building a new pc,comments and help needed!

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

Hi, I am pc n00b and wanted some comments on the new pc im building, as a side note: it wont be built till june or july though, just trying to get some ideas right now:

I already have most of the things i need, basically just lookin for comments on whatcha think and some advice:

Already bought stuff(scrapped from my old system):
NIC card
modem
hard drive (Seagate Barracuda IV - 80 gig -7200 rpm)
dvdrom & cdrw (liteon 24x)
sound card: sb live 5.1
speakers (klipsch v2.400 ) and etc etc...


anyways the important stuff:

the stuff i need to buy:
so far i have decide to buy:
geforce 4 ti4200 (when its out)
amd athlon xp 1800+ (or 1900+ or whatevers a good deal in june/july)

now what i need advice is what kinda mobo to get and along with that what kinda RAM should i buy (DDR or something else?)
and a case.

i was looking at the Epox 8kha+ and the ecs K7S5A but i dont really want any onboard stuff (though if its still a good mobo, i dont care, as long as i can disable it) and i want it to be able to OC easily, what other mobos are good?

and on the case. i am leaning towards a lian li or something cause i want a good case, not like the poopoo i have now but i dont wanna pay out the ass for a lian li

and i am going to get a antec power supply, should i just got for a 300w or something higher?

any comments or ideas would be helpful
and if you think i should wait for some new athlon tell me too please.
thanks!

 

[kehi]

That K7S5A has only fsb adjustment so you will have only a minimal amount of overclocking potential with it. Antec cases are good but I would recommend getting an enermax psu at least 350watt. Hope this helps. Take care

 

[tenoc]

Well, you will definitely want DDR.

By J/J you will probably be looking at a via 333 mobo and pc2700 ram.

The current sweetspot for a proc is 1800+, by then I'm guessing 2000+.

 

[RaiderJ]

I would suggest the KR7A-RAID mobo or its variants. It has 6 PCI slots for lots of expansion, and it has earned several awards. Good overclocking, and room for lots of RAM.

Case-wise, if not a Lian-Li, go for an ANTEC SX1030 case. Great cases, easy to work with, and it comes w/ a 300 watt PSU (at least at Newegg.com)

Hope that helps!

 

[bozo1]

I'd go DDR, PC2700 - Asus A7V333 (supports PC2700, onboard USB 2 and firewire (in the Raid model), reasonably priced). My favorite non-aluminum case these days is the Antec 880 - 430 watt Antec TruPower supply, front USB and firewire ports. Or the Antec 660, similar case with 330 watt TruePower supply.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

ok let me look at the reviews for those
thanks

 

[ahsia]

<< geforce 4 ti4200 (when its out) >>


Leadtek or Visiontek makes great GeForce cards.


<< amd athlon xp 1800+ (or 1900+ or whatevers a good deal in june/july) >>


You might be able to get XP 2000+ as they all have fall below the $200 price range. Currently the 1800+ goes for $113 and 1900+ goes for $140 at Newegg


<< what kinda RAM should i buy (DDR or something else?) >>


Well, by June/July, DDR333 should be more widespread, which means you should be able to find Kingmax or Samsung at good prices. I would recommend those two, as they are excellent memory that will give you the best overclocking potential. Some will recommend Corsair, but I don't think it is worth the price premium. They usually cost $20-$30 more per 256mb stick.


<< i was looking at the Epox 8kha+ and the ecs K7S5A but i dont really want any onboard stuff (though if its still a good mobo, i dont care, as long as i can disable it) and i want it to be able to OC easily, what other mobos are good? >>


Again, with June/July in mind, you will want to get either a KT333 or nForce based board. KT266A will be behind us, and for the money you are spending on this system, I would not recommend a K7S5A. Either the EPoX 8K3A+ (KT333) or the ASUS A7N266-C (nForce) are excellent boards. Check back in early June to see if new boards are available.


<< and on the case. i am leaning towards a lian li or something cause i want a good case, not like the poopoo i have now but i dont wanna pay out the ass for a lian li, and i am going to get a antec power supply, should i just got for a 300w or something higher?
>>


As RaiderJ mentions, the ANTEC SX1030 is an excellent case that won't break the bank. Newegg sells this case with a 300w PS.


<< and if you think i should wait for some new athlon tell me too please >>


Again, with the June/July date in mind, even though the new Thoroughbred will be available then, I still think you can get a ver fast system with either the XP 1900+ or 2000+. Since they are below $200 now, you can be sure that they will be even cheaper in June/July. Stick with either the 1900+ or 2000+, and you'll have a few more bucks to get a nicer case, or something else you might want.

Good luck!

 

[Yossarian]

Your system looks pretty good, I just have a couple comments. The Epox 8kha+ is a great board but it's physically incompatible with some GeForce4 4600's--may want to check that the 4200 you're going to get doesn't have that problem.

1800+'s will be just about free by July so that's a good deal.

Since you're getting a new power supply anyway, don't get the Antec 300W. It's not officially rated by AMD for the 1800+, check their compatibility list.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

thanks for all the responses

i am going to search for some of the reviews on those mobos you guys recommended

where can i get some info about the new amd througobred (cant spell)?

*it looks like i will make another thread in june/july (lol)

 

[Grendel99]

If you want some info on the Thoroughbred, do a search here on the AT forums, you will find a ton of info. The Antec SX1030/1040 are good cases indeed, but Antec just released some new cases that improve on the SX line. It's called the Performance Plus Series, and the are basically the same as the old SX, but with some improvements and better powersupplies. Antec always makes solid powersupplies and I would recommend getting at least a 350-400 watt PSU. Check out this link on the Performance Plus Series.

Hope that helps.

 

[Yossarian]

Washable air filter, that is a stroke of frickin genius! Makes me want to trade in my SX830. Snap in drive rails, quick release drive cages, snap-in fan mounts, I do so love that case.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

that PLUS660 - Mini Tower Case looks pretty sweet

are there any reviews for that?

 

[FishTankX]

Northwood..? Someone had to say it.

the P4 1.#A's are amazing overclockers! You regularly see 33% overclocks!

If you would be willing to go down this path you're almost guaranteed less headaches than a Via system because more choices are avaliable

Please, no flames.. this is my opionion, you should respect it.

 

[SpacemanSpiffVT]

i havent really considered a p4 since they are so much more expensive and the performance gains seem minimal.....
anyone else think i should go in that direction?