Building an A64 Rig: **UPDATED: 2/21/05**

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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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I will be building a new machine, and will probably go S939. My question is, is it worth it to decide what MB/PROC/Vid Card I am going to get now, or should I wait 2 1/2 - 3 weeks until I can order? Here is what I have roughly put together for now, after reading through the forums for the last couple of days:

MB: DFI Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra-D
PROC: A64 3200+ OEM
PSU: Fortron Blue Storm 500W w/120mm fan
Case: Antec Super Lanboy/P160 (haven't fully decided yet, my wallet is telling me lanboy)
Vid Card: MSI 6600GT PCI-E 128MB
HDD: Seagate 200GB 7200RPM SATA w/8MB Buffer OEM

I already have the following that I was planning on reusing:

1GB Corsair xmms PC3200 RAM
120GB Maxtor 7200RPM SATA w/8MB Buffer
Liteon 48x24x48x16 CDRW/DVD combo
Liteon DVD+/-RW

I'm pretty sure I covered all the necessary pieces to put a machine together. Is any of this stuff going to drastically change by the 1st week in March, or do I not have to worry, and just order this setup when I have the cash?

Thanks for any input on this.

EDIT(2/21/05): Here is what I ended up getting:

MB: DFI Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra-D
PROC: A64 3000+ Retail
HSF: Zalman CNPS7000B-CU LED
PSU: Antec NeoPower 480W Modular Plug PSU
Case: Antec P160 w/window
Vid Card: BFG 6600GT OC PCI-E 128MB

I decided to wait on the HDD for now, I really didn't need it to get this system off of the ground. I can't wait to get all this stuff together to see it in action, this will be my first nice system. I've always crapped out on the case and psu, which is most likely why my HDD has died before. I'll update again once I get it up and running.

Thanks to everyone for their replies.
 
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aplefka

Lifer
Feb 29, 2004
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I'd wait on the RAM and HDD. Other than that, most of those things will be pretty stable.
 
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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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Well, I am already using the RAM in my current rig, so I figured I could save some cash and reuse it. Is it that bad, or would you just not buy it new, now?
 
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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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cool, that's what I was wondering. Also, is there anything on my list that is overkill, or needs to be upgraded?
 
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Arcanedeath

Platinum Member
Jan 29, 2000
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Looks good, I ordered a similar Rig for my friend and we should be assembling it when the parts get here on Wed. or Thur. only real diff is we got an Antec SLK3700AMB case and a BFG 6800GT
 
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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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ribbon13 - No, I wasn't going to get the ncq version. Should I?
 
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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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I didn't know that ncq did that much unless you were doing multiple seeks or writes at the same time. I guess for the couple of extra bucks that it costs, I might as well.
 
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gobucks

Golden Member
Oct 22, 2004
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the only changes I'd make are:
1) The HDD is kinda blah, maybe you'd be better off with one of the new Maxtor Diamondmax 10 250GB or 300GB, they are only like $150 and $190, respectively, and the 16MB buffer and NCQ makes them nice and speedy
2) Depending on your monitor situation, a dual DVI card might be better, like the XFX 6600GT or BFG 6600GT. Plus I'm not a huge fan of MSI, not because of quality but because of crappy design decisions (leaving PCIe x1 slots off lots of PCIe mobos, no dual DVI on the video, etc.)
3) You should probably hold off on the CPU, price cuts are coming like tomorrow, so you might save 10-15 bucks. Also, if you're big on overclocking, you can get just as high with a 3000+, provided you don't mind ratcheting the FSB up. Of course, whether the 10x multi is worth $50 is totally your call

Otherwise, looks great. I have a very similar system, and I love it. Plays HL2 like a champ.
 
