* Need opinions on computer I'm putting together! *

[JF Fortier]

Alright, so here is the system I just ordered :

MB : Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
CPU : AMD 3200+ 2GB
RAM : Corsair TWINX 2GB (2x1) Cas2
VID : Asus EN6600GT 128MB (TVO/SLI)
AUDIO : Echo Gina3G
HD 1 : WD Raptor 74GB SATA (10,000rpm)
HD 2 : Seagate Barracuda 200GB SATA (7,200rpm)
DVD: Plextor 716SA SATA
PSU: Antec 480W NeoPower
CASE : Antec P160

I'm getting this thing in a few days.

Anyone see anything wrong or would have other recommendations to make than
what is listed? My main question mark is the Seagate 200GB. I'm told that
only 250GB+ have NCQ. Not sure what NCQ is, but I'm told to take it if it's
available. Unfortunately, it's not available at the store I'm purchasing my
system at, so I went with the 200GB model.

Another store I called had complained that they've seen 50% of the Seagate
SATA's return because they broke, and no longer keep them in stock (special
order only). But then again, they could be telling me this because they're
trying to unload the other brands they have.

Your thoughts and opinions are welcome! This is my first computer upgrade in
5 years, so I'm pretty pumped.

 

[Axl Myk]

Alright, so here is the system I just ordered :

MB : Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
CPU : AMD 3200+ 2GB
RAM : Corsair TWINX 2GB (2x1) Cas2
VID : Asus EN6600GT 128MB (TVO/SLI)
AUDIO : Echo Gina3G
HD 1 : WD Raptor 74GB SATA (10,000rpm)
HD 2 : Seagate Barracuda 200GB SATA (7,200rpm)
DVD: Plextor 716SA SATA
PSU: Antec 480W NeoPower
CASE : Antec P160

I'm getting this thing in a few days.

Isn't it a little late to be asking?
Why would you order 2 different SATA drives? The 7200 will just slow
down what SATA is capable of..
Personally, I think SATA is much overrated for a home desktop machine..
Of course, being a forum, someone will chew at me for saying that..

 

[JF Fortier]

Isn't it a little late to be asking?

No, I have a few days to change my mind about any of the parts. This isn't
Nazi Germany. They have the parts listen on their website, so they're not
just ordering them for me. They need some in stock.

Why would you order 2 different SATA drives? The 7200 will just slow down
what SATA is capable of..
Personally, I think SATA is much overrated for a home desktop machine..
Of course, being a forum, someone will chew at me for saying that..

Well, since it's not slower than IDE and there's nearly no price difference,
why would I go out of my way to avoid SATA? I'm not getting your criticism
here.

 

[Axl Myk]

Well, since it's not slower than IDE and there's nearly no price difference,
why would I go out of my way to avoid SATA? I'm not getting your criticism
here.

My point is, why order 2 different drives?

 

[signmeuptoo]

Although the A8N-SLI board is a good board, the DFI Lanboy UT is just about
the best board out there. Do consider getting it. It is the board that
serious overclockers are getting. While on the topic of overclocking, many
are using OCZ RAM.

I don't want to talk like an authority, but if I could get a different
board than my ASUS A8V (it is already paid for and past turn in date) I'd
get the DFI Lanboy UT, it is a very cool board and uses the nVidia chipset,
which is a great chipset.

Pardon, please, any ASUS fans here.

 

[JF Fortier]

My point is, why order 2 different drives?

Oh, that's because I need more than 74GB. I don't know of any 300GB
10,000rpm SATA drives. SCSI is out of my price range. So the Raptor is
pretty convenient for me.

The idea is to use the Raptor as the OS drive... and the 200GB Seagate for
everything else (docs & stuff). So the OS is running and swapping on
10,000rpm. And whatever humongous documents I have (videos, for instance)
will be on the Seagate.

Since the price is nearly the same and can't think of any reasons to *avoid*
SATA since it will inevitably replace IDE down the road, I just made that
2nd drive SATA as well... not expecting it to run as fast as the OS drive,
but requiring the additional storage space.

