Comments on New System Requested:

JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
edited July 2005 in Hardware
What would you have done differently?

Specs of my system follow, but give me your thoughts on what I did right, what I did wrong, what's gonna wander-off-sideways and so on.

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Motherboard
AMD64-X2 4400+ Dual Core CPU (bought for the nice dual 1mb caches)
ATI x800xl PCI-Express Video Card
X-Connect 500w Modular Power Supply
SilverStone Reversed ATX Case: (reference: http://www.xoxide.com/silverstone-tj-06-window-silver.html)


This is an upgrade from my current machine (though not a replacement for)
Intel 845PEBT2 Motherboard
Intel 2.8A P4 (533 FSB)
ASUS GeForce4 ti4200 Video Card (4x AGP)
In a KingWin Tri-Window case, I forget it's name off hand.

Both systems have had a gig of RAM, and will continue to have that, Kingston Hyper-X in the new machine, Crucial 2700 in the old.

I know I'm in for a kick in the ... with my new machine, but what would you have changed? My logic for the upgrade is as follows: My current machine is over two years old (faithful service, and she won't be going down anytime soon), but she's choked off from high end gaming by only having AGP 4x support, and AGP is a standard on it's way out for video cards. So to get my new video card, and have room to improve upwards, I need a new motherboard, which begets a new processor. If I'm going to be in the market for a new machine, why not jump on the Dual Core train with my 64-bit archetecture?

Thoughts, comments, name calling?

Comments

  • NosferatuNosferatu Arizona
    edited July 2005
    Really interesting case. Let us know how it works as far as keeping things cool with the wind-tunnel. I just bought the same motherboard. I'm curious to know what made you pick it? I'm jealous... I'd love one of those dual core CPU's :hitit2: but I got a deal on a 3200+ so what can you do hehe. The only issue I'd have with the system you built is the power supply. I've heard bad things about X-Connect PSU's but haven't had much personal experience with them. Maybe someone more knowledgeable on the subject will elaborate.
  • macdude425macdude425 Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
    edited July 2005
    I've heard the same thing about X-Connect CPUs; they look pretty but otherwise suck.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited July 2005
    yup, had a friend that had one and he was mad when it couldnt push enough power for his sli cards. come to find out with a little research they are made buy a pretty sucky company if I remember right, but remember, i am remembering and im not that good at it.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited July 2005
    My compliments on your case selection. Smart. Here's Anandtech's review.
  • JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
    edited July 2005
    Yeah, I haven 't exactly heard great things about the X-Connects either, but for the cost, they've got the look, and given that this system will only have one-three HDDs, no expansion cards other than the video card, and only a gig of RAM, even if it only pushes 350W real-world, it should be fine.

    Ultra is no longer the crappy company they once were, and I've seen some reviews of this PSU that make me think that the 500W ones actually push out the amperage they claim with solid voltage rails, which should equate to pushing the watts claimed pretty nicely.

    I'll let you know how it works out for me, but it was bought for the cost & looks first and foremost. (I hate TigerDirect, but when they offer things cheap, they offer them cheap)

    Actually, stay tuned to this thread, and I'll let you know how all the components work for me. : )
  • JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
    edited July 2005
    Status Update:

    Motherboard was first purchased, and first to arrive, looks blissful.

    RAM was bought for cash from a friend, it may be a slight mismatch, but, I can cope without dual-channel for a month if need be (Kingston HyperX 3500 to attempt to match Kingston HyperX 4000). Still, in hand, guarenteed not to be dead, always nice.

    CPU arrived from NewEgg, took a while, but looks well worth the wait & money.

    TigerDirect sent me my PSU cables, but not my PSU itself. They're claiming they've switched to a new inventory system, and everything has gone to hell... serves me right for buying from them. Hopefully that'll be out here by Wednesday next week.

    NewEgg also sent me my video card. It arrived with a fun little spare capacitor in the bag. Judging by the leads to it, it was never properly soldered on, and the trip here jarred it loose. So, that's been overnighted back to NewEgg (I coulda sworn they'd cross-ship if I fronted my credit card against the cost of the card again, ah well) and hopefully that'll be in my hands by Thursday.

    Xoxide has shipped my case, but issued me the wrong tracking number for it... Hopefully it'll get here :: gurfle ::

    So, this is rapidly becoming a comedy of errors. Anyone else going through the same hoops with TigerDirect? I'd really like to have a PSU & case for when my x800xl gets here.... grah.
  • JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
    edited July 2005
    Status Update:

    My case has arrived, and it's a beaut! It's larger than I had expected, but not problematic whatso-ever. I'll grab my camera and take pictures of the system.

    All parts should be here by this Friday night, so I'll build her then, and have her on-line by the weekend.

    I also broke down, and bought more components for her already.

    From Staples' retail location, I bought a 120Gb Maxtor IDE drive, to use as my boot drive. (Putting all my OS installs on one IDE drive just saves so much trouble)

    From NewEgg, they had a one-day sale last night on WD 160Gb SATA-II drives, I bought two at $91 each. I'm still torn as to if I'll Mirror or Stripe them, I'm tempted to stripe since they're not the fastest access drives in the world, and most of what I do involves single movements of large bursts of data, but time will tell on that. (NewEgg Linky: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144415 )

    So, my Case is here, my PSU is in transit, and should be here no later than Thursday Night. My HDDs are in NJ (I'm in CT) and will be here tonight, or tomorrow. My RMA'd VideoCard should be in my hands no later than Friday night, it's getting FedEx'd out of NewEgg's Cali warehouse on the morning pickup.

