Need help with my first build

[wallrunnerm15]

im doing my first build and want some suggestions to add to my list. for my case i have the aspire x-dreamer 2. im replacing the existing psu for the aspire concord series 500W. i am thinking of getting the AMD 3500+ socket 939. I already have a Seagate 200gb U-ATA 7200rpm 8mb cache. For a burner i think im getting the NEC 16X. I want to get a DVD-Rom for my second optical drive. I have the Audigy z2 gamer's edition. and am probably getting the ATI AIW 9600XT pci-e.
I am looking for suggestions for the motherboard, speed of RAM, whether to get another ATA or go to SATA for my second hdd, what type of fan 8cm to get(i need 4)and a fan controller(if i need on), and any accessories that would help to spruce up my case.

 

[mechBgon]

I suggest getting something better than an Aspire power supply since I've heard mixed reviews from owners of them. Enermax, Fortron or Antec are some respectable brands. It looks like video cards are taking more and more 12V amperage, and most Enermax units are strong on 12V, so maybe look at 400-500W Enermaxes. Down the road, it may prove to have been a smart move. Pay attention to your mobo's connector requirements, since you will start to see more 24-pin power connectors from here on out, as opposed to the 20-pin ATX connectors we see now. If your board takes a 24-pin plug, get a PSU that handles that natively.

If I were looking into a PCIe setup, I'd hold out for that Asus A8N family of boards.

 

[wallrunnerm15]

i was already pretty much plannign on waiting on the motherborad. but what parts should i buy now? do you have any good suggestions for s case between 50-80 and a good psu hopefully 450+ bewteen 50-65.

 

[mechBgon]

The longer you wait, the more you'll get for your money in the area of CPUs, video cards, monitors and optical drives. I would keep waiting on the power supply, until you have a firm idea of whether your new motherboard uses 24-pin ATX 2.2 or not. And if you wait, you'll have more PSUs to choose from if it does take 24-pin.

So maybe just keep saving? Or if you had a new monitor planned, you could get that right now and start enjoying it, maybe

 

[wallrunnerm15]

what are good monitors lcd 17'' under $300?? any good cases? or any other parts that i should consider getting? im probably going to save and buy everything all at once almost except for maybe a case or psu on black friday.

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

I'm not far off of what MechBgon suggests. When I build a new pc, I start by buying parts I can first use in the system I currently have. For the system I have now, I'd be limited to maybe some SATA drives or faster ram. If you buy your mobo and CPU first, then assemble your parts around it .... especially if you will take several months to assemble it, prices will have dropped or newer features will be available and you will be asking yourself why you didn't wait. This is especially true right now since the A64 is pretty much still a new and growing platform. Also, if you read through the threads here on this board, you'll see that there's been a bunch of problems that people are having due to compatibility issues with power supplies and other hardware. If you wait just a bit longer, those problems will more than likely be all worked out and your new build will be much smoother. I, myself am waiting for the summer to jump on the 939 bandwagon. I'll stick with my Barton til then.

 

[wallrunnerm15]

my comp right now is a factory uild and i am having growing problems with overheating, a bad hdd which i replaced, horible psu, and a dvd-burner first generation which doesnt burn dvds anymore. i am hoping to build kind of soon, maybe winter brea, but what would you suggest? i want to get socket 939 and a pc package around a grand. i also am wondering if it worth waiting for pci express. but am unsure.

 

[wallrunnerm15]

bump

 

[wallrunnerm15]

bump