Build new AMD computer, help and recommendations please

Chenmaster

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2006
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Wow, this is so awsome my favorite computer site has forums now! (or maybe they were here but I just found them...)

Anyway, I'm building a new computer for myself. I've built computers in the past but most of them were economical and not really for performance so I have a few specific questions on selecting parts for performance and stability. These questions may seem really stupid so please bare with me. Answer as few or as many as you like.

1. How important is the motherboard? In the past I just bought the cheapest one with the right slots and bus speeds. I never learned the importance of the chipsets. I want one with PCI-E.

2. What is the difference between the socket 754 and socket 939. I know 939 costs more but would, say a socket 754 Athlon 3200+ perform worst than a socket 939 Althon 3200+? Also what is the significance of the cores like between Winchester, Clawhammer, etc?

3. I don't know much about RAM either. How much extra performance do you get with Dual Channel, unbuffered vs registered, ECC vs non? Is it worth the cost? I was thinking 2x512MB dual channel Corsair.

4. The only gaming I will do is Age of Empires III. I'm not too into the graphic details but would like it on 1280X1024 resolution for my LCD. Any recommendations? I was thinking the PCI-E Radeon X700 Pro or X800 Pro both with 256MB memory.

5. I want this computer to be stable and I hear temperature and power are really important here. How much should I spend on a power supply? I was thinking a Ultra's 500 Watt power supply.

6. For temperature control, I was thinking about liquid cooling. I have installed one before and really liked the Thermaltake Bigwater. I don't know if this is neccessary but I do want my computer to be on at all times doing the Protien folding thing (this is where I donate my computer's processing power to research) so this computer will not ever be idle. Would a normal CPU fan suffice?

7. Should I look into SATA or RAID? I don't know if I will need the benefits of faster hard drive access. What applications would benefit from this? Is it worth it?

8. Lastly, I want the computer to be quiet since it will be in my room and will be on all the time. I plan on getting a Seagate and maybe even a HD silencer. The power supply, radiator (if I go liquid cooling) and graphics would be the only other noises. Should I look into fanless hardware? I think I wouldn't mind 120mm fans.

I know I asked a lot of questions. You're help is greatly appreciated.
 

pat

Expert
I agree. That's too much question and most, if not all has been answered/explained/covered in other posts.. I suggest to have a good reading at all the subsection of this forum. You don't have to post question to have answers.. You can read other's question and find answers to your own question and maybe some more valuable information.