I need me some help.

[shadowtheweak]

I've been picking out the parts i'm going to purchase to build my first computer. I have a good idea of what I want, the only problem i'm having is I'm not 100% if all the parts I want are compatible or which parts I should get that wont work together. Heres what I plan on getting so far:

Case: Rosewill R6AS5-BK 0.8mm SECC 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Case

Power supply: Powork PW-600 DUAL FAN 600W Power Supply w/2SATA/20-24PIN (or a power supply 600 watts or greater)

CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+

Motherboard: Not sure what to get yet (maybe the MSI K9N Diamond).

Video Card: Radeon X1950 PRO (not completely sure on this either)

RAM: I have no idea about what kind i'm going to get, but I want at least 2 gigs.

any suggests would be appreciated.

 

[WR2]

Radeon X1950 PRO = Good choice.
Powork PW-600W PSU = Bad choice. It only has 24amps of 12volt power on a single 12volt rail. The X1950Pro needs 30amps of 12volt power.

Where do you plan to buy your hardware and what is your overall budget?

 

[djplanet]

That processor is priced almost the same as the E6300, a much better performer by Intel. You might consider that one instead. Though it would require a different motherboard, and judging by your original choice you want SLI. This is a problem, since you'll pay $50-$100 more for an Nforce 590 or 680i board for Intel.

Bottom line, if you want SLI, the 4200 X2 might be worth the cheaper motherboard, since that CPU still offers respectable performance that won't bottleneck most graphics cards. But if you don't want SLI, get the Core 2, hands down.

 

[waylander]

That processor is priced almost the same as the E6300, a much better performer by Intel. You might consider that one instead. Though it would require a different motherboard, and judging by your original choice you want SLI. This is a problem, since you'll pay $50-$100 more for an Nforce 590 or 680i board for Intel.

Bottom line, if you want SLI, the 4200 X2 might be worth the cheaper motherboard, since that CPU still offers respectable performance that won't bottleneck most graphics cards. But if you don't want SLI, get the Core 2, hands down.

Cost increase is not just in the mb but also in the ram, high performance DDR ram costs less than mediocre DDR2 ram.

But I still agree that C2D is the way to go. Cost 10% more but oh well, maybe just get 1gb of ram to start then get a second gb later.

Also, that psu really does suck. Maybe it's all you can afford but it's not a good maker. Check in the psu/cases forum for some good suggestions.

 

[CompuTronix]

If you must go with an AM2 platform, then consider the Opteron 1212, which is essentially the same core as the AM2 X2 4000. Since the Opteron is a server / workstation class processor, it's cleaner silicon than the X2's, and will overclock higher at a lower voltage. It also has 1Mb L2 Cache per core, which is a definate gaming advantage over the 512Kb L2 Cache X2's. At $209.99 with an overclock potential of 3.0Ghz, it's the only way to go in an AM2.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819105016

On the other hand, as has been suggested, a C2D platform will outperform an AMD rig. The E6600 is roughly equal to the FX-62. Check out the following THG article:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/08/02/thg_tuning_test/

A moderately OC'd 6300 will outperform an FX-62, and is still capable of going higher, so it's something to think about.

Hope this help.

 

[outlw6669]

Agree that the core 2 duo is a mutch better buy.

Really need to know your budget to help you more.

 

[CompuTronix]

Waylander, very nice clocks!!! What's the vCore on your 4800? Have you been able to take her any higher? My previous rig was a Toledo core Opteron 170 OC'd @ 2.8Ghz (1.328 vCore) for everyday use, and 3.0Ghz (1.504 vCore) for gaming. It was an excellent rig, and I really hated to eBay the parts.

 

[shadowtheweak]

I'm probably looking around 1,000$ to spend on my rig, but i'm sure i'll end up spending more. I'm not going to be able to buy all the parts at once either.

 

[CompuTronix]

For $1,000.00 you can build a very nice E6400 rig, which is one of the best price / performance sweet spots. Many 6400's can be overclocked to 3.2Ghz on air, with a high end CPU cooler. That should get the job done for you.

 

[shadowtheweak]

Thanks for all your help, so far I've only ordered the case and that should come by tommorow. I'll have an updated list soon....

 

[CompuTronix]

Thanks for all your help, so far I've only ordered the case and that should come by tommorow. I'll have an updated list soon....

Welcome back. Haven't seen this thread active since 12/9. Still here for whatever you need. 8)

 

[shadowtheweak]

Thanks man, I'll keep ya posted. This is my first time building a computer that isn't at least 10 years old haha. With my paychecks I should have this project complete in 3-months, if not I'll defenitely be able to get whatever else I need with my tax return.

 

[CompuTronix]

Fair enough. We'll be standing by. Good luck on your parts acquisitions. 8)