Some help upgrading (moderate noob)

[JaMeS89]

my computer is about 5 years old and apart from a few minor hardware adjustments, i havent done anything

im looking to upgrade my Mobo, processor, RAM and anything else that i need to upgrade if my mobo is upgraded

looking to use the AMD 64 X2 processor and at least 1 gigs of RAM (preferably more, around 2)

can someone recommend some stuff? no real price limit (around 300-500?), as low as possible though

(sorry, not a lot of knowledge: moderate noob )

 

[JaMeS89]

do you want an Everest summary?

WONT be used for gaming, wil be used for running lots of processes (thats why i thought AMD X2 would be the best), downloading, music etc etc

 

[JaMeS89]

do i definetly need a cooling system? the best one (to me) seems lee87's one, as it has the mobo with built in graphics card

also, i dont think i need another hard drive atm as i have an external 120gb hard drive which i store all data on

which PSU is better (as im pretty sure i have to replace it)?

CA-012-AK Akasa Ultra Quiet 400W Paxpower Active PFC ATX2.0 PSU - Black Nickel (CA-012-AK)

or

CA-040-AN Antec Sonata II Piano Black Quiet Case - 450W Smart Power PSU (CA-040-AN)

that all in one case looks pretty interesting, that is PSU and cooling and an outer casing for the whole computer in one? but is there much point in getting a new case if i can keep my old case and get cooling and PSU separately?

 

[JaMeS89]

anyone?

 

[JaMeS89]

will all cases work with all motherboards?

for the case specified, where is the CD/DVD driver?

 

[JaMeS89]

also.. whats the difference between

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ (Socket 939) - OEM (CP-152-AM)

and

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA3800BVBOX) (CP-134-AM)

and, which is the best RAM for running multiple programs etc?

 

[JaMeS89]

so if i werent to buy a cooler, the RETAIL would be better, if i were to buy a cooler, the OEM version would be better

can you answer the following q's

- Which RAM is the best, not for value, for general quality, speed etc etc

- Would my IDE hard drive still work with the new mobo?

thanks for the help

 

[JaMeS89]

- For the RAM, yes i wont be overclocking, so is it worth the extra money to buy the more expensive options? 'Corsair 2GB XMS3200C2PT, OCZ 2GB PC3200 Dual Channel Platinum Series EL, or Mushkin 2GB DDR HP3200 High Performance Dual Channel Kit'

- Is there anything else that i need to take into consideration as i am, pretty much, building a new machine. My computer is 5 years old but will i have all the relevant cables etc etc to make this new machine?

- Also, AMD X2 3800+ says that it runs at 2.0Ghz, which to me seems slightly slow, is this not a "true" figure as it has a dual core?

 

[JaMeS89]

- Also, AMD X2 3800+ says that it runs at 2.0Ghz, which to me seems slightly slow, is this not a "true" figure as it has a dual core?

- Does it matter which cable i get for either IDE or floppy?

 

[JaMeS89]

ok, so they run at lower speeds but do the same job?

- Will GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit CAS3 (GE2GB3200BDC) (MY-046-GL) be fine if i don't want to overclock and want to run multiple programs (not gaming)?

 

[JaMeS89]

what does slacker timings actually mean?

 

[JaMeS89]

so this is the final spec:

CP-134-AM AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA3800BVBOX) (CP-134-AM)

£182.95

MB-119-AS Asus A8N-VM CSM Micro ATX (Socket 939) PCI Express Motherboard (MB-119-AS)

£54.95

CA-000-AR Arctic Cooling T1 Silentium Silent Midi Tower Case - 450W Seasonic Silent PSU (CA-000-AR)

£49.95

MY-046-GL GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit CAS3 (GE2GB3200BDC) (MY-046-GL)

£109.95

Subtotal £397.80

VAT £69.62

Total £467.42

Do i need anything else? Is this all compatible? Is this correct for a non-gamer who wants to run multi applications/music/downloading etc? That mobo includes a graphics card?

 

[JaMeS89]

Yup, its only a 40gb HD, but i have a 120gb external HD which i store most of my data on anyway, so thats fine. May upgrade some time anyway

i just bought an LG 4167B, so i got a DVD writer (even if it is a bit temperamental)

thanks for all ure help, ill complete the upgrade asap, i think im now slightly less of a noob

 

[JaMeS89]

a few more quick questions (just in case )

- Is the graphis card on the mobo any good?

- Wil i have to reinstall Windows as i am still keeping my HD (may format though)

- Are the components easy to install, i.e. just plug in?

 

[JaMeS89]

do you have a guide for installing processors?

 

[JaMeS89]

Will i need to reinstall Windows, even if i dont format my hard drive?

 

[JaMeS89]

also.. what other cases are compatible for the mobo? i just want to see whats on offer (around the same price or a little higher)

just read on the arctic cooling spec site:

Mainboard Compatibility
All mainboards that follow the ATX standard and therefore are no wider than 24.5 cm are compatible to our PC case.
But there are some Asus mainboards that align their Floppy connector horizontally instead of vertically. Therefore the board exceeds the ATX standard as soon as you install a Floppy data cable and is then no more compatible to our case.
Without pluging in a Floppy data cable, these boards fit our case perfectly.

will this be fine with the mobo im getting?

 

[JaMeS89]

should be, are you adding a floppy drive anyway?

yes, will this be a problem? if it is then i can always not put one in

 

[JaMeS89]

but will this mobo be fine with the case? (also.. what other cases can be used with this mobo?)

 

[JaMeS89]

which case it better for this mobo: Asus A8N-VM CSM Micro ATX (Socket 939) PCI Express Motherboard (MB-119-AS)

this case

Asus TA-210 Series Midi Tower (Black) - 360W PSU (CA-004-AS)

or this one

Arctic Cooling T1 Silentium Silent Midi Tower Case - 450W Seasonic Silent PSU (CA-000-AR)