Checking compatibility on first build. Suggestions?

[Petrucci_M3]

Hey there

I was looking to see if my first build is compatible and if there is something you guys would suggest to change or add, any input is appreciated. Thanks again guys.



Case: Thermaltake XASER, Armor Series $0

PSU: PC Power & Cooling 510 SLI-PFC ATX12V 510W Power Supply $219.99

Mobo: ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 ATX AMD Motherboard $229.00

CPU: AMD Opteron 175 Denmark 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model $520.00

HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $115.00

RAM: CORSAIR XMS 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered $122.00

Pri Optical: SONY Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model $22.00

Sec Optical: NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model $39.99

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS GAMER Limited Edition 8 (7.1) Channels PCI $113.50

Video Card: XFX PVT70FUND7 Geforce 7800GTX 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 $525.00

FDD: SAMSUNG Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive $7.25

Monitor: DELL UltraSharp 2005FPW 20.1-inch Wide Aspect Flat Panel LCD Monitor $492.15

OS: Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 - OEM $87.95



Total $ 2493.30 + shipping

 

[pickxx]

PSU: PC Power & Cooling 510 SLI-PFC ATX12V 510W Power Supply $219.99

$219? Why not get a 500W FSP or Enermax and save about $170?? WHOA!!

Mobo: ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 ATX AMD Motherboard $229.00

not a bad motherboard....what do you want to do? IF you want to OC there are better boards but this isn't bad. (i dont like asus)

CPU: AMD Opteron 175 Denmark 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model $520.00

Why this one? If you are going to OC you could just get the 170 and save $100....if you are going to go with stock settings it a good choice.

HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $115.00

you dont really need a SATA2 drive, but its atleast a good drive. Personally i like Seagate a little more, but WD is a close 2nd to me. With all this speedfor your computer and it seems like you have the money maybe a RAID-0 would be nice for you....that way NOTHING ever lags.

RAM: CORSAIR XMS 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered $122.00

If you're not OC good choice...if yuo are i prefer other RAM dimms but this is great stock and alright for OCing

Pri Optical: SONY Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model $22.00

who cares?

Sec Optical: NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model $39.99

NEC makes good burners....

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS GAMER Limited Edition 8 (7.1) Channels PCI $113.50

If you have to have a sound card get an X-fi one. They have good ones for you and they have some added features that you might like.

Video Card: XFX PVT70FUND7 Geforce 7800GTX 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 $525.00

Great card, i like BFG as my #1 brand but XFX is a nice second.

FDD: SAMSUNG Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive $7.25

Who cares?

Monitor: DELL UltraSharp 2005FPW 20.1-inch Wide Aspect Flat Panel LCD Monitor $492.15

Great monitor...a lof of people love these. Maybe looking into a 2405 if you have the money for it.

OS: Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 - OEM $87.95

Sure...it works.

Total $ 2493.30 + shipping

I can get your cost down by atleast $500 but more like $800+ and your performance up at the same time if you want to OC. You just have to buy a nice HSF, Fan, and a couple different part selections.

Overall you have a grea system picked out. You are just spending to much money sometimes....ESPECIALLY on the PSU. 219 is outragious...its a quality PSU, dont get me wrong....its GREAT!!! but its not $219.99 great.

 

[TheAces]

PSU: PC Power & Cooling 510 SLI-PFC ATX12V 510W Power Supply $219.99

$219? Why not get a 500W FSP or Enermax and save about $170?? WHOA!!


wow save $170 on a $220 PSU? where can i get a 500 Watt PSU for $50?
sorry, had to be sarcastic there, but seriously, that looks like a nice system.
And strangely enough i prefer WD to Seagate. hehe.

 

[pickxx]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104954

Alright its only 450 for $49.99....and its a great brand and has a great 12v rail....but there are some options he could use that dont need to be $220

 

[TheAces]

wow, good price, unfortunetly i live in Aus and that is an american price

 

[pickxx]

Yes, why would i list a price in AUS $'s? I assume everyone is from the US unless there profile or they say differntly.

2ndly everything going to AUS is going to be more money....

 

[Petrucci_M3]

PSU: PC Power & Cooling 510 SLI-PFC ATX12V 510W Power Supply $219.99

$219? Why not get a 500W FSP or Enermax and save about $170?? WHOA!!


wow save $170 on a $220 PSU? where can i get a 500 Watt PSU for $50?
sorry, had to be sarcastic there, but seriously, that looks like a nice system.
And strangely enough i prefer WD to Seagate. hehe.

