New System Build, Opinions?

[Stadifer]

Edit: Changed specs on MoBo, CPU, RAM, and added PU (forgot in original).

Unfortunately I don't have a ton of money to sink into a new system right now. So I put this system together to provide the flexability for future upgrades but with decent performance for today. I'm not a big time gamer (Civ3, SW Galaxies, C&C Generals, etc..) and need it to function well in regular office tasks. So without further delay:

Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 ($54.99) / PU: COOLMAX 450 Watt ($50)
MoBo: Epox nForce4 Ultra S939 ($110.00)
CPU: AMD Athlon64 3000+ Venice Core ($146.00)
RAM: 1GB Corsair ValueSelect DDR SDRAM PC3200 ($88)
Video: LeadTek WinFast PX6600 ($179.99)
HD: Maxtor DiamondMax 80GB 7200RPM SATA ($60)
Optical 1: Sony DWQ28A 16xDVD+R/8XDVD+RW/48XCD-R/24XCD-RW ($45)
Optical 2: Sony DDU1615 16x/48x ($25)
Monitor: Acer 17" LCD SXGA 1280x1024 8ms RT ($210) + D-Sub to DVI ($3.50)
Total: $972.48 (Everything except the Leadtek card is through NewEgg; the leadtek is from TigerDirect).

I wish the Acer had a DVI connector but it doesn't and I couldn't find anything I liked under $225 with a DVI connector.

 

[KoolDrew]

I personally would get the Epox board, 3000+ and 1GB of Value RAM.

 

[Stadifer]

I was split on which way to go with Ram/Processor. I've read a lot of threads but never really found anything conclusive in the 3000+ vs 3200+ (opinions were split pretty even 🙂 ).

 

[KoolDrew]

I would just save the money with the 3000+ and overclock.

 

[Stadifer]

Makes sense (although I've never actually OC'ed anything). Any idea when the Epox board will be available?

 

[KoolDrew]

The Epox board is already available...

 

[Stadifer]

I can find listings for it but everyone is either out of stock or "coming soon" listed.

 

[KoolDrew]

http://www.chiefvalue.com/app/productde...ubmit=search&item=13-123-236&ATT=&CMP=

You would also want a different PSU. I missed that. IO would get a Fortron AX500-A.

 

[suicidalpigeon]

any speicific reason why you want that card from td? theres a gigabyte 6600gt for 163 and the leadtek for 167, both after shipping. and you might want to replace the maxtor hd with something like a seagate, wd, or samsung. seagate would be the best choice.

 

[Stadifer]

CV lists the Epox as out of stock. Is there a sticky anywhere of the reputable online sellers that I can poke around? I'll do a search shortly.

 

[KoolDrew]

Just do a search through pricewatch, pricegrabber, froogle or any other ones. Then check if the site is reputable through resellerratings.com

 

[Stadifer]

Hmmm... Looks like I need to wait for the Ultra version to get restocked or buy the SLi version at an additional $20