Motherboard / Video card suggestions

[PardeGT]

Its been awhile since I've taken a look at the new pickings in hardware but I have narrowed my choices for a new build. I am not a gamer but do mess around with some picture editing and CAD.

Picks so far:

Asus P5LD2 Deluxe: $153
-or-
Asus P5WD2: $157
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Intel Pent. D 920 $258
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Corsair (2x1mb) DDR2667: $190
-or-
Mushkin Ext. (2x1mb) DDR2667: $170
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Western Digital SE16 WD2500KS: $96
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Video Card - this is where I am unsure. I would like a Radeon X series PCIe card but there appears to be a bunch. I want a good performer but it doesn't need to be top of the line. Maybe ~ $100 - $135 or so.

I will probably reuse my optical drives, case, and ps for now.

Any suggestion as to either of the mobos listed thoughts on the video card would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Mr.Ferrari]

I would choose this one....it comes stock with a Artic Cooling ati silencer=very cool, and its on sale.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161146

And if your open to nVidia as well...check out this card. 6800gs CO. Superb card and on sale as well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130271

[glc]

DDR2-667 won't be properly utilized unless you plan on overclocking. DDR2-533 is the best match for 800 FSB processors.

Both those video cards are more than you need. Here's a good card that's cheap and has a passive cooler (no noise) -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102001

You can't reuse your power supply unless it's ATX 2.0 with a 24 pin main connector. Adapters do not work right.

[PardeGT]

Thanks for the replies.

That kind of stinks of the PS as I have a very nice Antec True430. What do you recommend for a quality quiet 24 pin PS?

Any recommendations on the two Asus boards I have listed - preference towards either? I was leaning towards the P5WD2 with the 955x chipset.

[not important]

There is a guideline for Power Supplies on this forum located Here

[PardeGT]

I guess I should have researched a bit more as it appears 20+4 pin will work as well which is what the Antec 430 is. So I should be ok with what I have.

I also see the only real benefit to the 955x chipset is better overclocking abilities which is not really a concern so I will go with the P5LD2 - 945P and save a few $$.

I looked over the video cards again and think I settled on this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102653

When I go to buy memory I'll probably just buy 2x1gb of mushkin, corsair, or crucial in DDR2 of either 533 or 667 as price dictates. They seem to be closely priced. Or is it actually a drawback to pair the 667 with 800fsb compared to the 533?

[glc]

Well, if it doesn't have dual +12v rails, don't go too strong with the video card. If it's a TruePower II, you are all set.

[PardeGT]

It is not a II just a true power purchased probably 2 yrs ago.

Will it handle the video card I listed above along with the WD hdd and 2 optical drives? (I was editing above while you posted)

[jayb1234]

Here is the spec page for the True430.

26A @ 410W max on a single 12V rail.

ATI's specs (page 4 in the ati manual) for the X1600 series call for 350W.

You might be okay, but I will defer judgement to someone with more knowledge about that.

[PardeGT]

The ati manual says psu should be "specialized pci express 350 watt or greater...able to accommodate a high-end graphics card with a peak dissipation above 75 watts."

Hmmm...??

Note: X1300 calls for same psu requirements.

[glc]

As long as it's a 20+4 and also has a 2x2 aux 12v, it should be fine. 26 amps is quite a bit till you get up into the real power hog video cards.

[PardeGT]

I think it only has the 20 pin plus the extra 4 pin. I don't think there is a second 4 pin connector. I'd have to pull my "wiring harness" out of my pc to visually check.

Here's antec's link:
http://www.antec.com/specs/true430_spe.html

[glc]

Oh. I would not use it. Intel does allow a 20 to 24 pin adapter, but only on 450 watt and higher units. Field reports on the adapters are not very good.