A New Pc

[Mad Cat]

Motherboard: Asus SK8N (Socket 940) Motherboard
Processor: AMD Athlon FX51 (Socket 940)
Memory: 1 GB PC3200 DDR400 RAM (no brand chosen as yet)
Graphics Card: Asus ATI Radeon 9800XT/TVD 256MB or Asus V9980 GeForce FX 5950 Ultra 256MB
Hard Drive(s): Western Digital Caviar 160GB Special Edition 8MB Cache and Western Digital Caviar 120GB Special Edition 8MB Cache
Speakers: Creative Inspire 7.1 T7700
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 THX
Keyboard: Logitech Internet Navigator™ Keyboard Special Edition
Mouse: Logitech MX-500 Optical Mouse
CD-RW [Optical Drive 1]: Liteon LTR-52327S 52x/32x/52x CD-ReWriter
DVD ROM [Optical Drive 2]: LiteON 16x DVD-ROM
Case: Definetly a full tower (brand name and model not chosen as yet)
Power Supply: 430-500W (brand name and model not chosen as yet)
Cooling: 4+ case fans and Zalman CNPS7000-Cu Ultra-Quiet CPU Cooler

[DWk]

jeez man..... 2500 dollars? u can get a MONSTER with that :D

ok....here u go

·Athlon XP 3200+
·Asus nForce2 Ultra 400 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "A7N8X" -RETAIL(New Version, now support AMD Barton 400MHz)
·160GB Hard Drive
·1024DDR RAM (1GB)
·nVidia FX5950 Ultra GFX card or ATI Radeon 9800XT
·a nice case and a nice psu
·DVD-RW

and all this would be like 1800$ the most :)

[DWk]

btw check this pinned topics:

Recommended manufacturers, for PC parts
http://klboard.ath.cx/index.php?showtopic=24528

Computer resources, places to buy hardware
http://klboard.ath.cx/index.php?showtopic=32388

Want to build your own computer?
http://klboard.ath.cx/index.php?showtopic=20640

and this site to check reviews and authenticity of a place to buy
http://www.resellerratings.com
have fun :)

[Mad Cat]

I looked at those pinned topics. Thanks :D

I'm just wondering what all you guys would reccomend. I'm pretty n00bish about selecting motherboards for processors :P etc etc

Oh yeah more direct links to where I can get stuff would help too (UK).

[bigdawgfoxx]

DWK, I think he can spare the $30 for the Deluxe version now dont ya think ;) haha dude..ur loaded...

Heres some awesome RAM for you.
Mushkin PC3500 2X512MB 2-2-2 (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-146-292&depa=1)

Do yall not think he should get a 3.2Ghz P4 with that much money?

In any case get that RAM up there.

OHHH I didnt see that you were in the U.K. Newegg dont go there do they?

What are some U.K sites?

[RGX]

I am working on a post, with links, standby :)

[bigdawgfoxx]

Aight cool. What is a good U.K site?

[RGX]

Right then, a system for 1500.....do you need a monitor? I will budget for one anyway :)

CPU: AMD Athlon "Barton" XP3200+ 400FSB (Socket A) CPU - Retail (CP-051-AM)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/amd..._xp_barton.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/amd_athlon_xp_barton.html)

bottom of page

Price:245

Motherboard: Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe nForce2 (Socket A) Motherboard (MB-050-AS)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/asu...therboards.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/asus_amd_motherboards.html)

Price: 88 (:o)

Memory: Corsair 1GB DDR XMS2700LLPT TwinX (2x512MB) Platinum CAS2 (MY-016-CS)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Onl...Corsair_65.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Corsair_65.html)

Price: 161

Graphics card (btw, its a monster :))Hercules 3D Prophet 9800 Pro 128MB DDR & Half Life 2 Bundle - Retail (GX-017-HE)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Onl...ek_Only_25.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_This_Week_Only_25.html)

price: 250

Hard drive: Maxtor DiamondMax Plus9 Serial ATA 160GB 8MB Cache - OEM (HD-026-MD)

Price: 85 (:o)


Cooler and fan: Aerocool Deep Impact 101 (Socket A) Silent Cooler (HS-001-AE)

Price: 30

Case: Lian Li PC 60 Aluminium Midi-Tower (No PSU) (CA-002-LL)
The Lian Li PC-60 is a stylish aluminium midi-tower case with a host of useful features - slidable motherboard tray, fan speed controller, horizontal converter kit for HDD inner rack, super bright HDD and PWR LED and a tool-less detachable front panel.

