Im planning on getting this platform :

X2 AM2 3800+
Biostar Tforce550
1GB Corsair Value Select DDR2-667 x2
XFX 7900GT

Should I get the DFI Ultra-II? What's its price?

Anyone use 7900GT here? I see lots of 7600GT. I want to play FEAR and Oblivion at 1280x1024res, thought I needed the extra muscle and also survive two years w/o becoming obsolete (cannot run at high settings). With such a card, will 2gb of ram make a difference over 1gb?

How far are prices expected to drop in PC Fair anyway, at least for my specs?

After OC'ing a mobo, what software can I use to stress-test the platform for stability? I'd like to know the diagnostic utilities available to make sure the OC'ed platform can tahan the rigours and pushes the system in an automated (vs manually like playing games) since I dont hav all day to stare at the PC.

How does TForce550 BIOS support X2 then? By the way I heard from a vendor Biostar Tforce550 stock throughout the country sold out athlon 3000+ stock does not exist anymore and XFX 7900GT isn't good and he recommend Gigabyte. How much truth is in this??

And btw, I dont live in KL so I hope you guys can clear matters for me and my friend who is rather desperate to get his hands on a new amd system.

This post has been edited by Merlin_of_light: Aug 8 2006, 08:17 PM

so you are pairing x2 wif tforce550 or UltraII-M2? Or both? If Tforce550, or anyone out there who has paired X2 with Tforce550 do tell me if it's OK!

Thanks for d info. I believe am2 athlon 3000+ still available for sale....no?

So anyone here with X2/Tforce550 pair?

Why would DFI use an older chipset? Any disadvantages? One big advantage I see is it supports 4 PATA compared to just 2 in newer mobo.

I have a question. Is the stock HSF thermal paste good enough? Apologies, but Im a noob when it comes to AMD.

If it isn't, should I get Artic Silver or Artic Ceramique? I know Silver is the best but where I stay violent lightning storms occur frequently and rapidly. Silver is a good electric conduit. I have concerns about the material increasing the likelyhood of my CPU being fried by a lighting strike right outside my house due to static electricity in the atmosphere. Sometimes the first lighting strikes fall in my neigbourhood, so there's little warning to shut down my PC.

I know some people who used Ceramique for this very reason. Myth, or fact? Please advise. FYI, my room has those old-style narco type windows (was it narco? many glass panels that rotate to close/open by use of a lever) unlike modern glass panel windows which may have greater protection against onrushing static energy from a lighting.

no no....

I mean lightning strike OUTSIDE the house and fry the PC with static electricity in the atmosphere. NOT via power lines into the PC. If via power lines sorry lar, something or everything will fry. And my room is not air-conditioned. It gets pretty hot at mid-day, even at night.

An overheating X2 is a real concern. Someone told me AMD HSF speed are slower and less reliable than Intel HSF. How is it now, for AM2 HSF?

This post has been edited by Merlin_of_light: Aug 9 2006, 11:58 AM

Idiot? Haha. I used to say how nooby oth ppl were cos they insist buying P4 or PD over s939 because AMD = OVERHEAT and brand those that insist it was not true fanboys. I know for a fact X2 is cooler and more efficient than PD. But how good is the QC of AMD HSF? Just a concern, before jumping to AMD since most guys I know that use AMD change their HSF on the spot. I plan on doing slight oc'ing only.

Great. Thanks for the info. Ive placed an order for X2 3800+, Biostar Tforce550, 1GB Corsair VS DDR667, Seagate Barracuda 80GB 16mb buffer (does 16mb buffer exist for 80GB version? I dont see them in low yat pricelist, but there was in my vendor's)

The only thing holding me back is the decision to buy XFX 7900GT (stock speed) or 7600GT. How bad the 7900GT problems really are? The majority are factory oc'ed cards but some were at stock speed. I'll just have to wait for this question to be answered elsewhere.

Know any one who has stock 7900GT and runs FEAR and/or Oblivion at high settings and high res for long hours w/o encountering errors?

How well does Tforce550 support overclocking of X2? camedemac, if you see this and is doing oc, do tell.

Oh yeah. Great. I should have the system in a few week or less. Only thing is, Im now split bewteen buying Leadtek or XFX 7900GT. Wondering which service is better.

1gb ddr667 ram should be enough for the system for the moment. If loading times are to slow and lags intolerable I'll add another 1gb to make it 2!

Can Biostar Tforce550 support 7900GT / X1900XT? Im not sure, using such a powerful card on a budget mobo. Will it be ok?

This post has been edited by Merlin_of_light: Aug 11 2006, 10:59 AM

Yeah, M2N-E voltage for ram is limited. I wonder why, since it is a mid-rg mobo. Why not get the DFI nf4 Ultra-II M2 if you are afraid of RAM problem? It's cheaper than M2N-E isn't it?

Yo soulfly, add me to da list!

3800+ X2 Windsor | Biostar Tforce 550 | Corsair DDR2-667 | stock AMD cooler

Got my rig for almost a month dy but little time to post! And soulfly, d CPU/DDR2 divider on the 1st page is most convenient.