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03-18-2003, 09:38 PM | #16 | |||
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Quote:
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Serial ATA is defintly the way to go time/$ wise. However the 150mb/s transferrates are only "burst" speeds. Kinda like saying the SCSIs can get 350mb/s, it can only do it in a short burst most of the time. I still prefer the WD JB series w/ 8MB Cache. They are still defintly the best bang for your buck and probably will be for a while. You could probably buy 2 80GB JB's for the price of one SATA HDD the same size. Last edited by JC; 03-18-2003 at 09:51 PM. |
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03-19-2003, 11:17 AM | #17 |
Not Vanu
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Yup...I'm gonna stick with the SATA...can get a Seagate 80GB for around 135...that's enough for me. And thanks for putting in all that time on that great write up JC
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03-21-2003, 02:24 PM | #18 |
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Anytime dude, all I do in my spare time is browse hardware forums anyhow
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04-03-2003, 10:43 PM | #19 |
Registered User
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Don't waste your money on the 9700 pro though. You can get a 9500 and unlock the extra pipes with software, then it actually runs faster than a 9700.
Don't skimp on the ram either. The ram sugested by JC is excellent. Most people buy bargain ram thinking size/cost matters more than quality, but the quality is EXTREMELY important. Do not just buy the cheapest ram on pricewatch. \/edit\/ Almost forgot. I would choose Maxtor over Western Digital. Untill this month I also was a WD fan. This month I had both a WD and a Maxtor drive start whining VERY loud. I RMA'd both drives. Maxtor sent me a brand new 160GB to replace my 120GB While WD sent me a refurbished drive of the same model which is "unfathomably" even LOUDER than the drive I RMA'd
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Last edited by ICE9; 04-03-2003 at 10:47 PM. |
04-04-2003, 12:09 AM | #20 |
Alliance Member
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If I were you, I'd buy the system in a few more months. Serial ATA will take over the current IDE scheme. And there is only ONE Serial ATA controller that has a true Serial ATA chip. I forgot exactly which one, but the info is on Tom's Hardware Guide (www.tomshardware.com). Wait a few months, and what you will find in the stores are boards that truly have a serial ATA controller; not just a good old IDE controller with a few pins soldered to make it serial.
Although, the A7N8X Deluxe is a VERY nice board. Probably the best AMD board out there right now. *EDIT: %$# IT ALL TO HELL! Fixed URL* |
04-04-2003, 12:12 AM | #21 |
Alliance Member
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Ahh... here it is:
Use MB with the Silicon Image, Sil3112 serial ATA controller chip. |
04-07-2003, 07:24 PM | #22 | |
Registered User
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Quote:
BTW a new board from MSI Just Came out and it has had some promising user reviews. I've always been a big MSI fan because IMO their stability is unmatched. |
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04-07-2003, 08:12 PM | #23 |
Registered User
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I get my 9700 Pro in a couple days. I can't wait!
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04-07-2003, 10:03 PM | #24 |
XMEN - XO
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Random bits to throw in:
SCSI: I gotta work with this, in various flavors, damn near every day of the week. The short version is this--if you've got a single-drive system, skip SCSI and go with some flavor of IDE. SCSI doesn't start to seriously rip things up until you get multiple drives on the chain, and that's when it takes multiple-drive IDE systems and slams them through the floor. SCSI RAID is even better, though there are some serious risks to your data depending on how you've got the RAID array set up. Plus, the equipment is more expensive (ie: you have to buy the controller card, cabling, and terminators, and quality ones will cost you. Skimping on quality with SCSI isn't a good idea either--you spent all that money, why not go whole hog?), and the high-performance SCSI drives will devlop thermal problems if you don't plan your case and cooling accordingly. Of course, 7200+RPM IDE drives will also develop thermal problems if you don't take care, but SCSI drives, in my experience, generate more heat. Watercooling: I'm a big fan of watercooled systems, but not because I overclock my processor. Nope, I like 'em 'cause they're much quieter in general than air-cooling. Prime example: my gaming machine. Five 80MM Sunon fans and it almost requires headphones for me to do any serious gaming or work on it. Asha's got a Koolance machine, and I recall him saying it's almost impossible to hear. I've got plans in the works for a 'hassock' machine--a big wood cube with watercooling for just about everything. Gonna take me some time to get it built, but when it's done, I hope to end up with something that's dead quiet that I can roll under my desk and forget about until it's time to flush the coolant. Mind you, you can make very, very quiet air-cooled machines, but it requires that you use larger fans, install ductwork, undervolt your fans, isolate your drives from the chassis, or any and all of the above. Lots of research, and you still have the dust problem.
