Starting over -- My happiness 401k

[Shinju]

My old rig was going under anyway, and I was going to update in a year or so. But, when I split with my boyfriend, he took his clothes, his shampoo, and my computer with him. So, it looks like I am going to be updating sooner rather than later.

I have an acrylic ATX case from a friend to use and I am trying to get a new mobo, processor, ram, and video card set up for $1000-1200 USD. Whatever I do is going to have to last me. I am kind of looking at this as an investment - my own personal happiness 401K.


So far I am thinking:
Mobo:Abit KN8 Ultra ATX.
CPU:AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800.
RAM:OCZ Performance 2GB DDR400

Searching around I have not heard much, pro or con about the motherboard. Any input would be great.

Also, I am an overclocking newbie ( I was just beginning to experiment with my old pc) But, I have been bitten by the bug. I read that the 3800 is the dual-core with the most headroom for overclocking, but I am not so sure on my RAM choice
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[ulater6000]

OCZ ram is a good choice for overclocking and good ram if you dont overclock.

 

[Elbatrop1]

For skt939 overclocking, the DFI LanParty series is the best for overclocking. It has tons of BIOS options that satisfy avid overclockers, as well as quality for stable overclocks. Among other things is the higher amount of vdimm that it can supply which usually helps to run your RAM at higher speeds at lower latencies.

People have been getting really nice overclocking results out of skt939 Opterons as well. Do a search on the forums and you will see tons of info on Opterons.

Do you do much gaming? If so, make sure you mention that to get recommendations on a vid card.

 

[slick_tech15]

If you plan on OCing, then get an opteron 165 dual core processor. The're clock speeds can get very high, like from 1.8 to 2.8 Ghz. For the video card, i would get a 7900 gt. - charlie

 

[objecterror]

i second the 7900 gt. for the comparison to the 7800 and just about what, 20 or so bucks difference, might as well get your moneys worth and then some.

 

[Shinju]

Mmmm...I like the operton. Thanks!

But, with the DFI LanParty series, it is impossible to get a socket 939 with PCI-Ex16 without getting Cross-fire or SLI. I really was not planning to jump on that bandwagon.

I have been on the fence with video cards. I play mostly RPGs, but what I do play I play obsessively. With Oblivion coming out, I see a new addiction in my near future. It is obviously a graphically demanding game, and with Vista, pretty much makes any previous standards of performance I had obsolete.

SLI and Cross-fire seem like a waste of money. But, a lot of ATX boards that are well-reviewed for overclocking are SLI. I am just beginning to research mATX boards, but they seen to have more limitations. What to do?

*****EDIT******

This is an oc-question but it does effect what I buy. If a motherboard's bios allow adjustable bus speeds and memory timing, but is unable to to adjust voltage setting, does this nix the possibility for overclocking an operton 165

 

[Elbatrop1]

DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail

My recommendations for vid cards are either the 7600GT or the 7900GT. Both are great cards for the money.

No, it doesnt nix the possilbility of overclocking, but it will likely hamper the likelyhood of you getting the most out of OCing your CPU.