leet Gaming Machine : $1000 Budget

[Pooh Bear]

Project Tinker!

Thanks for taking a glance at the Thread everyone!

First off I’d like to state that I know absolutely nothing about building a computer. My knowledge is very limited and rather dull when it comes to that area. Luckily I do have a lot of friends around me to help me with the build, when I get to that stage. However, for now, I’m still stuck at the design stage.

The computer will be used for intense Gaming (Halo 2, CS source, Doom3 ext). The computer will pretty much strictly be limited to that. The computer will also be ‘highly’ upgradeable. I plan on upgrading the computer at least once a month. Most of the upgrades will have to do with the AMD processor and mobo as needed.

On top of 'performance' (Which is number 1) I am also looking for looks. I want something that looks sharp.

At the moment I have a ‘stock’ HP computer from the stone ages. I’ve been able to recover the DVD, RW-CD, FLOOPY, MONITER, and MODEM from the computer. The Processor, Memory and HD are shot straight to hell. The Sound card looks like absolute crap on top of that. The power source ‘watt’ size has yet to be determined. Though my guess is that it’s very low. None of the parts off this computer are by any means ‘great’ they are just ‘ok’. They will be used in till I can find the money to replace them with better pieces.

So far this is what I’ve been able to come up with as far as my machine goes. I’m not positive if I have covered every item I will need to build the computer. The OS software will most likely be XP pro/home. Though I’ve been told to go with pro.

Over clocking will be addressed at a later date. For now I will not be touching on that subject because of my lack of understanding of all the parts and what exactly it does. In till I know what my Machine will be capable of I don’t plan on doing it.

Here’s the list, Comes in right around 950. I am hoping to lower the price by at least 200. Most of these parts will not be purchased in till around Christmas when the Special offers come out/Money comes in.

ALL SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOMED. I need advice on what not to get, what to get, comments about parts listed and other things like that.

THE LIST!

Processors - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

I’ve chosen to go AMD because of all the good things I’ve heard about it. It is also one of the most popular Processors to the gaming community.

Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...31-510R&depa=0

I was told to go with this Mobo because of the ’extreme’ upgrade ability. As far as I’m aware is that this Mobo offers a 939 socket which will allow me to use higher end AMD processors as they come out.

Memory - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Seemed to have good reviews and be relatively inexpensive for two 512 sticks.

Video Card - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

From my understanding it’s relatively good. Though I’m not sure yet.

Sound Card - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

I want ’clear’ crisp sound. And I doub’t a mobo built in sound card can give me what I want.

Case - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this case. On top of being ’nice’ looking it also offers a unique style and temperature gauge system.

FAN control - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

To control 4 of the 5 Fan’s I will be using. Bottom line is, this thing just looks PIMP. (I do need. It becomes unbearably hot over here at times and I like to be able to pump my FANS at full blast if needed.)

EXTRA FANS x3 - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

They Match the other two fan’s and will fit in the other 3 required spaces.

REPLACEMENT Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Built by the CASE maker so pretty much guaranteed to fit. Also has a very nice look along with the intense 500watts it pushes out compared to the crappy amount the case one pushes out. I’ll need that with all these ‘lights’ and power! ( I think )


THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK THE TIME TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR IDEAS AND INPUT! If it wasn't for you this Project Tinker would never get off the ground.

[kram 2.0]

Welcome to PC Mech forums

Let's take it step by step. First of all,

I’ve chosen to go AMD because of all the good things I’ve heard about it. It is also one of the most popular Processors to the gaming community.

Good that you have a choice...though just for the record, I should say both Intel and AMD play games fine (look at me). Go ahead with the Athlon 64 3000+ - it's a powerful processor.

MOBO - first of all, it's incompatible with the MOBO - it's a socket 939 MOBO while the processor is Socket 754. I'd recommend going with the Asus K8V-SE Deluxe - the rough compatible equivelant to the A8V. It's also retail, not a refurb - an important thing to consider.

On the video card, go ahead and down that to the Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB while the performance difference is very innegligible, the price difference is substantial. Can't say anything besides it's a better deal.

Sound card - get rid of that or upgrade. That card won't fair better than the integrated sound on the motherboard...perhaps worse. With the money saved from the video card, perhaps an upgrade to an Creative SB Audigy2 ZS is good? The sound on the 24-bit creative sound cards are amazing - first hand experience.

