Review comp pieces before I buy .... pls :)

[Virgo2]

I'm getting ready to buy most the pieces for my new computer. Can anyone look this over and tell me if there's anything wrong/better deals?

These are all from newegg except for the Video card.

ASUS A7N8X - bought already
AthlonXP Barton 2500+ - bought already
Case + PSU - bought already

ATI Radeon 9700 Pro - $276 OEM
LiteOn 24x52x24 - $46
Kingston HyperX series 512MB PC2700 (DDR333) - $76
WD SE 80GB 7200RPM 8MB Cache - $90

This is my first custom computer and I want to know your opinions on it before I open up my wallet.

 

[Slammy1]

Go with the 400 MHz RAM. You figure you upgrade RAM by adding more, not replacing, so get something with an upgrade in mind.

 

[Virgo2]

I heard it's good to stay in sync with the FSB of your CPU and RAM. The Barton has 333FSB so I figured 333FSB ram would be perfect. Am I wrong? And what about the Video Card? If I get the OEM 9700 pro , will I have to buy any cords seperately (just to get it working, not tv-out ect.)

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Virgo2
I heard it's good to stay in sync with the FSB of your CPU and RAM. The Barton has 333FSB so I figured 333FSB ram would be perfect. Am I wrong? And what about the Video Card? If I get the OEM 9700 pro , will I have to buy any cords seperately (just to get it working, not tv-out ect.)

You can then downlclock your ram to 333mhz. With the video card, you won't need to buy any cords seperately.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Also, is that the correct speed of your CDRW? It indicates that it rewrites at 52x. Check that. Also, check out local store prices on the Radeon 9700 because many places are selling that cheaper than online.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Slammy1
Go with the 400 MHz RAM. You figure you upgrade RAM by adding more, not replacing, so get something with an upgrade in mind.

 

[Virgo2]

Wouldn't downclocking ram from 400 to 333 mhz be the same as getting 333 mhz in the first place?
And I found ATI Radeon 9700 Pro for $299 at circuit city / best buy. Is it worth spending the extra $24 for retail instead of getting OEM for $276?

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: Virgo2
Wouldn't downclocking ram from 400 to 333 mhz be the same as getting 333 mhz in the first place?
And I found ATI Radeon 9700 Pro for $299 at circuit city / best buy. Is it worth spending the extra $24 for retail instead of getting OEM for $276?

But also there are a few more things to the RAM> By downclocking, the RAM will be able to run at a lower latency, so if at 400mhz its runs at CL2.5, then at 333mhz, it'll run CL2. It also gives you freedom for upgrading in the future. If you decide to overclock your cpu ever, this will help too.

In my mind, the $24 is worth it because you get a longer warranty, a few small accesories you don't get with OEM, and cheaper support if you ever need it.

 

[squidman]

Originally posted by: Slammy1
Go with the 400 MHz RAM. You figure you upgrade RAM by adding more, not replacing, so get something with an upgrade in mind.

You know what i've noticed? I was also spending some xtra $ on the "future-proof" stuff. But when upgrade time came, i realised, that my "future-proof" was already obsolete...and i was better of building entirely new system, and having 2 systems instead of one. If i was to replace, say, my cpu, what would i do with the old one? Throw it away? 150+ dollars? PC333 is just fine.

 

[Tab]

Personally, I'd get something different besides a Lite-On Burner, they are a little too loud for my tastes are are picky with media.

 

[Bonesdad]

Originally posted by: AgaBooga
Also, is that the correct speed of your CDRW? It indicates that it rewrites at 52x. Check that. Also, check out local store prices on the Radeon 9700 because many places are selling that cheaper than online.

I was gonna say to check the prices locally on the HD too...with rebates you can often get drive for less than a buck a GB.

 

[dmw16]

About the ram, yes DDR333 will do the trick for the barton, but I was looking at overclockers.com and there are plenty of people who are getting another 200-400Mhz out of the barton without any fancy cooling (just a good hs, like an alpha). And if the DDR400 isnt much more expensive it is worth it because it does give you the option of overclocking. I didnt plan on overclocking when i got my current system, but in retrospect I wish I had bought the DDR333 (my system uses PC266).
-doug