A little spec

[ej159]

Hello all

I just finshed fiddling with the spec for my new machine. Would there be any problems with this set-up, could I make it better/cheaper in any way? I'm pretty certain on the cpu, which I hear good overclocking reports of, but is there anything that i ought to add/subtract/change?

AMD Dual-Core Opteron™ 165, 1.8 GHz
Asus A8N-SLi Deluxe nForce4 SLi (Socket 939) PCI-Express Motherboard
Western Digital Caviar SE16 320GB 3200KS SATA-II 16MB Cache
OcUK Value 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 184pin DDR Memory Dual Channel Kit
XFX GeForce PCX6600 Extreme Edition 512MB DDR2 TV-Out/Dual DVI
Optronix Midi Tower Case - 400w PSU
NEC ND4551 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer LabelFlash ReWriter (Silver)
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition inc. SP2 - OEM -

Thanks

 

[KizZ]

If you want to overclock your Opty get the Geil value memory it is excellent value for money from what I've read on the forums. You shouldnt be fooled by the fact that this is a 512MB card that is really fast, a 6800GS 256MB could beat it. I'd look at cards like the 7600, 1800 and upwards. You should also get a high quiality power supply - something like the FSP Sprarkle 500W would do the job nicely because the one that comes with the case is not very likely to be a reliable PSU. Any particular reasons for going XP 64?

Thanks.

If you have more questions just ask

 

[Monstermunch]

I would reccommend 500w minimum for PSU, for Ram get the Geil Value stuff.

As far as the mobo goes, ditch the asus and get a dfi ultra-d. You DON'T need an sli mobo unless you are planning on 2 gfx cards! If the dfi is over budget then get the MSI neo4 it's also a good clocking board.

Gfx card wise you'd be better off with something like the HIS x800gto 16 which I think is the one which can be modded to the X850xtpe speed!

If you let us know your budget we can spec it for you!!!!

 

[ej159]

Thanks. Sorry I meant to include the price, for the components I listed I got the price out at £805.57 (Nothing like being precise) That's about as high as I want to go (ideally I'd like around £750-£775)

I wanted an SLi mobo so that I could upgrade to two graphics cards in a year or two, when I have more money, or is that a stupid idea?

I chose XP Pro 64-bit because on overclockers it's basically the same price as 32-bit. I've also heard rumours that it's the only version you'll be able to upgrade to Vista from. I know there are driver problems but I'd rather that than being out of date in a few years time.

Basic idea for this PC - best system I can build for £800 that will be future-proof and will be able to be upgraded a bit in a year's time. I know stuff will have moved on by then, with the new AMD socket but even so it's worth looking ahead.

Thanks for your suggestions so far. I'll definitely get some of that RAM.

 

[Monstermunch]

I wanted an SLi mobo so that I could upgrade to two graphics cards in a year or two, when I have more money, or is that a stupid idea?

IMO 2 gfx cards are a waste of money, they update gfx cards every 6-12 months these days, so you're just better off upgrading once a year. In a years time if you add another card all you will have is a system with 2 out of date gfx cards instead of 1.

At the end of the day it's the chipset and instructions on the gfx card that makes them quick and not the speed. Look at the difference between something like the x800 series compare to the x1900 series, there's not that much difference in speed, it's the architecture and chipsets that make them quicker.

 

[ej159]

Yeah I see your point - thanks

 

[Monstermunch]

This is a good spec for £800:

MB-046-MS MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum nForce4 Ultra (Socket 939) PCI-Express Motherboard (MB-046-MS)
£64.95 £64.95
MY-046-GL GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit CAS3 (GE2GB3200BDC) (MY-046-GL)
£89.95 £89.95
CD-026-NE NEC ND4551 16x16 DVD±RW Dual Layer LabelFlash ReWriter (Black) - OEM (CD-026-NE)
£25.95 £25.95
CP-152-AM AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ (Socket 939) - OEM (CP-152-AM)
£169.95 £169.95
HD-002-HI Hitachi Deskstar T7K250 NCQ 250GB SATA-II 8MB Cache - OEM (0A31636) (HD-002-HI)
£56.50 £56.50
CA-040-AN Antec Sonata II Piano Black Quiet Case - 450W Smart Power PSU (CA-040-AN)
£65.95 £65.95
SW-022-MS Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition inc. SP2 - OEM - 1Pk (ZAT-00054) (SW-022-MS)
£79.95 £79.95
GX-042-HT HIS Excalibur ATI Radeon X1800 XL 256MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-042-HT)
£159.95 £159.95
Subtotal £713.15
VAT £124.81
Total £837.96

 

[ej159]

thank you again