I NEED a new rig. PLEASE read and help?!

[kenrippy]

you're welcome,

i think this is the page that helped me get my raid going
http://www.aoaforums.com/frontpage/content/view/292/

for AV/firewall i like the newest version of symantec client security, and i use ad-aware & spysweeper. i really like spysweeper.

[ThorneDarcloud]

Okay, below is my new list of parts based on everything we have discussed. The total, before shipping, is about $500 over my budget. What I am asking now is if there is any way to lower costs without taking a hit in performance/features/power/longevity? Recomendations please!

Thermaltake SHARK VA7000BWA Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: VA7000BWA
$169.00

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: A8N-SLI Premium

SAPPHIRE 100149 Radeon X1900XT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
Model #: 100149
$519.00

Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TPII-550
$89.99 1

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4200BVBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA4200BVBOX
$360.00

CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 500 (PC 4000) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWINX2048-4000PT - Retail
Model #: TWINX2048-4000PT
$229.00

2 Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD740GD
$155.00 x2 = $310.00

2 Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L200R0 200GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: 6L200R0
$89.00 x2 = $178.00

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Model #: ARCTIC SILVER 5
$5.99
THERMALRIGHT XP-90C CPU Copper Heatsink - Retail
Model #: XP-90C
$58.99

Antec 75002 92mm 2 Ball Case Cooling Fan - Retail
Model #: 75002
$8.99

[OS-Wiz]

Here's my thoughts that'll drop your cost and retain performance.

Thermaltake SHARK VA7000BWA Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail [/b]
Model #: VA7000BWA
$169.00

Antec Performance Plus PlusView II Black ATX Mid Tower

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: A8N-SLI Premium

SAPPHIRE 100149 Radeon X1900XT 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
Model #: 100149
$519.00

Antec TRUEPOWERII TPII-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: TPII-550
$89.99 1

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4200BVBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA4200BVBOX
$360.00

Get the A64 X2 3800+, you can easily OC it to 4200 speed.

CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 500 (PC 4000) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model TWINX2048-4000PT - Retail
Model #: TWINX2048-4000PT
$229.00

2 Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD740GD
$155.00 x2 = $310.00

Forget RAID 0, not worth the hassle, get one Raptor and put your OS and Games, whatever you want to load fast on it.

2 Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L200R0 200GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: 6L200R0
$89.00 x2 = $178.00

Get one 400 or 500GB drive.

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Model #: ARCTIC SILVER 5
$5.99
THERMALRIGHT XP-90C CPU Copper Heatsink - Retail
Model #: XP-90C
$58.99

Antec 75002 92mm 2 Ball Case Cooling Fan - Retail
Model #: 75002
$8.99

If you're going to OC get the Enermax 90mm adjustable speed fan. And put the fan above into the HD cage.

[ThorneDarcloud]

Okay, so, to cut costs I made some changes.

Instead of the AMD x2 4200, I'll get the 3800.
Instead of an ATI card, I'm getting an SLI ready, 256mb, GeForce 7800GT nVidia card, so if I really want 512, I can SLI later. (Plus, it can overclock well by itself)
Instead of two Raptors for RAID, I'm just getting 1, it should be enough by itself, I don't keep THAT many games installed at once anways.
Instead of the Corsair RAM, I am getting the mushkin extreme performance. Reviews said it would overclock great with the 3800 x2 on the a8n-Premium.

The new sub-total is around $1520 instead of $2060.

Any complaints or additional suggestions/opinions?

For clarity, I can post the revised cart if anyone wants to know specific models.

[mrsinster]

savings $350

Get the A64 X2 3800+,

Get one 400 or 500GB drive


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822144423
$203.00

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD4000KD 400GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

Average Latency: 4.2ms
Average Seek Time: 8.9ms
Average Write Time: 10.9ms
Cache: 16MB
Form Factor: 3.5"
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 Years

Model #: WD4000KD
Item #: N82E16822144423
** This item is warranted through the product manufacturer only.
In Stock
$4.99 Three Day Shipping

get one raptor raid is over rated.

get the xt not the xtx

Get a case and power supply combo



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129158
$124.99
SpecificationsModel
Brand Antec
Series PERFORMANCE TX
Model TX1050B
Spec
Type Server
Color Black
Case Material Steel
With Power Supply Yes
Power Supply 500W ATX12V v2.0
Motherboard Compatibility 12" x 9.6" ATX
With Side Panel Window No
Expansion
External 5.25" Drive Bays 4
External 3.5" Drive Bays 2
Internal 3.5" Drive Bays 4
Expansion Slots 7
Front Ports
Front Ports 2 x USB, 2 x Audio, 1 x IEEE1394
Cooling System
120mm Fans 1 rear 120mm Tricool fan with 3-speed switch
Side Air duct Yes
Physical Spec
Dimensions 20.6" x 8.1" x 18.6"
Features
Features meet Intel's Thermally Advanced Chassis (TAC) design guide