NationStates Jolt Archive

Over and Over again, I hear about how it's cheaper to build your own computer than buy them. How true is this? I am looking for a machine that can run high end games (FSX) with 2GB of memory, Duo Cores, DVD Player, good graphic card that supports Shader 2.0. and a big HD. Now already I can see this going into the $2,000 range if I buy it from a store, but what about if I build it myself?

www.newegg.com
www.tigerdirect.com
www.google.com

I built my own system that will play all current games and all future games, INCLUDING DX10 based games with full detail graphics.

The price? $1200. Much cheaper than a comparable Dell, Alienware, Gateway, HP/Compaq, Falcon Northwest computer.

I prefer my own built systems because:

a) I know what the hell I put in it instead of having to guess what was used
b) It does not have proprietary parts in it
c) Costs less to build.
d) I know what I'm doing with a computer
e) They are fun to build

I built my own system that will play all current games and all future games, INCLUDING DX10 based games with full detail graphics.

The price? $1200. Much cheaper than a comparable Dell, Alienware, Gateway, HP/Compaq, Falcon Northwest computer.

I prefer my own built systems because:

a) I know what the hell I put in it instead of having to guess what was used
b) It does not have proprietary parts in it
c) Costs less to build.
d) I know what I'm doing with a computer
e) They are fun to build

Well, I have never built a system in my life, so I'm a little umm cautious about the whole venture. Would you mind posting your specs?

Well, I have never built a system in my life, so I'm a little umm cautious about the whole venture. Would you mind posting your specs?

It's not that hard, and if you need a hand, I'll give you some help. Not a problem :)

Supermicro SuperChasis 742T-650 w/7 hot swap SATA bays:

http://www.supermicro.com/products/chassis/4U/742/SC742T-650.cfm

Tyan K8E-SLI (S2866) Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 4800+ Socket 939
4GB DDR400 Non-ECC Unbuffered
Dual eVGA GeForce 7800GT PCI-E x16 (DX9 cards but does/will have DX10 compatibility)
3ware 9500-8LP SATA RAID Card running in a PCI slot
2 x 36GB Western Digital Raptor 10K RPM SATA drive (Windows XP SP2 64-bit Operating System, RAID1)
2 x 74GB Western Digital Raptor 10K RPM SATA drives (RAID0, Games and programs)
2 x 250GB Hitachi SATA 3.0GB/s drives (RAID1, backups, storage, media)
Creative SoundBlaster Audigy 4

$1600-6000

$1600-6000

???

Over and Over again, I hear about how it's cheaper to build your own computer than buy them. How true is this? I am looking for a machine that can run high end games (FSX) with 2GB of memory, Duo Cores, DVD Player, good graphic card that supports Shader 2.0. and a big HD. Now already I can see this going into the $2,000 range if I buy it from a store, but what about if I build it myself?

Ram - $230 to $400
Vid Card - Anywhere from $180 to $800
P4 Duo/ Athlon64x2 - $200 to $600
DVD Player (Not a burner) - $60
HD - Usually about $1/ Gig
Motherboard to hold it all together - $90 to $350 (usually includes a sound card, a NIC, and other oddities such as USB and FireWire)
Monitor - $120 to $400
Case & Power Supply - I've never payed more than $90, depends on how 'cool' you want your case to look

You could 'pull it off' for around $1200, but with greater power comes greater cost.
I'd probably get a vid card around 350, and a second CD/DVD Burner Drive. Even a low end P4 Duo should be enough for what you need, unless you doing something like video editing. $1500 to $1800 should be more than enough.

???
My computer cost me about that much (it meets his specs). Considering price drops and the fact I did not order a display, I think it is still a reasonable baseline. The $6000 is for a full blown Conroe with twin 8800 GTX XXX's the leetest 2GB of RAM and RAID 0 Raptors.

My computer cost me about that much (it meets his specs). Considering price drops and the fact I did not order a display, I think it is still a reasonable baseline. The $6000 is for a full blown Conroe with twin 8800 GTX XXX's the leetest 2GB of RAM and RAID 0 Raptors.

