Opinions on Build Please

[sccrmania1]

I'm building this PC for gaming, for all intents and purposes lets say $700 is the price-cap. My plan is to use this for a year or so and then maybe upgrade the processor and vid card - what do you guys think?

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138028

HD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144701

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227116

Vid: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130020

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103633

Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116011

Case: https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produ...uctCode=371295

PSU: https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produ...uctCode=370565

CD/DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106028

the total of the above parts after the rebates is $691.86

i know the dvd rom is crappy, but i have a burner on my laptop and don't plan on having anything but install dvd/cd's in the drive.

[joshrogoff]

1. I would go for a better mobo, especially since you want to upgrade later. Try the ASUS M2N-E. There is also an SLI version if thats in the cards for you in the future.

2. The PSU you picked out only has one 12V rail. Try finding one with multiple.

3. Corsair XMS2 memory has had great sucess on AM2 builds, i'm not too sure about the OCZ. But if its on the QVL, then go for it.

4. If you want 1g of memory, go for 2 x 512 mb so they can run dual channel.

[newbuilder14]

Hmm.. everything looks okay, except that PSU won't really be acceptable for that video card. Look at brands like: Antec, Xclio, FSP (Fornton Source), etc. I'd also change the motherboard to the newer nVidia nForce 5xx chipset. Look at the Asus M2N-E. And, depending on what you use your PC for, that video card may or may not be suitable. Have a look at the 7600gt if you plan on doing a lot of gaming. You also need an operating system. Windows XP Home Edition OEM should be fine. Also, for the memory, 1 stick of 1gb of memory would not perform as well as 2 sticks of 512mb would. Look at the Corsair XMS2 Series 1gb kit DDR2 800.

Good luck.

Haha Josh, we posted at the same time.

[Mr.Ferrari]

-Mobo to asus m2ne
-Get this memory instead: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...ctCode=85025-1
-Get this psu instead: http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=PS-E5140GH&c=fr

or this one if you can gather the extra cash, totally worth it, its on sale.
http://shop3.outpost.com/product/475...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[sccrmania1]

thanks for the quick responses guys

ok how does this PSU look: https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produ...uctCode=373048

i forgot to say that a memory upgrade will be in the near future (as in another stick of the 1gb OCZ) so it will be running dual soon enough...also i know that the gaming isn't that intensive so 1gb should suffice for now. my laptop can play the games fine and its and r51 ibm thinkpad (with 1gb instead of the 256mb ram it came with). basically i want to play eq2 at little higher graphics setting than its at on my laptop currently AND be able to play warhammer when it comes out in a year or so with relatively few upgrades.

the reason i went with that mobo is that one of my friends has it and hasn't had any problems with it. I probably won't bother with SLI but the dual core processor and vid card upgrades i'll probably get should be ok on that mobo....least i think - thats why i'm asking you guys!

oh, and i already have a windows xp cd.

[Alaron]

Skip it, Ultra PSUs are terrible quality.

Go with the M2N-E. Asus is well worth the extra $20. Biostar is not one of the best manufacturers.

[sccrmania1]

a lot of the reviews on newegg have people complaining about the bios on the m2n-e.

[sccrmania1]

ok here's the build now after taking some of the suggestions. i would like someone to allay my fears of the asus m2n-e and its bios problems that are on the newegg reviews but anyways, here goes:

Mobo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131022

HD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144701

Memory: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...ctCode=85025-1

Vid: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130020

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103633

Monitor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824116011

Case: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=371295

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103937

CD/DVD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106028

all this puts it at $103 more than i wanted to spend...but i can deal with that if its going to do what i want it to. what do you all think?

[Mr.Ferrari]

Your newegg links are broken...

[sccrmania1]

sorry, all fixed now.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Looks great, however, your choice, but you might want to look into a DVDRW instead of a combo drive. Your current choice wont burn cds or dvds.

[sccrmania1]

Originally Posted by Mr.Ferrari Looks great, however, your choice, but you might want to look into a DVDRW instead of a combo drive. Your current choice wont burn cds or dvds.

the laptop i have can burn dvd's and cd's, so its a minor inconvenience.

i do still have a question about the asus m2n-e. it seems like you need to upgrade the bios to 0203, and the reviewers say you need a floppy drive in order to do this. is that true? or can i burn the file onto a cd and then just stick in the cd when i boot up the new PC? thanks.

also, will the m2n-e be able to handle a vid card upgrade in the future? (say a year and a half or so). it probably won't be the top of the line card then but it will probably be better than the 7900gt.

[sccrmania1]

Ok so a few people have recommended this mobo to me and most of the reviews i have read on it give it praise; however, there have been reported bios problems in regards to memory compatibility. i am also planning on getting the corsair xms2 800ddr2 ram per these forums' recommendation.

the question i have is whether or not anyone can confirm one-way or another that A) the bios and memory compatibility should be fine as long as i update it and B) that after i update it the mobo will be able to run the memory at 800 and not have to run it at 667 or 533 - these are the 2 main problems i've seen reported but any other help in regards to the mobo would be welcomed.

this is my planned final build:

Mobo: ASUS M2N-E Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 Ultra MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131022

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Orleans 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3500CNBOX - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103633

HD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144701

VPU: eVGA 256-P2-N541-TX Geforce 7600GS 256MB GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130020

Memory: Corsair TWIN2X1024A-6400 1GB Kit DDR2-800 XMS2-6400 Xtreme Performance Memory w/Black Heat Spreader - Retail - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...ctCode=85025-1

CD/DVD Rom: LITE-ON Black ATAPI/E-IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model SHD-16P1S - OEM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106028

Floppy Drive: SAMSUNG Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16821103203

PSU: Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103937

Case: Thermaltake Mambo VC2000BNS Mid Tower Case (Black) - Retail w/o Power Supply - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=371295

Monitor: Viewsonic VA902B 19in LCD Monitor - Retail - http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...uctCode=231786

[Alaron]

I merged your new thread into your old one so we can follow along.