Price: 80

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Lian_Li_Cases.html

PSU:Antec TruePower 430W PSU (CA-001-AN)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Onl..._Antec_103.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Antec_103.html)

CD-Writer:Asus CRW-5232AS 52X/32X/52X CD-ReWriter - Retail (CD-006-AS)

price: 30

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/CD_RW_Drives.html


in total = 969 whihc leaves the rest for delivery and a monitor....only thing im not sure about is the hard drive, as its Serial ATA and I dont know much about those


Happy shopping :)

[Mad Cat]

Hard drive, I should be ok for that since I can rip the one out of my old one. I don't think my granny needs 160gb. 40gb will do :P

Monitor, I don't really need but it would be a plus since my cheapo LCD one doesn't support resolutions above 1024x768.

Looks nice RGX thanks :)

I think I'll opt for a standard IDE hard drive though, I know what to do with them.

[RGX]

btw do you have (or are you intending to get) broadband? In which case, you'll need a network card :)

Netgear FA311 Network Card - Retail (NW-000-NG)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Onl...tional_115.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Conventional_115.html)

10 quid :lol::D


aha, so youll be wanting a CRT?

Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930SB 19" (MO-005-MB)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Onl...onitors_66.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_CRT_Monitors_66.html)



All adds up to a decent number but then again delivery charges.....hopefully you'll stay within budget :)


All in all, that is an absolute beast of a machine :) , seriousley, thats a fantastic spec

[RGX]

btw, I just saw that you are going to play games on this....let me tell you, with that processor, that ram, and THAT graphics card, you will not be dissapointed ;)


Akasa AK-172 12" Cold Cathode - Blue (CM-006-GE)
A high quality one-piece Blue Cold Cathode Light Kit that can be mounted without tools. Consumes just 3 Watts of power (less than a hard drive) and is supplied with additional power splitter for easy installation.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Cat...eon_Lights.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Cathode___Neon_Lights.html)

:-"

[Mad Cat]

Looks excellent mate. Thanks!

Delivery is about £30 so I'll be fine. I'll even have enough left for a great sound card and some new speakers :P

I might get a full tower case, lots of room for expansion etc, and it fits where I want to put it.

[RGX]

In which case...:lol:

Creative GigaWorks 7.1 S750 THX® - Retail (SP-027-CL)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/cre...e_speakers.html (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/creative_speakers.html)

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yes, 210 watts purely of subwoofer? :w00t:

Trust me, if this was my hard earned cash, this is what i would I would get, exactly

[Mad Cat]

Maybe not that excessive... :P

THX certified seems to triple the price.

[RGX]

If youve got the money to spare ;) :lol:

[Mad Cat]

I don't have to spend all my money, y'know.

I could be persuaded though...

Well here are the changes I will probably make to your design:

DVD re-writer (I'll need help selecting one)
The full tower case (Lian-Li PC70 Aluminium Full-tower (NO-PSU) (CA-005-LL) )
Sound Card (Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 THX - Retail (SC-017-CL) )
I can't seem to find floppy drives on overclockers, they're useful sometimes and they're only usually a fiver so I'll get one of them

[RGX]

Well if you dont want it my address is....:lol:

[Mad Cat]

Well here are the changes I will probably make to your design:

DVD re-writer (I'll need help selecting one)
The full tower case (Lian-Li PC70 Aluminium Full-tower (NO-PSU) (CA-005-LL) )
Sound Card (Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS 7.1 THX - Retail (SC-017-CL) )
I can't seem to find floppy drives on overclockers, they're useful sometimes and they're only usually a fiver so I'll get one of them

I just posted this again so people would see it.

Full specs are up top now.

[RGX]

MSI DR8-A 8x DVD±R/±RW - Retail (CD-006-MS)
With 8x high-speed writing, DR8-A takes less time to complete a 4.7GB DVD+R disc. ABS Technology absorbs shock and reduces vibrations, making reading and writing of discs more accurate. HD-BURN (High Density Burn) writing technology can record twice the capacity of specified CD-R discs. Supplied with Ahead Nero Burning ROM, CyberLink PowerDVD 4.0 Software, Sonic MyDVD + ShowBiz Software, audio cable and screws.

