PC to be

A

ApocalypZ

Limp Gawd
Joined
Apr 27, 2003
Messages
176
Specs :
FMI Lian-Li Case (number is unknown)
2x Blue Cathode Light
2x Rounded Copper IDE Cable
1x Rounded Copper Floppy c\Cable
Antec 350Watt Smartblue350
Asus A7N8X Rev 2.0
AMD Athlon 2700+ 333FSB (retail heatsink/fan used)
Kingston 2x 256MB PC3200 DDR
Maxtor 80.0GB 7200RPM 8MB
Maxtor 160.0GB 7200RPM 8MB
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro
SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS
16x Toshiba DVD-ROM
16x/10x/40xA PlexWriter CD-RW
Teac Floppy
Klipsch 2.1 Promedia Speakers
Samsung 17" 171v SyncMaster (Black)

Uses :
DVD Watching, Music, Games (CS, NFSU, GTA3, GTAVC, MOHAA), All around use

What ya think? Any issues you see?

If you could change a couple things on what ive chosen, what would you chose and why?
 
where are you purchasing all this from ? my only concerns are with the floppy :p and the monitor (seriously here). depending on how much the monitor costs, you can do better than 17' for the pesos spent.
 
the floppy? haha. i dont even think ill even get that. when i say pc to be.. some of the stuff i already have... i already have the monitor and have had it for 2 years. i love it.

stuff i already got
2x Rounded Copper IDE Cable
1x Rounded Copper Floppy Cable
Asus A7N8X Rev 2.0
AMD Athlon 2700+ 333FSB (retail heatsink/fan used)
Maxtor 160.0GB 7200RPM 8MB
SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS
16x/10x/40xA PlexWriter CD-RW
Klipsch 2.1 Promedia Speakers
Samsung 17" 171v SyncMaster (Black)

Ive purchased these in the past few months
 
I would get a bigger monitor. 19" at least. You'll enjoy DVD watching alot more on bigger monitors.

You could save some money buying a Athlon 2500+ 333FSB instead. It will have a lower multiplier so you'll be able to get the FSB higher. Its the same core so you'll be getting the same core so you'll be able to get whatever you could on a 2700+ as far as an overclock.

EDIT: It would of helped if you would of told us you had half that stuff already :D .
 
Once again, some of the stuff ive already got. Sorry to misinform you guys. Sorry burninggrave. I didn't buy the processor, it was a christmas gift even though my dad got ripped off 160 bucks for it at compusa. Its all good though.
 
Since your already have the processor that only thing i would change in your first selection would maybe buy a larger monitor or 5.1 speakers.
 
you might want to go with a higher watt (400+) psu - keep the brand tho - and if you want to overclock look into a better cpu cooler - thermalright can do no wrong...
the Klipsch are great - buy either two sets (4.2 is what klipsch calls it) or go to klipsch.com and buy the 4.1 refurbs under "ugly hi-fi" or go with their new 5.1 ultra system (replacement to their 500 watt 5.1 monster set.)
The surround sound will be mucho better in dvd & gaming than 2.1
 
definetly drop the floppy drive, get some 5.1 speakers, there is no semse using 2.1 speakers when you play that many games, watch DVDs and have a nice sound card like that. seems like a waste to me:rolleyes: go with 5.1. you might even think about getting 2x512 for your RAM. lastly, i would get a better HSF go with a SLK-900 and a good fan like a Panaflo or something similar
 
PClark99 & lukeh182 - i was thinking about the full gig of ram... its just a matter of money.

HvyMtl - why a larger psu? i dont plan to overclock for awhile. see im afraid my cpu is already damaged. I had a hell of a time putting on the default heatsink and fan... the thermal paste kept sticking and unsticking and i was freaking out. does overclocking bring down the life span of a processor? What is your exp with overclocking on an a7n8x (bios are 1006 i think)?

speakers - sounds good but the question is... what would be the point in 4.2 if i only have room on my desk to put two speakers side by side on each side of monitor. i have no room around me to place 2 more speakers, only in front of me.
 
Originally posted by ApocalypZ
PClark99 & lukeh182 - i was thinking about the full gig of ram... its just a matter of money.
Click to expand...
it'll be worth it if you can afford it

does overclocking bring down the life span of a processor? What is your exp with overclocking on an a7n8x (bios are 1006 i think)?
Click to expand...
typically it does shorten the lifespan but it'll probably live till your next upgrade unless you don't cool it well. A7N8X is a very good OCer, not quite as good as the NF7, but it puls a close second

speakers - sounds good but the question is... what would be the point in 4.2 if i only have room on my desk to put two speakers side by side on each side of monitor. i have no room around me to place 2 more speakers, only in front of me.
Click to expand...
make room:D
 
PClark99 & lukeh182 - i was thinking about the full gig of ram... its just a matter of money.
Click to expand...

I would cut back on something else to get the full 1GB of RAM. It makes system performance alot smoother.

HvyMtl - why a larger psu? i dont plan to overclock for awhile. see im afraid my cpu is already damaged. I had a hell of a time putting on the default heatsink and fan... the thermal paste kept sticking and unsticking and i was freaking out. does overclocking bring down the life span of a processor? What is your exp with overclocking on an a7n8x (bios are 1006 i think)?
Click to expand...

You dont need a larger PSU. 350w will power even the larger server style cases with several hard drives. 350w-400w is perfect for any single processor system.

Overclocking does cut down on the lifespan of your processor but by how much is determined by the cooling. As long as you dont let the prcoessor run at extreme temperatures you dont really need to worry about its lifespan because even overclocked it will last for years. For example a barton 3200+ is just a barton 2500+ with an increased cache level and a higher multiplier. Its the same core so its manufactered to handle these faster speeds.

speakers - sounds good but the question is... what would be the point in 4.2 if i only have room on my desk to put two speakers side by side on each side of monitor. i have no room around me to place 2 more speakers, only in front of me.
Click to expand...

4.2 would be 4 satellites and 2 subwoofers. I dont think i've even seen any of those for sale :). Its pretty easy to make room for a 5.1 setup. Just sit the little sattelites all around your room. They dont have to all be on your desk.
 
Go for the gig of ram. I just got my second 512MB stick and do notice a difference in games. The 5.1 - get it if you want; however, I have found that generally speakers made for computers tend to emphasize the bass too much.
 
ok I still suggest a little bigger power supply (something with high amps on 3.3+, 5+, 12+ say at least 20+ bare min 25+ is better the ratings are on the sticker on most all psu) as stability of power can limit errors on your system (memory is very sensitive to poor or overworked psu) - look at this article - it explains well the need for power -
http://www.firingsquad.com/guides/power_supply/
400 watts is good - and do stay with Antec - as it has stable power on all rails - again stability and actually less heat generation as the psu will be less taxed - but some will continue to argue with me on that -
As for overclocking - yes it will shorten the life of the processor (and needs more out of your psu) - but so will heat - so if you plan to have this cpu running in 10 years then dont overclock. But if you plan to replace it in 3 or so years then overclocking can make sense as you can get an additional boost for little no additional money - look at the price difference between a 2500+ and a 3200+ that is how much I have saved by overclocking my system. But if you are not comfortable overclocking DONT DO IT.
As for the heat issue - if you can lower your cpu's temps by roughly 10 degrees cel you increase its lifespan by 25% 9supposedly) again does that matter? Well, you want this thing to run for 12+ years?
Now do go with a 4.1 or 5.1 set up as you can easily hang the rear/side channel speakers easily - Trust me you WILL enjoy the difference.
Yes more memory would do well too - you should get a noticible speed increase if you add more ram.
 
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