Help Selecting Parts for My Motherboard

HyperX · 05-17-2006, 03:39 AM

He guys i am building a new pc. So far i have a mother board and a hard drive. I am going to need to buy a CPU, vidoe card, and RAM.

Anyways here is my mother board, the A8N-SLI Premium.
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l...model=539&mode...

My hard drive is also here, Maxtor DiamondMax 10 SATA 300GB 16MB Cache.
http://maxtor.com/_files/maxtor/en_u.../data_sheets/d...

Okay so those are my first two parts. now i got those at good prices. Now i need a good computer but i am not the guy who is going to go and spend money for all the best parts on the market. However i need performance.

Now i just got an xbox 360 with a samsung drive while i plan on modding for backups. It wa simportant that this mobo has nforce 4 chipset which comes with the 360 firmware pack to flash your drives firmware.

Now backon topic so i am not going to be playing alot of game son this PC because i have a 360.

I am looking for a graphics card that is reasonably priced and will give you the most performance for your money (must be PCI-express for mobo). Again i still might enjoy playing games just i am not going to die if i cant have the most cutting edge graphics but more performance for money.

A hard one for me is selecting RAM. could i have some RAM reocmednatiosn that give most bang for your buck. However I am willing to spend more on RAM than a video card. I also am confused what type of RAM i need for my mobo.

Lastly i need a cpu i want a AMD 64 (has to be cause my socket 939 mobo). Now could i have a recomendation for a CPU that again give you bang for your money. Is the dual core worth it or are the single core 64 bit good to?

Keep in my mind i am more multitasker than playing games. i might game occasionally on the PC but not much. Most of my PC use is using bit torrent, converting video formats, burning to disks, patching files, programs like photoshop,etc. Basically i dont play alot of games but use my PC hard on other stuff. But these apps can all be running at once and on my PC i have now it can get really slow.

So that is it and i would like it if someone could help select me parts that give me great perfoamnce without buying all the most expensive parts. Thanks.

PC eye · 05-17-2006, 04:34 AM

My more finding suggests that Kingston performs well on Asus boards. Corsair and OCZ are known as the gaming brands while a pair of Kington 1gb performance dimms serves well for that nigtly stretch of gaming and game modding. For the basics and still getting a bang for the bucks on a dual core cpu AMD's 3800+ X2 works as the starter. The link here will provide some recommendations for different builds depending on what type of case you are going to put together. Computer Specs 101 The AMD64 4200+ X2 is the favored for the tighter budget.

Derik75 · 05-17-2006, 08:50 AM

If you are a multitasker you definitely want to spring for the dual core. AMD's 3800+ X2 is the most cost effective dual core processor.

As for graphics, some of the best budget cards would be the Geforce 6600 or the 6800 in the NVIDIA series. On the ATI side theres the X800XL and the X1600XT you could look at as well.

Brands that I have always trusted for RAM have been Kingston, Corsair and OCZ just to give you a few examples. If you are big into multimedia and video editing you might want to spring for 2 Gigs of RAM (Preferably 2 X 1 GB sticks).

Hope that helps.

PC eye · 05-17-2006, 07:55 PM

If you want to get the most of a dual channel board two are needed to enable the dual channel mode. Performance is gained with a pair of 1gb dimms over a pair of 512mb dimms especially in gaming due to what is called "memory holes" where the dimm is filled to see an overflow to the next rather then having more ram let on the same dimm. For multitasking a good look at boards that will also support the Opteron Socket 939 model cpus will allow for later upgrades.

I would jump to the ATI X1800 over the X1600 line for a single video card. But once you see a card like this and the remainder of your hardware selection is made an adequate power above 420w is recommended. One article on the X1800 points right to that. http://www.diamondmm.com/X1800256PCI.php To have a little more power for multitasking along with the occasional gaming a good look at a slightly larger supply works.

HyperX · 05-18-2006, 12:47 AM

i think i might get the asus 6800 GT. but i would like more advice on video cards.

