New XP 2000+ system for my dad, please check it before I buy, I don't want to mess up :) (ordering tonight)

[subxeon]

all other items are coming from old computer.

En-light Mid tower case Black model EN-72500AZB 300W OEM
Specifications:
Case Size: ATX Mid-Tower
4x 5.25" Half Height, 2x 3.5" 1" Height, and 1x 3.5 (Hidden)
Expansion Slots: 7
Motherboard Size: Full ATX 12" x 9.6"
Dimensions: WHD 7.7" x16.7" 18.9"
Power Supply: Ps/2 300W P4
Dual Front USB ports:

CORSAIR MEMORY 256MB PC2100 VALUE SELECT. DDR RAM - OEM
32x64 184-Pin, CAS2.5-Unbuffered Requires DDR supported Motherboard - Lifetime Warranty.

MSI Motherboard for AMD Processors Model KT3 Ultra2(6380E-050) Retail
Specifications:
Supported CPU:A (Socket 462) for AMD® Athlon XP/ Athlon/Duron
Chipset:KT333+VT8235
FSB:100/133 MHz
RAM:3xDDR DDR266/333 184-pin Max 3GB
IDE:2xUltra DMA133/100/66/33 Up to 4 Devices
Slots: 5xPCI (32-bit) ,1AGP(AGP 2.0 1x/2x/4x )
Ports:1xFDD,2xCOM,1xLPT,
Onboard Audio: ALC650 6-channel audio

AMD ATHLON XP 2000+/266 FSB PROCESSOR CPU - RETAIL BOX 2000+/ 1.67GHz, BOX2000DMT3C. 3 Years Warranty. The AMD Athlon XP processor with QuantiSpeed architecture powers the next generation in computing platforms, delivering extra performance for cutting-edge applications and an extra-ordinary computing experience.world's highest overall performing PC processor.
Specifications:
CPU: 1.67 GHz
Type: 2000 XP
Cache: 256K
BUS: 266MHz
Socket A (PGA) Retail(Box with Heatsink and Fan)
=======================================================
total: $378.00



Question, I hear a few people saying that there was heat issues, will this retail hsf be able to cool it fine?

I have also heard someone say that i will need at least a 350 watt power supply, that can't be true, this enlight 300watt should work fine right? Enlight makes good psu's.


Is that value ram fine?

Good stable mobo ?



Thanks for your help!

Side note: (he is looking for a modem, any suggestions on which modem to get, preferably from newegg since this is where i'm ordering all my parts from.)

I'm going to order soon, in like one hour, so any quick suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[CrazySaint]

Looks good to me. Whatever you do, DO NOT get a WinModem, they are POS.

 

[shyfunky]

Originally posted by: subxeon

I think that the Ram amount is fine unless your dad is doing something like Photoshop. I wouldn't mind going up to 384 though. I also would recommand 350 watt just so that you wouldn't need to get a new power supply later when you upgrade and plus the fact that it will be a safer route for computer.

Funky

 

[AnAndAustin]

Hey subxeon.

IMHO PSU-wise you want Antec, Enermax, ToPower, Flower or Sparkle really, and 350W is a minimum if you want to avoid lots of hassle and headaches, dual fan would be nice too.

Modem-wise it is very simple. All you need is a 56k/v90 PCI modem but do look out for a hw modem as the sw modems although just as fast sap CPU power and don't bode well for online gaming or multi-tasking.

512MB of RAM is much nicer, but 256MB really won't hurt perf too much and of course more is EASILY added later anyway. PC2100 is all you need for SktA, although CL2.0 isn't much faster than CL2.5 it is worth having for both stability and a lot more o/c'ing headroom. PC2700 doesn't cost much extra and CL2.5 is more than fine, although you don't gain much on SktA it is very useful for async operation, stability, future use and o/c'ing. 256MB PC2100 CL2.5 is more than fine, but do consider the options.

