Building a new PC.. have a few questions

Hello,
After a lot of research I am throwing away my P4 and purchasing the following components:

1- Athlon 64 3200+ 2GHz FSB
2- Asus A8N-SLi http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?l1=3&l2=15&l3=148&model=382&modelmenu=1
3- Kingston 1GB PC3200 Hyper-X (2 * 512 sticks) http://www.ec.kingston.com/ecom/configurator/PartsInfo.asp?ktcpartno=KHX3200A/512&referid=28&root=us
4- 160 GB HDD SATA II 8 MB Buffer... Probably WD or Maxtor
5- EVGA GEFORCE 6800 XT 256MB/256-bit http://www.evga.com/products/pdf/N381.pdf

I'll keep the monitor, CD-ROM, FDD keyboard, mouse and speakers from my old PC.

Now for my questions:
1- What is the minimum recommended Power Supply Wattage ?
2- Are there any apparent compatibility issues here ?
3- Are there any cooling methods necessary here ? bear in mind i will be overclocking occasionally when playing games. I'm thinking about getting case fans at the front and back (cool air in --> hot air out).
4- I really believe this assembly just fits my tight $600 budget. But, u r more than welcome for any suggestion WITHIN my budget.
5- Is it a big difference between 'Hyper-X' and 'ValueRam' Kingston memory modules, when it comes to overclocking ? Coz for an extra $20 it can be 4x 512 MB of ValueRam.
6- Is it gonna cost me more buying from an online store (excluding shipping and tax) ? I'm guessing actual stores are a bit cheaper.

Hope i'm not asking too many questions. It's just i don't have time to pursue any problems.

Thx for the attention and for the help in advance.

 

Apologies to everyone else if I'm wrong but the parts themselves look like a good pairing to me.

So on to your questions.

1 - If you actuallyintend to use that SLI board then you are best off getting something 500w or more. Good quality is worth it as I found moving from the random restarts of my cheap old PSU to my lovely new Antec.

2 - As said. Nope, looks fine.

3 - If you are overclocking then you'll want to monitor your temps. Depending on how high they are getting you should think about replacing the CPU heatsink and improving the case fans. You may not have to but you do need to be aware of it. What case are you planning on using?

4 - If you can't afford to run your board with 2 GPU's then you may want to consider saving money and going for the A8N-E instead (I did and I've been very happy). The only weakness is the noisy Northbrige fan but there are more and more options turning up to replace that.

5 - Generally 'Value' RAM won't overclock as well as more expensive RAM. If you're thinking of 2gb of memory you should look for 2x1gb sticks as they will be slightly faster than 4x512 sticks (from what I've read).

6 - Shop around, have a look. It's the best advice I can give.

Good luck

 

Just a few comments.

A 450 to 500w power supply should suit you fine. I built my new puter about a month ago and bought a smart PSU similar to this one. They are 20 - 24 pin compatible depending on your mb and you only plug in the wires for the components you need thus eliminating all the excess, unused wires inside your case.

The Hyper-X RAM is definitely a better performer than the value RAM.

For cooling (especially if overclocking) it's a good idea to have a fan in the top of your case to draw hot air out...heat rises. I did put one in the top of my case (80mm, you may want to go 120mm) but do not have mine running (yet) as I have not had any temp problems. This may change when summer hits here in FL. Initially I was running around 35 - 36C but after enabling AMD's Cool'N'Quiet on my 3500+ my temps are staying in the 27 - 28C range with the heat on in the house. On the days we haven't had the heat on, my temps have stayed as low as 25C with my puter on all day.

Keep in mind if you replace the CPU heatsink as suggested in post #2 and you are getting a processor in a box deal or similar, you will void your processor warranty so that's a do at your own risk thing. Same goes with overclocking but you knew that right?

Another place you can check out to compare prices is Monarch Computer. I've done business with them, as have others here with no complaints.

 

Throw em my way, I'll pay the postage.

Send me a PM
I might be interested in that P4 or what ever else your not using

You should look into a 6800GS instead of the XT.

 

Thanx a lot Orbital57 and AbbySue. Really helped me out there. I will purchase a second GPU in a while so i have to stick with the A8N-SLi. As for the memory issue i think i'll go for the Hyper-X 2x512 as i originally planned.
Great advice too about the heat rising... makes sense. I will install a fan on the top side of the case as you suggested. Still haven't settled on the case though. Will just go for the cheapest one i can find. I searching for the most cost effective PSU at the moment. The cheap 500W ones are $50... damn !!

ASUS sorry i'm selling the P4 to a neighbor for a very good price. wished i could help you.

Thx again for the great response.

Greetz.
Justin