You'd think so, I just want to be safe with the PSU. Im already shelling out a pocket here, don't want to fry something and feel bad.

 

[pickxx]

If you want to have some overkill so you KNOW FOR SURE you have enough power...i can find you some options that are 500W and not even close to $220

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104968
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103512
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104934
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104982
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104973


All should be plenty for you if you OC your CPU, RAM, GPU, and have HDD's and 2optical drives and have case fans ans have case lgihts and have all yuro PCI slots filled.....

You dont want to skimp on PSU's.....but all listed above are VERY good for you. THere are more but they are more expensive and frnakly too much overkill to mention.

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[Petrucci_M3]

The only problem with this Asus mobo is that there are a few bugs that need to be fixed. The reason why I'm getting this PSU is because there are a lot of PSU out there that aren't working with this board. As take from the Asus forum:

"PSU tip: You will save yourself a lot of headache if you buy a GOOD 600W or better PSU with this motherboard. Antec 550W and below PSUs are generally NOT working with this motherboard. Weak +12V amperage ratings seem to be the cause (thanks Julio).

Here are the recommended (and known working) PSUs that forum members have had success with:

* PC Power and Cooling Turbocool 510SLI (I have tried this personally and it's brilliant, but expensive). Note, I have tested this with MY configuration (5 hard drives and a SINGLE 7800GT
) but not with two graphics cards in SLI. I assume it will work, though.
* Enermax 600W SLI model. (mentioned by a few people to work)
* Seasonic S12-600 600Watt PSU. (mentioned by MANY people to work)
* OCZ PowerStream 600W. (anandtech.com uses this PSU in their benchmarks so it has to be good, right?)"

 

[donnagual]

I'm really excited about that motherboard you are getting. It looks like a really nice board. The full power of SLI instead of only getting dual x8 you get dual x16.

I can't believe they are suggesting a 600w PSU though!! That's insane. As you are only getting one card, I just can't see you needing anywhere NEAR that much juice! Unless that 8 phase power design has something to do with it?

Man that is a sweet motherboard though. Let us know how it goes!

By the way, why the opteron CPU?

 

[Petrucci_M3]

I'm really excited about that motherboard you are getting. It looks like a really nice board. The full power of SLI instead of only getting dual x8 you get dual x16.

I can't believe they are suggesting a 600w PSU though!! That's insane. As you are only getting one card, I just can't see you needing anywhere NEAR that much juice! Unless that 8 phase power design has something to do with it?

Man that is a sweet motherboard though. Let us know how it goes!

By the way, why the opteron CPU?

I hear ya. Opteron because you can overclock it better and there are many people out there using it for gaming, which is weird for a server processor. Eh. But I'm planning on using two cards later on, hopefully two 7800GTX later on. Thats why I need the juice.

 

[pickxx]

Alright....i read what you said and now i have calmed down a little.....there are a few things i need to say....

1. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTNACES GET THAT ASUS BOARD!!! I WILL MURDER YOU IF YOU DO!

2. Dual 16x vs two 8x.....THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE IN PERFORMANCE!!

3. the reason you shouldn't get the asus board is exactly what you listed....it has BUGS, MANY BUGS, MANY MANY MANY BUGS!! why get a board you know has bugs and work around them? Get a solid board that will OC higher and has no bugs....DFI SLI board is BEAST!!!

4. You dont need SLI, new gpus are comming in Q1 of 2006....so by the time you think you want another $500 gpu you will be able to get one twice as fast for that money.

5. Seriously all the PSU's i listed are great for your setup....just dont get an ASUS board....that makes baby jesus cry.

 

[donnagual]

I must admit, I am surprised to see someone dishing that new Asus board. Sure it has a few bugs, and that is a VALID complaint about it, but to completely trash it based on that is premature IMHO.

And I think your information on it's overclocking capacity is misinformed. It is an AMAZING overclocking board (unlike the A8N-SLI series).

From anandtech:

The Asus A8N32-SLI is also a monster overclocker, reaching the highest overclock ever with our stock CPU and to 310FSB with a reduced multiplier. If you compare this performance to our other reviews of recent Asus Socket 939 boards, you may wonder if they were produced by the same company. Asus has become serious about Athlon 64, and it shows in the design, execution and performance of the A8N32-SLI Deluxe.

