Going from Intel to AMD(First time build)

[AKA_Big10]

I am new to computer build guys. I have been pulling my hair out wondering where to start. I have got some ideas but do not know where to go with it. I like the new Dual core processor. I am into games big time. I want something where I do not have to turn down the setting on the graphics card so I can play a game. Here's what I have put together. I have not orderd anything yet. Just trying to getsome ideas. My other rig was a Dell

(939-pin) AMD ATHLON64 X2 4400 CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology

(Sckt939)ASUS A8N-SLI nForce4 SLI Chipset SATA RAID Dual PCIE MB w/Gb-LAN,USB2.0,IEEE-1394,&7.1Audio (let me know if i can do better.)

2048 MB (512MBx4) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR MEMORY

AMD ATHLON64 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK + 3 EXTRA CASE FANS

Hitachi 160GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 150 8MB Cache

NVIDIA Geforce 6800 ULTRA 256MB 16X PCI EXPRESS VIDEO CARD

COMBO DRIVE (16X DVD-ROM & 52x32x52 CD-RW)

THERMAL TEMPERATURE LCD DISPLAY WITH 3X FAN CONTROLLER

Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional X64 Edition (Requires AMD Athlon 64 CPU)
(Or should I just go with XP Home Edition Service Pack 2?)

ULTRA X-Connect 500W ATX PS w/2 80mm Fans - Black(Will this be enough wattage for overclocking?) I do plan on doing some overclocking.

All of this is just food for thought guys. Let me know if i am going over my head here. But I really want a good machine. Please be very critical here, I do not want to make any mistakes. I put this system together at http://www.cyberpowersystem.com This is just one of many sites that I have visited pulling my hair out. If i left anything out, or can do better somewhere else, let me know.
My buget is around $2,000, im single and have no one to piss of but my self.

[Usacomp2k3]

Welome to the Forums
I just have a few comments on your build.
I'd recommend against a single optical drive. Drives are cheap, so I'd get a DVD burner and a separate DVD reader. That way you can always do on-the-fly copying. You can also put 2 games in
As for the sound, I personally think all onboard sound cards are pretty bad, so depending on how good your speakers are, I'd invest in a separate card.
Also, I don't think you'll be able to run all 4 sticks of RAM @ 400mhz. I'd recommend just getting 2x1gb and be done with that.

[liquidsquid]

A few things:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129155
Get the Antec Sonata II, I just built a rig around this, and it has a nice, giant fan that runs slow for great airflow and low noise. Plus a nice 450W power supply that is also quiet.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103547 (The 4200+)
I don't know if the 4400+ will gain you much over the 4200+ OCed other than less money in your wallet, but I have yet to see for sure. Not much requires a 1M cache. I have to run some benchmarks tonight. Also get the retail version, the included heatsink and fan assembly is quite nice.

One thing to note, the X2 generates a lot less heat than other recent CPUs, so you probably don't need all of the extra case fans and supply. It is the video card that will generate more heat, and my 6600 gets pretty warm. I think the 6800 and up run cooler.

I would shy away from XP X64 edition just for hardware compatability unless you do some research and find all of the drivers required for your hardware as 64-bit. At least the nVidia chipsets are...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813136152
I bought the above MB, and had OK luck with it, but had to Flash the BIOS to use the X2, which may be true with your listed board too. This motherboard had a lot of great reviews, and from what I can tell performs very well.

Don't forget to get a 3.5" floppy like I did for driver installs.

-LS

[Flying Fox]

Unless you plan on getting another 6800 in the future, there's no point in getting an SLI board. The A8N-E nForce4 Ultra is a good alternative.

If you want better performance, I would suggest getting a WD Raptor as your system drive, in addition to another bigger drive for storage. 200-250GB seems to be the sweet spot now. Segate offers 5 year warranty so it may be something to look at.

With or without SLI, I would still suggest a Seasonic PSU instead of the Ultra. Enermax, Antec are also good brands, but probably not the Ultra. Note that you probably need to check for SLI compatility if you do indeed plan to do SLI.

The Sonata II is a good case, but I would suggest taking a look at the SL3000B as well, it is similar but with no power supply, freeing you up to get one that can handle your system.

Stick with 32-bit Windows. Not a lot of games can run on it yet. XP Pro with SP2 should be good enough.

