PC Custom Build sites help. Need more flexibility!

[the Nightbreeze]

Heya folks.
I've been running about sites like  NewEgg.com, Dell.com, and IBuyPower.com, when I am looking for something in between the these vendors.

I want to keep:

19" Dell Trinitron flatscreen CRT VGA
HP All in one inkjet psc 1210 on USB
Logitec z-640 5.1 speakers
MS Optical Mouse blue Ps/2
MS Natural Pro Keyboard Ps/2
WinXP Pro SP1 OEM CD
Win XP Pro SP2 update CD
Western Digital 80GB 8 MB Cache 7200 100 ATA
US.Robotics PCI 56K Modem

this is all now in a Dell 800 MHz Pentium 3, 128 MB pc600 RDRAM, SB Live Value PCI, GeForce2GTS AGP junky old Rig with a broken LG DVD Rom and a 12 speed Yamaha CDRW with no burning software.

It's not so bad for a free PC. I salvaged it from an aquaintence almost two years ago.

Buying a new Dell or Compaq/HP/E-machine just seems so wasteful to me.  It is cheaper than IBuyPower's offerings, but I have to take so much equipment I don't want nor need.

Upgrading and reparing this pig will be more than the cost of a new PC for the RDRam, two optical drives, and the graphics card alone, thus upgrading is not an option I like.

So you would think a self-build is right for me, but to get near the level of equipment that i would get in a Dell, I'm looking at a parts cost at Newegg.com near the same as a similarlly equiped Dell.  Spending my time system building when I don't need to seems unwise to get the same PC.

So I try to do custom builds at Ibuypower and Alienware and Monarch systems and such, but every place wants to do the build with a Harddrive and an OS, which I don't need, and which adds 200 uncecessary dollars to the total that is already close to Newegg's cost.  That's a videocard I could have instead, you see.

Is there a site that will give me the time savings of not building, and let me keep all of the above parts rather than forcing me to purchase parts I don't want nor need?

Thanks in advance. No rush on this, as I am still in a window shopping phase of my finances on this purchase.  I hope that I'm not out chasing a recipie for toasted snow in this search!

[stiffler]

I just looked at the Monarch site (where I recently bought a nice machine) and they will let you build a machine without an OS installed.  Unfortunately they won't let you build without a hard drive.  The option, as you said, will save you $156 without XP Pro.  Remember, you can never have too much hard drive space

I think you would be hard-pressed to find anything without a hard drive unless you opted for the "barebones system" build they offer.  With that there only a case, power supply, motherboard, CPU, and memory.  You can add a couple fans and stuff as well.  Once it arrives you can pop in your own hard drive along with your other goodies.  Sound like what you are looking for?

At least it sounds like you know you won't have it as cheap as buying it and assembling yourself.

[the Nightbreeze]

Thanks for the suggestions.  Very close to what I want.  I don't think I'm going to get closer, either.

I suppose it will be tough for me to get what I am looking for equipment-wise and cost-wise without going the Newegg route.   Kinda disappointed that I'm not saving much over the mass production lines and the custom builders.  They tell you your time is worth something, but apparently it's not worth savings, it is merely worth exerting control over the goods one will purchase.

I had overlooked a barebones approach, but I'm still going to need to utilize Newegg for optical drives and the like in such a case, and in such an instance I feel that if I'm in for a penny, I might as well go in for the pound.

There's just no good shortcuts out there.

Those $500 e-machines' specs may look vile to my eyes, but they look really good to my calander and wallet.  We'll see what shakes out.

Thanks again.

[Zekester]

Andy, don't overlook one of the 'higher end' HP machines, especially if you find one at a good price.

I've been happy with the 2 that I've had over the years, and both were bought dirt cheap.

This last machine I bought at CircuitCity. It was hiding on a bottom shelf and was discounted because it was returned.
Not sure why it was returned though, because it didn't even have the OS installed on it yet.

[deadzone]

In some cases it's a good idea to call the company and see if you can order over the phone.  I know in the past, Dell has worked with me and allowed me to configure the system the way I wanted.  

So maybe call and ask the vendors and see if they would be willing to take an order over the phone based on your exact specs.

[the Nightbreeze]

hey Zeke, thanks for the suggestion, but HP and I will not be doing business.  

Once had an HP Pavillion that crapped the bed every time I upgraded a component.  tons of heat shutdowns before I realize the culprit of poor ventialtion.

