also building a new rig...need help and answers

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ABIT KR7A-RAID Mobo - not using the raid but am thinking of oc'ing
Athlon XP 1800+ proc
need help with fan...exactly how much and how good is an alpha8045? how much for water cooling kit?
GeForce2 MX400 64MB - temp card..waiting for nexgen cards especially a revised radeon8500
how do i figure out how many watts is needed for the PSU?
Lite-On 24*10*40 cdrewriter - when are the 32x writers coming out?
512MB DDR SDRAM - thinking about getting the crucial ones for discount
Sony CPD-E100 15" - is this good? for regular use
40GB Seagate Barracuda
SB Live! 5.1 DE w/ Creative Inspire 5.1 - already have the card. dont need z560s.
Sony or ASUS dvd drive? 16x

dunno about the case...
what other fans do i need?

 

[Bovinicus]

ABIT KR7A Mobo: If you're not using the RAID, just get the version of the board without RAID. Also, unless you are trying to obtain seriously high FSB speeds (166MHz+), then I would suggest going with the Shuttle AK31A and saving yourself some money.

XP 1800+: Nice CPU, but I would get the 1700+. It will cost you $40 less and you won't notice the difference.

HSF: I don't think it's necessary to go crazy with HSF, especially with the XP CPU's. The Alpha8045 is good, but quite expensive. It does have the added bonus of being quieter (80mm fans instead of 60mm), but that's just not worth it to me. I have an OCZ Gladiator with a Thermaltake 60x60x25mm 5000RPM fan. It cools my 1GHz down to about 10-13C above ambient temp under load. Similar heatsinks such as Vantec's 6035 or any other copper heatsink is more than enough. Don't go with the delta fan either, the extra noise isn't worth a few degrees of cooling power.

GF2 MX400: I would get the GF2 GTS-V for your temp card, it's much better for only about $20 more.

PSU: 300W should be enough, but for safety sake a 340W PSU will definitely do the job.

Lite-On 24x: Don't worry about 32x writers, that 24x will write you a CD in about 4 minutes, maybe less.

512MB DDR: Yes, go with Crucial. Their memory is excellent.

Son CPD-E100 15": I'm sure that monitor is of very high quality, but I would at least get a 17" monitor. Those two inces make a bigger difference than you think.

40GB Seagate Barracude: I have no problem with Seagate, but I would choose the IBM 60GXP over that particular drive.

SB Live! 5.1 w/ Inspire 5.1: Yeah, that should do the trick.

Sony/ASUS DVD Drive: I would go with Pioneer or Lite-On. If you like the slot loading feature a lot, go with Pioneer. If you want to save a few bucks and get better DAE transfers, go with Lite-On.

Case: The Enlight 7237 should serve you well. Get one with the 340W PSU for insurance. It comes standard with an intake fan, though it's a puny intake fun. I would replace it with some moderatley faster 80mm fans. I am about to get two 80x80x25mm Thermaltake fans, they look good.

I know, again with the Thermaltake fans, but I needed the retail package for the nuts n' bolts. Plus, they make a good balance of noise and power. I would also get a shim for security, and some thermal compound for much improved cooling performance. Anyway, have fun with this badboy. Merry Christmas!

 

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thanks! Merry Christmas to you too!