Buyer's Guide - Mid-Range, October 2004
by Jarred Walton on October 21, 2004 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Miscellaneous Parts
Our computer system is complete, with the exception of a few small items as well as some optional components. We will cover those here.Networking Recommendation: Integrated in motherboard
Price: Free
We did not mention it earlier, but it is almost impossible to find a modern motherboard that doesn't include a network adapter, and we feel no need to purchase a separate NIC as there is little to no performance difference in normal use. Some users might prefer WiFi networks, in which case, an add-in card is usually required, but we do not have any real recommendation on what to purchase in that segment. If you do use a wireless network, we would like to remind you to enable WEP encryption at the very least, and WPA is preferred, although not as easy to get working without spending more money.
Video Capture Alternative: Hauppauge PVR-250
Price: $128 Shipped (Retail)
Some of our readers have requested suggestions for a video capture device that would allow them to perform TiVo-like functions with their PC. We have had good experience with getting Hauppage's WinTV to function well, and feel comfortable recommending any of their products. The quick summary is that the low-end WinTV Go is a software encoding solution, so you will need more processor power if you choose it, but the systems that we have put together in this Guide are more than capable of handling that. The WinTV PVR-250 and PVR-350 include hardware encoding for MPEG1 and MPEG2, and the PVR-350 also adds video/audio pass through/output to your TV. Both also include a remote, which the WinTV Go lacks. We recommend the PVR-250 as an all-around good choice, as the graphics cards that we have chosen already include TV Out functionality, should you require it. The quality of the PVR-350 TV Output might be slightly better, however.
You can read our recent MythTV and Windows MCE articles on this subject for additional information. Remember to buy a larger hard drive or a secondary hard drive if you plan to use the PVR capability, as digital videos can eat up hard drive space rapidly. Also, the WinTV cards require a compatible VGA card that supports the overlay function, which typically means ATI or NVIDIA add-in cards. Other brands will also work, but we have not personally tested the cards with any integrated graphics configurations.
Keyboard Suggestion: Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboard PS/2
Price: $29 Shipped (OEM)
Mouse Suggestion: Microsoft IntelliMouse Optical
Price: $24 Shipped (OEM)
The choice of keyboard and mouse is a personal decision, so take these suggestions with a grain of salt. If you prefer something else, like a wireless version or something from Logitech or another company, then by all means - get it. What we list here is simply one possibility. It is worth mentioning that OEM parts usually require you to purchase other computer hardware, although many online companies define "hardware" very loosely. Retail versions of these devices can cost almost twice as much.
For the keyboard, heavy typists almost all agree that the split ergonomic keyboards are much more comfortable to use. As we do a lot of typing, we appreciate the value that Microsoft offers. The Natural Multimedia includes a more traditional arrow key layout, although the arrangement of the page up/down, home/end, and insert/delete keys is still different than other keyboards. The function keys also default to different behavior until you press the F-Lock key, which can be somewhat confusing, and unfortunately, the keyboard does not remember this setting when it's restarted. Those are minor complaints, though, and it doesn't take too long to adjust to the new arrangement. Microsoft keyboards are, not surprisingly, supported quite well out of the box on Windows XP. The power of a monopoly can be abused, true, but sometimes it is also very convenient.
Our mouse of choice is the IntelliMouse Optical, a slight step up from the base model 3-button Optical mouse. We like the ability to quickly go forward and backward when surfing web pages, and the tactile "click" of the mouse wheel is nice. The newer Microsoft mice with the tilting wheel do not have a click, and while some will prefer that style of mouse, we do not. Again, it's just one opinion on the subject, so try one out and buy what you like. You can also find some keyboard and mouse bundles that are cheaper than purchasing the two separately.
Operating System Suggestion: Microsoft Windows XP Home/Pro/MCE
Price: $95/$147/$140 Shipped (OEM)
While you can always install Linux on your new system, most users still go with Windows XP. If you want the legal route and save some money, we suggest that you purchase an OEM copy of Windows XP with the rest of your system. For those with home networks, we recommend the Professional version, but most people will not notice a difference between that and the Home edition. An interesting new development is that the Media Center Edition is also available at many online stores for about the same price as XP Pro. It is similar in features to XP Home with some added functionality relating to, amazingly enough, multimedia applications. The major difference is that a compatible hardware MPEG encoder is required. The Hauppauge PVR-250/350 that we mentioned above will work, of course.
