Computer died now it's time to build...

My 4 year old Compaq Presario 5000 series just bit the dust and I have been wanting to build a computer for about 3 years. I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions as far as components for this build. I am not really a gamer so I don't need a gaming machine, but I do tinker with some music programs and things of that nature.

Here is what I was thinking of building:

-CaseBeantech Igloo 3 (black)
-Antec True 380
-AMD Mobile Athlon 2400+ (eventually OCed to around 2.25ish GHz)
-Abit NF7 v2.0
-Thermaltake Volcano 7+ (seems to be good and popular)
-AS5
-ABIT nVIDIA Radeon 9600SE Video Card
- Seagate 120GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive (8mb buffer)
-Lite-on 52x burner (black)
-Lite-on 52x cd rom or 16x DVD rom (black)
-Mitsumi or Sony Floppy drive (black)
-RAM I need a little help (I was thinking Mushkin 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 and add a second stick later?)

Any help is appreciated...thanks...

PS...I would upgrade to round cables the same time I upgraded my RAM...

Almost forgot. I have about 3 15" monitors lay around so that is not a problem and I have 2000 and XP(probalbly 98 if I look hard enough) as well as office suite 2000 and 2003 so software is not a problem.

Almost forgot. I have about 3 15" monitors lay around so that is not a problem and I have 2000 and XP(probalbly 98 if I look hard enough) as well as office suite 2000 and 2003 so software is not a problem.

What happened to your old computer? Computers don't really just "die." Probably something easily replaced...

I don't know where you heard that Thermaltake is anything but garbage, but you are wrong, get a nice Thermalright 947-U or an SP-97 and you will be much happier. Also, a 9600SE is not a very good card. I see you're not much of a gamer, have you considered something with onboard graphics? Otherwise I would just get http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-145-033R&depa=0 .

My old computer is having video problems. Sometimes I turn on the computer and monitor and I get video and sometimes I don't. Also I need a new batter for my mobo, it is dead/dieing and it keeps corrupting my BIOS so I have to keep resetting CMOS. I plan on fixing the computer when I get around to it, but it is time for a new computer anyway. That computer is a 1GHz AMD with an 8x cd burner and a dvd rom. It is a good second system, but I need something faster and more relliable for a main system. Right now I am using my old Pll Toshiba laptop. To answer your question I was thinking about the NF7-M because it has onboard graphics.

The NF7-M is decent, but there is no 2.0 revision (only goes up to 1.2), and this older revision did not reach as high FSBs as the 2.0 (quite a few had trouble reaching 200mhz), limiting OC potential to an extent.

Also, as Tom10167 mentioned, the Thermaltake heatsink is basically crap, and a Thermalright heatsink is better.

As for the video card, a 9600 Pro or XT are more costly than the SE, but more futureproof in case you want to play some games later on. The Ti4200 mentioned would be good as well.

Apart from this, everything else looks fine.

1. Get a real power supply, like a sparkle or fortrom source. Or, get a bigger antec.

2. The V7 was popular several years ago, but since then many people have come to light on thermalright's great products. For the $20 area, pick up an SK-7(used), for the $35 are, get an Slk-947(or 900). For the $45 are, the SP-97 is the best heatsink on the market.

3. The 9600se can die. It has 64bit ram running at low clocks, and slower core speed. A radeon 8500 is probably quite a bit faster. Save yourself some money and get the pro/xt now, you dont want to have to buy 2 cards do you?

Thanks for the help...BTW what fan would you guys suggest to go along with those heatsinks.

It depends on if you are OCing or are sticking at stock. If you don't know get a variable fan like the Smart Fan 2 from Thermaltake (one of the only good thermaltake products). If you are looking for quiet then get a Panaflo. I recommend a variable fan but wait for someone elses suggestion.

EDIT: I would suggest getting a motherboard with the holes around the socket so that you can mount the heatsink that way. The big Thermalright sinks are quite heavy and if you do any moving of the computer you might want the extra security a bolt-through-motherboard heatsink provides.

I plan on OCing after I get everything hooked up and make sure it is working and is stable (this is my first build). Also, all of the pics of the NF7's I have seen have holes around the socket, is this not the case?

Alll NF7 and NF7-S v1.2 and 2.0 should have the mounting holes around the socket, and the majority of NF7 boards being sold now are v2.0 anyhow.