New Build for Musician

[gods_son_is_me]

I'm a musician and had a crappy Compaq. It (the processor) died, and now I'm building my own, since I do have experience working on the inside of PCs. Here's what I got so far. I've done TONS of homework, as of what is the best brands and compatible brands, as well as brands I like to stick with, like AMD and NVIDIA chips. Well, here she goes.

Ps. Nothing has been put together yet. It's all resting in a cool area, or waiting to be perchased (from newegg.com).

Case and PSU
hec 6C28BB8SX585 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 585W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811121002
http://www.hec-group.com.tw/model.ph...tower&model=6c

Motherboard
GA-M57SLI-S4 (rev. 2.0) NVIDIA® nForce 570 SLI chipset
http://www.gigabyte.us/Support/Mothe...ProductID=2287

CPU
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Windsor 2.6GHz Socket AM2 89W Dual-Core Processor Model ADA5200CZBOX - Retail
OR
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ Brisbane 2.5GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADO4800DDBOX - Retail

CPU Cooler
GIGABYTE GH-PDU22-SC EVR Sleeve CPU Cooler
LINK

Opitical Drives
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106057

SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16821103116

RAM
I have 1 DDR1 1 GB and 1 DDR1 512 card. Both Kingston.
Plus,
Update A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820211066

Hard Drives
1 Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (brand new)

2 X 80 GB already formated SATA HDDs that can be reformated. One Samsung, and One WD.

1 80 GB IDE Seagate HDD. Has about 60 GB of music that has to be preserved. haha

1 40 GB IDE WD HDD that came with the Compaq. Has semi-valuable info on it. I'll probably toss it or give it away once the stuff is off of it.

Video Card
eVGA NVIDIA e-GeForce FX 5500 256 MB, 128 bit DDR AGP 8X VGA/DVI/TV Video Card
http://www.amazon.com/eVGA-NVIDIA-e-.../dp/B0002F8SOS
Already owned and used in the Compaq.

OS
Windows XP Pro 32-bit SP2
http://edirectbuy.net/index.php?productID=120
I also have the 6 floppy boot discs for XP Pro. I don't understand those.
I plan on getting 64-bit later.

Recycled keyboard, opitical mouse, 5.1 surround sound speakers, and 20" LCD monitor. Also, got tons of fans for the case and hard drives that the case manufacturer recogded.
----------------
Now with the case and PSU, I'm confident those will suit my needs after research, and being that it's open and ready to be filled. I also already have the motherboard, but can be taken back, but I like what it has to offer.

Now the 2 processors I chose seemed perfect for the motherboard, but with overclocking, would the higher processor be needed, or even show a speed difference when not OCed than the other? I mean that's 30-40 bucks I could save.

Now I just read some where that a floppy isn't needed, unless doing diagnostics, which I know could be needed. And I have those XP boou-up floopys I though I'd need. But Do I need those?

All the devices come with the driver discs, except for the used HDDs. Is this Ok?

My biggest confusion is the initial boot-up. Do I use the motherboard's disc, or BIOS or whatever. haha. Or do I pop in the Windows XP pro floppys, or do i even need those. Or do I go to the site and get the BIOS flash upgrade and put on a floppy?

And with the Windows XP OEM that I'm getting, I sure those can get critical updates right?

And lastly, if the 320 GB hard drive gonna work? I've seen stuff that says XP SP2 can't recognize anything over 132. And if it does, its "splits" the drive. I don't like that idea, nor do I want my 320 GB spit into 2 or 3 drives. haha. If it's split, I dont want it. Or could I add it later, and would that be a problem being so big?

I gave A LOT of info here. Tell me what cha think... Tips. References. Ideas. Walkthrough for the bootup. haha. Thanks.

[BrokenKingdom]

Well first off the ddr11 is a no go. Old hat my friend and of no use in a new build IMO. The case is "ok" if you are set on that exact case but I saw no mention of brand name for the PSU and for the price I doubt it will be a quality unit so I would suggest dropping some scratch for a good PSU.

The board has some limitations I am not partial to and I'm sure you could find a better solution and probably at a better price for what you need. The ASUS M2A-VM AM2 is a micro board at about half the price you lose a 16x pcie slot but IMO sli isn't worth it.

That video card is a no go being that it's an AGP and the board you picked out doesn't support it. Actually there aren't many boards around that still support AGP that I know of. You might have to spring for a new video card, or if you pick up that micro Motherboard I believe it has integrated video that should be pretty decent (as far as integrated goes).

Neither of the two cpu's that you had suggested will need an after market heat sink/fan the factory one will be more then sufficient. The 2.5 Brisbane core is a great deal depends on your pref really if you have an extra $15 spring for the 65w 2.6 black edition.

