Please help me build my first system

andré · March 8th, 2003

OK, i've currently got a Compaq 7000 series (7ap170) that was bought for me almost 3yrs ago. I'm now off for spring break, and i desperately wish to start building my own system. Looking at my sig u may notice i'm no stranger to upgrades. I started w/ a TNT M64 card and ended on a GF4. I started w/ 256 ram and ended w/ 512, etc. So i'm not a total stranger to the inside of my case...which brings me to the topic at hand. I'm tired of my compaq case and i want a new one.

My first, and most pressing question is, will the motherboard compaq supplied to me, fit in a mid size tower the holds standard atx boards.

Once i get over this hill, i'm supposing my next q will be something like: ok on this case i have 2usb and 1firewire port on the front of the case, how will that translate over to the next case, would those connections have a place to go, or what?

My third q is, i currently have a 250W power supply (i think). the case i'm looking at comes w/ something around 350~400, i would have no problem w/ such a p supply on my system would i?

My fourth and last q for the moment is could some kind soul forewarn me of typical mistakes made in such a process so i can attempt to avoid them...i would really hate to fry something, or kill something on my first attempt at a self-made system. thanks.

**Kirby** · March 8th, 2003

Companies usually make custom cases for their motherboards that aren't generic to the ATX cases. If you want to keep the mobo, you'll probably have to keep the case too.

Unicron · March 8th, 2003

Don't they do that with the atx power plug that goes into the mobo? Or is that some other company...I think somewhere you can get an adapter for that plug.

Aleksei (St) · March 8th, 2003

you should really try to upgrading all at once
(case,cpu,motherboard,etc...)

**Kirby** · March 8th, 2003

Quote:

Originally posted by Aleksei (St)
you should really try to upgrading all at once
(case,cpu,motherboard,etc...)

if you plan to obsessively post, make sure you have someone good and long to say

I'm not sure, but Compaq is probably making computers so they can't be backwards compatable with anything, including cases. It's only an eyesore to look at. It only matters about what is inside. Slap a couple of humorous bumper sticker on it ;p

**Betamax** · March 8th, 2003

1. Depends. I have done something similar in the past, ie the psu in my cousins Compaq (can't remember model) died, and it worked out cheaper to replace the case/psu with a generic one, rather than to go back to compaq. However that said, the solution was not ideal, as the mobo didn't line up too well, meaning that its not as well screwed in as i would like, but it still works fine.

2. As for frontal usb firewire, you can get similar generic cases, just take a not of how it was wired up in the old case and things should be ok.

3. AFAIK No.

ready2rumbelX · March 8th, 2003

If money is no object.....go for an AlienWare machine. Or try get an AlienWare case , with the 450 or 500W Powerpack. I can get one for a little less than $100 (yeah, expensive).

But concerning your PC, if you could, i'd recommend waiting for the AMD Clawhammer to come out....that's what i'm saving my cash for.

....and an ATi 9800 Pro All-In-Wonder, when it'll be available.

ready2rumbelX

zukeft · March 9th, 2003

1) Yeah, you're looking for a complete overhaul in this case.

2) Since I'm sure you wouldn't be able to find a case that fits your needs (rather your mobo's needs), it'd be even harder to find a case with front mounted USB and IEEE 1394 ports. However, if in the future you'll you want a similar case to your Compaq's, there are some cases (like Antec's Performance II series: http://www.antec-inc.com/pro_en_performanceii.html) that I'm sure will please you.

3) Oh yeah: the more power, the better.

