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New PC build - your thoughts?

J

joejccva

Senior member
It was time for me to build a new system and after doing some research here is what I am building:

I have $1000.00 to build a new system

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice Integrated into Chip FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103534

ASUS A8N-SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131524

CORSAIR XMS 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWINX1024-3200C2PRO - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145466

Leadtek PX6600GT TDH Geforce 6600GT 128MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI-Express x16 Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814122201

Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 9 6Y080M0 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822144318

NEC Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 4X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827152035

ZALMAN CNPS7700-CU 120mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835118115

ZALMAN VF700-CU 2 Ball VGA COOLER - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835118117

Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply 100Vac to 240Vac +/- 10% TUV, UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817103937

Thermaltake Tsunami VA3000BWA Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (getting this locally in my city for $100)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133132


Total comes to $1017.01 including shipping.

What do you guys think? Critique it well.

Joe

 
Looks great! to me. You could save some and get cheaper RAM as Drew said and maybe go for the 6800gt if you are a gamer. Fancy RAM is "not" necessary with the a64 platform unless thats what you want. Then I would get it 🙂
 
What he said. OCZ Value VX sticks (CAS2) are $100.
500W is overkill.
Have you considered the A8N-E? I think it's out of stock right now in newegg. Put in an Audigy 2-ZS and you get firewire.
If you're concerned about noise, maybe the tsunami mightnot be right for ya.
Maxtor = high failure rate (relatively). Go Seagate (for quietness) or Western Digital (I saw an 80GB one for $55)
 
Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy
What he said. OCZ Value VX sticks (CAS2) are $100.
500W is overkill.
Have you considered the A8N-E? I think it's out of stock right now in newegg. Put in an Audigy 2-ZS and you get firewire.
If you're concerned about noise, maybe the tsunami mightnot be right for ya.
Maxtor = high failure rate (relatively). Go Seagate (for quietness) or Western Digital (I saw an 80GB one for $55)
Click to expand...


As far as RAM goes, I just wanted to get CAS2 along with decent timings and not too expensive. I heard Corsair memory was one of the best so thats what I picked. How is OCZ memory?

I wanted to go with the A8N SLI motherboard because I am planning on putting another 6600GT or a 6800 GT in it eventually.

I don't mind the noise in the tsunami as long as the airflow is there and the case doesn't give me any problems.

I thought Maxtor made good drives? How are Western Digital drives as far as durability?

Thanks.
 
i would get a gig of value RAM for $80 and use the saved cash for a 6800NU. MUCH better overall gaming performance.


timings mean jack squat on the athlon 64
 
Originally posted by: joejccva
Originally posted by: The Pentium Guy
What he said. OCZ Value VX sticks (CAS2) are $100.
500W is overkill.
Have you considered the A8N-E? I think it's out of stock right now in newegg. Put in an Audigy 2-ZS and you get firewire.
If you're concerned about noise, maybe the tsunami mightnot be right for ya.
Maxtor = high failure rate (relatively). Go Seagate (for quietness) or Western Digital (I saw an 80GB one for $55)
Click to expand...


As far as RAM goes, I just wanted to get CAS2 along with decent timings and not too expensive. I heard Corsair memory was one of the best so thats what I picked. How is OCZ memory?

I wanted to go with the A8N SLI motherboard because I am planning on putting another 6600GT or a 6800 GT in it eventually.

I don't mind the noise in the tsunami as long as the airflow is there and the case doesn't give me any problems.

I thought Maxtor made good drives? How are Western Digital drives as far as durability?

Thanks.
Click to expand...


Yes, maxtor used to make good drives but not anymore. my WD that is 5 yrs old is still running strong for me. WD oem units have a 3 yr warenty, and all seagates have 5.
right now, they have a good dal for a 320gb wd sata hdd for 140 shipped no rebates at monarch.
 
Originally posted by: nick1985
i would get a gig of value RAM for $80 and use the saved cash for a 6800NU. MUCH better overall gaming performance.


timings mean jack squat on the athlon 64
Click to expand...


I didn't know that. I thought that the lower the CAS the better and the lower the timings the better no matter what CPU you are using. So what RAM should I get then? CAS 2 still? or 2.5?
 
If you're not overclocking, the stock HSF should be fine, and it'll save you a couple of bucks. If you are heavily overclocking, go with the DFI Lanparty Ultra-D. It's the best overclocking board on the market, and it can easily be modded to SLI. If you do get the DFI board, be careful not to use Corsair RAM, as people have been saying the board is really picky about RAM. In any case, the OCZ Value RAM is the best.
 
Originally posted by: nick1985
check this out

that should show you that timings dont mean anything and arnt worth the price premiums.

this RAM should suit you just fine Mushkin is a trusted name. great RAM :thumbsup:

that will leave you with an extra $50 to spend

which would allow you to purchase this


= better gaming :thumbsup:
Click to expand...



Great! Thanks for the advice! How much better is a Geforce 6800(non-GT) vs a Geforce 6600GT?? Worth the extra money? Is it noticeably faster?
 
Oh and I almost forgot. This guy said that 500W PSU is an overkill. Don't I need that much power if I am running a Zalman 7700-Cu and a Zalman VGA cooler as well? I also plan on OC'ing some too. Should I still go with a 500W or would a Antec TRUEPOWER 430W be more than enough for me?

Thanks again!
 
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