First Time Builder

[Lucid Faia]

AMD Opteron (939) 165 Dual-Core
Thermalright SI-120 CPU Cooler
Arctic Cooling Accelero X2 VGA Cooler
Yate Loon D12SL-12 120x25mm Low Speed Fan
MSI K8N SLI X16 (939) Diamond Plus
Patriot PC3200 2x1GB PDC2G3200LLK
eVGA GeForce 7900 GTX EGS 512MB
Western Digital Caviar SE16 250GB 16MB
NEC 16X DVD±R ND-3550A
ThermalTake Armor Series VA8000BWS
Antec TPII-550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply
ViewSonic VX922 19" 2ms LCD Display
Saitek PZ30AU Eclipse Keyboard
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse

First of all, I have every intention of overclocking with this build, so keep that in mind when evaluating these components. Secondly, I'll primarily be using this rig for gaming. My biggest concern is if everything here will be compatible/fit together. This system wouldn't exactly be cheap, so I want to make sure I'm getting the best parts for the money, and to ensure compatibility.

I'm certain a lot of people are you going to tell me to wait for Vista and Conroe, but I feel that I've waited long enough to build my own system. Better components will always be on the horizon, and I feel like this system (again, I will be overclocking) will perform well for at least a couple of years. So, please, refrain from telling me to hold off.

I desperately need some opinions before pulling the trigger. Thanks in advance.

 

[Bobthelost]

That will work as it is, however if you're going to overclock then i'd go for a different motherboard. Asus boards give ok to good overclocks and are easy to use, DFI give stunning overclocks but are fiddly, the Epox 9n3pa is definitly worth a look.

SLI is not a great upgrade path for the most part, i wouldn't bother with a SLI board unless it's got some other feature that you need.

The PSU you have there will do the job, but a 500W enermax liberty, seasonic, fortron, OZC etc. will do it just as well and they have better names for long term reliablity.

(Very nice build by the way

 

[pkme2]

This can get you started:
http://sysbuild.corsairmemory.com/report.aspx?id=2.
http://www.mechbgon.com/build/index.html
Good building....

 

[letdown427]

The 7900gtx cooler is VERY QUIET. I wouldn't bother with the accelero. Also, I second the forget SLI part. I'd say look into a DFI Ultra-D if you really want to learn lol, but the Epox 9NPA+ Ultra or whatever is probably your best bet, generally v.good OC'er, and not as temperamental as the DFI.

2ms display is possibly overkill. Unless it has other great features that a lower response time monitor doesn't have, look at an equivalent(viewsonic 19") 8ms monitor.

As a note, if you go for the DFI, get good RAM. G.Skill 2x1GB PC4000 or Mushkin XP4000 for example. Might be worth considering anyway, you'll have a high FSB OC'ing the 165, and I get the impression you're going for the ultimate here.

Are you looking for quietness too? (Hence a 7900gtx over an x1900xt I presume...) If so, seasonic S12 PSU are often said to be the quietest.

Hope it all works out for you, that's (a bit) similar to my rig, have to say, it's going to be fun!

 

[imported_rod]

I would probably change the MoBo to an ASUS, but that's just me.

Maybe change that RAM to something with slightly looser latencies but a higher clock speed (DDR500+). The faster RAM will be better for the OCing.

Also, 2ms is way faster than the human eye can see. For the same price, you can probably get a 4ms/8ms with better colour reproduction/viewing angles/contrast/brightness or some combination of them. Remember, a faster response time usually means a compromise on other attributes.

Also, I wouldn't change the PSU. The Antec TruePower line is great.

RoD

 

[Lucid Faia]

After reading suggestions, and doing a bit of research, I think I'm switching out a few components:

DFI nForce4 Ultra (939) LanParty UT Ultra-D
OCZ PC4000 2x1024MB EL Gold GX XTC
eVGA GeForce 7900 GT KO 256MB

SLI doesn't really appeal to me, and I hear DFI is great for overclocking, so I think this will be a solid board for me. I thought I'd get RAM that had a little more OCing headroom; I've heard good things about OCZ. And finally, I'm downgrading to a 7900 GT, as it will save me over $200; I can overclock it to GTX speeds anyway.

What do you guys think of these changes? I'll probably also look into other LCD monitors.

 

[Bobthelost]

I think it will be an inferior gaming system.

The DFI is an improvement. However overclocking the RAM only gives you a small performance increase. You can overclock the 7900GT to GTX speeds, but you can OC the 7900GTX even further. If you want to save money then go for it, it'll still be a kick arse system. However i'd hang onto that 7900GTX if at all possible.

 

[Praxis1452]

X1900XTX if you are thinking about the GTX since it seems like performance is what matters. IF you care about heat then get the 7900gtx.

 

[m1ldslide1]

What do you guys think of these changes? I'll probably also look into other LCD monitors.

I would also prefer the 7900GTX over more expensive memory if you can afford it.

As far as that viewsonic, I'm not sure you can beat 19" 2ms for $270. I don't know enough about LCD's right now (haven't been in the market for over a year) to suggest any others but I've been very happy with my viewsonic.