Some help composing a new system...

Prelude · Jun 7, 2005, 07:03 AM

Guys, I'm browsing a bit for components to put together a AMD 64 system. My question is what kind of motherboard would be best? I'm going largely by the "high-end gamesystem" put together by tweakers.net in may2005 :

* CPU : AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Winchester core (S939, 2,2GHz, 512KB)
* RAM : 512MB x 2 (1GB) PC3200 DDR (TwinMos)
* HDD : Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB (SATA, 16MB)

And some other stuff that is neither expensive nor important... I already own a Leadtek Geforce 6800GT, a bit of a problem is the motherboard. In the same review the "Asus A8N-SLi, nForce4 SLi" is recommended. However, my 6800GT is an AGP card and I don't think that motherboard has any AGP slots...

Any thoughts on this, or on the other components are appreciated...

Link to the complete setup : http://www.tweakers.net/reviews/574/4

Bruuce · Jun 7, 2005, 07:11 AM

$1000 new pc http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NzY5LDE=
Doesn't include hard drive but it includes everything else (cpu, ram, mobo, psu etc.)

Edit: I just read you have an agp video card. I'm sure someone here can help you out with a great mobo to go with.

Lelisevis · Jun 7, 2005, 07:18 AM

Go with either the MSI k8N neo2 Platinum or DFI have a new AGP skt 939 board coming out either late this month early next month.

Prelude · Jun 7, 2005, 03:24 PM

Been checking up on the MSI K8N Neo2 board, I also found a neo4. the latter runs on nforce4 instead of nforce3 and costs like 10 euro's more. Is it worth the money to get the neo4?

Edit: Oh, i think the neo4 doens't have an AGP slot either

krips · Jun 7, 2005, 05:19 PM

Better to go with a venice or san deigo core, the latter especially if you're not into OCing.

Lelisevis · Jun 7, 2005, 05:51 PM

Good idea about the venice or san diego just be careful when pairing it with older boards as not all are supporting the chips without a bios flash and that means getting hold of a winchester so you can boot it. It's an enigma barely anyone considers.

Prelude · Jun 7, 2005, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by krips

Better to go with a venice or san deigo core, the latter especially if you're not into OCing.

Although I do value your opinion, could you quickly explain why you advice this?

Lelisevis · Jun 7, 2005, 07:16 PM

Hope you don't mind me answering but the venice/san diego's do run slightly cooler and have the sse3 instruction set. Price wise your only looking at a few pounds/dollars more for comparable clock speeds, it makes sense to get one if you can as if improvements hadn't been made then we'd all still be using Winchesters. Any more queries just post i'll be happy to help.

Prelude · Jun 7, 2005, 07:31 PM

Aaaah, the good 'ole SSE3 instruction set...

I'll take your word for it, I was under the assumption the winchester was the cream of the crop for the s939 boxed CPU's, is there no difference between Venice and San Diego? I'll try and read into it. Thx for you help, I'm sure I will run into some more questions later

Necrosis · Jun 7, 2005, 07:39 PM

The SD's have 1 meg cache, and the V's 512.

Lelisevis · Jun 7, 2005, 08:10 PM

Personally I'd go venice, soon as I get my winnie back from the poorly processor clinic it's getting traded in for a 3500+ Venice. I doubt you'd see much gain from the Diego's 1mb cache and I believe the prices are a fair bit higher.

As for SSE3 it's used for video encoding and software graphics vertex shaders, amongst other stuff, which can only be a good thing seeing as the prices are roughly the same

.

~~ut2k4wikichici~~ · Jun 8, 2005, 03:46 AM

i dont no much about anything exsept video cards!!!!

Get a 6800Ux2 SLI Nvidia cards they are fricken fast !!!!!

~~ut2k4wikichici~~ · Jun 8, 2005, 03:50 AM

and they have Pixel Shaders 3.0 and open GL 1.5 Support!!!!

and all the game are designed for them too!!!!

Prelude · Jun 8, 2005, 06:34 AM

Thx for the replies so far... Could someone tell me the difference between nforce3ultra and nforce4 in real performance terms? I've been trying to find a nforce4 AGP motherboard but I've haven't been able to. Can't find anything on the DFI site about a new model either. Now if the difference is negligable then I'll just go with the K8N Neo 2 board...

Cheers

Necrosis · Jun 10, 2005, 11:56 AM

Hmm I haven't been able to find any either. Though there is nf3 754 boards. You'll be very pleased with the MSI board. I used to own one, and never had any problems with it. Just remember that it's lay out is different so plan accordingly.

Prelude · Jun 10, 2005, 12:16 PM

I've read that the layout is different (and not good differrent) but what things should I keep in mind when I purchase this mobo? I plan on using it with a "Antec Performance One P160" tower... Could you please explain what you mean by plan accordingly?

