[deception``]

Dislaimer:

In the wake of DFI's press release on their latest s939 motherboards, many people are going to have questions concerning the best route for one to take. Hence, I'd like to make things a little bit easier on some people by providing a one-stop thread to get people on the right track. In this thread, we're going to tackle every single major component of a system, from the processor down to the hard drive. Hopefully this will serve as a good benchmark for those looking for s939 glory.

THIS THREAD IS STILL A WORK-IN-PROGRESS, SO IF THINGS ARE MISSING THEY WILL BE ADDED SHORTLY!

deception``

[deception``]

Like the discussion on video cards and SLI, this is probably going to be a big porton of the thread. Therefore, let's break this one down into parts:

Should I go 90nm or 130nm?

Both 130nm and 90nm s939 chips are options to consider. However, most AMD enthusiasts these days go for the 90nm variants to take advantage of a few perks. These include:

1. Slightly less power consumption. Typically, a 90nm processor will use less power than a 130nm chip. Consequently, the 90nm processor will also run a tad colder, too.



2. The 90nm chips have made s939 much more affordable. Typically, a die shrink comes with an reduction on production costs, and often times this cost savings is passed onto the consumer.

3. While this is less noticeable, the 90nm chips are marginally faster than an equally-clocked 130nm processor. As I said, this difference is not significant, but it can be anywhere from an average of 1-5%.

Originally Posted by Anandtech

Gaming Performance was consistently faster on the new 90nm than the existing 130nm processors. This varied from 2% in Aquamark3 and Doom3 to 7% in Quake 3. Overall, gaming averaged about 3% faster on the new 90nm chips. While 3% is not a huge increase and it will likely not even be noticed by the average user, it was still impressive to see the new 90nm chips perform a little better than the older 130nm chips.

So given all of the things already discussed, it definitely appears that 90nm is the way to go for most. Perhaps the only drawback concerning 90nm chips is the fact that they are rumored to act a bit quirky under sub-zero temperatures. So those with extreme cooling (Vapochill, LN2, etc.) might want to steer clear of at least the first 90nm processors.

Should I buy current 90nm chips, or wait for the revision E cores? And If I do wait, what is the difference?

While current Winchesters are literally a marvel on their own, AMD is hoping to improve upon their design with the revision E processors. Thanks to their recent partnership with IBM, the green giant has made some noteworthy improvements upon the exisitng 90nm architecture:

1. The most evident difference in the revision E cores is none other than the inclusion of the SSE3 (Prescott) instructions. Personally, I could care less for this, as I do not feel as if SSE3 is going to provide any striking performance increases in gaming or even workstation performance. Nonetheless, it is an attempt on AMD's behalf to level the technological playing field against Intel, so every improvement is noteworthy. For more information on SSE3, look here:

http://www.intel.com/technology/itj/...re/p06_sse.htm (a bit technical)

2. Perhaps the greatest advantage of the revision E processors is none other than the second-generation 90nm process itself. Despite the fact that current Winchesters do run slightly colder than 130nm chips, it has been discovered they 90nm cores also suffer from power leakage that increases exponentially as the chips are clocked higher and higher. Fortunately, the general consensus is that the newer processors have been designed to alleviate this matter.

3. Whether or not the chips will actually use strained silicon, there is also a general belief that they will overclock better, too.

3000+, 3200+, 3500+? Which one should I choose?

At the moment, there are three 90nm s939 processors: The 3000+, 3200+, and 3500+. For the most part, the only difference between the three is the upper-multiplier that can be used; the 3000+ has a maximum 9x, the 3200+ has a 10x multiplier, and the 3500+ can use every multi up to 11x.

