Need Feedback For New Rig

G

GJSNeptune

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
12,372
I play a lot of computer games and fiddle around with minor audio/video editing. I'm pretty new to OCing (what does "flashing" mean?), but I'm definitely open to it.

I want this rig to last, and not become obsolete real quick. I can't afford A64, so I settled for a pretty cheap Socket A setup.

I'm open to feedback. Thanks in advance for takin' the time to lemmie know whatcha think.



Here's what I'm lookin' at:
------------------------------------

Lian-Li PC-65B
$105.50

Antec 480W Power Supply with Blue LED Fan, TRUE480BLUE
$87.50

ASUS "A7N8X-E Deluxe" nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU
$84.00

AMD Athlon XP 3000+ "Barton", 400 FSB, 512K Cache Processor
$149.00

ZALMAN CNPS6000-Cu Pure Copper (socket A/ 370)
$28.99

Arctic Silver 5 3.5-gram (1 cc.)
$7.59

Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack) 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200
$228.00

Western Digital 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
$119.49

(4) ZALMAN 80mm Case fan with Quiet Mode Adapter, ZM-F1
$34.00

VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller Panel (Black), NCP-205-BK
$17.99

NEC 8x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive, ND-251OA SW BLK, OEM (with Roxio)
$74.00

ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Video Card, 256MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP
$266.00

Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer, AVC-1000 REV.3
$16.99


$1256.05 before shipping.


I already have:
---------------------
Audigy 2 ZS
Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM
Memorex 52x24x52x CD-RW
Logitech MX700 Duo


Naturally I'd like to spend as little as possible, so if anyone has better ideas about where to buy from, please let me know.
 
if your not going to OC, stick with a retail fan. But if you want to (believe me, you do. Its easy) get a NF7-S and a mobile barton CPU.
 
Bugalaman said:
if your not going to OC, stick with a retail fan. But if you want to (believe me, you do. Its easy) get a NF7-S and a mobile barton CPU.
Click to expand...
Hmm, the NF7-S boards have poor ratings on newegg.
 
I'd drop the Radeon 9800 Pro 256... and get a Geforce 6800 NU 128 for about 20 bucks more.

You might also want to think about the new 16x DVD burner that is out from NEC which is barely more expensive than the one you have selected now.

Everything else looks good
 
What brand of GeForce 6800 would you recommend? I already ruled out XFX, since I read somewhere here that they're junk.
 
What is better about the the mobile bartons? Do they OC better/easier?

So instead of my listed AMD XP, this one would be better?


What about a SATA harddrive? Would that be better than the cheaper IDE 120GB?
 
Well, if you live in california I wouldent buy from new egg because of a 7.5% sales tax that and the stuff on pricewatch is cheeper.

For not much more you can get a much better cpu: the AMD Athlon 64 3000+
and pair that with a k8t800 chipset.

as far as the video card goes, you should be able to play Doom3 on high quality at 1012x786 if you buy a radeon 9800 pro. I would get the 128MB of memory instead of 256MB, its much cheeper and there shouldent be much of a difference, but make sure that its 256 bit version not the 128bit.

also it seems like your paying way to much for memory. theres a one stick gig of Kingston 3200 on pricewatch for 155$
 
The new rig so far:
--------------------------

Lian-Li PC-65B

ABIT "KV8" K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Athlon64 CPU -RETAIL

Antec 480W Power Supply with Blue LED Fan, Model "TRUE480BLUE" -RETAIL

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - OEM

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL

NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive, Black, Model ND-3500A BK W/SW, OEM with software

VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller Panel (Black), Model "NXP-205-BK"

Arctic Silver Premium Silver Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound, Model "Arctic Silver 5", 3.5-gram( 1 cc. ) tube

ZALMAN CNPS6000-Cu Pure Copper CPU Cooler for Socket A/ 370 -RETAIL

(4) ZALMAN 80mm Case fan with Quiet Mode Adapter, Model "ZM-F1" -RETAIL

Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer, Model "AVC-1000 REV.3" -RETAIL

Western Digital 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD1200JD, OEM Drive Only



At the time of purhcase, I'll prolly buy RAM cheaper somewhere else, although for some reason I've always been quite partial to Corsair XMS.
 
