Re: Seeking advice on planned new build

David Samuel Barr <dsbarr@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote

Although I used to put together AT clones from scratch and have
done a lot of repair & upgrade work under the hood over the years
for many PCs, this will be my first full build in about 20 years.

Fark, wota dinosaur.

I've done a ton of research (including lurking on a.c.h.pc-homebuilt
for well over a year, which is almost enough to discourage anyone
from ever attempting this [ :) ] ) and I think I've come up with my
system, but I'd like to toss it out for comments from any of the
experts out there with the patience to read this.

First, what I'm using it for:
1) Word processing (WordPerfect)

Fark, wota dinosaur.

2) Multiple large complex spreadsheets (QuattroPro)

Fark, wota dinosaur.

3) Filling in and printing PDF forms (Acrobat Reader)
4) Internet use
a) e-mail and Usenet (Thunderbird)
b) Web research & browsing (Firefox [or IE when needed])
c) File transfers
5) a) Creating & editing MIDI files and printed scores (Finale),
sometimes with input from an outboard digital piano;
b) Transferring vinyl to CD-R(W) or MP3; maybe some editing

Fark, wota dinosaur.

c) Capturing various audio/video sources and editing sound bites
6) a) Some PVR use with some possible edits/transfers to DVD
b) Some VHS-to-DVD conversion and some editing thereof
c) Some editing of clips from DVR/PVR sources
NO GAMING (except FreeCell),

|-)

NO OVERCLOCKING but a LOT of multitasking of the above processes.

I'm currently on a 10-year-old Gateway P166

Fark, wota dinosaur.

which still works very well for much of what I do but simply is
being outgrown by some of my software's expanding demands.

You could say that.

I'm looking to put together a system which should last a comparable
amount of time rather than having to be replaced or refurbished every
couple of years; also looking ahead to the probable inevitability of
Vista and its successors (although I'm still happily running Win95).

Fark, wota dinosaur.

I'm not as concerned about a silent PC as most reviewers
seem to be; I generally don't notice the minimal noise most
computers I've used make, so unless this build really will
sound like the Wabash Cannonball coming through the living
room, that's far less of an issue than is good cooling.

Given that, here's the hardware I've picked so far. First, the
basic list, then the comments/questions on each component.

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Toledo ADV)

Some thing to be said for waiting a bit
longer and going for a Core 2 Duo now.

Motherboard: Asus A8N-SLI Premium
Memory: Crucial 2x1Gb Kit, DDR400 PC3200
Video Card: Leadtek WinFast PX7900GT TDH
TV Tuner/Capture Card: [TBD]

Make sure it can do HDTV.

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
Hard Drive: Western Digital WD2500KS 250Mb or WD3200KS 320Mb

I prefer Samsungs myself.

Optical Drive 1: Plextor PX-716A DVD/CD combo burner
Optical Drive 2: Plextor PX-230A/SW-BL CD burner

What is the point of those two, you only need one.

And Plextor is WAY past its useby date now.

Floppy Disk: [TBD]
Modem: US Robotics USR5610b

Fark, time to get broadband.

Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 or 750
Case: [TBD]

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Although a longtime Intel diehard, the mountains of lab test reviews
in recent years claiming AMD is better finally won me over.

You left it too late, the world's moved on, back to Intel now.

I picked the 4400+ based on CNET's March 2006 "CPU Showdown"
between the Athlon and Pentium dual-core chips which gave it the
"sweet spot" among the X2 line, way ahead of all the pre-Conroe Intels.

Pity about the Conroes.

Motherboard: Asus A8N-SLI Premium
Despite the one persistent naysayer on a.c.h.pc-h, everything
I've read has pointed to Asus as the board to go with.

Yeah, I prefer them myself.

