are quite high-end and you can always substitute them with something cheaper if it's too hefty for you.
Parts Used In This DIY Guide and Their Estimated Price
Component
What We Used
Est. Price
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939
$385
Processor
AMD Athlon 64 3800+
$1,300
Graphics Card
Gigabyte RADEON 9800XT 256MB (R98X256D)
$780
Memory
Mushkin DDR400 (2x 512MB) 2-2-2 Special (Dual Pack)
$577
Hard Disk Storage
2x Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 80GB
$280
Cooler
Gigabyte 3D Cooler-Ultra GT
$90
Casing
Cooler Master CM Stacker
$300
Power Supply
550W AMD approved power supply
$130-$230
Optical Storage
Dual Format DVD Writer
$150-$200
Removable Storage
Floppy Drive
$15-$20
Keyboard & Mouse
Standard PS/2 keyboard and mouse
$25-$30
Max. Total ---->
$4,192
Prices quoted are in SGD (Singapore Dollars) unless otherwise stated.
In the table above, you can see that we've chosen to use Gigabyte's GA-K8NSNXP-939 motherboard which is their top-of-the-line nForce3 Ultra board for the Socket-939 processor. It comes with everything built onto the motherboard, so there's really nothing else you need to buy except a graphics card. It's a good motherboard to get you started if you're new to the DIY scene since you need not have to worry too much about peripherals and component compatibility as they have already been built into the board itself. On the other hand, power users would also benefit with such a highly integrated design as it gives them the headroom to further enhance the system as and when they need to.
For the processor, we recommend getting a performance mainstream part like the Athlon 64 3800+ processor. It's fast and yet gives you more than enough performance to last through a few years before you decide to do your next upgrade. However, if it seems too expensive for you right now, the Athlon 64 3500+ processor would be the only cheapest alternative right now.
For graphics, if you want to play 3D games, go for nothing less than the RADEON 9800XT which comes with 256MB of DDR memory. In this guide, we've chosen to use Gigabyte's GV-R98X256D graphics card which comes bundled with an impressive list of games including a coupon to redeem the upcoming Half Life 2 title. If you want something more powerful to play next generation 3D games, then be prepared to pay about S$80 or S$190 more for a faster RADEON X800 Pro (Gigabyte GV-R80P256V) or RADEON X800 XT (Gigabyte GV-R80X256V) graphics card respectively.
For hard disk storage, we recommend using a SATA-based drive such as the Seagate Barracuda 7200.7. Seagate's drives are built upon native SATA technology and as such, they are actually one of the first to introduce drives based on this revolutionary technology. In this guide, we recommend using two 80GB drives to be set up as a RAID boot volume.
Memory forms an integral part of a stable system. In addition to that, high speed memory modules will indirectly help increase the performance of the system. That is why we've chosen to use Mushkin's low latency memory modules (Mushkin DDR400 2-2-2 Special) which can be clocked to a default CAS latency of only 2 while most other DDR400 memory follows the default JEDEC standard of 3. Though this may sound foreign to most beginners, just remember that the lower the CAS latency, the better would be your system's overall performance.
The CPU cooler is another important component one should carefully consider when building a high-speed system such as this. Although the cooler provided by the boxed AMD processor should be sufficient to get your system running in the optimal condition, we would recommend that you consider swapping it with a more efficient cooler that runs at lower noise levels. The cooler chosen for this guide is Gigabyte's 3D Cooler-Ultra GT which uses a full copper heatsink and four heatpipes. The fan speed is adjustable so it can be easily tweaked for maximum cooling (if you're overclocking) or low noise.
Other components in your shopping list includes a good power supply, a tower casing sufficiently large to accomodate the current components (and any future upgrades) and a DVD writer. We chose a DVD writer for optical storage because the price of current writers are attractive and they should be good enough as an all-purpose optical storage drive that writes and reads CDs and DVDs. If you want DVD-RAM support, go for a multi-format drive like the Samsung SH-W08A DVD Writer
.
If you look at the total cost above, it will set you back as much as S$4,000 or more, depending on what other components you choose. Note that the price above does not include a monitor and a set of speakers. Do factor those into the cost as well. We assume most of you will be upgrading from an older system, therefore, users normally recycle those hardware.
If you have a lot of spare cash on hand and you want to know what's our dream Athlon 64 PC configuration, here's something you could consider :-
Premium Parts List For The Ultimate 64-bit Desktop
Component
The Ultimate Choice
Est. Price
Motherboard
Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939 or other equivalent
$300-$400
Processor
AMD Athlon 64 FX-53
US$799 (S$1,400)
Graphics Card
ATI RADEON X800XT Platinum Edition
US$499 (S$875)
Memory
4x 1GB DDR400 memory modules
US$900 (S$1,575)
Hard Disk Storage
4x 200GB SATA hard disk drive
$1,040
Cooler
Vapochill LightSpeed 115/230V (LS)
€799 (S$1,600)
Casing
Cooler Master CM Stacker
$300
Power Supply
550W AMD approved power supply
$230
Optical Storage
Multi-Format DVD Writer
$150-$200
Audio
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro 7.1
$380
Speakers
Creative GigaWorks S750 7.1 Speaker System
$949
Removable Storage
Floppy Drive
$15-$20
Keyboard & Mouse
Wireless keyboard and optical mouse combo
$200
Max. Total ---->
$9,169
Prices quoted are in SGD (Singapore Dollars) unless otherwise stated.
We shall not even dwell on the specifics here but hardcore DIYers should know what these goodies are. The price tag? Well, be prepared to spend at least S$9,000 and that's not even including a monitor! Perhaps a system with dual TFT LCD displays? That's entirely up to how deep your bank account goes.
Now that we've got all the components we want, let's move on to building the system.