 

[JF Fortier]

Would anything else about my system require changing if I were to consider
your MB suggestion? It's like the 3rd or 4th time it's been suggested to me.
Maybe I need to look into this.

 

[JF Fortier]

BTW, you meant DFI LanPARTY UT, not LanBOY, right? (one turns up 200,00
matches on google, the other just 2)

 

[Paul]

No, I have a few days to change my mind about any of the parts. This isn't
Nazi Germany. They have the parts listen on their website, so they're not
just ordering them for me. They need some in stock.


Well, since it's not slower than IDE and there's nearly no price difference,
why would I go out of my way to avoid SATA? I'm not getting your criticism
here.

SATA shouldn't cause any problems. The SATA connector leaves a
bit to be desired, as there are occasional reports of a cable
falling off, but other than that, it seems to be working for people.
Some day, a new improved SATA connector, will fix all that.

Standard advice for a new mobo - check the cpusupport page, to
make sure a particular version of BIOS isn't required. If the
BIOS needed has just been issued, don't expect it to be shipping
on boards yet.

http://www.asus.com/support/cpusupport/cpusupport.aspx

Check the download page, to see when and what BIOS versions have
been released. 1002 was released a while ago, so that shouldn't
be a limitation.

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/download/item.aspx?ModelName=A8N-SLI Deluxe&Type=All

You can also download a user manual, and check out the BIOS
documentation, to see if the BIOS has the settings you expect.
(Overclockers like to look at them.)

http://www.asus.com.tw/support/down..._id=1&f_name=e1889_a8n_sli_deluxe.zip~zaqwedc

The only question I have about your order, is the computer case.
The P160 is similar to the Sonata I've got. The bottom drive tray
is a bit of a PITA, because the cables plug into the drive protrude
forward (towards you when facing the side of the case), and the ends
of the cables make is inconvenient to put the side panel on. The other
thing is cooling - on the Sonata there is a 120mm in the back and no
fan in the front. My Sonata doesn't have enough vent holes, to really
benefit from the fan. For all the bother, they might as well have used
an 80mm.

I ended up removing the lower front plastic piece from my Sonata, so
the case could breathe better. I would have preferred to stick a fan
down low, in the front of the case, but in the Sonata there isn't room
for one. My personal preference is to go with a slightly larger case,
even if it is ugly - you want something that has room for low velocity
cooling solutions, so the case can remain quiet. Some of the old
fashioned cases have better provision for fitting fans than some of
the newer cases. So, those are just a couple of minor quibbles with
the Antec.

Paul

 

[JF Fortier]

The only question I have about your order, is the computer case.
The P160 is similar to the Sonata I've got. The bottom drive tray
is a bit of a PITA, because the cables plug into the drive protrude
forward (towards you when facing the side of the case), and the ends
of the cables make is inconvenient to put the side panel on. The other
thing is cooling - on the Sonata there is a 120mm in the back and no
fan in the front. My Sonata doesn't have enough vent holes, to really
benefit from the fan. For all the bother, they might as well have used
an 80mm.

I ended up removing the lower front plastic piece from my Sonata, so
the case could breathe better. I would have preferred to stick a fan
down low, in the front of the case, but in the Sonata there isn't room
for one. My personal preference is to go with a slightly larger case,
even if it is ugly - you want something that has room for low velocity
cooling solutions, so the case can remain quiet. Some of the old
fashioned cases have better provision for fitting fans than some of
the newer cases. So, those are just a couple of minor quibbles with
the Antec.

The P160 is among some of the larger cases around. Are you certain we are
talking about the same case?

The one gripe about the P160 I read kind of echoes yours, in that there is
somekind of issue with putting a fan in the front that requires "minor"
tweaking on the user-end to "easily" fix. So it didn't scare me /that/ much.