GJSNeptune said:
Hmm, the NF7-S boards have poor ratings on newegg.
Click to expand...
Those reviews don't mean anything. I doubt that you'll fine many people here at [H]ardForum that doesn't think their NF7 is great.
 
Im pretty much in the same boat as you and with my limmited reasearch it looks like ill be getting a simmilar system. One thing that ive noticed is that the people on the forums, although sometimes helpfull, are not going to tell us the best system to buy or the best place to buy it. So it looks like were on our own in that regard.


One thing you need to figure out is what you want this box to do. Im buying the cheepest stytem that i can that will run doom3 at high rez and high quality. so if thats what your looking for than go with me on the radeon 9800 and athlon 64.
Anyway It seems like the best way to decide on a new system is to byte the bullet and do some serous research. I plan on spending the rest of today and tomarrow reading up online, then place my orders sunday night.

mabye someone can give us some good websites to look at.
 
I've done a lot of research, which is why I'm just now posting my possible new rig. But technology is always changing, and so I look at the long run. I'm willing to spend a little extra for the best parts that will last me a good long time.

But at the same time, I'm no where near the skill or expertise of most of the people here. I would never buy a new system without first letting the people here take a look.
 
Lian-Li Aluminum Case with Side Panel Window & 1 Ball-Bearing Fan on the Top (Black), Model "PC-65B" -RETAIL
105.50

Lite-On 12X DVD±RW Drive, Model SOHW-1213S BLK, OEM w/ Nero and PowerDVD 5 Software
79.00

VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller Panel (Black), Model "NXP-205-BK"
17.99

Arctic Silver Premium Silver Polysynthetic Silver Thermal Compound, Model "Arctic Silver 5", 3.5-gram( 1 cc. ) tube
7.59

ZALMAN CNPS7000A-AlCu Aluminum + Copper CPU Cooler for AMD XP Socket 462/ 754 and Intel Socket 478 -RETAIL
39.99

(4) ZALMAN 80mm Case fan with Quiet Mode Adapter, Model "ZM-F1" -RETAIL
34.00

Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer, Model "AVC-1000 REV.3" -RETAIL
16.99

Western Digital 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD1200JD, OEM Drive Only
94.00

Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack) 184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail
228.00

ABIT "KV8" K8T800 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Athlon64 CPU -RETAIL
91.00

Antec 480W Power Supply with Blue LED Fan, Model "TRUE480BLUE" -RETAIL
87.50

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - OEM
167.25

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -RETAIL
211.00
 
That is a nice system but i would consider getting a better video card. Even the 9800XT's can't cut it these days, let alone the pro's. The video card would the main component that will bottleneck your system in benchmarks. Everything else looks fine.
 
My funds can't afford a 6800 GT right now. OCing a 9800 Pro is about all I can do right now. Right now I have a GeForce 4 MX 440, so a new card is a must. I just can't afford those 6800 GTs.
 
GJSNeptune said:
My funds can't afford a 6800 GT right now. OCing a 9800 Pro is about all I can do right now. Right now I have a GeForce 4 MX 440, so a new card is a must. I just can't afford those 6800 GTs.
Click to expand...

get some cheaper RAM and try to stretch for the regular 6800
 
Any suggestions for cheaper RAM? I'd like to try OCing awhile after setting it up (just to get some use out of it in case I break it), and Corsair XMS is pretty good with OCing.

And what is a "regular" 6800?
 
GJSNeptune said:
Any suggestions for cheaper RAM? I'd like to try OCing awhile after setting it up (just to get some use out of it in case I break it), and Corsair XMS is pretty good with OCing.

And what is a "regular" 6800?
Click to expand...

regular Crucial or Corsair Value line

regular means a Geforce 6800, not a 6800GT or 6800 Ultra

you would have to do some SERIOUS overclocking to make up the difference between the 9800 Pro and the 6800
 
Is regular Corsair RAM good for OCing?

And is the 9800 Pro really that far behind even an entry level 6800?
 
If I choose some regular Corsair RAM for $155 instead of the XMS for $228, I save $72, and if I was gonna buy the 9800 Pro for $211, and add the saved $72, I can spend $283 for a 6800.

