Building new system

[Kryai]

I'm about to build a new system and lately i've been having difficulty trying to figure out the best case to get. I do not care about how it looks honestly, i won't be modding it at all. But i'm not sure on how much would be a good amount to spend on the PSU+Case what should i be looking to spend? $50, $75 or even $100? I'll be putting in a XP3000+ and an ati 9800pro should my minimum watt PSU be 350? or should i look to get get 400+? I've never placed much importance on the PSU in teh past but from reading a lot abou tit my view is slowly changing. Anyone have any experience with cases not for modding and merely great functional use with a reliable PSU?

 

[mechBgon]

Quality is important and not just wattage, so also take a critical look at what brand of power supply it's got. If I were building a 3000+ with a 9800 Pro or another ~50-60-watt video card, I'd be leaning towards the 400W zone for some padding, especially if the system may end up with quite a few drives or cards in it. I like Antec and they're easy to find, so you might consider their cases (Antec cases always come with an Antec power supply if they come with a PSU at all).

Bigger picture: strongly consider getting an Athlon64 3000+ if you're spending that kind of money. Its gaming performance smokes the AthlonXP 3000+ and there are some other advantages too (it features SSE2, it has a nicer heatsink-attachment setup and a heatspreader, and if you keep it long enough you may start reaping the rewards of 64-bit too).

 

[Kryai]

Well i will most certainly be keeping it a long time, my primary concern with A64 is that it is still fairly new to market and the technology supporting it is not well developed as of yet. I will not have many other cards in it, probably a sound card and an ethernet card if the onboard does not exist or doesnt work to how i prefer it to. I'll only have 1 hd and 1 cd though in the future i could easily add in a second if i wanted a dvd writer. I mentioned my XP3000+ choice a second time and you've mentioned thinking about A64 so i will go research more into the technology regarding the processor. As of now however isnt it true that teh socket platform it uses is a dead end? Should i wait on the new 939 i believe to come out? I just found a thread with this case in it and reading the reviews it sounds promising. Has anyone used this MAXTOP http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-150-017&catalog=7&depa=1 it comes without a PSU so i can then decide on the PSU seperately I think that perhaps this might be a very nice solution what do you think?

 

[optimistic]

For you case question, I recommend this Antec SLK3700.

 

[SneakyStuff]

Originally posted by: optimistic
For you case question, I recommend this Antec SLK3700.

I second that, my cousin just got that exact case, let me say this, it is VERY well made, and the 120mm fans are a nice (quiet) touch. the 350 watt Antec PSU isn't too shabby either, and for $67 dollars, it's a pretty good deal. It has ample drive bay capacity as well.