Please critique my parts list

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:35:55 -0500, Duddits <Duddits.DeleteThis@Dreamcatcher.com>
wrote:

 >Constructive criticism, comments and alternatives appreciated.
 >
 >Main use is recreational with some video processing. Will not be used for
 >gaming - other than solitaire 400mhz FSB CPU is out of the price range
 >for the time being.
 >
 >
 >
 >Case - already purchased
 >Thermaltake Black Xaser III Skull Series Screwless Mid-Tower Case
 >with 420 Pure Power
 >Model# VM3420A
 >http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/vm3000/vm3000a.htm

Cut out it's fan grills and consider quieter fans like panaflo L1A.

 >
 >Motherboard
 >Asus A7N8X 2.0 Deluxe
 >
 >CPU
 >AMD Athlon XP 2700+, 333MHz FSB, 256K Cache Processor - Retail
 >Model# AXDA2700BOX

I'd get an Athlon XP2400-2600 Barton-M (Mobile) and o'c it, but that's
just me. There are better heatsinks out there too (quieter). Don't know
how much you value quiet though, but over the long haul it's worth
considering, IMHO.

 >
 >Memory
 >Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, 184 Pin 256MB DDR PC-3200
 >Model# CMX256A-3200C2
 >
 >Video Card
 >ASUS nVIDIA GeForce FX5200 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 64-bit, TV-Out, 8X AGP
 >Model# V9520Magic/128MB

The video card is relatively outclassed by the rest of the system. It'll
do find for 2D work, DVDs, etc, but the FX5200 is a poor value. For only
a little more $ you could have a lot faster card.


 >Hard Drive
 >Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
 >Model# WD800JB

Decent performance but again, a bit on the loud side... WD still uses
ball-bearings in their JB series IIRC. Maxtor and Seagate are two
preferred, quieter solutions.

 >Operating System
 >Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 3
 >or Windows XP

Sure, what not? You're trying to decide between one or the other? XP
would be more flexible, but if Microsoft ever stops supporting it then you
may not even be abe to activate a system and use XP anymore... only time
will tell, how many people are left out in the cold if/when that happens.
Even so, for a home system XP seems more appropriate.


 >CDRW
 >Lite-On Black 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive
 >Model# LTR-52327S
 >
 >DVDR Lite-On Black DVD-RW/+RW Drive
 >Model# LDW-411S/451S

I'd get a 2nd hard drive too, but that's just me.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:00:37 -0800, joe_mama DeleteThis @pizza.com wrote:

 >On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:35:55 -0500, Duddits <Duddits DeleteThis @Dreamcatcher.com>
 >wrote:
 >
  >>Constructive criticism, comments and alternatives appreciated.
  >>
  >>Main use is recreational with some video processing. Will not be used for
  >>gaming - other than solitaire 400mhz FSB CPU is out of the price range
  >>for the time being.
 >
 >wrong go to newegg and get the mobile barton 2500. no multiplier
 >lock and runs at 400 FSB. Moderate overclock by multiplier with no
 >frills ram. Do some research, this is the cpu to buy.
 >
Many thanks for this tip. Parts list updated. What "quiet" cpu cooler
would you suggest?
  >>
  >>
  >>Case - already purchased
  >>Thermaltake Black Xaser III Skull Series Screwless Mid-Tower Case
  >>with 420 Pure Power
  >>Model# VM3420A
  >>http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/vm3000/vm3000a.htm
  >>
  >>Motherboard
  >>Asus A7N8X 2.0 Deluxe
 >
 >recommend abit NF7-S for the mobile barton. a match made in heaven.
 >good board. all the goodies. cheaper too.
 >
Parts list changed here as well.

 >Just get the DVD burner you won't need the CD burner. I've got dual
 >plextors and I haven't used them since I bought my dvd burner.
 >
Sounds like the thing to do. I've an old (~1 year) TDK4800 burner laying
around to slap in my 2nd drive.

regards

Dud
--

Umfriend: - A sexual relationship of dubious standing or a
concealed but intimate relationship, as in:
"This is Bridget, my ... um ...friend."<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:53:33 GMT, kony <spam RemoveThis @spam.com> wrote:

