Building a Computer.."again"..need help!

[Azure]

Just in the process of building my daughter a new computer, and I really don't want to have to research every part on my own again.

Any hints on the best motherboard, hard drive, chip, soundcard, video card etc?

Doesn't have to be screaming fast, our PIII 450 can handle her needs so far but looking to the future?

I know we can pick up a package at a wholesale club cheaper, but we've always had quality built computers, and never the hassle that our friends have had. Heck, our 486 is still purring.

[InFinRetirement]

One way that would give you a good high end middle of the road is an ATX tower (£50-60ish) Supermicro P6SBA Motherboard (£60ish) a Celeron 533mhz (£70ish) and an Matrox G400 graphics card (£110ish) they all work VERY well together. The other peripherals are just a question of choice.

The board is good because it has USB and it takes the 66mhz Chip. Got one so I know. I've got a 533 now and it goes like stink.

Hope it helps anyway.

[Mice]

Azure,
I note you are in Canada, so this info has to be read in context with the price & availability of parts there. I assume InFInRetirement did not notice this, as pommy prices are not much use to you.

1. The first question is as always *What is it to be used for?* If only for the internet, or wordprocessing, even a 486 is sufficient, however, if the latest games are the go, then the video subsystem is very dependent on that. The other big deal is whether you want to do heavy duty graphics work. That will impact the CPU and RAM requirements moreso.

2. Second major question is, *What do you want to outlay for this?*

Only when these two questions are answered, could anyone give appropriate direction on the hardware requirements.
You may want to consider building a new one for yourself, and the daughter gets the 450. You must know by now that as soon as you complete the thing, it will be obsolete!

Asking for future requirements ensures you get only one answer - get the best/latest/fastest that money can buy right now (i.e. Athlon/PIII 1000), but the cost?

Generally all things come down to a price/performance tradeoff. Only after you can answer question 1 & 2 could you get more appropriate advice. I ask this of all my customers who ask me that very question.

I await your requirements.

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When all else fails, read the manual!

[InFinRetirement]

No. Didn't notice you were in Canada. Don't see that it makes any difference. The prices will certainly be cheaper. And the Matrox card is made there! :)

[Azure]

Mice

Question 1: Probably internet, word processing but she is hinting at a digital camera, and she does download a crap load of music files onto our system. Note: a good CD burner a must.

Second Q: I'd love to say $500.00, but I'm sure by the time we're done, at least $1200.00 to 1500.00.

One computer guru source told me the Athlon P3 wasn't as great as it sounds, sort of like a Pentium on crutches, didn't have time to ask him what that meant exactly? Thats why I hate to buy anything on one source, sort of like reading Windows magazine and saying, yea, thats the best out there!

But, I'm kinda looking at the Celeron, with an Asus or Abit motherboard. Most people that I've talked to that have one, are happy. So far!

We have an Abit on our 450, the only problems we had, was trying to get it running smooth under windows 95 with our cable internet connection, found it easier to go out and buy 98.

[Azure]

InFinRetirment:

That's okey, I guess I should have posted that....are we really that much cheaper here? I know our dollar is almost half the americans so we've been pretty lucky that our computer parts and prices are not much off theirs.

I haven't checked differnce in our currencies lately, but 60ish and 70ish sound good to me :) . In canadian dollars that is.

[Grandad Flyer]

I am a bit of a computer novice, but am looking to upgrade my computer.
I currently have a Cyrix 6x86, 31mb RAM and 4Gb hard drive.
I use the computer for internet, word processing, and a few other things.
I would like something that is a bit faster on the internet and generally.
I have been told that it is relatively easy to build your own computer.
I've only ever installed stuff like a CD-Rom drive before.
Receommended to me was: AMDK62, 550MHz, a TMC motherboard and PC100 64mb RAM. And possibly adding a second hard drive of 15Gb. (Using first one as a back up - although currently I think I only have about 1/2 of my hard drive used). Total cost with HD and new tower was around £340.
Any advice much appreciated, on choice, building my own, whether I should upgrade more, whether it will be noticeably faster, etc. Ta.