Help with new computer buildup...

[CNV]

This is going to be my second computer built, so I'm still learning. I plan to overclock down the road once I learn how to. Been doing a lot of reading the last few days, and there is a lot of info on this site! This is going to be a gaming rig btw...

Here is what I have so far...

mobo: ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD
cpu: AMD Opteron 148
video card: Geforce 7800GT 256MB
hd: Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache Sata
case: COOLER MASTER CAVALIER computer case
psu: Antec TRUEPOWER TPII-550 ATX12V 550W

I really don't have a budget, but don't want to go cazy. Still debating on 1gb or 2gb, and which ram to get. I'm thinking 2x512mb and upgrade down the line when I need it. How are Corsair and OCZ's value rams, or should I pay a few extra bucks?

There are too many choices for heatsinks and fans. Do they all perform different, or is it just a matter of fitment and looks? What is a good choice?

Thanks.

 

[jbrukardt]

Also, its not that much more than the 148, consider an opteron 165 instead. 290$ or so for a dualcore that will most likely OC to ~2.5

 

[Zardoz]

looks like a good system, As for 1 or 2gb of ram it's all about what you are going to use this system for. I would say if you are even thinking of upgrading ram later you might go for the 2 gig (2x 1gig) now, you will have better timings and faster ram speeds. the value rams are just a little slower in the timings, some people think of this as not being a big deal...

 

[Bona Fide]

Also, its not that much more than the 148, consider an opteron 165 instead. 290$ or so for a dualcore that will most likely OC to ~2.5

2.5 is a conservative estimate. I'd say 2.6-2.7 with decent air cooling. But definitely trade the 148 for a 165. Also, trade the Cavalier for this. It is a bit cheaper and has better cooling capabilities.

Also, one last thing. Have you thought about switching the 7800GT for an X1800XL? They cost around the same (+/-$20) and the X1800XL has great OC potential. An OC'd X1800XL could probably perform nearly as well as a 7800GTX.

 

[CNV]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm sticking with the 7800 GT to have the option to sli in the future. I don't think I will need it, but it's nice to know it's there. The Centurion is a very nice case I was also considering. Thanks for the recomendation.

Comp is going to be used mostly for gaming, Battlefield2. I can't find the Opti 165 anywhere. I thought that the 148 would perform better than a 165, since most games won't utilize the 2nd core.

How is this ram (OCZ Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200))?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820146970

So what's a good heatsink and fan? What cooling modifications do I need to do to the case to get high clock speeds?