PC eye · 05-18-2006, 04:43 AM

The first thing to ask then would be the price range as well as size such as going after a 256mb if not spending more on a 512mb model. Then there would be the preferred VPU which could a Radeon if not NVidia. The reference guide at http://www.mwave.com/mwave/deptvid.hmx? can give you an idea on a few cards where you can then search for reviews to see which one performs the best when compared to others. MSI always worked here while Asus held it's end. But that was what had been seen on an AGP not PCI-E type of swap out with 128mb cards at the time.

HyperX · 05-18-2006, 04:46 AM

price range: 200-350 $. best value

PC eye · 05-18-2006, 05:21 AM

Well price range and type can narrow it down somewhat. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Deepsearchdd.hmx?UID=&CID= Gee now for a look at 256mb models by different brands. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Deepsearchdd.hmx?UID=&CID=
Or would you prefer the 512mb models? http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Deepsearchdd.hmx?UID=&CID= only one model there. So lets go to another vendor. Scroll down to get to the first 512s under $350- and then on to the next pages. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Subcategory=48

Tumbleweed36 · 05-21-2006, 05:07 PM

Hi,

Great motherboard choice. If you do multitasking, then yes, I would suggest the dual socket. If you use the board for just general usage, then take a look at either the Venice Core 3500+ or the San Diego Core 3700+ to save you some bucks and give you great performance. The Venice core is one of the best cores for overclocking, and the San Diego is also pretty decent at that. I have the San Diego and it is a great chip at a good price.

PC eye · 05-21-2006, 09:38 PM

Asus makes some great boards along with having an excellent online support setup for grabbing bios updates as well as other items like the PC Probe for monitoring temps on your system. There's also a single cored 3800+ available if you are not going with a dual cored model.

05-17-2006, 03:39 AM	#1 (permalink)
HyperX New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3	Help Selecting Parts for My Motherboard He guys i am building a new pc. So far i have a mother board and a hard drive. I am going to need to buy a CPU, vidoe card, and RAM. Anyways here is my mother board, the A8N-SLI Premium. http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l...model=539&mode... My hard drive is also here, Maxtor DiamondMax 10 SATA 300GB 16MB Cache. http://maxtor.com/_files/maxtor/en_u.../data_sheets/d... Okay so those are my first two parts. now i got those at good prices. Now i need a good computer but i am not the guy who is going to go and spend money for all the best parts on the market. However i need performance. Now i just got an xbox 360 with a samsung drive while i plan on modding for backups. It wa simportant that this mobo has nforce 4 chipset which comes with the 360 firmware pack to flash your drives firmware. Now backon topic so i am not going to be playing alot of game son this PC because i have a 360. I am looking for a graphics card that is reasonably priced and will give you the most performance for your money (must be PCI-express for mobo). Again i still might enjoy playing games just i am not going to die if i cant have the most cutting edge graphics but more performance for money. A hard one for me is selecting RAM. could i have some RAM reocmednatiosn that give most bang for your buck. However I am willing to spend more on RAM than a video card. I also am confused what type of RAM i need for my mobo. Lastly i need a cpu i want a AMD 64 (has to be cause my socket 939 mobo). Now could i have a recomendation for a CPU that again give you bang for your money. Is the dual core worth it or are the single core 64 bit good to? Keep in my mind i am more multitasker than playing games. i might game occasionally on the PC but not much. Most of my PC use is using bit torrent, converting video formats, burning to disks, patching files, programs like photoshop,etc. Basically i dont play alot of games but use my PC hard on other stuff. But these apps can all be running at once and on my PC i have now it can get really slow. So that is it and i would like it if someone could help select me parts that give me great perfoamnce without buying all the most expensive parts. Thanks.

