HELP NEEDED for building a new PC please!

[smittenkitty]

Hi All,

Long time reader of the site but new to the forums ... was hoping I could get some input from you guys.

I'm looking to build a PC that I use at home ... I will be using it more for "work" than for gaming, but I would like to do some gaming as well. My big thing is that I need a PC that is STABLE. My current PC is horrible ... it's deteriorated to the point where it reboots every 30 minutes or so of its own accord, and also randomly powers off, even when I'm not using it for anything (e.g. it just rebooted while playing music) ... I have no idea what's wrong with it, but I guess that's a story for another post.

Anyway, I'm hoping to budget it around 1000-1500 for the tower only. I've read the latest guide (Mid-Range to High-End, January 2006), and here's what I've come up with for my own needs:

-MOBO: I'm looking for a quality mobo that won't be giving me any problems (I have a feeling that my old mobo could be the root of my current probs). Speed and stability are key for me. While I would love to overclock the new PC, I won't trick myself into thinking that I know how to. So overclocking isn't really a necessity here. Also, since I'm not hardcore gamer, I won't be needing dual GPU support either. But I'm definitely leaning towards Nvidia. What is SLI?

-CPU: Definitely looking to get an AMD Dual Core Processor. Again, speed and stability are key, but my final decision as to which X2 to get may rest on how much money I need to spend on other components.

-Heatsink: Will a non-stock heatsink be necessary?

-RAM: I am a big believer of RAM, so I think that 2GB is probably a minimum nowadays. Don't know which brand to get though. Nor do I know what things like "DDR vs. DDR2" or "CL timings" are, so I definitely need help here.

-Graphics Card: Although I don't know what card I want, I do know that I've always used Nvidia and that I'd like to buy a BFGTech card. I've heard lots of good things abt BFGTech, and I'd like to try them out, unless someone gives me very good reasons not to. PCIe seems to be the norm nowadays, right?

-HDD: I've always been a user of Seagate, but I'm willing to listen to other recommendations, esp. if there is better out there. I would like to have a smaller HDD just for windows and other software, but high on performance and stability. Then I'm looking for another larger HDD that will be mainly used for storage, where stability is key.

-DVDR: I read some really good things about the BenQ DW1640 a while back, and I don't know if this is still a good option. I do burn a LOT of DVDs, so I will definitely need a high quality one.

-Tower: I'm thinking of the Antec P180, but I've heard that putting together the PC can be a bit tricky.

-Power Supply: ???. I'm currently using a 500W Ultra X-Connect, which isn't great, I know, but I like the modular design, and would like to stay with the modular design.

-Display: while I would love to upgrade my display, I don't have that kind of money, and will have to stick with my Samsung 191T.

I guess that seems to cover it. Any and all recommendations would be HIGHLY APPRECIATED. Additionally, if I've left anything out that you think is necessary, please put it in!

THANKS!!!

 

[deathwalker]

Mobo - I would stay with a tier one manufacturer...MSI, ASUS, DFI, there are other decent ones also. I prefer mobo's based on the Nforce4 chipset for this use. If you are a first time builder...stay away from overclocking...bag of worms if you don't do it correctly. SLI is the use of 2 graphics cards at the same time on a SLI equiped mobo, don't bother.

CPU--AMD94 socket 939 based on a 90nm die, chose the speed you can afford.

Heatsink--If you don't overclock then the stock HS that comes with the retail Proc will be fine.

RAM-- 1 gig will do, 2 gig if you have deep pockets. Once again ..use RAM from a established provider...Corsair/Crucial/OCZ/Giel...socket 939 supports dual channel memory so buy your memory in sets intended for dual channel use. DDR/DDR2 is soley a function of what the mobo supports. In this case DDR. Don't get wrapped around the axle over CAS latency. CAS 2.5 is the norm.

Graphics card---this is not an ez call. There are a lot of good graphics cards out there and it really depends on the amount of money you want to spend. Mid range you might consider a 6800GS...High end a 7800GT. PCIe, not AGP.

HDD..Seagate is just fine...SATA or regurlar IDE eihter is ok...stay away from doing a raid array if you are a novice builder.

DVDR--BENQ and NEC are good choices for affordable burners.

Tower---Mid tower...Antec is nice but expensive.

Power supply...nothing less than 450, more is better...Antec/Fortron/Enermax/Thermaltake all decent.