Your list looks good.

This is the RAM that is on Asus' QVL for DDR2-800 on the M2N-E: http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...ctCode=85025-4 You should be set using it.

[sccrmania1]

alright sorry bout the extra post.

and yeah i'm not as worried about being ABLE to update, the thing i'm more concerned with is what people have said in reviews about after they updated the bios they could only run the memory at 533 or 667 instead of the advertised 800.

[joshrogoff]

Originally Posted by sccrmania1 alright sorry bout the extra post. and yeah i'm not as worried about being ABLE to update, the thing i'm more concerned with is what people have said in reviews about after they updated the bios they could only run the memory at 533 or 667 instead of the advertised 800.

I've updated my BIOS to the newest version (0304) and have had no problems. The key is the memory you pick, stick with XMS2.

[sccrmania1]

ok cool - is there any real difference b/t the memory alaron listed and the memory Mr. F listed? they're both corsair xms2 800ddr2, just the latency is different and one says it was tested on intel mobo's.

hehe, it also looks like asus pulled the 0304 bios version off its site...i downloaded it onto my laptop before they did but it doesn't have a floppy drive, would putting the file onto my external HD and then hooking up the HD to the PC work - or do i need a floppy?

[Mr.Ferrari]

They are the same internal chips...The pro includes a L.E.D and some added monitoring features like voltage, temp, timings etc. Good sticks but I would get 2x512mb instead of a 1gb stick. Dual channel has increased performance gains.

[sccrmania1]

? both alaron's and your's are dual 512's

[Mr.Ferrari]

Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me these are the sticks he suggested ??

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...ctCode=85025-4 <----alaron

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produc...ctCode=85025-1 <---mine



Either are great sticks. I just prefer dual channel over single channel...Choice is up to u..

[Alaron]

Yup, the RAM I linked to is one 1GB stick. It is the exact one that is on the DDR2-800 QVL from the Asus website. They do not actually show the 512 sticks in their list. However, as Mr. Ferrari mentioned, it is the same internal chip, so it should work fine. I agree that dual-channel is the way to go.

[sccrmania1]

hmm weird, you're right. he must have changed it b/t our posts, i got this when i first clicked it: https://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Produ...tCode=85025-19

[Alaron]

I edited my post fairly quickly after it went up. Sorry for the confusion.

[sccrmania1]

alrighty well thanks guys, gonna go ahead and order it, i'll let ya know how or if (crosses fingers) everything works after its done. thanks again

[MaxRat]

I just did a build with the M2N-E and I had no problems....I used Patriot ram (4-4-4-12) it wasnt on the QVL list but it did work....

Yes this board is picky....I would also recomend the 939 platform over this one...In all the testing that has been done,...there isnt even a 10% gain in performance...and you just cant justify that gain with the high price of ddr2....

dont worry if you setup runs at ddr667 or so... the cpu fsb still is only 400mhz and the ram is running faster than that...at 800mhz the ram is running twice as fast as the cpu....there is NO advantage to that at the current time...none what so ever...

just be sure to read the manual and build it accordingly and you should be fine...enjoy...

[glc]

Yes, you need a floppy drive to SAFELY update your bios. Add one to your order or rob one out of an old computer, you don't HAVE to physically install it in your case if you don't want to.

[sccrmania1]

well the reason i got the socket am2 is so i could update the processor later on since amd is making socket am2's from here on out...or so i hear.

but anyways i got all the parts in, put it together, turned it on...felt elation for 9 seconds and utter dissapointment when it shut off 1 second later. i'm still trying to figure out whats up - i've done the whole connect the bare essentials while the mobo is outside the case thing and i get the same problem.

MaxRat what cpu/vpu did you use? i don't think its a ram problem i think its a cpu/mobo problem at this point - when i take the cpu out on power up it is on for 30 seconds before shutting off so i think it is detecting a malfunction when it checks the cpu and when the cpu isn't there it spends 20 more seconds looking for it. or i could be totally off. any help is appreciated.

[sccrmania1]

just an fyi for people thinking of buying a single core Athlon 64 socket am2 cpu. DO NOT buy ddr2 800 xms2. the mobo works fine with it, the cpu DOES NOT. You either need an Athlon 64 socket am2 (single core) with ddr2 667 (or less) OR Athlon 64 X2 socket am2 (dual core) and the ddr2 800 ram.

found this on corsair's forums and this should save some people a lot of headache if they are looking at socket am2's:

"Unfortunately, that is due to the limitation of the CPU's memory controller. For Socket AM2, all single-core CPUs (Athlon 64 or Sempron) will only support up to DDR2-667 memory. You will need to buy a dual-core CPU (Athlon 64 FX or X2) in order to even use DDR2-800 memory.

In addition, some DDR2-800 memory modules may not work reliably at slower speeds due to the nature of their IC chips."