No 32" LCD?

My computer cost me about that much (it meets his specs). Considering price drops and the fact I did not order a display, I think it is still a reasonable baseline. The $6000 is for a full blown Conroe with twin 8800 GTX XXX's the leetest 2GB of RAM and RAID 0 Raptors.

Ahh yeah..

Those 8800GTX cards.. mmm...

No 32" LCD?

20" and 17" here.

No 32" LCD?

Telus gave me a 19" LCD for using their crappy internet. When the contract expires, we are so back on Shaw.

Telus gave me a 19" LCD for using their crappy internet. when the contract expires, we are so back on Shaw.

Ugh. Well, at least you got something.

Ugh. Well, at least you got something.
LOL. Only reason to use Telus. My DL speed are about half of what I was getting on Shaw.

LOL. Only reason to use Telus. My DL speed are about half of what I was getting on Shaw.

What are your speeds?

I don't use Telus, but back when I was home in NJ, USA I had 10mbit down, 1mbit up. Ironically now they have 30mbit down, 2 mbit up for only $25/month more.

But.. I am spoiled here at work. 1Gbit up AND down if I can find a server that will serve those kinds of speeds..

*skims through topic*

I still don't see the point of two 8800 GTX SLI. It's like dropping two nukes instead of just the one; you only needed one!

What are your speeds?

I don't use Telus, but back when I was home in NJ, USA I had 10mbit down, 1mbit up. Ironically now they have 30mbit down, 2 mbit up for only $25/month more.

But.. I am spoiled here at work. 1Gbit up AND down if I can find a server that will serve those kinds of speeds..

3Mbps down, 640Kbps up.

On Shaw I had 5 down and 512 up. And of course, Shaw just lowered their prices so that both connections cost the same. But if we stuck with the $48/month (which Shaw probably would have let swing I'd have 10 down 1 up.

*skims through topic*

I still don't see the point of two 8800 GTX SLI. It's like dropping two nukes instead of just the one; you only needed one!

3D Mark 07

*skims through topic*

I still don't see the point of two 8800 GTX SLI. It's like dropping two nukes instead of just the one; you only needed one!

1 nuke is all that's needed, sure.

But the second nuke is just for kicks.

Not to mention that someone's e-penis will get a bit larger..

*skims through topic*

I still don't see the point of two 8800 GTX SLI. It's like dropping two nukes instead of just the one; you only needed one!

Bragging rights.

Over and Over again, I hear about how it's cheaper to build your own computer than buy them. How true is this? I am looking for a machine that can run high end games (FSX) with 2GB of memory, Duo Cores, DVD Player, good graphic card that supports Shader 2.0. and a big HD. Now already I can see this going into the $2,000 range if I buy it from a store, but what about if I build it myself?

Computer I've been using since Septermber and am using right now is the one I built myself. Would have cost me ~$4000 storebought. Price was about ~$1200 with the parts and all that. It's not that hard to build a computer. You have to be very careful, obviously, but everything is clear, simple, and easy.
Ram - $230 to $400
Vid Card - Anywhere from $180 to $800
P4 Duo/ Athlon64x2 - $200 to $600
DVD Player (Not a burner) - $60
HD - Usually about $1/ Gig
Motherboard to hold it all together - $90 to $350 (usually includes a sound card, a NIC, and other oddities such as USB and FireWire)
Monitor - $120 to $400
Case & Power Supply - I've never payed more than $90, depends on how 'cool' you want your case to look

You could 'pull it off' for around $1200, but with greater power comes greater cost.
I'd probably get a vid card around 350, and a second CD/DVD Burner Drive. Even a low end P4 Duo should be enough for what you need, unless you doing something like video editing. $1500 to $1800 should be more than enough.

Where the hell are you buying your stuff from? I've got a DVD-RW Burner in my computer for less than $30. Got it off of NewEgg. Also have a 320 GB SATA drive for only $99. (Course it was OEM, but meh...)

