First Build - Looking for Feedback

[strummer]

This is going to be my first build, so I'm looking for some feedback from some pros (i.e. y'all) on the system components and the percieved value. I did a lot of research on NewEgg, and came up with the following tentative list of components (costs):

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego ($223)
Motherboard: Epox EP-9NPA+ SLI ($137)
Memory: PQI Turbo 2 x 512 MB DDR 400 PC3200 ($90)
Hard Drive: Maxtor Diamond Max 10 80 Gig, 7200 RPM ($57)
PSU: Cooler Master Real Power RS 450 Watts ($78)
CD/DVD: Plextor Black IDE 7404 ($81)
Case: Cooler Master Centurian 5 CAC ($55)
O/S: XP Home


Thanks in advance for any replies. This is a great forum.

[blue60007]

Couple things - I'm not sure about the quality Epox boards - I'd opt for a quality ASUS board. If you want to go with a SLI board, you would want to get a SLI certified power supply. I'm not sure about the quality of that power supply either.

Seems like an awfully expensive burner, and unless you need something specific from it, you could get away with a LITE-ON or NEC that costs half as much.

You also omitted the video card.

[myrgo_31]

Originally Posted by blue60007 Couple things - I'm not sure about the quality Epox boards - I'd opt for a quality ASUS board

acually, epox does make pretty good quality motherboards. I've seen a lot of reviews on newegg, and at other message boards. However, ASUS is the better of them I'm sure. Just look at all the people that have them lol.

[juicelooser]

Yeah--Epox has gotten some good reviews lately. Their NForce4 Ultra board got Editor's Choice on Anandtech.

[strummer]

In place of the case and power supply I indicated above? Read a thread about it in here and it seems that the Sonata II is pretty well regarded.

Thank for the feedback so far -

Strummer

[strummer]

I just put a Sapphire X800GTO2 into a HP Pavilion that I bought for home in the Fall and it has been excellent. I don't know what I'll do with this build. Like to hear your take on the best video card to plop in there.

Also - looking at the burner options you suggested - over at newegg.

thanks again.

[Darkkon]

If you are going with a SLI machine choose parts from this List. It will help out in your build when chooseing parts and the like. And also you will need a floppy drive for backing up the BIOS and for updateing the BIOS. And you mosly like need a OS if you do not have one already go with XP Home w/ SP2 it is like 80-90$ at newegg if you are on a budget build. But other than that looks like a good build to me

[Darkkon]

My bad did not see your OS so for get the what i said about a OS

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by myrgo_31 acually, epox does make pretty good quality motherboards.

Actually, EPoX doesn't manufacture their own motherboards anymore...they farm out to ECS (like a lot of other motherboard companies) for production duties.

That aside, I used to think that EPoX was a good motherboard company to use too, but over the years all the EPoX motherboards I installed went bad due to leaking capacitors. All these were built in 2001 and by 2004 all 6 EPoX motherboards I installed had gone bad and been replaced by ASUS or Intel motherboards. I won't be using EPoX motherboards again.

Cricket

[Mr.Ferrari]

Originally Posted by strummer I just put a Sapphire X800GTO2 into a HP Pavilion that I bought for home in the Fall and it has been excellent. I don't know what I'll do with this build. Like to hear your take on the best video card to plop in there. Also - looking at the burner options you suggested - over at newegg. thanks again.

Ok then..If your opting on a SLi board...Then why get a radeon card? If your future is sli then you mind as well start out with a nVidia card. I would personally go with a nice 6800GT SLi. If you have the extra money i would start out with a 7800gt and add one more later. Like others have said, pick a psu from that list, ive heard good things about CoolerMaster psu's but a nicer antec for just a wee bit more wouldnt hurt. And if you trust pqi then thats great. Some corsair value is pretty nice too.

[nicolaus corelius]

the corsair kit is cheaper
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145440

[glc]

I have to stress - if you ever plan on getting a second video card for SLI, get the certified power supply *now*. It doesn't make sense to toss out a perfectly good power supply because it no longer meets specs for what you want to do. 100 bucks now is good futureproofing.

[jayb1234]

As far as the OS goes get the OEM version of XP with SP2 unless you need some specific feature of XP Pro.

You are likely to need a floppy drive at some point during the setup.