Advice: My New Rig

[Magnum1978]

Hi guys,

I'm new to the forums, but have been browsing a while, so I know you all know your stuff. Anyway, I'm in the process of researching all the goodies that will make up my new rig. So far I've decided on the Following components:

(I already have a good case/monitor/HDD/etc etc)

- ABit IC7-G
- Radeon 9800, I'll be purchasing this when prices come down, right now I'll stick with my GForce2 Ultra 64Mb

Now, I have a few questions on some of the other components. I'm basically after a machine that will be highly overclockable, and offer a good deal of performance whilst still maintaining bang for buck.

- P4 2.4 or 2.6 GHz

I'm unsure what to get between these two chips. The 2.6 will 'most likely' (?) give me a slightly higher overclock, and 13 is a good multiplier because I wont have to push my RAM too hard, but then again, if the 2.4 reaches the same clock speed, it will outperform the 2.6 because the FSB of the RAM will be higher. Any suggestions?

- 1GB RAM

I'm unsure whether to get PC3500 or PC3700 RAM. The 3700 variety is a lot more expensive, but is it worth it? I am going to be pushing the RAM pretty hard, so would paying the extra money be sensible?

- Heat Sink / Fan

The Cooler Master Aero 7+ looks like a good Fan, but if there are any better fans, I appreciate suggestions. I'm not willing to Fork out a huge amount if it only gives me 10% better cooling than that of a stock fan. Also, looking at the Thermalright SLK900, is that a worthy purchase? Its purely a heatsink isnt it? Would it be worth buying that instead, and using a stock fan on top?

... Phew! Sorry for all my questions, but I guess they're a big descisions, esp. for a tightwad gamer like myself. If Anyone has some ideas or guidance, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks again,

Mag

[NoxioN]

the video card is a nice so moving on to the board. I would save some $ and get a IS7 or IC7, you should see little to no difference in overclocking.
i'd say a few extra bucks is worth the 13 mulitplyer so go that route if possible unless you plan on spending your life saving on ram.
with the 800fsb chips the faster the ram the better. buy the best ram your money can afford so you wont be limited by it. the asus boards offer a very simple vdimm mod so even with decent ram you can get OCZ gold performance out of something cheap like buffalo.
slk900u is very nice and probably the most exspensive HS available but worth the money. I have not tested this myself but the zaleman7000 looks like a good runner up to slk and offers a HS with the purchase that can be set to fast or slow for quietness for a very affordable price.

GL with your decision.

[Magnum1978]

Thanks heaps for the advice, I'll definately look at the IC7, if its pretty much the same but lower in price. The ASUS PC4800 was another option, it seems to be a nice board.