Also have a 320 GB SATA drive for only $99. (Course it was OEM, but meh...)

SATA? Boo. IDE 4 lyfe.

SATA? Boo. IDE 4 lyfe.

SCSI :D

Ok, so my next question would obviously be, where can I find a list of things that I would actually need to buy to make a functioning computer?

SCSI :D

SCSI is weird and confusing.

Ok, so my next question would obviously be, where can I find a list of things that I would actually need to buy to make a functioning computer?

Required:

Case
Motherboard
CPU
RAM
Video Card
Hard drive
Power Supply

Optional:

Sound Card
Physics card

http://www.newegg.com is your best bet, IMO.

Ok, so my next question would obviously be, where can I find a list of things that I would actually need to buy to make a functioning computer?

Motherboard
RAM
Processor
Power supply
Case
HDD
CD/DVD drive

If you want to game with it, you'll also want a graphics card, and possibly a sound card.

SCSI is weird and confusing.

Ehh..maybe.

Though IDE jumpers are the worst!

Ehh..maybe.

Though IDE jumpers are the worst!

They're not that bad, you just need a bit of experience with them.

They're not that bad, you just need a bit of experience with them.

A little experience with SCSI and it shan't seem that bad either.

Motherboard
RAM
Processor
Power supply
Case
HDD
CD/DVD drive

If you want to game with it, you'll also want a graphics card, and possibly a sound card.

You NEED some kind of video processor and Integrated Graphics is not much use. I'd reccomend anyone get at leat a Geforce 7300 or Radeon 1300 unless they plan not to even watch DVD's.

Integrated sound is usually just fine unless you want 7.1 with absolutely PERFECT sound quality (well not quite but you do need to be an audiophile to see any real improvement). Plus, most higher-end motherboards can handle 5.1 no sweat anyway.

And you need a monitor (although that can be recycled from an older PC unlike most componenets).

What about wirings and buttons and all that stuff?

You NEED some kind of video processor and Integrated Graphics is not much use. I'd reccomend anyone get at leat a Geforce 7300 or Radeon 1300 unless they plan not to even watch DVD's.

No, you don't NEED a graphics card; integrated is almost always present, and that's enough to create a functional computer.

What about wirings and buttons and all that stuff?

You'll get a manual with the motherboard.

What about wirings and buttons and all that stuff?

It's like Lego Tchnik but more expensive :p

Seriously, just about all the sockets and cables are standardised and very easy to deal with. You just need to follow the instructions decently.

Dual eVGA GeForce 7800GT PCI-E x16 (DX9 cards but does/will have DX10 compatibility)

It doesn't have any additional DX10 features, and it won't be able to run DX10 games in DX10 mode. The only cards currently capable of that are GeForce 8800s.

SATA? Boo. IDE 4 lyfe.

A joke, I hope?
SATA is much less cluttering than old parallel IDE, and faster (although with current disks it won't make any difference), and you'll be able to fit more than two (maybe four, if you're lucky) devices to a modern mainboard if you use SATA.

No, you don't NEED a graphics card; integrated is almost always present, and that's enough to create a functional computer.

No, it's not almost always present; most mid- to high-end mainboards do not come with integrated graphics. Only mainboards for cheapo machines and OEMs bother.

Wilgrove: Tom's Hardware recently did a "build a computer" guide. They're generally good, so you can find it here (http://tomshardware.co.uk/howto/index.html). That's the UK site, it won't let me at the US site, but it's all the same. There are plenty of other guides on the web, too.

One important thing to consider that nobody's mentioned: Get a decent PSU. Don't get some nameless tat; get something of a decent wattage (at least 450W nowadays, more if you're planning on a high-end or two graphics cards) from a respectable brand like Enermax or Seasonic. Look for reviews before you buy it.

One important thing to consider that nobody's mentioned: Get a decent PSU. Don't get some nameless tat; get something of a decent wattage (at least 450W nowadays, more if you're planning on a high-end or two graphics cards) from a respectable brand like Enermax or Seasonic. Look for reviews before you buy it.

