Questions for my first computer

N

nihil2501

Geek Trainee
Hi. I just joined this forum today. I am building my first computer and I have a few hardware questions for y'all.

Here are the parts I am planning on including in my system:

-Athlon XP Barton 2500+ (which I hope to get to 11*200)
-Soltek SL-75FRN2-RL
-Corsair Value Select PC3200 2x512MB
-MSI 9X9800 Pro 128MB 256bit R360 Core (I hope to flash to 9800XT and OC)
-Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS
-Samsung 120GB SATA Drive
-Lite-On 52x32x52x16 Combo Drive
-Antec Solution Series Super Mid Tower Case with 350W PSU
-Samsung Floppy Drive

Okay, so here are my questions:

1. Will this Antec SL350 Watt PSU suffice for my overclocked system?
2. I looked at the pictures of the case and the mobo and the arrangements of the PS2, USB, LAN ports etc are slightly different from each other. Is this a problem, or can I just rearrange them on the mobo somehow?
3. I have seen that other people have been quite successful with the stock cooling that comes with the cpu and video card and the Antec case is supposedly pretty cool. Will I be needing any extra cooling for the overclocking that I intend on doing?
4. What is the significance of "10/100" and "GbE" and will it matter that this board only has "10/100" keeping in mind that I will be at college with very high speed internet in less than a week? :p
5. Why can't I find any list of memory that is compatible with the mobo?
6. Will I need to purchase any extra cables or other small things?
7. There seems to be a lot of confusion over which BIOS version to use for this mobo. Which version will suit my overclocking goals (version D2.0L just came out)?

If anyone has personal experience with these parts and some of their "sticky" issues, I would greatly appreciate your input. Also, since this is the first computer I am building, I am accepting any advice for newbies :rolleyes: . I have less than a week to order, receive, and build this machine, so time is of the essence :sick: .

Thanks for your time, give me lots of replies :good:
 
Concerning your system specs:

For your case, I'd suggest you get a Antec SX104BII instead because your system is very similar to mine and it would not run correctly with a Antec 350W psu, which is what is included with the case you want.

The SX1040BII comes with a 400W psu, which is a bit low on the 12V rail to my taste, but it should be enough. It can have up to 5 80mm fans (2 rear, 1 front, 1 side, 1 hdd) and 2 are already installed in the back. It is also bigger which makes for better cable managing, better airflow, and ease of use. It costs $105 at newegg instead of $68 for the other, but it's worth every penny imo.

There is also the Antec PLUSVIEW1080AMG that is pretty much identical to the SX1040BII, but that comes with a True430 psu, which is better (and what I would get if I were you). It is $130 though.

About the RAM. It needs to run at 2.7V or it will not do dual channel at its rated speed. It is normal and is even stated on Corsair's website. Other than that, it works like a charm on that board (doesn't oc much though, unless you tweak the timings maybe)

Concerning your questions:

1)I don't believe it is enough, hence the case suggestions above.

2)The motherboard is supposed to come with its own I/O shield, so there shouldn't be any problems. I say suppose because out of the 5 boards I bought from Soltek (1 75DRV5-C and 4 75FRN2-L), 1 of the FRN2s didn't have any I/O shield. It's a great board nonetheless and performs as good, if not better, than any nf2 boards out there.

3)I don't recommend the stock cooler if you intend to oc. You could grab the Volcano 12 from Thermaltake which will be enough for your oc and is only $28. You will also need some thermal grease like AS5 or Céramique. I don't recommend the ati stock cooler either because my 9800NP died 1 year after I flashed it to Pro speeds. People seem to like the Arctic Cooling VGA Silencer Rev.3 , at only $15

4)10/100 refers to the speed your network card can get to. It's calculated in mbps (megabit per second). You have to divide by 8 to get the speed in megabytes per second. Those speeds are standard. Keep in mind no affordable internet connection can achieve those speeds.

GbE stands for Gigabit Ethernet which is 1000mbps. This means your network card can get to this speed.

5) It's usually on the mobo manufacturer's website, but that memory will work with that board, don't worry.

6) You will need to buy heatsinks (cpu and video card), as well as ArcticSilver 5 or Arctic Céramique, as stated above, if you follow my advice.

7) I use the D1.9L BIOS and everything's working correctly. I needed to upgrade from D1.4L as I had problems with the memory. But you might as well get the latest one if it's not already updated. The only difference from 1.9 is that it adds support for the newer Sempron cpus, so if you already have the 1.9, you can keep that.

The only issue I have with mine is that I can't get the onboard NIC to work. It is uncommon though, so you shouldn't have any problems with yours.
 
Overall looks good. That Antec case harrack suggested is pretty much like what I have, except it's got the older front bezel and has a window on it. The drive cages and rails are really nice when it comes to assembling a system.
 
Well. I find it hard to believe that my system with one HDD and stuff could require a lot of wattage, so I wanted to find a way to calculate my wattage requirements online. I found a wattage calculator, and with all of my components at peak settings (which it would never run at) it said something like 289Watts. I read another article by some electrical engineer dude that said people are way over estimating the amount of power they need in their systems. So could you explain why you believe the SL350 is not good for my system?

