New Computer

[indolikaa]

After months of debate... OK, I admit. I just couldn't get off my lazy ass long enough to make up my mind.

I just purchased a new computer. As has been the tradition in the Khan household, machine number 27 was built from scratch. And, in keeping in line with the way things should be, all components were purchased from newegg.com. Because they kick ass.

CASE: Raidmax ATX-203
POWER: Thermaltake W0011+ 480-Watt with Active PFC
MAIN: Chaintech VNF4 Ultra (nForce 4 Ultra) PCI-Express
CPU: AMD Athlon64-939 3000+ 90nm Retail
RAM: Corsair Value Select DDR-400 Dual Channel 512MB x4
VIDEO: Chaintech 6600GT PCI-E
HDD: Seagate 160GB SATA with NCQ
ROM: Toshiba SDM-1912
K/M: Logitech USB with Opitcal Mouse
SPKRS: Logitech X-530 5.1

That's it. All for just under $1000.

I needed 2GB of RAM for a program I like to run (TRS2004) and while a 6800GT would've been nice, I'm well past 24 fps so I'm happy. My RAM timings are 2.5-3-2-6 with 'value' memory and no heatsinks. I needed a temporary rig to test some various games so I'd have an idea of what they really need, and whether that SLI rig is worth the price.

Stable overclocking of this 1.8 GHz processor with stock heating has been reported, with speeds up to 2.5 GHz. The Winchester core is just incredible. I had a Paris-cored Sempron on my table for a few days and it overclocks like nobody's business. But the Athlon64 is well worth the extra $40.

I don't have any benchmark programs installed yet, but my own software tells me just how much faster this system is. I was having some random reboots, but updating the nVidia chipset driver and using their 7.1 audio driver seems to have solved them.

This is the quietest system I've ever owned. The only audible components are the CPU fan, which is miniscule, and the occasional clicking of the HDD. There are no intake or exhaust fans on the case, just the P/S fans. And when I removed the cover after 1 hour of some serious Half-Life gaming, the CPU heatsink was cool to the touch.

Oh, and that Logitech subwoofer is something else. My feet are getting windburn.

Very happy with this rig.

[glockjs]

tell em what u did with the vid card...tell em :P

[indolikaa]

tell em what u did with the vid card...tell em :P

I, um, purchased a Chaintech 6800GT originally. It was a good value at $384.00.

Unfortunately, it was an AGP card. It didn't want to fit in that PCI-Express x16 slot. I kinda missed that little detail.

[glockjs]

so i see your avatar is back up

[indolikaa]

For awhile...

[rallynavvie]

I don't have any benchmark programs installed yet

You don't have TMPGEnc on there yet!

Check out the hobby video bench thread stickied to the top

[redwudz]

Sweet

I'm amazed at how cool the AMD 64 Winchesters run. I'm finally able to back down from my 3 fan 'leafblower' setup that I used with a AMD 2500 Barton.

I started the other way around with PCI-E. I bought the card by accident, instead of a AGP. Then I thought, "Gee, this is a good excuse to go to a 64 bit processor". A few dollars later, I'm happy, with a few dollars less.

I've got to look into overclocking, though. The CPU runs so cool, it's really tempting me.

[indolikaa]

With stock cooling, no less. That's what's amazing to me. My older IBM 80GB HDD makes a hell of a lot more noise than this cooling fan does.

Did you go with the Socket 754 or Socket 939?

[redwudz]

I have a socket 939, 3200, 90nm Winchester. I bought it with the AMD cooler and even though I don't have the setup fully configured, the idle temps in BIOS are 32-34C. My case temps are higher than that most of the time because of the HD's and VGA card.

[indolikaa]

I have a socket 939, 3200, 90nm Winchester. I bought it with the AMD cooler and even though I don't have the setup fully configured, the idle temps in BIOS are 32-34C. My case temps are higher than that most of the time because of the HD's and VGA card.

Ditto. My northbridge has a passive sink; it's the hottest component in the system.

[rallynavvie]

I thought the MCH was on-die for A64s?

[whomacuddy]

indeed the Socket 754's have an integrated single channel DDR Controller and the 939's a dual channel DDR Controller . I have a S754 3000+ which runs very cool indeed with the stock HSF , I like these CPU's I must admit even though most of my computers have always been Intel .

[indolikaa]

Tell you one thing.

The system almost seemed a little sluggish until I tweaked the RAM timings. I think they were originally running 3-4-4-8 @ 333. Not good. I also realized I haven't had a reboot problem since I retimed them. Hmmm...

[glockjs]

if you have a reboot prob it's probably because the ram is now unstable

[indolikaa]

if you have a reboot prob it's probably because the ram is now unstable

I don't know. It's been running non-stop for the last two days (TMPG batches) and hasn't hiccup'd yet. Maybe it just needed some break-in time...

Or maybe it was just trying to piss me off. Everything else has lately.

[Turbo245]

I just recently upgraded my cpu and m/b. Went with the AMD 64 +3200 and a DFI LanParty m/b and a stick of Kingston HyperX 512 ram. At first I'm thinking this thing will scream...It was pretty fast but very "buggy"...It froze up often, programs took longer sometimes to load up, and didn't do anything quite a few times when trying to open programs...I downloaded the XP X64beta O/S to see how it would do. It was definitely even faster, but when I went to install drivers for my peripherals, DENIED! Says they weren't 64 bit compatable...WHAT THE!*?#. Went and returned this for the P4 3.4 Intel...STABLE, SUPER FAST, and lovin' it....64 bit will be the future, but until ALL the bugs are ironed out, Intel IS the way to go...
RB

[glockjs]

I just recently upgraded my cpu and m/b. Went with the AMD 64 +3200 and a DFI LanParty m/b and a stick of Kingston HyperX 512 ram. At first I'm thinking this thing will scream...It was pretty fast but very "buggy"...It froze up often, programs took longer sometimes to load up, and didn't do anything quite a few times when trying to open programs...I downloaded the XP X64beta O/S to see how it would do. It was definitely even faster, but when I went to install drivers for my peripherals, DENIED! Says they weren't 64 bit compatable...WHAT THE!*?#. Went and returned this for the P4 3.4 Intel...STABLE, SUPER FAST, and lovin' it....64 bit will be the future, but until ALL the bugs are ironed out, Intel IS the way to go...
RB

if the amd setup is so bad i'll be happy to take it off your hands