I weighed the thing in person. It's paper-light. That is a gigantic plus. Of
course, just LOOKING at it makes me cringe, but I'll have to get over that.
(Ever try biting into aluminium as a kid with led fillings? The
experience stays with you for life.)

http://techreport.com/reviews/2004q2/antec-p160/index.x?pg=5


Which case would you recommend? I'd rather not buy a $300 CND case, but if
it's really worth it for what you're getting, I'll consider it. Here are my
options (available in-store) :

CASE ATX ALPHA MID X-CLIO SILVER 420W 17866 $95
CASE ATX COOLERMASTER STACKER BLACK/BLACK 19185 $325
CASE ATX COOLERMASTER STACKER BLACK/SILVER 18824 $325
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV1000 BLACK 18041 $309
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV1000 SILVER 17539 $319
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV1100 BLACK 18131 $379
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV2000 BLACK 18042 $389
CASE ATX NIKAO OGRE DELUXE CHROME 17552 $99
CASE ATX NIKAO SAMURAI BLACK 17549 $89
CASE ATX NIKAO SAMURAI RED 17551 $89
CASE ATX NIKAO SAMURAI SILVER 17550 $89
CASE ATX SILVERSTONE SST-LC10B-M ALUM BLACK 19312 $309
CASE ATX TSUNAMI VA3000BNA ALUM NOPS BLK 19184 $179
CASE ATX NIKAO VIPER BLACK/RED 500W 19102 $165

 

[Paul]

The P160 is among some of the larger cases around. Are you certain we are
talking about the same case?

The one gripe about the P160 I read kind of echoes yours, in that there is
somekind of issue with putting a fan in the front that requires "minor"
tweaking on the user-end to "easily" fix. So it didn't scare me /that/ much.

I weighed the thing in person. It's paper-light. That is a gigantic plus. Of
course, just LOOKING at it makes me cringe, but I'll have to get over that.
(Ever try biting into aluminium as a kid with led fillings? The
experience stays with you for life.)

http://techreport.com/reviews/2004q2/antec-p160/index.x?pg=5


Which case would you recommend? I'd rather not buy a $300 CND case, but if
it's really worth it for what you're getting, I'll consider it. Here are my
options (available in-store) :

CASE ATX ALPHA MID X-CLIO SILVER 420W 17866 $95
CASE ATX COOLERMASTER STACKER BLACK/BLACK 19185 $325
CASE ATX COOLERMASTER STACKER BLACK/SILVER 18824 $325
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV1000 BLACK 18041 $309
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV1000 SILVER 17539 $319
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV1100 BLACK 18131 $379
CASE ATX LIAN-LI ALUMINUM PCV2000 BLACK 18042 $389
CASE ATX NIKAO OGRE DELUXE CHROME 17552 $99
CASE ATX NIKAO SAMURAI BLACK 17549 $89
CASE ATX NIKAO SAMURAI RED 17551 $89
CASE ATX NIKAO SAMURAI SILVER 17550 $89
CASE ATX SILVERSTONE SST-LC10B-M ALUM BLACK 19312 $309
CASE ATX TSUNAMI VA3000BNA ALUM NOPS BLK 19184 $179
CASE ATX NIKAO VIPER BLACK/RED 500W 19102 $165

I was going by the mechanical drawing shown on the Antec site.
The P160 looks similar to the Sonata.

http://www.antec.com/pdf/drawings/p160_uk.pdf
http://www.antec.com/pdf/drawings/Sonata_en.pdf

If you are referring to tie-wrapping a fan onto the left hand
side of the lower drive tray, that will swirl the air around in
the case, but it won't necessarily draw a lot of fresh air
in through the nostrils. I considered doing a mod like that
on the Sonata, but it just wasn't worth it.

The nostrils on the P160 are likely a more effective air
input than on the Sonata. When I remove the lower plastic piece
on the Sonata, I am left with roughly what the P160 looks like.

I guess I'm just a traditionalist - I like a defined location
for the fan, near the bottom front of the case, and room for
fans on the top rear of the case. Lian-Li is just too expensive
for my tastes (and the one I looked at locally, seemed kinda
wobbly).

