First timer building my own

[Kev367th]

Whels - the socket 940 FX's need EEC ram, socket 939 ones don't.

BTX - Prob only gonna need for the high power usage Pentiums in the near future. Athlons/64's run on lower core voltage so not a big priority.

Balsy - thats a hell of system you got specced out. You don't need the EEC ram, go for real low latency CAS2 stuff. There is ram around that will run dual channel 2-2-2-5. Made by Corsair also.
Change the PATA drives for SATA.

[Balsy]

Thanks Kev, funny you mention the 2-2-2-5, I just read your post on that about an hour ago.. you wished you got that instead of the 2-3-2-6. I plan on staying with the AMD so I dropped back to the antec 550w, I dont think Ill care so much about drive speed (besides the first time) so Im just going to get a SATAII 7200 drive, and maybe Ill sneak another one in for RAID at a later date.

Now if I just could find a BFG 6800 PCI expres....

I made some adjustments based on everyones feedback.  Here is what I have specced out now:

Lian-Li Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Case, Model "PC-V1100B" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid Tower
Color: Black
Material: Aluminum
Drive Bays: 5 x 5.25", 6 x 3.5" internal
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: 2 x USB2.0, 2 x Audio, 1 x IEEE 1394
Power Supply: N/A
Cooling System: 2 x 12CM ball bearing fans
Motherboard Compatibility: ATX & pentium 4 (MAX SIZE: 12"x9.6")
Dimensions: 8.3" x 19.3" x 21.7" (WxHxD)
Special Features: Interior three zones design for better heat dissipating, Aluminum door with lock more info->  N82E16811112073  $230.00 $230.00  
 
 
    ASUS "A8N-SLI Deluxe" nForce4 SLI Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Socket 939 AMD Athlon 64FX/64
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce4 SLI
FSB: 2000 MT/s
RAM: 4x DIMM DualChannel DDR 333/400 Max 4GB
Slots: 2x PCI-E X16(SLI mode: x8,x8), 2x PCI-E X1, 3x PCI
Ports: 2x PS/2, 1x LPT, 10x USB2.0(Rear 4), 2x RJ45, 2x SPDIF out, 1x IEEE1394, Audio Ports
IDE: 2x ATA 133 with NV Raid 0/1/0+1
SATA: 4x SATA2 3.0Gb/s with NV Raid 0/1/0+1, 4x SATA with Raid 0/1/0+1/5 by SI3114R
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850 8-Ch
Onboard LAN: nForce4 built-in Gbit MAC, MARVELL GbitLAN
Onboard 1394: 2x 1394 ports
Form Factor: ATX more info->  N82E16813131517  $269.00 $269.00  
 
 
    Antec 550 Watt Power Supply With 2 Fans 5.25 Control Panel, Model "TRUE CONTROL 550W" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Type: ATX
Maximum Power: 550W
PFC: No
Power Good Signal: 100-500ms
Hold-up Time: >= 17ms at Full Load
Efficiency: >= 68%
Over Voltage Protection: +5V trip point<+6.5V; +3.3V trip point<+4.1V; +12V trip point<+14.4V
Overload Protection: Latching Protection+5V @<47A+3.3V @<48A+12V @ < 18A
Input Voltage: 115/230 VAC
Input Frequency Range: 47-63 Hz
Input Current: 10A@115VAC; 6A@230VAC
Output: +3.3V@32A; +5V@40A; -5V@0.5A; +12V@24A; -12V@1A; +5VSB@2A
MTBF: 80,000 hrs. @ 25°C
Approvals: UL, TUV, CB, VDE, F more info->  N82E16817103922  $106.00 $106.00  
 
 
    AMD Athlon 64 FX-53, 1MB L2 Cache, Windows Compatible 64-bit Processor 939 Pin - Retail
Specification
Model: AMD Athlon 64 FX
Core: SledgeHammer
Operating Frequency: 2.4GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/1MB
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket 939
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail Box(Heatsink and Fan included) more info->  N82E16819103459  $780.00 $780.00  
 