Same goes for RAM and hard drives as well. Generic tat WILL come back and bite you in the ass.

Corsair, Crucial, Kingston and the like do good RAM for good prices especially when you shop around. If you want to overclock then maybe OCZ, Mushkin or Geil (they tend to be a bit pricier but a little more tweakable)

Same goes for RAM and hard drives as well. Generic tat WILL come back and bite you in the ass.

Corsair, Crucial, Kingston and the like do good RAM for good prices especially when you shop around. If you want to overclock then maybe OCZ, Mushkin or Geil (they tend to be a bit pricier but a little more tweakable)

Oh yes, damn straight.
Well, you don't really get "generic" HDDs (but I'd counsel against Maxtor), but generic RAM == your doom. I've had problems with Kingston Value RAM, too, but that might've been a cheapo mainboard.

Oh yes, damn straight.
Well, you don't really get "generic" HDDs (but I'd counsel against Maxtor), but generic RAM == your doom. I've had problems with Kingston Value RAM, too, but that might've been a cheapo mainboard.

My house uses Crucial Value in just about everything, other than laptops which come with their own memory but even then if we upgraded we'd just whizz over to the Crucial website to sort it. Nothing mucked up yet (well, other than my parents ancient Athlon in the office PC going 'wibble' every so often, but neither of them really use it anymore).

HDD's don;t tend to be generic but as you say there is always Maxtor...

Mind you, Seagate is pretty much default, just for their warranty unless you want a Raptor or something to be obscenely fast for gaming load times.

My house uses Crucial Value in just about everything, other than laptops which come with their own memory but even then if we upgraded we'd just whizz over to the Crucial website to sort it. Nothing mucked up yet (well, other than my parents ancient Athlon in the office PC going 'wibble' every so often, but neither of them really use it anymore).

HDD's don;t tend to be generic but as you say there is always Maxtor...

Mind you, Seagate is pretty much default, just for their warranty unless you want a Raptor or something to be obscenely fast for gaming load times.

I would trust a Seagate and Maxtor only as far as I could throw them. Though if I had to pick the lesser of two evils, I would go with Seagate.

I've had much better experience dealing with Western Digital drives (Raptor and non-Raptor) and Hitachi drives.

For RAM, Corsair, Crucial, and Kingston are all I'll have.

For video cards, I usually go with price per performance - ATI or Nvidia, doesn't matter to me.

For power supplies/chassis I would personally go with something from Supermicro. That's what I get for working in an enterprise server environment! They are quite expensive and definitely geared towards enterprise environments.

To each his own really.. some of us will get lemons no matter what brand we use.

I would trust a Seagate and Maxtor only as far as I could throw them. Though if I had to pick the lesser of two evils, I would go with Seagate.

I've had much better experience dealing with Western Digital drives (Raptor and non-Raptor) and Hitachi drives.

For RAM, Corsair, Crucial, and Kingston are all I'll have.

For video cards, I usually go with price per performance - ATI or Nvidia, doesn't matter to me.

For power supplies/chassis I would personally go with something from Supermicro. That's what I get for working in an enterprise server environment! They are quite expensive and definitely geared towards enterprise environments.

To each his own really.. some of us will get lemons no matter what brand we use.

To hell with a hard drive. Get yourself a RAMSAN.

Wilgrove, as others have said, if you want a better computer for a lower price, built it. In regards to what Compulsive Depression said, I can only agree. Personally, I have a Fortron 530 watt power supply, while my roommate has an Antec Neopower 480 watt modular power supply. Avoid brands like Powmax and almost all power supplies that come with the case (they're system killers, Antec psu's not included). If you see an Ultra power supply, run away screaming (they're a re-branded and blinged out Powmax psu).

If you decide to build a system and run into trouble with building it, post here. I'm sure that between the other people on this thread and myself, we can talk you through any problems you might have.

Hmmm... I agree with most of what these people are saying. Except about generic RAM. I have very generic RAM and have never had a problem with it.

