A not so confused lady needs updating...

[tiggerai]

Ok, cheers guys... that's great help.

Seeing as you're all ok with the Gigabyte I'll go for that... I'm gonna change the dominator memory to this tho:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/4GB-(...S-9-9-9-24-DHX

Will that still be ok? (One assumes so)

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The RAM should be fine.

[Pob255]

I'm going to throw a spanner in the works.

This motherboard instead
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Gigab...-Micro-ATX-VGA
Why? well as this is a new system and you take it to the lan parties, you may want to consider going mATX, then you can combine it with a smaller more portable case.
Eg
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Silve...silver-w-o-PSU
or cheaper option (should be around £35)
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Coole...X-Case-w-o-PSU

This doesn't have to be done now, you can keep your current case for now and make the case change later.

EDIT: just found a really nice looking mATX case
Coolermaster Gladiator 600
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/166592 £60
Layout and cooling look great
http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6564
EDIT2: stupid ebuyer that's atx not matx

[scaryjim]

I'm gonna second POB in suggesting mATX for easy lugging to those LANs I've got an ASUS 785TD-M EVO and it's a lovely, stable, rock-solid board with tons of tweaking options if they take your fancy later . Assuming you're sticking with XP for now I wouldn't bother upgrading your X1900 as it's still a damn fast DX9 card. Hard to argue with the Phenom II 955BE - probably the best processor in its price bracket. Memory is memory - buy a decent brand and you'll be sorted

As far as cases go the Antec Mini P180 is always popular and is currently on offer at ebuyer for "only" £63; the Antec NSK 3480 is a mATX tower that comes with Earthwatts 380 PSU for ~ £70, and I personally have a *huge* soft spot for the NSK 1380 although you might struggle to get a full size graphics card in one of those... ;( ... And getting off my Antec Fanboi soapbox for a minute, this budget mATX tower is a fantastic-looking cheap case that can easily take a full size gfx card and is much better quality than its budget nature would lead you to think (I built a £400 gaming build into one for a friend: the only real issue with it is that the optical drive cover obstructs the eject button when it's open, so you have to push the tray to close the drive!).

That would give you a smaller, more portable box for dragging to those hexus lans

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

The mini P180 is a very heavy case even though it is great. I would NOT want to be lugging one of those around too much at 9.5kg weight without any installed components!!

I would be looking at a comparatively svelte aluminium case like the Silverstone TJ08 instead which weighs in at 5.5kg:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Silve...silver-w-o-PSU

[tiggerai]

The case I've got is fine for lugging to LAN's as its not a full tower... but that will come later... for now I need the "guts" upgrading.

Cheers for your help guys.

[Pob255]

As you've got an ATX motherboard currently then it's probably a mid-tower case.
You would happen to know what it is other than an "Antec lovely black thing"?
or a picture of it if you don't know?

And getting off my Antec Fanboi soapbox for a minute, this budget mATX tower is a fantastic-looking cheap case that can easily take a full size gfx card and is much better quality than its budget nature would lead you to think (I built a £400 gaming build into one for a friend: the only real issue with it is that the optical drive cover obstructs the eject button when it's open, so you have to push the tray to close the drive!).

The issue with that case is Width 175mm, which means it's just not going to be wide enough for a decent and large cpu cooler.
EDIT: there used to be quite a few half decent 200mm wide cheap cases, but they are all gone now I can only guess the increase in the price of steel has made them go back to narrower cases to bring the cost down.

[scaryjim]

ignore, double post!

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

ignore, double post!

Groundhog Day??

[tiggerai]

I don't know what my case is apart from an Antec - it's got a door on it and it's black and a mid-tower. I got it cheap off a mate

It's the right size for taking to LANs as this is the same reason I've got a mid not full tower I do have a tendancy for decent and large cooling, so having a decent sized tower doesn't phase me ( and it's not like I'm at a LAN every week... it's once a quarter.... I lugged this thing and a CRT monitor around the country for 4 years at uni.... it's a good workout!)

Right, should be ordering this lot tonight - any recommendations on a CPU cooler? The current (compatible) one will be going with my current guts.


(and yay for recommending the phemon, I have wanted one since they came out! hehe)

[Domestic_Ginger]

A word of warning; alot of the CPU coolers will point up and down (U/D) on an AMD board as opposed to front to back. The fins on your corsair dominators may make installation nigh on impossible if it is an U/D as the cooler will sit partially over the memory slots.

I got a Xigmatek HDT-1283 2nd hand which works really well; never gone above 35C at load so far (Its U/D btw). The stock cooler is meant to be ok.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I would have a look at the Akasa Nero:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/Akasa...-120mm-PWM-fan

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/152658

Here is a review of the cooler:

http://www.frostytech.com/articlevie...articleID=2354

[tiggerai]

hmmm domestic ginger - thanks for the heads up... depends how high the dominator is compared to the 3500Pro's I've got at the moment (both have LED jobbies on them - increasing the height.)

[DanceswithUnix]

The 955BE comes with a big chunk of copper and heatpipes as standard. You might want to just stick with that.

[tiggerai]

ok, good idea! have always been wary of stock coolers, as I used to overclock and they were hideously bad...

I shall stick with that then and get one afterwords if needed (one assumes the retail pack from Scan will include this lump of copper?!)

[tiggerai]

ok, what's teh difference between:

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Gigab...s-RAID-ATX-VGA

and the one mentioned above - other than the onboard graphics...