Building a new machine - have some questions

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tainted

Guest
Im putting together some hardware to build a new machine, Im going to order the parts and assemble it myself which is something I've not done before, so I have a few questions that have come up so far.

First though, heres the components list ive comp up with.
All prices taken from www.ebuyer.co.uk.
I have included links to all items I think people might not be too familiar with.





My questions:

  • will a 2k series cpu fit into a 64 bit board? From all Ive read, I couldnt really tell. - ok
  • Will the motherboard fit into the case? Seems a relatively simple thing to work out, but the different sizes and specifications have me confused.
  • What is the difference between oem and retail cd drives? - ok
  • Will the 350 watt PSU be enough?
  • Im going with the retail cpu, so it comes with heatsink and fan. But would I possibly need any extra cooling? Both if I were and if I wasnt going to overclock the cpu or videocard.


  • If anyone has any comments or can spot a compatability issue (like say between mainboard and ram), or if you can spot a component that I could perhaps change with another more powerful or less expensive part. I'd really appreciate hearing your thoughts.

thanks!
-t
 
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Deadmanwalking

Guest
Only a quick one as im off to bed :p

An AthlonXP will not fit into a 64 bit Athlon FX motherboard.
Differing design/number of pins etc.

So swap that for a nice Nforce2 offering :D

If you do the above then inbuilt sound/network will be more than enough for the average user.

Retail CD Drives: Big box, free software, normaly manufacturers warranty, extras etc etc

OEM: The Drive, Cables, maybe drivers.
 
C

Ch3tan

Guest
What are the specs like on that monitor?


Have you shopped around for prices?
 
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tainted

Guest
I have looked around, A decent 17 inch for around 100 is my most basic requirement ~_^
 
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FatBusinessman

Guest
Originally posted by tainted
I have looked around, A decent 17 inch for under 100 is my most basic requirement ~_^
Click to expand...
Nah - you want to be spending at least £150, I should think. Consider that you're likely to be looking at this thing for long periods of time, it really isn't worth penny-pinching on it.
 
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tainted

Guest
thats true enough, depends what I can squeeze out of the bank at the moment, this is by no means a final list hehe.

I'll have to look about some more in the morning ~_^
 
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Ch3tan

Guest
Don't mean to pimp them continously, but look for GNR monitors on ebuyer. I have the flat 19" jobbie (£120 ish), and they do 17" models within your price range. Check the specs agains what you have (your link didnt work for me) and consider that GNR offer a no questions swap out 3 year warrenty (on-site).
 
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FatBusinessman

Guest
about the second Samsung
1280x1024@65Hz
Click to expand...

Still not wonderful if you want anything above 1024x768 - that's how low you're likely to have to go to get 75 Hz refresh rate (anything below 75 is headache-inducingly flickery, 85 is good if you can get it).

This is very nice, could be a tad out of your price range though :D
 
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Testin da Cable

Guest
iiyama rock imo. I've had visionmaster pro models from 17" up to 22", and they are awsome. I'm sure there are better brands, but not for the price you pay :)
 
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Deadmanwalking

Guest
*hands ECA a planetprices.com head pimp badge*
 
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Ch3tan

Guest
Reading the rreviews for that iiyama one versus the GNR one, the GNR seemed better recieved with less problems. The top of the range iiyama vision masters are the daddy, no question -but that budget model probably aint.
 
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xane

Guest
Originally posted by tainted
cpu: ATHLON XP2700 333MHz retail - £111.25

ram: Crucial 512 DDR400 PC3200 (x 2) - £70.49 each
Click to expand...

Personally I'd drop back to a 2500+ Barton, get PC2700 RAM instead and get 1Gb of it.

Just my preference, my experience of XP says memory is more noticeable than CPU, and I don't think you'll get a significant advantage running PC3200 over PC2700, especially on a dual-channel mobo.
 
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tainted

Guest
hm I was concerned about the psu, I want to be on the safe side. Your nasty experience said you were using 300 though? Anyway, I'll see into 400w.

With the ram, pc3200 only costs £5 more than the 2700 so I just maked it up ~_^
Would the advantages really be that insignificant compared to 2700?
 
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ECA

Guest
Originally posted by Deadmanwalking
*hands ECA a planetprices.com head pimp badge*
Click to expand...


Someone commented at last :/

I just reckon they need a bit of attention because they are doing a pretty kickass job of saving me money.
 
K

Krazeh

Guest
Originally posted by Ch3tan
My Geil ram from www.microdirect.co.uk was cheaper than that Crucial ram for better specs. 2.5 Latency and better timings for the geil value stuff.
Click to expand...

Yeah, geil ram is well priced, got a gb of pc3500 golden dragon from microdirect for a good chunk less than it woulda cost to get corsair or similar.
 
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tainted

Guest
hmm interesting!

when you think it this would take effect on UK retails?
 
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