Rate My (Future) PC
 

I'm planning out my PC I'm going to build soon, I'd like to hear other people's opinions on this matter.

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.4C GHz (800MHz FSB) (I'm going to overclock this sumbitch.) ($171)

Motherboard: ABIT IS7 ($103)

Video Card: ATI 128MB Radeon 9800 Pro ($290)

RAM: 1GB (512x2) OCZ Enhanced Latency Series DDR-3200 (DDR400) ($299) OR 1GB (512x2) Corsair XMS DDR-3200Pro

Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy 2 $70

Case: Antec Sonata ($99) or Antec Performance Plus ($120)

I'm still sorting through hard drive(s), and DVD-RW/CD-RW drives.

Only thing I would seriously look at is the RAM. ABIT mobos sometimes dislike certain types of RAM for one, and second, OCZ overclocks there RAM stock, so if I were you I would go with a couple sticks of Kingston Hyper X PC3500, or Corsair.
Also you should look at getting a VERY good heatsink. Stock P4 HSFs are good, but not great. Look into a SLK-900U or one of that type by thermalright. There heavy as hell but they will allow you to have a quieter fan and still keep the temps down.

( I am assuming you are OCing this to hell and back since you got all these OCing components. )

Yeah, I've already looked at several good heatsinks for the P4. The one I might get, is this: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...8&searchdepa=0

(EDIT: Is this the one you were talking about: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...=BROWSE&depa=1)

I'd get the audigy2 with the breakout box in a front bay for ease of use.
I'd also recommend Corsair DDR as an alternative.
Go with the smaller case for a smaller footprint. You don't really need more than three 5.25 bays do you?

Yeah, I just saw some Corsair DDR I liked, I added it in the first post.

Thats a newer one, but works just as good (maby a BIT better). Make sure it has the Xplate that you bolt to your mobo cuz the HS is like a pound of pure copper, so its not something I would want being held on by a few plastic clips.

Would I need a fan with that heat sink to help get rid of the heat?

Oh yeah, the best would be a 92mm Tornado, but that also would be about as loud as a mofo. but you can get a stealth fan for it that is quiet , and yet still cool the proc.

Get the SLK-900U like Vanquish said. The Tornado is the best combo with it, but like he said, it's possibly the loudest CPU fan in existance. The SLK and Tornado combo is better than some water-cooling solutions, however. If you want to OC your C core 2.4, then you'll definitely need the very best CPU HSF or water-cooling. I'd like to point out that the processor you're getting has been OC'ed to nearly 4 GHz. :)

Get the Corsair you listed.

The video card is great...that's one hell of a price!

The only thing I can additionally recommend is a nice PSU. Enermax or Sparkle should do the trick! With either of these brands 300-350w will be plenty.

Another motherboard suggestion would be the Asus A7N8X Deluxe. This is known as the number one Pentium 4 motherboard for overclocking. I've heard good things about the Abit IC7, though. Good luck; once ya get it together that's gonna be one hell of a computer!

-Lasereth

Just get the retail Intel CPU and use the heatsink that comes with it. It is a surprisingly good heatsink. I am using the one that came on my 1.8, and my chip is overclocked to 2.4. Temperature is about 40 degrees--very nice.

In short, the Intel heatsink is just fine, and isnt loud. If it was an AMD chip, I would get a different HSF, but dont even worry about it with that Intel chip.

An Intel CPU fan won't work with his if he wants to OC. His processor is a Hyper-Threading 800 MHz FSB P4. It'll run hot as hell at regular speeds. HT P4's are known for running hotter than Athlon XP's. If he overclocks, a new HSF is a must! Those high-end P4's (3.0 GHz) run really damn hot sometimes.

-Lasereth

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll check that motherboard out. This will be the first PC I've built, ever. I'm looking forward to getting the parts pretty soon, or at the latest beginning of January.

(EDIT: Lasereth, are you sure it was the Asus A7N8X you were talking about? I searched around for it, and it says that motherboard is for AMD processors.)

Yeah, you're right. :) I remember that the Abit NF7-S and the Asus A7N8X were the two best Athlon XP motherboards. Sorry for the confusion. The IC7 is the one I was thinking about after all. That'd be my choice!

-Lasereth

No, its a C processor. He will be fine. Were it one of the older revisions, I would agree with you, but those C revision chips overclock like a fiend with almost no more heat.

At the very least, he could get the retail, and if the heatsink for some reason isnt enough, he could buy another one. No reason to spend money on something he likely wont need.

Just a reminder: the 2.4c you're thinking of is kinda obsolete. The 2.6c can be had for just a bit more, and prices are going down rapidly (thanks to the new extreme editions with extra cache).

Also, depending on your exact needs (I'd guess gaming), less spend on speedy ram, and more on a speedy processor might be a better investment. 1 gig is generally not needed anyway.

And personal experience: 2.6c idle = 35 degrees centigrade, 2.6c 100% load = 54 degrees C. And that is with the regular Intel cooler. I could try a Coolermaster Aero4 to get the temperature and noise down, but I don't see the need. The chips can go up to 70-ish degrees before you need to worry.

The reason he's getting the 2.4C is because it's known for its ability to overclock very, very well. Sort of like the Athlon XP 1700, 2100, and 2500.

If a 2.6C is running at 54 celsius at full load, then he's gonna have to get a better HSF. I refuse to believe that a stock cooler will keep a overclocked P4 with HT down at good temps. It's fine for stock speeds, but after that I honestly wouldn't risk it. It may work, it may not -- but with OC'ing, you're gonna generate a lot of heat. It's as simple as that. I'd still get the SLK900U with a nice fan.

-Lasereth

Lasereth, I've got an Asus P4P800 mobo, with an "overclocking" option set in the bios. I can get 10% extra speed without much difficulty using that; My processor temperature will go up to some 55 degrees instead of 54... I simply didn't bother to keep it at such a "high" speed, because I couldn't notice any difference; I can't see if Need For Speed Underground is running at 80 fps or 85 (or whatever fps it's running at.) :)

I do agree that it's better to get a special (= better) cooler if you want to get serious with overclocking; I just don't agree that it's going to be a problem *that* quickly. :)