!st time builder,check specs.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Yes, its probably one of thoes "i have no idea" sort of things but i do, this is my first time build and would like some tips. (All this is retail, no OEM's) I would like my computer to be a good gaming computer, well, resonable, and good for future upgrades.

System Specs:

Mobo: Asus A8n-Sli Premium Skt 939 nForce 4

CPU: Amd Athlon 3700+ Skt 939 San Diego (2.2 Ghz) L2 1mb cache

Case: Aspire X-Dreamer II Black Mid Tower Gaming Case (also read a few good reviews too) Also includes a 420w PSU

Memory: x1 Aries 1Gb PC3200 400Mhz Dimm

HDD: Western Digital Cavier SE 250 Gb 16 mb Cache SATA II 7200RPM

Video Card: Connect 3D Ati Radeon x1600 Pro 256 Mb ddr VGA DVI TV Pci-Express x16

Floppy Drive: Mitsumi FA402a 3.5" FDD With 7 in 1 card reader (Hay, why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone?)

Dvd Drive: Lite-On SOH 52x32x52x32x16x IDE CDRW/DVD Retail (i dont get how it repeats 2 "52x32x52x32" maybe its cause its a combi??)

Any more specs, just ask, im in a rush now so i may of missed somethings THANKS ALL!

[Foosa]

I would go with a different brand of ram. but that is just me.

and i would also go with either a cheaper case without a psu and buy a good one(antec enermax seasonic...) instead of the one that comes with your case. Or go with this, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129155

Psu is not something to be skimped on. It can die on you and take some of your other parts(mobo cpu video card...) with it. that is a very bad thing to happen.


what is the main purpose of this computer? And how much are you looking to spend on it?

[swampdonkey]

I second the switch to a better PSU. Look at brands like, enermax, fortron source, thermaltake, antec. You'll probably want something in the 500w area.

For the videocard- If this machine is used primarily for gaming I'd suggest a Geforce 7600GT. In all benchmarks they surpass ATI's offerings for just a few more $.

Ram- I suggest names like Kingston, Crucial, and Corsair, preferably Corsair's XMS line. You'll want to get a dual channel kit of 2 512mb sticks for greater performance.

The case Foosa picked out is a nice one, and comes with a great powersupply.

Good choice on the motherboard, however you may want to upgrade to an X2 dual core processor if your budget allows.

hope that helps.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

What, aries isnt good??? Oh, okay, ill try to reconsider.

Yeah, i thought the psu subject would turn to that, couldnt i just take out the Psu?? I like the Case, its real good, with leds, and a see through window? Its a 420 w psu, but ill look into it.

"For the videocard- If this machine is used primarily for gaming I'd suggest a Geforce 7600GT. In all benchmarks they surpass ATI's offerings for just a few more $."

Humm, i work in £ so i dont know how much it will differ, but ill look.#

"Ram- I suggest names like Kingston, Crucial, and Corsair, preferably Corsair's XMS line. You'll want to get a dual channel kit of 2 512mb sticks for greater performance. "

Yeah, but wont it be in DDR2 not dual memory?

"Psu is not something to be skimped on. It can die on you and take some of your other parts(mobo cpu video card...) with it. that is a very bad thing to happen."

Yeah, i read that in the book in my siggy. Ill look at the one ya give me.......okay, looked, thats just 30w more, does that make a difference??

Thanks ya'll!

[swampdonkey]

Yes you can swap out the psu that came with that case for a better one. Wattage on powersupplies has nothing to do with the quality of the unit. There are other things to consider, such as the output of amps, number of rails, etc. Choosing a low quality power supply can ruin your entire system, or you could be running with it for years. You are taking a chance when you don't go with a quality power supply from a brand name manufacturer.

Dual channel ram is not DDR2. In a dual channel configuration, you are running two identical sticks of ram for increased performance.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

"X2 dual core processor if your budget allows."

Oh yeah, i v. much doubt it, i looked, but they are too expensive, ill look again. Also, the computer i wrote down its just over the boarderline! lol so, no, idont have deep pockets! lol Okay, just looked, no i cant afford that. Also, luckly the mobo does except it, so i could upgrad sometime in the future...

"Geforce 7600GT" Just looked, it extends my budget by a little, couldnt i just ugrade after?? or would that be a waste of money? Also how much difference, is it just a benchmark thing, or can you really tell? thx

Also, these 2 changes, will it make a hell of alot of difference, cause i doubt ill do heavyweight gaming,lightweight mostly. cause i useally wait til they go down before i buy them LOL so itll give slack on how much power i need. Also if you really do reccommend, i could save a little more.

[jayb1234]

No reason to get an SLI motherboard if you are using an ATI video card.

Don't even think about using that Aspire power supply, one of the worst brands on the market and only ATX with 18A on a single 12V rail.

