I am building my first system. Here's a list of the parts I'm thinking about:
Definites
DFI Lanparty SLI-DR Expert
AMD Opteron 165
Antec P180
Can't Decide
G.SKILL Extreme Series 2x1GB PC-4000
---Or Mushkin, OCZ
ASUS/Sapphire Radeon X1900XT
---Or eVGA 7800GT CO (470/1100)
Enermax Liberty
---Or anything that would fit the P180 at about the same price?
Western Digital 250GB WD2500KS
---Or are there better non-raptors with 250-300GB?
Decide After Those^
DVD-RW Drive (Model/# of drives)
Floppy Drive w/ Multicard Reader
Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Music
---Or Onboard...
TT Big Typhoon
---Or TR XP-90/120
The video card is a hard decision. The X1900XT has so much power at such a great price that it's hard to give up without some consideration. The biggest thing I'm worried about is the service and quality. I can't find many experiences with ATI/ASUS/Sapphire service, and it seems like their warranty doesn't last long. I've heard a lot of great things about eVGA though. Should I get a X1900XT to last me a long time or get a 7800GT now and then a 7900 down the line?
Now we come to the PSU. I really like the Enermax Liberty. It seems to have all the plugs I need plus modular cabling--really comes in handy for the P180 case. However, I don't see many people who have it. It seems like a coin flip when it comes to its reliability...some people have boot-up problems, while others think its flawless. I need a PSU with long cables for the P180 case, enough power for my components and something in the price range of the Liberty.
I've seen some good reviews of the WD HD...but was wondering if there are any better ones you might know.
Other less important things include getting a CPU cooler or using the onboard sound vs. X-Fi. Maybe the CPU cooler is the only one any important.
Sorry for the lengthy post. I just really needed to get all this outta me and start to decide. Any advice or suggestions are most appreciated!
Definites
DFI Lanparty SLI-DR Expert
AMD Opteron 165
Antec P180
Can't Decide
G.SKILL Extreme Series 2x1GB PC-4000
---Or Mushkin, OCZ
ASUS/Sapphire Radeon X1900XT
---Or eVGA 7800GT CO (470/1100)
Enermax Liberty
---Or anything that would fit the P180 at about the same price?
Western Digital 250GB WD2500KS
---Or are there better non-raptors with 250-300GB?
Decide After Those^
DVD-RW Drive (Model/# of drives)
Floppy Drive w/ Multicard Reader
Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Music
---Or Onboard...
TT Big Typhoon
---Or TR XP-90/120
The video card is a hard decision. The X1900XT has so much power at such a great price that it's hard to give up without some consideration. The biggest thing I'm worried about is the service and quality. I can't find many experiences with ATI/ASUS/Sapphire service, and it seems like their warranty doesn't last long. I've heard a lot of great things about eVGA though. Should I get a X1900XT to last me a long time or get a 7800GT now and then a 7900 down the line?
Now we come to the PSU. I really like the Enermax Liberty. It seems to have all the plugs I need plus modular cabling--really comes in handy for the P180 case. However, I don't see many people who have it. It seems like a coin flip when it comes to its reliability...some people have boot-up problems, while others think its flawless. I need a PSU with long cables for the P180 case, enough power for my components and something in the price range of the Liberty.
I've seen some good reviews of the WD HD...but was wondering if there are any better ones you might know.
Other less important things include getting a CPU cooler or using the onboard sound vs. X-Fi. Maybe the CPU cooler is the only one any important.
Sorry for the lengthy post. I just really needed to get all this outta me and start to decide. Any advice or suggestions are most appreciated!