first complete build am i missing anything???

i have the keyboard, mouse, and monitor already from the old system, and that is the 10K SATA hdd...

the case comes with 3 80mm fans...not enough??

I have 2 raptors and they actually run cooler than my other 7200 rpm drives.

Pentiums are just fast with crap performance but a Athlon has great performance and is fast.go for the 64 Bit system. as for the video go for one of the 6800 from Nvidia, afterall that will future proof the system.

I have been running amd ever since i own my first computer and they are awesome especcially for the price, but the memory i would lookinto dual ddr with 1 gb kit or 2 gb kit, i am running the 512 mb kit, and i wish i have bought more, i have been looking into rebuilding my amd system and going 64 bit with a 3500+ cpu and getting the ASUS A8V board or ASUS A8N-SLI which has the pci express on it, anybody think of anything different let me know

Tony

I agree with jr8crew, you should probably get more RAM. And, the AMD 64 bit processor might give better performance than the P4.

In my opionion the only way to "future proof" a system is to not build it in the first place. A 3.2 gig P4 with those components will do just fine except for and AMD user. some peeps just do not like to hear it when they are told to switch for no reason other that what the the advisor has read. I run a p4 2.6 which will run with or ahead of any athlon in the same price range.

I'm about to build my 6th computer....and I'll be using the AMD 64 (3800+ or the FX-55* - not sure which yet) as well. I've been using AMD's for the last 3 computers, and LOVE them. I'll probably never use an Intel again.

*The FX-55 was released not long ago - most online sites still list the FX-53.

Enjoy,

As for your video depending on the type of applications and games I would recommend the All in Womder X800 XT video card. You kill several birds with one stone as they say.Also if your stuck on P4,Try the Gigabyte Motherboard GA-81PE100-G .This is a lot of Bang for the Buck. I am using it now. One more suggestion scrap the pioneer and get a plextor px-716SA. I did . More compatable with other drives and all types of material.Just my 2 cents form my own experience.
Matt

I have run both and I will say that I find that the Intel based systems seem to be more stable for applications and Video/Audio Production and that the AMD's seem to run Games a bit better. Also the AMD's Run Hotter than the Intel's so there is a trade off there as well. I would at least go with a 1GB of Dual Channel RAM from either OCX or Kingston and if you can afford to spend a little more get the HYPER-X. As far as Video goes you cannot go wrong with either ATI or Nvidia they are both Awsome Cards. What you have to really decided is what you are going to be doing with the system. If you are going to only play games on it then I would consider the AMD. However if you are going to do allot of applicatoions, Audio, Video, and various other thigs besides Games then stick with the Intel Processor. Allot of Software people write special code in the software that only takes advantage of Intel's core processor.

i've heard this before and i really don't play games so i'm fine with intel (it's what i've alway run and i don't see any reason to switch unless there is a major price difference)...

as for the memory i will definatly be adding more at some point, but will have to start of with 512 for $ reasons...

I just completed building my 3rd computer and I wanted to run two seperate DVD/CD combo Drives,because of compatabilty with the different types of material. I tried the Pioneer 108, NEC 3500,and Plextor PX-712A. The problem was compatability. NEC and Pioneer did not like each other. The Plextor was compatabile with all especially when it came to the material.Now I added the new Px716SA Serial and all I can Say is WOW. The speed is Fantastic.
Just My 2 Cents.
Matt

While a turtle is slow, a Turtle Beach soundcard is not. I do home recording and was astounded at the prices for some of the higher end soundcards. I've been recording professionally since 1968 so I was going to bite the bullet and plunk down $300 plus for a proline soundcard, then I talked to an audio engineer at a radio station where I was working about the sound cards he's used. He never hesitated and said Turtle Beach. First decide on the speaker layout you want. Turtle Beach has cards specially designed for 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1 configurations. I got the 6.1 Catalina card and couldn't be happier. I saved at least $350 over what I was planning to pay. Their support is ok too. The difference between on board/integrated audio and a Turtle Beach sound card was like night and day. Prices vary from 40 to 60 dollars on the Catalina 6.1. I could not be happier! Far cheaper than a Sound Blaster and sounds great, especially for recording!

Your prices seemed a little high on some of the items. Check around.

I also prefer the Enermax power supplies personally. They are well made, durable and reasonably priced. Don't skimp on power as that is often a weak link!

Another thing, especially for a system with a side window, you'll need cable ties. You can get them at radio shack. They help to pretty up the view through case window and they help routing the cables to improve airflow.

Regarding airflow, shop around for some of the round drive cables and use them instead of the flat ribbon drive cables. The online auction sites have hundreds listed and they are far cheaper than at a computer store. They also look nice on a case with a side window and some can actually improve performance I am told.

If you are using three fans or more, you might want to look into a fan controller like a Thermaltake x-controller. Which runs about 15 to 20 dollars. They also make one like the one I use with a built in temperature display and temperature alarm which is a handy safeguard to have.

Good Luck!

Make sure the card you get has onboard DSP so it can offload effects processing from the cpu.

As the DSP issue has arisen, I've consulted the manual for the Santa Cruz from Turtle Beach, "8MB DLS synthesizer with scalable DSP" is listed for this card. Again, couldn't be happier. Great product for less dollars than any other around. I paid about $50 including shipping. Thanks and good luck!

Correction, I bought the Santa Cruz card.

I considered an Audigy until doing some careful research including talking to the leading studio building engineer in the state. While an Audigy is compatible with my PENTIUM 4, for home recording and playback I'm very pleased with my $50 OEM Turtle Beach card. He also recommended a $600 card as well called a Echo Layla. Turtle Beach has Stereo 18 bit A/D converters for higher resolution recording than Audigy's 16 bit A/D converters. That was important to me because I record things about as much as playback. Check the specs, Turtle Beach specs out better, costs less and is more widely compatible with more systems as it even works in old Pentium 2's and there are no compatibility issues with AMD either. Many people like Turtle Beach's software better that Creative's. Tbeach software made by their parent company Voyetra is extremely stable and easy to use. By the way, there's been some posts about "The Audigy Scream of Death" afflicting some XP system machines after installing the Audigy card, here's one review where the "Audigy Scream Of Death" is discussed, http://www.pcscoop.com/hardware/audio/SoundBlaster/Audigy/page4.asp

I personally would prefer a AMD processer and I would make sure the PSU is one of the best today. Also I would use a DVD double sided burner. I prefer Asus motherboard's myself. Looks like a good choice for everything else.

I have worked on my own computers since my Apple IIc. I have had Pentiums and Athlons. Both are well done as Karl says, but the AMD 64 with be able to support 64 bit progs TODAY. That means - Build today and NOT have to upgrade the motherboard and proccesser for MANY YEARS.

As far as the motherboard, you can often find great boards for EITHER proccesser at the same prices and same configurations. MY OPINION is the AMD, but it IS your choice.

Enjoy,

The old debate of processors. First and formost the choice is yours and yours alone. What you read here are only SUGGESTIONS!!! Do your homework and choose what processor is right for you. Only you know what applications you'll be running the most and choose which one is best suited for you. There's so much resources on the net for you to determine the right one for you.

why do i need to back up my files??? i'll be using my current HDD's in my new setup...

Back up! You need to back-up because you should do a clean install with win XP. Also make sure you have copies of all other apps. you want to install as some may need updates with win XP.Make sure you do a complete scan on your system before B-Up to make sure you don't transfer crap to your new sys.
Checkout prices on outpost.com for savings or any of the internet shoping sites.