 >On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:35:55 -0500, Duddits <Duddits RemoveThis @Dreamcatcher.com>
 >wrote:
 >
  >>Constructive criticism, comments and alternatives appreciated.
  >>
  >>Main use is recreational with some video processing. Will not be used for
  >>gaming - other than solitaire 400mhz FSB CPU is out of the price range
  >>for the time being.
  >>
  >>
  >>
  >>Case - already purchased
  >>Thermaltake Black Xaser III Skull Series Screwless Mid-Tower Case
  >>with 420 Pure Power
  >>Model# VM3420A
  >>http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/vm3000/vm3000a.htm
 >
 >Cut out it's fan grills and consider quieter fans like panaflo L1A.
 >
Thermaltake claims 21dba/fan but for ~$6.00 ea it's a small price to pay
for the best.
  >>
  >>Motherboard
  >>Asus A7N8X 2.0 Deluxe
  >>
  >>CPU
  >>AMD Athlon XP 2700+, 333MHz FSB, 256K Cache Processor - Retail
  >>Model# AXDA2700BOX
 >
 >I'd get an Athlon XP2400-2600 Barton-M (Mobile) and o'c it, but that's
 >just me. There are better heatsinks out there too (quieter). Don't know
 >how much you value quiet though, but over the long haul it's worth
 >considering, IMHO.
 >
Done. Thanks for the info.
  >>
  >>Memory
  >>Corsair XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, 184 Pin 256MB DDR PC-3200
  >>Model# CMX256A-3200C2
  >>
  >>Video Card
  >>ASUS nVIDIA GeForce FX5200 Video Card, 128MB DDR, 64-bit, TV-Out, 8X AGP
  >>Model# V9520Magic/128MB
 >
 >The video card is relatively outclassed by the rest of the system. It'll
 >do find for 2D work, DVDs, etc, but the FX5200 is a poor value. For only
 >a little more $ you could have a lot faster card.
 >
I've little need for anything much more than a gForce2. Still, I want the
best bang for my buck. What would you suggest?
 >
  >>Hard Drive
  >>Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
  >>Model# WD800JB
 >
 >Decent performance but again, a bit on the loud side... WD still uses
 >ball-bearings in their JB series IIRC. Maxtor and Seagate are two
 >preferred, quieter solutions.

I'm looking for speed/8mb cache. Any suggestions/part numbers?

 >I'd get a 2nd hard drive too, but that's just me.

I have a 2 year old Maxtor 40GB laying around I'll use if I can't afford
another 80-160GB drive.

regards

Dud
--

Umfriend: - A sexual relationship of dubious standing or a
concealed but intimate relationship, as in:
"This is Bridget, my ... um ...friend."<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 12:51:14 -0500, Duddits <Duddits DeleteThis @Dreamcatcher.com>
wrote:

 >On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:00:37 -0800, joe_mama DeleteThis @pizza.com wrote:
 >
  >>On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:35:55 -0500, Duddits <Duddits DeleteThis @Dreamcatcher.com>
  >>wrote:
  >>
  >>... get the mobile barton 2500. no multiplier
  >>lock and runs at 400 FSB. Moderate overclock by multiplier with no
  >>frills ram. Do some research, this is the cpu to buy.
  >>
 >Many thanks for this tip. Parts list updated. What "quiet" cpu cooler
 >would you suggest?
 >

I didn't do a very exhaustive search on those because the first one I
looked into Thermalright SP97 seemed to be among the best and quietest
(you chose your own fan). It's a bit pricey at $52, but there is a
cheaper version without the heat pipe technology that's plenty good
too.

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.pcabusers.com/reviews/thermalright/sp97/p1.html" target="_blank">http://www.pcabusers.com/reviews/thermalright/sp97/p1.html</a>

A very nice review.

It bolts onto the four mounting holes on the motherboard, so it's a
nice solid alternative to clip on's. Since you're building a new
system, it's not a big deal.

For the fan, you get a 92mm fan with a hard drive molex connector for
the power and a split off single lead for the tach out that plugs into
the motherboard. All sweet stuff.

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://sidewindercomputers.com/fansandmore.html" target="_blank">http://sidewindercomputers.com/fansandmore.html</a>

I'd pick up a monster like the tornados and a moderate speed quieter
one along with a front bay fan speed controller. Then play around with
them to get the noise down to the best you can for the overclocking
scheme you come up with.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 13:11:13 -0500, Duddits <Duddits.TakeThisOut@Dreamcatcher.com>
wrote:


  >>Cut out it's fan grills and consider quieter fans like panaflo L1A.
  >>
 >Thermaltake claims 21dba/fan but for ~$6.00 ea it's a small price to pay
 >for the best.

.... and maybe they're decent enough, but all the thermaltake fans I've
seen were mid-grade at best not even considering the different methods
possible to come up with a db rating... Panaflo is one of very few fans
using a sleeve bearing making them quiet, but a good enough sleeve bearing
that it can be expected to withstand higher temps and have good lifespan.