Typically, the most common processor that one will buy should be the 3200+. I say this due to the fact that the 10x multiplier is pretty standard, and will be desired by many. This does not mean that the 3000+ is a bad processor by any means; however, it will simply require a greater HTT clock to hit the same speeds. Let's look at the following example: Say you want to clock your chip to 2.6 Ghz. The 3200+ can do this with 10x260, but the 3000+ will require 9x289 to hit the same overclock. So you can clearly see why, at the very least, a 10x multi will be desired by most. It is true that some TCCD sticks will have no problem hitting 289, but that does not hold true for every user as one's results may vary. Furthermore, anyone looking at memory such as the OCZ VX will need to think 10x at least, as most VX ram doesn't hit past 270.


There is the option of the 3500+, too. However, it is often priced between $70-90 more than the 3200+, so I do not recommend it often. Simply put, I do not think that the 200 Mhz really justifies the price differential. Besides, both chips will probably overclock about the same, too. If the price difference were $90 (as an example), then you would be paying $45 per 100 Mhz. Maybe it's just me, but I think that's a bit too much to shell out for even a slight boost.

deception``

[deception``]

These days, one's memory selection should be a bit of a no-brainer. Simply put, everyone should be thinking TCCD here. Not only are these sticks very overclockable, but they possess remarkable compatibility with almost any Athlon 64 motherboard. I'd go into depth here, but there's not much more that needs to be said. In my case, I'd probably look toward the G. Skill PC 4400. While it's true that other sticks of TCCD will run just fine, the G. Skill is guarunteed to run 275 Mhz at various timings. Of course, such a guaruntee does come with a slight premium, but it can be worth it for some. I also have some Patriot PC 3200 in my possession, and have had no problem hitting 280 Mhz on both NF2 and NF3 systems. Currently, I run them at 250 Mhz using 2.5-3-3-7 timings in my backup Ultra Infinity, and they work like a charm.

When looking for TCCD, one should also consider whether or not the modules are based off of the Brainpower PCB. In case you do not know, the PCB is essentially the board on which the IC's are mounted upon, and can play a role in the functionality and overclockability of a specific set of memory. Common belief holds that Brainpower memory tends to respond more favorably to voltage, thus providing slightly higher overclocks. Nonetheless, most brands of TCCD will be more than enough to provide an enthusiast with the HTT clocks everyone desires.

If low timings is your thing, also know that OCZ VX (Gold Voltmaster) is a very good choice, too. There is still some mystery concerning exactly what IC is being used here, but it goes without question that these chips are providing some various nice clocks (on average 250-270) using 2-2-2-x timings. However, be warned that you need to pump some nice volts (3.4+) through them, so be prepared to pair these with a good power supply. We'll discuss that later.

Here's some listings of TCCD sticks for reference:

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/show...&threadid=3213

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=43659

UPDATE: It appears that Corsair has launched their own PC 4400 memory based on the TCCD IC. Click here for more:

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=2312

Lastly, allow me to conclude my thoughts on TCCD memory. Once again, all TCCD sticks are pretty much worth a buy, but these are some common ones to consider:

For the budget-minded enthusiast looking for TCCD: Patriot PC 3200 with XBL Technology

For the average enthusiast/overclocker looking for some of the best TCCD around: G. Skill PC 4400, OCZ EL Platinum Rev. 2, PQI Turbo PC 3200


For the bh-5 lover looking for reasonably high HTT but with super-low timings: OCZ Gold VX/OCZ Voltmaster

deception``

[deception``]

Why Should I even consider PCI Express?

Before I move on to SLI and PCIe options, some people are still asking themselves "Why should I move to PCIe? What benefits does it bring?" Since I've already answered this question many times, allow me to direct you to a thread I commented in not too long ago. Hopefully, this will make you a bit more comfortable about your move:

http://www.ocforums.com/showpost.php...32&postcount=3

Should I consider SLI?