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04-08-2003, 06:26 AM | #25 |
Not Vanu
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Thanks again all for all of the tips. Ambush...I'm not going SCSI and while watercooling sounds cool, it sounds like way more than I want to get into. Ashaman, I'm sure you're right about the whole Serial ATA thing. But that's not gonna stop me...I got this money burning a hole in my pocket.
Also, I've been considering going with a P4 lately (3.06). I know the HT is not going to be all that useful right away, for gaming at least, but in the future, I expect it to. Also, they run a lot cooler than Athlons, and my office is always hot in the summer, so that might be a plus (more for the rig than for me). Here's what I have lined up for that layout: CPU Intel 3.06 P4 $500 Mobo ASUS P4G8X Deluxe $220 Memory corsair 1GB twin pack $310 VCard 9700 pro $270 HD Seagate Serial ATA 80GB $138 Case/PS $100 I only have 100 budgeted for the case AND ps...if any of you have some tips on those I'd be glad to hear em. My budget has gone up as you might have guessed, by around 200-300 bucks, so I know I might also consider a Barton core system (2800) too. I don't plan on building another system anytime soon - I will probably have this one for a good 2 years, with a video card upgrade after about 1-1.5 years. What do ya think? |
04-08-2003, 09:21 AM | #26 |
Registered User
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Or you could be L33T like me.. Get the globalwin CAK46 (I think that is right) fan Its a really loud mofo but it is the best air cooler on the market right now. Its all copper with allot of thin fins and a funnel to adapt the 80mm high speed fan to fit on the heatsink.. Its a motha..
As for video card I got a sapphire radeon 9500 nonpro.. But with a little help from riva tuner and rage 3d its got the other 4 of 8 pipelines unlocked and its overclocked past performance of radeon 9700 pro.. WOOT I also put a bigger radeon cooler on it with artic silver 3 on all heatsinks and coolers. Unfortunately the XP1900 I have will not sucsessfully unlock even though Pchicks XP1800 did unlock.
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04-08-2003, 11:24 AM | #27 |
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Ah, Pman made my point already, but it's an important correction. JC, when you first posted the 9500 hack, it did require soldering, but now it can simply be turned on with Riva Tuner which effectively gives it 25% more speed at a cost savings of > $100
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04-08-2003, 11:48 AM | #28 |
XMEN - XO
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Case and power supply: DO NOT SKIMP ON THESE. Especially the power supply! Sparkle and Enlight are good names with most of the self-build community as far as power supplies go. They'll cost you, but it's worth protecting your investment. If you get a cheap PS (name brand of 'Deer' is to be avoided at all costs), you will pay for it later.
As far as the case goes, you have more options and price ranges, but you want to avoid the really cheap cases so that you don't have to worry about slicing off body parts when you reach inside them. Cheap cases stamp their parts and don't roll//file the edges, so you end up with these deceptively sharp edges all over the inside of the case. Antec is a good brand to start with. Definitely shop around for your case. I speak as a guy who spent several summers building computers for a local shop part-time, and cheap cases just SUCK. I still have some scars on my fingers, too. |
04-08-2003, 12:23 PM | #29 |
Alliance Member
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You can always send some of that money my way if it's burning a hole.
As for my system's noise... it's not much. Even on the 'high' setting, I have more noise outside my apartment than inside. I usually keep the window open in the room where my computer is though... helps to keep it cool with new cool air coming in. I've had my temps stay consistently at 6 C (average winter night around here), and peak at 37 C (on a VERY hot summer day). I'll admit that if you accidentally crack your water reservior, that it's a pain. You got this small leak and you don't know where the water is coming from until you rip it apart. The GREAT thing about Koolance cases is their RMA policy; I got a replacement case for free when I told them what happened. Even though it was my fault for setting it down too hard on a hardwood floor! |
04-08-2003, 02:33 PM | #30 |
Registered User
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I have a enermax case and I love it.
Here is a pic of my case. |
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