case and cooling question....

raven44

ok, i am building my 2nd system, this one to try overclocking, so i am looking to keep costs down.

so far i have the following :
Abit nf7-s rev 2.0
2 x 256 ocz el pc3200 ddr
athlon xp-m 2400+
Also looking at Radeon 9500

my question is this:
I am looking at the thermalright alx-800 heatsink. Is this a good choice? what fan would you recommend with it?

secondly, I am struggling to find a case. I would like to have one with a window, but can't seem to find one at the right price that has good airflow options.
The Jeantech Phoong seems to be a reasonably priced, good option, but no window!
Any recommendations?

Jimborae

For the price of a jeantech phong you wont get a good case with decent cooling & a window. If you're looking at phongs you may also want to consider the Antec Slk3000, better quality & design than the Phong with equal or better cooling properties, for the price it's a steal.

The alx-800 is a good heatsink but some place's are doing the 947 & 948u at very cheap prices. i.e. I paid £10 ($ 5.40) for a Thermalright 948U 3days ago from Komplett.co.uk !

csimon

I'd highly recommend the slk-947 and a thermaltake smartfan II for overclocking.
Also a radeon 9800 pro 256 bit $148 shipped at least.
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102477

raven44

the 9800 pro is approx £120 new + or £90+ 2nd hand here in uk, but i can get the 9500 for around £30 and soft mod to 9700 levels. Do you think the gains from a 9800 pro are worth the extra cost?
My budget is tight, that is why i suggested a 9500, but i don't want to waste money...

Jimborae

For a £120 you can get a 6600gt which in most circumstances will be better than a 9800 pro. As for the 9500 you need to be certain that it will softmod successfully or it'll be a waste of money.