Advice needed for a newbie...

[Guest]

hi all,
i am very new in this scene and i've never built a pc.
i'm getting a kit of the following configuration,

Amd thunderbird 1.2
Asus A7A266 2DDR/3SDR
kingston 256mb pc133
Ibm 40GB 2mb 7200 ATA
Creative live D.E 5.1
Creative DTT2200 speakers
Hercules 3D ProphetII GTS 32 DDR/Dvi/out
D-Link 10/100
52x Sony cdrom

Any comments with this config, i'm worrying about getting a compatibility problem.
Should i get a Elsa Gladiac GTS Pro 32mb DDR instead?
Do i need to join the DDR Bandwagon or just stick to the 133 based boards?
Is a Geforce II mx card good enough?

Thanx,
Chin

 

[chaotictech]

I think you will be very happy with that setup.
I'm running a simaler setup and i have no problems.
Although I've heard o outer ppl haveing problems with the platnum 5.1 and k7t type mobo's.
I would check to see if anyone has this type of problem with the mobo your getting.
I have
1.2ghz t-bird
msi k7t pro2-a
320 mb pny platnum pc133 cl 2
visiontek geforce 2 gts
8x dvd
8x4x32 cdrw
50x cdrom
hsp56k modem
linksys etherfast lan
in a 2 1/2 foot server case with 6 casefans
just remember to get a good heatsink and lots of casefans.

 

[Butch2112]

Looks alot better than the first one I built. I think mine had vacume tubes in it. The only thing I would stress is have a good ground strap and lots of fans. The cooler the better. Good luck.

 

[Guest]

What's a ground strap? Knowing this would answer my follow-up questions.... Thanks in advance.

A nice day to all.

 

[Zitch]

He's talking about a strap (either made of metal or has a wire in it) that connects your wrist (or other parts of your body) to the case of the system you're working on. It's used to immediatly discharge any static that build up on you onto the case, seriously minimizing the chances of damaging any components from static discharge. You probably could get one inexpensively at any computer store (I think. I never used one myself).

In any case, I find that if you're just building one system, just touching the power supply before handling any components should be good enough. Personally, I've never damaged anything from static discharge. (Now, from dropping a screwdriver into an open desktop case while the system is on... That's a different story...) Just take your time and you should have no problems (Hardware wise...)

Good luck,
Zitch

 

[SerArthurDayne]

I would suggest the 486 DX2. Man, talk about power!

Can you believe I found one of those babies in a dumpster? Some people just don't appreciate the brute strength of those things.

As to the vid card, I think I'd go with the Elsa

 

[tlaughrey]

I don't think you'll notice much difference between the Hercules and the Elsa board, so I'd just stick with Hercules. I have a 1.2 GHz T'bird and a Hercules 3D Prophet II and haven't had any problems.