AlienWare PCs are too expensive for me, but if you can afford something among those lines, look into Falcon NW (www.falcon-new.com) as well.

andré · March 9th, 2003

thanks for the replies guys, i'm gonna try to go for a new mobo/case combo. I'm looking a the 'DFI AD77 Infinity,' the "FIC AU11 nForce2 Mobo,' and the 'GA- 7VAXP KT400 AMD Socket A Mobo.' Any one of em' stands out from the rest? And can someone give me a brief description on the socket types. thanks.

edit: oh, and if a board supports DDR mem, will it be backwards compatible w/ SDRAM...cuz thats all i have right now and i don't know if i'll have cash for that upgrade...well i will, but i'd like to put it off for now.

andré · March 9th, 2003

AH! someone answer sooooon. i'm leaving to shop in about an hr. i'm more specifically interested in how the DFI AD777 Infinity stacks uo to the FIC AU11 nForce2 Mobo...

zerocopy · March 9th, 2003

sorry but ddr isnt backward compatible with sdram, unless you get a mobo that supports both type of rams (ecs-k7s5a)

**Kane** · March 9th, 2003

>oh, and if a board supports DDR mem, will it be backwards compatible w/ SDRAM...cuz thats all i have right now and i don't know if i'll have cash for that upgrade...

It's really dependant on the board. Mine isn't and most of the machines I build aren't but I've seen a number that do.

>thanks for the replies guys, i'm gonna try to go for a new mobo/case combo. I'm looking a the 'DFI AD77 Infinity,' the "FIC AU11 nForce2 Mobo,' and the 'GA- 7VAXP KT400 AMD Socket A Mobo.' Any one of em' stands out from the rest? And can someone give me a brief description on the socket types. thanks.

Excuse me, I just happen to know the performance of every board on the market off the top of my head :eyes:
Go to Tom's Hardware

james.miller · March 9th, 2003

you want an nforce2 board? get the asus an78x delux. htats THE nforce2 board to get. the onboard 5.1 is ausome. That board has theonly sound system that outputs true 5.1 digital regardless of what material is playing. a truly ausome mobo.

Aleksei (St) · March 9th, 2003

i really prefer MSI boards

james.miller · March 9th, 2003

for what reason?

Aleksei (St) · March 9th, 2003

because they offer almost the same performance of any asus board at the half of the cost

james.miller · March 9th, 2003

...and half the features. dont forget the stability problems of the msi nforce 2 mobo's. for me, msi is NOT a brand i would trust - having owned 3 msi kt3-ultra aru's that ALL had to be rma'd because not one of them would run stable even at 133fsb.

Believe me, the asus is the best nforce2 motherboard. Show me a comparable msi board for half the cost of the an78x deluxe and ill take it back.

Aleksei (St) · March 9th, 2003

My cousin has the MSI KT3 ULTRA 2

and with ddr333 it really beats my ecsk7s5a

james.miller · March 9th, 2003

erm. so? whats your point? the ecs k7s5a is a BUDGET board. what did you expect? We were talking ASUS by the way, NOT ECS lol.

Aleksei (St) · March 9th, 2003

we should really seek for best perfomances at the best cost

March 8th, 2003	#1 (permalink)
andré sakabatou_x Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: TEXAS (everything's bigger) Posts: 1,256	Please help me build my first system OK, i've currently got a Compaq 7000 series (7ap170) that was bought for me almost 3yrs ago. I'm now off for spring break, and i desperately wish to start building my own system. Looking at my sig u may notice i'm no stranger to upgrades. I started w/ a TNT M64 card and ended on a GF4. I started w/ 256 ram and ended w/ 512, etc. So i'm not a total stranger to the inside of my case...which brings me to the topic at hand. I'm tired of my compaq case and i want a new one. My first, and most pressing question is, will the motherboard compaq supplied to me, fit in a mid size tower the holds standard atx boards. Once i get over this hill, i'm supposing my next q will be something like: ok on this case i have 2usb and 1firewire port on the front of the case, how will that translate over to the next case, would those connections have a place to go, or what? My third q is, i currently have a 250W power supply (i think). the case i'm looking at comes w/ something around 350~400, i would have no problem w/ such a p supply on my system would i? My fourth and last q for the moment is could some kind soul forewarn me of typical mistakes made in such a process so i can attempt to avoid them...i would really hate to fry something, or kill something on my first attempt at a self-made system. thanks. __________________ andré:.thrasher10:.sakabatou_x:. emulator:epsxe:.os:xp_pro:.processor:amd_athlonxp_3000+:.mobo:epox_8rda3+:. gfx_card:radeon9800pro_256mb_ddr:.ram:1.5gb_ddr:.pad:super_dual_box_2p_usb_adapter:.

