Anandtech Gurus, please critique my parts list

[bovinda]

I am a first-time computer builder (who really doesn't know anything about building computers). From lurking and what not on this forum and others I have put this list together for a PC that would do light gaming and serve as an HTPC (no overclocking--I'm probably going to save that for the next computer I build, once I've gotten a little more familiar with the routine).

I humbly ask the many knowledgable Anandtech folks out there to glance over this list, and tell me if there is a better choice I could make for my goals, experience, and price range:

(Undecided on case--any suggestions for simple midtower?)
Enermax 420W Noisetaker PS
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (90 nm, socket 939) retail
MSI "K8N Neo Platinum" nForce 3 Ultra for socket 939
1 gig Corsair Value-Select RAM
XFX NVidia 6600 GT video card (AGP)
Samsung 160 GB 7200 RPM SATA hard drive
NEC 16X 3500A BK DVD +/- burner
Windows Media Center Edition 2005 bundle w/ remote and PVR-250 MCE capture card

My spending range will be about 1000-1200$, give or take a little. I haven't priced every item exactly yet...

I sincerely appreciate any responses and suggestions at all.

Additionally...

1. Any suggestions for a simple, smaller-sized (quiet) case that would fit all this? (I thought of getting the Antec SLK-3700-BQE, but didn't know if the 350 PS would be enough.)

2. Can anyone tell me if the onboard audio will be enough for light gaming and HTPC-type activities?

3. Would there be any difficulties networking this system (running Windows XP MCE) to one running Windows XP home?

4. I don't know when I'll next upgrade this (probably in a little over a year), and I read over at X-bit labs that the socket 754 3200+ processors are actually a little more powerful on most apps than the socket 939 ones are. Would it make more sense to just get a socket 754 mobo (say, a Soltek SL-K8AN2E-GR) and a 3200+ with the Newcastle core than to get the socket 939 set-up right now? (Since when I next upgrade I may just need to get a new mobo anyway--I don't know how often these things get outdated.) I'm having trouble figuring the pros/cons out for this if I won't be upgrading any time in the next year.

Thanks folks. I apologize if there are answers here I could have found by searching posts, but my life isn't affording me that kind of time these days. If you can point me to a link, however, or share your own advice and experience, I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. I have the link to mechBgone's excellent guide already, and I used jpeyton's very helpful post on parts for various systems to help me make some choices already.

Cheers and happy holidays folks,
Jeff

 

[tbates757]

Good picks, very good for overclocking too. My only suggestion would be the 74GB WD Raptor instead of the Samsung 160GB. I don't know how important storage space is to HTPC, but the 74GB Raptor will make a noticeable difference in load times. Stick to the 939-pin 90nm processors because it is so close to being an overclocking rig that you can just stick with those parts.

 

[jterrell]

I actually like your choices quite a bit.
I plan to go onboard sound because my ears aren't all that picky and I have a real stereo for sound.
That mobo has good on board sound. That also depends on your speakers.
My 75 buck(over a year ago) Altec Lansings are gonna sound about the same regardless of on board or aftermarket card.

Go s939 because I do not think in a year you will have any leeway with that s754 board while you will on the s939. We know it is going to go up to 4700+ based on current footprints with a miminum of 4 gig ram in dual channel and AGP slot vid has cards up to 750 bucks on newegg right now.

In a year you should be able to add 1 more gig of value ram, a second(up to 3 more) HDD in Raid 0 or 1, a 6800 Ultra, and a shiny new proc if you want.

And the s754 procs run hotter than the new s939 .90 Winchesters so the939's can run better on just retail HSF and overclock wonderfully.

 

[bovinda]

Thanks guys. Your suggestions make me lean towards the 939 gear, and overclocking has always tempted me...but this system will be mainly for my wife, and I wanted to make sure it would be as stable as possible for her. How much truth is there to the rumors in my head that overclocking decreases system stability?

(And...even if I did consider OC'ing...is the stock cooling of the retail 3200+ really enough?)

So I'll stick with onboard sound. Does anyone else know about my other two questions (case suggestions and networking between two d/ Windows OSs?)

Thanks for your patience friends, I know you guys get asked this stuff all the time.

Edit: even if I was thinking of OC'ing this, hypothetically speaking, wouldn't I need a bigger PS?

Cheers,
Jeff

 

[ts3433]

For a case, go ahead and get the SLK3700BQE. The 350W PSU should be fine, though you could always just put the 420W Enermax in and it'd still be a great value for a case.

I wouldn't foresee any networking difficulties, especially since they'd be built on the same NT core, I think... though I could be wrong.

OCing will be a detriment to system stability, though not if done properly. The retail processor HSF can even handle some moderate OCing. However, consider whether or not your wife will really benefit a lot from 200-500 more MHz before doing something like that--a stock 3200+ should be fine for a while.

