New system - lots of questions...

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DragonMaster

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OK, so, you know, I won the new year's contest 4th prize.

What I got in there :
- DFI RS482 Infinity microATX mainboard
- Corsair ValueSelect 2x512MB PC3200 (Gone, someone needed it - got $$ to buy other)
- LiteOn DVD-RW burner
- Round IDE and floppy cables

Now, I need a CPU, RAM, HDD(s), case, PSU, etc.

OK, so the cheapest place I found is NCIX.com


For the CPU, I'm probably going to get an Opteron 165.
Now, I wonder if I should take OEM or not. If I take OEM, I have a 1 year warranty from NCIX and I save the price of a Thermaltake Big Typhoon on it. If I take the BOX version, I have a 3 years AMD warranty but have to use stock cooling. I want a silent setup BTW.
Question here: OEM or BOX? -- Considering that I want a very silent setup also

For the RAM, I thought about 1GB Corsair TwinX1024-3200C2PRO (The one with the flashy meters)
Is it possible to get the 300FSB x9 multiplier everyone can get with Opteron 165 with this RAM? (In case I overclock the CPU)

For the HDDs, I thought about two Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 300GB. I want a RAID setup...

The case, I thought about DIYing it because : It's not going to be an HTPC, but going to have to sit in the Hi-Fi rack. (Which is still not built but will be this one : http://www.tnt-audio.com/clinica/flexye.html there's a shelf per piece of equipment)
Any suggestions? Are there OCable HTPC cases?

The PSU : Computer PSUs are noisy, I thought about DIYing one, but ATX specs are a bit picky with power on timings and everything-protection and the voltage regulators I would use are less than 50% efficient, which means that I would burn more watts in heaet than the computer uses.
Maybe I'll just stick with a real one, even if it's an RF machine that will probably make weird sounds when I listen to my turntable...
Is Fortron FSP Blue Storm 500W a good choice then?

That's the setup I'd like, BUT, I don't play games and would probably not use it as an HTPC. (I listen to analog media and don't listen to TV)
- Should I even put all that money if the main reason is not to have to buy a CPU / RAM / HDD in 2 years because they're too slow / small.
- Should I wait for AM2 to get that 939 processor?
- Should I start playing games or get a TV card?
 
DragonMaster said:
- Should I wait for AM2 to get that 939 processor?
- Should I start playing games or get a TV card?
- I Should'nt even put all that money if the main reason is not to have to buy a CPU / RAM / HDD in 2 years because they're too slow / small.

IMO-I think you answered your own ??'s
Maybe sell the DFI RS482 Infinity microATX mainboard.

G'Luck
 
Oh, I forgot, I -would- play old ROMs if my computer was powerful enough, but I think -I should wait for AM2- and either get a 939 or get the new AM2 stuff - which is supposed to be similarly priced to the current 939.
 
IMO-I think you answered your own ??'s
Maybe sell the DFI RS482 Infinity microATX mainboard.

Probably a soution before AM2 comes out... After that it'll sell for $50.

I think it's the best idea, since there are LOTS of new things coming this time.

I prefer to wait for affordable perpendicular and 10k RPM HDD because HDDs haven't got new features for lots of time. And if I wait for that, DDR2 will be cheaper, dual cores will be cheaper, graphic cards that can take Vista will be cheaper and X-Fi will probably cost less money.

Also, I'm in a top of CPU prices... Opteron 165 costs a LOT while it was much cheaper months ago.

I'd read up on the performance difference when it comes out.

If there's not much difference it would be a good idea, but if I wait for cheap big HDDs to get a working computer, I'll wait for a LONG time.
 
I wonder if I should take OEM or not.
just get OEM, I wouldn't worry about the warranty period, have you ever known anybody's who's CPU died when they never overclocked it? neither have I, and if you overclock it you void the warranty anyways

For the RAM, I thought about 1GB Corsair TwinX1024-3200C2PRO. Is it possible to get the 300FSB x9 multiplier everyone can get with Opteron 165 with this RAM? (In case I overclock the CPU)
that is nice RAM, but I doubt you could push the bus all the way up to 300, if you want to go that high then you should buy DDR600 (or at least DDR533)

For the HDDs, I thought about two Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 300GB. I want a RAID setup...
what RAID setup do you want to run? if you want to mirror them then those would be good I guess, but if you want to stripe them then isn't 600GB a little overkill??
Are there OCable HTPC cases?
HTPC?

