New parts for new PC (need help - little knowledge of hardware)

[Jud]

On Wed, 19 Nov 2003 03:58:05 -0600, Bryan Cassidy  
<b_cassidy at bellsouth.net> wrote:

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> I've put some parts together. This is what I've come up with. Please
> tell me any recommendations on changes or anything with this system. It
> will run on FreeBSD. Any comments what so ever is appreciated. Please
> try to explain in detail when you go to tell me about changing something
> or whatever so I can understand it and then I can learn it and remember.
[snip]

Most of this stuff is out of my league price-wise so I can't answer  
whether it'll work with FreeBSD or not, nor whether the motherboard  
supports non-ECC memory (it certainly ought to, but you need better  
information than a gut feeling on my part).  I'll just respond about the  
two areas where I feel semi-competent.

> System Memory:
> 2 Crucial PC2100 512MB

Good solid choice.  There's faster stuff available, but I don't know what  
your mobo supports nor what the price/performance tradeoff is on faster  
memory.

[snip]
> Power Supply
> - From PC Power and Cooling (pcpowercooling.com)
> Turbo-Cool 510 ATX

I notice the Deluxe model is on sale for $9 more than the "standard"  
510ATX (this is like calling a Porsche "standard").  If you haven't  
already, you may want to find out what the difference is and see if you  
want to pay the additional 9 bucks for it.  (An easy way to find out is to  
call them.)

You didn't mention cooling.  If the Antec doesn't have a couple of case  
fans (intake low in front, exhaust high in back), get a couple of the  
Silencer fans from PC Power and Cooling for that purpose.  Try the CPU  
cooling that comes with the AMDs.  If that isn't satisfactory, you may  
want to have a look at the low noise stuff from "Dr. Thermal" (yeah I  
know, not the best name), whose CPU heatsinks and fans have provided me by  
far the quietest, most reliable operation for good cooling levels.  See  
<URL: http://www.thermal-integration.com/> for information.  Also  
important is the fact that their stuff is very easily installed.  There  
are few feelings so sickening as jamming a screwdriver into a motherboard  
while trying to lock down a heat sink (I've done it), and too many heat  
sinks are set up specifically for this sort of locking.

Jud

Jud