Also, the MSI graphics card I listed has a much better HSF than ATi's version if you look at some pictures of it. People are able to get 440/780 with the stock cooling up from the original 365/676 I believe.

The same goes for the cpu. People find it easy to get the fsb to 200 with stock cooling.

So I think that I am just going to purchase another 120x120x25mm case fan for the front since this case has one in the back and leave it at that.
 
Well wattage doesn't mean anything if the amperage is too low. I don't care if your psu is 500W, as it is worthless if it doesn't provide enough amperage. Ask any electrician, he'll tell you the same thing.

And to have only 18A on that 12V rail, considering your video card needs it to work, is not enough.

I have personnally experienced it.
I had already explained it btw.

My system was running fine with a 9800 non-pro and as soon as I would use a Pro, I would get strange behavior from the system. Changing the power supply cured it. And my system is extremely similar to yours.
Just stating the experience I've had with the same exact parts you intend to purchase.

You tell me what kind of temps you get when you oc that card and that cpu up to the speed you want (if you ever succeed), then we'll talk about cooling.
 
okay, phew i cancelled the order.

clearly i need to think about this a little more.

what temperatures are acceptable on the cpu and vga?
 
If your CPU is under 55C at load, your good. If it gets above 55, and into 60 something is wrong. Because the Thermaltake volcano12 has a jet for a fan. No joke that things moves air!
 
allllright..

so im really just trying to do this cheaply and effectively.

do you think itd be cool enough with that first antec case you mentioned (SX1040BII) and a total of 4 or 5 80mm case fans, each moving about the same amount of air as the ones that come with the case?

if i did 5 fans i would need to install one on the side which requires "SP10FB" according to antec's site. what does that mean?

anyways get back to me...

ill have to build this thing after i get to college :(
 
SP10FB is a window that you have to buy separately, because it does not natively come with a side panel clip for a fan. I had overlooked that detail before.

It's hard to save money when you want to oc. Good cooling costs money, even air cooling.

I have 2 panaflo h1a, 2 vantec stealth and one antec blue led fan. My cpu is cooled by a thermalright slk-800a with a thermaltake smartfan II. My cpu is oced to 200*11 (2.2ghz). My video card isn't oced and under heavy load (folding/prime95), my diode temp never goes above 57C, and my socket temp never goes above 46C. My personal goal was to keep to socket temp below 50C.

A comparable heatsink costs $30, the fan on it probably close to $20. a panaflo h1a (80mm) will costs around $10 or $15, same for vantec and that antec fan costs below $10. That's over $100. (and is loud)

I suggest you get at least one fan for the front and one for the back (I recommend panaflo h1a, or u1a if you want (more powerful) )

The good thing about a side panel fan is that it brings relatively cold air (colder than inside the case) to your video card. Keep in mind the video card is right beside the cpu so if it heats too much, your cpu fan will bring hot air to the heatsink.

Of course a side panel w/ fan clip costs a bit more. But if you intend to oc, it'll be worth it as you'll likely upgrade everything in your system before you have to buy a new case, that's how good the SX1040BII (with side panel fan) or any plusview model are.

If you're tight on money, I don't recommend ocing for the time being. You still run the risk of parts failing and if you can't replace them, you're f*****.
 
well... i think im gonna splurge...

right now ive got:
SX1040BII
3x80mm fans 2 rear, 1 front (Speez, a buck 30 a pop and good reviews)
Extreme Volcano 12 for cpu
Arctic Silver 5

and nothing for the vga. i am assuming that with this open air flowish enclosure, the nice msi stock cooling, and some AS5 on it, i will be able to at least reach the 412/730 stabley...

but tell me if that assumption is wrong like my others have been (im very new to this).

now for some more questions:
which way do i want the 3 case fans and 1 cpu fan to blow and is there any strategy in calculating the airflow in this setup?
can i take that hsf off of the msi and apply some AS5 very easily?


its my parents money anywayz :chk:
 
Overclocking is luck. Having the right hardware helps, but it ultimately comes down to luck. As for removing the MSI cooler, it doesn't look that difficult from MSI's pic. It's likely a push-pin type--and that just requires a little care with some needle-nose pliers on the back of the card. If it's screws you'll have to have a screwdriver with a small enough head to unscrew it.

Once you get it off, use some isopropyl alcohol on the heatsink and the core (and memory if applicable) to clean them off. Then apply a thin coat of AS5---remember: you don't need gobs of the stuff, just enough to cover the area.
 
ijdsfoijfosijdoijOIFJDOISJDIFD

stupid frn2 went out of stock 3 minutes ago at newegg

omgosh omgosh go back in stock
 
I'm not sure, but Soltek stuff seems to get eaten up whenever it's at Newegg. If you can't get it there, NCIX and MSIRcorp are your next best shots if you really want the Soltek one.

Otherwise, you might want to look at the Asus A7N8X-E or Abit NF7-S (not NF7-S2, -S2G).
 
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