Building New PC

[mr_newb]

Hi, I've just joined the Tom's Hardware community and decided to build my PC. I'm a bit unsure on the components of the PC, so I was wondering to hear from you. Thanks in advance.

My PC:

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Newcastle)
Motherboard: MSI K8N Neo Platinum
Memory: Crucial 512 MB DDR PC-3200 x 2
Hard Drive: Samsung 160 GB 7200 RPM
Optical Drives: Lite-on 52x32x52 CD-RW
NEC 8x DVD + RW/-RW Drive
Cooler: Thermaltake Venus 12 CPU Cooler
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9800 Pro Video Card 256 MB

I got speakers and monitor, but I don't know what keyboard, mouse or case I should get.

 

[HardWareBoss]

I would buy a WD hard drive. 9800Pro buy 128MB. Not worth the money for 256mb.

 

[mr_newb]

Thanks, i'm going to change my hard drive to a wd hard drive but i want my video card to last for 2-3 years, will a 128 mb 9800 Pro still work in that time?

 

[pIII_Man]

the performance diffrence is marginal between the two, normally manufacturers use slower memory in their 256mb versions to save costs too, so in many cases the 256mb models perform worse than the 128mb models, you have to check out what the ram speed of the card you are buying is.

If it isn't a P6 then it isn't a processor
110% BX fanboy

 

[mr_newb]

k, i got another problem (sort of) i could either get a MSI K8N Neo Platinum mobo or a ASUS K8V SE Deluxe. But the k8v comes with farcry for free, which should i get?

Thanks for the quick replys

 

[Crashman]

Get the K8N, the K8V is a lesser board. Warez Farcry if you have to, just don't cheapen out on the main component of your system!

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>

 

[Spitfire_x86]

Get MSI K8N Neo Platinum

------------
<A HREF="http://geocities.com/spitfire_x86" target="_new">My Website</A>

<A HREF="http://geocities.com/spitfire_x86/myrig.html" target="_new">My Rig</A> & <A HREF="http://geocities.com/spitfire_x86/benchmark.html" target="_new">3DMark score</A>

 

[Ettienne_E]

It is better to get the 128mb graphics card.
The 256 is not worth it.

 

[HardWareBoss]

The 9800Pro 128MB will last you untill your next upgrade. Unless you want to spend the extra money on X800Pro. Heck I'm still using a TI4200 64MB.

 

[Obtuse]

Also, unless you plan to OC, why are you throwing that monster heatsink/fan on it? Stock cooling w/A64 is decent. You could use the dough to put a fan on your northbridge, which on the K8N neo is only passively cooled.

"It's too late now anyway. That song is stuck in my head and the only way to get rid of it is to blow it out. With a bullet!! - Carl