 

[AnAndAustin]

I liked MSI, but have heard a few things lately which would cause me to lean towards other manus, still nothing extreme anyway. KT333 chipset has the ability to run 266+333 (FSB+RAM) which does give a small boost of around 3%, however you can often keep the 5:4 ratio and o/c the FSB to give something like 276/345 or else simply raise the FSB in sync with the RAM to something like 290+290, of course these options need PC2700 although PC2100 CL2.0 should handle the last option. USB2 is one of the best features on any mobo, but is rare on SktA. Anyway brand matters very little, it is chipset which dictates nearly pretty much all speed, features and quirks.

 

[AnAndAustin]

XP2000+ gives P4 2.2ghz perf, VERY cost effective. Don't expect it to o/c much if at all, like XP2100+ and XP2200+ it sucks for o/c'ing. If you may want to o/c go for XP1800+/XP1900+ which quite easily hit XP2000+/XP2100+ speeds and faster than the official, increased FSB & RAM speeds. Only if you o/c will you need more than standard HSF, Volcano7+ is pretty quiet and very efficient, nicely priced too. Other ones to look out for are Thermalright AX-7, Alpha PAL 8045, PAL 8942, ThermR SLK800 and Swift MCX462. Papst 26cfm at 19dB is pretty quiet but for extreme o/c'ing 35cfm+ is best. Here's some great cooler links:

Dan SktA

FrostyTech reviews

Coolerguys reviews

Overclockers reviews

 

[AnAndAustin]

If you plan to game then gfx card is by far the most crucial component. GF3TI200 or Rad8500LE are excellent value for money ($90) while the GF4TI4200 cards ($130+) offer the best all-round perf, features and lastability. If you care about gaming then the gfx card is the worst place to skimp. Ideally go for a 128MB card, here's a great guide to diff card's perf on an XP2000+: TomsHW VGA Chart Also check this out: AnAnd looking at diff gfx card's perf And here's a great source outlining the benfits of 128MB over 64MB: AnAndTech 4200 roundup

 

[merlocka]

Softmodems are fine, don't believe the hype.

Everything looks good.

 

[AnAndAustin]

SW Modems are fine, and usually just as fast as hw modems rated at the same speed. However using up 5-10% of your CPU power is not good news, esp for online gaming and since the price diff is about $10 it makes very little sense to go for a sw modem. You can tell a sw modem because it has a minimum CPU req usually anything from a P133 up to a P333. To be guarantedd a hw modem you can get an external modem but they cost a fair bit extra and really aren't worth it.

 

[merlocka]

However using up 5-10% of your CPU power is not good news,

Any links showing that a soft modem will use 5-10% of CPU on an Athlon XP 2000+?

 

[AnAndAustin]

I'm afraid I only keep links to the most critical system components, and god knows that gets big enough.

I have read plenty of links regarding sw modems and much like the cheap LAN/NIC cards they can use 5-10% of the CPU. I'm sure if you search around the review sites and the net in general you won't find it too hard to find out. I'm not saying sw modems are bad and you have to have a hw modem, but considering the price diffs it makes little sense unless you are 100% sure you won't be multi-tasking or playing games online.

 

[Markfw]

The only point I can really respond to is the HSF. All I can say is that my retail HSF on my 2000 runs cooler than the Xp1800+ retail HSF in the same motherboard with an OPEN desktop case. You can get a better one if you want though, it may run even cooler. I get 50c under full load.

 

[Jace]

Athlons and Durons have 5 DSP functions built-in which makes using a soft modem less of a concern, other programs won't use them much anyway while you're surfing (maybe if you game online in Dolby Digital Surround ) so you might as well let a modem use them.

"5 DSP instructions to improve soft modem, soft ADSL, Dolby Digital surround sound, and MP3 applications"

Athlon Features (about half-way down)

Here's a modem which is specifically tuned for CPU's that have such DSP functions:

Ambient/Intel v.90 56k PCI - $17.00

 

[AnAndAustin]

Thanks for the info Jace. With the speed of modern CPUs and there abilities I suppose it is of little concern whether the modem is sw or hw. I'd still go for hw myself, but it isn't really a big point and I doubt anybody other than the mostardent and critical online gamer will notice any diff at all. Perhaps it is the older CPUs which were sapped by the sw modems so much, I truly can't remember, IIRC I had a K6-II 450 at the time and decided to upgrade my modem to a hw 56k from a 14k, now that is a fair while ago LOL!