But yeah, building a computer yourself is generally cheaper for 2 reasons.

The first is that most premade computers are sold to people who aren't really that savy about computers and so can be made to pay over the odds. There are people out there who would pay the same price for processor, whether it be a Celeron, P4, CoreDuo or whatever - just so long as the clock speed is the same.

The second is that you can haggle when you buy parts of an independent retailer. Why not buy off the internet? Because you can't haggle. If you're confident you can haggle most retailers down to internet prices and then get some freebies thrown in. If not, then try another seller (the trick here is to be socialable and friendly [hard for most computers geeks I understand] and to not commit to buying immediately). Some sellers will even offer to build the system for you if they think it's the hook that will close the deal. And finally, on top of that, with a small scale retailer you can get the face-to-face-only discount when paying in cash (again this discount will only typically be offered if you are on positive terms with the seller). In the UK that's ~20%. Though there is the trade off of not getting a receipt.

This place (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/?source=TradeDoubler) is down the road from me at uni. Looking there makes me wish I'd built my own tbh. I trusted mine to a custom build company (cos I know fuck all) and they've lumped me with a load of shit parts whilst lying to me. I've got a sempron chip ffs. Sempron. I can't even fucking upgrade without buying a new motherboard either :mad:

Over and Over again, I hear about how it's cheaper to build your own computer than buy them. How true is this? I am looking for a machine that can run high end games (FSX) with 2GB of memory, Duo Cores, DVD Player, good graphic card that supports Shader 2.0. and a big HD. Now already I can see this going into the $2,000 range if I buy it from a store, but what about if I build it myself?

it's not that hard to build one but to fix it is another matter, that warranty you get with a new computer is well worth it.....if you're a techie build your own, if not store bought is best...

Well I built my own machine and well damned worth I'd say. Only thing is, before setting out to build my comp I didnt know jack squat about the parts, so I spent a month learning, reading, talking with geek-friends, revisiing shopping lists and such before I finally got the stuff.

And then a week later AMD cut its prices on its X2 line in half cuz of Intel.. and ZipZoomFly told me I could have a refund... DOH!

Newegg is an excelent online store btw.

Also, BIY comps are a lot cheaper if you know where to get the programs from. I'm saying anything in particular, but I've "saved" over a thousand dollars on essential programs.

Any how hope that was helpful in the least...at least.

A little update here. I have begun my list of things to get for my computer. Since this is my own computer I have decided to name it

Concordev1.0

Here is what I have so far, and tell me what you guys think.

Now I couldn't decide which motherboard with the AMD chip to get so I hope y'all will put in your input.

MSI RD480 Neo2-FI ATI Socket 939 ATX Motherboard and an AMD Athlon 64 4000+ 2.40GHz OEM Processor
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2665511&CatId=2018

MSI K8NGM2-L NVIDIA Socket 939 MicroATX Motherboard / Audio / Video / PCI Express / 10/100 Ethernet LAN / USB 2.0 / Serial ATA
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2366193&CatId=2017

CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145579

Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC ATX 430W Power Supply 115/230 V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153023

PNY VCG88GTSXPB GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133188

SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series SP2514N 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822152031

DIAMOND XtremeSound XS71DDL 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16829111002


Power Up Black 336 ATX Mid-Tower Case with Fron USB and Audio Ports
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2078845&Sku=TC3J-4509

IC Power 17" LCD Monitor, 450:1 contrast ratio
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3300983

So what do you guys think?

I've forgot the CD/DVD/Burner.

G Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE Super-Multi DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16827136103

A little update here. I have begun my list of things to get for my computer. Since this is my own computer I have decided to name it

Concordev1.0

Here is what I have so far, and tell me what you guys think.

Now I couldn't decide which motherboard with the AMD chip to get so I hope y'all will put in your input.

WAI!? Are you getting an AMD!? Intel's better!

WAI!? Are you getting an AMD!? Intel's better!

Meh, I've heard it both ways "AMD is better" or "Intel is better". Jeez.

