This is the first time I've set up a system from scratch, though I've upgraded a lot of components in the past. I already have plenty of drives and a gpu from my old system that I'm keeping for a few more months, so I didn't need to buy everything.
The Big Buy:
Lian Li PC-7 A Plus----------------------------------------$90.00
Patriot 1GB DDR400/2-3-2-5-----------------------------$113.00
Antec TruePower II, 430W 12v/ATX2--------------------$79.00
Shuttle AN51R nForce3 250 (S754)----------------------$40.00
AMD Athlon 64 3700 (S754)------------------------------$230.00
Total--------------------------------------------------------$552.00
I'll explain my own, twisted logic and then open myself up to all the critics.
Why Socket 754? The price/performance for what I could find beat Socket 939. Mwave had Shuttle's nForce3 motherboard for $40, and the 3700 for just $230, when bought in tandem. I couldn't find a 939 combination for $270 that performed better, stock. I would have considered a Venice 3000/3200 instead but I want to learn a bit more before I start building machines with the intention of over-clocking them from the outset.
Why not PCIe? I've got a Radeon 9700Pro that keeps my happy right now. I won't feel the gpu crunch until later this year, or next, when an update to my own personal favorite game arrives (TES: IV, Oblivion). In fact, the vast majority of the cards I can afford are likely to still be offered in AGP at that time. Also, there are PCIe, Socket 754 boards out there if the time comes when the 3700 still has legs but AGP does not.
Why the LL RAM, since I don't plan to immediately overclock? While I don't have immediate plans, I'm very interested in learning. Although everything I've read points to the 130nm CPUs not being stellar in this area (at least when compared to their 90nm counterparts), this is really something that will be just an experiment for me, a year or so down the line, as the 3700 begins to show it's age. I had to replace RAM in any event, since my old system was a Dell 8200 that used RD800.
Why the Antec TPII? Same deal. While I could have gone with a less expensive PSU, I wanted something that would handle an eventual switch to a PCIe gpu.
Why the Lian Li and not an Antec 3000B or something similar? A decision based purely upon personal aesthetic considerations. There isn't much rational justification to pay $40 more for a case.
There you have it. Just how much of a moron have I been on a scale of 1 to 10?
The Big Buy:
Lian Li PC-7 A Plus----------------------------------------$90.00
Patriot 1GB DDR400/2-3-2-5-----------------------------$113.00
Antec TruePower II, 430W 12v/ATX2--------------------$79.00
Shuttle AN51R nForce3 250 (S754)----------------------$40.00
AMD Athlon 64 3700 (S754)------------------------------$230.00
Total--------------------------------------------------------$552.00
I'll explain my own, twisted logic and then open myself up to all the critics.
Why Socket 754? The price/performance for what I could find beat Socket 939. Mwave had Shuttle's nForce3 motherboard for $40, and the 3700 for just $230, when bought in tandem. I couldn't find a 939 combination for $270 that performed better, stock. I would have considered a Venice 3000/3200 instead but I want to learn a bit more before I start building machines with the intention of over-clocking them from the outset.
Why not PCIe? I've got a Radeon 9700Pro that keeps my happy right now. I won't feel the gpu crunch until later this year, or next, when an update to my own personal favorite game arrives (TES: IV, Oblivion). In fact, the vast majority of the cards I can afford are likely to still be offered in AGP at that time. Also, there are PCIe, Socket 754 boards out there if the time comes when the 3700 still has legs but AGP does not.
Why the LL RAM, since I don't plan to immediately overclock? While I don't have immediate plans, I'm very interested in learning. Although everything I've read points to the 130nm CPUs not being stellar in this area (at least when compared to their 90nm counterparts), this is really something that will be just an experiment for me, a year or so down the line, as the 3700 begins to show it's age. I had to replace RAM in any event, since my old system was a Dell 8200 that used RD800.
Why the Antec TPII? Same deal. While I could have gone with a less expensive PSU, I wanted something that would handle an eventual switch to a PCIe gpu.
Why the Lian Li and not an Antec 3000B or something similar? A decision based purely upon personal aesthetic considerations. There isn't much rational justification to pay $40 more for a case.
There you have it. Just how much of a moron have I been on a scale of 1 to 10?
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