    Things are looking good, but so help me, if that video card or PSU isn't here by Friday night, I think I'm going to break down and cry. :p
  • JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
    edited July 2005
    All my parts are out for delivery today, a day earlier than expected. I think I'm gonna explode at work today.

    I'll document the system building, in case anyone cares, but this thing looks sweet. Even just as parts. :)
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited July 2005
    Jonsey wrote:
    All my parts are out for delivery today, a day earlier than expected. I think I'm gonna explode at work today.
    I know just how you feel. :D


    I'll document the system building, in case anyone cares, but this thing looks sweet. Even just as parts. :)
    That would be great. :) One of the best things about DIY is how much you learn as you go along. That info will certainly be helpful to others. :thumbsup:
  • JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
    edited July 2005
    It'll be my... 5th? Computer that I've built from the ground up.

    486-DX2 66MHz
    Pentium 133MHz
    Dual Pentium 450MHz
    Athalon 1GHz
    Pentirum 4 2.0GHz (w/ RDRAM, man that stuff rocked, just not for the cost)
    Pentium 4 2.8GHz (A - w/ 533 FSB)
    AMD64-X2 4400+ Dual-Core 2.2GHz

    I guess that makes it the 7th. And while building your own is no longer as economical as it once was, and I never recieved guidance from other enthusiasts online, it's much more of a hobby market now, and someone's gotta spread the love.

    Besides, it'll be fun showing other people pictures of my new system. I wish I had pictures of my current box, when it was neat & clean inside. And ya'all *have* to love this case. : )


    *edit*!!! FedExes have arrived at my house, UPS runs by at 1900 local time (-0500 GMT).... So cloooooooose!
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited July 2005
    If your main goal is performance, then you are correct, home-builds are not as economical as they once were compared to the beige box makers' offerings. When you look at it from the angle of quality and upgradeability, then building your own really is economical. To get the same thing from a name brand, you have to spend a small fortune with a gaming system builder.
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited July 2005
    Leonardo wrote:
    If your main goal is performance, then you are correct, home-builds are not as economical as they once were compared to the beige box makers' offerings. When you look at it from the angle of quality and upgradeability, then building your own really is economical. To get the same thing from a name brand, you have to spend a small fortune with a gaming system builder.


    Much agreed on everything you said there Leo. You can't beat the big boy's prices on an econobox, but they use such crap components in them too. And their "gaming" boxes or workstation class boxes have a hard time matching what you can build one for.
  • sfleurietsfleuriet Texas New
    edited July 2005
    that reversed case is cool and interesting. I've never seen one like that - nice idea. :thumbsup:
  • JonseyJonsey Microsoft Corporation
    edited July 2005
    Wow, the epic still hasn't concluded.

    This was easily my longest parts-up build I've ever done.

    Most of which is caused by the horrible mis-match of the TJ-06 SilverStone Case, the Asus A8N-SLI Premium Mobo, and the Ultra X-Connect PSU.

    One joy was how long the power cables for the X-Connect are... with this case and motherboard, you NEED them.... plus 3 inches more.

    I'll post pictures eventually, at work now, and not sure if I can FTP to my school webspace to host some full-res digicam snaps.. but the 4-pin ATX 12v & 24pin ATX power-multi cables weren't long enough... and they're 26" cables to start with.

    I love the reversed case design, and this case is a good one, but WOW do you need some cabling to get from end to end in it.

    Plus sides to the night:
    Computer works finally, that's always good!
    Love the Motherboard, it was even flashed with a bios new enough to ID my chip as Dual Core.
    Looks like I was smart to host my OS on an IDE drive, as getting my RAID drivers up & running took a bit of effort, and they seem to be too large to fit on a 1.44mb 3.5" floppy anyway.
    All the drivers happily installed into my OS
    I had a spare copy of Win Server 2k3 Enterprise Edition laying around (legal even!)
    A Gig of OCZ Platinum should only cost me another $170 from NewEgg

    Downsides to the night:
    My MSDN:AA copy of Win XP x64 does not accept the key they assured me it would... I may have to wait 5 weeks to obtain a key, and pay $20 ( which isnt' bad for an OS, but we do have a site license agreement )
    Half the RAM I was going to use is hated by my motherboard, CPU, memory controller, or somesuch.
    I had to create my own 4-pin to 4-pin ATX 12v power cable to stretch the length of my case... which means a 400W generic & 350W Antec PSU from the basement aren't going to be much use until I find 4-pin (square) connectors spare on-line somewhere.
    I'm not running a 64-bit OS.


    So, all in all, things are looking good, and the guy I bought the RAM from will take it back, I offered him a 15% restock on the RAM, as it'll run in my system upstairs, but it dies on memory test with my new PC, and gives a single beep as a beep-code if it's the only DIMM in the new system.

    I'm gonna have to pay out *another* $200 to get more RAM, and this thing has been quite expensive enough already. But, the fact for that $200, I can get a gig of 2-2-2-5 PC3200, I guess I can cope with that. It's running happily with my PC4000 as PC3200, but only giving me 3-3-3-8 right now.

    So, yeah, it'll be fun, it's awesome having a dual-core chip, and I can't wait to get outta work to benchmark it tonight, install HL2 and/or MxO. The system is snappy and responsive even with one core heavily loaded.

    So... yay?
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