Suggestions/Help on building a new pc

[mystvearn]

I just sold my pc a pentiumIII 700mhz for about $300.
I want to get a new pc with the fastest of everything out there. Any suggestions?
I took from my old pc a cd-r, 600+ SDRAM and a GF2 Ti.
I am thinking of getting the new pentium4 3.06ghz HT. What is the best hardware i can get.
The SDRAM-i will sell it soon-so i would also want to know what is the fastest RAM, mother board to support it.
Things I'm looking for:
processor
RAM,-I heard RDram is better than DDR
HD
motherboard(with lots of expansion and up to date)
Casing
LAN(NIC) card for ADSL
power supply
DVD
(i'm thinking a dvd-cdr combo)

The second thing is that I'm thinking of making the pc myself. I know how to install: ram,hd,graphic cards. I don't know how to install a processor & power supply to motherboard with the mother board fixed to the casing-is there a website where they show the step by step how to set up a pc. I've read the article here-but no pictures. I've found a site-but the site is gone.I just have problem until setting up a new HD(which I dont know-I know how to place extra HD)

I think I would wait for another 3 months before i get the stuff-so that the prices will drop. Is this a good Idea?I can substitue the desktop with a laptop for now.

Another question: does the heat sync fan for the processor comes woth the processor when I buy it?

I hope that the new hardware can last at least for the next 4 years. I've been using the old pc since 1999.

[HAL9000]

The board that glc listed here, should be in the market very soon and would be the killer board to get for it. Yes, RDRAM has more bandwidth than DDR, but DDR is VERY close and much cheaper. I would stay away from RDRAM as Intel has dropped desktop support for it and is only using it on servers now.

Installing the power supply is very straight forward as you will see when you go to assemble your system

Get the retail boxed CPU. It comes with a high quality heatsink and fan and again, instructions on how to install it which is quite easy

[mystvearn]

So The pentium 4 3.06ghz with HT does not support rdram? I have heard that the fastest rdram is 1000+ mhz. SO what kind of DDR should I buy?
So when I buy the pentum4, should I buy the mother board as well then followed by the casing?? or power supply?? Because, i think that the mother board should be bought with the casing-to know which casing fits the mother board. Is this right/true?
Is that cool asus mother board on sale now?
Other cool mother boards?

I've seen the mother board layout- i see 4 pci slkots, and one blue looks like pci slot. what is that blue slot?

what is?? Serial ATA technology (optional)
Serial ATA is the next generation ATA specification that provides scalable performance for today and tomorrow. With up to 150MB/s data transfer rate, Serial ATA is faster than current Parallel ATA, while providing 100% software compatibility.
Is it something to do with the cable from mothr bard to HD(for e.g) like the IDE cable?

Lastly, what is the intel & Sis chipset?

[Christoph]

It still supports RDRam but in the long term it will be phased out by Intel. You can fill up the banks with memory now and do not worry about it but if you think of upgrading the memory or so in a year down the road it might be that you have to pay more to get it or have to shop around a lot to find (worst case scenario).

Christoph

[Cricket]

Hi mystvearn,

Take a look at the system being discussed on this thread.

Cricket

[TimPoet]

Originally posted by mystvearn Lastly, what is the intel & Sis chipset?

Article on chipsets in general by owner of this Forum, David Risley:

The motherboard is generally thought to be the most important part of a computer. And yes, it is. However, the chipset on the motherboard is the most important part of the board itself as it defines almost everything about the system. We have said that the CPU is the brain, the BIOS is the nervous system. Well, the chipset is like the heart. http://www.pcmech.com/show/motherboards/32/

That'll cover chipsets if you need it. SIS is the acronym for Silicon Integrated Systems (I think) who make a somewhat popular chipset for motherboards, Intel makes an excellent and very popular chipset largely because they know their own CPU the best....
So when Intel has a new, top notch chipset for the hottest new motherboard, then it gets the pulse racing!

[mystvearn]

Originally posted by Christoph It still supports RDRam but in the long term it will be phased out by Intel. You can fill up the banks with memory now and do not worry about it but if you think of upgrading the memory or so in a year down the road it might be that you have to pay more to get it or have to shop around a lot to find (worst case scenario). Christoph

So RDRAM will be extinct? is that it?

Thanks alot for those links. But what is the difference between the asus p4g8x & the p48e. Both look same to me. I'm not sure which motherboard to choose. I mainly use the pc for high end games, burning, graphics.

Try playing NFSHP2 on a p3 700mhz. Its unbarerable.

[mark70]

I would not jump on this motherboard with the E7205 chipset just yet as it only supports dual channel 266 ram. Intels road map points to dc 333 and 400 support probably in the next 6 months or so- might be worth the wait.

[glc]

If you keep waiting, you will never buy a motherboard. If you want state of the art you have to buy the best available at the time. The E7205 (Granite Bay) is the best available for a P4 AT THIS TIME in my opinion, and as far as I'm concerned Asus is the only top quality alternative to an Intel-built board.

[mark70]

I agree ,however time after time i have seen people jump on a brand new chipset only to be highly disappointed by poor performance and then get ticked off when they bring out the improved version shortly thereafter.

[smokealotapotimus]

Yes, I wouldn't be to quick to jump on Granite Bay, as with any chipset. I seem to remember HardOCP doing a preview of it awhile back, and well the performance of it wasn't to thrilling. But that could very well change with the production boards, or even with the way Asus implements it.

[glc]

I've never seen problems with the original release of an INTEL chipset - just VIA and some SiS.

If you don't want to take a chance on a Granite Bay, there's always the tried and true 845PE and GE, these are the next latest ones.

[mystvearn]

I see. Just wondering if the ASUS mother board for pentium 4 supports SDRAM? Its ok. I can wait-before end of may next year the latest. ANyway, I still need to wait for the p4 3.06ghz ht are available on store shelves.

wiered:I'm staying in a country(SEA) that makes both AMD and INTEL: and yet do not get the fastest chips release that quickly.

[glc]

Sure - you can find a P4 board that supports SDRAM - the original Asus P4B did. However, there are none that support a 533 FSB, much less HT. I would not use SDRAM on a P4 any faster than a 1.6, it will hold it back too much.

If you are waiting on hyperthreading, hang on for a few months, Intel is retrofitting the lesser processors with HT, and the prices are gonna be only a few bucks more than the non-HT equivalent. By that time there will be more chipset, FSB, and ram options too. Set a target date for your purchase and evaluate the options at that time, it's a bit early to jump on the HT bandwagon right now.

[mystvearn]

I found a mother board that has 4 ram slots-2 for DIMM and 2 for DDR. Can I mix rams??

[glc]

Nope - one or the other. I would strongly suspect the quality and performance of a P4 board that supports both, it's certainly not an Intel chipset and I doubt that it supports 533 FSB or HT, it's probably a Via P4X266, which is a toad.