I'm taking a hardware class for an IT degree. For the class I'll be building an AMD P5202 basic system. What are your experiences with this system and what tweaks should I consider?

I would like to use this system for gaming and entertainment. I was thinking that once it was built, I wanted to add a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RW, a sound card capable of handling 5.1 surround and MIDI input, and most of the games today, most notably Sims 2 and its expansions.

Here are the specs from the school's website:

P5202 Base System

which includes the following:
AMD® Sempron™ 2800+ 333MHz FSB CPU
• 512MB PC3200 DDR Memory
• Western Digital 40G 7200RPM 8MB Cache Hard Drive
• PowerColor Radeon 7000 VE 32MB DDR Video Card
• Lite On 52X/32X/52X CD-RW: CDR-LO-52-32-52
• 1.44 Sony Floppy Drive
• Integrated 10/100 Network
• 16bit Integrated Audio
• Creative Labs SBS230 2 Piece Speakers
• ABIT KV7 KT-600 Mainboard
• ATX Mid Tower Case (350W Power Supply)
• 3 Available 5.25in. Bay, 1 Available 3.5in. Bay
• Keytronic Keyboard
• Optical Wheel Mouse
• 4 USB 2.0 Ports, 1 Parallel Port
• 6 Total PCI Slots

So, what can I do to have this system do what I want it to? Also, Where can I get a decent monitor without breaking the bank?

Any recommendations?

Thanks for your help,

Jason
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Hi Jason, welcome to the forums. I'm not really clear why you'd want to make that particular configuration, it's all significantly below the quality of the machine outlined in this thread.

That would give you a SATA [raid if you want it] system, onboard gigabit networking, onboard firewire, all in all it's superior board, and only costs about $30 more than the Abit you're looking at.

A 40 gig hard drive is very small by today's standards, why not go with an 80 gig SATA unit, which, again, costs only a little bit more, and is much faster than the IDE drives, and has twice the room.

Check out that thread, and a few more like it and see what you think.

As for monitors, my current favorite is the Samsung Synchmaster 710-n-2 LCD monitor, currently available for about $330 US from zipzoomfly.com. Excellent quality monitor, very good value. Due to the potential for long term vision damage I'd strongly recommend serious computer users to avoid CRT monitors in general.
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I haven't recieved the kit yet, but my school is getting the parts in bulk so everyone in the class will be building the same basic system. It's also possible that they haven't updated the page in a while as well. If I had my druthers, I would build the system that you mention in the other thread.

Thanks for the advice about the monitor and the HD. Are there any other components I should consider upgrading after I finish the class? I may just keep this system the way it is for experience and then build a whole new system using the architecture recommended elsewhere.



Thanks,

Jason
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I would keep the system the way it is if you have no further options. It will be fairly fast, Abit does make good quality boards, that's just a close out type item, very end of the production run, very few features.

However, it's all so limited there would be very little point in changing anything in it, except maybe the hard drive. When you want to really upgrade, maybe next year, just go for a 64 bit board, with an AMD Opteron type processor, by next year those prices will be a lot lower, and Linux and Windows support will be better too, although of course Linux support is already available, that's real 64 bit, not the pretend 64 bit that MS is working with if I've understood their vague press releases correctly.

There's no real space in the case, although at least the mobo has enough pci slots to add the stuff you'll need, like firewire etc.

For Gaming the video card is pretty basic I think, that's actually pretty much the same video card I use. For all normal users all decent quality cards like that, 32 mB etc, namebrand, are more than enough. Only real gamers should even consider getting something better. Or if you are planning on using dual monitors it can be nice, but not essential, to use a dual output video card.

If you run into any problems feel free to ask, but a setup that simple, no raid etc, is really pretty simple to make, my first box I did to prepare for a programming class some years ago, it's very good practice.