For a limited time (till they sell out) this place has low price on the
L1A:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.bgmicro.com/lmad.asp" target="_blank">http://www.bgmicro.com/lmad.asp</a>


 >I've little need for anything much more than a gForce2. Still, I want the
 >best bang for my buck. What would you suggest?

Well a Radeon 9600 wouldn't be bad, but if you really don't need modern 3D
performance (and can do without all the PCI slots of a full-ATX board) you
might consider an A7N8X-VM.

The FX5200 isn't really a "bad" card, if it were low enough priced it'd
make sense but I've seen people pay upwards of $90 for them. Then again
if all you need is a GF2 then a bit of searching might find one of those
for ~$30.

  >>
   >>>Hard Drive
   >>>Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
   >>>Model# WD800JB
  >>
  >>Decent performance but again, a bit on the loud side... WD still uses
  >>ball-bearings in their JB series IIRC. Maxtor and Seagate are two
  >>preferred, quieter solutions.
 >
 >I'm looking for speed/8mb cache. Any suggestions/part numbers?

I usually buy locally to take advantage of sales, rebates, avoid potential
shipping damage (incl. rough handling)... I have a lot of WD and Maxtors,
no problem with either (relatively speaking) but with the WD so much
louder I won't be buying any more till they go to fluid bearings. I'd
suggest a Maxtor for local purchase, and/or Seagate for online. In 80GB;

Seagate ST380013AS
Maxtor 6Y080M0 (Plus 9 series, IIRC)<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 20:38:31 GMT, kony <spam.TakeThisOut@spam.com> wrote:

 >On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 13:11:13 -0500, Duddits <Duddits.TakeThisOut@Dreamcatcher.com>
 >wrote:
 >
 >
   >>>Cut out it's fan grills and consider quieter fans like panaflo L1A.
   >>>
  >>Thermaltake claims 21dba/fan but for ~$6.00 ea it's a small price to pay
  >>for the best.
 >
 >... and maybe they're decent enough, but all the thermaltake fans I've
 >seen were mid-grade at best not even considering the different methods
 >possible to come up with a db rating... Panaflo is one of very few fans
 >using a sleeve bearing making them quiet, but a good enough sleeve bearing
 >that it can be expected to withstand higher temps and have good lifespan.
 >
 >For a limited time (till they sell out) this place has low price on the
 >L1A:
 >
 >http://www.bgmicro.com/lmad.asp
 >
Excellent. I'll order 4 of these asap.
 >
  >>I've little need for anything much more than a gForce2. Still, I want the
  >>best bang for my buck. What would you suggest?
 >
 >Well a Radeon 9600 wouldn't be bad, but if you really don't need modern 3D
 >performance (and can do without all the PCI slots of a full-ATX board) you
 >might consider an A7N8X-VM.
 >
 >The FX5200 isn't really a "bad" card, if it were low enough priced it'd
 >make sense but I've seen people pay upwards of $90 for them. Then again
 >if all you need is a GF2 then a bit of searching might find one of those
 >for ~$30.

NewEgg has an FX5200 128mb for $70. Kingli has a 64mb for $55.00. I'm
leaning towards 128mb.
   >>>
   >>>>Hard Drive
   >>>>Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive
   >>>>Model# WD800JB
   >>>
   >>>Decent performance but again, a bit on the loud side... WD still uses
   >>>ball-bearings in their JB series IIRC. Maxtor and Seagate are two
   >>>preferred, quieter solutions.
  >>
  >>I'm looking for speed/8mb cache. Any suggestions/part numbers?
 >
 >I usually buy locally to take advantage of sales, rebates, avoid potential
 >shipping damage (incl. rough handling)... I have a lot of WD and Maxtors,
 >no problem with either (relatively speaking) but with the WD so much
 >louder I won't be buying any more till they go to fluid bearings. I'd
 >suggest a Maxtor for local purchase, and/or Seagate for online. In 80GB;
 >
 >Seagate ST380013AS
 >Maxtor 6Y080M0 (Plus 9 series, IIRC)
 >
'preciate that. I'll start combing Sunday ads.

I've allocated myself $100/month so this build will take a while.

