Motherboard help

[CounterRoar]

I'am attempting to build my own computer after a horrible experience with dell ( ) anyways im not sure what im doing really besides matching up the numbers on the processor, motherboard, RAM etc.. so what i really need help with is choosing a motherboard that can support all ths stuff below. another question is when building a computer do i NEED a floppy drive for anything? or can i just completely skip the floppy drive and still successfuly build a computer? anyways heres what im getting: any advice or suggestion would be greatly appreciated!

Case: More info here, pictures etc
DYNAPOWER ATX Black Mid-Tower Case with 430W Power Supply, Model "D58-BK" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid-Tower Case
Color: Black
Material: Metal
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 4/0, 3.5" x 2/5 (external/internal)
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2xUSB2.0, 2xAudio
Power Supply: 430W ATX 12V power supply support Intel P4 and AMD
Cooling System: 1x80mm, side
Motherboard Compatibility: up to 12" x 11"
Dimensions: 8" x 17" x 18.25" (WxHxD)

MotherBoard:
I need help with this choice, i know i want 1 AGP 8x, some PCI slots, 2-4GB max for ram (im getting 1GB but need room for expansion) and supports the intel P4/HT 478 socket. Whats the difference between MicroATX and just ATX? besides case compatibility.


Processor:Link for more info/pictures
Intel Pentium 4/ 3.2E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology - Retail
Specification
Model: Intel Pentium 4 w/ Hyper Threading Technology
Core: Prescott
Operating Frequency: 3.2GHz
FSB: 800MHz
Cache: L1/12K+16K; L2/1MB
Voltage: 1.25V-1.525V
Process: 0.09Micron
Socket: Socket 478
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail(with Heatsink and Fan)


Memory:More info/pictures
Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 1G(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - OEM
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Corsair
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5
Support Voltage: 2.5V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime


Hard Drive:More info/pictures
Maxtor 160GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model 6Y160P0, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 160GB
Average Seek Time: 9.3 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA133
Features: Maxtor Shock Protection and Data Protection Systems
Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year
Packaging: OEM Drive Only



CD/DVD Burner:More info/pictures
Sony DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive (Black), Model DW-D18A, OEM
Specifications:
Write Speed: 2.4X DL DVD R9, 8X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 8X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 40X CD-ROM, 12X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP / 2000
Features: Sony?s new Double Layer DVD recording brings new capability to your PC.
Packaging: OEM

CD/DVD ROM:More info/pictures
ASUS Black 16X DVD-ROM/ 48X CD-ROM Drive, Model DVD-E616P2, Retail
Specifications:
Color: Black
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: E-IDE/ATAPI
Buffer: 512 KB
Data Transfer Rate: DVD: 16X max 21640 KB/s, CD: 48X max 7200 KB/s
OS Supported: Windows 98/2000/ME/NT/XP, DOS6.XX, Linux
Features: FlextraLink, Buffer Underrun Errors Prevention Technology; FlextraSpeed, Optimal Writing Speed Adjustment Technology
Packaging: Retail


Video Card:More info/pictures
ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9800PRO/380MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/680MHz
BUS: AGP 4X/8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub)+TV-Out(S-Video + Composite Out)+DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX®9, OpenGL®2.0
Cable/Accessories: 2 DVI to D-Sub Adapters, 2 Cables, Driver CD, Manual
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Retail Box

Sound Card:More info/pictures
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 PCI Sound Card -RETAIL
Specifications:
Channels: 5.1
DSP: EMU10K1
Max Sampling Rate: 48kHz
Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital
Hardware Polyphony: 64 Voices
Digital Audio: 16-bit
PC Interface: PCI
Connectors: Analog/Digital Out (Analog Center & Subwoofer/6-channel S-PDIF Output),Line In,Microphone In,Line Level Out (front) / Headphone Out,Line Level Out (rear),MIDI / Joystick port,Telephone Answering Device In,MPC-3 Analog CD Audio In,Digital CD Audio In
Special Features: EAX, DirectSound 3D

Plus a regular black keyboard, mouse and monitor. Going for a black theme. Oh and WinXP Home. Will cooling be a problem?
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[stultus]

Welcome to the Anandtech forums. Also, congrats on building your own system.

Your system looks pretty standard. You might try reading some other threads in other parts of this forum to get an idea on systems. Lots of people post these sort of threads. You might also search for "478" in the motherboard or processors forum to get an idea what motherboards are popular.

No, you don't need a floppy drive. My take is that you don't need it 99% of the time, but the 1% of the time you need it, you *really* need it. And they're 8 bucks, so why not (unless it doesn't look nice in your system, in which case you might consider buying one but not installing it just in case).

You can install XP Home off of CD.

Cheap ($30) cases will behave like cheap cases. This may be 100% fine if you build it and never move it. Also, I wouldn't trust the power supply in these things. It may work 100% fine, but it may come back and bite you. Is this a popular case? Have you read about people using it for a high-end P4 system? If not, and you want to make sure yor first build goes smoothly, you may wish to purchase a name brand case/PSU. I'd trust a 300W Antec over a 430W Dynapower.

Are you gaming on this machine? Your 9800pro makes it look like you are. The Athlon 64 is widely recognized as a better choice over the P4 for gaming.

If you stick with your P4 3.2E, you won't need a fancy overclocking motherboard. (Have you thought about overclocking?) Any motherboard you will buy will have onboard sound that will probably be as good as the SB Live you're buying (especially so if you go the A64 route). If you don't like the onboard sound, just buy the sound card and stick it in (ah, the joys of building your own).

Why are you buying a CD/DVD rom and a CD/DVD burner? Just buy the burner.

 

[Appledrop]

make sure u get one with dual channel memory..

one with an i865 chipset would be good - MSI are good choice.