As far as the ram goes I'm not a big fan of A-Data but there are all kinds of great deals on ddr2 right now. I happen to like g.skill as a cheap reliable memory but I believe corsair has some cheap value ram out http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145590

That lite-on drive is great they make some really great, quality products.

I used to be a fan of Western digital, until I started using seagate hd's and now they are my favorite by far. The 320Gb is fine you will be able to use it just like any other HD. Your older IDE hard drives that have your files on them might have to be brought to a different machine then burnt to dvd.

Just plop in your win XP disc after putting everything together and if need be format the drives then install windows. After install (about an hour) install necessary drivers (motherboard ect.). The hard drives won't need special drivers.

Sorry for not getting into much detail but your post is pretty heavy and you didn't mention anything about price or needs. How much are you looking to spend? What will you be using it for?

[gods_son_is_me]

How much are you looking to spend? What will you be using it for?

So far, I've spent just about 200 on the motherboard, the case, the DVD drive, some fans, and the processor fan.

So you recogmend I send that CPU fan back? Not a problem.

Checked the specs on the PSU, it's this, which seemed alright:
http://www.hec-group.com.tw/model.ph..._psu&model=ace

I got another $300 to work with.
Floppy drive, 320 GB HDD, RAM, and Processor. Maybe another CD burner.

Ultimately, I need a PC that can run mulitple music programs as once (FL Studio, iTunes, and Cakewalk). I'm a music producer. I have a MPC 2500 and a keyboard that need to be hooked up too. But thats simple to add on. I run a music website and need tons of space for music videos.

[Masaki 7-11]

This list of parts should work great with your other parts that you've bought so far and won't require you to return the fan (you get a faster processor which comes without a fan):

SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive Windows 98SE/ ME/ 2000/ XP
$7.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$84.99

ASUS EN7300GT SILENT/HTD/256M GeForce 7300GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card
$56.99

OCZ Vista Upgrade 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2VU8002GK
$47.99

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ 2.8GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor Model ADO5400IAA5DO
$99.99

Subtotal: $297.95

I've added a fanless video card to your system since I'm not sure if your motherboard has integrated graphics (the motherboard in your first post doesn't have a video card). The video card is much faster than a geforce FX5500 and costs about the same. You can add another one for SLI later on if you do gaming. All parts that are in the list are from newegg, if possible get all your parts from there since they have really good return policies, and good prices.

[Masaki 7-11]

XP SP2 will not split the drive if it's over 132GB it only happens with XP SP1 or earlier. When you boot up the computer after it's assembled, and there are no problems with it (if you have a display on your monitor it normally means you don't have problems). All you need to do is load up the windows disc and install windows. After windows is installed, you'll need to install the drivers for Audio, LAN, and Video Card.

[hitchface]

Good choice on the CPU. Competing Intel CPUs aren't actually competitively priced in that range. Matter of fact, the next highest performer from Intel is almost twice as expensive.

Don't bother with Value RAM. Corsair XMS2 is so cheap it hurts. 2 gigs will do you fine.

I second the M2A-VM motherboard. It is cheap, it runs really stable, and has onboard video. The downside is that there isn't much room for expansion. Since you are a musician, a sound card is much more preferable to the AC'97 onboard crap that comes standard, so keep a sound card in mind too. While expensive, the Asus Xonar D2X looks really good for music.

[gods_son_is_me]

Thanks Masaki.

I've actually, like 1 hour ago, decided to go with XP Pro 64-Bit all the way. Got a copy for 64 bucks.

So are you telling me there's no video card for this board? Serious?...Due, you're right. Only a f-n SERIAL port!

[Katreat]

If you have not purchased the HD yet, and cash is not to tight, the 500 G units are about the best GB/$ point right now and you say you need alot so you might check that out. Your older IDE HD you can buy external enclosures and use them for transfering data from comp to comp, they work very nice even on USB, much better than copying to CDs.

Kat

[hitchface]

Are you also accounting for audio interfaces and such? If you already have them, great. If not, you'll need to factor additional cost in there.

[gods_son_is_me]

What's a good reference for a audio card?

My current card is a this one: http://www.amazon.com/Creative-Sound.../dp/B0000AJ68Z

I'm SURE there are better ones.

It will need a 5.1 surround sound connection or better, and MIDI connector for the keyboard and/or MPC 2500. Creative is my brand, unless theres better.

And this is actually the video card i have. Seems alright to me.
http://www.amazon.com/Verto-Geforce-...dp/B000F001IQ/
But the ones recommended are nice.

[hitchface]

If you wanna run MIDI into a PC, you might as well snag an audio interface. There might be an upper-end creative card out there that supports that, but you'd have to browse creative's site to be sure. I'm not sure if Asus Xonar D2X will have the option of audio interfacing, but if it does, I'd hedge my bets there.

[gods_son_is_me]

I forgot to thank all you guys for this help. This build went so smoothly with these great recommendations.