Have fun..building your on PC is a very rewarding experience.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: smittenkitty

-MOBO: I'm looking for a quality mobo that won't be giving me any problems (I have a feeling that my old mobo could be the root of my current probs). Speed and stability are key for me. While I would love to overclock the new PC, I won't trick myself into thinking that I know how to. So overclocking isn't really a necessity here. Also, since I'm not hardcore gamer, I won't be needing dual GPU support either. But I'm definitely leaning towards Nvidia. What is SLI?

SLI = Dual GPU. You probably want an nForce4 board. I like DFI.

DFI LanParty Ultra-D
DFI Ultra-Infinity

-Heatsink: Will a non-stock heatsink be necessary?

If you are not overclocking and your case airflow is adequate, no.

-RAM: I am a big believer of RAM, so I think that 2GB is probably a minimum nowadays. Don't know which brand to get though. Nor do I know what things like "DDR vs. DDR2" or "CL timings" are, so I definitely need help here.

You'll need DDR (not DDR2) for an A64-based system. PC3200 or faster. There is no need to spend over $200 for 2GB, so choose whichever.

G.Skill 2GB kit
Corsair ValueSelect

-Graphics Card: Although I don't know what card I want, I do know that I've always used Nvidia and that I'd like to buy a BFGTech card. I've heard lots of good things abt BFGTech, and I'd like to try them out, unless someone gives me very good reasons not to. PCIe seems to be the norm nowadays, right?

PCIe is the current standard, yes. BFG is a good video card company. Get something in the 7800 variety for optimum results (but a premium price.) Drop down to the 6800 series if price becomes an issue, but BFG doesn't have a huge selection in this rage, if I recall. If you really aren't going to do much gaming, anything inthe 6600 range would be more than powerful enough.

BFG 7800GT
BFG 6600GT

-HDD: I've always been a user of Seagate, but I'm willing to listen to other recommendations, esp. if there is better out there. I would like to have a smaller HDD just for windows and other software, but high on performance and stability. Then I'm looking for another larger HDD that will be mainly used for storage, where stability is key.

You could get a 150GB raptor for your OS drive, as it's one of the fastest available, then a larger secondary drive for data. But that will incur quite some $$. Larger drives are still pretty speedy, due to their platter densities. You could just get a single large to save cash.

Western Digital Raptor 150GB
Western Digital Caviar 400GB

-Power Supply: ???. I'm currently using a 500W Ultra X-Connect, which isn't great, I know, but I like the modular design, and would like to stay with the modular design.

As long as specs show a high amperage (24A or greater, 28A being preferable,) take your pick of quality PSUs. You'll pay a premuim for quality and modular design.

OCZ Modstream 450W
ePower/Tagan 450W (not modular)

 

[smittenkitty]

Thanks guys! I'll do some more research into specific parts and post again for more feedback! Much appreciated!

 

[Bobthelost]

What do you do the most of with your computer? If it's mostly heavy photoshopping then getting a raptor 150 starts to make sense, it's the fastest SATA drive out there, and it's damn near as fast as SCSI.

The 1640 is a great drive, i think there's a newer version out of it, check over at www.cdfreaks.com for thier recomended lists.

 

[Bonesdad]

what "work" do you do? How much gaming and what kind of games do you like to play? From what I've read so far, you should be able to get a decent PC for 500-700 clams.

 

[TecHNooB]

CPU: AMD X2 or Opteron series $300 (Go for the Opteron if you want to OC)
MOBO: DFI Ultra-D $130 (Stable and good for OC.. cheap but highly recommended)
RAM: G.Skill 2x1GB $200 (Quality 2GB Ram.. very affordable)
HD: 250GB for around $100 (Pick your own brand)
Case: Choose based on needs.. (ie. Watercooling)
CD/DVD: $40 (Pick your own brand) I myself use a NEC
PSU: Something below $100.. OCZ, PCP&P, Antec, Seasonic
VideoCard: eVGA 7800GT $300 (Offers lifetime warranty that covers OCing and Step-up program)
Heatsink: XP-90 or XP/SI-120 with 90mm/120mm Nexus or Panaflo (FrozenCpu sells cheap heatsinks if I remember correctly) $50

This setup is about $1100-$1200.

If you want a good monitor, I'd suggest getting a single core Opteron for around $160 and use the remaining $500+ for a Dell 2005FPW. Or stick with the current setup and scour the forsale/trade forums for a $400 Dell 2005FPW.