 

[Kishan]

get an audigy 2, lose the raptor, get a seagate hard drive due to the 5 year warranty, get a BFG instead of XFX due to a lifetime warranty. Should be good to go

 

[bovinda]

ts3433: Yeah, my wife probably wouldn't get much out of a small OCing boost...I guess I'm just more tempted to try it to see if I can do it, and to learn how it's done. But if it might affect the stability of the system, I'd rather not, or at least, I probably shouldn't. I may stick with the SLK-3700-BQE case then...and if its PS would be enough, then maybe I wouldn't bother with the Enermax, and save the money. Thanks for the feedback.

KPSHAH316: does BFG make a 6600GT AGP board? XFX is the only maker I've been able to find, although admittedly I've only checked NewEgg, Monarch, and ZipZoomFly (and even then, might have missed it).

 

[bovinda]

bump!

 

[ts3433]

Text (I think the one in the pic is PCIe, though they do have AGP listed somewhere on there)

A company like BFG certainly wouldn't neglect to put out their version of something like a 6600 GT. I'm sure that it won't be too much longer before other 6600 GTs from other board manufacturers start getting into places like Newegg.

 

[Sam334]

Originally posted by: ts3433
OCing will be a detriment to system stability, though not if done properly. The retail processor HSF can even handle some moderate OCing. However, consider whether or not your wife will really benefit a lot from 200-500 more MHz before doing something like that--a stock 3200+ should be fine for a while.

I'm going the same route as Bovinda. Will the stock HSF be able to handle a 500MHz OC? Or should we think of getting the cpu oem and then buying the HSF separate? If so, any recommendations?

 

[bearxor]

I think the question I would ask you, if the system is mainly going to be for your wife, does she really need all that?

The best advice I can give you is: Design the computer for the user, don't try to design the user for the computer.

Is this going to do HTPC duties every once in a while? Will it be installed as a HTPC full-time with your wife doing web surfing on the TV? IF it will be for web surfing on the TV, will your wife use the HTPC component (mine has barely touched the DVR since I had it installed)? Do you need the 6600GT? If it is for really light gaming and good image quality, you might try to pick up a cheaper 9600 XT or 5700U. Hard Drive, memory, DVD+/-RW, OS and the capture seem fine.

Just sit down and discuss it with your wife. Are you really going to use this thing for heavy-duty work, or will something like a Semperon 3100+ work great for you.

Maybeit's just me, but it seems like a lot of overkill for what you might use it for, and the money you save from lowering your specs based on how it's going to be used could go towards other things, like an overclocking computer for yourself.

.02

 

[uOpt]

Originally posted by: bovinda
Thanks guys. Your suggestions make me lean towards the 939 gear, and overclocking has always tempted me...but this system will be mainly for my wife, and I wanted to make sure it would be as stable as possible for her. How much truth is there to the rumors in my head that overclocking decreases system stability?

(And...even if I did consider OC'ing...is the stock cooling of the retail 3200+ really enough?)

Well, if you want stability you gotta lose one of things you want to buy - Windows

Seriously, to answer your question, so far all my attempts with overclocking worked fine when doing normal tests but I could always make it fail when trying hard enough. I don't overclock anymore. You certainly don't want to overclock a computer that is mainly used by somebody else.

 

[uOpt]

To answer some other question:

I would be surprised if the onboard sound prove insufficient, if you get a working driver. It's digital sound after all, he difference are not like between different 1982's take recorders.

With Socket 754 you can get a 2.4 GHz Athlon 64 for $230 or so. For a 2.4 GHz CPU in a Socket 939 you will pay a lot more. Since the 512 KB cache is big enough for most applications and very few applications see a noticable difference in dual channel RAM the 754 combo will have the much better price/performance ratio.

 

[ts3433]

Originally posted by: bearxor
I think the question I would ask you, if the system is mainly going to be for your wife, does she really need all that?

The best advice I can give you is: Design the computer for the user, don't try to design the user for the computer.

Is this going to do HTPC duties every once in a while? Will it be installed as a HTPC full-time with your wife doing web surfing on the TV? IF it will be for web surfing on the TV, will your wife use the HTPC component (mine has barely touched the DVR since I had it installed)? Do you need the 6600GT? If it is for really light gaming and good image quality, you might try to pick up a cheaper 9600 XT or 5700U. Hard Drive, memory, DVD+/-RW, OS and the capture seem fine.

Just sit down and discuss it with your wife. Are you really going to use this thing for heavy-duty work, or will something like a Semperon 3100+ work great for you.

Maybeit's just me, but it seems like a lot of overkill for what you might use it for, and the money you save from lowering your specs based on how it's going to be used could go towards other things, like an overclocking computer for yourself.

.02

Make that .04, though if you go this route the A64 2800+, which is a paltry $7 more (this buys you twice the cache and 64-bit support), might be a better option.

