BenchMarking - New Build - Tests I can run?

[MouseInTehHouse]

I just pretty much finished building my new computer. I am on it now. It is my first build.

AMD 64 3500+ ( Newcastle Socket 939 )
Asus k8v Deluxe
2x512MB Corsair XMS PC3200 RAM
2x80GB WDC HDDS
MGE Vigur 420W Sleeved / Blue PSU
Saphire Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
ATI TV Wonder Pro RE
NEC Dual Layer DVDRW Burner
Antec p160 w/ Window
Windows XP Pro SP2

What do you guys think? So far, I'm very happy with it. I haven't had much time to really try it out ( In games that is ).

I don't really understand the concept of bencharking? How can I "benchmark" my computer to see I guess how it ranks? Also, are there are tests I can run to make sure that everything is running correctly. Another thing, my asus motherboard comes with an auto overclocking system for the CPU that will overclock it depending on whats running... I turned this off. Was that a good idea?

How can I make sure my RAM is running at the right latencity?

Thanks guys.

 

[gwai lo]

you can bench your system with programs..some of the more common ones are from Futuremark, there's also the SiSoft Sandra.

One way to test your components would be to stress them for a bit. Running programs such as Prime95 or folding (check the distributed computing forum about this) will put your system under load. Gaming also checks for stability.

The easiest way would be to download www.cpuid.com and check it under the "memory" tab.

I can't answer all your questions..but here's some.