CPU Specs and questions

[Solomon977]

Planning on buying a new computer and on a relatively tight budget so I can't go all out. Just trying to get the most bang for my buck. Let me know If you'd change anything or what you'd do.

<b>Motherboard:</b> Asus AMD A7N8x-DX nForce2-ST, AGP8x, A133, S-ATA, i1394,Dual-DDR400, Audio,Dual-Lan, 6USB2 $183

<b>CPU:</b> AMD XP 2.4Ghz Thoroughbred $155

<b>Graphics Card:</b> ATI Radeon 9500 Pro $280

<b>RAM:</b> 512MB 512M DDR-PC3200 Samsung 400Mhz $210 (two)

<b>Hard Drive:</b> Maxtor ATA133 7200rpm 120GB $185

I'll be bringing my 10x DVD-ROM and my Sony 10x CD burner from my old machine as well as my D-Link 10/100 NIC and my Soundblaster PCI512 sound card. They shouldn't hinder the CPU's performance too much.

Questions:
1. I'm not too sure what to look for in a case besides power supplies and bays. Is there much difference between brands and is it worth spending alot on? This is for a home PC.

2. Is there a big difference between the 333Mhz and 400Mhz DDR RAM? And is there any brand that stands out from the rest?

3. Would it be worth spending the extra dough to get the Radeon 9700 (not Pro) instead of the 9500 Pro?

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Prof133]

I'll be bringing my 10x DVD-ROM and my Sony 10x CD burner from my old machine as well as my D-Link 10/100 NIC and my Soundblaster PCI512 sound card.

Won't need the NIC or the soundblaster sound card if you choose A7N8x deluxe. a7n8x Deluxe contains not one but two LANs. And the nForce2 audio is better than your current sound card.

And is there any brand that stands out from the rest?

Corsair XMS lineup is top notch. And Great troubleshooting help available at <A HREF="http://www.houseofhelp.com/v2/" target="_new">HouseOfHelp</A> in case you run into a problem with memory.

 

[Gherkin]

"3. Would it be worth spending the extra dough to get the Radeon 9700 (not Pro) instead of the 9500 Pro?"

ATI OEM RADEON 9700 ATLANTIS 128MB $245 at newegg.

that's less than your 9500 pro...

 

[Gherkin]

Prof, should I get (2x)Kingston 512 MB PC3200 or (2x)Corsair 512 MB XMS PC2700 in my new computer?

 

[Prof133]

Among the two listed, I would get the Corsair XMS. High quality and great troubleshooting help available at <A HREF="http://www.houseofhelp.com/v2/" target="_new">HouseOfHelp</A>. I don't have much info on the said kingston modules and I don't know of any HouseOfHelp equivalent for Kingston modules. If possible I would get two 512MB XMS PC3200 CAS2 memory modules for any possible overclocking or for a bit better use with a future motherboard. Just go into the motherboard's bios and set the memory speed to be in sync with the FSB - results in best performance.

 

[Solomon977]

Thanks for the insight Prof. Only problem Gherkin is that I live in Canada where things are twice as much. Those prices I mentioned are Canadian prices. I'm going to shop around to see what's the best price out there. Just more or less wanted to know if the components i'm looking at are of good value.

 

[coolsquirtle]

1. where are u getting these prices??

2. i'd recommand the sontana if u want ur computer to look pretty but it isn't that cheap.......... on u could go lanboy which is kinda small but enough
if those two don't fit u the Enermax CPCS3051LN is what i have with my second computer and it's real nice/cheap

3. i thought u were under a budget lol... getting these part is not called under a tight budget lol building a computer for my friend using $500 for gaming is tight budget lol

4. since u are under a "tight budget" corsair costs too much for u i'd recommand kingston HyperX or OCZ dual channel series much cheaper the Corsair

5. i recommand the special edition WD drive instead of maxtors

 

[Prof133]

* <A HREF="http://www.nforcershq.com" target="_new">nForcersHQ</A> is a good resource for nForce2 motheboard users.

* <A HREF="http://www.rage3d.com" target="_new">Rage3D</A> is a good resource for ATi Graphics Card users.

 

[Solomon977]

I said a relatively tight budget. I'd like to keep it under $1500. Don't want to go out and spend $3000 again on a computer. I'm getting these prices from a Vancouver based company. <A HREF="http://www.atic.ca" target="_new">http://www.atic.ca</A>

 

[phsstpok]

1. I'm not too sure what to look for in a case besides power supplies and bays. Is there much difference between brands and is it worth spending alot on? This is for a home PC.

I haven't purchased a new case in a long time but these are the features that I will be looking for in my next case, pretty much in order of priority for me.

- removable motherboard tray.
- front USB 2.0 ports (I don't need firewire)
- provision for larger (92 mm or 120 mm) case fans for quieter operation. Dust filters.
- screwless case
- screwless drive rails
- fascia/bezel that doesn't restrict airflow.
- aluminum case.

I haven't seen any cases with all of these features yet but I keep hoping.


<b>56K, slow and steady does not win the race on internet!</b>

 

[Spitfire_x86]

For mobo, buy MSI K7N2 Delta-ILSR instead of ASUS A7N8X Deluxe. It's faster and better.

It's worth to spend more for a R9700 (non-Pro)

DON'T buy Samsung PC3200 DDR. They are CL3.0 DDR and hurt performance badly. Get Corsair XMS PC3200 CL2.0 DDR. They're expensive but also the best.

DDR400 is required if you overclock, or plan to upgrade to a 400 MHz FSB AXP, or plan to use these memory modules in your future system (if you buy/upgrade within 18 months). Othewise grab some PC2700 CL2.5 (Kingston, Crucial) and run them @ PC2100 CL2.0 (sync with FSB) for the best performance. Always run your memory sync. with FSB and most aggressive memory timings for the best performance

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