- 8x DVD+R writing / 4x DVD+RW rewriting
- 4x DVD-R writing / 2x DVD-RW rewriting / 12x DVD-ROM reading
- 40x CD-R writing / 24x CD-RW rewriting / 40x CD-ROM reading
- BURN-Proof™ prevents buffer underrun and minimizes recording failures
- Supported 99 (870MB) or 90min (800MB) CD-R disc
- 2MB internal buffer
- Enhanced IDE/ATAPI interface


Full Specification

Price: £83.95 (£98.64 Including VAT at 17.5%)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/DVD...#acd_2d006_2dms (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/DVD_RW_Drives.html#acd_2d006_2dms)

Alps 3.5" Black Floppy Drive - OEM (HD-000-AP)
A high quality floppy disk drive with a stylish black bezel.




Price: £9.95 (£11.69 Including VAT at 17.5%)

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Other_Drives.html

:)

[Mad Cat]

Just wondering, would a P4 3.06 GHz be better, because looking at some benchmarks over at Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com) the P4 3.06 beats the Athlon XP 3200+ in many tests.

[bigdawgfoxx]

3.2Ghz P4 beats the 3200Athlon. I said you might want to get an intel since you got so much money. You said you dont want to spend it all though so I would go AMD.

[Mad Cat]

Looking at some other tests the 3200+ beats the 3.06 many times.

I'll be fine with the 3200+ I think.

[DWk]

its not a friggin matter of the benchies' scores...its about WHERE they score.... AMD is WAY much better for gaming, whereas p4 is better for "high-end" apps (such as video production)

[Mad Cat]

Yes, in UT2003 and Quake 3 benchmarks the Intel P4 3.0 killed the AMD, whereas in Sandra 2003 tests the 3200+ gained sufficient ground.

I've been hearing stuff about 3200+ needing PC3200 DDR400 ram to work, since the increase in FSB speed.

I don't think that PC2700 will do so I'm wondering if the price difference in these would make a difference:

Corsair 512MB DDR XMS3200LLPT Low Latency Platinum CAS2 (MY-014-CS)
Corsair XMS3200LL Low Latency uses exactly the same memory chips as Corsair XMS3500 with a special SPD - pre-set to aggressive memory timings of CAS2-2-2-5-1T - for those who'd rather not experiment with BIOS settings.


Full Specification

Price: £83.50 (£98.11 Including VAT at 17.5%)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corsair 512MB DDR XMS3200LLPT TwinX (2x256MB) Platinum CAS2 (MY-017-CS)
A matched pair of 256MB XMS3200LL Low Latency memory modules - 512MB total - ideal for dual DDR motherboards.


Full Specification

Price: £90.50 (£106.34 Including VAT at 17.5%)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Corsair 1GB DDR XMS3200C2PT TwinX (2x512MB) CAS2 (MY-030-CS)
A matched pair of 512MB XMS3200C2 memory modules - 1GB total - ideal for dual DDR motherboards.


Full Specification

Price: £139.00 (£163.33 Including VAT at 17.5%)

[Mad Cat]

So does anyone think this is worth it/can anyone answer my RAM question above?

[clocker]

I'm not sure what your question is.
You seem to be building a pretty high-end machine- go for the best RAM you can afford.

I would also recommend that you hold off on a DVD burner for 6 months or so.
Prices are dropping, speeds are increasing and, with any luck this stupid dual format war may shake out and we can settle on one type of media.
I was seriously looking into getting one but decided to hold off and see what happens. Mostly I was interested as a means to backup my files, and CD is so much cheaper ( although more time consuming) that it just doesn't make sense to spend the money yet.
DVD-ROMs are useful though.

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by clocker@27 December 2003 - 15:50
You seem to be building a pretty high-end machine- go for the best RAM you can afford.
I assume by that you mean "Get a good amount of RAM at speeds matching your CPU's FSB, as that is the most efficient combination".

[Mad Cat]

Well the RAM RGX suggested was PC2700 and while I've been reading around I heard that the Barton 3200+ only supports DDR400 PC3200 RAM, since AMD increased the FSB speed to 200 mhz. Is this true?

I'm quite a noob at this.

I also wanted to know if I would see performance differences between the 3 different RAMs posted above. They're all PC3200 and they're all corsair, but I want to know if spending more would yield a performance increase that would matter.

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@27 December 2003 - 16:00
Well the RAM RGX suggested was PC2700 and while I've been reading around I heard that the Barton 3200+ only supports DDR400 PC3200 RAM, since AMD increased the FSB speed to 200 mhz. Is this true?

