Ideas for a new computer (1 Viewer)

[Corey Hancock]

Hey everyone, I am going to be building a new computer in the next couple of weeks. My biggest question is what motherboard to get. I think I am going to do the new AMD 1800+ chip and I was looking at the new Shuttle board, the AK31A it has the new KT266A chipset on it as well. Also, I already have a case at home but it has a 250watt power supply. So you think it would be better to just buy a new power supply or a new case? Any input is much appreciated.
Thanks,
Corey

 

[AndyVX]

I may be wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure that AMD Athlon's require you to have at a minimum at least a 300W power supply. I would personally opt for a 350W though.
Andrew
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[Rob Gillespie]

Corey, Andy is right, the 250w power supply is unlikely to be enough. You'll need at least a 300w AMD approved model to run a chip of that speed and have enough left for the other stuff.

 

[Corey Hancock]

Would it be more wise to buy a new power supply and replace the one in the case I have, or just buy a new case all together?

 

[Rob Gillespie]

Athlons require good cooling, so you'll need at least one intake (front) and one exhaust fan (rear). A lot of cases only have a fan at the front.
To get a good quality PS you need to spend a bit of money. Lots of companies provide AMD approved PSUs now but it's usually worth spending the extra $$$ for really good one such as those from Sparkle, Enermax, QuietPC (got two of those myself) or Antec. Antec make great cases too so it might be an idea to look at those.

 

[Corey Hancock]

Ok, looks like I'm buying a new case. Need all the cooling I can get as well. Thanks guys.
Corey

 

[Camp]

I wouldn't recommend Shuttle mobos. They're a low end mobo maker (IMO). If you want a KT266-A board (and who wouldn't?) I'd recommend the Epox 8KHA. There are several others hitting the market soon but the 8KHA, like the Shuttle, is already on sale. It's a very solid board with excellent tweakability (for a Via chipset).

 

[Jeff Peake]

if you want a really kick butt case, check out the Lian-Li PC-65 USB Aluminum Atx Case. It is aluminum, very light, very good cooling and highly reviewed.
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Jeff Peake