It is not capable of powering the rest of the parts.

You need an ATX 2.0 dual rail PSU from a quality brand.

The best deal you are going to find for a case with a quality PSU that will handle the rest of the components is the Sonata II mentioned above.

Check the Asus website for the QVL list of tested RAM for the motherboard.

Never heard of Aries RAM, but from the price, it is probably generic junk.

You left the OS off your list. The OEM version of XP Home w/SP2 will be fine unless you need some specific feature of XP Pro or want the Media Center Edition.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

"Dual channel ram is not DDR2. In a dual channel configuration, you are running two identical sticks of ram for increased performance."

Yeah, but its Athlon, and i think it only supports ddr 2? or am i mistaken?

"Yes you can swap out the psu that came with that case for a better one. Wattage on powersupplies has nothing to do with the quality of the unit. There are other things to consider, such as the output of amps, number of rails, etc. Choosing a low quality power supply can ruin your entire system, or you could be running with it for years. You are taking a chance when you don't go with a quality power supply from a brand name manufacturer."

And id prefer that, the case i want is good, and id like to stick with it.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

"No reason to get an SLI motherboard if you are using an ATI video card."

Errr, lost. Do i have to get and SLi video card? humm, im stuck. Sorry

[swampdonkey]

Originally Posted by Chris_Rootes_Wizard "X2 dual core processor if your budget allows." Oh yeah, i v. much doubt it, i looked, but they are too expensive, ill look again. Also, the computer i wrote down its just over the boarderline! lol so, no, idont have deep pockets! lol Okay, just looked, no i cant afford that. Also, luckly the mobo does except it, so i could upgrad sometime in the future... "Geforce 7600GT" Just looked, it extends my budget by a little, couldnt i just ugrade after?? or would that be a waste of money? Also how much difference, is it just a benchmark thing, or can you really tell? thx Also, these 2 changes, will it make a hell of alot of difference, cause i doubt ill do heavyweight gaming,lightweight mostly. cause i useally wait til they go down before i buy them LOL so itll give slack on how much power i need. Also if you really do reccommend, i could save a little more.

That's ok. The 7600GT really is faster and you will see a performance increase, however if you are just doing light gaming the X1600 should be fine. The X2 dual core is much faster when it comes to multitasking. Yes, there is always room for future upgrades.

[swampdonkey]

Originally Posted by Chris_Rootes_Wizard "No reason to get an SLI motherboard if you are using an ATI video card." Errr, lost. Do i have to get and SLi video card? humm, im stuck. Sorry

Good catch there.

SLi (Scaleable Link Interface) is nVidia's technology for running two identical video cards in a system for increased performance. To do this, you must have a SLI certified motherboard with two PCI-e slots, two identical nvida graphics cards, and a beefy powersupply to run it all. So to save money you are better off buying a motherboard with only one PCI-e slot.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Okay, thx. I think im going to go away and completely re do parts of my list, lol

So things to change:::

CASE

PSU

RAM (?) (i'v also seen a good few reviews on this tho--internet)

VIDEO CARD

So, yeah, ill change processor, and video card for certin. (May aswell do it now, and not waste money in the future, right) More saving, DAMN! lol i hate saving.
And the case and PSU Got it. Grrrrr, more ajustments.

[jayb1234]

AMD 939 systems use DDR RAM, not DDR2.

AMD socket AM2 and Intel LGA775 use DDR2.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

SLi (Scaleable Link Interface) is nVidia's technology for running two identical video cards in a system for increased performance. To do this, you must have a SLI certified motherboard with two PCI-e slots, two identical nvida graphics cards, and a beefy powersupply to run it all. So to save money you are better off buying a motherboard with only one PCI-e slot.

So, basicay, your saying i need x2 7600GT, right? (cause it has: 2 PCI Express x16 | 1 PCI Express x1 | 3 PCI | 1 PCI Express x4)

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

"AMD 939 systems use DDR RAM, not DDR2.
AMD socket AM2 and Intel LGA775 use DDR2"

Errrrrrrr, so you saying i go with x2 512mb, in a double configuration, or i could use 2 1gbs etc? Okay, i can do that, of corse, extending my budget, again.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

OK! Ill go over everything i need to re-do

Buy a case with no psu

Buy a psu, 2.0 double railings, branded name : eerrrrr help.

x2 RAM, in a dual configuration, say x2 512 or 1gb etc.

"You left the OS off your list. The OEM version of XP Home w/SP2 will be fine unless you need some specific feature of XP Pro or want the Media Center Edition."

Errrrr, OEM and retail, whats the difference, all you need is a C.D. And i want to run it on home edition. and you can download sp/2. i think. yes.

Any thing elce??!!!

