New Gaming System

[TheHammer]

I've been doing a lot of reasearch on this forum and elsewhere towards assembling a new comp, anyway, here are the specs I came up with:

ASUS A8R-MVP Socket 939 ATI Radeon XPRESS 200 CrossFire ATX AMD CrossFire Motherboard - Retail $95.99
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Manchester 2000MHz HT 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Dual Core Processor - Retail $297.00
SAPPHIRE 100155 Radeon X1800GTO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM $199.00
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM $89.99
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail $149.99
SAMSUNG Beige 16X DVD-ROM 52X CD-R 32X CD-RW 52X CD-ROM 2M Cache IDE Combo Drive - OEM $24.99
SCEPTRE X7g-Naga V Black 17" 8ms LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 500:1 - Retail $169.99
ALTEC LANSING VS2220 5 Watts RMS(Front Speakers: 2.5 Watts/channel @ 4 ohms @10% THD @ 20 Hz - 20 KHz 2 Channels Loaded) 2.0 Speaker - Retail $26.99
Saitek PZ30AU Black 104 Normal Keys 4 Function Keys USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail $46.95
LINKSYS WMP54GX IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless-G Adapter with SRX up to 108Mbps Data Rates WPA, WPA2, 64/128bit WEP, and 802.1x - Retail $99.99
Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2 With Multilingual Single Pack - OEM $152.95
Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply 115/230 V TUV, UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC - Retail $68.99
Sunbeam Samurai IC-SA-BA Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $53.99

So I'm posting this here to confirm that all my parts are compatable, and have a final review from others. Also, how do people think the AM2's will be? Should I wait for them to come out before buying? On a final note, I have a budget of $1500 without shipping or tax, but including things such as moniter, keyboard, operating system, etc.

 

[drn00bslayer]

everything looks ok; but while i considerate myself tech literate i am my no means a pro. AM2 will not bring a performance increase at first. It is just a socket change. performance will increase when amd shifts to 65 nm

 

[TheHammer]

65 nm, whats that? Is that the quad core thing?

 

[drn00bslayer]

65 nm denotes the smaller manufacturing process. it allows for more energy efficient operation. It does enable builders to make 4 cores into one CPU (duh, it need to be smaller to fit more stuff into the same volume)

 

[Suffix]

Rather than buy xp pro w/sp2, get xp pro 64 bit edition, so you can use the other half of your processor, there the same price

 

[drn00bslayer]

Rather than buy xp pro w/sp2, get xp pro 64 bit edition, so you can use the other half of your processor, there the same price

huh? how does XP pro not fully use the proc. As long as you dont need more than 4 GB Ram 64bit does not make a big difference, although 64 is nice

 

[TheHammer]

I'm a little hesitant to get it though, because from what I hear, certain applications won't function on the 64 bit version properly, is this really that big of a deal?

 

[GherkinPekul]

Not to mention all the fun you will be having with limited 64 bit drivers for your stuff. Yeah, that's good times.
Stick with xp pro, wait for them to get the bugs out of Vista in a year or 2, then go 64 bit. That's my 2 rubles.

 

[Suffix]

So why spend the money on a 64 bit processor right now? Get a real good Athlon 32bit.

 

[TheHammer]

Because then i'd have to buy a socket a motherboard, which would cause me to down grade all my other things so thehy don't bottle neck and not really giving me the performance i want. This way, I have a good gaming PC for at least a yer, then when all the games up their features, I upgrade my mobo and processor.

Edit: I've deciceded to instead go with single core processor, as I don't really need dual core, I chose this model:
AMD Opteron 146 Venus 1000MHz HT 1MB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor - Retail
What do you think? Is this fine, or is it better to stick with dual core?

 

[GherkinPekul]

Whether you go dual core now or later all depends on how soon you want to upgrade again. If you want to get AM2 in the near future, you might want an even cheaper cpu. Just make sure you get a socket 939 version of the Opty if you go that route, they also make it in 940.

Regarding all the fuss with Suffix, 64 bit processors run 32 bit xp very well. The main issue with XP64 is drivers. Look at the forums. Search online for 64 bit drivers for all the hardware you want. I've heard many horror stories, that's all.

 

[Suffix]

Yes, I know that a 64 bit processor will work with 32 bit apps, I also knew there were tons of conflicts being reported. I didnt mean it as criticizing him on his choice more as a question that I wanted to know the answer too myself and maybe bring it to his attention in the process. Im also planning to do a new build pre-vista and I couldnt decide whether I should even spring for a 64 bit processor yet because even when vista comes out I wont be able to afford it. Theres no processors that arnt 64bit that fit in the newer motherboards so you can still have all the advanced features?

EDIT

This way, I have a good gaming PC for at least a yer, then when all the games up their features, I upgrade my mobo and processor.

socket 775

From what I see of socket 775 boards, if your planning on upgrading your processor and mobo anyway in a year, you can still get all the nice features, sli, ddr2, sata, raid, HT, 1000+ fsb for <$300 for processor and mobo. I may be wrong on all this but It just seems to make since to me to go 32 bit if your planning on not using it yet, and then upgrading anyway in a year.

 

[jaguarskx]

So why spend the money on a 64 bit processor right now? Get a real good Athlon 32bit.

Sorry, but this is the most IDIOTIC advice that I've read in since joining this forum on 4/18/06. Going for a pure 32-bit CPU these days is good if you are into retro, or simply want to do a slight upgrade of an older machine. But all of the current 32-bit/64-bit hybrid CPUs will do just nicely and perform much better.

It also not the cheapest way to build a PC. While going the Sempron route will be cheaper, getting an Athlon XP can be more expensive than simply buying an Athlon 64 3000+. The Athlon XP is being sold for $140 OEM, and at retail for at least $250, while the Athlon 64 3000+ go for a mere $114 - $120.

 

[waylander]

I didnt mean it as criticizing him on his choice more as a question that I wanted to know the answer too myself and maybe bring it to his attention in the process. Im also planning to do a new build pre-vista and I couldnt decide whether I should even spring for a 64 bit processor yet because even when vista comes out I wont be able to afford it. Theres no processors that arnt 64bit that fit in the newer motherboards so you can still have all the advanced features?

I'm sorry but I have to agree with some others, if you want to ask an additional question that is fine but please don't make statements as if giving advise.

As to conflicts between the AMD 64 products and 32 bit applications... wtf? I have never heard any of these, how can the processor have conflicts with an application? A 64 bit OS can have conflicts with 32 bit applications but the processor?

 

[Onus]

The build looks good, except for the speakers. Instead of 2.0, go for 2.1. The improvement in sound quality just by adding a subwoofer is incredible. Even someone who is deaf in one ear (as I am) really notices the difference.

Although you can get a cheaper/faster single-core CPU for individual programs, you'll quickly get annoyed when your games get jerky from time to time as your PC does something else. Getting a 3800+ X2 was probably the most satisfying upgrade I've made in a long time.

You'll have plenty left over in your budget. Other things you may want to add:
round drive cables, additional case fans, a UPS or at least a good surge protector, blank CD-R or CD-R/W media, a nice rodent (I like my Logitech G5), mouse pad, microphone and/or headset; all the "little" stuff people forget.

 

[TheHammer]

I alreeady have blank CDs a mouse, and mouse pad, also, I have no need for a microphone.

Anyway, I was looking into intel lately, specifically Conroe, and the new pentium D that can be overclocked to 4.1 ghz. This got me thinking to wait till June 6th when Conroe compatible mobo's come out and buy one of those and the pentium D 805. It seemed more future proof and cost affective to me. Is this a good idea?