Good case...but bad power supply. Aspire PSU, which you also linked to as the replacement, is a very weak instable PSU. Though it saids 500W, the manufactureres may have tricked you into testing that at 40 F...impossible temperatures inside a computer so its efficiency is drastically decreased to around a net total output of 300 W? Not only may it be insufficient, it may be dangerous and harmful to other components...avoid Aspire PSUs (for a complete list, see Stick Thread Power Supply Reference Guide for more info.). I'd recommend the Enlight 360W PSU instead - it's a very stable powerful PSU at a relatively low price.


Besides that, looks great.

Hope that helps,
kram

[Pooh Bear]

Wonderful Advice and I'm going to check into it as soon as possible ( www.newegg.com isn't opening for me at the moment. ).

Thanks for the heads up on the Aspire PSU. I had no clue about any of that. So only 320 watts will be enough? I want everything to run smoothy and I have no clue about anything in this area( or any other ). So I'm just asking casue I'm awfully curious to learn.

Now for the rumors I hear...

Now this is all good and fun, but I have a question. I’ve heard stuff (No clue what’s true.) But that AMD was switching ‘all’ their new Processors over to 939 Socket rather then 754. So by buying a 754 Socket setup would that be limiting me from upgrading to a higher end Processor all together?

If I can find myself a 939 socket Processor for a rather inexpensive price then I’ll switch over to it with no regret. But if I do that, should I still get the http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...31-510R&depa=0 Mobo or should I pick up a different one altogether?

Once again Thanks Much
Pooh

[kram 2.0]

Yes, AMD has plans of making the Socket 939 their mainstream socket - transfering all their processor including those capable of 32-bit processing (Semprons) over to the 939-pin sockets. The Socket 754 are going to become budget processors which will in turn, still be continued, but not to the extent you may want to see it as.

If you want your comptuer to stay "upgradable", you'll need a Socket 939 processor to match the Socket 939 Asus A8V MOBO you have. On top of that, I should say that that is a refurb motherboard - somewhat unrecommendable, though others may have had dissimilar thoughts about it. If you need to, go ahead and get the Asus A8V DX for only a few bucks more (129 USD + 2 USD ship) and get yourself a processor that would physically fit into that motherboard - like a AMD Athlon 64 939-pin 3000+ at 192 USD and be sure to purhcase a HSF along with that - I'm not too sure along the lines of HSF - I always try to buy retail which there is no retail 939-pin Athlon 64 processor at a reasonable price

For the PSU, go with the Enlight 360W PSU as mentioned above - it'll power your system fine.

kram

[Pooh Bear]

More Curious Questions.

I bring this stuff up because on another forum there are a few people
debating on which brand of processor to go with.

My computers starting to take a lot better shape now. Lots of ideas have been
Flowing in from everyone and all the forums. I seem to notice everyone has their
Own personal opinion on the Mobo and processor combo.

Personally I’m not sure what’s going between Intel and AMD and which is better
And which is worse. But I think it’s like comparing apples to apples.

In my opinion I think Intel and AMD are both great. I run an Intel Pentium 4 2.80 Ghz on my laptop
and I enjoy it very much. But I guess what my question is, Why shouldn’t I be looking
At AMD processors at the moment? Why 754 rather then 939? ]

And I have no idea what to ask about Intel? To be honest I understand
AMD more then Intel.

I'm open to do either one if I can get better performance and be more upgradeable.

The biggest thing I want to work around is Performance and making my
setup upgradeable. The cheaper I can make this the better off I am going to be.


Someone said I should get 4 gigs of Ram….. To me that sounds like overload.
At the moment I run at 512mb on this computer and it’s very fast. I was going
To go 512mbx2 instead. Any comments or suggestions on this?

[AgentVX]

4 gigs of RAM definitely is overkill. Even for gaming, at this point in time 1GB is enough. AMD is actually a good choice for a gaming system that will be highly upgradeable, because if you go Intel now you'd have to choose between the LGA 775 Socket and the 'old' Socket 478. The 775 will be more upgradeable in the future, but the processors and motherboards cost much more than S478. So you have a dilemma there. I would say that since you've already chosen AMD, stick with them and go for Socket 939.

[roomwithamoose]

First off: Welcome to the Mech!

