New Computer

So. Now I have an almost functional computer once again. It lacks a hard drive, but while I'm waiting for someone to sell me one of these, I'm running the Ubuntu 7.04 install CD (the ASUS DRW-1814BLT won't run Knoppix 5.1.1). I'm buying a USB storage device tomorrow when a shop opens (about time). I have not yet overclocked the thing or even ran 3D graphics. I don't know whether the built-in sound device is bearable. The version of lm-sensors and the kernel that come with Ubuntu 7.04 don't support my motherboard. But the computer is damn quiet, so I'm pleased. I need to flash the BIOS and the firmware on the burner, and find out how to underclock the video card in Linux (I think nVidia's closed-source driver does that).

The usual price comparison over US prices, all except one are from newegg.com and are for today, without rebates and without shipping and handling.

	Make & Model	US price	Israel price (NIS)	US price in NIS	ripoff pct
CPU	Intel Core2Duo E6550	184	995	772.8	28.75
MB	ASUS P5K-E WiFi-AP	210	970	882	9.98
RAM	Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4D	179	1242	751.8	65.2
Video	ASUS EN8600GT Silent	137	900	575.4	56.41
Case	Antec P150	160	910	672	35.42
HDD	Samsung HD321KJ	80	490	336	45.83
Monitor	Samsung 226BW	350	2081	1470	41.56
Optical	ASUS DRW-1814BLT	34	249	142.8	74.37
Total		1334	7837	5602.8	39.88
exchange rate		4.2

Notice the 65% "tax" on performance RAM.

Except for the hard drive, for which the price comes from www.goldtop.co.il with no guarantee on my part for anything, all other parts are available at www.gibornet.co.il and except for the monitor were successfully purchased for those prices by me personally. I have personally witnessed the monitor being available and am thinking of buying it (once I'm sure I don't want to go for the LG L226WTQ which over here is $50 USD cheaper than the Samsung).

The optical drive can be bought for 200NIS, and it's so cheap anyway that I don't count it.