YES!!!!!! IT'S FINALLY COMING!!!!

[BigBiggist]

I am finally able to purchase my new computer. After many moons of research and slowly learning about computers I have finally decided what I am getting and when. I have been waiting for this day since March. So I am very excited.

First, I would like to thank everybody who has helped me out with this. Without all of you guys, I would probably be using a really messed up comp with parts purchased from Amazon.com. But now I know of the newegg and very good and cheap parts. Basically I just want to post my finalized specs and make sure they work and the prices at newegg are decent. I already have a Kingwin KT-436 Silver w/ 3 Windows and 5 fans, I have a NEC 17 inch multisync monitor, I have finally reached KLIPSCH and they are currently repairing my 4.1, and I have an Enermax 430 Watt Whisper PSU. Well, here are all the specs and the prices of the stuff that I am purchasing.

Processor - Intel Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz w/ 533 FSB - $228.00
Mobo - Giga-byte 8IHXP 850E - $162.00
RAM - 512 MB Kingston Non-ECC PC-1066 - $316.00
HARD DRIVE - Western Digital 80 GB w/ 8 MB Cache - $106.00
DVD-ROM - Lite-On 16x48x - $39.00
CD-RW - Lite-On 40x12x48x - $63.00
Video Card - ATI Radeon 9700 PRO Retail - $389.00
Sound Card - Creative Sound Blaster Audigy - $84.00
Floppy - Samsung Floppy Drive - $8.00
Artic Silver Thermal Compound - $6.00
Windows XP HE - $90.00
Monitor - NEC Multisync M700 17 Inch - Already own
Case - Kingwin KT-436 w/ 3 WIndows, 5 fans - Already Own
Power - Enermax 430 Watt Whisper - Already Own
Speakers - Klipsch Promedia 4.1 - Already Own

Total - $1491 plus about 55 bucks in shipping

Now bear with me, please, i have a few questions.

I will be overclocking, will this setup be able to reach 3Ghz with an RDRAM rating of PC-1200? I will only be able to use the retail heatsink with artic silver.

What is the best sound card in the world? I have heard some interesting things about my audigy card, I want no conflicts and I also want great 4.1 surround sound. Also, Is there a difference between the X-Gamer and OEM versions of the audigy besides software?

I have also heard that Windows XP HE is crap. Someone told me XP Pro or Windows 2000 would be better for gaming and stability. Is this true?

This is my first computer that I am building so please, if you see any other problems or have any suggestions because of personal experience please tell me. I am spending alot of money on this and I want it to be the best possible and I want it to last me a few years.

Thank you so much guys. I really appreciate any comments and/or suggestions.

 

[eden]

I don't understand why people send FUD and BS by claiming WinXP Home sucks, this is utter FUD AND BS!!! DON'T beleive them!
It only lacks network capabilities that XP Pro or Win2000 have, so if you deal with networking, further than just a home LAN or file sharing, you will need Pro, but otherwise, stick to Home and save that extra 100$!

I heard the Hercules GameTheater XP is good, others also recommended the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz. You should check the Sound card reviews on THG!

I don't know about the OCing on Stock, AMD_Man had a hard time clocking over 2.8GHZ with RDRAM, while DDR could reach 3GHZ. So if the outcome from other people's experience goes in favor of DDR, then that will save you a bunch of money, cuz you're spending a buttload on RDRAM, 316$, OUCH!

BTW congrats for keeping patience, I know how it feels (6 month of prep)!

--
When buying an AthlonXP, please make sure the bus is at 133MHZ, or you will get a lower speed!<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Eden on 09/02/02 04:20 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[Copenhagen]

I will be overclocking, will this setup be able to reach 3Ghz with an RDRAM rating of PC-1200?

At best, if you are lucky, your RDRAM can reach PC1200. Your CPU will then only be running at 2.7GHz. To increase the CPU frequency, you will have to lower the memory multiplier from 4 to 3. This drops your memory to PC900. You will then have to increase the FSB to 178 to reach 3.2GHz and PC1066.

My guess is that you can probably not expect to reach more than 3.0GHz where your memory will be around PC1000 spec. So you see, the 2.4GHz 533MHz bus version is not the ideal choice. Either go for a 2.0GHz 400MHz bus or a 2.66GHz with 533MHz bus. However, the 2.0A is not likely to reach 3.0GHz in it's current stepping, you will need stepping C1 which will only start shipping in the second week of October.


<i>/Copenhagen - Clockspeed will make the difference... in the end</i>

 

[chuck232]

IIRC that Kingston RDRAM is 32ns, so good for ~PC1200. Now test it out and see which gets you better results, a faster clock speed, or more memory bandwidth. Then stick with whichever one works.