I'm quite a noob at this.

I also wanted to know if I would see performance differences between the 3 different RAMs posted above. They're all PC3200 and they're all corsair, but I want to know if spending more would yield a performance increase that would matter.
The Barton 3200+ should be able to use PC2700, depending on motherboard support. However it would be a lot more efficient to use DDR400 (PC3200).

Aggressively-timed RAM makes little difference over standard RAM, even in benchmark tests. If you're wanting a very high-end system I'd go with 2x512MB (1GB), simply to improve the upgradeability.

[Mad Cat]

Oh crap I feel like an idiot. I didn't look properly at those three RAMs. I thought they were all 1gb. Crap :P

Thanks Lamsey!

I think I'll take clocker's advice and lay off a burner for now. I was just gonna get one because its there really. A CD-rw and a DVD will do for it for now.

Will that cooling be enough?

[clocker]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@27 December 2003 - 10:00


I also wanted to know if I would see performance differences between the 3 different RAMs posted above. They're all PC3200 and they're all corsair, but I want to know if spending more would yield a performance increase that would matter.
My PC 2700 Mushkin RAM runs just fine at 100% of a 200GHz FSB.
Will you see a difference?
Only in benchmark tests.
Your specs are already so far above normal that only benchies will be able to differentiate from one upgrade to another.


@Lamsey...of course, that is exactly what I meant to say :P

[bigdawgfoxx]

Corsair and Mushkin are good brands too.

If you get Mushkin make sure to get Level 2.
If you get Corsair be sure to get XMS Low latency.

Both brands are good, however Muskin seems to have a little tighter timings, thats what I went for in my new system.

[Mad Cat]

I'll post up new specs in a minute after some tweaking.
Will that cooling be ok? (Look in first post)

Crap I just re-measured and the full tower case might not fit.

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by clocker@27 December 2003 - 16:05
@Lamsey...of course, that is exactly what I meant to say :P
:D




RAM that is designed for low-latency timings is only good for one thing: stability. The low latencies make very little difference to performance, but you'll never see an error with this kind of RAM because it's built to take a lot of stress.

However, that extra care in manufacturing does come at a cost.

[Mad Cat]

Posted new specs up top.

Will that cooling be ok?

Should I pay a few quid for more fans etc?

Oh yeah I went for the midi tower just to be safe.

[bigdawgfoxx]

Everything looks GREAT to me. However, I dont know much about that CPU cooler. Yes you will need some case fans.

CoolerMaster Fans (http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-999-051&depa=1)

I bought 5 of these (because it was the same price as 4) lol. They are veryyyyy nice looking and quiet. They move the air fairly good also, but im sure there not the BEST. Nice fans overall though. I have some of them angled down right at my CPU and stuff...Im gona try some diff stuff to see what works best. :D

[Mad Cat]

Ahh, the case comes with 4 fans so I should be ok there.

Think I should go for a Zalman flower cooler?

[Lamsey]

Cooling is overrated. I have a basic copper CPU cooler (can't remember the brand name, but it was about £15 or so from World of Computers) and just 1 chassis fan.

My motherboard (MSI K7N2 Delta) is running at 28 degrees and my CPU (AthlonXP 2600+) is running at 33 degrees.

All this talk of having 4 chassis fans in one system just makes me think "damn, that must be loud". :blink:

[clocker]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@27 December 2003 - 10:25
Ahh, the case comes with 4 fans so I should be ok there.

Think I should go for a Zalman flower cooler?
NO!

Check these out (http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&articID=118). Both are available in AMD versions.

Lamsey, I disagree.
Good, high flow fans, run at 5-7v, are not at all noisy.
I should know...my case now has 11 fans total.

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by clocker@27 December 2003 - 16:37
Lamsey, I disagree.
Good, high flow fans, run at 5-7v, are not at all noisy.
I should know...my case now has 11 fans total.
Fair enough.

It just seems like belt, buckles, braces, elasticated waist, string and sticky-tape to me :huh:



(for those who are confused there's a common saying over here: "belts and braces" - refers to several things used when just one would do)

[DWk]

lol i have only 2 fans in my computer.... the cpu fan and the psu fan....and they make enuff noise already lol.....

[clocker]

Fair enough.

It just seems like belt, buckles, braces, elasticated waist, string and sticky-tape to me
You're probably right.
I'm simply investigating how extreme I can go with aircooling before I move on to H2O.
The rig that MadCat is building is already completely over the top, it would be silly not to follow through on the details, eh?