If you go without the monitor you can opt for another 7800GT and upgrade to $250 RAM. Or other variations of your choosing. That is, if the case you choose isn't too expensive.

 

[alimoalem]

CPU: get the x2 3800 or Opteron 165. opteron 165 recommended
MOBO: DFI ultra or epox 9npa+. Asus is good too. don't get SLI. SLI basically means your computer has 2 PCI-express slots for 2 cards. don't bother with it, you don't need it
GPU: i would get the 6800GS, not the 6800GT. for PCI-express, the GS runs at around 98% of the GT, and is over $70 cheaper
HDD: get the Western Digital 250GB SATA drive with 16mb cache. EXTREMELY fast. and it's cheap too. don't get the Raptor. it's not nearly as fast as a 15k SCSI drive and the performance boost isn't too noticable compared to some of the faster 7200 RPM drives.
RAM: get 2 gigs of ram for $200 or less. buy from g.skill, OCZ, corsair or another reputable company

 

[smittenkitty]

Opteron isn't dual core is it? What are it's benefits vis-a-vis the X2?

 

[TecHNooB]

Opterons OC very well because they are built for servers. The Opterons ppl are recommending are for socket 939 which doesn't support more than one cpu per board. Since servers are very demanding, AMD does rigorous testing on all Opterons to ensure their longevity and stability. This enables them to OC very well. The reason Socket 939s Opties are (or were) cheap is because socket 939 can only support one cpu per mobo. Servers demand a lot of computing power, so many server owns opt for the socket 940 Opterons. Socket 940 Opteron boards can support multiple cpus, just what the doctor ordered.

The 144-148(150?) Opterons are all single cores. They've been known to hit 2.7-2.8Ghz at less than 1.4vcore.

The 165-180 Opterons are all dual cores. They'll hit 2.5Ghz on stock most of the time. I'm at 2.7Ghz right now at 1.48v.

X2 and Dual Core Opterons both the same core: Toledo. But X2s tend to require steady bumps in voltage (sort of like the Venice) in order to OC them. Opterons require less volts, but you'll hit a wall at some point where only a sizeable increase in volts will allow you to OC further. I was able to go from 2.0 to 2.5Ghz at 1.35vcore with my Opty 170. But to get to 2.6Ghz, I needed 1.43vcore and then 1.48 to hit 2.7Ghz. You can of a dual core opteron as basically an underclocked X2 4800+.

Go for this Opteron:
http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant...=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=120339
Other etailers are selling it for $320+ so use the difference to buy good heatsink.

 

[smittenkitty]

Technoob:

You've given me some good reasons to get an Opteron ... but my main concern is that they are mainly focused on OCing. I'm definitely a novice in that area. However, I would love to buy a "underclocked X2 4800+" for a cheaper price, but if I am unable to OC it properly, it may be wasted, unfortunately.

Oh, and one more question: what is the difference btw the Manchester and Toledo cores?

Thanks!

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: smittenkitty
Hi All,

Long time reader of the site but new to the forums ... was hoping I could get some input from you guys.

I'm looking to build a PC that I use at home ... I will be using it more for "work" than for gaming, but I would like to do some gaming as well. My big thing is that I need a PC that is STABLE. My current PC is horrible ... it's deteriorated to the point where it reboots every 30 minutes or so of its own accord, and also randomly powers off, even when I'm not using it for anything (e.g. it just rebooted while playing music) ... I have no idea what's wrong with it, but I guess that's a story for another post.

Yeah, that sounds like a software issue, not hardware.

Anyway, I'm hoping to budget it around 1000-1500 for the tower only. I've read the latest guide (Mid-Range to High-End, January 2006), and here's what I've come up with for my own needs:

-MOBO: I'm looking for a quality mobo that won't be giving me any problems (I have a feeling that my old mobo could be the root of my current probs). Speed and stability are key for me. While I would love to overclock the new PC, I won't trick myself into thinking that I know how to. So overclocking isn't really a necessity here. Also, since I'm not hardcore gamer, I won't be needing dual GPU support either. But I'm definitely leaning towards Nvidia. What is SLI?

SLI allows you to use two graphics cards together. Generally speaking, it's only useful for two things: a convenient upgrade path for later; or, two 7800GTXs. However, I don't agree with the upgrade issue, and two GTXs are out of your price range. So I'd forget SLI.