I had thought about their highly rated A8N32-SLI Deluxe,
but after some negative user reviews of its heat dispersion
(supposedly the copper tubes look cool but the board still
runs hot) and some comments from white-box builders that
it's major overkill for my purposes, I'd likely go with the
A8N-SLI Premium instead. As you'll see, I'm using only one
video card and not using SLI, so that too may be more than
I need and I might even be able to drop down to the Deluxe,
SE, or standard version, especially since Asus's peculiar
comparison chart on its website shows no real difference
(besides Firewire and a second LAN connector, neither of
which I need) between any of these nForce4
chipset boards; anyone know otherwise?.

[Note to those wondering why I'm not using Socket AM2 instead of 939:
1) The 4400+ Windsor apparently is no longer being made, and what few
stray units are left are being sold for more than twice the price of
the other Windsors available (and while I would not be averse to
going to the 4600+ Windsor, it still has only half the cache of the
lower-priced 4400+ Toledo).
2) With an AM2 CPU I'd likely want to go with the Asus M2N32-SLI
Deluxe, presumably the equivalent of its A8N namesake. However,
their only AM2 board that has a parallel port, which I still need for
my printer, is the low-end M2N4-SLI, about which I have some
reservations, especially re: its cooling. It's also built on the
same nForce4 chipset as the 939 boards, without whatever advantages
may be found in the newer nForce5 chipset used on all the other M2N
boards.]

Memory: Crucial 2x1Gb Kit, DDR400 PC3200
To me, Crucial seems a no-brainer choice. I probably
could get by with just 1Gb, but again, I'm both thinking
ahead and allowing for the high needs of PVR/DVD use.

You dont need it for that use.

(Although their high-performance Ballistix DDR500 PC4000
is just $8 more and Crucial guarantees its compatibility with
the A6N boards, since the published board specs top out at
DDR400 PC3200 there doesn't seem much point in springing
for it, despite the extra heat spreaders.)

Video Card: Leadtek WinFast PX7900GT TDH
Once I had finally decided on the nVidia 7900GT over the other current
nVidia and ATI options, the fact that they only farm out their designs
to other companies complicated matters. I couldn't find any info on
the general reputations of video card manufacturers, and of the cards
for which I found specific reviews, the Leadtek seemed to be as good
as or better than the others. Points in its favour, to me, are that
it isn't factory overclocked as the others all seem to be and Leadtek
reportedly gets "cherry-picked" pre-tested cores from nVidia.

TV Tuner/Capture Card: [TBD]
Since it doesn't seem that there is any 7900GT card equivalent to
ATI's All-In-Wonder options, I'm going to have to use a PCI slot for a
separate tuner/capture card. I'm open to suggestions, since I don't
see a clear leader here; I don't need a remote control as part of the
package, since I don't expect to use the PC for live viewing, just for
timed recording and for playback of hard drive or DVD content
controlled from the keyboard.

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum
The one true no-brainer in this build; I'd go with the basic card, but
it seems the only way to get MIDI ports on this machine is to step up
to the Platinum just to get the I/O box (which I'll put in a bay between
the two optical drives to give them all better air circulation).

Hard Drive: Western Digital WD2500KS 250Mb or WD3200KS 320Mb
I've had good experience with WD to date and it's generally highly
regarded. I don't need the Raptor (more RPM but fewer GBs for more
money), and I don't think I need RAID. While some people recommend a
drive for OS and applications and another drive for data, I've found
that more say that a properly set up single large drive is as good or
better, even if a bit more risky in terms of loss from drive failure.
(Although my current computer has an internal tape drive, I'll
probably end up getting a matching external hard drive for major
backups and using CD-RWs or DVD-RWs for incrementals.)

Best way to go.

I'll pick whichever of the two drives listed
are the better buy at the time of purchase.

Optical Drive 1: Plextor PX-716A [DVD±R DL/RW & CD-R/RW]
Based on consistent rave reviews for the IDE version of this burner
(although highly negative ones for the SATA), this was an early
choice, although subsequent discovery that it is not officially deemed
compatible with the selected motherboard (a truly puzzling state of
affairs) raises questions. Anyone have any experience with this
combination? Any other drive recommendations in case this isn't
workable?