Second off: you are right on about comparing apples to apples when it comes to AMD and Intel. Honestly, I go with AMD because they are a bit cheaper (more bang for the buck, IMHO), and because I understand them better than Intel. Don't know why, but I just do.

Right now, if you're talking about upgradability, then AMD may be the way to go. Lately, they have really been moving, with the new 939pin 64 cpus out, and all the other advances they are making. They just seem to be coming up with new stuff. And you definitely want to go with 939, it wouldn't make sense not to. I should have waited a few months to build mine, but I'm stuck with the Athlon XP 3200+, which is great, but limited.

When it comes down to it, overall opinion is what makes the difference when choosing between Intel and AMD.

As for the RAM, you are fine with 1 gig. 4 gigs is a complete waste of money. That would actually slow down the computer, with more RAM addresses than the cpu knows what to do with. If you feel like and you have the cash, go ahead with 1.5 gigs.

Now, as advice from one relatively newbie (me) to a newbie (you?), you should really look into OCing. When I was in your position, I didn't want to worry about it. I wanted to learn how to build a computer first, then do Ocing. So I did that, and now I know what overclocking is, how to do it, and what it accomplishes, but my computer can't do it. Well, it can, just not as much as I'd like. So you may want to read up, and decide now if you will OC in the future. I wish I had done that!

[kram 2.0]

If you understand that AMD may perform better than Intel, go ahead with AMD - both of them are good if both sides are adamantly fighting over it. I should bring up the forum rules here that in this forum, you cannot debate a topic - this includes Intel vs. AMD. I will say this - I have an Intel and it's fantastic. AMD Athlon 64s also work brilliantly. Both of them are good - it's your choice - don't be pressure to personal opinions there. I am adamantly an Intel person in mind, but debating is something we don't do.

4 gigs of RAM is a bit overboard. Go with one gig (512x2) or 512MB (256x2=512).

I also see that someone ahead of me recommended overclocking...that I do not agree with - overclocking has its effects and are not generally recommended for newer people. Buy the parts and see that later.

kram

[timbit]

i'm thinking you might want a hard drive (just a guess ). depending on how much space you need, i'd say that the Seagate Barracuda 160G SATA would be a good choice.

The biggest thing I want to work around is Performance and making my setup upgradeable. The cheaper I can make this the better off I am going to be.

To be honest I understand AMD more then Intel.

For upgradeability on an AMD platform right now, you really have no choice except for socket 939... there really isn't much of a performance difference between 939 and 754, but if you want to keep your mobo and put a new proc in down the road, you'll want 939. i chose 754 because i usually upgrade my proc and mobo at the same time (there also weren't any cheap 939 procs out yet). however, now that the 3000 for 939 is out, it really is the best way to go.
as for performance and "cheapness" this really is not a bad system, esp with the cheaper 939 proc kram linked to.

also, don't worry about the psu fitting in your case... your case is atx, so as long as its an atx power supply, it will fit.

make sure you get a decent set of speakers if you are going to get an add-on sound card. no point in getting a nice sound card and then throwing a crappy set of speakers on it. doesn't have to be a $500 set to be nice either... though i'm no expert.

P.S. after you've revised your list of parts, post the list up again so we can look at it....

[Pooh Bear]

Semi-Final List BUILD


Processor - AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz, 512KB L2 Cache 939-Pin 64-bit Processor - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Cheapest 939 AMD processor on the market at the moment. Also very reliable Processor from what I hear. I still need a HSF or something?

Mobo - ASUS "A8V Deluxe" VIA K8T800 Pro Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Chose this Mobo because it has been highly suggested to me.

Video Card - Unknown Still debating on what to get. (See bottom)
Unknown

Memory - Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 512MBx2 DDR PC-3200
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

So far I've yet to hear anything about this Memory. Is it good is it bad? I don't want to buy a gig of Memory and have it turn out being about as worthless as 65mb of memory.

Hard Drive - Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Good Hard Drive from what I can tell. What does OEM Drive only mean? Does that effect me in anyway having to buy/replace something?

Case - Aspire X-Dreamer II(Black) ATX Mid-Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, With Window, Model "ATXB4KLW-BK/350"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Nice looking Case from what I can tell. I needed an open front so I could fit the Fan control in. Also it just looks rather sharp. The power supply blows and I'm tossing it.

PSU - Enlight ATX 360W P4 Power Supply, Model "EN-8361934A1"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Just about everyone I talked to recommended this PSU. Only a few said I needed more Power considering the Case, Fan controls, Video Card, and other things.

