[Pocketknifesown]

Rightyho im building a new computer and need some help. Mainly I just need to know weather or not what i've picked is compatible with everything else.

So far the component list looks like this:

CPU: AMD Athlon64 3500+ Venice core.

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-K8N Ultra-SLI nForce4 SLI

HD: Seagate HD 160GB 7200rpm 8mb cache Serial ATA

Video card: ATI Radeon X800XL 256mb PCI-E

Memory: 1GB OCZ DDR400 Duel channel kit 184pin CAS 2.5

Cd/DVD: Sony CRX 320EL88k DVD reader/CD-Writer

For the case I was thinking of a Foxconn diabolic case because its cheap.
and for power supply unit I was thinking of a OCZ 450 watt modstream.

If anyone has better suggestions for parts or if anything dosnt look right dont hesitate to tell me because im trying to get myself up to date on computer jargon and stuff.

I also have a couple of questions:

1. If a case is labeled ATX does that mean any mother board that is also labeled ATX will fit in it properly. By labeled ATX i mean i've seen ATX somewhere in the case name or specs same with the mobo.

2. Serial ATA means I connect the harddrive to a serial ATA port and connect the cd drive and floppy drive to the Parallel ATA port correct?(I think its called a parallel ATA socket correct me if im wrong).

3. With duel channel memory that means, I stick one stick of ram into number 1 DIMM slot, and the other into number 3 DIMM socket correct or dosnt it matter?

4. Also do I need to buy a cpu heatsink/fan or does the cpu come with those.

Im not going to overclock it.

Edited by Pocketknifesown, 26 June 2005 - 09:36 PM.

[Advertisements]

OK lot to process there, Right maybe get a non-sli board as you arent getting a nvidia card. Get a better make than foxcon: msi, abit ,asus, dfi and gigabyte are probably the best in that order more or less. I personally wouldnt get a over cheap case you want something sturdy with a good level of build quality i would recoment antec as they have exceptional quality and are the best value for money you can buy.
The easiest way to find out your answers is to go download a mobo manual get the msi K8N nf4 one its well written with good diagrams and such and the msi website is easy to use.
You get a HSF with a PIB, so just dont buy oem stuff for the main parts.
The stuff though that you have picked would work together at first glance.

[warriorscot]

OK lot to process there, Right maybe get a non-sli board as you arent getting a nvidia card. Get a better make than foxcon: msi, abit ,asus, dfi and gigabyte are probably the best in that order more or less. I personally wouldnt get a over cheap case you want something sturdy with a good level of build quality i would recoment antec as they have exceptional quality and are the best value for money you can buy.
The easiest way to find out your answers is to go download a mobo manual get the msi K8N nf4 one its well written with good diagrams and such and the msi website is easy to use.
You get a HSF with a PIB, so just dont buy oem stuff for the main parts.
The stuff though that you have picked would work together at first glance.

[Pocketknifesown]

Ok since im not going to run 2 nvidia graphics cards in sli i've gone for a different mobo. That gigabyte motherboard in myfirst post has no fan on the nforce4 chipset and the dimms are to close together to fit memory with heatspreaders properly.

Would that setup work with a DFI lanparty ut nforce4 ultra-d pci-e mobo.
I've also decided to go with a gig of some higher quality cas2 ocz ram and I was thinking of an antec superlanboy case.

All im going to be using it for is school work and games. So if anyone has any better ideas about the mobo and ram I should use please let me know.

Edited by Pocketknifesown, 28 June 2005 - 02:43 AM.

[warriorscot]

I really like the lanboy case but make sure that your components will fit in it first. The DFI boards are overclockin beasts, but if you arent planning on overclocking they arent the best and that extra pci-x slot takes away space for more normal pci slots and with the co-processor cards comin out you might want to have the pci slots instead.

If you are going to use it for school work as well the lan boy or sonato is a good case as they are both relatively quiet and will let you work in peace. You might want to think about a maxtor drive most of the reviews say they are a fair bit quieter than the seagate and almost as fast.

[Pocketknifesown]

Im looking at the msi K8N NEO4 PLATINUM mobo. This mobo wont fit in the lanboy mini tower according the dimensions specs i've seen. I might of been interpreting them wrong though.

Another thing would the ram i've chosen run in that motherboard. The motherboards memory voltage is 2.5 to 2.85. Does this mean I have to alter the voltage setting in the bios if I install memory thats rated to run cas2 at 2.75volts?

Edited by Pocketknifesown, 28 June 2005 - 04:12 PM.

[Rockster2U]

I count a couple of different threads you've got going now re: your memory and build. Maybe there are more. Doby's answer in your second thread on memory voltage already covered that quite well.

As to your build, I'd totally disagree with warriorscott's comment about DFI boards. Overclocking or not - one doesn't get any better. And, if you are going with two video cards, the more expensive LanParty board with SLI support is what you want.