Before I go into this further, I think it would be best to quote myself again on the matter:

Originally Posted by deception``

You SHOULD consider SLI if:

1. You want jaw-dropping performance

2. You have the money to spend on two video cards

3. You have a very strong power supply (like a PC&C or OCZ)

4. Most of your gaming is centered around very recent titles (HL2, D3, Far Cry)

5. You are big on IQ, as SLI'd cards will allow greater IQ at particular resolutions than a single slot card

6. You don't mind trying new technologies first

You SHOULD NOT consider SLI if:

1. You have anything less than a good 500W PSU

2. You don't have adequate airflow in your system

3. You're only a mild gamer

4. You're not a benchmark junkie

5. You're an avid ATI fan, as no PCI-e ATI cards will run SLI at the moment

6. You don't like troubleshooting, as early SLI combo's will probably have a few bugs

Simply put, SLI is meant strictly for the avid gamer and/or benchmarking enthusiast. It is true that two video cards in SLI will provide greater performance than one in many cases, but that does not mean that people still cannot benefit from a high-end single card solution such as an x800 XT PE 6800 Ultra.

Nonetheless, there are still a good amount of counter-arguments against SLI. For one, SLI will definitely require a very strong power supply. I really don't think this is up for debate here. As far as I am concerned, I wouldn't even entertain SLI unless I had at least 500W of good power, such as an OCZ or PC&C. If I ever decide to take a stab at SLI myself, it goes without question that I will be upgrading my unit to the 600W variant just to be on the safe side.

Additionally, SLI places two very hot-running video cards in close proximity to one another. Hence, airflow is going to be especially important when it comes to properly cooling these gpu's. So for those of you who know nothing about wire management and good airflow, now is a good time to learn.

Also, it is very important to note that SLI most likely will not work with every single program. While it should have no problem running most newer titles, there will be some applications that will fail to take advantage of SLI. Fortunately, NVIDIA's thorough software team has already thought this over, and has coded the SLI drivers to automatically disable any gpu when it is not being properly used in SLI.

What's the best way to jump into SLI?

At the present moment, the smartest way to tackle SLI is to buy one NVIDIA card at a time. In other words, it's probably best to purchase one 6800GT or 6600GT, and move on to the second video card at a later time. Chances are, two things will have occured when most people attempt to pair up their video cards:

1. It probably won't take too long for the NVIDIA development team to smooth out any problems with their much-anticipated SLI. There might be a few bugs here and there, any and all major issues will probably be resolved in a matter of months.

2. Chances are, if you purchase one 6600 or 6800 in Jan/Feb, the price of that same card will have dropped somewhat in the following months. So one might be able to buy one 6800 for $370-390 initially, then you can pick up the second card for something like $300-320 (just an example, based on a lot of speculation).

I'm an ATI fan. What should I do?

Even if you belong to the ATI camp, PCIe is still the way to go. As a matter of fact, ATI has been slightly more aggressive than NVIDIA in their jump to the newer interface. This is apparent because all of ATI's upcoming video solutions have been labeled as PCIe only. Hence, it is in one's best interests to still go PCIe.

If you're not into SLI or want an ATI card, I'd say look at the x800XL. Not only is this card priced aggressively with an MSRP of $300, but it outperforms the more expensive x800 Pro and 6800 GT. This indeed makes it an attractive alternative. Furthermore, this card is PCIe only, so this makes it even more appealing to drop the aging AGP interface. The only bad thing about the x800XL is ATI's own track record when it comes to launching products. Given it's history with Vaporware, there is still some skepticism that this card won't even see the light of day. Nonetheless, this is the card that non-SLI and/or ATI users should be looking at. Here's a good read on the x800XL:

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2299

Lastly, keep in mind that ATI's RSX 480 chipset should be out shortly. Furthermore, ATI has gone on record in saying that they have their own "version" of SLI in the works. So it will be interesting to see how this dual-card war plays out.

What if I just want the Lanparty NF4 UT. Will I still be able to use SLI?

Yes, both motherboards are in fact SLI compatible. The main difference between the two is that the UT does not come with the excessive bundle like the standard Lanparty. Furthermore, the NF4 Lanparty SLI includes an additional Sil3114 RAID controller, which offers support for the very novel RAID 5.

