Influence my decision!

[Munky]

Ok, so I finally decided to give my skt A system a rest, and jump onto the A64/PCI-E wagon. Here's what I already have and would like to keep:

OCZ 420W psu
2x512 OCZ vx gold ddr500 (<-- overkill for skt A)

I plan to build a system using the least money possible, but have parts that OC well to give more performance. I'm leaning toward skt939, as I'd like to switch to X2 later on. For the mobo, I'm considering the Epox 9NPA+, since it's relatively inexpensive and OC's well, but if I can get something good even cheaper, I'm open to suggestions. Having a passive NB heatsink would be preferred. For the cpu, I have no idea, but some low end skt939 will do, as long as I can reach a decent OC on air. So, let me hear your recommendations.

Also, how good is this combo for OC'ing?
http://www.unitedmicro.com/mbw.cgi?1022729

or this one?
http://www.bzboyz.com/store/product5530.html

 

[twitchee2]

for about $50 more you could get a dfi ultr-d and 3000 venice nd u will be able to oc it to 2.6+ thats the best but if you cant afford it both those choices look good

 

[The Pentium Guy]

'm leaning toward skt939, as I'd like to switch to X2

You can't with that ABIT AX8 board as it's got VIA K8T890 which doesn't support X2.

"OCZ 420W psu " - Make sure it's 24-pin.

 

[suicidalpigeon]

cant go wrong with the epox board, dunno any other boards cheaper with similar achievements the epox recently made. both the sites you linked have crappy ratings at resellerratings.com try monarchcomputers.

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy

'm leaning toward skt939, as I'd like to switch to X2

You can't with that ABIT AX8 board as it's got VIA K8T890 which doesn't support X2.

"OCZ 420W psu " - Make sure it's 24-pin.

Hmm, I didnt even know that about the AX8. Good point.

As for the psu, it is 24 pin, and in fact right now I'm using a 24->20 pin adapter

 

[Some1ne]

The Venice 3000+ is a good overclocking chip that can be had for reasonably cheap in the socket 939 flavor.

For the mainboard, you probably want something nForce4 based...DFI, Epox, MSI, and pretty much all the major mainboard makers offer good boards with plenty of features and overclocking options with the nforce4 chipset. If cost is a major factor you can consider getting a lower-end board, like MSI's Neo4-F, which will save you about $50 or so over a high-end variant, at the cost of some features (like extra SATA connectors, dual gigabit ethernet, etc.) which you may or may not care about (seriously though, who needs 8x SATA ports?).

I'm assuming you'll also needs a new video card, and right now the 6600 GT is still a good option if you want decent performance for not a lot of money. The prices are starting to come down on the 6800 models now though since the 7800GTX has been introduced, so they may be a good option as well shortly, depending on how much you have to spend.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Your VX ram needs 3.2v+ to overclock well, the only board that gives that much without mod or a booster is the DFI

 

[Some1ne]

Your VX ram needs 3.2v+ to overclock well, the only board that gives that much without mod or a booster is the DFI

Ah, I missed the fact the it was VX RAM. I completely concur, if you have VX RAM, you want a DFI board and only a DFI board.

 

[DanDaMan315]

You like that proc/mobo combo thing, eh?

 

[Munky]

Well, I guess that means I'll have to spend a little more and go for the DFI board. That's not a problem, I can certainly afford it if it's worth the extra cost.

As for the combos, I think I could save somemoney by getting the combo, but I'd rather get a good OC'ing board separately than a crappy board in a combo.

The video, I'm waiting untill a g70/r520 based card comes out at a reasonable price, ~$300. So, I'll need something cheaper to hold me over until then, maybe a gf6600 or a x800 I've see going around for $150.