This gaming rig ok?

[003]

1. The cheep case is to save money... no one will see it, and it seemed to get great revues.

2. I thought Antec made good PSU's and I won't be overclocking. Do I really need a more expensive one?

3. Why is the DFI Lanparty UT nF4 Ultra-D a better mobo? I've been hearing that Gigabyte and Asus make good mobos... no?

4. How much of a difference will that memory make? I'm on a budget.

5. Why XP Pro?

6. Thanks

1. Well the case is really up to you, as long as you get a standard atx mid-tower case, it should be fine, as long as you don't get a cheapo one that will fall apart.
1. Antec is a good brand, but I really don't think 430W is going to cut it. See if you can find a psu you ike with at least 480W, or better yet, 520, but make sure it's a good brand.
3. Gigabyte and Asus motherboards are not "bad", but they are also not the best. DFI currently makes the best motherboards for A64 rigs. They also overclock with ease.
4. The memory I suggested is very good memory, and has 2-2-2-5 timings. I have the exact memory, and I have it running at 1.5-2-2-5-1T timings. If you get a DFI motherboard, it's generally best to avoid anything that says "value".
5. There are a number of programs I know of that only run on XP Pro. This again, is in the end up to you.

 

[GameGURU]

SATA In my opinion, is a waste of money for anyone that doesnt need it. Unless you want to do some raid setups or something. I have a 7200 RPM ATA drive and it works just fine. Unlike what most but elabtrop have said on here...there really isn't that much of a difference. ATA will do just fine.

 

[RacerX]

1. OK, so there are mixed opinions on a SATA HD. Will my game levels load faster with SATA? And which, if either, is more durable and reliable?

2. If I wont be overclocking, how much power do I need? I'm already over budget And what are the best PSU brands?

3. If I wont be overclocking, what advantages does the DFI motherboard give?

4. I dont understand what 1.5-2-2-5-1T timings are. If I wont be overclocking, what difference will the more expensive ram make to gaming and mapping?

Thanks again

 

[Hacp]

Racer X, your fine. These people are *****ing because they want to get every last frame out of their systems. For a person like you, your setup is good. The only thing I would change is that I would get a 160 GB HD from Best Buy. They have it for 40 dollars retail after mail in rebates. Also, I would change your mobo to this one. Better sound.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130492

If your really looking to save money however, get this. Its only 87 dollars, and should be adequate for you.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813152049

Also, If your really cheap, I think that you can get a copy of windows 2000 from a friend or something and use that. They don't require a activation key, and usually have the latest drivers.

Your game levels will not load faster, even with a Western Digital 10,000 RPM hard drive. The thing about your PSU is that you need a 24 pinn psu, while you only have a 20 pin psu over there. I would suggest that you look at this psu. It is a pretty high quality psu, and also has a 24 connector.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817101509

You can get the power supply cheaper here with a MIR.
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/Shopping...me=Power Supplies&Back=PS-EPOWER&Bname=EPOWER

 

[Calzinger]

Racer X, your fine. These people are *****ing because they want to get every last frame out of their systems.

And he would be wanting to kill you when his set fries with that lousy PSU.

There is no reason to skimp out on your PSU. Get the OCZ 520w Powerstream. If that's too expensive, get the 520w Modstream by OCZ.

Just remember. When you're buying a PSU, keep in mind the golden rule: "Don't be that guy!"

 

[RacerX]

For a person like you...

How dare you judge me!? Just kidding, thanks for the advice

 

[Hacp]

Antec makes good psus and also he DOES NOT NEED a 520 watt power supply. Not everyone needs a 520 watt power supply. Not everyone overclocks. Some people like their systems the way it is.

Also, its a personal preference, but I would get the NEC 5340A CD/DVD burner. If they don't have it on newegg, they have it on monarch.

 

[RacerX]

So the PSU I chose is fine for what I'll be doing and it wont blow up my rig and burn down my house?

EDIT: Can you also take a look here and make a suggestion?

http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62041

 

[Calzinger]

Antec makes good psus and also he DOES NOT NEED a 520 watt power supply. Not everyone needs a 520 watt power supply. Not everyone overclocks. Some people like their systems the way it is.

He may not NEED one, but why bother save $10 and not have that reliability. In my opinion, I wouldn't mind spending extra money to ensure the safety of my system at stock and after overclocking. Perhaps he is willing to take the more risky edge with a 430w. It just seems very borderline to be honest.

The burner Hacp suggested is a very good burner. NEC Internal 16X, Dual Layer DVD+/-RW Drive Silver w/o software, Model ND-3540A, OEM. It sells for $43.99 @ newegg.com, obviously comes in colors.

As for the processor, I still suggest the San Diego, but it does require more voltage. That shouldn't be a problem though.

 

[RicoDirenzo]

I added a SAT 250 gig to my system and the performance is only marignally better. I think the higher rpm drives are the answer if you want faster program access speeds. You can look to recording studios to prove this point. All high end DAWs use 10k + HD's. I've mastered audio on IDE 7200's and IDE DAW 10ks. OMG........the fast drives blew me away!