Please help on first home build in a long time b4 i buy...

[LabsRule]

First, let me just say that the info i've read on this forum far exceeds any research i've been able to amass on other sites...so thank you!
Second, I'm looking for advice on building this system to use it as a home pc with some gaming (mainly WoW), an mp3 repository, and general home office stuff. I'm not planning on overclocking and I'm hoping this will last me for at least 3 to 4 years. My goal is to stay around the $1500 range, which i believe i am after all the mail-in rebates. Please follow the link to my list

newegg list

Couple questions. Is the Opteron series better than the 64 x2? Should i go with a lower video card and get two of them? Am i missing anything for the build when i get all these parts delivered? Extra cooling?

Thanks for you input!

 

[Heyyou27]

Get an X1800XT over the 7900GT unless you plan on using SLI.

 

[pyrix]

The opterons are faster and better, however, also more expensive - in other words, get one if you can afford it, however, a 3800+ X2 is more than fast enough.

Why not give the 920 a go? I have an 820, and it goes ZOOOM - however, the 920 is a little cheaper than the 3800+ and performs on about the same level - the 820 being a little bit below both the 3800+ X2 and the 920.

As for going SLI/Crossfire - there isnt a lot of point when your only driving one display, and at 1280x1024 at that. a 7900GT or whatever you showed is more than fast enough, and if you get multiple displays in the future, grab an SLI board, and stick in another one. That simple really - SLI boards are now cheap - like $130AUD (dont know, dont care what that is in USD). Have fun now.

 

[LabsRule]

Thanks for the responses so far. Is it worth swapping the 7900GT for a slower card and going with the 64 x2 4400 instead for the higher cache? What about extra cooling? Is the heatsink/fan that comes with the CPU good enough or spring for something more?

Thanks!

 

[pyrix]

Not really worth going 4400+ - from what i hear of the 3800, they can overclock fairly impressivly on air, and any perforance gains you get from the higher cache will most likely be balanced out by a lower level graphics card.