UPDATE: FOR ALL OF THOSE THAT WILL NEVER USE SLI, DFI HAS A BOARD USING THE NF4 ULTRA CHIPSET THAT WILL DO THE TRICK, TOO. LOOK FOR IT UNDER THE NAME LANPARTY NF4 ULTRA UT.

http://www.dfi.com.tw/Product/xx_pro...YPE=LP&SITE=NA

deception``

[deception``]

Unlike the NF3/NF3 Ultra chipsets, the NForce 4 core logics support the SATA II standard and Native Command Queueing. Essentially, NCQ allows for a much more efficient allocation of tasks along the hard drive, and will make for a smoother computing experience. SATA II increases the theoretical bandwidth of one's hard drive from 1.5gb/sec (SATA) to 3gb/sec. Most likely, neither will offer a significant increase in gaming and/or hard drive benchmarking, but every little bit helps. So even though one might not see a pronounced gain right away, I'd still recommend a SATA II hard drive (provided it is affordable) to have the very latest in storage technology. Of course, if you already have a Raptor or other hefty drive, then you need not apply (as it will still be faster); however, this is still an attractive alternative for some.

On top of the SATA II/NCQ additions, the Nforce 4 chipset brings about some welcome improvements upon NVIDIA's own nvRAID technology. Old favorites such as the any-drive RAID remain, but there are a couple other big perks, too. The one I'd really like to go over is the newer hotswap feature. First of all, one has the ability to CHANGE THEIR RAID ARRAYS FROM WITHIN WINDOWS ON-THE-FLY. So, for example, I can easily move from RAID 0 to RAID 1 in no time. However, it is also worth noting that, in the event of a bad array, one can simply move his or her data onto a newer array, thereby saving any and all pertinent information. Allow me to pull a quote to help explain this one:

Originally Posted by Hexus.net

The same RAID levels as the controller on nForce3 250 are supported. But what you also get is hot spare capability. Think about hot spares like this. You build a RAID0+1 array (striping and mirroring, for performance and data security) on the controller using all four SATA ports. On the PATA controller you assign a hot spare disk. It sits idle and you lose the capacity it would afford you as part of the arrays. If any disk on your RAID0+1 array fails, the spare disk on the PATA port steps into the breach to patch up the damage. Then the controller notifies the user using driver as to which disk on which particular port, graphically, has failed, allowing you to replace it. As soon as you replace the disk, the array is rebuilt using the hot spare which stepped in, with the hot spare returning to being a spare, protecting both arrays. All that's done on the fly if possible, transparent to the user.

The hot spare disk can only rebuild RAID 1 or RAID0+1 arrays, arrays that have some degree of fault tolerance built in by default, so if a disk in your RAID0 array fails, you're still out of luck, but the capability is there.

That scenario is available across any of the native nForce4 disk controller ports, PATA or SATA, that your nForce4 mainboard supplies. You can also setup RAID arrays cross controller. RAID any combination of disks on either PATA or SATA controllers, boot from any of those arrays after installing your OS on it, reconfigure the array from Windows if you wish. NVIDIA have built it to be as flexible as possible.

For more information on SATA II, NCQ, and the improved nvRAID, look here:

http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews...JsX3BhZ2U9Mg==

As I said earlier, any SATA II hard drive is preferred. Currently, I have my eye on the 120gb Seagate Barracuda, which has native SATA II/NCQ support and are readily availably. Furthermore, these can be had for under $100, which makes them even more attractive. Currently, we can see these selling at Newegg for exactly $99.50. This is not a bad price, but they chose inflate this due to the holiday season. So look for these drives to probably hit under the $90 mark in a couple of weeks:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...148-039&depa=0

Other companies such as Maxtor also have SATA II/NCQ-compatible hard drives. Unfortunately, most of Maxtor's DiamondMax 10 line is for hard drives above 250gb; Consequently, they tend to run a bit higher than Seagate's own offerings. But they are still good drives if you want high volume storage:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...144-359&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...144-358&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...144-357&depa=0

deception``

[deception``]