Also, depending on how much OC you are doing, the stock HSF may be enough for your needs.

[AKA_Big10]

I will be using my audigy platium gamer2ZS that i bought for my Dell for the time being Also, what kind of cooling will i need. Im I going over the hill by wanting a dual core processor. This is really helping alot guys. Keep it coming.

[MadBrad]

Your basic setup looks good.

I would suggest a couple of tweaks.

1. Case and fans. Get a good case that has 120MM fans. They cool as well or better than most 80mm fans, and make less noise. I have an Antec Super Lanboy, and the system makes little noise. My old computer made a lot more noise, and I have discovered that less noise makes me happy!

2. Zalman 7700 AlCu is a beast of a cooler, and nearly silent. If you get a case with a side panel, it also looks cool! If you have a few extra bucks for the project, this is a great cooler. Adjustable fan speed should be a nice feature as you experiment with overclockin'.

3. Vid Card. Two possibilities: Get the 7800GTX, and pay the extra. Buy the latest generation, and this will stave off vid card upgrades for a while. Alternatively, get a 6800GT for $100 less, and start the fund to upgrade your vid card in 12 months. 6800U is not a good bang for buck card, and is already a generation old.

4. Usacomp2k3 is spot on. Get a basic DVD reader, and 2 1GB sticks.

5. Consider your SLI plans. SLI has a certain aura, but performance is mixed. The extra cost of a second card and the SLI Mobo might not give you much performance boost in a lot of games. Some benefit, some do not. Think about what you really want, then make your decision. Personally, I think SLI is mostly hype. Get a single high end card now, and replace a year or two down the road. By then, there will be a single card solution that will make todays expensive SLI rigs look puny.

Hope these ideas help.

[dextrous]

Here's what I would do:

1. I would definately get 2x1GB for the better timings and better upgradeability.
2. Also, I'd stick with XP 32bit. It's a lot more headache-free and XP home is cheaper.
3. Get a 7800GTX instead. Its not much more $$. Take the dough you save on XP home and get a 7800GTX. You can even get one from dell for under $500.
4. If you go with the 7800GTX(which you should) I'd definately scrap the SLI motherboard and save more dough. 7800GTX in SLI is almost completely pointless in todays games unless you have a 30" monitor or something.

[AKA_Big10]

Where would you suggest myself to get these parts form. Do I go to various places and pick them out, or do i go with a bundle and put the system together myself at a website and have it shiped to me as one unit, where i do not have to put it together. Also, thanks for the advice, I will go with the 1gigX2, what brand should i get and should i get the profromace stuff are just the regular?

[liquidsquid]

I had good luck with NewEgg, but sometimes thier prices are not the best. I just spent a little extra to have it all come from one place and on one invoice for my contract work.

A lot of places have the "bait and switch" tactic: Where a high-end card is less expensive than anywhere else to draw you in, but the other items cost more to make up for it. NewEgg just chosses a decent price and saves you the trouble.

-LS

[AKA_Big10]

If i orderd from newegg, would i have to put it together myself?

[liquidsquid]

Isn't that the point? You may find you like it... It is tricky, but you have an excellent support network on this website. Just keep the old machine running while you do it so you can still get here! A lot of us have learned the hard way how to put machines together, sadly my experience was from 5 years ago and a lot does not apply, but my latest build I learned a lot.

-LS

[AKA_Big10]

What core should I got with. Like San Diego, Vience and soforth. Thanks to the advice, I am staying away from SLI. What about the Raid stuff?

[Usacomp2k3]

If i orderd from newegg, would i have to put it together myself?

Yes
As Knuckler will tell you it can be done w/o too much trouble.

[rogue426]

From what I've read the memory contoller has been tweaked in the new Revision E Athlon 64's to run at 400 mhz when all four Dimm slots are occupied,maybe I'm wrong.As far as a power supply,I'd recommend the new PC Power and Cooling 510 watt SLI ,it's suppoosed to kick arse.Money deoesn't seem to be to much of an object with your build ,so I'd probably go for a Geforce 7800 GTX too.Sounds like a killer system.