Overclocking has become almost essential in recent years, because unlike Athlon XPs and Pentium 4s, which often can't go beyond 10% of stock, the dual-core Opterons can reach upwards of 150% their rated speed. That's a *lot* of performance, and giving it up just because you're not familiar with overclocking isn't a good idea, in my opinion.

For motherboards, you have several options. If you're tight on cash, you can get the $64 Biostar GeForce 6100-M7. It has integrated graphics, which might not be best if you do much gaming. However, it does have a PCIe x16 slot, too. However, it only has two PCI slots, which might be an issue if you need to get a bunch of add-on cards. On the other hand, though the M7 is light on features, it does have everything that is normally required--PCI slots (albeit not many), onboard audio/LAN/video, PCIe x16, RAID 0 and great overclocking tools. And because it's mATX, you can house it in a small, more convenient case.

If you need more PCI slots, you can get the Epox EP-9NPAJ for $73. If you need more features (firewire, gigabit LAN) go for the Epox EP-9NPA+ Ultra for $108.

-CPU: Definitely looking to get an AMD Dual Core Processor. Again, speed and stability are key, but my final decision as to which X2 to get may rest on how much money I need to spend on other components.

If you can afford it, get an Opteron 165 ($352). If not, the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ can be had for $322. If that's still too much you can get a Pentium D 820 or 920 for under ~$250 & ~$275, respectively. Of course if you did that you'd have to get an LGA775 motherboard--and I wouldn't know what to recommend, there.

-Heatsink: Will a non-stock heatsink be necessary?

Absolutely not. AMD's stock fans are very nice, and more than adequate even for overclocking. However, if you want to squeeze every last MHz out of the CPU, you might want to pick up a better cooler. On your budget, it's certainly a viable option, but, again, I don't know enough about heatsinks to make any specific recommendation.

-RAM: I am a big believer of RAM, so I think that 2GB is probably a minimum nowadays. Don't know which brand to get though. Nor do I know what things like "DDR vs. DDR2" or "CL timings" are, so I definitely need help here.

Timings account for 2-4% performance variance, depending on the application. With your budget, I wouldn't recommend spending more than you have to. For socket-939 systems, you need basic PC3200 DDR SDRAM (not DDR2). You also need two sticks (so that you can run dual channel). A generic 1GB module costs $76 (or $152 for two). If you demand name-brand (and it really is not necessary), you can get a 2GB kit (two 1GB sticks) of Corsair ValueSelect for $170. In my opinion, you should save the $18 and just get generic; however, I realize you may not agree, in which case I recommend the Corsair.

-Graphics Card: Although I don't know what card I want, I do know that I've always used Nvidia and that I'd like to buy a BFGTech card. I've heard lots of good things abt BFGTech, and I'd like to try them out, unless someone gives me very good reasons not to. PCIe seems to be the norm nowadays, right?

Yes, definitely PCIe and nVidia. If you're just a mild gamer, don't spend too much here. A GeForce 6800 should be enough to play just about anything on the market right now, and you can get a 128MB version for $164 before $15 rebate or a 256MB version for $10 more ($174-$15). If you want to spend more (and I don't recommend it), you can get a 7800GT for $285.

-HDD: I've always been a user of Seagate, but I'm willing to listen to other recommendations, esp. if there is better out there. I would like to have a smaller HDD just for windows and other software, but high on performance and stability. Then I'm looking for another larger HDD that will be mainly used for storage, where stability is key.

You could get one of the new Raptor-150s; those are the fastest desktop drives on the market (to my knowledge). Otherwise, anything SATA/150 or SATA/300 performs fairly similarly. Trusted brands are Seagate, Samsung and Western Digital. Maxtor and Excelstor have decent reputations, too. Hitachi is questionable, but I confess I don't know enough to condemn them completely. The only brand you should stay away from at all costs is Magnetic Data Technology. And of course don't buy generic.

Go ahead and get a pair of Raptor-150s and run them in RAID 0. That should significantly boost performance.

-DVDR: I read some really good things about the BenQ DW1640 a while back, and I don't know if this is still a good option. I do burn a LOT of DVDs, so I will definitely need a high quality one.

BenQ is fine. Plextor is supposedly the *best* manufacturer, but their drives are pretty ridiculously priced. The current drive of choice here seems to be the NEC ND-3550A ($42). NEC makes really, really amazing products, and you can't beat that price tag. I know I love mine!

-Tower: I'm thinking of the Antec P180, but I've heard that putting together the PC can be a bit tricky.