BTW, that's one nice looking system!!

<i>Past mistakes may make you look stupid, but avoiding future ones will make you look smart!</i>

 

[JaeSun]

wouldnt u need 2 sticks of RDRam since its dual channal and all?

_____________
100 Character Limit Sucks!!

 

[Kzzrn]

Window$ XP HE is just as stable as XP Pro or 2K, it's just dumbed down.

Knowledge is the key to understanding

 

[Helpmostimes]

Well ive been away for a while..Well to long!!Seems Intel is the Pick...Well,, Pick ? What does that mean?With Intel it means Microsoft,Nvidia, imsure there are a few more that sleep with Intel...Seems AMD did it with the new line.. Its to bad..Seems to many people want to overclock,tweek,,Or Just push it....what ever you call it..Not me..I was the fastet PC on my block for 5 years..And yes i build all my own..Ive overclocked!!!At a serios comprimise.I Dont do it any more.As a result ive been on the same systom for 2 years.And it still kicks A%%...As a note...This is a great site..Seems your new to the PC building..Watch out!!!Learn on your own!!!Remember....Its your money...Not theres..

 

[chuck232]

Ok.... so what are you saying? That he shouldn't overclock? Or his system's gonna be too good?

<i>Past mistakes may make you look stupid, but avoiding future ones will make you look smart!</i>

 

[xxsk8er101xx]

jsyk you need 2 sticks of rdram. Not one. Go with 2 256MB sticks. might find it will be a little cheaper too.

Also i hear samsung is good for rdram.

I would go DDR. i'll tell you why. Next year Intel will release dual channel DDR. If you do the math at pc 2700, dual channel would make it pc5400, much higher then the 4400 with current rdram.

I would also save some money and go with a 1.8ghz and overclock it to 2.4. Then next year around this time, upgrade to dual channel and 3ghz+ system. Seeing that RDRAM is soon to be ancient in my opinion, DDR is a safe bet. Plus you'll only have to buy one stick of ddr and a motherboard to upgrade to dual DDR, which i fele in my opinion will perform better then rdram. But thats my opinion. everything is entirely up to you.

but ya you need 2 sticks of rdram, ddr only needs one stick.

other than that, i hope you'll be doing a lot of gaming or something constructive with your computer cos thats a lot of money to spend on something that needs to be considered on rather or not you really do need it and if it's overkill on what you do with your system.

good luck!

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=9933" target="_new"> My Rig </A>

 

[Crashman]

OK, well, you picked some nice parts, now do the math:

PC1200 speed is 600MHz (RDRAM uses DDR technology as well). So, 4x150 is 600MHz.

So that implies a 150MHz system bus. Let's divide 3000 by 150. You get 20. The only NW CPU with a 20x multiplier is the 2.0A. But that processor is lucky if it hits 2700MHz!

You can try the 2.4A at 3200MHz, since it uses a better core revision, but you'll need water cooling to get that high, and the memory would only be at PC1066 speed.

The 2.53 uses a 19x multiplier, that would get you 2850 at 150, PC1200 speed.

You could save yourself some money and get a 1.8A, and try overclocking it to 2700MHz at 150FSB/PC1200 speed. You could also save some money and use the onboard audio. The 1.6a, 1.8a, and 2.0a normally have clock limits of between 2500MHz and 2700MHz with air cooling. The 1.8A and 2.4B have the same multiplier, so your mostly limited by bus speed trying to get the 2.4B to go higher than the 1.8A.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[buddry]

the 2.66 uses a 20x multiplier

<font color=blue>Unofficial Forum Cop</font color=blue>

 

[Crashman]

Yes, and that would be ideal if only a 2.66 existed. I'm fairly certain they jumped right from 2.53 to 2.8, but I'm open to be proven wrong on this one.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[MeTaLrOcKeR]

I know how to prove u wrong!!!!

U know FUGGER???

check <A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=faq&notfound=1&code=1" target="_new"> THIS </A> thread out... =)

<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=13597" target="_new">-MeTaL RoCkEr</A>

 

[chuck232]

Yeah, there is a 2.66B, but it's pretty expensive ($450USD or so).

<i>Past mistakes may make you look stupid, but avoiding future ones will make you look smart!</i>

 

[buddry]

they released the 2.66 and the 2.8 at the same time.

<font color=blue>Unofficial Forum Cop</font color=blue>

 

[AMD_Man]

With a good CPU cooler (better than the stock cooler such as the Alpha PAL8092, IIRC), 3.2GHz will probably be possible with your 2.4GHz Northwood B with a 178MHz FSB. At that speed, you'd have to run the RDRAM with the 3X multiplier but it wouldn't be overclocked. With the high FSB, you'll probably get as much bandwidth if not more than PC1200 because the higher FSB allows for more efficient use of the RAM.

