My first AMD gaming rig

[Defacil]

Hey all, getting rid of my crappy old pc and building a new rig. Been doing a lot of reading and stuff and I think I'm going to stick with Socket 754 until PCI-e or whatever comes in the next year to two years. I'm going to still use my old vid card (geforce 6800gt) and my old sound card (sb audigy). So I'm really just getting a new case, mobo, cpu, ram, and hd.

Edit: CPU was changed (Clawhammer to Newcastle) thanks to jpeyton. Also going to go with the Antec Sonata instead of the originally planned Lian-Li. RAM changed to Mushkin basics to save money.

$98.00 Antec Sonata: http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=11-129-127&depa=0

$62.00 Seagate 80gb HD: http://www.newegg.com/app/view...amp;manufactory=BROWSE

$173.00 Mushkin Dual Pack 1GB PC3200 RAM: http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=20-146-299&depa=0

$74.00 Chaintech VNF3-250 Motherboard (Socket 754): http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=13-152-043&depa=0

$245.00 AMD Athlon 64 3400+: http://www.newegg.com/app/view...description=19-103-484

Total: $652.00

The price difference between the 3200+ and the 3400+ was like around $50 so I just went for the 3400+. Do you all have any suggestions? Maybe cheaper prices from a different vendor?

-Grant

 

[scaryclownsarefun]

all i can say is ditch the 3400 and get the 2800, it overclocks to the same speed (make sure you are getting the newcastle core) and ditch the expensive ram, buy something $70/ stick.

 

[9enisP]

I can tell by the case your not going for looks, so why such an expensive case. You could get a better looking case that includes the power supply for a little over half that price. Check some out here.

 

[cyberknight]

or get the Antec Sonata. Which comes with the 380W TruePower PSU.

 

[jpeyton]

You're grabbing the wrong 3400+. It's only $245: http://www.newegg.com/app/view...description=19-103-484

 

[Defacil]

I actually kinda like the Lian-Li look heh and Lian-Li makes awesome light cases. I'll give the Antec Sonata a look cause I've heard good stuff about it. As for the RAM, I dunno, I thought high quality ram was preferred to $70 sticks (which seem generic and crappy imo). Thanks for pointing me to the newcastle, I dunno why I went with the clawhammer.

The only time i have ever overclocked something was my celeron 300a which was totally different so I don't really plan on overclocking.

 

[Hajime]

You can pick up a pack of 1gb Corsair value for, what, $150 or so nowadays?

Hell, you could probably pick up 1gb of Ballistix for that price .

 

[Frew]

Originally posted by: Defacil
I actually kinda like the Lian-Li look heh and Lian-Li makes awesome light cases. I'll give the Antec Sonata a look cause I've heard good stuff about it. As for the RAM, I dunno, I thought high quality ram was preferred to $70 sticks (which seem generic and crappy imo). Thanks for pointing me to the newcastle, I dunno why I went with the clawhammer.

The only time i have ever overclocked something was my celeron 300a which was totally different so I don't really plan on overclocking.

Diffence between crappy generic ram and good value ram. Get some Mushkin basic or Corsair value.

 

[Defacil]

No difference? or there is difference?

 

[Hajime]

If you are hellbent on spending that much, pick up two sticks of Ballistix.

Otherwise, look for Corsair value/Mushkin basic as another poster said, or possibly Crucial depending. And there's no real difference - you'll probably end up with the same timings - possibly faster - to boot.

 

[Defacil]

Oh ok. updated the list again with Mushkin basics: http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=20-146-299&depa=0

 

[magratton]

Agreed with the rest. If this is a hold you over system, don't go with a 3400, go with a 2800 or a 3000 and save yourself nearly $100.

Also, people are recommending the "value" lines of ram because the A64 has an integrated memory controller which is providing some very good life to these lines of RAM. Many tests show that the RAM timings do not matter so much to AMD anymore. They still matter, just not so much. Real-world posts on gaming etc. (other than Distributed, scientific computing) show the value ram difference as nearly unnoticeable.

And stick with that Sonata, from personal experience, it is a nice case and the PSU is very good.

edit: here is another $10 back: Corsair ValueRam