Yeah, I've begun to hear bad things about it. Apparently it's so big that the PSU cables don't always reach the drives. Not sure if that's true or not, but that's what I heard.

You can get a basic case for $27. NewEgg's a great place to buy a case, simply because you can see multiple image angles. Here's a nice looking unit for $46. Since cases won't impact performance at all, I wouldn't spend more than $50 or so.

-Power Supply: ???. I'm currently using a 500W Ultra X-Connect, which isn't great, I know, but I like the modular design, and would like to stay with the modular design.

500W? That should be more than enough for your setup. I say keep the old one. However, if for some reason you feel compelled to upgrade, get an Antec 430W ($89).

-Display: while I would love to upgrade my display, I don't have that kind of money, and will have to stick with my Samsung 191T.

I guess that seems to cover it. Any and all recommendations would be HIGHLY APPRECIATED. Additionally, if I've left anything out that you think is necessary, please put it in!

THANKS!!!

Okay, let's review...
$352 Opteron 165
$216 two Raptor-150s
$174 GeForce 6100 256MB (before $15 rebate)
$152 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200
$93 Windows XP Home OEM (if necessary)
$89 Antec 430W (if necessary)
$73 Epox EP-9NPAJ
$47 that case I mentioned
$42 NEC ND-3550A
$12 floppy drive (whatever's cheapest)
$11 modem (whatever's cheapest)
total: $1,261

 

[TecHNooB]

Originally posted by: smittenkitty
Technoob:

You've given me some good reasons to get an Opteron ... but my main concern is that they are mainly focused on OCing. I'm definitely a novice in that area. However, I would love to buy a "underclocked X2 4800+" for a cheaper price, but if I am unable to OC it properly, it may be wasted, unfortunately.

Oh, and one more question: what is the difference btw the Manchester and Toledo cores?

Thanks!

I'm not sure what the difference is between Manchester and Toledo, but I do know that Toledoes have a larger L2 Cache (2x1 MB). The Manchesters are 2x512KB. The differences are minute, but hey, if the Opterons are cheaper AND have 2x1MB cache, that's less to think about. The DFI Ultra-D is notorious for its OCing capabilities. You shouldn't have any problems OCing. And good RAM isn't a necessity for OCing the cpu; just play with the dividers. I, myself, use corsair value ram.

 

[Bonesdad]

why definately a dual core? What work are you doing? What games?

 

[smittenkitty]

Dual core because I am building towards the future as well =D

Edit:
Actually, let me rephrase. Everything that I've read here and elsewhere seems to point to going Dual Core. Are there any reasons that I should/need to consider otherwise?

Thanks!

 

[smittenkitty]

First off, thanks for everyone's input so far - it's been very helpful and very much appreciated!

Here is what I have come up with so far - as you will see, there are many places where I have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 options. I'd really appreciate all input on the various options, and also any known COMPATIBILITY ISSUES with any possible combinations and permutations.

MOBO
1.) DFI nForce4 Ultra (939) LanParty UT Ultra-D
- I think that if I choose to go the Opteron route, I will get this mobo, since it seems to have the most OC options
- I think that I am leaning towards this board regardless though
2.) ASUS nForce4 Ultra (939) A8N-E

CPU
1.) AMD Athlon 64 X2 (939) 3800+ 2x512KB Toledo OR AMD Athlon 64 X2 (939) 4200+ 2x512KB Manchester
- What is the difference btw the Manchester and Toledo cores?
2.) AMD Opteron 165
- If the performance upgrade is as big as you guys have been telling me, then I am more than willing to go the Opteron route and spend the necessary time learning how to OC. OC isn't too hard, I hope!
- Why is the price difference btw the 165 and 170 so big? Is there a huge performance difference?

Heatsink
- Still unnecessary if I get the Opteron and OC?

RAM
1.) Corsair ValueSelect 2x1024

Graphics Card
1.) BFG GeForce 7800 GT OC 256MB PCIe
2.) BFG GeForce 6800 GT OC 256MB PCIe OR BFG GeForce 6800 Ultra OC 256/512MB PCIe
- What's the difference btw the Ultra and the GT?

HDD
1.) Western Digital Raptor 74
- This is meant to be my OS drive
- Although the Raptor 150 would be nice, at $300 it really isn't affordable for an OS drive
2.) Western Digital Caviar 3Gbps 250 7200 SE16
- Is the 3Gbps transfer rate that spectacular?
3.) Seagate Barracuda 7200 SATA 250/300 8MB
- Any preferences over Seagate/WD?

