Comment on new build

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wetnose

n00b
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
8
Hi,

Man, I haven't done this for years! My last build was a P266, so it's been a long time. I'm amazed at how far AMD has come - the 3200 is about a third of the price of the Intel 3.8 GHz and performs slightly better. (anantech) Amazing.

Anyways, I'll be using my build for 60% strategy gaming, 30% action gaming plus websurfing. Bearing that in mind, this is the setup I'm thinking of acquiring from newegg:

AMD 3200+ Venice Core

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103534

Asus A8V deluxe

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131510

Yes, yes everybody seems to be in favor of PCI express but it'll cost more for the mb plus more for the video card. But there aren't many games to take advantage of PCI ex yet. But I've always had Asus. SLI seems to be overkill for my needs...

Corsair RAM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820145416

XFX 6800 GT

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150102

Western Hard Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822144203

I'll be getting the other peripherals locally (case, floppy drive, dvd drive, monitor, etc) since I don't anticipate much of a difference in cost.

In your opinion, are all of the above components compatible with each other? Would they fit my needs - say for the next 2 years? Also, what are nice-to-haves? (perhaps a chip cooler?)

Overclocking also isn't a real priority but it's nice to have. The Asus and memory will let me do that easily, right?

Welcome everybody's input, thanks!!!!!
 
I'd seriously consider getting another HDD, something with a longer warranty. Seagate has a 5 year warranty on most of their drives, so you might want to check them out. Also, read up on your HDD in the storage forum; if I'm not mistaken the 160GB WDJB is a drive that they don't recommend because it doesn't stand out in any noticable way.
 
I would still go Nforce and PCIe just for the fact that the price different is greatly outweighed by the future Proofing
 
well that is a good system --for last year. in fact i just got a referb mb like that for $60 to run a 6800gt--but i got the a8v because i got a killer deal on the 6800gt in AGP

if i had had my rathers--i would got the card in PCI express.but this was just too good a deal to pass up.

if were talking about a new build--where you can get either agp or PCI express -- i would say go pci ex and nf4 . not that there is anything wrong with the AGP/a8v counterpart--but you can build a pci-express for the same $$$ on a new build .

i do still build a few AGP systems --but it is mostly because they allready got a hot-AGP card--and want a new system but re-use the AGP card. if i had to shell out $300 for a new videocard- and $120+ for a MB anyway -then i would want a pci-express--&nf4

i haven't seen anybody yet--yank out a AGP motherboard and its 6800ultra videocard and toss them into the dumpster to run out and buy the same system in pci-ex yet-- but since they cost the same give or take a few bucks--and the pci-express has a few perks--like SLI with some mb's--so it is a more forward looking set-up.

i am building almost the same system--on the 5th--when my cpu comes in.how is that for co-incidence--??-- LOL

hard drives-- i have liked the wd's i've had-- but the nf4s--lots of them have native sata 2--so that is anotherthing the newer chipsets have that the older ones don't have.
 
Certainly very well thought out answers. I appreciate what you guys said about the upgrade path...I wonder what's the performance difference betwee a PCI express card & AGP card?
 
Certainly very well thought out answers. I appreciate what you guys said about the upgrade path...I wonder what's the performance difference betwee a PCI express card & AGP card?
Click to expand...

As of right now, not much. On the other hand, PCI Express is much more future-proof than AGP- as of right now there is no AGP 7800GTX, and that trend will continue with every new video card release.
 
If you don't plan to buy the video card on sale, either way I would seriously recommend you buy a brand like BFG instead because of the lifetime warranty and generally higher potential of overclocking. BFG warranty is second to none, and their service is excellent. I had an AGP XFX 6800 Ultra for awhile and it could barely run at stock speeds. That's just from personal experience though, eVGA is also a good brand (especially with the 7800 series just released, you can use the step-up program to upgrade if you realize the power of the 6800GT isn't enough).
 
Now is really not the time to get an AGP based MB.

True, a AGP 6800 performs identically to a PCIe 6800, but in 6 months when you want to upgrade to a 7800 or R520 and can't without replacing the motherboard you will be kicking yourself.

==>Lazn
 
Lazn_Work said:
Now is really not the time to get an AGP based MB.

True, a AGP 6800 performs identically to a PCIe 6800, but in 6 months when you want to upgrade to a 7800 or R520 and can't without replacing the motherboard you will be kicking yourself.

==>Lazn
Click to expand...

Try that comment in the video card section of the forum and they'll flame you to kingdom come :D. I mentioned one thing about why it wasn't smart to get an AGP card, and people jumped down my throat.
 
kirbyrj said:
Try that comment in the video card section of the forum and they'll flame you to kingdom come :D. I mentioned one thing about why it wasn't smart to get an AGP card, and people jumped down my throat.
Click to expand...

