I've been trying to get myself to actually order parts for a new computer for a while, but I keep putting it off. I'm fed up with my ancient machine though, so I am ready to replace it. I would prefer to build it myself for various reasons, so I'm not looking for replies telling me to buy a Dell, etc. I'm just hoping someone will take the time to look this over and make sure it all makes sense together. It will be a general use computer with the main emphasis on poker. I won't be doing any gaming. I will be doing extensive datamining, probably using multiple XP user accounts when partymine supports it. I would like to be able to datamine extensively while I play, but that is not manditory. I don't plan to replace this computer for a long time, so I am going overboard on a few things. Here is what I have so far:
Antec Sonata II case with 450 W power supply: $99.99
Asus A8N-SLI Premium motherboard: $163
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester dual core processor: $400
Corsair ValueSelect 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 SDRAM: $78
Western Digital Caviar 320GB SATA150 hard drive: $120 (after $15 rebate)
NEC IDE DVD+/-RW dual layer burner: $37.99
Linksys 802.11b PCI Wireless-B Adapter: $39.99
Logitech X-230 2.1 speakers: $28.99
The total for that stuff is about $1025 shipped. I plan to use my current keyboard and mouse, at least for the time being. I think a Logitech laser mouse is in my future though. Maybe Christmas...
I'm still unsure about the video card though. I am looking for recommendations for a PCI-express video card, DVI+VGA (using CRTs right now), that will run 2 displays at 1600x1200. The cheaper the better, but if there will be a noticible difference in my application, I don't mind paying a little bit more for a better video card.
My other question deals with poker tracker and hard drives. I've already said that I will be datamining extensively. I will be running PT+PAHUD when I play (probably somewhere between 4-8 tables). I expect to have huge databases eventually, so would it be worth buying a 10k RPM drive to use for PT? The
74 GB Western Digital Raptor is $143 after a $20 rebate.
How does it all look? Thanks for taking the time to look this over for me!