05-17-2006, 08:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
Derik75 Bronze Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Houston/San Marcos, Tx Age: 23 Posts: 35	If you are a multitasker you definitely want to spring for the dual core. AMD's 3800+ X2 is the most cost effective dual core processor. As for graphics, some of the best budget cards would be the Geforce 6600 or the 6800 in the NVIDIA series. On the ATI side theres the X800XL and the X1600XT you could look at as well. Brands that I have always trusted for RAM have been Kingston, Corsair and OCZ just to give you a few examples. If you are big into multimedia and video editing you might want to spring for 2 Gigs of RAM (Preferably 2 X 1 GB sticks). Hope that helps. __________________ Northwood 3.06 w/ HT, XFX 6600GT, 1 Gig Kingston PC2700, Audigy 2Zs, Antec 450watt PSU, 17" Samsung LCD, Klipsch 7.1 Speakers, Saitek Gaming Keyboard, Logitech MX518 mouse

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05-17-2006, 04:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,687	My more finding suggests that Kingston performs well on Asus boards. Corsair and OCZ are known as the gaming brands while a pair of Kington 1gb performance dimms serves well for that nigtly stretch of gaming and game modding. For the basics and still getting a bang for the bucks on a dual core cpu AMD's 3800+ X2 works as the starter. The link here will provide some recommendations for different builds depending on what type of case you are going to put together. Computer Specs 101 The AMD64 4200+ X2 is the favored for the tighter budget.

05-17-2006, 07:55 PM	#4 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,687	If you want to get the most of a dual channel board two are needed to enable the dual channel mode. Performance is gained with a pair of 1gb dimms over a pair of 512mb dimms especially in gaming due to what is called "memory holes" where the dimm is filled to see an overflow to the next rather then having more ram let on the same dimm. For multitasking a good look at boards that will also support the Opteron Socket 939 model cpus will allow for later upgrades. I would jump to the ATI X1800 over the X1600 line for a single video card. But once you see a card like this and the remainder of your hardware selection is made an adequate power above 420w is recommended. One article on the X1800 points right to that. http://www.diamondmm.com/X1800256PCI.php To have a little more power for multitasking along with the occasional gaming a good look at a slightly larger supply works.

05-18-2006, 12:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
HyperX New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3	i think i might get the asus 6800 GT. but i would like more advice on video cards.

05-18-2006, 04:43 AM	#6 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,687	The first thing to ask then would be the price range as well as size such as going after a 256mb if not spending more on a 512mb model. Then there would be the preferred VPU which could a Radeon if not NVidia. The reference guide at http://www.mwave.com/mwave/deptvid.hmx? can give you an idea on a few cards where you can then search for reviews to see which one performs the best when compared to others. MSI always worked here while Asus held it's end. But that was what had been seen on an AGP not PCI-E type of swap out with 128mb cards at the time.

05-18-2006, 04:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
HyperX New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 3	price range: 200-350 $. best value

05-18-2006, 05:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,687	Well price range and type can narrow it down somewhat. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Deepsearchdd.hmx?UID=&CID= Gee now for a look at 256mb models by different brands. http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Deepsearchdd.hmx?UID=&CID= Or would you prefer the 512mb models? http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Deepsearchdd.hmx?UID=&CID= only one model there. So lets go to another vendor. Scroll down to get to the first 512s under $350- and then on to the next pages. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Subcategory=48

05-21-2006, 05:07 PM	#9 (permalink)
Tumbleweed36 New Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 20	Hi, Great motherboard choice. If you do multitasking, then yes, I would suggest the dual socket. If you use the board for just general usage, then take a look at either the Venice Core 3500+ or the San Diego Core 3700+ to save you some bucks and give you great performance. The Venice core is one of the best cores for overclocking, and the San Diego is also pretty decent at that. I have the San Diego and it is a great chip at a good price.

05-21-2006, 09:38 PM	#10 (permalink)
PC eye Diamond Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Inside a pc Posts: 18,687	Asus makes some great boards along with having an excellent online support setup for grabbing bios updates as well as other items like the PC Probe for monitoring temps on your system. There's also a single cored 3800+ available if you are not going with a dual cored model.