Before I place my order

[Phluxed]

Does anyone have any final comments on this build?

CPU: Opteron 170
Heatsink : Thermaltake CL-P0114 Big Typhoon Copper Heatpipe Aluminum CPU HSF 1300RPM 54.4CFM 16DBA LGA775 S939
Motherboard: Asus® A8N32-SLI Deluxe, Socket 939, NVIDIA® nForce?4 SLi X16 Chipset w/ PCI Express x16 (ATX)
Video Card: EVGA E-GEFORCE 7800GT CO PCI-E 256MB 256BIT GDDR3 Dual DVI-I HDTV VIVO SLI Ready Video Card Retail
RAM: OCZ Performance PC3200 2GB 2X1GB DDR400 CL3-3-3-8 184PIN DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit W/ Ramsink
PSU: Seasonic S12-600HT 600W ATX12V 20/24 Pin V2.0 Active PFC Power Supply Retail Box
Case: Antec P180 ATX Advanced Mid Tower Aluminum Case 4X5.25 1X3.5 6X3.5INT No PS W/ USB & Audio Ports
Monitor: LVM-37w1 37" LCD Video Monitor

<edited with new PSU>

 

[biostud]

just get a 15" LCD screen, you won't notice the difference

 

[Phluxed]

HarHarHar. It's for a media centre that plays games I figure the SLI is good because in the future outrageously intensive games will be able to run with a second video card at the native resolution of the monitor without many issues. The motherboard is top end. The one thing I'm expecting comments on more or less is the PSU. Is it actually enough? I know seasonic really produces a high quality PSU, but is 500W going to be enough to power all that and several USB devices?

 

[biostud]

Since you're already handing out quite an amount of money why not just get the 600W?

 

[Phluxed]

Man, are you ever persuasive. I changed my order and added the 600W to my cart, just to be safe.

 

[TheoPetro]

why not grab the 512 7800? i mean you are runnen a 37inch display

 

[Phluxed]

I'm not made of money here folks. I was trying to keep it under $2000 CDN. Now it's running me over $2200. I think the video card is sufficiant, and if you check the benchmarks at : http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_7800_gt_co_edition_review/

You'll notice that the 256GTX isn't that far ahead.

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evg..._gt_co_edition_review/images/c1600.gif

 

[chieftang]

I'd prefer either an EPoX or DFI mobo for a system like this.

 

[TheoPetro]

o hehe i guess i assumed you were when ya mentioned the 37inch lcd

 

[Phluxed]

Originally posted by: chieftang
I'd prefer either an EPoX or DFI mobo for a system like this.

Thanks for your opinion. It'd be nice if you could provide some reasoning. Maybe some reasoning that would explain why any board would be better especially after reading this article: http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2589&p=1

 

[Phluxed]

I'm getting the Monitor as a gift. The PC has to be built with my own funds. I'm just working now, and I'm still living at home. I don't really have any expenses, so I'm upgrading to a machine that can run nice resolutions on that television.

 

[Phluxed]

I'd really like several more opinions. I don't want to make a mistake here. The motherboard I'm pretty much decided on seeing as I placed my backorder on it. It arrives in house on the 17th and gets shipped here by the 21st.

 

[Skott]

The new 512 cards are $650 or so. Not sure if the extra boost would be worth that cost. Personally I'd go with the eVGA 7800GTX KO ECS3 card or the ASUS 7800GTX TOP since those are the two best OCed cards on the market. Not as expensive as the 512 cards and easier to find right now. But thats just my choice. Doesnt matter I guess since you can and will upgrade them someday.

I think you were wise to get more than a 500w psu. Especially if you plan to overclock it even a moderate amount.

 

[Phluxed]

My hopes are for around 2.6ghz with the Big Typhoon. The motherboard has unbelievably stability which should make for some excellent overclocks. All the reviews I have been reading about almost every part, the only negatives I have read so far are either price, or need to put a little extra effort into getting it to fit. Since price isn't a giant issue, but I have reached my max, and I'm having the techs at work put it together for me, none of the con's apply to me

 

[Chiller2]

I don't like Asus Mobos I prefer MSI. It is not a perfomance issue but one of support. Their website is craptastic and I have heard to many people complaining about their tech support. Also I have heard that while the P180 is a cool looking case it is a stone cold b*tch to work in.

 

[KayKay]

not really a fan of that cooler. it's too big to be practical

 

[chieftang]

Originally posted by: Phluxed

Originally posted by: chieftang
I'd prefer either an EPoX or DFI mobo for a system like this.

Thanks for your opinion. It'd be nice if you could provide some reasoning. Maybe some reasoning that would explain why any board would be better especially after reading this article: http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2589&p=1

Stability. Asus has gone downhill. Overclocking. DFI and EpoX are tops.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Whats the resolution on that 37" TV/monitor? Most of the large LCD TV's have a max res of 1024x768, if thats the case you can save alot of money by downgrading the videocard. You won't notice the difference between a 6800gt and a 7800gtx at that resolution. Actually I'd recommend at 6600gt for that resolution.

 

[Phluxed]

I heard that as well, but that this board is a step up for Asus and that it is probably the best board of the year. Did you even READ the article I linked? How the Asus board was at the top of virtually every category? I don't agree with the comments about the board.

Support, I understand. But I really think this motherboard is at the top of the list right now.

The cooler, yea, its large, but everything I read was that it was very good though big. The size I think is acceptable.

I know I'm just rebuttling everything you're all saying. Sorry I've had an epox board before, and I wasn't a terribly big fan. DFI hasn't done me wrong in the past, but neither has Asus, and I'd choose Asus over DFI as a personal preference.
The case, as I mentionned isn't an issue. The techs here are building it for me.

Also, its a 1080p monitor, meaning it runs 1920x1080 (I believe). Thats the reason I'm getting it.

 

[Phluxed]

I suppose I could cancel the order and get the DFI still... I'd need more than a couple opinions to sway a full on review from AAT by professionals.

 

[chieftang]

Maybe Asus is coming around again. At least they don't have seem to have caps blowing off the boards up anymore..... But at that point I was done with Asus for good. Too many other board mfgs putting good quality components on their boards to reconsider Asus now.... IMO of course.

 

[Phluxed]

I totally understand where you're coming from. Seeing it from a perspective of someone having those kinds of issues, I can totally understand not going back to the brand. Its like buying a chevy POS 5-10 years ago, and even though theyre making wonderful cars now, you won't step foot near them. Of course, if you get a wonderful chevy now as a car, and you've never had one before or only owned a corvette, you'd want to continue going there. Thats Asus for me. I know many people hate chevy, but theyre making good cars again, and I got to skip the bad patch of vehicles.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

I've had the older version of the A8N-SLI deluxe and it has been rock solid since last Dec, not a single problem. And it's a great overclocker as well, it ran my winchester 3200+ at 2.6ghz and currently runs a SD 3700+ at 2.8ghz.

 

[Phluxed]

Finally, some positive feedback. I really think my build is going to rock pretty hard for what I'm getting.

 

[Phluxed]

^