The A8N32-SLI is blessed with a unique and very effective design that truly works. The 8-phase design behaves gracefully under extreme loads and remains much cooler than other 3- or 4-phase designs. This yields excellent stability and headroom that we have not seen before on an Asus Socket 939 design. Asus claims that the board is up to 15°C (36°F) cooler than conventional solutions, and we saw nothing in our testing to make us doubt this claim. The board remained cool and stable under the most difficult test conditions.

In the end, we still have some reservations as to whether Dual x16 makes any difference at all in video performance. It certainly appears to improve performance greatly in the latest, greatest, and most demanding games, but we will need to dismiss other potential explanations before we become a true believer. We do not, however, have reservations about the A8N32-SLI Deluxe. This board is a definite keeper.

Take a look at the graphs:
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2589&p=12

At stock multiplier, it is the BEST overclocker of all mobos for the Athlon64 4000 cpu.

Now, the claim that dual x16 slots does not improve performance is valid. At this point in time, it only gives minimal performance gains over the conventional dual x8 sli setup, due to the current state of the PCIe video cards.

Not liking ASUS is fine. We all have our preferences. But stearing people away from buying it as if it were a second rate board is misleading.

It overclocks as good as any board, and keeps temperatures LOWER than any other. That alone is huge. I am not saying this is THE board to get. In fact, I don't think this is the board I personally would buy. But anyone putting a new gaming system together would be missing out if this board is not one of their considerations, I'd say.

 

[pickxx]

. . .

 

[donnagual]

Why buy a board you know has bugs about psu's when you could but one that has no bugs?????

Good point. It is risky. Me? I happen to like Asus. They have always been faithful to me and not caused me problems. They'll iron them out with new bios. Not everyone feels the same. Some want NO problems on first release. If that is you, then this isn't the board for you, obviously.

it costs WAY TOO DAM MUCH $200+

Agreed. Heavy price tag. One of the reasons this isn't the board I would choose at this time, as I do have limited funds like most of us do. There are better boards VALUE wise on the market. If you want state of the art, it usually costs a premium. However, I think this one's price is too high, even for the technology so we agree there.

THIS guy doesn't need SLI

I am also a believer in either buying 2 cards, or to not get an SLI board. It is a valid choice if you are going SLI right away, but it doesn't seem to make sense to me to have SLI as a future upgrade option. Again, on this point we agree.

Really the only point we don't agree, and the main reason I piped up was your comments to the effect of:

Get a solid board that will OC higher

just dont get an ASUS board

IF you want to OC there are better boards

Like I said, this probably isn't the board I would choose. But it is an excellent overclocking board and it does an amazing job of keeping temperatures down. To be able to say you can do that better than anyone is no small feet, even if it IS only by a small margin.

Telling people not to buy it because it is too expensive, or because you don't like SLI, or you think the bugs need to be worked out first is completely valid, and while I may not agree, I can understand the logic.

But to tell people not to buy it because asus is trash and this board doesn't overclock just didn't seem accurate.

More than that I just have to say.... DAMN I do like this board, and am excited about where ASUS is headed with it.

 

[pickxx]

. . .

 

[donnagual]

OK, take money out of the equation for a minute. Let's look at technology alone.

Let's look at what is the BEST on the market. Is that board the BEST? Maybe, maybe not. But is it a contender? Absolutely.

Now, take someone who wants the best, and doesn't care about money. Should they consider this board? Absolutely.

Not everyone is on a budget. Some just want the best. Period. Even if it is more expensive and only marginally better.

And your comment about Asus updating their bios more than any other company. Any links for that claim? Or is this again based on "opinion"? I have owned 3 asus boards now, and have never updated a bios once except for on the day I received the board. That's right, not ONCE in over 4 years (and 3 boards) of being an Asus board owner.

Again, I have no problems with you not liking Asus. We all have our preferences. But you seem to have a tendency to express your PREFERENCES as if they are fact. Asus is one of the top motherboard makers on the market for a reason. They make good boards.

i have never heard of a company putting out so many new BIOS's as Asus....

 

[pickxx]

. . .

 

[donnagual]

EDIT. Nah. Never mind.

This forum seems to be more focused on having an attitude rather than a commitment to posting useful FACTS for the readers. Post above is point and case.

Asus sucks? Common. You don't like Asus, fine. But Asus sucks?

Nice chattin' with ya.

The end.