[DWk]

Originally posted by clocker@27 December 2003 - 10:44
I'm simply investigating how extreme I can go with aircooling before I move on to H2O.
are you gonna get a new case? gimme fans? :rolleyes: :D

[clocker]

Gimme?

[DWk]

share? :P

u never told me if the psu fan would work?

[clocker]

Originally posted by DWk@27 December 2003 - 10:52


u never told me if the psu fan would work?
I'm sorry.

Creeping senility prevents me from remembering what the hell you're talking about.
Refresh my memory, please.

[DWk]

i got the FAN out of an old psu.... its 80mm (i suppose they all are)...

will it work if i mounted it inn the rear of my computer?

unless you delete 2-day old pm's, you should still have it :)

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by DWk@27 December 2003 - 16:57
i got the FAN out of an old psu.... its 80mm (i suppose they all are)...

will it work if i mounted it inn the rear of my computer?

unless you delete 2-day old pm's, you should still have it :)
It should do, as long as the power connectors are standard.

[clocker]

If it came out of a PSU, does it even have a connector?
Mine have all been hardwired straight in.

If she's a standard 80mm then yes, it will work on your case back.

I've had to start emptying my PM folder every couple of days recently....some of you guys are real Chatty Cathy's.

[DWk]

Originally posted by Lamsey@27 December 2003 - 11:03
It should do, as long as the power connectors are standard.
uhhhh.... i think i might be buying a digital camera soon lol.... ok yea it looks like a standard fan...lemme see if i can find a picture of it...

amazing i found one lol

http://homepage1.nifty.com/nomunen/sotecke...an/rdm8025s.htm (http://homepage1.nifty.com/nomunen/sotecker/exhaust-fan/rdm8025s.htm)

its a 2 pin/hole connector.... is that the standard?

and.... my mobo is this

http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mai...ail.php?UID=356 (http://www.msi.com.tw/program/products/mainboard/mbd/pro_mbd_detail.php?UID=356)


If she's a standard 80mm then yes, it will work on your case back.

I've had to start emptying my PM folder every couple of days recently....some of you guys are real Chatty Cathy's.

lol she? ah i see... :rolleyes: :D

chatty cathy's? :rolleyes: :angry: :P

[Lamsey]

:o

*sets Clocker on moderation for flagrant apostrophe abuse*


dWk - we need more info on the power connectors.

Don't expect an answer soon, too - I'm just off to work. :(

[DWk]

more info on the power connectors? :angry: lol u mean the fan power connector or the mobo?

ok the connector is white? it says KSP 2510 in it.... its about 0.5 square cm.... 2 cables....one red and one black....

[clocker]

Originally posted by Lamsey@27 December 2003 - 11:28


*sets Clocker on moderation for flagrant apostrophe abuse*



Oooopsie.

Please don't tell JPaul.

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by clocker+27 December 2003 - 17:55--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clocker @ 27 December 2003 - 17:55)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Lamsey@27 December 2003 - 11:28


*sets Clocker on moderation for flagrant apostrophe abuse*



Oooopsie.

Please don&#39;t tell JPaul. [/b][/quote]
:o

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by DWk@27 December 2003 - 17:32
more info on the power connectors? :angry: lol u mean the fan power connector or the mobo?

ok the connector is white? it says KSP 2510 in it.... its about 0.5 square cm.... 2 cables....one red and one black....
What&#39;s the layout? Does it match the sysfan power connector on the motherboard?

[DWk]

k lamsey ur talkin chinese :(

hehe

dont know if my super l33t sk11lz in paint help you :w00t: w0ot

http://server5.uploadit.org/files2/271203-connector.jpg

thats what the connector looks like

the hsf connector is different (it got 3 cables.....black red yellow)

dunno what u mean by sysfan

[DWk]

btw....by BELOW UNDER i mean BELOW/UNDER

lol

[Lamsey]

As I remember, system fans have three wires, so you might not be able to easily hook that up. Clocker may be able to confirm it (I can&#39;t be buggered opening up my case to look).

If I&#39;m right, you&#39;d have to take apart the power connector and hook up the Ground/12V wires to the appropriate pins on the motherboard&#39;s SYSFAN power output pins.

