Upgrading to AMD... any advice?

I've always seemed to end up with an Intel computer for whatever reason, so I'm thinking of trying out my first Athlon system.

Here's what I'm planning on bringing over from my other system:
ATI Radeon 9500 Pro
7200 RPM 80 GB Hard Drive
CD Rom/Burner

I have a $400-$450 budget and need the following things:

Case and PSU
I don't care about windows or neon or any of that stuff. I'd rather spend money on performance than trendy looks. My main concern is getting a good PSU since I plan to do a little OC'ing.

Processor
I hear that Barton is the way to go. Currently I'm running a P4 1.8 ghz machine. I want this to be an upgrade, not just a step sideways. Going to rebuild my Intel box for my wife so she can play some Everquest with me.

Motherboard
Not really sure about what AMD boards are good. I just RMA'd a bad ABIT Intel board so I'm a little annoyed with them right now. How does Asus compare? Any suggestions on a good model that has SATA support (something to grow into) and preferably RAID?

RAM
Sadly I have RDRAM in my Intel box, so I can't transfer any memory over to my new rig. Since I'm planning on OC'ing a little I'm guessing I want to try to get 3500? BH-5/CH-5 doesn't really matter to me... and BH-5 is way too expensive anyways! I'd really like to get 1GB, but I can probably deal with 512 if I can't fit it into my budget right now.

I just wanted to get some suggestions on what would work well together. I've read some scary posts about some memory and motherboards not working well together although in print it looks like it should.

So thanks for any help!

2500+ with an ABIT NF7-S and the highest quality 3200 RAM you can afford. With that you should at least be able to get an OC to a 3200+ or beyond. A 350w Fortron/Sparkle PSU would be best for your budget. Case: I've always just gone with the cheapest, least ugliest one I could find. Be sure to get a good Thermalright heatsink and some quality TIM (like AS3 or AS5).

A little preface,
Your current machine is an Intel box with a 1.8GHz processor, for $400-$500 you could easily build a quality 2.5->3.0 GHz equivalent AMD box (more on that later) but in actuality (not to be mean or negative) it would be good if you asked yoursef if the upgrade can wait for a little while longer. The OC front page commentary by Ed really shows that now is not an optimal time to buy for several reasons. First, the socket A system (CPU/MB) is going away for good, and this would not give you any sort of upgrade path in the future. Second, Socket 754 (Athlon 64) systems are being relagated to the value sector and any upgrade path in that direction will not provide good performance in the future. Third, the current socket 940 (Athlon 64 FX) systems are going to be terminated in the next couple months in favor of the Socket 939 packaging. The story with Intel is not much better. First, the current "C" series of P4's is the last of the line before Prescott which will require a new socket and possibly a new case and powersupply (for the new BTX form factor). Also the Prescott will be a power hog and will not be good for overclocking. Second, AGP on Intel systems is largely going to disappear in favor of PCI-Express. Please don't interpret this as a put down but its just my honest advice.

However if you still wish to build an AMD System here are a few suggestions:
1. Case/PSU: The Antec Sonata is a great case as it comes equipped with a 380 watt powersupply for around $100, also it's quiet and has a 120 mm fan in the rear
2. Processor: the AMD Athlon XP Barton Core 2500+ is a frequent choice because of decent stock performance and excellent overclockability.
3. Motherboard: the Asus A7N8X is a good choice but the Abit AN7 and NF7-S are also good boards, in general an nForce 2 chipset is something good to look out for in regards to overclocking and performance.
4. RAM: Corsair, Kingston, and Crucial are all very good brands and work well with most boards.

Hope this helps,
xb-70

Thanks for the info...

I can understand what you're saying about holding off, but sadly this is something I need in the next month or so. This upgrade will allow me to rebuild my old P4 into a system for my wife, who is currently running an iMac 233...

What do you think of Buffalo RAM? I found some 3200 for a pretty decent price. Reviews seem to be good on newegg.com.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=20-150-564&depa=0

Also, I found a generic-type case with a 400w PSU for $45 on newegg. Does name brand matter at all on PSU's or is one as good as any other?
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-187-004&catalog=7&depa=1

Anyways, thanks again!

Personally i have no experience with buffalo RAM but I do like their networking products, we use them at school. However as per the powersupply there is a sticky in the cases and power section which explains the merits of different brands of powersuply
http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=252752
It explains that quality is greatly dependent on the brand and makes a few reccomendations. Also a generic case is good as long as it fits your needs, however reviews are good to see if they are easy to work in and their expandability. Feel free to ask for any clarifications.
xb-70