Ok - Final Build - Last minute comments and Approvals

[TheNewGuy8]

So here it is, the culmination of mucho research and threads. Comment, bless, etc.

Opteron 165 - $275

Asus A8n32-SLI Deluxe - $204.99

Enermax Liberty 500w - $109.99

NEC ND-3550A-OEM - $38.99

Scythe Ninja HS - $39.99 with an Akasa 120mm Quiet Fan (11.95) on it. I'll probably get a fan controller at some point as well.

G.Skill 2gb DDR500 RAM - 192.99

Antec P180 - already have - $120

Radeon X1900XT 512mb - This one is a gift from the fam, and they scored a coupon for $100 off, so the total price would be (with shipping) maybe somewhere around $465 or so...is there a better place to get this card that can ship faster? Dell has "Ships in 1-2 weeks" under the product...and I'd like this stuff here ASAP. Any ideas for this card around $500?




Well - I think that is everything. I'll be ordering either tonight or tomorrow, so let me know what you all think. Total comes out to $994 without the video card (since thats a gift), then I'll be selling my current rig for around $500 hopefully - so a net cost of $500 for that doesn't seem that bad, right?

I'm particularly interested if you guys like the choice of where to buy stuff. I tried going ZZF mostly b/c they have free shipping (and with the mobo/psu that can add alot) plus they had the best a8n32 price out there (minus the current monarch deal, but I've heard different things about their shipping, and its only like $7 more).

Ok, I'll stop rambling..

cheers

 

[Bobthelost]

Yeah it's good, but the akasa fan isn't ultra quiet, i've got two and they do make a fair bit of noise at full speed, but that's due to airflow so if you turn them down they work well.

Either way it's irrelevant as you've got the X1900XT in there, which is supposed to be moderately loud.

 

[Crescent13]

Very good!! I'm glad you decided not to go with DFI . Oh and is noise an issue? If not, then get a Panaflo 120MM fan instead of the akasa fan. The panaflo pushes about 100CFM I think. It's loud, but it's good. Oh and you might want to get a Zalman VF-700Cu for the x1900XT.

 

[essasin]

It looks like you will be overclocking. I'd get a powerstream 520, antec true 550w, enermax 535w.

 

[clarkjd]

Why do you want an SLI board with an ATI vid card? You will either not use the second PCIe slot, or have to get two Nvidia cards later if you want to use the SLI capabilities.

 

[bwnv]

Unless you already have dvd burning software get the retail version of the burner. Oem saves about 6-7 bucks but doesn't come with anything.

 

[TheNewGuy8]

Crescent - Noise *is* an issue for me, even though I'm getting the X1900XT, so I think I'll go for a lower CFM fan. I've been looking seriously at that Zalman. I figure I'll get the card, see how the noise is for me, and then I can always get an aftermarket HS for it later.

Also, AFAIK there is no aftermarket cooler for the X1900XT that blows the hot air OUT of the case, which would certainly be preferable...so maybe over time Zalman or some other company will come out with a better cooler.

Clark - reason I got the board is just b/c it is one of the best boards out right now. AT's review was stellar. Its a good OCer, is passively cooled (and effectively with the copper heatpipe system = lower noise), and in AT's reviews shows some pretty substantial performance increases in games even with just single card operation.

No, I won't be using the SLI feature, and i hate paying for that - but whatcha gonna do?

bmnv - I do already have software, but thanks for the advice.

essasin - what makes you say that? do you have reviews? Everything I've read here has praised the Liberty for its stable rails, which is what OC needs. Additionally, the PSU needs to have 30A on the 12v rails for the X1900XT.

 

[Wall7486]

If you're not using SLI, then you can just go with a DFI-Ultra board or even the ASUS A8N premium and save youself some $$. All the PCI-Express motherboards can run at the full 16x if you're just using one card, so I don't see why you'll need the a8n32. I would use that saved $$ on the 2GB OCZ Platinum PC4000. But, that's just me. Everything else looks fine.