Fan Control - ENERMAX Aluminum (SILVER + an additional Black Aluminum front face plate) Multifunction Panel, Model "UC-A8FATR4"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Looks sharp and I've read some good Reviews about it. Also like that it comes with an Additional Black Aluminum Front face plate to match my case.

Fans - CoolerMaster Blue 80mm Neon LED Fan, Model "TLF-R82"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

The fans have good reviews, Fit the case in size and style. Goes well the the glowing Blue theme. I'm getting 3 fans. Two for the back of the case and one for the bottom front.



That's the list up till now. The video card though is still being debated. I want the best quality I can get for a rather low price. I need a Video card that can handle Doom3, Halo2, CS:source and future games yet to come. Any suggestions?

These are a few of the cards people have already suggested:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Have I forgotten something? Is there something else I need to buy to be able to build this computer? I have all your normal 'household' tools. Are there special things I need to get? Wires, Glues, Chemicals, Grease ext.

[timbit]

ok, hard drive... no problem getting oem, i think you'll miss out on the little booklet that tells you that you have bought a hard drive lol. western digitals can be a bit loud (mine isn't quiet) but you've got 5 case fans, so i doubt you care all that much about noise lol.

about the vid cards... the first one is good, the second one is not worth the increase in price, and the third one will not fit in your motherboard. the 9800 pro (128mb, 256bit buswidth version) is a very good bargain card. if you had a bit more money i'd say something like the 6800 (agp version). it's about $70 more though. personally... i'd go with the 9800 pro. other people may know more about this though.

ram is good, corsair is a good company.

yes, you will need a heatsink. i like the one i have in my sig, but there are more efficient ones. look at companies like thermalright, vantec, zalman, speeze. you want a hsf combo that will fit k8 cpus or sckt 939. materials like copper are best.

only tool you'll need is a philips screwdriver. it's pretty easy, actually setting up the computer. just take your time.

[Pooh Bear]

*EDIT*

Now I’m pretty much stuck on an AMD 3000+ 939 Processor, but just to make sure…

How about this setup. (There wouldn’t be any price change if I did this. However, I’d have to change a lot of things most likely. )

Processor - Intel LGA775 Pentium 4 550 3.4 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE


Video Card - Chaintech nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB DDR3, 128-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, PCI-Express, Model "SE6600G"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE


Yeah, I was leaning towards the SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK -OEM as well. But then someone said that SAPPHIRE is the lower end Video cards and tend to have the most problems with them and I should stay away from them if at all possible.

I'm still looking for a good Heatsink on Newegg.com

[JayBee]

I would recommend the Intel, I have a 2.6C with a ASUS P4P800 Deluxe, and haven't had a single problem with it. However, I have never had an AMD, therfore I don't know how they go. I am just a Intel guy .

Video card, I have a Sapphire ATi 9600 and I haven't had a problem with it. So if you are interested in going with that 9800 card, go for it. Plus, the 128mb is sometimes faster than the 256mb, plus the 128 is cheaper. So good choice.

Good Luck!

[fc3646]

Just thought I'd chime in with some encouragement...

I just upgraded my computer and everything went very smooth and it was very easy. You can check my sig to see what I have. So far I have been very happy with the computers performance, though WinXP is a little different than the 98SE I'm used to. I have a crappy old case that I got when I bought my first computer from a "mom and pop" computer shop (which is no longer in business). I chose AMD because it's the only processor I've had, starting with the K6 700 that came with the original computer.
My AMD 64 3000+ was retail and came with the HSF (it's huge, compared to the one that I had on my Athlon XP 1700).

Anyway, the new build is sitting here running strong, the only thing I need is Half Life 2

Good Luck...

[Pooh Bear]

Noise is not a factor for me. I'm use to having a large amount of noise. For example, I run a Compaq laptop with a intel 4 2.8ghz. Well playing Halo/Counter Strike the Laptop tends ot overheat very quickly. SO to counteract this I've installed.... Two walmart 6 inche fans set at Max that blow on the computer during my gaming experience. LOL! It's the cheap way out and I personally don't care. Normally I have a pair of headphones on and the fans are drowned out by the games.

Small price to pay for an addiction?

Anyways I'm probably going to go straight up AMD and continue with my current setup instead of switching over to Intel. I'd like to taste both the apples (Amd & Intel) before finally settling down on which one I like the most.