DVD Writer
1.) BenQ DW1655
2.) NEC ND-3550A
- Haven't been able to find any reviews on this per se unfortunately ... what has everyone heard about this drive?

Case
1.) Antec P180

Power Supply
1.) ePower Tagan TG-530-U15
2.) OCZ Modstream 520
3.) Antec NeoHE 500/550
- Any reason why I should choose one over the other? The Jan. guide recommends the ePower ...
- Any other good modular power supplies that are recommended?

Hmm, I think that's about it for now ... again, all comments/recommendation/advice is very much appreciated!!!

THANKS!!!

 

[TecHNooB]

Get an eVGA 7800GT. Their lifetime warranty covers overclocking so if you break the card by overclocking it, you can send it back to em and they'll give you another one. Also, they are cheaper than the BFG 7800GT, which go for around $340++. eVGAs are cheaper and clocked higher. I wouldn't even consider the 6800GTs. If you get a good OC out of the eVGA, it'll be identical to a stock 7800GTX, which is even with 2 6800GTs in SLI. And the 6800 Ultras are overpriced as it is.

The X2 3800+ is $310-330 OEM. The Opty 165 here is approx $295 after shipping. You have almost a $40 difference which you can use on one of these heatsinks. You'll need a 120mm fan if you go with the.. 120s. And a 92mm if you go with the 90s.

I really suggest going with the Opteron as they are the same as something like the X2 4400+ and the X2 4800+ and very OCable. You'll have a much easier time getting a good OC out of an Opteron. I'll even go through how to OC step by step if that's what it'll take for you to choose an Opteron. And it's really not that hard either. If the ASUS and DFI bios are remotely similar, it should be a breeze.

Oh, and definitely go for the Ultra-D over the ASUS. The only ASUS mobo I'll recommend is the ASUS A8n-SLI Premium, which is a very stable mobo, but still not as good as the Ultra-D. The only thing that would be better than the Ultra-D are the newer mobos from MSI and ASUS that have 2 full PCI-e x16 lanes. The Ultra-D will go very well with an Opteron setup.

Both BenQ and NEC are good, just make sure you spend less than $50 on either.

Going raptor for the OS is fine. Don't spend over $115 on a 250GB HD. Make sure it's SATA as well. The Seagate. The Western Digital. The Western Digital Caviar 400GB is supposed to be really good according to Maximum PC so if you have money leftover, check that one out too and replace the 250GB HD with that.

I would still recommend G.Skill over the value ram. It's very cheap for PC4000. Have a look.

Not sure how much this all adds up to but I don't think it's $1500 so you should be fine. If you want SLI you'll need to slightly tweak the current setup and you should have enough for 2 7800GTs.

 

[i1o0i]

Originally posted by: smittenkitty
First off, thanks for everyone's input so far - it's been very helpful and very much appreciated!

Here is what I have come up with so far - as you will see, there are many places where I have narrowed it down to 2 or 3 options. I'd really appreciate all input on the various options, and also any known COMPATIBILITY ISSUES with any possible combinations and permutations.

MOBO
1.) DFI nForce4 Ultra (939) LanParty UT Ultra-D :thumbsup:
- I think that if I choose to go the Opteron route, I will get this mobo, since it seems to have the most OC options
- I think that I am leaning towards this board regardless though
2.) ASUS nForce4 Ultra (939) A8N-E

CPU
1.) AMD Athlon 64 X2 (939) 3800+ 2x512KB Toledo OR AMD Athlon 64 X2 (939) 4200+ 2x512KB Manchester
- What is the difference btw the Manchester and Toledo cores?
Manchester cores has 2x512kb cache and Toledo cores has 2x1mb cache

2.) AMD Opteron 165
- If the performance upgrade is as big as you guys have been telling me, then I am more than willing to go the Opteron route and spend the necessary time learning how to OC. OC isn't too hard, I hope!
- Why is the price difference btw the 165 and 170 so big? Is there a huge performance difference? yes, there is performance difference between 165 and 170 is that 165 has 1.8GHz and 170 has 2.0GHz

Heatsink
- Still unnecessary if I get the Opteron and OC? yes it is necessary to have heatsink if you oc the opteron.