 

[imported_Crusader]

Originally posted by: Wall7486
If you're not using SLI, then you can just go with a DFI-Ultra board or even the ASUS A8N premium and save youself some $$. All the PCI-Express motherboards can run at the full 16x if you're just using one card, so I don't see why you'll need the a8n32. I would use that saved $$ on the 2GB OCZ Platinum PC4000. But, that's just me. Everything else looks fine.

qft

dfi ultra or asus a8n ftw (i use dfi, and had the a8n before.. it doesnt matter unless you are going to OC anytime in the future then DFI. no comparison)

 

[chuckywang]

Originally posted by: Wall7486
If you're not using SLI, then you can just go with a DFI-Ultra board or even the ASUS A8N premium and save youself some $$. All the PCI-Express motherboards can run at the full 16x if you're just using one card, so I don't see why you'll need the a8n32. I would use that saved $$ on the 2GB OCZ Platinum PC4000. But, that's just me. Everything else looks fine.

Can't the A8N-32 Deluxe run at full 16x mode with two video cards?

 

[imported_Crusader]

Originally posted by: chuckywang

Originally posted by: Wall7486
If you're not using SLI, then you can just go with a DFI-Ultra board or even the ASUS A8N premium and save youself some $$. All the PCI-Express motherboards can run at the full 16x if you're just using one card, so I don't see why you'll need the a8n32. I would use that saved $$ on the 2GB OCZ Platinum PC4000. But, that's just me. Everything else looks fine.

Can't the A8N-32 Deluxe run at full 16x mode with two video cards?

Yes. Thats the point to it, but why spend all that cash on it? Esp when you are buying an ATI card anyway?

He could put two x1900s in there and run dual video cards @16x but why? If he wants to do something like that I'd say get a Xfire board.

Hes prob best served with a non-SLI board as he prob wont ever get dual NV cards if he moves from his ATI card anyway. But I'd prob stick with a NF4 non-SLI board.

 

[Bobthelost]

The OP is not going SLI.

The DFI-Ultra board or the ASUS A8N have active chipset cooling and aren't suitable for that reason. (noise remember)

However there is no real single card improvement over the A8R MVP which is also passivly cooled and much cheaper than the A8N32, oh and just as good at overclocking.

 

[Wall7486]

I just want the point the A8N-premium has passive cooling, heatpipes.


edit* i guess there are users who put a fan toward the heatpipes, but neverthless I guess is up to the OP at the end.

 

[imported_Crusader]

I have both the A8N and a DFI SLI board.. neither are loud due to active chipset cooling. I dont think that will be a concern for noise if noise is a concern.. most high powered PSUs will wind up much louder than chipset fans from my experience.
I dont like the Asus A8R because its a Crossfire board. I'd stick with an NF4.

edit- bothers me too the Xfire board has a ULI southbridge... just not my idea of a good purchase now that NV owns ULI.. I wouldnt do it.
Go A8N. Its a great board. If you ever want to OC, go DFI Ultra.

To the OP, I dont think noise is from a chipset fan will even be heard with a X1900 in the rig.. let alone the other parts in there like CPU fan and PSU.. its really silly to spend $200 on a x16 SLI board for non-active cooling.
Motherboards is one area that as long as you get a quality chipset like the Nforce4, you can go cheap on with no regrets like this A8N5X. If you want, the A8N-E is also under $100. Again, overclocking is DFIs game so DFI Ultra-D that way.

 

[alimoalem]

everything looks perfect to me OP

i don't know what's wrong with you guys. the a8n32 is a stable board. just cause the sound reduction doesn't matter, the board is still a solid one. plus, the a8n32 isn't a horrible overclocker. if he gets 2.6 with this board and 2.7 with the DFI, big whoop.

good job with getting the x1900xt for free btw

 

[atybimf]

I'm not gonna say anything about the board (you know my opinion). I'd see how you like the stock Opty 165 hs/f before you spend $45, because it's pretty darn nice. But if you do go ahead with the Ninja, get an orange 120mm Nexus instead of the Alaska. Otherwise, sweet

 

[imported_Crusader]

I'm not trying to cause trouble.. my main point was that the X16 SLI board is a bit pricey and offers little benefit to you for what you are really paying for (dual x16 slots)

Otherwise the board rocks.. and pretty cool that it has HP cooling

 

[TheNewGuy8]

One thinng that makes me lean towards the A8N32-SLI even though I know in wont use the dualx16 slots is because of these benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2589&p=10

In single card setups the A8N32 seems to perform a good 7-8 FPS above the DFI boards, are those results not important?