 
    CORSAIR XMS, Xtra-Low Latency 2-2-2-5, 184-Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200, Model TWINX1024-3200XLPRO - Retail
Specifications:
Manufacturer: CORSAIR
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184-Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2-2-2-5
Support Voltage: 2.75V
Special Features: Plug-n-FragTM Auto-Configuration - Boots automatically using the Xtra-Low latency values of 2-2-2-5, 18 activity LED's show level of memory activity
Warranty: Lifetime more info->  N82E16820145524  $274.00 $274.00  
 
 
    One Day Sale, Ends 1/4/2005 5:30 PM PST
Maxtor 300GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model 6B300S0, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 300GB
Average Seek Time: 9.3 ms
Buffer: 16MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: Serial ATA 150
Features: SATA II, -NCQ [Native Command Queuing]
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info->  N82E16822144359  $199.00 $199.00  
 
 
    Plextor 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Burner with s/w and Black and Beige Bezels, Model PX-716A/SW, Retail
Specifications:
Write Speed: 4X DVD+R DL, 16X DVD+R, 8X DVD+RW, 16X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, 24X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 8 MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000/ ME/ 98SE
Features: Intelligent Recording technology supported for recording at high-quality and optimum speed
Packaging: Retail box (see pictures for details) more info->  N82E16827131338  $138.99 $138.99  
 
 
    Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS PCI Sound Card, Model "SB0350" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Channels: 7.1
Max Sampling Rate: 192kHz
Signal-Noise Ratio: 108dB(SNR)
Hardware Decode: Dolby Digital EX
Digital Audio: 24-bit
Hardware Polyphony: 64 Voices
PC Interface: PCI
Connectors: Line-out, Line-in, Mic-in, Digital Out(5.1), Firewire(IEEE1394), Analog/Digital CD Audio in, Telephone Answering Device in, GAME/MIDI port via extension header, Internal IEEE1394 header and AD_EXT extension header to Audigy 2 ZS Internal I/O Drive(See Details)
External Box: N/A
Remote Control: more info->  N82E16829102162  $93.00 $93.00  
 
 
    Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2 -OEM
Specifications:
Designed for reliability, security and privacy, high performance, and ease of use, the Windows XP operating system provides a host of benefits for business and home users. A clean and simple desktop, rock-solid reliability, and easy-to-use features that take advantage of the digital age all contribute to the value of Windows XP
*Must be Purchased with Hardware!!* more info->  N82E168

[whels]

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=190482&Category_Code=VC-BFG

Originally posted by Balsy

Now if I just could find a BFG 6800 PCI expres....

I

[Balsy]

Thanks whels...

Only other one I see is Chumbo.. which is what the BFG site references as "available now"....

So I sit and wait till there available and buy 1--- and buy another in a year or so real cheap for SLI upgrade....

Or... I buy two 6600 GT OC now for the same price.... and get them now..

Ordered all the other newegg stuff >.

Balsy

[Balsy]

Well that damn newegg is FAST...

Kev367th...actually my MotherBoard Does require the 24pin power source... so I called Newegg to change out the Antec 550 exactly 2hours later.. and too  late... they already had shipped it and had a tracking #!!

Wow, then they asked me what else they could do.. I told them to slow down their shipping guys .

No big deal as I aint got no video cards anyhow.

Balsy

[buzkill]

watch those fx cpu's....thier memory controllers tend to get "married" to the mobo. 939 xp cpu's are cheaper and almost as fast

[DREDIOCK]

Good luck with the build.

Just remember there are going to be a bunch of itsy bitsy little connectors you going to have to hook up.

the only "problem" I had was knowing which way they were sp'ossed to face.

Other then that it was a snap and one hell of alot of fun

[eagl]

Instead of going for 2 6600GTs now, I'd get one 6800GT or Ultra, and put in another one 6 months to a year from now.  Get a name brand like BFG or something to ensure availability down the road.

The SLI configs are currently not that much faster than the single faster cards, probably mostly due to the immature nature of the drivers and SLI hardware.  When that changes, buy the second card.  IMHO

For top hard drive speed, I'd have gotten 2 of the big new seagate 7200.8 SATA drives and put them together in RAID 0 config.  However the last time I did RAID 0 it turned out to be a bit of a hassle in the end so I'm back to using single drives again.

If you have problems with the memory, try crucial ballistix PC3200 or PC4000.  The prices have been creeping down all week, probably due to a rumored surplus of memory chips in Taiwan this year.