What I've put together so far :

512MB x 2 (1GB) PC3200 DDR (Twinmos)
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice (S939, 2.2GHz, 512kb)
Antec Performance One P160 (ATX)
Apacer Embedded Card Reader 15 in 1 (USB 2.0)
Cooler Master SAF-S12-E1 (120mm, 13dB, 3p)
Logitech Media Keyboard
Maxtor DiamondMax 10, 250GB (7200rpm, SATA)
MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum, nForce 3 Ultra
NEC 16x48x, DV-5800c
NEC 3,5" Diskette Drive 1,44MB
NEC ND-3540 16x (Dual-layer, Zwart)
Philips 109B60 19"

Thanks

Necrosis · Jun 10, 2005, 03:05 PM

I feel like I keep pimpin' this site but here is the faq for this board.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=43033

Are you sure that heatsink is going to fit? Do you plan to OC, I'm running an Artic Cooling Freezer 64, and I couldn't be happier!

Prelude · Jun 10, 2005, 04:18 PM

What heatsink? Coolermaster is a fan for the front of the case...
And no, I don't think I will be oc'ing, perhaps in a year or so when I feel I need the extra speed... And I will check the site out, thx m8

soloz2 · Jun 11, 2005, 03:39 PM

hey, I just wanted to ask why not make the switch to PCIe video? It seems like all the new cards coming out are made for the faster slot and a mobo with PCIe will be more upgradable in the future. To me it just makes sense.
I would also recommend going with the Venice core processor. they are only a couple dollars more than a winchester and I've been very happy with mine. Actually I'm very pleased with my whole system, I just built it a couple weeks ago.
Anyway here's what I put together.
3200+ A64 venice core
Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe
Corsair XMS twinx1024-3200c2pt RAM
MSI 6600GT PCIe video card... hoping to get a second sometime soon...
And I everything else should be in my signature.
Also, I oc'd my processor from 2.0 to 2.1 this morning and she's running stable... hoping to go to 2.2 tonight which would be the same as what the 3500+ runs and it cost me 75 less! btw. I'm still running stock cooler

Prelude · Jun 13, 2005, 09:54 AM

Yeah, but if you would've bought a 3500+ you could have overclocked it to a 3800+ perhaps? It's all relative... Besides, I doubt you'll see much difference between a few hundred Hz...

And I would have gone PCIe if it weren't for the fact I just bought a 6800GT AGP card. :E
I think it's ridiculous how the vendors are abandoning AGP all of a sudden and I see a golden oppurtunity for the company that continues producing quality AGP mobo's as there are still a lot of ppl with AGP cards out there...
(Still haven't come across a nforce4 AGP mobo for instance)

soloz2 · Jun 13, 2005, 10:34 AM

Yes, I realize that many companies aren't making as many cards for agp as they do for pcie. I guess if it was me, I would try to sell my agp card and get a pcie one because if companies are doing that now... how do you think it will be in another year when all the new motherboards and comptuers have pcie cards installed?
I wanted to get the 3500+... but at $75 more than the 3200+ I just couldn't justify the cost since I only had a budget of 700 to work with. My parents gave me 100 for my old computer (it was new in sept) and I built this one for less then 800 so I'd say I did pretty good.

sc3000 · Jun 16, 2005, 08:29 PM

Don't get MSI, get either abit or asus

Lelisevis · Jun 16, 2005, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sc3000

Don't get MSI, get either abit or asus

Based on what exactly ? Your not going to find a better agp skt939 board than the K8N Neo2 Platinum.
I'd be happy to agree with you if you can justify that statement or explain a bit more.

Prelude · Jun 23, 2005, 01:24 PM

Nother question, on a webshop site I ran into this description : Athlon 64 Skt939 3500+ 1600 FSB Boxed 512Kb Venice

The only thing that makes me frown is the FSB... Is this supposed to be 1600? I ask this because most of the other AMD 64 CPU's on the same site are listed as 2000FSB.

Cheers

Prelude · Jun 24, 2005, 01:10 PM

Kinda need an answer on this one guys since I'm negotiating with the store.

Also, if a store offered you a Neo2 board for 35 bucks less because it was RMA'ed by someone else, what would your reaction be? I'm not assembling the board myself, they would assemble the system and test it...

Lelisevis · Jun 24, 2005, 03:00 PM

My reaction would be to tell him to stick his RMA product up his ass and look for another retailer (then again Im in anger management counselling

). Seriously though i'd never recommend RMA products to anyone as the first your going to know of any problem is when you have everything plugged in and setup (thats a lot of lost hours of joy and it'll leave a bitter taste you'll not forget).
As for the specs on that online store 99% of it checks out however the quoted 1600mhz looks like someone got carried away with his quad-pumping understandings.
Just one small note is I envy your patience when selecting parts, im so impulsive and walked in a store in december 'to have a look'. I left 30 minutes later with £1000 of gear

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