Brand New PC (Part 1): Specs
January 20th, 2005 • General
So I finally got a brand new PC, it’s not a tip-top bleeding-edge one, but I would it’s almost a dream PC, and since I like being loud about things I like, I’m going to write a series of posts about this PC, why I chose certain hardware, how I tuned Windows XP and Linux, and oh yeah, why I’d never switch to Mac :)
So here goes:
CPU
Being a long-time user of AMD processors, I opted for an Athlon64 3800+. I’ve tried and tried to like Pentium4, it’s price/performance ratio just didn’t cut it. Plus, it doesn’t support x64, which might not be crucial at this moment, but I’d like to get the top performance for my money.
Athlon64 FX-53 and FX-55 are also very good choices, they’re just a bit too pricey for my choices, I’d rather save my money for some extra hard drive space.
CPU Heatsink and Fan
Athlon64 in general is a demanding CPU, and it’s demand tends to rise when you overclock it. I read heatsink reviews, and Thermalright and Zalman seemed to get lots of credit. Thermalright’s piped heatsink seemed to have a nice design, but it really depends on the kind of fan you get, I chose to go with the Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu, a cooler with a 92mm fan. First, because I hate noise, I’m a developer and I need to work in a quite environment. Second, because Zalman has a nice fan control for increasing/decreasing fan speed; trust me, you’ll need this if you overclock.
I was only concerned with its 755g weight, this thing is heavy, I mean it, it’s way beyond what Intel or AMD would recommend. But Zalman’s people aren’t stupid, I’m sure they knew what they’re doing, they even listed the compatible Athlon64 motherboards, mine was luckily there. The cooler is installed on a supportive plate, and contrary to some rumors, it does not bend the motherboard.
Motherboard
Looking for a board that supports a 939 socket my choices went down to Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939 and Asus A8V Deluxe. Both are very tough competitors, both offer a great solutions, but I tend to trust Gigabyte more with AMD CPUs. Asus is a very good board, especially for Pentiums, A8V Deluxe even supports WiFi (which Gigabyte doesn’t on this board). Still, Gigabyte’s dual LAN interface and nForce3 Ultra chipset got me hooked, in fact the main (only?) difference I see in these two boards is the chipset.
I didn’t look for a PCI-Express or an nForce4. A PCI-Express card is a bit off my budget (adds about $150), and nForce4 mostly improves RAID functionality, which I wasn’t really interested in.
Graphic Card
Now this is going to hurt, I know AGPx8 is slower than PCI-E, but it’s a proven technology, and I still like the price tag. So I got a brand new nVidia GeForce 6800 Ultra, with a whooping 256MB DDR3 memory! Oooh, I love that card.
So I plugged in two power connectors (you heard me right, power connectors, same ones you stick on your DVD), and let it suck from a 480 Watt power supply, and did I mention it consumes the place of 2 cards? But to tell you the truth, Halo has never looked this good :)
I tried ATi’s X800 cards, and they’re great, really great, but they seem to better fit a professional 3D/CAD designer more than they would a gamer. Not that I’m a pro gamer, but when I play, I like bloodshed to at least look good…. MWAHAHAHAH!
Sound Card
Obviously, a Creative Audigy 2 ZS Platinum is the sound card of choice. Platinum Pro and eX offer nothing more than an external piece; I’d rather have stick my ins and outs in the computer case.
Next, I’m getting an E-MU 1820M.
Computer Case
All this power within my hands got me thinking, I need a really good computer case. Criteria are: Look sexy, not Las-Vegas-sexy, but just sexy. Mid-tower, I need to fit in the Zalman Monster with tons of cables. QUIET! And I can’t stress enough how much this means to me. Lots and lots of bays. So…. a Lian-Li PC-V1000 was my choice.
I’m not going to write a review about this case, I’m only going to stick with “LOVE IT”. It’s silver aluminum, thumbscrews all over, the power supply is at the bottom for better airflow, and oh yeah, wheels? It’s got lockable wheels so you don’t have to bother when moving it. I don’t know what these people didn’t think of. If you’re going to get a computer case, any case, just get a Lian-Li and you’ll never regret it.
Mouse and Keyboard
Let’s not argue about it, but Logitech has the best of the best mouses and keyboards. Don’t tell me about Microsoft keyboards, I’ve been there, done that, they’re toys when compared to Logitech’s.
So my choice was a Logitech diNovo Media Desktop. This set is nothing short of amazing, the keyboard has flat keys, the mouse exactly fits in hand, and it even has a bluetooth hub. I can connect all my external devices using this tiny little piece, make it a cell phone, a printer, a joystick, etc.
So…
So anyway, I’m happy with this new computer, I know it’s a little pricey, but I can regret that later, I’ll just enjoy the moment. Can’t wait to install Gentoo on an AMD64; I’ll keep you updated.
Better go now, LiveCD is already showing me a cow-face on the screen.