Building my first PC in 4 years.

[TheBull]

I never tried OC'ing a system, and it sounds like fun. I apologize up front if I made any mistakes with particular model numbers

It seems like the P4 1.6A might be the way to go for a reasonably priced replacement for my aging P2-400. Anyway, I've got a few questions that I didn't want buried in the loooong list of 200+ messages from the other postings. I think I like the Asus P4B266 board, since DDR seems to be the wave of the future, esp. with Intel dropping support for Rambus.

1. Is there any real difference between the P4B266 and the "-C" model, besides sound and DIMM slots? The reason I ask is I currently have an Esoniq 1371 sound card, and I know I would be better off with something else. I don't have 5.1 speaker set-up, and don't plan on getting one either. Should I go with the On-board sound or get the "-C" model and get a TurtleBeach or Audigy card?

2. Is the stock HSF adequate in the retail package, or should I get something better?

3. I know very little about DDR memory, so I thinking about Crucial RAM, but I didn't know what speed to buy.

I currently own a ChiefTec DW-01D 420W, a Radeon LE, and a Deskstar GXP60@40GB. I was just going transfer these into my new system, but I'm not sure about keeping the video card. I am an ATI man, so I'll probably get an 8500.

Thanks for any information.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I would go with what you asked about, as for the difference in the board using onboard sound uses up SOME cpu speed so using a card is better IMHO. As for overclcoking with the 1.6 setup alot are getting good results with the stock HSF combo so no need to change it unless you want a big overclock. As for the ram the Crucial 2100 DDR is a solid choice. Just because you dont have a 5.1 speaker system doesnt mean you cant get a good sound card. Creative still makes good cards as does Turtle Beach.

 

[TheBull]

Thanks for the help.

 

[TheBull]

I've seen some talk about 1 stick vs. 2 stick of RAM on the P4B series. Is there a significant difference ?

 

[jaeger66]

<< I never tried OC'ing a system, and it sounds like fun. I apologize up front if I made any mistakes with particular model numbers

It seems like the P4 1.6A might be the way to go for a reasonably priced replacement for my aging P2-400. Anyway, I've got a few questions that I didn't want buried in the loooong list of 200+ messages from the other postings. I think I like the Asus P4B266 board, since DDR seems to be the wave of the future, esp. with Intel dropping support for Rambus.

1. Is there any real difference between the P4B266 and the "-C" model, besides sound and DIMM slots? The reason I ask is I currently have an Esoniq 1371 sound card, and I know I would be better off with something else. I don't have 5.1 speaker set-up, and don't plan on getting one either. Should I go with the On-board sound or get the "-C" model and get a TurtleBeach or Audigy card?

2. Is the stock HSF adequate in the retail package, or should I get something better?

3. I know very little about DDR memory, so I thinking about Crucial RAM, but I didn't know what speed to buy.

I currently own a ChiefTec DW-01D 420W, a Radeon LE, and a Deskstar GXP60@40GB. I was just going transfer these into my new system, but I'm not sure about keeping the video card. I am an ATI man, so I'll probably get an 8500.

Thanks for any information. >>



Don't discount Rambus yet. The faster the P4, the more RDRAM makes sense. And it's now at the point where it's as cheap or cheaper than DDR. If you want to hit a 133MHz(x4) fsb with a P4, DDR becomes almost silly.

Anything is better than onboard sound, even the card you have now.

The stock Intel heatsink should be fine on a Northwood. Heat is rarely an issue.

 

[TheBull]

I like Rambus, but I thought that since Intel was no longer supporting Rambus wouldn't I be better off buying a DDR board for future upgrades ?

 

[Ionizer86]

I like Rambus, but I thought that since Intel was no longer supporting Rambus wouldn't I be better off buying a DDR board for future upgrades ?

Intel is still supporting Rambus; the i850 and soon-to-be i850e will all use Rambus. As for buying DDR for future upgrades, PC2100 will soon be replaced with PC2700. So just buy what you need for this comp; you can worry about future comps later

Oh, and if you want a P4 1.6a, make sure you're getting the 1.6A and not the 1.6 chip.

 

[TheBull]

I guess your right, I haven't done anything significant on my current system for 4 yrs. Anyone care to save me the trouble of searching the entire site and recommend an 850 board.

 

[idgaf13]

Go with AMD clearly superior.
they are the reason DDR became marketable and Intel stopped pushing Rambus
and they offer better performance at a lower cost ,significantly lower.