[the Nightbreeze]

For a better idea of what i'm aiming at, I have:

19" Dell Trinitron flatscreen CRT VGA
HP All in one inkjet psc 1210 on USB
Logitec z-640 5.1 speakers
MS Optical Mouse blue Ps/2
MS Natural Pro Keyboard Ps/2
WinXP Pro SP1 OEM CD
Win XP Pro SP2 update CD
Western Digital 80GB 8MB Cache 7200RPM 100 ATA
US.Robotics PCI 56K Modem

Rumbling around Newegg, I see myself shooting for:

ANTEC Performance Plus Case with 430W Power Supply, Model "PLUS1080AMG" –RETAIL $114.00
   
NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive, Beige, Model ND-3500A, OEM with software $67.00
   
Lite-On 16X DVD-ROM, Model SOHD-167T White, OEM $23.50

2 -AUDIO 24" 4-pin Connector Cable  $1.98
   
Link Depot 18" FLOOPY UV CABLE 2 CONNECTOR BLUE, Model UV-FLP18-BU –RETAIL $1.99
   
Link Depot 24" ATA133 UV CABLE 3 CONNECTOR RED, Model UV-ATA24-RD-3 –RETAIL $3.49
   
KINGWIN Silver Front Case Panel Multifunction Fan Controller, Model "TC-02S" –RETAIL $23.99
   
5 - Vantec "Stealth" 80mm Case fan, Model "SF8025L"  $34.95
   
ASUS "K8N" NVIDIA nForce3 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU –RETAIL $84.00
      
AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor – Retail $149.00

Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 512MBx2 DDR PC-3200 – OEM $156.00
   
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600XT Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "ATLANTIS RADEON 9600XT" OEM Lite Box $135.00

with the shipping, today that's a cost of about  $ 850

So if I go for a mass builder or a custom build, at about the same price, I'll get stuff I don't need, more HD space, and what I don't think is that good of a PC for the price, especially for the video cards or integrated video chips in the off the retail shelf models.  

Even if I went a little more nuts on the video card, I saw the Nvidia 6600 GT was $100 more and reasonable, and to go nuts for a card a custom build, it jacks the price ~ $300

I dunno what this does to my thinking.  I was just letting the people in on my reasoning.  I guess Newegg will be the way I go.  Suppose I was wishing for choices that are not out there at a similar cost.

[dangerballs]

If you feel like getting up at 2-3:00am and standing in line at a Best Buy, there are a couple of kick butt computer deals on Black Friday, including a couple of Emachines for 200-400 dollars with monitors.

[egrudzin]

Is the OEM Windows XP CD you have a Dell version?  If it is you may be out of luck.  I think they may be specially made so they only install on Dell systems (some kind of BIOS check).  I'm not entirely sure if this is true, but I had heard somewhere that this was the case with the Dell OEM discs.  Just something to be aware of if it's applicable.

[the Nightbreeze]

Sorry that I missed your post there, E.

My WinXPPro It is not OEM from Dell.  The Dell when I acquired it came sans Hard drive, so I got the OEM CD from Newegg when I purchased the WD harddrive.

[Thin_J]

Good thing. The XP thing with Dell machines seems true to my copy. The CD with windows on it just brings up a big warning message if you put it in another PC.

[hitbyambulance]

a 12 speed Yamaha CDRW with no burning software.

not a problem when Burnatonce is a free program..

[ChrisGwinn]

I'm not sure if you've already made a decision - I'm a little late to the thread.

There are a couple of things on that list that you probably don't need.  That case already has three fans - you probably don't need to add a fourth.  Ditto for the fan controller.  The audio connector cables aren't actually needed anymore.

I'm not sure what you're planning on doing with your computer, but that case seems targeted at file servers, and has ten drive bays.  You could go to something like the  Antec Sonata, which probably has all the features you want, is attractive, and $31 cheaper when you count the free shipping on the Sonata.  There are probably less expensive good cases, but I don't know what they are (I have a sonata).

So that cuts over $100 off the price, if you count shipping.

Newegg also has a Sapphire Radeon 9800 (non-pro) available for $145 that's probably faster than the 9600XT.  I had one until I traded it to Zarkon and it was pretty nice.[/url]

[the Nightbreeze]

It's not too late, thanks for the suggestions.

I didn't like the look of the Sonata case, I know I'm in a minority opinion on that.  The case I selected was the only part of this PC I looked at for asthetics over function.

Otherwise, it's good to know the other components are superfulous and excludable.

I'll give the vid cards a better look over when I get closer to purchase time.  I'm still looking at doing something after the holidays, rather than before.

[Thin_J]

a 12 speed Yamaha CDRW with no burning software.

not a problem when Burnatonce is a free program..

Damn. I wish I'd found that program about 2 weeks ago. I've been burning cd's by ripping tracks to my hard drive and then putting them on a disc with deepburner.

Would have seriously saved me hours if I'd had that.