new AMD pc help

[mendicant]

basically i've decided i need a new pc and im looking for a high spec one with good o/c capabilities

primarily i want one for gaming, i play Wolfenstein Enemy Territory at a reasonably high level and want a system that can give me a 125 fps

thing is up until last week i havent kept upto date with pc hardware so its bin a busy week trying to cram the info i need to be able to chose a new pc

so i took the easy option and checked the anandtech.com o/c buyers guide

this is what i've come up with:

AMD FX55 £520
msi k8n neo2 platinum £82
crucial 1GB ddr pc3200 dual £157
WD raptor 74gb £103 x 2
OCZ 520 PSU £88
CM stacker £100
CM crossflowfan £25
total=rougly £1,400(inc.tax)
for the time being i'll be using my 128mb fx5900xt till i can afford an upgrade
(also will i need to buy any additional cables or are they all supplied?)

all the other bits (dvd-rom,monitor etc)im gonna carry over from my current system until i have money to upgrade them

wondered if i could have ppl's opinion on this and is it a wise buy?

reason i've gone for such an expensive cpu is mainly due to the fact that in the future i wanna be able to upgrade memory and other bits and have a cpu that will respond better,..am i right in thinking that?

also im curious about CPU fans/heatsinks/thermal pastes, are they worth using if i wanna o/c, and is their any u could recommend?
soz for the long post and amount of questions but any help/info would be much appreciated

 

[ts3433]

The FX55 isn't even out yet, so scratch that.
You really should be fine with a 3000+ to 3400+ on S754 (or one of the new S939 90nm chips if you want). Anything higher doesn't make too much of a difference, assuming ceteris paribus. You'll also be fine with just value CL2.5 RAM, unless you absolutely must overclock. (Use the savings for a 6800GT or whatever.)

 

[mendicant]

aye, im seriously considering the 3500+ 90nm, but i dont mind waiting a few more weeks and getting the fx55 if the performance will heavily outstrip the 3500+

plus if i have to o/c the 3500+ to get v good performance, then wouldnt the life span of the components be heavily shortened?.idealy im looking for a pc that'll still be playing current games 2/3 years down the line

 

[imported_Computer MAn]

2-3 years is a long time in computer terms but the 3500+ should be more than enough. The FX-55 will outperform the 3500+ but I dont think its worth 2 times the amount of money. The FX series will be a better overclocker because of it being fully unlocked.

 

[mendicant]

ye think i might go for the 3500+,perhaps get an FX further down the line when its a little cheaper

 

[Akira1224]

If you are going to OC perhaps hold off a bit and get a 90nm 3000+. We all saw how good an OC they got an a 1st gen fab....imagine waiting a few months and see what happens. Plus by then Nforce 4 should be out as well as PCIe chipsets from ATI and VIA. Who knows if any of those will offer something new but I think it's worth holding out for.

 

[Feep]

i'd suggest a cheaper cpu, then getting a video card now instead of waiting. There isnt much of a point to that as a gaming system without a new card.

 

[arod]

yeah a third the sentiment that you should get a cheaper CPU and a better video card..... your going to have a much "faster" machine if you get good video and cpu vs a really good CPU and crappy video card.... not syaing the 5900 is bad but the Geforce 6800 GT is alot better.

 

[mendicant]

hmm think im gonna go with the 3500+ and get a graphic card in a couple of months, as akira says new pci ones should be commin out soonish

for the time being i need summin that'll give me a constant 125 fps on enemy territory(playing for ireland in the nations cup next month-hopefully-) and afaik ET is more cpu reliant than gpu, so hopefully my 5900 will get me by till i get a newer card(fingers crossed)

any recommendations for replacing the cpu fan,using heatsinks etc(if worth it). i assume they would be usefull in o/c'ing?