Meh, I've heard it both ways "AMD is better" or "Intel is better". Jeez.

Intel's pulled ahead with Core 2. Much better than anything AMD can offer right now.

Intel's pulled ahead with Core 2. Much better than anything AMD can offer right now.

Yea, but FSX (the game this system is being built for) won't take full advantage of it. However it will take full advantage of DX10, so thats why I got the expensive graphic card.

Yea, but FSX (the game this system is being built for) won't take full advantage of it. However it will take full advantage of DX10, so thats why I got the expensive graphic card.

You're building a computer for FLIGHT SIMULATOR?

For those who are wondering, like I am Concorde will cost close to $1,320. So I can really live with that. :)

You're building a computer for FLIGHT SIMULATOR?

Ummm yea....

Let's face it I am obsessed with aviation. :D

A flight sim fan! A dying breed you guys are. Hey, upgrade to a 4:3 19 incher if you can. The price increase won't break your knees, and you'll love the additional screen real estate.

A flight sim fan! A dying breed you guys are. Hey, upgrade to a 4:3 19 incher if you can. The price increase won't break your knees, and you'll love the additional screen real estate.

I'm also a real world pilot! Whoot! :D

Same goes for RAM and hard drives as well. Generic tat WILL come back and bite you in the ass.

Corsair, Crucial, Kingston and the like do good RAM for good prices especially when you shop around. If you want to overclock then maybe OCZ, Mushkin or Geil (they tend to be a bit pricier but a little more tweakable)

Mushkin's warranty sucks; avoid them. OCZ has a lifetime warranty, which is why my new RAM came from them.

A little update here. I have begun my list of things to get for my computer. Since this is my own computer I have decided to name it

Concordev1.0

-snip-

OK. I don't really like either motherboard you picked. The first one uses a old chipset. Get something with an NForce 4 (NF4) chipset (if you plan on sticking with S939). The second one uses an ATI chipset so your NVIDIA card may not perform as well as it can. That said, NVIDIA is probably only considering performance for the 8800 on its newest Intel and AMD chipsets. As for the "AMD rulz" and "Intel pwns" stuff. That is caused by the two being relatively close over the years. AMD has been considerably better at gaming than Intel, until this June. Now the Intel Conroe chips are like 40% faster. I'd get this mobo http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2366122&CatId=2438 and get a Core 2 Duo to go with it.

Read the reveiws for the RAM you selected. Every person had it crap out on them. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227047 would be a better choice. They have a lifetime warranty and much better reviows. Worth the extra $35 bucks.

The power supply you pick will not be able to handle your graphics card. Get this case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129155 it comes with a very reliable power supply. Going with an underpowered power supply is like putting bicycle tires on a Viper: The tires are going to vapourize and you will be left with significant damage to the rest of the car. It is also a much quieter case than what you picked.

Get a SATA drive. You picked an Ultra ATA drive, which is a slower connection and has higher latencies. I know that MSFSX is quite hard on hard disks as it has alot of shaders and junk to load. This will not be a to cut corners for you. Western Digital Raptors are they fastest on the market, but are expensive and quite small. Seagate has a good warranty, if you don't want to pawn your grandma to get the Raptor. Due to geometry, higher capacity drives are faster.

Ditch the sound card all together. Unless you have five hundred dollar speakers, there will be no sound quality difference as your speakers are too crappy.

I thought you said big display? 17" is small. 19" is average. 20"+ is big.

EDIT: I forgot to bitch about your DVD drive. It is only DVD+R. You'll want DVD+RW or DVD+-RW. So you can use rewritable DVDs. Rewritables are quite handy for backing up.

I'm mean because I care.;)

EDIT: EDIT: I recommended RAM not compatible with your mobo. How embarrassing.

I would strongly suggest you don't get a Socket 939 system.

If you must get an AMD system at the moment then make it socket AM2. Reasons: There's a much higher (ie. higher than 0) chance of being able to upgrade the CPU in the future, and DDR2 RAM is much more likely to be re-useable in your next machine (as DDR RAM is already a "legacy component").

