Motherboard, Graphics card, and CPU Questions!!
Hi guys. Im looking to buy a new PC, and am wondering if you can help me out.
I heard that the X800XL is coming in January at an MSRP of $300 USD, and it seems better than the X800 pro. Do you guys think that if the X800XL is at $300, then the X800 Pro prices will drop to sub $300 range? Or will the X800XL be the cheaper option?
I want this CPU:
AMD Athlon 64 3400+ 939 socket
My friend tells me that if I go for this, I need to get the 90nm 939 Winchester core because it can be overclocked very easily. He says to avoid the 130nm Newcastle core. Some other person on another forum says taht all 3400+ 939s are the Winchester core, but Im not sure if hes right. Can anyone confirm that this processor is a Winchester? Also, is now a good time to buy a CPU? Is there any chance for some price drops in the near future? Some new tech coming out? If I can get a good deal now, should I go for it?
My biggest concern is this: With the X800XL being PCI-E only, Id need a PCI-E motherboard. My friends recommened this AGP card to me earlier:Asus A8V deluxe mobo. They say its good quality. I also like that it comes with an on board sound card, has the 4gb max memory, and is compatible with this memory that I want to purchase. The potential problem is this: If I decide to go for the X800XL, I will not be able to get this card. I will have to go for another card. Can anyone point me to a similar card that will be compatible with my AMD CPU as well as the RAM I want? I found this motherboard with PCI-E, but dont know how good it is. Does it have the onboard sound card? Is it compatible with the ram? Is it compatible with the CPU? Is it good quality? What features is it missing that are in the AGP mobo? Does anyone know?
Basically, I want to know if this second mobo I listed is any good, and if I would need to worry about compatibilty if I was to buy this CPU, RAM, and HDD now and purchase a mobo later on.
Oh, and one more thing: I am looking to purchase this hard drive...200GB HDD from Western Digital. Will it be compatible with the second mobo I listed?(THE PCI-E one)
Thanks all in advance!
Also note that Id like to overclock my PC. If theres anything here that would hold me back from doing that, please inform me!
I heard that the X800XL is coming in January at an MSRP of $300 USD, and it seems better than the X800 pro. Do you guys think that if the X800XL is at $300, then the X800 Pro prices will drop to sub $300 range? Or will the X800XL be the cheaper option?
I want this CPU:
AMD Athlon 64 3400+ 939 socket
My friend tells me that if I go for this, I need to get the 90nm 939 Winchester core because it can be overclocked very easily. He says to avoid the 130nm Newcastle core. Some other person on another forum says taht all 3400+ 939s are the Winchester core, but Im not sure if hes right. Can anyone confirm that this processor is a Winchester? Also, is now a good time to buy a CPU? Is there any chance for some price drops in the near future? Some new tech coming out? If I can get a good deal now, should I go for it?
My biggest concern is this: With the X800XL being PCI-E only, Id need a PCI-E motherboard. My friends recommened this AGP card to me earlier:Asus A8V deluxe mobo. They say its good quality. I also like that it comes with an on board sound card, has the 4gb max memory, and is compatible with this memory that I want to purchase. The potential problem is this: If I decide to go for the X800XL, I will not be able to get this card. I will have to go for another card. Can anyone point me to a similar card that will be compatible with my AMD CPU as well as the RAM I want? I found this motherboard with PCI-E, but dont know how good it is. Does it have the onboard sound card? Is it compatible with the ram? Is it compatible with the CPU? Is it good quality? What features is it missing that are in the AGP mobo? Does anyone know?
Basically, I want to know if this second mobo I listed is any good, and if I would need to worry about compatibilty if I was to buy this CPU, RAM, and HDD now and purchase a mobo later on.
Oh, and one more thing: I am looking to purchase this hard drive...200GB HDD from Western Digital. Will it be compatible with the second mobo I listed?(THE PCI-E one)
Thanks all in advance!
Also note that Id like to overclock my PC. If theres anything here that would hold me back from doing that, please inform me!
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Comments
Definitely avoid the Newcastle if you can. The Winchester is a better overclocker, is slightly faster, and runs a bit cooler... As you can see by this Newegg link, all their 3400s are Newcastle which doesn't bode well with that other person's comment.
Price drops? I don't forsee anything quite soon as even a rumour of the 4200+ or the FX-57 haven't surfaced.. Nor has any new and wonderful technology. If you see a good deal (Winchester s939 Athlon 64!), definitely go for it.
As for the motherboard your friend suggested, eh, I'd argue the point. Of the contemporary Athlon 64 chipsets, the K8T800 is one of the oldest and the slowest. I'd wait (Sincerely, I mean that), and invest in an Abit/Asus/DFI nForce4 SLI board when they're released en masse in about 45 days. Stay away from Gigabyte, I can't sternly reinforce that enough.
As for that RAM, ULTRA is untested, notoriously unreliable and of poor quality. You'd be better off paying a little bit more for Kingston Value Ram or Corsair Value Select series. It may not overclock well, but it's sure as hell of alot better quality.
That hard drive is compatible with everything.
If you want to over clock everything needs to work together.
The new NForce4 mobo looks to be very strong. Abit, Asus, and DFI have put some nice boards out, stick with them.
The 3000+ooks to be the best bang for the buck going these days.
Memory, memory, memory. Make sure that you buy memory that has been tested in your mobo. Check the memory articles on anandtech. They do a great job of telling you what works and what doesn't.