Choices, choices, choices...

[bumcheekcity]

Well so I need [otherwise known as want] another gaming machine, to upgrade my blisteringly fast CeleronD with onboard VGA.

I want PCI-E, not too intersted in either SLI or Crossfire, and I'm wondering weather to bother overclocking the thing. I'm split between four main choices, and woudl use the Asus A8N-SLI SE for the 939pin boards, and


[*:5c67fddf05]Get myself an OEM Athlon 4000+ 64bit and an Alpine 64 Cooler, and just bump up the speed a little bit. (Or, just go for the retail option if the OEM stock runs out at the low price. This would be £160.
[*:5c67fddf05]Get an Athlon 3800+ X2 and overclock it a bit on stock cooling. This would be £170-ish, and for both these overclocks, I'm not too fussed about getting anything impressive, just adding perhaps another 10% to the clock speed, you know, just anything to help.
[*:5c67fddf05]Get one of the Pentium D 805 2.66Ghz models, and a cheapish Motherboard, and overclock that as far as it can go with a £20 cooler. That might cost up to £200 though.
[*:5c67fddf05]Conroe 😀 But, they're quite expensive, and I dont really need the performance.


I mean, I'm going to use this for games, but I do want a fast processor for bragging rights 😀 Woudl it be easier to get one of the Athlons, considering the MAJOR price decrease they've undergone lately, and just add a little bit to their bite by a small overclock on stock cooling?

 

[illinikevin]

I'd really think about an AM2 because it uses newer memory and CPU socket that will allow you an upgrade path in the future and the price difference will be almost nothing. For your best value IMO I'd get the 3800 x2. It cheap and can easly be overclocked to the same speed as the 4000 with stock cooling. 805D's are cool(I got one but you gonna need a good cooling setup). I'd get a good video card since your building a gamming rig. What you get is dependent on your budget. Let us know your limit and we can point you in the right direction.

 

[bumcheekcity]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking, perhaps, of this setup:
[*:d3e9f547b4][link=http://www.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=101&l3=0&model=1181&modelmenu=2]Asus M2N-E[/link] Motherboard.
[*:d3e9f547b4]AMD Athlon 3800+ X2 Processor (Socket AM2)
[*:d3e9f547b4](2 x 1GB) Corsair XMS2-6400C5
[*:d3e9f547b4]250GB SATA Hard Drive
[*:d3e9f547b4](2 x) DVD-RW
[*:d3e9f547b4]Thermaltake Soprano Case
[*:d3e9f547b4]Antec/Hiper 450W PSU
The RAM confuses me a little. Overclockers.co.uk list it as XMS2-6400C5, but on their website, Corsir dont have that memory. Either way though, it should be very good, no? Im sure its the 800Mhz version.

Obviously, Im not including a card there, and Iw as playing with the Idea of getting the ATI All-In-Wonder ones, the x1900 with built-in TV Card. It should give me enough graphics pwoer to chew up most games, and I want a TV Card anyway 😀

 

[illinikevin]

I have that memory and I don't belive it is sold as 6400C5 just 6400. It's cheape and pretty fast. I run mine at cas4.