Secondly, I'd strongly suggest a dual-core CPU (if you must have AMD, an Athlon64 X2), because otherwise you'll only wind up upgrading it in a year or so. They're not expensive enough to discourage you any more.

Thirdly, the Intel Core2Duo CPUs are currently far superior to AMD's Athlon64 X2 series. The cheapest, the E6300, is $191 from TigerDirect, compared to the cheapest X2's, the 3800+, $145. Worth it, IMO; Flight Sim X running at full whack will probably require a lot of horsepower, and getting a low-end CPU with an 8800 just seems wrong ;)
Read reviews for mainboards here; there's quite a variety fore Core2Duo, moreso than with AM2 and Socket939, and they each have strengths and weaknesses.

For reference, I have a Socket 939 system with an Athlon64 4000+, which I built in February/March. It's still a very strong machine, but I wouldn't recommend you bought it now.

Finally, I'd like to say TigerDirect's site is rubbish. It kept breaking my back button!

Edit: I also agree with everything Posi said, apart from possibly the sound card (although I wouldn't get the one you picked - an X-Fi if anything, at the moment), and would also suggest a slightly beefier PSU. It also strikes me as being excessively cheap; I don't know if Thermaltake are any good. The 8800 is pretty power-hungry, so don't skimp here.

My changes bring your total to $1500 Canadian without the monitor.

For reference, I have a Socket 939 system with an Athlon64 4000+, which I built in February/March. It's still a very strong machine, but I wouldn't recommend you bought it now.
Built mine around the same time. Just with a dual core Opteron 165.

Built mine around the same time. Just with a dual core Opteron 165.

I considered dual core, but it was too rich for my blood. I also prefer taking a fast-ish CPU and then overclocking it, rather than banking on the overclock.

I considered dual core, but it was too rich for my blood. I also prefer taking a fast-ish CPU and then overclocking it, rather than banking on the overclock.
Mine was at 2.2*GHz. Been their most of its life. In the summer I underclock it, because its fresh boot temp is higher than a heavy load temp now.

It is at 1.8 (stock) as I have new RAM in it, and have forgotten to move it back up. Plus, I got the Opteron as much for its longevity (I know I kill that OCing) as its OC ability.

I like the extra core. I don't lag when compiling.

Ok, so I change the motherboard to this.

Asus P5NSLI NVIDIA Socket 775 ATX Motherboard / Audio / PCI Express / SLI Ready / Gigabit LAN / S/PDIF / USB 2.0 / Serial ATA / RAID
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2366122&CatId=2438

The RAM that Posi recommended isn't compatible so unless someone suggest something else, I'm going with the RAM I picked.

I also change the case and power supply with this

Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Piano Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450Watt SmartPower 2.0 ATX 12V V2.0 for AMD & Intel systems Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129155

I'll ditch the sound card, I really don't care that much about sound lol. :p I'm a visual guy.

Ok, so I change the motherboard to this.

Asus P5NSLI NVIDIA Socket 775 ATX Motherboard / Audio / PCI Express / SLI Ready / Gigabit LAN / S/PDIF / USB 2.0 / Serial ATA / RAID
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2366122&CatId=2438

The RAM that Posi recommended isn't compatible so unless someone suggest something else, I'm going with the RAM I picked.

I also change the case and power supply with this

Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Piano Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450Watt SmartPower 2.0 ATX 12V V2.0 for AMD & Intel systems Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129155

I'll ditch the sound card, I really don't care that much about sound lol. :p I'm a visual guy.
I had already changed to RAM that is compatible. The RAM you selected I can assure you is not.

Build a list of what you got so far.

Built mine around the same time. Just with a dual core Opteron 165.

THats funny, I had a 4000+ but noticed in about febuary that I could sell it on ebay for £200 and buy an opteron 165 for the same price. and clock it higher too. Now theres nowhere to go with a 939 mobo though. such a shame. After the R600 we might need to move.

Build your own computer, FTW!