I know there are some that care to think otherwise, but the fact of the matter is that a strong power supply comes highly recommended with an Athlon 64 system. This will be an even greater issue when it comes to those looking for to take advantage of SLI. As a rule of thumb: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT POWER SUPPLY MEANT TO RUN AN ATHLON 64 SYSTEM HAVE AT LEAST 24A ON THE +12 VOLT, BUT 30A IS IDEAL IF YOU PLAN TO OVERCLOCK. This may seem a bit steep to some, but bear in mind that a healthy unit will ensure that your computer is not victim to common power-starved symptons such as stuttering, hitching, and random reboots (these will be especially pronounced in games).

Anyway, let's get into some choices. For the most part, I feel perfectly comfortable in recommending OCZ's excellent Powerstream line of power supplies. Not only are these units of a very high-quality build, but they perform exceptionally well, too. On top of that, each Powerstream comes PCIe ready to make the transition to NF4 virtually painless. If you're not looking to run SLI, then the 470W is a reasonable buy; otherwise, I'd look at the 520W or greater if I had plans to ever run two gpu's at once.

Of course, OCZ is not the only premiere unit that can be had. Enermax has been a long-time supplier of excellent units, too. Their Noisetaker lineup has been especially noteworthy, and they have products ranging up to 600W. However, it is in my opinion that the OCZ will make for a better overclocker's unit, but I suppose that could be my own bias somewhat. Also, PC Power & Cooling supplies cannot be ignored, either. Simply put, these units are pretty much regarded as "the best of the best" whereas the OCZ's are considered "the best in their price class." Anyhow, PC&C currently has the excellent 510W on the market, with plans for a 700W to keep those SLI systems at bay. But the PC&C and OCZ units come with a price; both power supplies do not come cheap, and this holds especially true to the PC&C.

For the budget minded, one must take into consideration the Fortron 530W. These units have been known to feed even the hungriest of computers, and are equally viable across a number of platforms. Furthermore, they are very affordable, too, as you can find the 530W for about $80 or so at vendors such as Newegg. The only real drawback to the Fortron 530W is that it lacks the necessary PCIe connector; hence, it might be necessary to purchase an adapter seperately before you put your system togethr. So to sum it up:

For the budget minded: Fortron 530W

For the average SLI enthusiast/heavy overclocker: OCZ Powerstream 520W or 600W; The Enermax 600W; or PC&C 510W

For the King of the Hill: The PC&C 700W

WARNING ON ANTEC POWER SUPPLIES: Lately, Antec units have seen a loss in quality. This has been especially apparent on Athlon 64 units, as many ex-Antec owners have found that their power supply simply was not cut out to power their K8 system. This is due to the fact that earlier Antec models were not designed according to Athlon 64 specifications. Furthermore, they were vary much castrated in terms of power, which made it very difficult to them to keep up with newer Prescott and K8 systems. Let's take my Antec TP 550W as an example. My first 550W, purchased in January, came with 24A on the +12 volt. Over the summer, I RMA'd my unit and recieved a brand-new 550W, which came with 30A on the +12 volt. So you can just imagine how some of their lesser models have been castrated in the same manner. I have no personal issues with Antec as a whole, but currently I do not feel comfortable in recommending their units to the Athlon 64 enthusiast. And if you already own a low-to-midrange equivalent, NOW is a very good time to consider an upgrade.

deception``

[deception``]

Thanks to the 90nm die shrink, current and upcoming s939 processors should run slightly colder than their 130nm counterparts. Nonetheless, sufficient cooling is still in order, especially when one is looking to hit some high clocks. Anyhow, let me just keep this simple and speak a few options here. I won't touch too muc h on water and/or extreme cooling, as individuals seeking that sort of solution are very aware of their options.