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Avalon - Friday, October 22, 2004 - link
For the s754 system, to clarify. Sorry. Wish these posts could be edited :)Avalon - Friday, October 22, 2004 - link
If you wanted to cut an additional ~$50, switch out that MSI K8N Neo Platinum and throw in an Epox 8KDA3J. It's only $73 on newegg, shipped, which is within a dollar or two of the Chaintech VNF-250, but has loads more features. After all, you guys gave the 8KDA3+ an editor's choice award, so why not recommend the "value" board in a mid range rig? It's an option to ponder over.dragonballgtz - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
A $200 CPU would go better with a 9800Pro IMHO for gamers.JarredWalton - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
ksherman, that's basically what I went with, but outside of gaming there is no real need for a fast graphics card. $200 for a graphics card that many people do not want/need is difficult to justify. Rather than create more confusion with talk of gaming alternatives, we are going to look at putting together a Gaming Guide in the near future.The Mid-Range PC is such a broad segment that it is virtually impossible to cover all options without writing a 20,000 word article. This one is already long enough, and that was after I removed the gaming options. Here's the basics, though:
If you want a moderate gaming card for AGP, about the only reasonable choice right now is a 9800 Pro. The 6800/6800GT are too expensive for most people, I think. PCI Express has the 6600GT which tends to be faster than the 9800 Pro by about 10 to 20%. As games are GPU limited in most cases, AMD fans will probably either want to wait for PCI Express motherboards and get a 6600GT, or else bite the bullet and spend $360+ on a 6800GT. Ouch. :)
Beenthere - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
Nice guide. Lotta work !!!I think the biggest issue for most folks looking to build a new PC or even to upgrade within a budget, is prioritizing. As you can see from the comments above, gamers always want a top-of-the-line Video card even when this takes a big bite outta the budget. To do that you gotta cut cost some place else and that may compromise the total system performance.
Seems to me that an easy means to quantify and qualify the real options for an individual system would be by listing the hardware categories as you've done on a spreadsheet then plug in the hardware and prices accordingly. I think some folks would be surprised to see how their total system price climbs way beyond their original budget when you add $50. here and there to get the "best" of a particular component or to step up to the next level of component.
As you pointed out, sometimes like with memory, buying the lowest latency modules may cost more than moving up 200 MHz in CPU speed, so the CPU may be a better choice. Your guide and recommendations give PC builders a great head start on getting the most bang-for-their-buck.
Thanks for the effort!
ksherman - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
also, I think that a good description for a mid range system should be a system with a good amount of power (hence the processor choice) with out the price premium. I like mid-ranges because they offer the power i need with the versitility to do anything I will need to do for a while down the road.ksherman - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
It is kinda weird that you recommend such a low-end card for a mid-range system... to me (as everyone else has stated) the 6600 and 9800's should be in the midrange systems. 9600 and similar should be put into low-end systems... in regards to the x300, you state that it is good for those not into gaming so much as other "basic computing tasks", I think that something like that belongs in the low-end systems category.JarredWalton - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
I have made a few minor corrections, and I also added a $1000 AMD 754 system to the summary page, for those that might feel $1250 is too much. :)#3: Corrected, thanks. MB, GB... sometimes my fingers have a mind of their own.
#7: RAID 1 hardware controllers should not incur any noticeable performance penalty, as they simply tell both hard drives to write the same data. Better RAID 1 controllers will actually have improved read performance, as they can pull data from two sources. I have not done any extensive testing of this, however, and would guess that most integrated RAID controllers lack that feature. If anyone knows for sure, speak up.
#12: I didn't put much of an emphasis on gaming, as I hope to cover that more in an upcoming Gaming Guide. We'll see if that gets a green light - it's been a while since we covered that topic in depth, I think, although the Doom 3 craze touched on it.
#15: Stay tuned. That's all I will say for now. The Pioneer is still a good choice, though.
#16: Is that typo corrected now? If not, which page are you seeing that on, since I checked both the Display and Summary pages for the error.
Thanks!
Desslok - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
That monitor costs as much as the whole system would?NEC/Mitsubishi FE991SB-BK 19" 1274?????
deathwalker - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
Great article...I am a little surprised at the Optical Drive choice of the NEC 3500A @ $73, reason being is that you just reviewed the Pioneer 108 and called it the best drive reviewed to date and its only $78.