The Antec True-480 @ $78

or at least

The Antec True-330 @ $42.

Maybe I should have been a bit more explicit in my sarcasm.

Perhaps you could make some sort of sign?

It's ok, I'm accustomed to being misunderstood.

dell dimension 8300

pentium 4 3ghz 800mhzfsb/1mb cache

xp home edition

512mb dual channel ddr sdram 400mhz (2x256)

80 gb ata/100 hd 7200 rpm

word perfect software pkg ( base...but he needs Word)

no floppy

dual drives: 48x cd/rw + 8x dvd+rw

17" e172fpb flat panel monitor

128 mb ddr geforge fx 5200 graphics card with tv out and dvi

integrated sound card 5.1 channel audio

surround sound speakers with subwoofer

dell quiet key keyboard

2 button scroll mouse

jukebox

56k modem

10.100 ethernet card

$1139 plus shipping and tax

Athlon XP 3000+ retail $142
Asus A7N8X mainboard w audio & lan $84
CoolerMaster "Praetorian" case $115
Antec True-330 TW-certified power supply $42
512 MB pc3200 memory 1 DIMM $85
Western Digital 80 GB IDE drive $65
Lite-on DVD 8x RW drive $83
Chaintech FX5200 128mb video card $63
US Robotics internal non-sucky modem $45
Samsung LCD 17" monitor $375
MS Win XP Home $91
Logitech Z540 5.1 speaker w/subwoofer $53
Cables, Keyboard + Mouse $50

Total $1293 plus shipping

Oh well.

The difference is that the components wouldn't suck.

yeah, plus labor.

to be fair, the quote i listed was with a "free" flat panel upgrade and second bay cd rw drive. i never believe the word "free" tho.

thanks for taking the time to go over it anyway.

he was going to go buy a compaq today. dumbass.

he finally got his credit back from dell, so i think i'll just bully him into getting that dell i described.

after all of this. thanks for your help, all.

LCD flat panel monitors = the devil.

If you have the desk space, always always always always go for a CRT.

You'll save hundreds (unless it's a free upgrade ;) and the performance is super much better.

i'd buy that, carb, if jinx didnt have one. i have a big 21" trinitron upstairs, and jinx got the 17" flat panel, and her picture is MUCH clearer than mine.

You're kidding right? Maybe it's because I'm a gamer, but I've always found CRTs to be better than LCDs image-wise.

no. maybe it's her settings, but ewverything is much brighter, and the colors are truer......maybe my trinitron just sucks?

i remember looking at a picture that she linked in the "this old house" thread, ...i think it was the front of the house at night. ....anyway, it was nice and clear at home, but elspode or someone asked for a shot that you oculd actually see......then when i looked at it on my work monitor, i saw what he meant...it was DARK.

i'm probably just retarded.......so........

It's usually motion LCDs have trouble with, the refresh rate isn't as clean, or something.

Games tend to look horrible.

Also, a 21 inch monitor is designed so you're sitting further back than a 17 inch...if you were as close I imagine it'd look crappier.

You're kidding right?

trinitron are IMHO the best monitors availiable, bar none. Sony doesn't make the CRTs anymore (I think they still do the artisan ones though, if you do serious colour work, you need one of those).

As for gaming and LCDs, the new samsung ones have around 15ms, tend to be very useable for games now. In general Samsung make the best LCD monitors anyway, when I finally stop somewhere I'll be looking at one or two of the 1280x1024 17" Samsung beauties.

Anybody seen these yet?

The Grand Canyon...