Do you have any suggestions for a quiet cpu cooler suitable for
over-clocking?

regards

Dud
--

Umfriend: - A sexual relationship of dubious standing or a
concealed but intimate relationship, as in:
"This is Bridget, my ... um ...friend."<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:55:15 -0800, joe_mama.TakeThisOut@pizza.com wrote:

 >On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 12:51:14 -0500, Duddits <Duddits.TakeThisOut@Dreamcatcher.com>
 >wrote:
 >
  >>On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 17:00:37 -0800, joe_mama.TakeThisOut@pizza.com wrote:
  >>
   >>>On Sat, 27 Mar 2004 12:35:55 -0500, Duddits <Duddits.TakeThisOut@Dreamcatcher.com>
   >>>wrote:
   >>>
   >>>... get the mobile barton 2500. no multiplier
   >>>lock and runs at 400 FSB. Moderate overclock by multiplier with no
   >>>frills ram. Do some research, this is the cpu to buy.
   >>>
  >>Many thanks for this tip. Parts list updated. What "quiet" cpu cooler
  >>would you suggest?
  >>
 >
 >I didn't do a very exhaustive search on those because the first one I
 >looked into Thermalright SP97 seemed to be among the best and quietest
 >(you chose your own fan). It's a bit pricey at $52, but there is a
 >cheaper version without the heat pipe technology that's plenty good
 >too.
 >
 >http://www.pcabusers.com/reviews/thermalright/sp97/p1.html
 >
 >A very nice review.
 >
 >It bolts onto the four mounting holes on the motherboard, so it's a
 >nice solid alternative to clip on's. Since you're building a new
 >system, it's not a big deal.
 >
 >For the fan, you get a 92mm fan with a hard drive molex connector for
 >the power and a split off single lead for the tach out that plugs into
 >the motherboard. All sweet stuff.
 >
 >http://sidewindercomputers.com/fansandmore.html
 >
 >I'd pick up a monster like the tornados and a moderate speed quieter
 >one along with a front bay fan speed controller. Then play around with
 >them to get the noise down to the best you can for the overclocking
 >scheme you come up with.
 >

Ok, forget what I said a few threads ago.....
I'll try this.

Thermalright SP97 Heat sink
92mm Panaflo M1A Fan (BX) w/ RPM Sensor

regards

Dud

--

If we are what we eat. I'm cheap, fast, and easy.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 18:10:12 -0500, Duddits <Duddits DeleteThis @Dreamcatcher.com>
wrote:


  >>For a limited time (till they sell out) this place has low price on the
  >>L1A:
  >>
  >>http://www.bgmicro.com/lmad.asp
  >>
 >Excellent. I'll order 4 of these asap.

I suppose I should mention 2 things about those... 1) No RPM signal 2)
2-pin motherboard connector, is physically compatible with a motherboard
after you cut off one of the small key-tabs. In other words, it looks
just like a motherboard fan header plug, but with only two positions to
it. a knife is all that's needed to make them work.



 >NewEgg has an FX5200 128mb for $70. Kingli has a 64mb for $55.00. I'm
 >leaning towards 128mb.

If you're willing to spend $70 you might check Newegg's Refurb section,
see what that $70 will get you there. For example, "right now" there's a
Radeon 9600 256MB for $77... but "right now" was a few mintues ago...
Right NOW, there maybe something better or worse.



 >Do you have any suggestions for a quiet cpu cooler suitable for
 >over-clocking?

If you want to overclock I suggest an OEM Athlon Barton-M,
Xp2400/2500/2600 instead of the retail XP2700.

As for the heatsink I like Thermalright's line... SLK800 or higher model
#, with your choice of 80-92mm fan on top. Those 'sinks can sometimes be
pricey but are often discounted (till whoever discounts 'em, runs out of
stock). Don't know who has best price at the moment.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

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 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

On Tue, 30 Mar 2004 23:29:05 -0500, Duddits <Duddits.TakeThisOut@Dreamcatcher.com>
wrote:

 >On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 00:16:24 GMT, kony <spam.TakeThisOut@spam.com> wrote:
 >
  >>If you want to overclock I suggest an OEM Athlon Barton-M,
  >>Xp2400/2500/2600 instead of the retail XP2700.
  >>
 >Plan is OEM Mobile XP2500

I'd better mention you want to get the 1.45 volt mobile barton,
there's also a 1.65 DTR (desktop replacement) that won't overclock as
well.

AXMH2500FQQ4C : Standard 45W Mobile 2500, 1.45 V
AXMA2500FKT4C : DTR 72W Mobile 2500, 1.65 V

The "FQQ" is what you're looking for: 1.45 volts, and 100 degrees C
max die temp.

"FKT" is fucked. 1.65v and 90 degrees C max die temp. Won't overclock
as high.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: Please critique my parts list