New College System (Just got accepted)

[JServ]

Hey guys, I just got accepted to college, so my dad is paying for me to buy a new comp. I'm a first time builder, but I have a few veterans who can help me out. Below is what I'm considering at the moment, but I'm hoping that you guys can tell me if one part of the configuration is not up to par or if i can save money in a certain area. Thanks in advance.

Athlon XP 1800+

Thermalright SK-6 w/ Delta Fan - I'm not exactly sure about this, for i don't overclock at the moment, but i may try it out in a little whle

Artic Silver's Premium Thermal Paste

MSI K7266 Mobo (KT266A) - should i go for the EpoX over this?

Cardexpert Geforce 3 or Radeon 8500 (new drivers look promising) - GF3 Ti500 is to expensive in my mind (and not much faster than the original GF3, so i don't want that....but after seeing Anand's review on the new ATI drivers, i'm considering ATI.

2 x 256mb DDR from crucial

Sony Floppy Drive

Seagate Barracuda IV 60gb - I kind of randomly picked this hard drive for i know close to nothing about them...but it seemed to get good reviews

Plextor 24x10x40 - i was considering the Liteon 24x burner...but then i read a bunch of reviews saying that it was low quality

Pioneer 16x Slot Loading DVD-rom

Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy - is the platinum worth it?

Linksys Network Card

Antec SX1030 w/ 350 watt power suppply - is 350 enough for all the stuff above?

There's always the chance that I don't get a response to this, but thanks for reading this.

 

[DDad]

Nice rig- for now

When do you start school- if it's January, then go with what you've planned. - if August, I'd wait and see whats available then

 

[PraetorChu]

do not forget the shim

 

[PraetorChu]

for me....the only reason to get platinum is for the remote.

 

[AMDPwred]

Looks great but I would recommend a Shuttle AK31A to replace that MSI. You can save some cash and get an extra DIMM for RAM

 

[SpecialEd]

just a warning... that delta fan on the sk6 is going to be loud!! Unless you don't mind the noise... I'd think about replacing the fan. Run a search on the SK6 in cases/cooling forum and see what people are doing...

also make sure you follow the ASII instructions very carefully when applying that stuff... its not hard... but you would be surprised how often people mess it up.

 

[AMDPwred]

Yeah, it gets messy

 

[nord1899]

<< Athlon XP 1800+ >>

Not the most bang for the buck here. Anand recommends the XP 1600+. Hard to justify paying $80 more for just .13 GHz. But hey, if you aren't paying for it, go for it.



<< Thermalright SK-6 w/ Delta Fan - I'm not exactly sure about this, for i don't overclock at the moment, but i may try it out in a little whle >>

Good heatsink. But that fan will be very loud. I haven't heard it myself, but people compare it to a hair dryer. You might want to check out the Alpha PAL8045U (the one that comes with a fan). Unless you truly plan on overclocking, don't get the delta.



<< Artic Silver's Premium Thermal Paste >>

Good choice. Just follow the instructions on their website.



<< MSI K7266 Mobo (KT266A) - should i go for the EpoX over this? >>

Not sure, haven't upgraded to any of the latest mobo's yet, I'm waiting for the next ones to come out.



<< Cardexpert Geforce 3 or Radeon 8500 (new drivers look promising) - GF3 Ti500 is to expensive in my mind (and not much faster than the original GF3, so i don't want that....but after seeing Anand's review on the new ATI drivers, i'm considering ATI. >>

Wait till the real reviews of the ATI drivers come out (not the rushed ones from Comdex). Make your choice then.



<< 2 x 256mb DDR from crucial >>

Just be sure to get the Anandtech discount.



<< Sony Floppy Drive >>





<< Seagate Barracuda IV 60gb - I kind of randomly picked this hard drive for i know close to nothing about them...but it seemed to get good reviews >>

The Seagate is a very good drive. It is the quietest and coolest of the 7200 RPM's out there. The WD and Maxtor are a bit faster but you probably won't notice the difference.



<< Plextor 24x10x40 - i was considering the Liteon 24x burner...but then i read a bunch of reviews saying that it was low quality >>

I have the 12x10x32 version of the Plextor. Awesome burner.



<< Pioneer 16x Slot Loading DVD-rom >>

I prefer the tray version myself, but they are pretty much the same thing.



<< Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy - is the platinum worth it? >>

The platinum is only good for the extra inputs/outputs and the remote control. The I/O is good for hooking it up to a home theater system or other audio/video devices. The remote is nice that you can sit on your bed and control the computer. I don't know about the software with the Audigy, but roommate had the Live 5.1 platinum and the software with that sucks horribly (and thats the only software the remote works with out of the box).



<< Linksys Network Card >>

I use that in my Linux box. Good card.



<< Antec SX1030 w/ 350 watt power suppply - is 350 enough for all the stuff above? >>

350 should be fine. And thats a very good case.

Are you getting this now or is this for next fall? If next fall, wait till next summer to get the system.