Back to the topic at hand: A good air cooler is often necessary to keep a hot processor at bay. Despite some recent threads noting a degradation in Thermalright's performance, I still feel very comfortable in recommending their products. Currently, Thermalright encompasses some of the best-performing and highest-quality air cooling solutions around, and the same holds true across the K8 platform. When it comes to your upcoming DFI/s939 board, you have two options here. First up, the XP-90, which supports 92mm fans. Personally, this would be my choice before moving on to water, as I have no problem running a Vantec Tornado at it's highest speed. However, the XP-120 supports 120mm fans, which will push a lot of air without the same noise level of a Tornado or Delta (for example). So it's really a matter of preference as to what you're looking for.

Even in the midst of my enthusiasm for Thermalright's products, I know that I simply cannot promote their items exclusively, as there are several other solutions that are equally excellent performers. Some other reputable products include:

1. The Coolermaster Hyper6, which actually slightly outperfomed the SLK-948-U. However, this cooler is very big, and may not work out for those cramped for space.

2. Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu. Zalman has always made great coolers, with their emphasis on quite operations. Anyone who is a stickler for noise should give this one a thought.

deception``

[deception``]

I really don't need to say much on this one. Basically, sound solutions are more-so catered toward user preference. The onboard sound of the NF3/NF4 offerings is nowhere near terrible, but it is not quite up to par with that of the NF2 SoundStorm standard. So, for the average listener, the onboard might be fine. Otherwise, a third-party solution (such as the Audigy 2 Zs or Hercules Fortimissimo) might be in order.

Fortunately, DFI has begun to include a Karajan codec into some of their newer boards. It has all of the ports necessary to run a good 2.1 - > 5.1 setup, and is supposedly of a very high quality. Given that I haven't played with a DFI since the DFI UT (they began offering these with their newer Intel boards, first) I have not had the liberty of testing this out personally. Nonetheless, I am hearing some good things about the thing, so we'll just have to wait and see. Here are some pictures of the audio riser itself:





And here's some benchmarks concerning it's audio quality and utilization:

http://tech-report.com/reviews/2004q.../index.x?pg=10

deception``

[deception``]

Here comes the fun part. Obviously, not everybody will have a need for the technical point of this thread. Therefore, let's jump into the good stuff: NF4 system recommendations! Here, I will offer my take on a couple good systems, based on a person's needs:

NF4/DFI on a budget:
AMD Athlon 64 s939 90nm 3000+(it is preferred that you go rev E, but reg s939 is no biggie)
DFI Lanparty UT NF4 SLI-D (if SLI) / DFI Lanparty UT NF4 Ultra-D (no SLI/ATI fan)
Thermalright XP-90 (replace with Zalman for noise reduction)
2x512 Patriot PC 3200 with XBL Technology (if no overclocking, replace with generic value ram)
2x120gb Seagate Barracuda SATA II HDs (or keep exisitng HDs)
NVIDIA 6600GT (if SLI) / ATI x800XL (ATI-fan/no SLI)
Fortron 530W (with necessary adapters)

SLI for the mainstream enthusiast:
AMD Athlon 64 s939 90nm 3200+
DFI Lanparty NF4 SLI /DFI Lanparty NF4 UT
Thermalright XP-90 (or water or other form of extreme cooling)
2x512 G. Skill PC 4400 / 2x512 OCZ El Platinum Rev. 2
2x120gb Seagate Barracuda SATA II HDs
2x 6800 GT PCIe (or buy one now and upgrade to the second at a later time)
OCZ Powerstream 520W / 600W / Enermax 600W

Low-latency maintstream configuration with SLI:
AMD Athlon 64 s939 90nm 3200+
DFI Lanparty NF4 SLI /DFI Lanparty NF4 UT
Thermalright XP-90 (or water or other form of extreme cooling)
2x512 OCZ Voltmaster / Existing Bh-5/Bh-6
2x120gb Seagate Barracuda SATA II HDs
2x 6800 GT PCIe (or buy one now and upgrade to the second at a later time)
OCZ Powerstream 520W / PC&C 510W / Enermax 600W

SLI for the avid benchmarker with funds to spare:
AMD Athlon 64 s939 90nm 3500+ or FX-55
DFI Lanparty NF4 SLI
Thermalright XP-90 (or water or other form of extreme cooling)
2x512 G. Skill PC 4400 / 2x512 OCZ El Platinum Rev. 2 / 2x512 OCZ Voltmaster / Existing Bh-5/Bh-6
2x36.7 or 74GB WD Raptor
2x 6800 GT PCIe (or buy one now and upgrade to the second at a later time)
OCZ Powerstream 600W / PC&C 700W

[Super Nade]

You might want to add a troubleshooting section.

