Opinions on possible complete new build

[TurdBurglar]

I just wanted to check and see what your opinions are of a possible new build. The most intensive use will be gaming. Other uses will likely not entertain more than 10-15% of system resources (e.g. internet, work, etc.) I'm trying to stay around (less is better) $1500. I appreciate any input.

Motherboard
Asus A8N5X Nvidia nForce 4 MB: $101.00

CPU
AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego: $223.00

RAM
2 gb Corsair Value Select: $184.00

Video Card
MSI Geforce 7800gt: $286.00

Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live!: $35.00

Power Supply/Case
Antec Lifestyle Sonata II w/ 450W PSU: $120.00

Optical Drive
NEC DVD Burner: $44.00

Hard Drive Seagate
160gb HDD w/ 8mb cache: $40.00

Speakers
Logitech X-530: $60.00

Monitor
Viewsonic VX924 6ms 19" LCD 550:1 contrast: $365.00

Mouse
Logitech MX-518: $44.00

Keyboard
Logitech Black Wired Keyboard: $14.00

Total $1,516.00

 

[FreshMeat]

It all looks pretty good. If I were building a new rig for myself right now I would go with an Athlon 64 X2 series. But that would go beyond your current budget limit. The only change that I would make would be your memory.

Try CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR with 2-3-3-6 timing. They are going for $209 with the rebate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145574

 

[TurdBurglar]

I thought about the X2 series but I didn't think my usage jusified the price they are selling for. Do you really think it is worth the extra $24 to go from CAS3 to CAS2? I have run both CAS2.5 and CAS2 in the past and been unable to tell any difference. I suppose there is some value in the overclocking potential of the XMS as well. Anything else I'm missing?

 

[FreshMeat]

It's worth it in my opinion. You would be going from cas3 to cas2 and would have much better overclocking ability. There is a difference in FPS using cas2 over cas3 and you would also see lower times when you are encoding/decoding movies or mp3's.

 

[cp]

On the Antec Sonata II case, I have it too -- just a couple of things to be aware of:

1) The black painted finish looks great, but scratches very easily putting normal items like cd cases, game controllers, etc. on it.

2) I'll probably never buy a case again that has a door on it. Every time you want to put a CD in or turn if off or on, you have to open the door.

Similarly with the door that covers the front audio/USB ports, that door hasn't been shut ever.

3) This case does not have the motherboard drawer that some others do. Nice to have when installing a motherboard only (probably something you'll do at most twice for the life of the case) so not really an issue.

These are minor things -- just FYI.

 

[TurdBurglar]

Thanks for the heads up on the Sonata II. I set stuff on my computer all the time. I didn't know it was that fragile. That could be a problem. I've never had a motherboard tray in a case, so I really don't know how much of a benefit that would be. I've never really had a problem before. As for the door, do you know of any nice-looking cases without doors? Most I've seen without doors in this price range, with a nice power supply, are pretty ugly or really cheap looking.

 

[FreshMeat]

The Sonata is hard to beat for the money - it is well built and comes with a quality psu. I personally don't mind the door - it makes it look cleaner and I am not always putting cd/dvd into the drive.

If you want to spend a little more, you can get the Antec P180 - which has a door, but the door swings all the way open (flush). But then you would have to purchase a psu as well.

 

[TurdBurglar]

Also, would it be worth it to invest in an aftermarket CPU cooler/heatsink or is the stock Athlon 64 cooler sufficient, even with mild overclocking? I think the Sonata comes with one 120mm fan. It doesn't look like it has any other fan slots. I have always found that I need one good intake fan and one good exhaust fan. What are my options with this case and does it even need more cooling than just the one fan?