The Nikao Viper has a more standard layout, but the colors would take
some getting used to - I would have to drop a blanket over this
thing

http://www.tradexinfo.com/viper.htm

It is hard to tell if the Samurai has room for a front case fan.
The description says it has room for one rear fan, but the
picture shows grills for two rear fans ? The appearance would
take some getting used to.

http://www.tradexinfo.com/samurai.htm

The Tsunami has a nice interior layout, but I'll leave it to you
to decide if you like the outside of it.

http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/tsunami/bna/internalEnlargedView.htm
http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/tsunami/bna/bna.htm

On the Tsunami, it looks like the bracing bar that goes across
the case, is high enough up, that you should be able to drop the
motherboard into there without too much trouble. I have one old
computer case here, where the bar is lower down, rivetted in place,
and is a royal pain to work with.

You can click on the pictures of the Tsunami here:
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-133-137&depa=0

I'm not going to look at the $300 cases, because no home computer
is worth that

Paul

 

[signmeuptoo]

Save yourself a little bit of money and get the NEC 3520a DVD burner that
can be found at newegg or elsewhere. It is just about as good as they get
and costs less than that Plextor. With that in mind, if you don't care
about money, Plextor is top of the line, it's just that the NEC is just as
good according to a LOT of people. I have one (or should I say that my
brother bought me one, but he still hasn't given me it, they are addicted
to it, too bad for me).

As far as power supplies, you should get something more powerful and
stable:

http://www.maxpoint.com/products/pow_supp/spec_pg/noistakerax2/index.htm

As far as cases go, I can only show you what I am looking at:

http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product_list&p_class=363

It is a monster case that will hold a ton of drives, perfect for what I
want. Converts to BTX too, very roomy, etc.

Those are my comments.

 

[signmeuptoo]

Yup, stuuupid me, my bad.

But be sure to pair it with this RAM:

OCZ TCCD RAM modules. Do a search on TCCD and you will find lists that
show which modules are TCCD, they overclock better and more fully utilize
the AMD 64 CPU.

Have you thought about getting an FX processor? If you could budget it
somehow, they are better...

 

[JF Fortier]

I was going by the mechanical drawing shown on the Antec site.
The P160 looks similar to the Sonata.

http://www.antec.com/pdf/drawings/p160_uk.pdf
http://www.antec.com/pdf/drawings/Sonata_en.pdf

If you are referring to tie-wrapping a fan onto the left hand
side of the lower drive tray, that will swirl the air around in
the case, but it won't necessarily draw a lot of fresh air
in through the nostrils. I considered doing a mod like that
on the Sonata, but it just wasn't worth it.

The nostrils on the P160 are likely a more effective air
input than on the Sonata. When I remove the lower plastic piece
on the Sonata, I am left with roughly what the P160 looks like.

I guess I'm just a traditionalist - I like a defined location
for the fan, near the bottom front of the case, and room for
fans on the top rear of the case. Lian-Li is just too expensive
for my tastes (and the one I looked at locally, seemed kinda
wobbly).

The Nikao Viper has a more standard layout, but the colors would take
some getting used to - I would have to drop a blanket over this
thing

http://www.tradexinfo.com/viper.htm

It is hard to tell if the Samurai has room for a front case fan.
The description says it has room for one rear fan, but the
picture shows grills for two rear fans ? The appearance would
take some getting used to.

http://www.tradexinfo.com/samurai.htm

The Tsunami has a nice interior layout, but I'll leave it to you
to decide if you like the outside of it.

http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/tsunami/bna/internalEnlargedView.htm
http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/tsunami/bna/bna.htm

On the Tsunami, it looks like the bracing bar that goes across
the case, is high enough up, that you should be able to drop the
motherboard into there without too much trouble. I have one old
computer case here, where the bar is lower down, rivetted in place,
and is a royal pain to work with.

