Help a newbie...power supply?

[WsuEEPhD]

I always hate to be the jerk newbie asking the stupid question, but I did a search and still have questions, so here goes. I am upgrading my Linux box, and tomorrow morning my Epox 8K3A and Athlon 1800+ will be here. I will use 3 sticks of Samsung PC2100 DDR, 256MB each, a old GeForce2 MX 4 something (4600?,) a Light-on 16X10X40 CR-RW, my Sound Blaster PCI 512, and up to 3 hard drives (60GB 7200, 20GB 5400, 10GB 5400, about 1/2 the time the 10GB won't be there.)

This may seem off-topic, but I have been lurking for quite a while, and this seems the best forum for my questions.

1. This will all be going in my Antec 1030B with it's stock 300W power supply. Is that enough power supply? At what point would one start to worry about an inadequate power supply? What "warning" signs would surface with an inadequate power supply? Besides the stuff mentioned above, I use all 4 80mm case fans, all fans are Antec.

2. While lurking on this board, I have read about certian "instabilities" about using all 3 RAM slots. Does anyone think I will run into any problems with this, or is this something one can't predict? What "warning" signs should I watch for in using all 3 RAM slots?

3. Will a setup like this (mainly Mobo and processor) be "overclocker-friendly?" I understand my graphics card is "weak." I am kinda waiting for a close friend of mine to upgrade his GF3 ti 450 so I can get a good deal on that. What I'm wondering though, is one of these days when I grow the balls to get on here and talk about overclocking, is that going to be a joke with this setup? The processor is OEM so it will have an AMD heatsink and fan. Say I'm OK with this setup stock on my 300 watt power supply, will I run into problems if I over-clock? Was I an idiot for buying the OEM processor with the AMD heatkink and fan?
I don't play games, but beating my friends on 3Dmark is always cool I mostly use business apps in Linux (Star Office, occassional FTP, web browsing.) Anyway, you guys are gods, thanks ALOT in advance for your help.

Pat

 

[o1die]

You'll just have to try your power supply. It won't hurt anything if it's too weak. Some mobos aren't that picky. If you do have problems, the most frequent problem is random reboots. Shop pricewatch if you replace it, and stick with a quality name like enermax, sparkle, antec, etc. or check out amd's or Intel's website to see if it's on their approved list. But don't expect it to improve your overclocking that much.

 

[CrazySaint]

Was I an idiot for buying the OEM processor with the AMD heatkink

No, of course not. You were an idiot for thinking the OEM processor came with the AMD HS/F j/k But seriously, the OEM processor comes with NO heatsink or fan. Its just a CPU. That PSU should be fine for your setup. As for overclocking, Athlons aren't really known for their great OC abilities (although the 1600+ is starting to look like a nice overclocker). Most likely, your best bet for OC'ing would be to unlock the CPU, reduce the multiplier, then crank up the FSB to increase your memory bandwidth.

 

[jaybee]

I wouldn't expect a lot of overhead on the fsb with 3 sticks of PC2100. Overclocking is funny, though -- the only way to find out is to give it a shot. It's funny how many "How far can I go" questions ppl ask. You never know til you try.

Anyway, if you ordered an OEM cpu you will not get a hsf. You can find all sorts of hsf advice in Cases & cooling. Don't worry about your p/s -- the Antec 300 should be good enough for that setup, at least at default settings. Unlock your multiplier if you feel up to it -- it gives you a lot of flexibility (increase multiplier to max out cpu, decrease to max out fsb/ram... maximum overclock potential).

jaybee