Computer Parts Quandary

As my computer budget's grown with my winnings, I've been discussing my computer needs with a friend of mine, and here's the proposed computer solution we've come up with.

Shuttle AN35N motherboard without video, $60
AMD ATHLON XP 2500+, $92
2x256 meg Crucial memory, $92
80GB Western Digital SE HDD, $73
FoxConn case, $40
GeForceFX 5600, $128
Shipping: Free on all items from NewEgg.com

Total: $485. Enough within my budget that I could probably go ahead and bump the CPU up a notch or two (the 2600+ is $104; the 2700 is $141). The problem is, it's a full-sized ATX form factor board and case, meaning it's "normal computer" size...not easy to truck around.

And here's the alternate solution: Replace the above-listed motherboard and case with a Shuttle SN45G XPC form-factor motherboard and case combo that costs $274—adding $174 to the price (total $659) in exchange for a computer the size of a shoebox with a handy carrying handle. I could easily take that everywhere with me. Like down to the parents' house to play DivX movies through their TV set, to the anime convention to play stuff through the bigscreen projector, to LAN parties (or brother's house) or other gaming events.

I'd very much like to be able to do that. The thing is, I don't know if I'd like it to the tune of an extra $174. I had been sort of hoping for a reasonably-priced mini- or micro-ATX compromise, but haven't been able to find one. $659 is about $145 out of my stated budget, which means that the extra money would have to come from my savings. If my winnings hadn't been about $300 more than I'd expected, this wouldn't even have been a possibility...but they were, and so it is, and it's torturing me with its near-feasibility.

At any rate, there's no pressing need to buy the new computer right now, so at least I'll have plenty of time to think about it before I buy. I just wish a more reasonably-priced solution would present itself...

Making Haste Slowly

After giving it some thought, I think I'm going to end up going with the full-sized case. The smaller XPC one would be neat, but not $174-more neat. Also, my friend's worried that the 200-watt power supply in that case might not be sufficient unto the needs of the video card I'll be getting.

The way I figure, I can always get the XPC case/motherboard combo later on (and sell the full-sized ones on eBay) if I really want it; it might even come down in price in the meanwhile. Digging too far down into my savings at this point seems too much of a risky venture; if I can bring the computer in under the budget I'd allotted, my savings can keep the rest of it for later...or perhaps I'll spend a little on one or two of those games I missed out on over the last couple of years for lacking the computer horsepower. Nope, the perfect shouldn't be the enemy of the good when the good would be more than good enough.

But even so, I'm going to have to hold off on placing the order for at least a few days...as there won't be much opportunity to put the thing together until a week from Saturday. So I'm going to have to "make haste slowly" as the old aphorism goes, and wait 'til next week to make the order. Besides, I might see something up in K.C. that could affect my decision in some way.

At any rate, I'm looking forward to having my new dream (for the next two years or so) machine soon. It's funny how similar my feelings are now to how they were way back when before I got my present computer: I find it hard even to conceive of something that could go as fast as this new computer...it feels like it will be fast enough to tide me over forever because it's the fastest that's ever been.

It's funny how I felt much the same way about my old Celeron 300A 450 MHz, which I now consider to be just a few steps up from a doorstop. Was it really only three or four years ago I got this thing? Seems like longer. (Though according to Moore's Law, I'm just about right where I ought to be...if processor speeds double in 1.5 years, the new processor should be a bit more than four times as fast as the old one...and at 1.9 "real" gigahertz, so it is.)

Oh well. I've waited a long time to get a new machine; I can wait a little longer.

I've seen the light...tubes...

Just discovered that the fan I'm looking into purchasing to help ventilate the case of the new computer comes with an offer for $13 off some $15-18 LED light tubes that plug into the USB port and flicker in time to ambient music...not unlike something you might expect to find in The Sims. Heh.

I am soooo looking forward to this.