The PSU : Computer PSUs are noisy, I thought about DIYing one, but ATX specs are a bit picky with power on timings and everything-protection and the voltage regulators I would use are less than 50% efficient, which means that I would burn more watts in heaet than the computer uses.
Maybe I'll just stick with a real one, even if it's an RF machine that will probably make weird sounds when I listen to my turntable...
Is Fortron FSP Blue Storm 500W a good choice then?
Even if you knew what you were doing, I would never recommend that you DIY a PSU. And yes Fortron is a decent brand. I have an Antec TruePower 2.0 and it's practically silent, so from 1rst hand experience I can suggest that PSU for you.

- Should I wait for AM2 to get that 939 processor?
That depends on how long you are willing to wait. I don't think the prices will go down much anyways, there will still be a demand for 939 processors after AM2 comes out. There is still a demand for AthlonXPs (the high end ones that is)

- Should I start playing games or get a TV card?
how could we answer that for you? lol, that's up to you to decide
 
Just saw a couple of AM2 benchs. There are no improvements. Interesting since RAM and CPU prices will get down. The only thing is that if I sell this and get an AM2 mobo, quad cores will be available next year.

I just told myself that I could simply get a new mobo, RAM and CPU if I ever want to upgrade, and I would keep the case + HDDs, but perpendicular drives just came on the market so if I wait to get an HDD it's probably gonna be quite a bit faster than now... I just don't know what to do.

At least the DVD burner is going to be a nice addition to my system.

I hate my 800 but with an HDD it could be still good to browse the Internet and use apps that run w/o lag on a 400MHz.

Maybe prices will stay the same for AM2 (They are supposed to keep the same prices, except that Sempron's going to get lower) but I think that it will last a bit of time...

Better get a CPU with a new socket format when it's released, it's easy to upgrade after.

lol, that's up to you to decide

I see I only talk about advantages of AM2 and I think I'm not taking the good decision to sell that thing...

I'd say that 99% of the time I buy lemons or I'm totally unsatisfied of what I get...
Same thing with my father...
Arrrgh!

Oh, maybe I should wait and buy a 939 board once AM2 is out if I see it's getting cheap enough.
 
DragonMaster said:
I just told myself that I could simply get a new mobo, RAM and CPU if I ever want to upgrade, and I would keep the case + HDDs, but perpendicular drives just came on the market so if I wait to get an HDD it's probably gonna be quite a bit faster than now... I just don't know what to do.
SUPERPARA-MAGNETIC-EFFECT
:eek: :haha: :haha: puke:
 
DragonMaster said:
Just saw a couple of AM2 benchs. There are no improvements
There are improvements, but nothing spectacular, but you really can't go by any current benchies anyways. AM2 is not out yet, nor is any processor for it, everything is still in it's testing stages

The first AM2 processors will basically be modified 939's, but AMD will start using 65nm cores next year which will lead to newer, cooler, and faster cores.

AMD is not going to sit back and watch Conroe take all the glory, they will have something soon enough to fight back with, maybe not right away, but soon enough ;)
 
The Anandtech bench does show improvements(With DDR2-800) but the older Tom's Hardware (DDR2-667) doesn't...

but AMD will start using 65nm cores next year which will lead to newer, cooler, and faster cores.

I probably shouldn't bother getting a 939, but rather an AM2 equivalent 'cause in a year or two, the AM2 will probably sell more easily and I'll be able to find a mobo for it if I want to upgrade my computers (The slowest still in use is a 400MHz)

The choice of getting AM2 seems clear to me but I have a feeling that I'm doing a wrong decision now...
 
I am still waiting for Conroe.... Not that I'd necessarily buy it.