RAM
1.) Corsair ValueSelect 2x1024 :thumbsup:

Graphics Card
1.) BFG GeForce 7800 GT OC 256MB PCIe
2.) BFG GeForce 6800 GT OC 256MB PCIe OR BFG GeForce 6800 Ultra OC 256/512MB PCIe
- What's the difference btw the Ultra and the GT?
The difference between ultra and gt is clock speed so I'll recommend 6800gs if you do more work than gaming.

HDD
1.) Western Digital Raptor 74
- This is meant to be my OS drive
- Although the Raptor 150 would be nice, at $300 it really isn't affordable for an OS drive
2.) Western Digital Caviar 3Gbps 250 7200 SE16
- Is the 3Gbps transfer rate that spectacular?
3.) Seagate Barracuda 7200 SATA 250/300 8MB
- Any preferences over Seagate/WD?
I would recommend Seagate 7800.9 over WD

DVD Writer
1.) BenQ DW1655
2.) NEC ND-3550A
- Haven't been able to find any reviews on this per se unfortunately ... what has everyone heard about this drive?

Case
1.) Antec P180 Nice choice!

Power Supply
1.) ePower Tagan TG-530-U15
2.) OCZ Modstream 520<- recommended
3.) Antec NeoHE 500/550
- Any reason why I should choose one over the other? The Jan. guide recommends the ePower ...
- Any other good modular power supplies that are recommended?

Hmm, I think that's about it for now ... again, all comments/recommendation/advice is very much appreciated!!!

THANKS!!!

Read the bold one. Does it answer your question?

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: i1o0i
CPU
1.) AMD Athlon 64 X2 (939) 3800+ 2x512KB Toledo OR AMD Athlon 64 X2 (939) 4200+ 2x512KB Manchester
- What is the difference btw the Manchester and Toledo cores?
Manchester cores has 2x512kb cache and Toledo cores has 2x1mb cache

Read the bold one. Does it answer your question?

WRONG INFO IN ABOVE POST

The difference between the 3800 and the 4200 is NOT in creased cache, the 4200 have 200mhz more clock speed and a 11x multiplier. As you can see they have the same amount of cache. This is because the manchester design was for a 2x1mb cache, but for some of the failed chips they found that they could disable half of it and still use the chip. This results in manchester core chips with 2x512 cache, like the toldeo core chips which were designed for 2x512.

In real terms it don't mean much, ignore it. Also the advantage of the extra cache is overrated, in most processes it doesn't make any difference.

I'd go for the 3800X2 and spend the savings on a 7800GT, pereferably eVGA for thier warranty.

 

[Bobthelost]

On the HD side of life don't read too much into the stats, SATA2 is no improvement at all over SATA, it's marketing bull. I'd go for the 250 WD drive, it's faster than the seagate, and has enough room so you won't need a second disc, but it is slower than the 74 Raptor. The difference is real, but it's not worth the extra cash, save it up and buy yourself a raptor 150 as a boot disc in the future.

PSU: The Neo HE is a good PSU for the p180, the straight line airflow especially, and it's got nice long cables for the motherboard. However it has been known in the past to have comptability issues. A good option you've neglected is Seasonic, the s12 500W is a very good PSU, and damn near silent as well. The wires aren't long, but they are just long enough for the P180 (i'm using a 600W now)

On the CPU side again, the 165 or 3800 are the best bets, there are advantages, real ones, to getting the faster CPUs but money is a factor here. If you do overclock then there are loads of different Heatsinks to look at, the Scythe ninja is good for the p180, and the following in no real order are also good performers : zalman 9500, Zalman 7700AlCu, Thermaltake Big Typhoon, Thermalright SI120 (Excellent imo) and there's a load more that are 99% as good if not better.

BenQ 1655, pretty much the best DVDRW at the moment, if you want confirmation check out the forum at cdfreaks.com, there is a recomended section if you use the search option and they do the only indepth reviews of DVD burners i've ever seen on the web.

 

[TecHNooB]

Here are my recommendations:

Setup 1 (With Monitor):
- Dell 2005FPW - $450
- DFI Ultra-D - $130
- Opteron 146 - $180
- Scythe Nina - $35
- Corsair ValueSelect - $150
- eVGA 7800GT - $280
- Western Digital 250GB - $105
- OCZ Modstream - $100
- NEC/BenQ - $40
- P180 - $125
Total: 1595 prior to tax..
Slightly over the budget (your case/psu choices eat up $$)

Setup 2 (1x7800GT):
- DFI Ultra-D - $130
- Opteron 165 - $290
- XP-120 - $50
- Scythe Ninja - $35
- G.Skill Extreme - $200
- eVGA 7800GT - $300
- Western Digital 250GB - $105
- Western Digital Raptor 74GB - $150
- OCZ Modstream - $100
- NEC/BenQ - $40
- P180 - $125
Total: $1475-1490 prior to tax..