[DWk]

oh i see..... system fans.... u are talking about PSU fans?

yes this is a very old psu/pc (the one i took it out of)

btw.... "newer" fans have 3 cables? if so... where do i plug those then?

[Mad Cat]

Fans are £1.50 or so, just buy a new one.

Anyway, about the cooling. I don&#39;t want some monster thing, since I&#39;m not gonna overclock. I just need something that&#39;ll keep the computer alive. Room temperature in my house is usually very high and I&#39;ll keep my PC on 80% of the time, so I can&#39;t let my new monster die :P

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by DWk@27 December 2003 - 20:21
oh i see..... system fans.... u are talking about PSU fans?

yes this is a very old psu/pc (the one i took it out of)

btw.... "newer" fans have 3 cables? if so... where do i plug those then?
System fans are 80mm fans, like you&#39;d find on the chassis or in the PSU. There is a power output connector on most motherboards which you can connect these fans to (it is labelled SYSFAN).

Mad Cat, you should be fine with one chassis fan (at the back, next to the back I/O panel) and a decent copper CPU cooler. A dual-fan PSU would top it off very nicely.

[DWk]

ah ok....lemme check

ok i scanned my mobo layout from the mobo manual....

http://server5.uploadit.org/files2/271203-mobo.jpg

any ideas?

btw, if you say that you gotta plug it into the mobo....how do ppl plug in 2 or more fans?

edit - btw...right about the IDE3 is something called SFAN1...

[Lamsey]

SFAN1 is your fan connector. You can connect more by getting piggy-back leads that split your drive power cables and add a fan adapter:

http://www.viking-tech.com/images/FAN-CABLE.jpg

[DWk]

ah ok....so theres no way to split one FAN connector? i HAVE to use the drive connectors?

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by DWk@27 December 2003 - 20:50
ah ok....so theres no way to split one FAN connector? i HAVE to use the drive connectors?
:blink: Not sure - depends on the power output of the SYSFAN connectors.

[DWk]

bloody hell....it has 3 cables.... thats like 12V, right?

[Lamsey]

Originally posted by DWk@27 December 2003 - 21:04
bloody hell....it has 3 cables.... thats like 12V, right?
Yup.

[DWk]

i have to go to "places" and see if i can find some fans....

[RGX]

Madcat: Stupid me lol, I forgot to check the ram speed, just saw the 1gb corsair and thought "oh yeah&#33;"

if you are prepared to spend this sort of money, I would run the same memory speed as the FSB :)

I did think of pentiums, but in terms of gaming and bang for buck, AMD is great B)

Cooler should be fine, rated up to 3400, nice and stable, your graphics card has built in heatsinks and fan too :)

Yeah, I held off on the DVD burner at first, but whatever you decide

BTW, if you by any chance dont like this rig, my address once again is........:lol:

[Mad Cat]

I&#39;m just thinking. I got £1500. I could quite easily get an AMD FX-51.

This is super top of the range gear, so I&#39;m thinking I might future proof myself, for say, the next 2 days... :P

[RGX]

but they are one hell of a lot of money

Plus, a lot of people are saying to hold back on the 64-bit chips, for testing etc

[Mad Cat]

Well then would it be better to wait for the big bitch 64 bits to come out?

[RGX]

Im not sure to be honest......people are wary of this new technology, so if you were going for 64 bit, i&#39;d wait a while first for any issues to be discovered, before blowing 400 quid on a chip that has a flaw

[Mad Cat]

Maybe your right.

Once Intel releases a 64 bit the AMD prices will drop like f**k. Maybe I should wait...

But damnit. I want bitch ass PC now. Well, I&#39;ll defiently be getting one before Far Cry and the like come out.

[clocker]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@27 December 2003 - 18:11
Well then would it be better to wait for the big bitch 64 bits to come out?
How long are you willing to wait?
Probably in the next year or so not only will the "bigbitch" chips/boards be easier to come by, but DDR2 RAM should be available also.
SATA drives will be more common.
Dual layer DVD burners will be out.


And they will all be obsolete 3 months later....

[Mad Cat]

Originally posted by clocker+28 December 2003 - 01:17--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (clocker &#064; 28 December 2003 - 01:17)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
Originally posted by Mad Cat@27 December 2003 - 18:11
Well then would it be better to wait for the big bitch 64 bits to come out?
How long are you willing to wait?
Probably in the next year or so not only will the "bigbitch" chips/boards be easier to come by, but DDR2 RAM should be available also.
SATA drives will be more common.
Dual layer DVD burners will be out.