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Oh, and x2 video card? orrrrr what elce can i use that dont requre 2?

i hope im not annoying you with my q's, soory if i am

[jayb1234]

The two main differences between OEM are Retail are that Retail can be removed from the original build and moved to another machine in the future while OEM will be limited to the machine it is installed on and that Retail will get you a limited number of support cases from microsoft.

As far as SP2, it will be on any of the current versions.

The download is 250+Mb and takes forever on a slow connection.

As far as the video cards you do not need two.

That is only an optional upgrade that isn't really cost effective anyway.

SLI is the Nvidia version and Crossfire is the ATI version.

Either one of those will add around 25-50 or more dollars to the cost of the motherboard.

You can run a single card from either ATI or Nvidia on any motherboard whether it is SLI, Crossfire or neither one.

[swampdonkey]

For ram, you dont HAVE to go with a dual channel kit, but you will see better performance with 2 512mb sticks thatn 1 1gb stick.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Oh......Well im re-doing my list, the mobo i now got selected only has 1 pci-e x16 slot, so not complications, ill write it all down one finished. Thanks.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Hey all, is this a good PSU? It seems to be:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...e=ZXh0ZW5kZWQ=

Oh and my motherboard is :

Asus A8N-E Socket 939 NVNF4 Ultra ATX Green Sound GigaLan USB 2.0 FSB 1000 SATA R

Website addy:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...e=ZXh0ZW5kZWQ=

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Ps i am going with x2 ram.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Or this PSU?

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/115549/rb/21364768026

[swampdonkey]

I've never heard of Akasa but I believe Hiper is a quality brand.

Check out this thread- http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=101151

and this

http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

[freakitchen]

Both Akasa and Hiper make quality units. I'd recommend the Hiper, only because I have one myself, and have been very happy with it.

FK

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

What, the same one, or samebrand? Cause i also live in england.

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

Okay Heres The Full Specs:

Mobo:

Asus A8N-E Socket 939 NVNF4 Ultra ATX Green Sound GigaLan USB 2.0 FSB 1000SATA R

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...e=ZXh0ZW5kZWQ=

CPU:

AMD Athlon 64 Skt 939 (ADA3700BNBOX) 3700 CPU San Diego Retail inc Heat Sink Fan 3 Years Warranty

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=90949

Case:

XION II Black(Green LED)
Steel Mid Tower Gaming Case
No PSU

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...e=ZXh0ZW5kZWQ=

Memory:

Kingston 1GB DDR PC3200
400MHz Non-ECC CL3 (3-3-3)
184pin DIMM's
(Kit of 2 x 512mb)

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/49296

HDD:

Hitachi 0A31636 Deskstar
T7K250 250GB SATA II
7200rpm 8mb

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/87671

Video Card:

Sapphire Radeon X1600 PRO
512M DDR2 PCI-E VGA / TVO / DVI-I

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/113205

CD/DVD Drive:

Sony CRX320AE 52x32x52x16
Beige Retail Kit with Nero

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/101808

Floppy Drive:

Mitsumi 7-in-1 Floppy Drive / Media Drive
SM/MS/MD/CF/MM/SD Silver

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=61876

PSU:

Hiper 580W Type-R Modular PSU - Blue

http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/98564/rb/21366440806

Click on the Website for a pic and more info.

[Alaron]

Looks pretty good. I would try to sqeeze in the X2 3800+, it is another 30 pounds, but the performance benefits would be worth it. http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/94640/rb/21367000336

I would switch the hard drive to Western Digital or Seagate, Hitachi's are not the best quality. Go with one that has a 16mb cache for a bit of a boost.

Look into DVD Burners, so you can burn DVDs.

Don't forget Windows XP.

[freakitchen]

What, the same one, or samebrand? Cause i also live in england.

Exactly the same one (but in black).

I concur with Alaron's suggested amendments to your list, particularly squeezing the 3800+ X2 into your budget.

FK

[Chris_Rootes_Wizard]

"Looks pretty good. I would try to sqeeze in the X2 3800+, it is another 30 pounds, but the performance benefits would be worth it. http://www.ebuyer.com/UK/product/94640/rb/21367000336"

Hummm, okay, ill look thanks!

I would switch the hard drive to Western Digital or Seagate, Hitachi's are not the best quality. Go with one that has a 16mb cache for a bit of a boost."

I couldnt find any, thats NON OEM! garh, its annoying!

Look into DVD Burners, so you can burn DVDs."

It has nero, that can burn dvds? right.

"Don't forget Windows XP"

Im going to build the system, and save at the same time, then i will buy it! thx

"Exactly the same one (but in black).

I concur with Alaron's suggested amendments to your list, particularly squeezing the 3800+ X2 into your budget.

FK"

Kool!

ill look into thoes suggestions, then get back to ya'll thanks loads tho guys!