March 8th, 2003	#2 (permalink)
Kirby Politically incorrect FTW Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Massachusetts, USA Posts: 8,445	Companies usually make custom cases for their motherboards that aren't generic to the ATX cases. If you want to keep the mobo, you'll probably have to keep the case too. __________________ AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ Toledo, Nvidia GeForce 7950GT SLi, 2GB PC3200 2-3-2-5, ABit AN8-SLi, Sound Blaster X-FI XtremeMusic

March 8th, 2003	#3 (permalink)
Unicron Git er done Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Raleigh, NC USA GO us! Posts: 2,828	Don't they do that with the atx power plug that goes into the mobo? Or is that some other company...I think somewhere you can get an adapter for that plug. __________________ It is the soldier, not the court, that has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the agitator, who has given us the freedom to protest. It is the soldier who salutes the flag, serves beneath the flag, whose coffin is draped by the flag, who gives that protestor the freedom he abuses to burn that flag. -Senator Zell Miller

March 8th, 2003	#4 (permalink)
Aleksei (St) In Love! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ensenada Mexico Posts: 704	you should really try to upgrading all at once (case,cpu,motherboard,etc...) __________________

March 8th, 2003	#6 (permalink)
Betamax Resident Movie Critic Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland Posts: 9,480	1. Depends. I have done something similar in the past, ie the psu in my cousins Compaq (can't remember model) died, and it worked out cheaper to replace the case/psu with a generic one, rather than to go back to compaq. However that said, the solution was not ideal, as the mobo didn't line up too well, meaning that its not as well screwed in as i would like, but it still works fine. 2. As for frontal usb firewire, you can get similar generic cases, just take a not of how it was wired up in the old case and things should be ok. 3. AFAIK No. __________________ Superior marketing of an inferior product will always win over inferior marketing of a superior product.

March 8th, 2003	#7 (permalink)
ready2rumbelX InnarX Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Borderline InSAnE Posts: 2,684	If money is no object.....go for an AlienWare machine. Or try get an AlienWare case , with the 450 or 500W Powerpack. I can get one for a little less than $100 (yeah, expensive). But concerning your PC, if you could, i'd recommend waiting for the AMD Clawhammer to come out....that's what i'm saving my cash for. ....and an ATi 9800 Pro All-In-Wonder, when it'll be available. ready2rumbelX __________________ ready2rumbelX -Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (@3200Mhz) -Gigabyte 965P-S3 motherboard -2x2GB G.Skill PC-6400 (DDR2 800Mhz) RAM (4-4-4-12) -Seagate 320GB (IDE) and Western Digital 500GB (SATA II) H.D -Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 512MB GDDR 5 (850/4600) -Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 (x64) -Realtek HD w/ Creative PC Works 5.1 -2 x L.G DVD/CD-RW Combo - GSA-H62N

March 9th, 2003	#8 (permalink)
zukeft Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Bogota, Colombia Posts: 1,157	1) Yeah, you're looking for a complete overhaul in this case. 2) Since I'm sure you wouldn't be able to find a case that fits your needs (rather your mobo's needs), it'd be even harder to find a case with front mounted USB and IEEE 1394 ports. However, if in the future you'll you want a similar case to your Compaq's, there are some cases (like Antec's Performance II series: http://www.antec-inc.com/pro_en_performanceii.html) that I'm sure will please you. 3) Oh yeah: the more power, the better. AlienWare PCs are too expensive for me, but if you can afford something among those lines, look into Falcon NW (www.falcon-new.com) as well. __________________ Flaretech.biz web hosting

