Help Me Refine My Plans For A New Machine

[fshanahan]

I'm a long-time lurker and now the time's coming for a new machine I've finally registered!

I'd like to solicit comments on my new machine plans detailed here. http://francisshanahan.com/detail.aspx?cid=295

 

I'm looking for input on motherboard/cpu/memory combos and also thoughts on whether PCI express is going to be a wise choice in the short term. I already have an AGP 6800GT which I love and if PCI express is not going to be the "sweet spot" for a while then I may hold off on it in my mobo choice.

 

I'm also worried about fan noies and cooling (a current pain point for me).

 

Please respond preferably in the comments section of my site but feel free to use this thread aswell.

Thanks to all for a great site (Oclockers) and source of info. It's helped me get this far.

-fs

http://www.FrancisShanahan.com

(click my ads and earn me some pennies)

[r_target]

Looks like you have your cpu choice nailed down already. You already have a smokin' video card, so you won't need PCI express. I would suggest reading all the motherboard reviews you can get your hands on before making a decision. Otherwise, it looks like you have it pretty well covered.

 

Oh, welcome to OCC.

[fshanahan]

Thanks. It might sond like I have a plan but I have lots of questions....

 

a) Should I look for a mobo with both AGP and PCI Express ? Does such a beast exist?

 

B) The AMD 64 bit processors sound good but are they really used to the full of their ability by things like Windows XP Pro which isn't a true 64 bit operating system?

 

c) Does Intel make a 64 bit processor?

 

d) either way should I plan on installing the 64 bit version of windows?

 

e) Where can I get small heatsinks to glue onto things like those small IC chips and will this make any difference?

 

f) Do processors these days come with the silver compound stuff or do I have to order that seperately?

 

h) If a board supports DDR2 can I put a DDR module into that slot or is this a big no-no?

 

i) What's the deal with Northbridge and Southbridge? I know these are chipsets but what do they do?

 

j) Can I get away with passive cooling on the "bridges" and how will I know the temperature of these chips? my current motherboard just tells me the case temp and the chip internal temperature. Can I get the Northbridge temp for example?

 

k) Where can I get some of that lapping sandpaper, I've never heard of 2000 grit sandpaper.