I actually sold off my X800XT in preperation. Now its just... 6 months on an ATI 9250?
 
you worry too much about what you're going to buy. it's not like buying a house or a car, it's just a CPU/mobo.

there's nothing wrong with buying a s-939 setup now and upgrading it in another year or two (or if you want to go quad-core). Theres always going to be better, faster (and more expensive) components then what you have, but that doesn't mean that what you have is obsolete.

personnally i never buy stuff when it first comes out. after all I just upgraded to s-939 from socket-A a few months ago. and I bought the baby of the 939s (the venice 3000+). I know it's far from the top performer, but i only spent $100 on it with the intention of upgrading it in a year when the higher end CPUs are as high-end anymore ;)
 
Thats actually a great idea. Which is more or less what I'm gonna do.

I bought some super DDR RAM just for that :D Gonna buy myself an X2 4400 (for the extra cache) and go SLI on 2 DX10 cards.

and buy my first original version of windows. :p
 
CMH said:
I actually sold off my X800XT in preperation. Now its just... 6 months on an ATI 9250?
lol

If I were you, I'd wait until the DirectX-10 cards come out later this year. then you won't have to upgrade for a while.

Hypothetically speaking... if... in a few months you bought a Conroe and a nice vid card to go with it, a few months later DX10 games start popping up and you won't be able to play them.

I still use my trusty old AGP Radeon 9600. I won't upgrade it until the DX10 cards come out.

I have many newer game titles, but I get tired of them fast but after all these years I still can't get enough of multiplayer Halo.. lol :) Which is why I can't wait for Halo2PC to come out, but those (bleep)s at Micro$oft are making it a Vista only (DX10) game. so I will (in this case only ;)) be a sucker and dish out the cash for a nice vid card.
 
I had everything planned out :D

In fact, this 9250 is good enough for me to play War3 on max settings (lags a slight bit) on native res for my LCD monitor. I would've gone CRT, but there's no space for a nice 21"...

The X800XT was a good investment. I've never played anything on max settings before. My eyes have been shown what wonders can be done with today's technology.
 
and buy my first original version of windows. :p

My OSes : A father's friend Win2k and uncle's Win98 SE.
EXCEPT : WinXP my father got for $11 @ work.

you worry too much about what you're going to buy. it's not like buying a house or a car, it's just a CPU/mobo.
See birth date -- Much like it. Also, from the first to last commercial thing I bought, I either was unsatisfied or it was defective.

Theres always going to be better, faster (and more expensive) components then what you have, but that doesn't mean that what you have is obsolete.
That's a problem...

personnally i never buy stuff when it first comes out. after all I just upgraded to s-939 from socket-A a few months ago.

Done from Socket A to Slot 1 to Socket 370 in the last years (Yes, I downgraded - When my bro decided that the main comp was his)

AM2 Semprons should get cheaper - Good thing?

An other thing : Processor prices are at their high now...

Also, I have TWO pci slots and NO parallel port. I can't put a soundcard, a TV tuner card and a parallel port card at the same time!

Should sell it. I could get a 939 mobo even when AM2 is out I think...

Hypothetically speaking... if... in a few months you bought a Conroe and a nice vid card to go with it, a few months later DX10 games start popping up and you won't be able to play them.

I still use my trusty old AGP Radeon 9600. I won't upgrade it until the DX10 cards come out.

I'm not waiting for DX10 tho. A PCI-Ex 16x slot will still work (And I'm not playing much more games than NES and Genesis ROMs)

The TNT2 will be OK once the 7174 drivers for Fedora Core 5 will come out.

Why do I want a new comp if I just do these tasks? 'cause I can't do more with a 800MHz and 20GB of HDD space.
 
I have an MX500. That means I either:
a: play games.
b: do graphic design.
c: AutoCAD user.
d: hardware enthusiast.

For a, b, and c, I'd need processing power.

For d, I'm a rich *** bugger who can afford to blow money around, and watch it devalue. But then again, I wouldn't have an Mx500, and instead have the latest G5, G7 or something.
 
Maybe I could start recording TV...
Just a little problem ... TV stations should at least put ONE interesting thing to listen!
 
Not selling it!

- Would make a 2nd good computer if I upgrade,
- Integrated video -> No need for a videocard for some time,
- I think I read that there are no AM2 Opteron planned
 
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