Important things to keep in mind when building a computer
This advice applies whether it's your first computer or your 100th: STATIC ELECTRICITY TOASTS MEMORY AND CPUs. And any other electronic component. Never touch any metal part of the cpu, memory, or motherboard. Especially the parts that create the connections to the mobo.

Hold all parts by their edges, push them into place with your thumbs on the top of them.

The processor drops into place without any resistence, if you have to apply any force whatsoever to get it to drop into the processor socket, you have it misaligned. Sometimes pushing the processor locking lever takes more force than you would expect. This is normal. But if you somehow crack it, the mobo is gone, you can't fix it. The processor only fits in one way.

By far the most risky part of assembling a new computer is getting the cpu fan mounted on the cpu. The CPU is a ceramic based object and can crack if you misapply the pressure, or try slipping the cooling unit on at an angle. Do not do this.

Make sure that there is some type of cooling compound on the heatsink before you mount it, and that if it has protective tape over it, that you remove it. Some newer AMDs don't have protective tape, but instead come with a little plastic cover over the cooling compound. Do not touch the actual thermal tape or strip with your fingers, your fingers have oil on them, and that severely inhibits the cooling ability of the thermal material.

On some motherboards it is very hard to push in pci cards and memory sticks. Sometimes extremely hard, SOYOs are very bad about this. Sometimes they just slip right in. Make sure you align the little slots in the memory with the little ridges in the memory stick holders correctly, they only fit one way.
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By the way, one thing you really want to watch out for with generic cases is cheap power supplies, those are really dangerous, and can kill your system long term.

It's actually pretty easy to see if a power supply is cheap. When you get the case, before you assemble anything, unscrew the power supply, it's held on with 4 screws in the back of the case. Hold it in your hand. Is it very light, appearing to weigh not that much more than its metal case? If so, it will fail sooner than later. Is it very heavy feeling? Solid? If so, it's probably an OK one. If it's a cheap light weight one, I'd replace that with a good one, you can find stuff like that at one of the hardware vendors recommended in this thread.

Other than that I think the box will turn out fine. But watch those cheapo generic power supplies. It's not how many watts they say they can handle, it's how they really handle that power, and how reliable they are. A failed power supply can sometimes fry out your motherboard right before it dies.
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I've got everything physically mounted and connected, but the BIOS is not reading the processor correctly and gives me a checksum error when I try to save the system time in CMOS.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll have to flash the BIOS, but does that mean I'll have to take everything apart?

Btw, thanks for the heads up about the power supply. You were right, this one is rated at 350 W but is light as a feather. What is a good brand to look for in a PSU?

Thanks for bearing with me,

Jason
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No, you don't have to redo everything to flash the bios, in fact, you can't really do that without the floppy drive in many cases.

However, I suspect there there is something more wrong that's not a good sign.
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Well, Flashing the BIOS worked! I dunno why the Checksum error was coming up, but once the BIOS was updated, it went away. Now to install the OS. I'll keep you updated!

Jason
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That was lucky, let's see how the finished product turns out, should be done by now, unless you run into driver errors.

<added>Re the power supply. The following aredecent quality brands
1. Antec
2. Coolermaster
3. Enermax
4. Kingwin
5. Sparkle Power
6. Thermaltake
7. Vantec
8. Zalman
zipzoomfly.com. But most are overkill for your needs, you can get a decent quality power supply for about $30-35, for example the coolermaster in that link is fine. Or go to a local computer shop, they will often have a decent quality power supply for around $30 or so.

This is one reason to avoid those 'amazingly cheap' case/power supply deals. You end up replacing the power supply, the cooling fans, if they come with any, and often the case itself, so there isn't really much savings in real world use, that's why I tend to stick with antec, those come with antec powersupplies, which cost about the same as the case/powersupply together when you buy the power supply alone.
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All true, jeffd. But poor gayjaybird had an "out of the box" class kit.... at that point, I'd have (if the instructor was okay with it) done QUITE a bit of "upgrades" myself....

If the instructor's not okay with it, you're stuck.
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