Optical Drive 2: Plextor PX-230A/SW(-BL)
Various guides recommend using a CD burner
over a combo burner for better CD writing,

Mad.

and since I expect I'll be burning more CD's than DVDs
(and doing little if any DVD-to-DVD copying) it seems
to make sense to go that route for the second drive.

Nope.

I picked the Plextor for its general reputation and likely
compatibility with the combo drive, though I've seen some
negative user comments; anyone have a better idea?

Yep, get an LG.

Modem: US Robotics USR5610b
Yes, I'm still on a dial-up connection, and more to the point, my boss
insists on using faxes instead of e-mail, so I want to be able to send
& receive them directly rather than having to use my outboard fax machine,
which is not possible with DSL or cable broadband even if I had it.

No reason why you cant have both.

US Robotics seems to be the no-brainer choice
as it has been for many years; anyone disagree?

No need for it just for faxes.

Floppy Disk: [TBD]
Yes, I've still got lots of old stuff on floppies

Fark, wota dinosaur.

(though I did transfer my 5" ones to 3.5" several years
ago), and it's a useful option to have for emergencies.

Yes, particularly since they are so cheap.

My original plan was to use either the Mitsumi 404

There's no need to obsess about whats used in emergencys.

or Adaptec 7500 combo floppy disk/media card reader so
that I could do CD/MP3-to-SD card transfers for my sweetie,

Makes more sense to have a separate card writer.

but since she dumped me in July that's no longer a priority and
I can go with a plain vanilla disk drive (and add a media card reader
later if she ever comes back). Any favourites or ones to avoid?

Nope.

Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610 or 750
Early on in this process I had decided on PCP&C's Turbo-Cool 510,
even though I later found a configuration guide on their website
which instead recommended their Silencer 470. The newer
motherboard-specific Power Supply Selector currently on the site,
though, says that I need either the Silencer 610 or Silencer 750 for
this rig; however, if one uses their Power Usage Table it looks like
I need something pushing over 800 watts. Meantime, some "truth about
power supplies" sites I've read that say that my setup will rarely
draw much over 250 watts even at full blast. There's also the odd
situation practically no retailers carry this line (although Newegg
seems to have just added the Silencer 610), somewhat peculiar for
what is supposedly one of the top brands in this area. I know the
importance of the PS in the system and don't plan to skimp on it,
although the discounted price of around $200 for these Silencers
still gives one pause, so I'm open to other suggestions.

Case: [TBD]
Who would have imagined this would be the hardest part of the
project?? I'm just looking for a good sturdy basic mid-tower case
with enough room and excellent cooling for the components and ready
access to the power & reset buttons and drive openings in normal use
(also a BIOS speaker [for startup and error beeps], since apparently
the motherboard doesn't have one). No plastic doors or flaps to
break off, no internal light shows, no dragon or flame decals, etc.;
it's just going to sit by my desk.

I like the Antec Sonata II, except I don't want the power supply that
comes with it (see above) and could do without the door. Their P180
sounds good but various users warn that it doesn't work with the Asus
motherboard and most power supplies' cords. Word is that Antec is
just rebadged Chenming but among the latter's own available choices
there isn't really anything worthwhile. Aluminum cases are better
for heat dispersion but often flimsy and/or expensive; still, I'm
kind of liking Thermaltake's Matrix VX although it's gotten some
mixed reviews (mostly for the thinness of the metal), and while
Lian-Li is generally overpriced, I might consider the PC-61. Just PC
has a few interesting cases (e.g. D410), but there are no reviews of
their products and their website is astoundingly uninformative.
CoolerMaster had some candidates in the Centurion and Praetorian
lines but reports are that you need a first aid kit to work on these.

Again, many thanks in advance to all who have taken the time & effort
to read & comment. It's much appreciated.


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