March 9th, 2003	#9 (permalink)
andré sakabatou_x Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: TEXAS (everything's bigger) Posts: 1,256	thanks for the replies guys, i'm gonna try to go for a new mobo/case combo. I'm looking a the 'DFI AD77 Infinity,' the "FIC AU11 nForce2 Mobo,' and the 'GA- 7VAXP KT400 AMD Socket A Mobo.' Any one of em' stands out from the rest? And can someone give me a brief description on the socket types. thanks. edit: oh, and if a board supports DDR mem, will it be backwards compatible w/ SDRAM...cuz thats all i have right now and i don't know if i'll have cash for that upgrade...well i will, but i'd like to put it off for now. __________________ andré:.thrasher10:.sakabatou_x:. emulator:epsxe:.os:xp_pro:.processor:amd_athlonxp_3000+:.mobo:epox_8rda3+:. gfx_card:radeon9800pro_256mb_ddr:.ram:1.5gb_ddr:.pad:super_dual_box_2p_usb_adapter:.

March 9th, 2003	#10 (permalink)
andré sakabatou_x Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: TEXAS (everything's bigger) Posts: 1,256	AH! someone answer sooooon. i'm leaving to shop in about an hr. i'm more specifically interested in how the DFI AD777 Infinity stacks uo to the FIC AU11 nForce2 Mobo... __________________ andré:.thrasher10:.sakabatou_x:. emulator:epsxe:.os:xp_pro:.processor:amd_athlonxp_3000+:.mobo:epox_8rda3+:. gfx_card:radeon9800pro_256mb_ddr:.ram:1.5gb_ddr:.pad:super_dual_box_2p_usb_adapter:.

March 9th, 2003	#11 (permalink)
zerocopy Banned Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 2,953	sorry but ddr isnt backward compatible with sdram, unless you get a mobo that supports both type of rams (ecs-k7s5a)

March 9th, 2003	#12 (permalink)
Kane 邪魔ゎ指せない Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Gosport, England Posts: 26,255	>oh, and if a board supports DDR mem, will it be backwards compatible w/ SDRAM...cuz thats all i have right now and i don't know if i'll have cash for that upgrade... It's really dependant on the board. Mine isn't and most of the machines I build aren't but I've seen a number that do. >thanks for the replies guys, i'm gonna try to go for a new mobo/case combo. I'm looking a the 'DFI AD77 Infinity,' the "FIC AU11 nForce2 Mobo,' and the 'GA- 7VAXP KT400 AMD Socket A Mobo.' Any one of em' stands out from the rest? And can someone give me a brief description on the socket types. thanks. Excuse me, I just happen to know the performance of every board on the market off the top of my head :eyes: Go to Tom's Hardware __________________ >Site Live< Pop over to my site for help with setting up PSX emulators. Help for the Final Fantasies and other RPGs avalaible Celes: (Desktop) Athlon 64 X2 4200+, 2Gb 400MHz DDR Ram, MSI K8N Platinum, GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb, 500Gb RAID HDD, Vista Business Erika: (MCPC) Athlon XP 2400+, 1Gb 400MHz DDR Ram, geForce 6800 256Mb, 80Gb Hdd, XP 2005 MCE Kimiko: (Desktop 2) Athlon 64 3000+, 512Mb 400MHz DDR Ram, Asus K8V, geForce 6800 128Mb

March 9th, 2003	#13 (permalink)
james.miller Mr. Stupendous Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Here, There and Everywhere. Posts: 1,132	you want an nforce2 board? get the asus an78x delux. htats THE nforce2 board to get. the onboard 5.1 is ausome. That board has theonly sound system that outputs true 5.1 digital regardless of what material is playing. a truly ausome mobo. __________________ The HTPC E2160 @ 3.1ghz \| Thermaltake The Orb cooler \| Abit ip35-pro \| 4Gb DDR-II pc6400\| 1.00Tb of WD AAKS storage \| Asus Xonar D2\| 360 HD-DVD drive Pioneer bd204 bluray sata drive \| Corsair HX620w PSU \| *BFG GeForce 8800GTX* \| Silverstone SST-LC17b \| 24" DGM TFT \| 40" 1080p SONY 40w2000 ONKYO TX-SR805 \| bi-amped mission m71i fronts \| eltax center & bipolar rears 2x 12" custom built subwoofers powered by a denon pma-100m \| PS3 with linux and a 250gb 3.5" internal drive \| Nintendo wii

