suggestions for a new gaming rig... (overclocking?)

[jtgameover]

i have been reading up on overclocking ... initially i was very scared, but it seems it can be relatively painless if done with careful thought and patience. i am willing to try it.

that said, i already have G.SKILL Extreme Series 2x1GB PC4000 3-4-4-8 and a creative X-Fi sound card. I am planning on ordering an ATI x1900XTX.

after shopping around on newegg, it seems like the AMD opteron 165 is a great processor for no-fuss overclocking, and it is reliable and stable. i was considering the AMD X2 4400+, but i think i am willing to try overcloking an opteron 165 (not to mention it's alot chepaer!).

i am still confused as to whether there is a bottleneck between the G.SKILL ram and the opteron 165.. what is the "real FSB" of a dual-core? the HT is 1Ghz, and from what i've read that translates to a "real fsb" of 500 mhz, but that doesn't sound right. i am guessing i could overclock the opteron 165 to an fsb of 250 mhz, so that i can use the full potential of the G.SKILL ram...?

what motherboard would play well with this system? i don't care for SLi, but i would like a quality motherboard that lets me do some basic overclocking. I looked into the LanParty UT nF4 Ultra but it seems like they're not for a first-time builder like myself, and they offer way too many options for a first-time overclocker. i am hoping for something less than $150, but will consider others if they're worth it.

also, i'll have to eventually close this all off with a case and a power supply. suggestions? also, would two 120mm fan cooling be enough? i would like a system that is relatively quiet. again, willing to spend money if it's really worth it.

thanks for the help, i am excited about a system other than my current dell inspiron 8500 that cries when i play any game.

 

[shadowduck]

i have been reading up on overclocking ... initially i was very scared, but it seems it can be relatively painless if done with careful thought and patience. i am willing to try it.

that said, i already have G.SKILL Extreme Series 2x1GB PC4000 3-4-4-8 and a creative X-Fi sound card. I am planning on ordering an ATI x1900XTX.

after shopping around on newegg, it seems like the AMD opteron 165 is a great processor for no-fuss overclocking, and it is reliable and stable. i was considering the AMD X2 4400+, but i think i am willing to try overcloking an opteron 165 (not to mention it's alot chepaer!).

i am still confused as to whether there is a bottleneck between the G.SKILL ram and the opteron 165.. what is the "real FSB" of a dual-core? the HT is 1Ghz, and from what i've read that translates to a "real fsb" of 500 mhz, but that doesn't sound right. i am guessing i could overclock the opteron 165 to an fsb of 250 mhz, so that i can use the full potential of the G.SKILL ram...?

what motherboard would play well with this system? i don't care for SLi, but i would like a quality motherboard that lets me do some basic overclocking. I looked into the LanParty UT nF4 Ultra but it seems like they're not for a first-time builder like myself, and they offer way too many options for a first-time overclocker. i am hoping for something less than $150, but will consider others if they're worth it.

also, i'll have to eventually close this all off with a case and a power supply. suggestions? also, would two 120mm fan cooling be enough? i would like a system that is relatively quiet. again, willing to spend money if it's really worth it.

thanks for the help, i am excited about a system other than my current dell inspiron 8500 that cries when i play any game.

AMD systems don't have a front side bus. The memory controller in intregrated onto the CPU itself. The RAM runs at the speed listed. The RAM you have is just fine.

As for the CPU, the Opteron 165 is a great choice for CPU if you are going to overclock. Pair that with a DFI LanParty Ultra D motherboard ($122) and you got a nice system for overclocking. As for the video card, don't buy the 1900XTX. It is not worth it. Get the XT and overclock it easily to XTX levels. (Which is only a few FPS increase anyway).

If the Lanparty boards seem a bit much for you go with the Asus A8N-E for $93. It is easier to manage, but as noted above the Lanparty boards will overclock better.

For case: Antec P180 and Antec Truepower II 550W for the PSU. It is a SWEET combo.

 

[jtgameover]

so there is no bottleneck between my DDR500 2GB memory and an opteron 165? i was under the impression that all cpu's needed to be overclocked to 250 FSB to take advantage of the DDR500 speed...

what is the learning curve / manageability for a lanparty? i've been reading about them, and while they seem like really good overclockers, they come with few instructions and have some compatibility issues, i.e. "picky about memory". i am willing to learn, but this is my first-time rig and first-time overclocking, and i would hate to kill my system because of too many settings available in lanparty and not knowing which ones to change.

 

[shadowduck]

so there is no bottleneck between my DDR500 2GB memory and an opteron 165? i was under the impression that all cpu's needed to be overclocked to 250 FSB to take advantage of the DDR500 speed...

what is the learning curve / manageability for a lanparty? i've been reading about them, and while they seem like really good overclockers, they come with few instructions and have some compatibility issues, i.e. "picky about memory". i am willing to learn, but this is my first-time rig and first-time overclocking, and i would hate to kill my system because of too many settings available in lanparty and not knowing which ones to change.

Its steep, and you have to poke around on forums if you don't understand the limited instructions. You might be better off going with the A8N-E.