I may build 2 MEANMACHINES this year

[Juan Sanchez]

Currently Im Building a Main System:

Athlon XP 2500+@3200+
Abit NF7-S V.2.0
512 MB Kingston HyperX 3200
Vantec Aeroflow
ATI Radeon 9800
Seagate 120 GB 7200RPM HDD w/8MB Cache
Lite-On 16XDVD-ROM
Lite-On 52x32x52 CD-RW
Antec Performance II Case W/350 watt PSU

Well, I noticed that my old Pally 2000+,K7S5A, and 2100 ram are'nt enough to feed the 9500 Pro in it so I checked out some parts online and found I could build a very swanky "LAN-ONLY" system for less then $250. The usual suspects are carry over (9500 Pro, HDD, CD/DVD) BUT the rest I found online and will order next month, well what do you guys think. Well Here are the specs:

Athlon XP 2100+ @2700+ (ThoroughbredB 4Sure)
Shuttle An35n ULTRA
256 MB Kingston Value 2700
Speeze Falconrock
ATI Radeon 9500 Pro
Maxtor 60 GB 5400RPM HDD w/2MB Cache
Pioneer 16XDVD-ROM
TDK 16X10X40 CD-RW
Foxconn TM163(BLACK) w/250Watt PSU

I just hope the MoBo fits in the Case

[beppodmime]

Well, if you really wanted to go on the cheap, you may want to find yourself a good 1700+ T-bred B. You'd have to make sure it's a B, though. There are still some A core 1700+'s floating through the usual retailers.

Also, that's a Micro-ATX case, so no a full size ATX board won't fit. Shuttle has the cheapest at Newegg, 89 dollars shipped. You could do one of two things: get youself a full sized ATX case (smallish side, but still a full ATX) and grab yourself the cheaper mobo, which probably wouldn't cost you more, or stick with what you have and pay a little more total.

Also, if this is going to be a LAN box, why put a DVD drive in it? You may already be pushing it with the 250W PSU, so you may want to make sure it has the bare essentials. If you haven't ordered the optical drives for your main rig, you should just stick the Pioneer DVD in there, and forget about the Lite-On DVD drive. That'd offset the cost of going Micro-ATX.

[Juan Sanchez]

I got the lite-ons cuz its black, I know, im an idiot, but I just wanted all my drives to match up with my tower (Black Antec). I think your right about the tower So I guess Ill have to get the Enermax X-point wich cost a bit more but its bigger and has an Enermax 300watt psu. I also considered the 1700+. I was so close to picking it but I wasnt guarenteed a T-Bred B, but if I ordered the 2100+ I was guarenteed a T-Bred B. If someone can inform me on a site (like neweeg) that can guarentee a T-Bred B 1700+ that would be appreciated because it would save me a few bucks. Thanks for the advice, (I changed my case because of it) and any other ideas will be appreciated.

[The Terk]

you think a 250watt psu is goin to power all that? might wanna go atleast 350, if not 400!