/*Post will be removed if requested*/

[deception``]

Originally Posted by Super Nade

You might want to add a troubleshooting section.

/*Post will be removed if requested*/

No need to remove this. And this is a very smart idea, too. I hope that anyone with a DFI and/or s939 question feels comfortable enough to share their thoughts/comments/inquieries here, and we will address them accordingly. Furthermore, I hope that my thread is not seen as an overlap to Sentential's own offering, as I am simply targeting a narrower audience.

deception``

[Npetune3000]

Very nice. At the least this thread will spark some discussion so i'm all for it.

However, i have one cripe "These days, one's memory selection should be a bit of a no-brainer. Simply put, everyone should be thinking TCCD here."

You could've used quite a few puns in that line. For instance "no-brainer" relating the a brainpower PCB could've been punned "these days, one's memory selection should NOT be a "no-brainer".This implys one should not get a non BP PCB. Addititionally: " Simply put, everyone should be thinking TCCD here." could be punned to say: " Simply put, everyone should be using their brainpower here." I'm sure there are other ways these were justa few examples

Nice post deception, I look forward to seeing it grow. Alot of good stuff here.

[fateshammer]

Nice work.

[pcdummy]

some of the parts you have recommened i have chosen for a new pc. My question is since you seem to be able to explain things in simple terms of the three boards going to be available what are the features or options in your view that someone should consider to make their purchase?

[trueplaya4ever8]

Looking good
I think its been recommended by AG to use a natural 24pin psu. http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/show...&pagenumber=20
Look through that page.

[Npetune3000]

SHould I consider a new PSU? My 12V only has 18A. http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...103-912&depa=0

I dont want to spend cash that is not necessary but I can recall a horid experience where an antec PSU burned out my EPOX 8hka(or something) in 2001. ALSO, what of these new ATX 2.0 PSUs?http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20041223/index.html

[hybris6]

Great post hope they make it sticky.

[deception``]

Originally Posted by pcdummy

some of the parts you have recommened i have chosen for a new pc. My question is since you seem to be able to explain things in simple terms of the three boards going to be available what are the features or options in your view that someone should consider to make their purchase?

The two NF4 motherboards are pretty much identical. Both are SLI compatible. The main difference is that the UT will come with less packaging and does not include the additional Sil3114 RAID controller which supports RAID 5.

deception``

[deception``]

Originally Posted by Npetune3000

SHould I consider a new PSU? My 12V only has 18A. http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...103-912&depa=0

I dont want to spend cash that is not necessary but I can recall a horid experience where an antec PSU burned out my EPOX 8hka(or something) in 2001. ALSO, what of these new ATX 2.0 PSUs?http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20041223/index.html

Yeah, you're gonna need a new power supply. For reference, take a look at the Antec warning in the power supplies column. I'd look at the Fortron 530W if I was you, but you're probably going to need the 20-24 pin and PCIe adapters.

deception``

[deception``]

Originally Posted by trueplaya4ever8

Looking good
I think its been recommended by AG to use a natural 24pin psu. http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/show...&pagenumber=20
Look through that page.

Well aware of this one. The OCZ Powerstream I named come with the necessary connectors. I did own a PC&C 510W, but the board I ran it on required no such adapter. Therefore, I will not provide a answer that is to be set in stone. I will gladly research this matter later. I have one last piece to finish on this thread, and that's the proposed setups for people to consider.

deception``