 

[TheNewGuy8]

any thoughts?

 

[atybimf]

Seriously, wait and see if you even need the Ninja before you spend $45 on it.

 

[Bobthelost]

If it looks too good to be true it often is. I wouldnt' put much stock in them myself.

The A8N32 is great, i love mine to bits, but it's not an economical choice at all.

 

[atybimf]

Where are you getting a 165 for $275? Nice price

 

[imported_Crusader]

Originally posted by: TheNewGuy8
One thinng that makes me lean towards the A8N32-SLI even though I know in wont use the dualx16 slots is because of these benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2589&p=10

In single card setups the A8N32 seems to perform a good 7-8 FPS above the DFI boards, are those results not important?

That is a surprising difference but theres no way I'd spend my $100 to get 7FPS.

I'd take your $100 and put it towards a faster CPU, which will prob not only give you your 7FPS, but help in things other than a few certain games.. but rather all games and the entire system.

While I was surprised to see it, and it IS the best board out there (period), I personally wouldnt spend an extra $100 to get it if I used an ATI video card.

If you were using a 7800GT/GTX/512 or a 7900 it would be different, I'd say "yes get the x16 board because its 7fps in that benchmark and its going to be faster in SLI if/when you add a 2nd video card"

But instead you have the X1900, which is a great card.. but given that is your choice of card.. 7FPS alone is not worth $100.

Spend the hundred on a CPU upgrade or on a Sennheiser PC150 or PC160 headset just save the cash. I think theres a lot of better uses for your 100.
I dont like Creative Soundblaster products, but even one of the new X-Fis would be a far better addition to that PC for virtualization and sound quality..

 

[Wall7486]

Originally posted by: Crusader

Originally posted by: TheNewGuy8
One thinng that makes me lean towards the A8N32-SLI even though I know in wont use the dualx16 slots is because of these benchmarks:

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2589&p=10

In single card setups the A8N32 seems to perform a good 7-8 FPS above the DFI boards, are those results not important?

That is a surprising difference but theres no way I'd spend my $100 to get 7FPS.

I'd take your $100 and put it towards a faster CPU, which will prob not only give you your 7FPS, but help in things other than a few certain games.. but rather all games and the entire system.

While I was surprised to see it, and it IS the best board out there (period), I personally wouldnt spend an extra $100 to get it if I used an ATI video card.

If you were using a 7800GT/GTX/512 or a 7900 it would be different, I'd say "yes get the x16 board because its 7fps in that benchmark and its going to be faster in SLI if/when you add a 2nd video card"

But instead you have the X1900, which is a great card.. but given that is your choice of card.. 7FPS alone is not worth $100.

Spend the hundred on a CPU upgrade or on a Sennheiser PC150 or PC160 headset just save the cash. I think theres a lot of better uses for your 100.
I dont like Creative Soundblaster products, but even one of the new X-Fis would be a far better addition to that PC for virtualization and sound quality..

Well said. He doesn't even need another processor, those Opteron can oc very well. I say use the money on either the OCZ Platinum 4000 or Mushkin redline, since hes in the market for 1GB Dimms. Those memory can help the OP in the overclocking department.

 

[TheNewGuy8]

you think the OCZ plat orMushkin redline would really make a big difference over the G.Skill?

your arguments against the economical nature of the A8N32 are compelling...I hate to give up the passive - any thoughts on what the best passive alternative is? OR maybe I'll just get the DFI Ultra-d (Sorry crescent) and see if I can live with it. If not I'll try to passive cool it later.