If you already have a good system, and are just looking to upgrade the video card, and do not expect to put a faster video card in that system again (next rebuild will be a total rebuild) then there is no reason to not get a AGP card. As I said there is no performace difference.

But if you are building a new system from scratch, why limit yourself to AGP, when PCIe is not significantly more money, and will let you keep your system current for that much longer? It would be like buying the very last of the fastest and best Horse and Buggy, after the Model T had already come out.

==>Lazn
 
DamienThorn said:
I'd seriously consider getting another HDD, something with a longer warranty. Seagate has a 5 year warranty on most of their drives, so you might want to check them out. Also, read up on your HDD in the storage forum; if I'm not mistaken the 160GB WDJB is a drive that they don't recommend because it doesn't stand out in any noticable way.
Click to expand...
I second that, for some reason I have had quite a few HDD failiures lately, I think they are cycling through some bad batches right now or something. Seagate offers nice waaranties, and they are not like the other makers that say "oh your warranty has expired becuase of the timeyou bought it from the store and there were only a few months left on the warranty." unfortunately I had that problem, complete BS.
 
Lazn_Work said:
If you already have a good system, and are just looking to upgrade the video card, and do not expect to put a faster video card in that system again (next rebuild will be a total rebuild) then there is no reason to not get a AGP card. As I said there is no performace difference.

But if you are building a new system from scratch, why limit yourself to AGP, when PCIe is not significantly more money, and will let you keep your system current for that much longer? It would be like buying the very last of the fastest and best Horse and Buggy, after the Model T had already come out.

==>Lazn
Click to expand...

I completely agree, but I just didn't understand the rabid AGP fanaticism in the other section of the forum :D. I said something about how I think AGP will die when M2 comes out, and they all got angry at me :eek: .
 
kirbyrj said:
I completely agree, but I just didn't understand the rabid AGP fanaticism in the other section of the forum :D. I said something about how I think AGP will die when M2 comes out, and they all got angry at me :eek: .
Click to expand...

I think that it's likely because AGP won't be dead, but instead relegated to value cards.

Regarding PCIe and AGP; if the OP is planning on upgrading in the next cycle, then AGP is still a valid mobo/GPU choice. If, however, the OP is planning on upgrading past that point, then it's questionable the level of support that AGP will be receiving from ATI and Nvidia. If you can swing it into your budget, I would go with a PCIe system, unless you can find a 6800GT or Ultra on sale somewhere.

 
wetnose said:
Power supply would be a 420 w from Enermax. But at least 420, right?
Click to expand...

Watts don't mean much. What you want is a good brand that is a modern spec (ie ATX12v1.3 or ATX12v2.0) so that the mephasis is on the 12v rail where you will need it.

That said the Enermax may work depending on the model. Which model is it?
 
by lazn: But if you are building a new system from scratch, why limit yourself to AGP, when PCIe is not significantly more money, and will let you keep your system current for that much longer? It would be like buying the very last of the fastest and best Horse and Buggy, after the Model T had already come out.

I see your point...but I'm not *that* big into fps like most people. Well, enough to get a 6800 gt, but my emphasis is strategy gaming. I reckon my setup should be adequate for most fps gaming for the next 2 years or so - probably even 3.

I used to be really caught up in the hardware upgrading game (back in the 3dfx days) but after a while, I decided - screw it. It's more important to have fun than constantly agonize over how much faster I could be going.

Besides - have you seen the new demos for playstation 3?
 
well say a 6800gt pci-express is $300 and a AGP_-same card only $200--then AGP looks good.

but let's say the AGP is $300 and the pci-express is $300

well then it is time to go pci-express.if their even close in price--go pci-express


but by all means if you allready have a "killer" agp card--there is no reason not to build a agp either. -- i don't see the logic in getting a $600+ card for AGP--but i also don't see the logic of tossing a x850 radeon in the trash dumpster because it is a agp --

one day --in the not too far off future you will need the extra bandwidth of PCI-express and that day is not far off . but the AGP is still going to be aroubd for a while yet. it really depends on how much to spend--what the prices are and whay you want this new system to do.

although i build mostly nf4 stuff for gammers-- i stlii build a AGP or two-- i just built one yesterday--why ? well there was a extra 6800gt agp laying around and there was a need for more than three regular pci slots in a box running win 2000pro

i would not consider AGP oblsolete yet--but it is a mature technology. pci-express isn't even close to being mature--for some time to come.
 
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