Sam: I have no idea--I'm not real familiar with A64 overclocking, though with a high overclock like 500 MHz I might be cautious about using the stock HSF. However, I'd just buy the retail CPU if it isn't that much more, OC it as far as you can, and if you're happy with the performance right there, then you don't waste $40 on another cooler.

 

[bovinda]

Thanks all. I appreciate the feedback. bearxor, it might indeed be a little overkill, but after thinking about it I might end up gaming on it a little more after all. I do know that my wife will use the DVR and the HTPC functions, though, as I'm building the computer at her request to meet these needs. I hope this kind of set-up will serve us both well? Anyway, you make good points in any event.

MartinCracauer, thank you for the response. I'm really not sure whether or not to go with the 754 or the 939 set-up at this point, because I don't know when I will next upgrade it...if it's in a year, it seems like the 939 would be a better choice, but if more than that, maybe I should just stick with the 754. I dunno. I will think about it. I wish I knew enough about Linux or some other OS to get rid of Windows... Hey, what made you decide to stop overclocking?

Thanks everyone. Happy holidays,
Jeff

 

[uOpt]

Originally posted by: bovinda
Hey, what made you decide to stop overclocking?

Everytime I did it was just a matter of coming up with a harder test to make it break. A cross-check with no overclocking then worked. In general, a FreeBSD `make world` is the hardest test of them all, that is recompiling FreeBSD with itself. Not only the kernel, but the whole userland in addition, so you have a nicer mix of different kinds of code to compile, some scripting and enough raw data to move.

With video cards it's similar, if you look close enough you see a bit turned here and there.

With both CPU and video card overclocked I could run games and most applications just fine. But really watertight it was not.

I made sure there was enough air with open cases and additional ventilators I never tried fancy cooling because that would have a too bad fiddling time versus benefit tradeoff.

 

[CraigRT]

looks like you did a good job picking stuff out on your own.. that's a good "budget" system that will still deliver well for gaming.... nice.

 

[dudeluna]

jeff,
i built my own htpc(i'm not a gamer though) and used very modest parts(1.7 p4, older asus p4333 mb). the one part i did buy new was the case-an antec sonata. it comes with a 380w ps and a 120mm fan that runs pretty quiet and cool. it's more than enough power for the htpc.
the nice thing about the sonata(and other nice cases, i'm sure) is that the drive rail come out for installing hard drives, dvd drives, etc.
i started with one 120gb hd, and then got another, and just purchased another 100gb. digital media takes up a lot of space!

 

[bigpow]

What kind of audio/video equipment do you have? (TV, speaker, receiver, etc.)

Your components are more than enough to build an HTPC.
Sounds more like a powerful PC to me.

building HTPC:
1. get lower CPU (mobile CPUs), less power supply and even lower or fanless cooling*
2. get a cool case (HTPC case from Ahanix)
3. 512MB of RAM is plenty for an HTPC
4. More Harddrive can't hurt (especially if you're planning to record a lot of shows)
5. Depending on your setup (receiver/speaker), you might want to get a dedicated soundcard (Audigy2 for Toslink, etc.)
6. Depending on your screen (HDTV, projector, etc), you might want to change to ATI (with HD dongle & without fan)
7. Get wireless everything if possible (keyboard/mouse, network, etc)

*Unless you're planning to watch WMV-HD (HDTV), you don't need fast 64bit CPU
-> 939 is the future. 754 is only here temporarily.

more in www.avsforum.com


PS: I'm far from being a guru. I sincerely share my experience.

 

[bovinda]

MartinCracauer: most of what you said went right over my head (although I appreciate you telling me), but I think I get the gist. I think I will hold off on overclocking to make sure the system will be as a stable as possible.

CraigRT: thanks for the feedback!

dudeluna: I think I'm going to spring for the Sonata also, rather than the SLK-3700-BQE. I imagine I will be adding many a hard-drive down the road as well...

bigpow: thanks for the input! Because I am hoping to strike a balance between a HTPC and more mainstream PC, I decided to avoid the Ahanix case and lower CPU, and to add more RAM. In the future, if I make a dedicated HTPC, I will definitely get those types of components and aim to make it super-duper quiet. For now, I'm just hoping for quiet at best, and that it will play Halflife 2 decently when my wife is not looking. I will check out www.avsforum.com--thank you for the link. Down the line I would like to get a 5.1 speaker system and an HDTV to use with it, but I don't have those things yet. Right now all I have is a rinky-dink 25" TV.


Thank you again, folks. I think I will go with the 939 mobo. It's not a huge difference in performance between the 3200+ winchester and newcastle, is it? I have trouble getting perspective on these things.

I, uh, grabbed a BFG 6800OC from Best Buy this week (since it was like 220$ with that HL2-bundle deal they were having), even though I know it's sort of overkill for this type of system, but the deal sounded so good! *sheepish grin* I wonder how loud it will be? I've heard mixed things elsewhere...but anyway.

Cheers,
Jeff