What heatsink are you going to use?  I've heard nothing but good things about the thermalright XP120 and XP90.  The XP120 is the one to get if it fits on your motherboard and in your case, otherwise the XP90 is about as good as you can get for air cooling.  You can put whatever fan you want on it, with a speed controller to balance airflow and noise to your needs.  I got the XP90 because the XP120 won't fit on my new mobo and I wasn't confident it would fit into my case either.

Regarding the case...  Newegg just had the lian li pc65 window case on sale today.  Nice case, I have the similiar PC60 and I like it.  Lian Li cases are great except that some people aren't comfortable with the little steel snap-in motherboard standoffs they use instead of the little brass standoffs every other manufacturer uses.

[whels]

Originally posted by eagl
Instead of going for 2 6600GTs now, I'd get one 6800GT or Ultra, and put in another one 6 months to a year from now.  Get a name brand like BFG or something to ensure availability down the road.

The SLI configs are currently not that much faster than the single faster cards, probably mostly due to the immature nature of the drivers and SLI hardware.  When that changes, buy the second card.  IMHO
 

id say the biggest thing holding SLI back is just not fast enough
CPUs to push the info to it.  even a FX55 isnt fast enough. now
 later this year a duel core FX might be.

whels

[Balsy]

Well ordered the 6800 GT OC (BFG) from Monarch (thanks whels), than went on their website yesterday and saw the ETA go from Jan 25th to Feb 28th.

got pissed sent them an email, than didnt hear back for an hour or so so I cancelled the order, and ordered two BFG 6600's from Chumbo. THEN I got an email from Monarch saying suprise, my 6800 would ship that day or Monday!... LOL I jumped through my arse, and un-canceled my order with Monarch, Cancelled the 6600 GTs with chumbo.

Long story short the 6800 GT OC will be in my grubby hands on tuesday.

Ordered another Maxtor 300 SATA II for Raid config once I saw how easy it was to put them i etc..

Waiting on the 680 powersupply (thanks again whels), my DVD writer, my additional HDD.  So I should have this thing smoking by next saturday, up on my return from a business trip >.

Whels ... the corsair 2-2-2-5 ram I have (XMS PRO) isnt listed on the Qualified vendor list for the ASUS board... you think that matters?

Thanks for all the advice, and yes eagl... now Im going to wait on that 2nd card for 6-12 months .

Balsy

[whels]

Originally posted by Balsy


Whels ... the corsair 2-2-2-5 ram I have (XMS PRO) isnt listed on the Qualified vendor list for the ASUS board... you think that matters?

Balsy

i doubt it matters since its corsair mem. corsair mem should be fine, i dont put it same level as crucial but still 1 of the best makers out there.  they probably havent gotten to them yet in testing since the final board just came out .

[eagl]

The other memory I considered along with the crucial ballistix was OCZ EL platinum rev2.

If you can't get the mobo to boot up the first time with 2 sticks of memory, a trick I've read about is to put in only one stick which will let it boot, then go in and manually set up the memory in BIOS, then put in the second stick.

Having the latest mobo bios can also help if you run into trouble, so you might want to have a boot floppy with the latest bios ready to go before you start.

[richard_rd]

Save yourself some money on the Processor and get a A64 3000+ Winchester core (90nm).  You can get retailed box versions for $160-175 that include HSF.  This processor runs stock at 1.8GHz, but it is a great overclocker, reaching 2.4GHz on the standard air cooling HSF that comes with the unit. Some people have gotten these babies up to 2.6GHz, which is faster then a A64 4000+ or FX55.

[38ruk]

as for a sata HD , have you thought about a 10,000 rpm WD raptor?, looks like youve gone all out, from what i have seen the 10k raptor is a nice performance bump from the 7200 HD's   38

[Balsy]

considered the winchester core, but Im not going to OC this thing, I want a stable platform that performs well.  Plus the FX has the 1024K of cache versus the 512 of the winchester, which is the major difference from what I can see.

38ruk.. I went with 2 7200 Maxtor 16mb SATAII drives.  Theyre supposed to perform nearly as well as the 10,000 raptors, with 300mbs of space versus the 2 74mb.

Should be up and running Saturday .