Just have a few 'kinks' to work out before I post my final list for the computer.


Curious question.

Is liquid cooling worth the risk of losing your whole system? I've heard of some horrible horror stories of Liquid systems going out and taking the whole computer with them. They also seem awfully expensive, and few in number.

[Alaron]

Liquid cooling is a very small part of the PC world, and only brave enthusiasts attempt it. It is not something for a first timer to try. Most experienced people leave it alone. Unless you can afford to have thousands of dollars wasted, avoid water cooling. A lot of new builders get excited about it, but it is best to stay safe.

Post a list of the parts you are thinking about for another check.

[kg3]

i have the 9800 pro and i highly recomend it. never had a hiccop(< is that how u spell it?) with it.

[kram 2.0]

Originally Posted by Pooh Bear *EDIT* Now I’m pretty much stuck on an AMD 3000+ 939 Processor, but just to make sure… How about this setup. (There wouldn’t be any price change if I did this. However, I’d have to change a lot of things most likely. ) Processor - Intel LGA775 Pentium 4 550 3.4 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE Video Card - Chaintech nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB DDR3, 128-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, PCI-Express, Model "SE6600G" http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE Yeah, I was leaning towards the SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK -OEM as well. But then someone said that SAPPHIRE is the lower end Video cards and tend to have the most problems with them and I should stay away from them if at all possible. I'm still looking for a good Heatsink on Newegg.com

If you're going with the Intel platform, that seems to cover all your bases...just be sure to buy a compatible motherboard along with it should you decide to go with this (The Asus P5P800 should do).

kram

[Pooh Bear]

AMD Build final (nearly).

Changed the Fan Control to a different brand. Found out the pervious brand had a lot of bad reviews with mixed good reviews. I don't feel like testing my luck with it. Everything else is pretty much the same. Finally chose a video card as well.


Processor - AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz, 512KB L2 Cache 939-Pin 64-bit Processor - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Mobo - ASUS "A8V Deluxe" VIA K8T800 Pro Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Video Card - SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Memory - Corsair Value Select (Dual Pack) 184 Pin 512MBx2 DDR PC-3200
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Hard Drive - Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Case - Aspire X-Dreamer II(Black) ATX Mid-Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, With Window, Model "ATXB4KLW-BK/350"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

PSU - Enlight ATX 360W P4 Power Supply, Model "EN-8361934A1"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Fan Control - VANTEC Nexus Fan Controller Panel (Black), Model "NXP-205-BK"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Fans - CoolerMaster Blue 80mm Neon LED Fan, Model "TLF-R82"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

As for the HSF I need for my Processor I've yet to find anything. Any help there?

Total = 880.00 USD For an AMD build.

I'm going to throw together a Intel build as well just to see where that would put me money wise and performance. I'll scrap something together in a few hours and let you 'intel' buffs take a look at it. Thanks again!

*EDIT*

Intel Build List

Everything above included except, Mobo, Processor, Video Card.


Processor - Intel LGA775 Pentium 4 550 3.4 GHz, 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProdu...ufactory=BROWSE

Mobo - ASUS "P5P800" 865PE Chipset Motherboard For Intel LGA 775 CPU
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Video Card - Chaintech nVIDIA GeForce 6600GT Video Card, 128MB DDR3, 128-Bit, TV-Out/DVI, PCI-Express, Model "SE6600G"
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProdu...ufactory=BROWSE

TOTAL = 925.00 USD For an Intel Build.

40 Dollar differences roughly. So If both these Builds look 'great' and have no flaws in them then it is just a matter of chosing one and sticking with it. Supply you input on both builds, which one would be better for what I want and such. I've researched all the items listed above. To my full noobish understanding everything will work together flawlessly.

Biggest concern is the Case. The companies homepage was 'crappy' to say the least. Offered little to no information about the Case that I could deam reliable. The pictures on Newegg seem to be the same of that of another Case. My biggests concerns with the case are the amount of fans and sizes. I believe there is two 80m Fan slots on the back, One 80m on the side, Another 80m on the top, And possibly one 80m in the lower bottom front. However, I am not sure. Will everything fit in there? Motherboard wise, PSU, and so forth?