Setup 3 (2x7800GT):
- DFI Ultra-D - $130
- Opteron 146 - $180
- XP-120 - $50
- Scythe Ninja - $35
- Corsair ValueSelect - $150
- 2x eVGA 7800GT - $280 * 2
- Western Digital 250GB - $105
- Western Digital Raptor 74GB - $150
- OCZ Modstream - $100
- NEC/BenQ - $40
- P180 - $125
Total: $1575-1590 prior to tax..

Again, expensive PSU/Case. Both are quality though.

 

[smittenkitty]

OK, thanks again for the opinions.

Here's an updated list (links are to confirm I am looking at the right thing!):

MOBO
DFI nForce4 Ultra (939) LanParty UT Ultra-D

CPU
AMD Opteron 165
(or possibly 170 if I can find it cheap!)

Heatsink
Thermalright SI-120 + 120mm fan
- I just want to make sure I get this right: I need the SI-120 AND an additional fan, correct?
- Technoob: just saw your post - I need the SI/XP-120 AND a 120mm fan AND the Scythe Ninja???

RAM
G.Skill Extreme PC4000 2x1024

Graphics Card
BFG GeForce 7800 GT OC 256MB PCIe OR eVGA GeForce 7800 GT 256MB PCIe
- I really wanted to try BFG, but if the eVGA gives better performance and value, then I guess I should go with that one
- Could someone please tell me the difference btw this and this?
- Maybe I can use the saved money to upgrade to an Opteron 170?

HDD
Western Digital Raptor 74(OS Drive)
Western Digital Caviar 3Gbps 250 7200 SE16

DVD Writer
BenQ DW1655

Case
Antec P180

Power Supply
OCZ Modstream 520

I guess the only remaining questions from this are the Graphics Card, the heatsink, and possibly cutting some corners and upgrading to the Opteron 170.

Let me know what you all think! Thanks!

 

[Bobthelost]

Either the SI 120 OR the Ninja, i've got the ninja and i'd advise you to go for the SI 120 with a nexus orange fan.

You're still going for high spec ram for some reason, the performace difference between top of the line and entry level is less than 10%, if you're not buying top end parts elsewhere there's no point in buying top end RAM, it's the last thing you should max out.

The 516 comes with a factory overclock btw.

I'd really think again on the HD front, i speak as the owner of a Raptor 74, just go with the WD4000KD if you want a fast drive and space or get the 250Gb WD drive and save up for a 150 Raptor.

 

[TecHNooB]

Go for the eVGA 7800GT. They're all the same 7800GT anyways. NVidia makes em and sends em out to companies that put the chip on a board. The eVGAs are cheaper, faster, and have a better warranty. I guess the reason you're drawn to BFG has got something to do with the name, the logo, or the color. eVGA is good for your overall budget.

You only need either the Scythe Ninja or XP-120. Get the Opteron from Monarch because their OEM Opty 165 is $290 with shipping. Newegg sell the 165 for around $330.

 

[smittenkitty]

Originally posted by: Bobthelost
Either the SI 120 OR the Ninja, i've got the ninja and i'd advise you to go for the SI 120 with a nexus orange fan.

[*]Is "nexus" a brand, or are you just suggesting that I get an orange fan? Sorry if that's a retarded question ... as I'm sure you know, I'm not exactly savvy wrt computer hardware ...

You're still going for high spec ram for some reason, the performace difference between top of the line and entry level is less than 10%, if you're not buying top end parts elsewhere there's no point in buying top end RAM, it's the last thing you should max out.

[*]As long as going w/ the value ram doesn't affect the ability/performance to OC the Opteron, I have no probs w/ going cheaper here.

The 516 comes with a factory overclock btw.

[*]So I presume that going with the 516 is the way to go? Would I still be able to OC it if I wanted to?

I'd really think again on the HD front, i speak as the owner of a Raptor 74, just go with the WD4000KD if you want a fast drive and space or get the 250Gb WD drive and save up for a 150 Raptor.

[*] Maybe you are right ... going with the WD400KD would allow me to save money and upgrade to the Opteron 170.

Thanks!