Parts are too expensive! When is the price going to drop?

I've noticed the price of Intel chips have gone down. I'm real happy since thats the first time they've dropped in like years. I've been wanting to buy a computer for ages and I'm still waiting for the price to drop a bit. So is there going to be any price drops towards the end if this year?

I was told by my friend that socket 939 Athlons will be like 1/2 price start of 2005 (well for the 3400 anyway). Should I believe him?

And are RAM prices dropping?

FYI these are the parts I'm considering:
Athlon64 3400 socket 939
Geforce 6800 GT/X800 Pro
1gb Corsair XMS or valueselect
mobo - ?
Antec P160+120mm fan, Truepower 380W, HSF (that enough cooling?)

^What price would I be paying if I buy in January/February next year?

Actually the 3400 is socket 754, the 3500 is the 939. I got the same case you are considering, though if I were you I would invest in some decent 120mm fans, the single fan it comes with is too weak to really give good cooling, for a case that big I would recommend at least 75cfm. You also would be better off cutting out the grills on the intake and exhaust, all they do is cause noise and reduce airflow. I even removed those chromed things on the front intake, that will give even more airflow. If you are into case modding I would put a blowhole in the top and another intake on the side panel before assembly so things are even cooler because while the case is nice, it isn't the best for cooling.

I would get at least a 480 watt PSU if you are getting that kind of system, you don't want to skimp on the powersupply. If you have to chose between the x800 pro and 6800gt get the GT, it has 4 more pixel pipelines and does much better than the pro in the benchmarks. With some better cooling later on you could even overclock it to ultra speeds.

As for the ram, I would do more research because things right now are moving so fast in the memory world that you might miss out on something better. Corsair is good but look at some of the other stuff too.

Are you going to overclock? If not stock hsf is fine.

As for the price, I don't know. I hear that AMD is going to come out with lower end 939 chips soon. If you do decide to overclock then maybe you could try that.

480W Power supply? Why would I need that much? Yes I was thinking of putting another 120mm fan in the back. Would I need another HSF? Or keep the heatsink and replace the fan? That should be enough cooling shouldnt it? Can you plz recommend a power supply plz? Are there any that arent screamingly loud and costs not much more than the Antec?

Well, I use an antec truepower 480. It aint that loud for me either. I recommend the higher rated PSU because with those modern video cards there is a much higher power draw. If you are getting another fan, the one that it comes with has these silicone mounting things that I don't think would work too well on the front. You really have to be careful with the cables so as not to restrict airflow.

As far as the fans, the ones I use are somewhat noisy but enough for me to deal with, I can sleep with it running in my room though I am more tolerant to sound than most.

I am not sure if replacing the fan on the stock heatsink will offer much benefit, I ended up getting a thermalright slk-948U with a 92mm enermax adjustable fan which works fine though I did have to lap it. It is a bit expencive but it works well.

In the end it is up to you and if the reasons behind my suggestions aren't enough to convince you then go ahead and do what you originally planned.

I'm open to suggestions, but I'm surprised at the lengths I have to go to just to keep my system quiet and cool. I have a 4 y.o computer and I know that comps r getting hotter and louder, but I didnt know they are as bad as they are. I've had ppl tell me that they can keep their system chilled and quiet in a P160 with only the fan it comes with. Others tell me that not only do I have to put another 120 mm fan in, that I need to cut holes in the sides to install more! Others have told me to rip the mesh or whatever out of the fan grills. And my budget has just been blowing out of control.

Goldstandard said:

If you are getting another fan, the one that it comes with has these silicone mounting things that I don't think would work too well on the front.

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I don't quite follow. I cant install a generic 120mm fan? The fan it comes with is at the back isnt it?

Goldstandard said:

You really have to be careful with the cables so as not to restrict airflow.

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Sounds simple enough - just move the cables to the side so that the front fan can blow air over the mobo then exit out the back fan. Right?

Goldstandard said:

As far as the fans, the ones I use are somewhat noisy but enough for me to deal with, I can sleep with it running in my room though I am more tolerant to sound than most.

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It is THAT loud??? Isnt the P160 a really soundproof box tho?

Should I just get water cooling?

Ok, let me clear things up.

What I mean't about the included fan was that the rubber fasteners are too bulky to be used in the front, and they are designed to reduce noise. As far as cooling, I tried the included fan and a blue led fan in the front that was pretty quiet. My load cpu temps were 63 degrees which I didn't like, so I got higher powered fans, modded my intakes and removed the meshes, and got a 10 degree drop. I found that the filter didn't hurt my temps so I kept it, and strangely enough my case seems quieter with it on.

I haven't done the case mods I suggested to you yet, I am gonna do that at the end of the year when I have time during winter break. I want to see if I can make things even cooler. The main thing is that there are a lot of variables to take into account. If you aren't overclocking much and the temps are fine for you then don't worry about that stuff. If you aren't sure just don't buy any fans, build your system and monitor temps, if they are unsatisfactory then add another one and tweak till it is.

As for the cables, it isn't that hard if you take the time to do it right, I kinda rushed it the first time.

The loudness can be very subjective. If this is your first build I would stick with air, it is much more simple and really shouldn't be that loud. The Zalman 7000cu's are very quiet, though you will want to be careful that it fits your mobo.