Finalizing Computer Decisions...

[effowe]

Hi All,

I've been in the process of building my computer for a while now, and I'm finally about to purchase the remaining parts. I have a few questions concerning this, and I'm going to list all of the parts that I have, and will order.

Parts that I Have...
OCZ Powerstream 520W PSU (20 Pin)
CoolerMaster Centurion 5 Case
Sony 3.5" Floppy
2 NEC 3500a DVD/RW
AeroCool Gatewatch Fanbus

Parts Pending Purchase...
DFI Lan Party NF4 SLI-DR
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 939 Winchester
Thermalright XP-120 Heatsink
Western Digital 74GB Raptor

Now the parts that I'm going to buy are pretty much finalized. I want to overclock in the future so those are set. I do have a few questions concerning the remaining parts however.

1) I have a 20 Pin PSU, but DFI suggests not using anything less than a 24 pin. When I eventually do Overclock, should I get a more powerful 24 Pin PSU?
2) What type of ram should I get? I am eventually planning on purchasing the OCZ VX Gold series, but that's a little out of my budget right now. If I can get some low-latency value ram that would run well (not overclocked) for the moment, that would be great.
3) Video Card? I am planning on eventually running an SLI system, so I was thinking the GEForce 6800GT card. I found one made by eVGA on Newegg for about $400.
4) With the 6800 and the rest of the parts, will my Powerstream be able to handle these parts, with no overclock?

Thanks Alot,
effowe

 

[MrControversial]

1) I have a 20 Pin PSU, but DFI suggests not using anything less than a 24 pin. When I eventually do Overclock, should I get a more powerful 24 Pin PSU?

I'd suggest reading the stickied thread about it at the top of the page. 24 pin has nothing to do with overclocking, it just provides extra voltage for the PCIe slot. So you don't need a 24 pin PSU. I'm using a 20-24 pin adapter just in case, but then again I have a beefy PSU. If you have a decent 20 pin with good amps on the +12V rail, then you should be fine. You just have to line the pins up right. Again, read the sticky.

2) What type of ram should I get? I am eventually planning on purchasing the OCZ VX Gold series, but that's a little out of my budget right now. If I can get some low-latency value ram that would run well (not overclocked) for the moment, that would be great.

For AMD64's the memory bandwith increase doesn't quite add much of an overall performance increase as it would with an Intel system so others and myself have opted for Value RAM, dividers, and semi-agressive timings to get higher clockspeeds from the 64's. Zebo's memory matrix sticky on the CPU forums is a great resource. Read up on that and then make your own decision. It's your call. Personally though, I couldn't justify spending more money for a negligible performance increase...and I'm talking about one or two FPS.

3) Video Card? I am planning on eventually running an SLI system, so I was thinking the GEForce 6800GT card. I found one made by eVGA on Newegg for about $400.

Sounds good to me. Why are you going SLI? I'm just curious. You do know that all games won't give you the 2x performance increase, right? Just make sure you're making your decision based on balanced information and not hype.

4) With the 6800 and the rest of the parts, will my Powerstream be able to handle these parts, with no overclock?

It's more than enough, IMHO.

 

[effowe]

In reference to the Stickied DFI Lanparty Thread. Yes I read through most of it, but didnt get through the end. I got through about 31 of the pages, and yes, people were using 20 pin PSU's on there. Im just worried about the future when I do decide to get another card, and I start OC'ing, thats why I'm wondering about my upgrade path..

As far as ram is concerned, I was really just wondering if anyone has any experience with Value Ram on the LanParty. They released a list of suggested RAM for the board, and I just need something cheap for the moment.

I am planning on going SLI in the future, just for the sheer power of it. I understand I'm not going to get 2x performance, but hey, if I can get even 1.5x performance, thats better than 1 video card eh?

effowe