March 9th, 2003	#14 (permalink)
Aleksei (St) In Love! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ensenada Mexico Posts: 704	i really prefer MSI boards __________________

March 9th, 2003	#15 (permalink)
james.miller Mr. Stupendous Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Here, There and Everywhere. Posts: 1,132	for what reason? __________________ The HTPC E2160 @ 3.1ghz \| Thermaltake The Orb cooler \| Abit ip35-pro \| 4Gb DDR-II pc6400\| 1.00Tb of WD AAKS storage \| Asus Xonar D2\| 360 HD-DVD drive Pioneer bd204 bluray sata drive \| Corsair HX620w PSU \| *BFG GeForce 8800GTX* \| Silverstone SST-LC17b \| 24" DGM TFT \| 40" 1080p SONY 40w2000 ONKYO TX-SR805 \| bi-amped mission m71i fronts \| eltax center & bipolar rears 2x 12" custom built subwoofers powered by a denon pma-100m \| PS3 with linux and a 250gb 3.5" internal drive \| Nintendo wii

March 9th, 2003	#16 (permalink)
Aleksei (St) In Love! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ensenada Mexico Posts: 704	because they offer almost the same performance of any asus board at the half of the cost __________________

March 9th, 2003	#17 (permalink)
james.miller Mr. Stupendous Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Here, There and Everywhere. Posts: 1,132	...and half the features. dont forget the stability problems of the msi nforce 2 mobo's. for me, msi is NOT a brand i would trust - having owned 3 msi kt3-ultra aru's that ALL had to be rma'd because not one of them would run stable even at 133fsb. Believe me, the asus is the best nforce2 motherboard. Show me a comparable msi board for half the cost of the an78x deluxe and ill take it back. __________________ The HTPC E2160 @ 3.1ghz \| Thermaltake The Orb cooler \| Abit ip35-pro \| 4Gb DDR-II pc6400\| 1.00Tb of WD AAKS storage \| Asus Xonar D2\| 360 HD-DVD drive Pioneer bd204 bluray sata drive \| Corsair HX620w PSU \| *BFG GeForce 8800GTX* \| Silverstone SST-LC17b \| 24" DGM TFT \| 40" 1080p SONY 40w2000 ONKYO TX-SR805 \| bi-amped mission m71i fronts \| eltax center & bipolar rears 2x 12" custom built subwoofers powered by a denon pma-100m \| PS3 with linux and a 250gb 3.5" internal drive \| Nintendo wii

March 9th, 2003	#18 (permalink)
Aleksei (St) In Love! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ensenada Mexico Posts: 704	My cousin has the MSI KT3 ULTRA 2 and with ddr333 it really beats my ecsk7s5a __________________

March 9th, 2003	#19 (permalink)
james.miller Mr. Stupendous Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Here, There and Everywhere. Posts: 1,132	erm. so? whats your point? the ecs k7s5a is a BUDGET board. what did you expect? We were talking ASUS by the way, NOT ECS lol. __________________ The HTPC E2160 @ 3.1ghz \| Thermaltake The Orb cooler \| Abit ip35-pro \| 4Gb DDR-II pc6400\| 1.00Tb of WD AAKS storage \| Asus Xonar D2\| 360 HD-DVD drive Pioneer bd204 bluray sata drive \| Corsair HX620w PSU \| *BFG GeForce 8800GTX* \| Silverstone SST-LC17b \| 24" DGM TFT \| 40" 1080p SONY 40w2000 ONKYO TX-SR805 \| bi-amped mission m71i fronts \| eltax center & bipolar rears 2x 12" custom built subwoofers powered by a denon pma-100m \| PS3 with linux and a 250gb 3.5" internal drive \| Nintendo wii

March 9th, 2003	#20 (permalink)
Aleksei (St) In Love! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Ensenada Mexico Posts: 704	we should really seek for best perfomances at the best cost __________________

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