First Computer Build

[locklearc]

Case- P-180

Motherboard- MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI

CPU- AMD Athlon 64 3700 San Diego

PSU- Seasonic S12-500

GPU- BFG 7800GTX

RAM- OCZ EL Platinum 1 GB

Harddrive- Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160 GB

Any opinions on this build and any advice about putting it together? (I know about mechbgon's guide and plan on using it)

 

[imported_Kensai]

2GB OCZ EL Platinum PC3200 2-3-2-5
eVGA 7800GTX

8/10.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

DFI LanParty NF4 SLI

Good PSU choice ^^.

HD: Why not the 7200.8s?

IF you want to save, I recommend the P160 or anything cheaper than the P180. OCZ VX > EL Platinum definitely. I would prefer the overclockability/timing advantage at the same price.

 

[Azndude2190]

Originally posted by: locklearc
Case- P-180

Motherboard- MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI

CPU- AMD Athlon 64 3700 San Diego

PSU- Seasonic S12-500

GPU- BFG 7800GTX

RAM- OCZ EL Platinum 1 GB

Harddrive- Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160 GB


Any opinions on this build and any advice about putting it together? (I know about mechbgon's guide and plan on using it)

You'll like that CPU alot I have it and its a very solid cpu...what are you going to buy for sound card,optical drive,and floppy drive...and your monitor and speakers anll the other good stuff?...

 

[Valkerie]

AMD 3200 should be good, venice preferably and socket 939

SLi sucks, MSI is a rip off

7800, high end stuff won't get you very far for the price unless u have a really good reason

make sure the drive offers 300 mbps or at least has NCQ

get 1 gig of RAM

what's the PSU watts and manufacturer?

 

[imported_Kensai]

Originally posted by: Valkerie
AMD 3200 should be good, venice preferably and socket 939

SLi sucks, MSI is a rip off

7800, high end stuff won't get you very far for the price unless u have a really good reason

make sure the drive offers 300 mbps or at least has NCQ

get 1 gig of RAM

what's the PSU watts and manufacturer?

Ingenius.. Did you not read the OP? Do you not keep updated with the latest products?

 

[locklearc]

I planned on getting a Dell 2005FPW, a Audigy2 ZS sound card, and a Lite-on DVD burner. I haven't decided on the speakers. Is there anything else I'm missing?

 

[imported_Kensai]

Originally posted by: locklearc
I planned on getting a Dell 2005FPW, a Audigy2 ZS sound card, and a Lite-on DVD burner. I haven't decided on the speakers. Is there anything else I'm missing?

Hell if you're not going to use the onboard sound..
DFI UT SLI-D is a good choice.

As I recommended before, 2GB of ram would be helpful for the future.
Will you be overclocking?

 

[locklearc]

I don't plan on overclocking. Would on-board sound be good enough? Would I notice a huge difference in games and music using on-board sound?

 

[imported_Kensai]

Originally posted by: locklearc
I don't plan on overclocking. Would on-board sound be good enough? Would I notice a huge difference in games and music using on-board sound?

Either way. Audigy2 > Onboard.
Get the DFI SLI-D and use your Audigy2.
The DFI board is still very good for stock performance.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

IF you don't plan on overclocking, it doesn't mean you should avoid enthusiast boards. Your limit is price not overclocking or not. So if the MSI board costs as much as the DFI board you should DEFINITELY get the DFI board.

As for DFI's onboard sound, its good enough for me. Sound comes out pretty nice on my $50 speakers. MSI's SB Live on board just changes everything. There's definitely no need to get another sound card unless you're an audiophile.

That said I would still stick with DFI. The Karajan audio module is pretty useful and high quality.

 

[daftpunkit]

Originally posted by: locklearc
Case- P-180

Motherboard- MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum SLI

CPU- AMD Athlon 64 3700 San Diego

PSU- Seasonic S12-500

GPU- BFG 7800GTX

RAM- OCZ EL Platinum 1 GB

Harddrive- Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 160 GB

Any opinions on this build and any advice about putting it together? (I know about mechbgon's guide and plan on using it)

Case: Good choice
CPU: Good choice
PSU: Good choice
GPU: Good choice, but I'd got eVGA cause of their warranty
RAM: Good choice
HD: Good choice, but I'd get a SATA 3.0GB/s drive, like Western Digital Caviar SE 16 or Hitachi Deskstar T7K250
Monitor: Good choice, but I hear that particular ones sometimes have this "screen door" effect. But hard to really say, I don't have one or never seen one. I have seen Samsung 19" 930B and NEC 19" LCD1970GX-BK and both are sexy.


just my opinion, but there are so many options out there and so many good ones too and you chose some good ones.

 

[locklearc]

I was reading in other posts about DFI and how it is difficult to initially set up. Kensai, in other posts you said MSI why the switch to DFI?

 

[imported_Kensai]

Originally posted by: locklearc
I was reading in other posts about DFI and how it is difficult to initially set up. Kensai, in other posts you said MSI why the switch to DFI?

I like both boards. I use them both. The DFI for extreme overclocking and for windowed cases w/ UV lights.

The MSI board for good onboard sound and red lighted cases.

Since you'll be using hte Audigy2, that nulls one of the advantages of the MSI K8N Neo4.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Originally posted by: locklearc
I was reading in other posts about DFI and how it is difficult to initially set up. Kensai, in other posts you said MSI why the switch to DFI?

Ok I have a DFI board. You can get some incompatibilities and it may be annoying to setup depending what components you get. A lot of people do run into trouble with DFI boards, but I myself have not. Well, I'll admit it was a tad more difficult tos etup than my Abit board, but it only took a few tries (something like 10 - 15 min) to get it all right.

But the thing is once you DO get it up and running, the feeling is beyond rewarding. I felt a major sense of accomplishment.

If you do go with DFI, I recommend that you read DFI Street and get the step-by-step build guide and basically you should know before hand what to do. Make a checklist so you don't mess up, and you'll pretty much be set.