First build

[mjk]

Just ordered the parts for my first pc build, now I'm having second thoughts on processor. This will be a multitasking machine and not used for gaming. However, I would like lots of headroom and an efficient machine. That's why not to sure on a 125w cpu. What would the intel equivalent or better be for an amd Athlon 64 x2 6000+? Also will a Rosewill RP500-2 500w be enough for the amd? I'll have to admit, went off half cocked on this, mainly because my current oem pc is giving me a bunch of grief. Any input would be appreciated. Pretty much set on the case, video card, hdd, and cd/dvd drive. Just second guessing processor/mobo, ram and psu.

 

[br3nd064]

The E8400 runs at the same frequency, but offers better performance and is more efficient. Since you're going to be multitasking and not gaming, though, you might want to look through the different quad core CPUs.

What motherboard and video card are you using/looking at?

 

[angry_ducky]

Drop the Rosewill PSU; Rosewill is not known for the quality of their PSUs. If you post the complete specs of this machine, we'll be better able to help you decide.

 

[mjk]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131013
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130084
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098&Tpk=n82e16820231098
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103773&Tpk=n82e16819103773
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182016&Tpk=n82e16817182016
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112154&Tpk=n82e16811112154

This stuff has already shipped.

 

[Onus]

A few Rosewill PSUs have received passing scores from excellent review sites like Jonnyguru.com, however the brand as a whole is on the "Do not buy" tier-5 of the old list at http://www.tomswiki.com/page/Tiered+PSU+Listings?t=anon.
There are almost always some good deals on one or another of the Antec PSUs at www.newegg.com. They've had some good OCZ deals lately too.

 

[J-Rod]

If the MB has already shipped, you will not be able to go from an amd to intel.
That motherboard is an am2 slot

 

[mjk]

Yes, I know. I'm trying to decide if its worth it to send back the cpu/mb and maybe the psu. I screwed myself once again. That's what I get for not doing my typical research.

 

[mjk]

Well, it went smoothly and nothing fried yet. Thinking about building another one.

 

[Onus]

Assuming this is not a gaming box, and won't be overclocked, I think you will be satisfied with the performance on it. Based on some assumptions about fans and number of hard drives, I get a wattage requirement of 321W at http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp. This is 64% of your PSU's claimed maximum, right around the area where many cheap PSUs might be inclined to croak, HOWEVER, this unit was in fact reviewed at jonnyguru.com and they were pleasantly surprised by it:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=32
It is not efficient (<70%), so it needs ventilation, but the voltage and ripple were good, and they had it up to a 509W load.

 

[mjk]

Yes, non gaming and no oc at this point. Did see the review on the PSU after the purchase, so that eased my trepidation a little. Three 120mm case fans seems to keep it plenty cool. To my surprise, the Rosewill did in fact come with all wires wrapped in mesh. If memory serves me, the review said just the 24 pin power was wrapped. That's cool that the manufacturers are listening. I will most likely not be buying an oem pc again. Now I have a general idea what to look for when building the next one. Pretty sure the video card is overkill for a non gamer, but it was fairly cheap with a mir. So far, it seems to be way better than the dell 8400 it replaced, at a fraction of the cost 3-4 years ago.