You may find it easier to keep things in a single thread about your build so poster's are aware of issues/comments/suggestions that may have been offered or discussed in one of the others.

Regardless, Good Luck.



edit: Almost forgot - SATA drive-wise, check out the Samsungs. Excellent drives, 3 year warranty, very low failure rate and great pricing. I'd put them at the top of your list. Personally, I use Raptors for system drives and Samsungs for everything else.

2nd edit - see oldmantaggie thread re: memory

Edited by Rockster2U, 29 June 2005 - 08:14 AM.

[warriorscot]

I thought the MSI board fit in that case as it is a standard ATX board and the case is also rated for standard ATX. Well everybody is entitled to there opinion i quite like the DFI mobos they just dont get rated as highly in reviews as they arent the best for a beginer and they are not as good all rounders compared to the ABIT and MSI mobos which are almost idiot proof,especially the MSI board

[Rockster2U]

Anandtech:

The DFI nF4 SLI-DR is the board of choice for overclockers who wish to squeeze every last bit of performance from an Athlon 64 SLI system. The range of overclocking options and the overclocked performance are the best that we have seen. While the feature set is more or less average for SLI-class boards, the design and performance of the Karajan audio module particularly stands out as an example of the creativity that went into this board's design. Based on the best performance that we have ever achieved with the Athlon 64, we are pleased to award the AnandTech Gold Editors Choice to the DFI SLI motherboard.

The Gold Editors Choice is jointly awarded to the MSI K8N Neo4/SLI Platinum for the combination of robust operation at stock speeds, top-notch overclocking abilities, and the best feature set and feature performance of the available SLI boards. An enthusiast may be happy with either the DFI SLI or the MSI SLI board, but buyers looking for the best feature set that truly enhances system performance will choose the MSI. The 2nd SATA2 controller, dual PCIe LAN, and hardware SoundBlaster Live! 24-bit are a standout combination in a crowded field of top-performing motherboards.

[warriorscot]

nice article like the bit about the msi board, ive always liked MSI kit it comes with nice easy to use features.

[Pocketknifesown]

Im not going for an sli setup, i've thought about it and I dont think I need it. The case dosnt have to be ultra quiet I usually listen to music when doing school work anyway the antec cases i've seen for sale here are not in large quantities so the ones ive seen are priced alot higher than the ones on the net I live in new zealand. I could probably go for a higher end graphics card and I will read up on the samsung drives, to clarify wher you refering to samsung harddrives cd/dvd drives or both?. Im still not sure on the mother board yet im looking for a high quality easy to install skt939 mobo with at least 1 pci-e x16 slot which can run 1gb of duel channel ddr400 ram.

[Pocketknifesown]

Another minor question I have is about monitors I think i'll get a lg t910b monitor because its reasonably priced and its got a high refresh rate, will it plug straight into most graphics cards? Also is DVI the output for LCD screens if so whats the output called for regular old CRT's.

[warriorscot]

well the msi one is what you are looking for, what do you mean at least one pci-e slot they come in 1 slot or 2 and you said you dont want 1. You want a new board if it doesnt have a pci-e slot it isnt likely to be new so dont get it. Thankfully with socket 939 the older nf3s are hard to get so you only really have a choice between new nf4 boards or if you wait a bit the ATI 200.

[Pocketknifesown]

Hmm sorry for confusing you I have a habit of explaining things badly.

I'll stick with the mobo I stated earlier and since i've stated about 3 so far i'll quote the one I mean. "msi K8N NEO4 PLATINUM" It isnt SLI but that dosnt matter to me.

[warriorscot]

Yeah its a good mobo im buying one myself: i would like an ATI 200 but i cant be bothered waiting and they keep getting delayed i would have a crossfire board in a heartbeat if i could only find one of the bloomin things.

Yeah DVI is mostly for the more expensive LCD screens but is becoming more available on cheaper monitors. I was going to get a CRT but they turned out to be more expensive and i have had a TFT for years and i dont want to lose my deskspace. I am gettin the samsung 913N 19" LCD with a 8ms response there are only two monitors faster and a few that are the same speed but all are more expensive. Made by samsung using there own panels the same as all the other fast response LCDs so that why its a bit cheaper than the Hyundai and benq.

It was cheaper and easier to get hold of than a good flat panel CRT of the same size and isnt as ugly as sin as alot of CRTs are.

For a PSU check put the Hiper Type Rs i dont know if you will be able to get them but over here they are cheap, reliable, cool and look very good they make the cheapest modular power supply available and you get a free tool box and fan with it so if you love freebies its good.

[Pocketknifesown]

Definatly looks like a good monitor i'll consider it the price diff between the lg t910b and the syncmaster 913n for me is about 370$ though