Intelligence is not merely the wealth of knowledge but the sum of perception, wisdom, and knowledge.

 

[BigBiggist]

Wow, you guys are great, I didnt think that this many people would respond.

First, About the confusion with my RAM, sorry about that but it is two 256 MB sticks. What sux is that newegg really jacked up the price from 135 a piece.

I did read the reviews about the sound cards and I like the Turtle Beach and Hercules Cards, the Santa Cruz and the Game Theater XP. They still support EAX 1.0, 2.0 and A3D and I dont really need Advanced HD or whatever Creative Calls it.

Also, what I really wanted to do was to wait for a SiS 648 or DX board and throw in some Corsair XMS PC3200C2 memory and overclock that. I just am getting really tired of waiting and the gigabyte mobo is really sweet. I was also worried about having a passive heatsink on the chipset with the 648 boards because I will eventually overclock.

Well, that does really suck that I wont be able to hit 3 Ghz, its not big deal though. I wont overclock for a while or at least until I get used to my setup. I did hear that the 2.5 Ghz with a 400 Mhz FSB would be great for overclocking, thats probably with a water cooler though and I am scared of water cooling because with my luck the stupid hose would explode or something like that.

If i do go with a 1.8 w/ 512KB cache with a 648 board and DDR memory and a different sound card I could save about 200 bucks. The Processor prices went down again on newegg and i know the radeon will go down about 40 bucks when it arrives. Any way I do it, I will notice a major difference from my current Thunderbird 1.13 Ghz, with 256 MB PC-133 RAM and a Voodoo 3 PCI card.

Thanx again guys!

 

[BigBiggist]

You really think that I could do that!?! That would be great. Do you recommend any better heatsinks, I remember reading an article about some good heatsinks but I cant find them anymore.

 

[chuck232]

I've heard probs with overclocking the SiS648 mobos. They're bascially locked at 143MHz FSB IIRC, maybe it was 147MHz. A better idea would be to get something like an IT7 or a P4B533-E and just use the 3:4 RAM ratio, although with the P4B533-E, I think you have to move a jumper to get the 3:4 above 132MHz FSB. The IT7 is touted to be the best DDR RAM overclocking mobo for the P4 and say running a P4 2.4GHz with some Corsair PC3200C2 and trying for DDR443 with a 166MHz FSB, 3GHz, and the 3:4 RAM ratio. That may be too much for the RAM, but running at 160MHz FSB and 3:4 shouldn't be unattainable.

<i>Past mistakes may make you look stupid, but avoiding future ones will make you look smart!</i>

 

[chuck232]

The 2 best P4 heatsinks are probably the Swiftech MCX4000 and the Alpha PAL8092. The Swiftech being a bit better, but also costing more.

<i>Past mistakes may make you look stupid, but avoiding future ones will make you look smart!</i>

 

[LED]

There's 2.5's on 400mhz FSB's floatin around out there too. Not yet officially released though....but have seen ID's of em. That's Intel tryin to stay on the good side of consumers by providing upgrade options. I think they're listening now. For people that bought a 1.6 or a 1.8 a 2.5 is a sweet upgrade, and can probably be OC'ed to 3ghz easily.

This sig runs too hot.

 

[eden]

The problem with P4s is that they lack HSF variety. AMDs have a plethora of coolers, while I only heard of 2-3 seperate HSFs if you want an OEM P4 (if there are any)
Yes watercooling would be a hassle, P4s can easily do good speeds without that. IMO I still beleive with DDR you can achieve your 3GHZ target, and despite the lack of bandwidth, it'll be about 5-10% average less performing, and that is considering the bandwidth is about half the RDRAM, but it catches up simply due to efficient lower latency. If Dual Channel DDR was out by SiS, no doubt it'd beat the PC1066 out of the water.

--
When buying an AthlonXP, please make sure the bus is at 133MHZ, or you will get a lower speed!

 

[Crashman]

OK, now find me one!

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[Crashman]

A 2.5A would have far too high a multiplier for most overclockers. The 2.4A is bad enough, still too high for most overclockers to reach "533" bus with. And the 2.2A probably doesn't have the latest core revision to support those super high speeds.

<font color=blue>You're posting in a forum with class. It may be third class, but it's still class!</font color=blue>

 

[buddry]

<A HREF="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=224&manufactory=1157&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1" target="_new">http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=manufactory&catalog=224&manufactory=1157&DEPA=1&sortby=14&order=1</A>

$468.00



<font color=blue>Unofficial Forum Cop</font color=blue>