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Bless this config!

J

jvarszegi

Senior member
I'll be starting off with a single 6600GT card and the Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI motherboard when it becomes available. I've picked the following parts so far:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Processor Socket 939 Retail (I'm not brave enough to muck with a custom fan yet)
Enermax EG701AX-VE-SFMA Noisetaker 600W Power Supply
Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3160827AS 160GB Serial ATA 7200RPM Hard Drive w/8MB Buffer (system drive)

I won't bore you with the details of which DVD-ROM etc. I've picked. I almost picked a Raptor for the system drive, or a 7200.8 drive, but wound up going with my choice because it seems to be a better value. The way I plan to set Windows up, the OS and programs are cached after loading anyway.

I went with the Winchester core processor because it has the 90-nanometer process, and I'm assuming it will put out less heat etc. Is it really better than the 130-nm process, or should I try to save a little money?

How do I know what RAM is compatible with this mobo? I would like to get the fastest RAM available in 1-gig sticks; what would that be? Also, how do I know what case to pick-- will just about any one be fine, even with the monstrous power supply? I want a nice, roomy case for my first rig.

I picked the power supply because someone else recommended it, it is almost guaranteed to have power for any future setup including SLI, and it is indicated to be 24-pin compatible, which I understand is necessary (???). If these components are compatible and decent, I'll put the order through. Thanks a LOT.
 
Originally posted by: Omizzle
mobo....
Click to expand...

I'm picking the Gigabyte K8NXP-SLI, mostly because I liked the Anandtech review. I haven't preordered it yet. Are you saying I should pick a different one?

I guess I need to pick PC-3200 DDR400 RAM, yeah? What about this?

Corsair TWINX1024RE-3200LLPT 1GB Kit DDR400 XMS3200 ECC Registered Ultra Low Latency Memory w/Platinum Heat Spreader

I'm just going to start out with 1GB. At least this much is indicated for later games, but I'll probably want more for other things later.

EDIT: Okay, I seem to have picked ECC memory, which I don't need. What about this?

Corsair TWINX1024R-3200C2PT 1GB Kit DDR400 XMS3200 Registered Memory w/Platinum Heat Spreader
 
Originally posted by: DyslexicHobo
I'd suggest getting some cheaper RAM. That stuff is overkill, IMO, unless you're going to overclock.
Click to expand...

I will probably overclock sooner or later, if only because it'll let me run my non-game stuff faster (I'm a programmer). I don't want to overspend on RAM, though. Which of these would you suggest (and if you really want to help me, can you briefly explain why)?

Corsair TWINX1024-3200XLPRO 1GB Kit DDR400 XMS3200 Xtra-Low Latency Dual-Channel ProSeries Memory w/Heat Spreader $254 (after $20 rebate w/ HL2 purchase, which I'm going to get anyway)

Kingston HyperX KHX3200AK2/1G 1GB Kit DDR400 PC3200 Memory w/Heat Spreader $223 (after $40 rebate)

I know that more RAM is better than slightly faster RAM. If neither of these is the best, what do you think is the price range I should be looking at? Thanks a lot. I really don't know enough to pick the best memory right now, even though I've been reading a lot lately.

EDIT: These are both two-512MB stick kits. Do you think I'd be better off getting cheaper RAM, but a single 1-gig stick? I've seen other discussions where single sticks are faster. Using more slots is not a big deal to me, as I envision upgrading to 2GB sooner or later but not more than that.
 
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