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ayman

Senior member
Dec 22, 2004
327
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Originally posted by: gobucks
the only changes I'd make are:
1) The HDD is kinda blah, maybe you'd be better off with one of the new Maxtor Diamondmax 10 250GB or 300GB, they are only like $150 and $190, respectively, and the 16MB buffer and NCQ makes them nice and speedy
2) Depending on your monitor situation, a dual DVI card might be better, like the XFX 6600GT or BFG 6600GT. Plus I'm not a huge fan of MSI, not because of quality but because of crappy design decisions (leaving PCIe x1 slots off lots of PCIe mobos, no dual DVI on the video, etc.)
3) You should probably hold off on the CPU, price cuts are coming like tomorrow, so you might save 10-15 bucks. Also, if you're big on overclocking, you can get just as high with a 3000+, provided you don't mind ratcheting the FSB up. Of course, whether the 10x multi is worth $50 is totally your call

Otherwise, looks great. I have a very similar system, and I love it. Plays HL2 like a champ.
Click to expand...


ahh i'd stick with the seagate. 5 year warranty and they are more reliable IMHO. i've read forums where people just complain about the diamond max, that's why i chose seagate too.

People will tell you that MSI is crap now a days, I might have to agree with taht when talking about motherboards but I've seen good reviews about their graphics cards. If it was me, i'd rather save up a bit more and go with a BFG or eVGA, preferrably BFG though. Other than that, it looks like you did a good job picking out your stuff and you'll be more than happy when you get it running hopefully :thumbsup:

- Ayman
 
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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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gobucks: I have a maxtor now, and it is one it's second rma in a year. I like the company, but I think it's time to let go. I've come to a point where I realize that a drive is a drive and it is possible it wil fail. I will err on the side of caution and get the drive with the 5 year warranty like ayman said.

The monitor I have now is a 17" CRT, so I really don't have a use for dual DVI, although I wish I did ;)

The bit about the cpu is exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I noticed that you are running at 2500Mhz with PC4000. How far do you think I would be able to get with PC3200?

ayman: I read that the MSI 6600GT is the best band for the buck when it comes to the PCI-E video cards. Do you think the BFG or EVGA would net me a more futureproof card than the MSI?

Thanks for the replies, and keep them coming :)
 
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ayman

Senior member
Dec 22, 2004
327
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Originally posted by: rmrf
gobucks: I have a maxtor now, and it is one it's second rma in a year. I like the company, but I think it's time to let go. I've come to a point where I realize that a drive is a drive and it is possible it wil fail. I will err on the side of caution and get the drive with the 5 year warranty like ayman said.

The monitor I have now is a 17" CRT, so I really don't have a use for dual DVI, although I wish I did ;)

The bit about the cpu is exactly the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I noticed that you are running at 2500Mhz with PC4000. How far do you think I would be able to get with PC3200?

ayman: I read that the MSI 6600GT is the best band for the buck when it comes to the PCI-E video cards. Do you think the BFG or EVGA would net me a more futureproof card than the MSI?

Thanks for the replies, and keep them coming :)
Click to expand...

Your right about the MSI being the best for the money. From the prices i found over at ZZF, the eVGA is $220 and the MSI is $190. I wouldn't doubt the MSI card, they are good. The BFG in this case turned out to be $250, so that's probably outta your price range unless your willing to dish out that extra cash. The BFG's Core/Mem speeds are OC'd outta the box though and keep in mind it's the only one with a life time warranty ^_^. Most likely you won't notice performance differences between the cards, it's just a matter of brand. You pay for what you get, keep that in mind.

I hope it doesn't seem like i'm pressuring you to get the more expensive brand, i'm just telling you how i feel about it. Just stay away from XFX and PNY IMO!

BTW people here at AT seem to like Leadtek as well, i've never used this brand personally but i'd trust what others have said :)
 
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rmrf

Platinum Member
May 14, 2003
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I think I will take the advice and get the 3000+, that'll save me some money that I can put towards the vid card. BFG was my first choice, but newegg didn't have it, and suprisingly, most of the stuff on my list was more expensive at zzf despite the free shipping. I suppose the pricing could change in the next couple of weeks though, so I should just figure out where to order when the time comes.

Also, does anyone have any opinions on the Antec 480W NeoPower PSU? I am looking at that one as well as the Fortron unit.

Thanks.
 
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