[timbit]

ok, your link is broken, but if this is the vid card you are looking at, it won't fit. it is a pci express card, and the mobo you picked out does not support pci express.

also: i am not an intel person, but i believe that the chipset on that mobo is an old one? again, not sure, just something to look into...

finally, i am not sure how a 6600 gt stacks up against the 9800 pro. however, i do believe that the 6600 only comes in pci express.

EDIT: case questions:
everything should fit. the case is definitly an atx case (as most are) and your psu, mobo, etc are also atx size... you're good to go on that angle. and i believe that there is space for 5 fans total... just make sure you can hook them all up...

[Yuanji]

6600GT is slated for a november release on AGP i believe

[Pooh Bear]

I'm going to just stick with the AMD build from what it looks like. Inless the Intel build falls drastically in price over the course of the next month or so I'm probably going to stay away from it.

I've switched PSU. I just changed from one good brand to another.

PSU - Thermaltake Silent PurePower, 420W ATX power supply.UL, CSA, TUV, CE Approved. Intel Pentium 4 Compliant
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...factory=BROWSE

Gives me an extra 60 watts for 5 more USD. Nothing horribly impressive, but nice to have. I changed my PSU after browsing about in the Forum Archives and coming across a few to many Horror storys about PSU's bursting into flames.

I might update my Processor to 3200+ if I don't come across a HSF anytime soon.

[Freefall]

As far as the case goes, yes everything should fit. I have a similar one, Aspire Turbo case, basically the same case only without the lights on the front. Mine has two 80mm fan slots in the lower front and from the reviews of the Dreamer II, it does as well. I'm pleased with my case, only thing about these cases that people complain of is the lack of instructions (none) that came with it. It was my first build, but I didn't encounter any problems with the case.

[piasabird]

The case is really up to you you cant splurge too much so just consider three things:

Looks
Air Flow
Noise

I would recommend a Socket 939 Motherboard.

I would Recommend the Athlon 64 3200+ with the 90nm Die Process.
This runs about $215 for the non-Retail version. This is a Socket 939 processor.

Whether you get a socket 939 or a socket 754 is really up to you. One thing to look at is what kind of video card it uses and whether it uses DDR2 or not. DDR2 is rather pricey.

For a video card you may not get any real benefit from having 256MB of RAM. You could ask around. I think the model with 128 megs of RAM and 256bit processor is the best bang for the buck in a Radeon 9800 Pro. I think you can get the price down to around $200.

You may want to look for a new hard drive.

[Uber_Gamer]

Even though I'm an AMD fan, I must say that your proposed INTEL build would blow the AMD one out of the water. A 3.4 Ghz LGA775 cpu is significantly more powerful than the Athlon 64 3000+. And more importantly, at least gaming-wise, the 6600GT is more powerful and uses newer technology than the Radeon 9800 Pro for a similar price. Especially if you're planning on Doom 3, the 6600GT performs incredible amounts better than the 9800 Pro. If you're debating between those two builds go INTEL and make sure you have a motherboard that supports PCI-Express.
However if you up the price on the AMD build and get a 3500+, the AMD build is back in the arena.

[piasabird]

The Nvidia 6800 and the 6800 gt are definitely the better video cards than the Radeon 9800 Pro. Keep in mind they will probably need a larger power supply (480watt) as well if you go that route. I would say the better video card is more important than the fastest processor, or at least as important.

I am guessing the next batch of video cards will have a little more punch to them. Once they figure out how to make them go faster with PCI Express and DDRII RAM you may see some further improvements.

I dont see much in the way of a difference in the Intel or the AMD Build options other than Prescott Core Processors may run slightly hotter.

[kram 2.0]

I'm sorry to seem like I'm wining here, but the GeForce 6800/6600s are new generation cards...that would probably make them better because they are supposed to be more efficient than the Radeon 9800 Pro. You can find a Radeon X700 XT which would compare or even beat the 6600GT soon.

To simply tell you the truth, the Intel build seems too good...6600GT PCI-E, the retail package coming with warranty, etc. IMO, that's the better of the two...(no one would've presumed I'd say that ).

kram

[Pooh Bear]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. The two systems are getting overhauled as we speak. I'll be posting a new thread to show How the INTEL and AMD system come out. I'm doing some major overhauling on the AMD system and upgrading a bunch of parts. Hopefully when I'm done this won't become a battle against processors given all the factors I'll be factoring in!

SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR EVERYONES SUGGESTIONS! Look for my new post very soon!