caseyizzle

alright so ive got a new rig almost ready to be set up

CPU: AMD 6400+
CPU COOLER: Zalman 9500a
GRAPHICS: Diamond 4850
PSU: Mushkin 800w
SOUNDCARD: Creative SE 7.1
CASE: Antec 900
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 2x1 GB PC 6400
KEYBOARD: Cyba Snipa
MOUSE: Logitech MX 518
MONITOR: Acer x193w 19"
HD: WD 640gb OEM

but i have one thing left to order, the heart of the computer. I've done my research and narrowed it down to these 2 mobo's. Im having a hardtime choosing because their both amazing. Also, please don't recommend any other boards as im only choosing from these 2. Im planning on overclocking my 4850 but nothing else.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131291

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813136044

Acoma_Andy

Tha't power supply seems a little overkill. You could settle with a Corsair VX550. Also Zalman cpu coolers aren't really that great (their gpu coolers are good), if you really want a good budget cooler the Arctic Freezer 7 Pro is great. A nice silent better cooler would be a Noctua NH12-P.

And at the moment I'm not really into AM2+ boards so I don't know.

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caseyizzle

thanks for the reply but i've already boughten all the stuff but the motherboard. And the reason i got 800w is so i can future proof, i might end up going sli or getting a 4870.

Speedma11229

The Asus one looks better and its north bridge and south bridge will be cooler due to the setup on it so that would be my choice if money isnt an option

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caseyizzle

ya money isn't much of an option right now, i've got a job with good pay so... but ya i really wanna go with the asus but i still can't decide

c00lkatz

Well if you're not looking to overclock anything but the GPU, then I would go with the Asus. The DFI is an overclocker's dream (for CPU's), and the Asus is more gamer-oriented, hence 4x PCI-E slots vs the 3 on the DFI. And since you're getting a 6400+ which is pretty much already maxed out (for a X2 Windsor anyway), then the obvious choice would be the Asus. Especially if you're looking at Crossfire later on down the line. 4x 4850/70's would be bad ass!

And that Zalman cooler is excellent. Zalman makes great CPU coolers. Don't know where that other mis-information is coming from.

Another thing, though, I would return that sound card. The Audigy SE (which can be had at Wal-mart for $25 of all places) is a bottom-of-the-line card, and to be honest, the onboard HD audio on the Asus board would sound just as good, if not better. The coaxial and optical audio outs are a nice touch.

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caseyizzle

ya i've read that the 6400+ has very little headroom, but that doesn't really matter because thats enough power for me anyways and the graphics card gives you most of your performance. The reason i got the soundcard though is so i could use the front panel audio on my antec 900. Can i still use the front panel with just the mobo? but ya ill try out the soundcard and if i don't like it i can always sell it on ebay or something.

c00lkatz

Yes, your board will come with a front audio header, as do most boards now-a-days, so the sound card is not necessary at all. I doubt you'll tell a difference, but there's no harm in trying them both out and seeing which is better. Sound quality is a matter of opinion after all.

In my personal situation, I always use onboard sound because I always use the coaxial/optical outs to a receiver, which does most of the processing. I never use the analog outs, so it would be a waste for me to buy a sound card. But if you're going to use the analog audio ports, then you may tell a difference. It will take a load off of the rest of your system if nothing else. Like I said though it's all a matter of opinion, you may think the sound card sounds better. Just don't get caught up in the placebo effect.

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PS3 pwns 360 !!!