Check my PC build...

[Skyhanger]

Vitals:
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice E3
Epox EP-9NPA+ nForce4 Ultra
OCZ Value 2x1GB DDR400
eVGA 7800 GTX (or GT?)

Case/Other:
NEC 3540A DVD-RW
Seagate IDE 250GB Barracuda 7200.8
Antec Sonata II
Hyundai Imagequest L90D+

I'm going for biggest bang for the buck, so you see some not so expensive, yet quality stuff. I've heard the GPU is something you can't skimp on, because you really can't OC that much. Is the GTX overkill for the Venice? How about if I overclock the CPU?

 

[Bona Fide]

The GTX is overkill. Get a GT and, if you want, pick up the free SLI motherboard as part of eVGA's deal.

Also, get an aftermarket cooler and OC the hell out of that 3000+ Venice.

Thermalright XP-90 - $30
Panasonic Panaflo M1A - $10

 

[raildogg]

Get a $399 7800GT and a Athlon 64 3700 San Diego with the saved money. overcock the san diego to fx speeds, since they are the same cores

If you overclock your athlon 64 3000 cpu past 2.2 or even further, it may not be a bottleneck.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Yup. Get the GT. GTX is overkill. Do get a DFI board cuz it's like much better.

I personally love the 3700+ SD, but if you don't want to spend that much, a 3200+ Venice will make overclocking a lot nicer cuz of the 10x multiplier.

 

[Skyhanger]

I thought about that free SLI mobo deal, but I really don't need SLI and the mobo is made by Jetway, so I don't know if that will OC well.

Also, are E6 chips really as bad as everyone's claiming? cuz the only other option seems to be post week 20 E3 chips.

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Yup. Get the GT. GTX is overkill. Do get a DFI board cuz it's like much better.

I personally love the 3700+ SD, but if you don't want to spend that much, a 3200+ Venice will make overclocking a lot nicer cuz of the 10x multiplier.

well the 3700 San diego can reach higher speeds more easily and can keep up with the gpu. keep in mind that reaching 2.6 is relatively easy on the 3700 san diego, which is fx-55 speeds

so with a $270 processor, you can get the about the same performance as a $900 processor

newegg seems to be overcharging for their processors lately

look at zipzoomfly.com for processors

 

[Skyhanger]

Well, I chose the Epox board cuz it's also a pretty good OCer, and it's not as newbie unfriendly as the DFI (which I hear is pretty picky about the PSU and RAM you use). I really didn't want to waste extra $ on premium RAM cuz it doesn't give as much of a boost as CPU/GPU

The 3000+ venice sounded good to me because from what I heard, they all OC pretty similar, or at least the 3000+ had more headroom than the 3200+, which has more headroom than the 3500+ etc...

I guess the GTX is really too ambitious for me... it just sounds not as cool to have a GPU with permanently disabled pipes... like its crippled and had more potential.

 

[xeodragon]

get the epox...

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: Skyhanger

I've heard the GPU is something you can't skimp on, because you really can't OC that much.

That really depends. If you're like me, and you never play any games, a GPU is something you *should* skimp on.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: raildogg

newegg seems to be overcharging for their processors lately

I disagree. NewEgg may not be the absolute cheapest all the time, but they're darn close, with very few exceptions. When in doubt, just check pricewatch--but I'd spend the extra $1-$5 for NewEgg reliability.

 

[Skyhanger]

Well, I sorta plan to play games... the setup said that much. What type of CPU should I get? A venice 3000+? 3200+? san deigo?

E3 or E6?

I just want very good performance without breaking the bank...

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

I don't really know which revision to get, but the rest of your system looks rock solid. The 7800GT is an extremely good card too, and it's quite a bit cheaper. I expect it to go down to ~$350 soon. The 7800GTX went down from like $600 to $500 within a couple weeks. If you want, you can upgrade to a 3700+ with the money you save. Oh, what's the PSU on that Sonata II btw? Or do you already have one?

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: DLeRium
Do get a DFI board cuz it's like much better.

what a complete load of sh!t. :roll:

"The Epox 9NPA+ Ultra is the fastest board in the roundup at stock speeds. It was also the highest overclocker at stock speeds, and the second highest overclocker when the bus was overclocked. The Epox is an incredible value whether you are looking for a board that will run fast with stability at stock speeds or a board that will satisfy almost any Athlon 64 enthusiast. The range of overclocking options and the overclocked performance are among the best that we have seen, falling short only in the memory voltage area, which tops out at 3.1V. The feature set is more or less average for Ultra boards, but the overall performance is clearly standout. Based on the standout performance and solid overclocking that we achieved with the Athlon 64, we are pleased to award the AnandTech Gold Editors Choice to the Epox 9NPA+ Ultra motherboard."

--Anandtech.com


Read up, son


**EDIT**

I checked your "rig" in your sig, and just it was just as I assumed. It seems like you have a case of "I have it, so it must be the best."

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: Skyhanger
Well, I sorta plan to play games... the setup said that much. What type of CPU should I get? A venice 3000+? 3200+? san deigo?

The Venice & San Diego CPUs are sold at vastly different price points. So, to answer your question just look at your budget.

E3 or E6?

The difference between E3 and E6 performance is not well documented, but I feel it a reasonable assumption to say that you should go for whichever is cheapest. E6 is supposedly better, but to what degree no one has yet showed. Past revision updates have imposed an improvement of 0%-2%, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

 

[Skyhanger]

the included PSU is a Antec Smartpower 2.0 450W

Looks like the GPU and mobo has been chosen... the CPU is still a tough choice
I want to save money here, but I do also want performance

So it's narrowed down to those choices...
3000+ E3 Retail $146 (cheap! lots of headroom)
3200+ Retail $190 (10x multiplier. Helps OC, but Epox is known to already go up to 300FSB)
3700+ Retail $278 (double the cache)
or even 3000+ E6 OEM $120 (26 bucks in savings for much better HSF)

 

[KoolDrew]

With a good board the 10x multiplier would be uneeded as it is unlikely for you to become limited by the HTT. If you can afford the 3700+ then go with that.

 

[Skyhanger]

I guess I'll go cheap this time. I don't want to spend too much cuz that socket M2 is coming out next year, so I might only have this mobo/cpu for 12 months (most likely longer).

I'd like to know more about the new E6 venice compared to the E3. I know it's a new line, so there isn't much new literature on that yet... do you guys have pointers as to where I can get started on doing my research?

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

I saw go with the 3000+ Venice OEM. The warrenty won't really help you, since you'll be overclocking and most likely installing a third-party HSF, so you can save a couple bucks by going OEM.

 

[asicman]

Originally posted by: Skyhanger

Vitals:
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice E3
Epox EP-9NPA+ nForce4 Ultra
OCZ Value 2x1GB DDR400
eVGA 7800 GTX (or GT?)

Case/Other:
NEC 3540A DVD-RW
Seagate IDE 250GB Barracuda 7200.8
Antec Sonata II
Hyundai Imagequest L90D+

I'm going for biggest bang for the buck, so you see some not so expensive, yet quality stuff. I've heard the GPU is something you can't skimp on, because you really can't OC that much. Is the GTX overkill for the Venice? How about if I overclock the CPU?

I'll sell you a barely used 3700+ San Diego for $240. That'll help sweeten your system...

 

[CreativeTom]

Looks yummy, I would go for it.

 

[daftpunkit]

Yeh GT for the 3700+ SD sounds sexy. Rest looks good! Tell me how that monitor works out for you.

 

[Skyhanger]

Now I'm starting to worry the rig will be monitor-limited...
Is that san deigo 3700+ the same as the one in your current rig?