What about this 6800 for just an extra $9?
 
GJSNeptune said:
If I choose some regular Corsair RAM for $155 instead of the XMS for $228, I save $72, and if I was gonna buy the 9800 Pro for $211, and add the saved $72, I can spend $283 for a 6800.

What about this 6800 for just an extra $9?
Click to expand...
that's would I would do, PNY is a great brand

look at some benchmarks to see how much faster the 6800 is
 
Im not going to buy the 6800 because the doom 3 hardware guide shows that it can run very well with the 9800 pro that and the early halflife hardware test on www.fireingsquad.com shows that the 9800 pro maybe more than enough even for HL2.

also I dont know if you want the k8t800 chipset. i heard it wasent that great. Im gong to check out the k8t800 pro, which is what they used in the doom3 hardware guide.
 
You guys must be newegg representatives. Ya keep suggesting more expensive things!


Well both mobos have a four star rating on newegg, but not very many votes. I wouldn't mind spending the extra $10 for the Pro though.

Another thing: what is an AGP\PCI lock? Why do people want it?
 
But I'd like to try OCing down the road. Perhaps not a lot, but some. But now I'm wondering if I want to get an Intel, because for the price of an A64 3000+ 2.0 GHz, I can get a Pentium 4 2.8GHz.

Any ideas?
 
Well everyone says Intel is better for multitasking with multimedia, and AMD is mostly better for gaming. I'll prolly game a lot, but also fiddle around with audio and video.

I love AMD and I would rather get an Athlon, but the higher GHz for the same price is tempting.


I went with a PNY 6800 instead of a 9800 Pro. But I'm still not sure which is better. And should I get a VGA silencer/cooler for it? I might not OC my CPU at first, but I'd like to OC the video card.
 
well, the 6800 is a much better video card than the 9800, but to me the extra $100 isent worth it (see doom3 hardware guide). Another option could be to wait for the nvidia 6600 to come out in late sept. it should be the price of the 9800 and run close to as well as the 6800. I cant wait though, im buying the 9800 today :)

also, i dont know much about overclocking, but im not sure if you can OC just the video card or what kind of preformance increase you can get out of it.
 
Proposed shopping list (all from newegg so far):
----------------------------------
Lian-Li PC-65

ABIT "KV8 Pro" K8T800 Pro for AMD Athlon64 CPU -RETAIL

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - OEM

Arctic Silver 5", 3.5-gram( 1 cc. ) tube

Antec 480W Power Supply with Blue LED Fan -RETAIL

Thermaltake Venus 12 CPU Cooler For AMD Opteron and Athlon 64, Model "A1744"

(4) ZALMAN 80mm Case fan with Quiet Mode Adapter, Model "ZM-F1" -RETAIL

Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 1G(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - OEM

Western Digital 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model WD1200JD - OEM

VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller Panel (Black), Model "NXP-205-BK"

Lite-On 12X DVD±RW Drive, Model SOHW-1213S BLK, OEM w/ Nero and PowerDVD 5 Software


I already have:
---------------------
WinXP Pro
Office XP 2003
Memorex 52x24x52 CD-RW
Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM
Audigy 2 ZS
 
They're just so big. The Venus 12 has a 3.5" variable speed knob, which is neat. :p

All of the heatsinks recommended to me have great ratings and reviews. I just can't decide.
 
I've decided to hold back on the 64-bit technology and just upgrade to a better "old technology" system. I can afford the newer technology, but just barely, and I'd like to have some money to spend for clothes and things I need for another year of college.

Here is what I'm looking at:
---------------------------------------

Lian-Li PC-65b

Antec 480w TrueBlue

AMD Athlon XP 3000+ Barton, 400 FSB, 512k Cache

Abit "AN7" nForce2 Ultra 400

Arctic Silver 5

Thermaltake SILENT BOOST HSF

Corsair Value Select 184-pin 1GB(2x512) DDR400 PC-3200, CAS 2.5

Western Digital 120GB SATA

(4) ENERMAX 80mm Thermal Control case fans

VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller

Lite-On 12x DVD +- / RW with Nero and PowerDVD
 
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