You can click on the pictures of the Tsunami here:
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-133-137&depa=0

I'm not going to look at the $300 cases, because no home computer
is worth that

Paul

Wow, thanks Paul. But these are all mid-towers, right?

I was looking at Full Towers mainly because that's what I always had. It
never occured to me to consider the mids. I was always worried about
temperatures with the mids.

Considering my set-up, I take it you feel I should be perfectly comfortable
with a mid?

How do you feel the P160 stands up to these?

 

[JF Fortier]

Upon further investigation, the A8N-SLI and the DFI LanParty are virtual
equivalents, especially if you're not an overclocker (and I'm not).

Everything else remaining equal, I will pick the most popular company, if
only for the likelyhood of there being more info available to me should I
encounter any problems (more people buying it, talking about it, FAQ'ing it,
etc.)

Thanks, though.

And no, the FX is more server-oriented than home use. I'll leave that one
out of the equation.

 

[Bill]

Which case would you recommend? I'd rather not buy a $300 CND case, but if
it's really worth it for what you're getting, I'll consider it. Here are my
options (available in-store) :

<snip>

Have you considered an Antec SLK3000B?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14122&vpn=SLK3000B&manufacture=ANTEC

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=93000


Bill

 

[JF Fortier]

<snip>

Have you considered an Antec SLK3000B?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14122&vpn=SLK3000B&manufacture=ANTEC

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=93000

I have, but it's a mid. The P160 is a Full, and is 8lbs lighter than this
mid.

Also, the P160 has a removable motherboard tray (!) as well as individual
drive trays, with rubber grommets that attenuate drive vibration. Pretty
tempting features. :S

The only thing I /don't/ like about it is that it's 2 years old. I feel like
I'm buying old stuff.

 

[Bill]

I have, but it's a mid. The P160 is a Full, and is 8lbs lighter than this
mid.

Also, the P160 has a removable motherboard tray (!) as well as individual
drive trays, with rubber grommets that attenuate drive vibration. Pretty
tempting features. :S

The only thing I /don't/ like about it is that it's 2 years old. I feel like
I'm buying old stuff.

Yah, I had the hots for a P160 at one time, until I got to see one in real life.
It felt like it was made from a beer can, light weight but kind of flimsy, and the sides
thrummed like drum heads with the fans that were installed. The removable motherboard tray
is nice though.

OTOH, there's the ~86.00 dollar difference in price.

Bill

 

[Paul]

Wow, thanks Paul. But these are all mid-towers, right?

I was looking at Full Towers mainly because that's what I always had. It
never occured to me to consider the mids. I was always worried about
temperatures with the mids.

Considering my set-up, I take it you feel I should be perfectly comfortable
with a mid?

How do you feel the P160 stands up to these?

The Tsunami is 19.5" x 8.3" x 18.9"(HxWxD)
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-133-137&depa=0

The Antec P160 is 20" (H) x 8.1" (W) x 19.7" (D)
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-141&depa=0

Picking a case is a fashion statement, so pick one you
can stand to look at. It sounds to me like you've
already made up your mind, and the last thing I would want
to do, is have you choose something you would later
regret. For me, if a computer case doesn't do what it is
supposed to, I have tin snips, hack saw, drill, and I
can "fix" it.

For example, my a7n8x-e motherboard's computer case lacked
room for a front fan. I made a nice fan holder out of some
aluminum angle iron, and a 120mm fan now sits in front of
the drive bays. It is on a Zalman fanmate, so the speed
can be adjusted, and it is set nice and low. So, a case
with shortcomings, is a challenge I cannot resist.

Paul

 

[Captain Cuspid]

I have the Plextor 716SA, its a great optical burner. Only has one problem,
most burning software do NOT support SATA optical drives as of yet. Also on
a optical drive SATA does not give you any speed increase but it does make
cable management easier. Go with the SATA hard drives, the speed over IDE is
well worth it. As Paul states, the cable connectors are a little flimsy, but
you can now get SATA cables with locking tabs on them.