And they will all be obsolete 3 months later.... [/b]
<!--QuoteBegin-ME&#33;
This is super top of the range gear, so I&#39;m thinking I might future proof myself, for say, the next 2 days... :P[/quote]

I don&#39;t know now. God damnit.

Why have they stopped RDRAM. It was like 5x faster than SDRAM wasn&#39;t it?

Why not DDR RDRAM. I want DDR RDRAM. Or is RDRAM P4 only? Ah well, I don&#39;t know shiz. I&#39;ll wait till February at the most.

[DWk]

rdram suxors....bad tech even though its fast...

ddr2 looks better..... prolly gonna see better types of it.... like qdr (quad-data rate)

[Mad Cat]

Stop making me not want to buy now :(

Well, it&#39;ll probably benefit me in the long run.

[clocker]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@27 December 2003 - 18:26
Stop making me not want to buy now :(

Well, it&#39;ll probably benefit me in the long run.
That is certainly not my intent at all, Cat.

Just realize that whatever you end up with is probably more than you need and not as good as what the next guy might have.

[DWk]

k i found a pic of my mobo.... a color one lol.... i downloaded the manual and cut off the pic... here it is... just to get a clearer idea of it

http://server5.uploadit.org/files2/281203-mobo.jpg

oh btw i found some nice cooling guides on AMD&#39;s site....REALLY nice man....

[Mad Cat]

I decided to drop the idea of a Barton 3200+ and go 64 bit.

Guideline type specs will be posted soon on the first post of front page.

[clocker]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@28 December 2003 - 08:49
I decided to drop the idea of a Barton 3200+ and go 64 bit.

Guideline type specs will be posted soon on the first post of front page.
If that&#39;s what you want to do why not get a board ( if they&#39;re even available yet??&#33;&#33;) that will support DDR2 RAM.
Then your core components won&#39;t be immediately obsolete.

[Mad Cat]

Not sure if any are out yet clocker.

I&#39;ll keep you posted.

Please tell me if you find any DDR2 compliant motheroards.

[clocker]

Well, my (only) source for this info (MaximumPC Magazine), says that DDR2 will start coming out this summer, so boards should be available by then.
It&#39;s possible that a firmware flash may make an older board compliant, I really have no idea.

It just seems a shame to get the best chip and then cripple it with less than optimal RAM, don&#39;t you think?

[Mad Cat]

I don&#39;t know.

What will DDR2 RAM actually do?

After a little research I found this:


Originally posted by Website I Googled
Nonetheless, you ought to be ready to see AMD put out a generation of mobos in about six-eight months, then do it over a bit more than a year after that with new CPU with new controllers for new motherboards.

It also stated that DDR2 compliant mother boards won&#39;t be coming till Intel release their Socket T range, and AMD will be about 6-8 months. Also, these new socket T motherboards won&#39;t matter as Intel had problems making CPUs to handle them.

This is from a small amount of research. I don&#39;t see DDR2 as revolutionising everything, because majority of people won&#39;t upgrade motherboards and buy new CPUs to suit them just because of DDR2. The software developers will see this and make sure that they do not eliminate 90% of their market, as they&#39;d be screwing themselves over.

[clocker]

It will run at faster speeds on less voltage, hence cooler.

Face it, you have a fundamental decision to make here.
When do want this rig up and running?

After you decide that then you can evaluate the hardware that is actually available ( and affordable) within that timeframe.

Otherwise you will be paralyzed, always waiting for the next, greatest thing to come out.

[DWk]

bet they all gonna surprise us and announce a 128-bit processor.... its so much advance now-a-days :D

[Mad Cat]

Theres no point waiting forever.

Even if I can&#39;t get DDR2 I reckon a rig this good will last at least 2 years.

I&#39;m gonna buy from sometime now - February.

[clocker]

Originally posted by Mad Cat@28 December 2003 - 10:05


Even if I can&#39;t get DDR2 I reckon a rig this good will last at least 2 years.


From the sounds of it your proposed machine should be good for longer than that assuming you don&#39;t get overwhelmed with "hardware lust"....

[Mad Cat]

Mmmmm luuust....

[_John_Lennon_]

Just buy a 64bit machine, a nice Athlon.

Even if DDR does come out and all that good stuff, and you do want to upgrade, there will be plenty of people who wont, and will your target market to perhaps even sell the Rig your buying now if that does happen.