[AKA_Big10]

Here is what I have been working on.
Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 - OEM

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4200BVBOX - Retail

OCZ Peroformance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model OCZ4002048PFDC-K - Retail

ZALMAN CNPS7700-ALCU 120mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan - Retail

BFG Tech BFGR78256GTXOC Geforce 7800GTX 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

SONY Black IDE DVD Burner Model DWQ28A - OEM

LITE-ON Black IDE CD Burner Model SOHR-5239V BK RT - Retail

ASPIRE ATX-AS550W-BK ATX 550W Power Supply - Retail(will this one be ok)

ALPS Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM

Still have not decided on case yet, but i like the clear cover on the side. I have put this together with Newegg. Should i pick an extended warrenty for the one that have this option?
P.S. Have I missed anything.

[steelcity_ballin]

I highly recommend building it yourself. It's really not difficult at all, and the knowledge you gain / money you save is valuable in its own right.

Online retailers such as ABS, Ibuypower, etc have a bad habit of selling severly underpowered "ultimate gaming machines" for premum prices that offer little in the department of actual results.

For gaming, Focus on Cpu, Ram, and video card. I'm running an older socket A setup and can still play every game out today at 1280 4xaa and 8af with no problem.

If your budget really is $2000 like you say it is, you can build one HELL of a system for that. Seriously bleeding edge gaming system. Enjoy!

[njenabnit]

Here is what I have been working on.
Microsoft Windows XP HOME Edition With Service Pack 2 - OEM

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4200BVBOX - Retail

OCZ Peroformance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model OCZ4002048PFDC-K - Retail

ZALMAN CNPS7700-ALCU 120mm 2 Ball Cooling Fan - Retail

BFG Tech BFGR78256GTXOC Geforce 7800GTX 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

SONY Black IDE DVD Burner Model DWQ28A - OEM

LITE-ON Black IDE CD Burner Model SOHR-5239V BK RT - Retail

ASPIRE ATX-AS550W-BK ATX 550W Power Supply - Retail(will this one be ok)

ALPS Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM

yowza thats a mean sob. of course dont forget the case! I personally would also get another hard drive in there. 74gb isnt really all that much for storage. i'd pair that one with a 100gb+ drive, raptor for installs, other drive for data.

[dextrous]

If you don't want to be bothered with the actual aseembly but you do want to pick all the parts yourself, I recommend you go with monarch (monarchcomputer.com). You can pick all your parts and software. Then, for $49 they will assemble it all, stress test is for a few days, and give you a 1 year warranty on parts and labor.

Also, I'm beginning to find I'm buying more and more parts from monarch instead of the egg...

[Coran Fixx]

If you are going to be getting into overclocking I would recommend some faster ram than the 3200.

[AKA_Big10]

What would you recommend, and would I have to change my Mother Board?

[dextrous]

Nothing wrong wth the pc3200 for overclocking. The athlon64 has the memory controller onboard so it does not suffer from using different ram dividers. All memory speeds are derived via CPU/x. Also almost all pc3200 will overclock to 430Mhz or higher with a little more voltage and looser timings.

Right now I'm running some crucial value pc3200 (which is the best value memory for overclocking btw) at DDR 480 @ 3-3-3-8 and 2.8v. I am in the process of RMA'ing my OCZ PC4000 VX and I'm thinking I'll sell it and keep my 2GB value memory instead

EDIT: No you will not have to change your mobo from the DFI NF Ultra-D. Its the best board you can currently get for overclocking Athlon 64's.... at least until those new ATI chipset based boards hit the streets.

[LicketySplit]

Do it yourself..thats how you learn to trouble shoot your own rig..nuthin better than putting it all together for the first time...hittin the button and having it boot..almost as good as.....

[HL2]

<Yoda>Much money you have to spend? < /Yoda>

[AKA_Big10]

Ruffly $2,000

[Flying Fox]

That RAM is rated at 3-3-3-7. Not sure if you can run at 1T command rate. I would get lower latency but not really a need for higher MHz numbers.

HD: same as N_4_7_3 said, get another big drive for storage.

PSU: I would stick with Antec, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, Enermax and ThermalTake (higher end models). Don't know much about Aspire.

As for building it yourself, if you have the time, yeah. If you really don't want to be bothered with the time to read all the stuff and the troubleshooting if necessary, then that $45 is money worth spent (think of it this way: if you are doing contract work for $40/hr, then you spent 2 hrs troubleshooting which you can use for paid work, you are already ahead).