Mobo. and Powersupply Questions

[SexiMexi9018]

Im not sure if this goes here because there are two seperate spots for Motherboard and Powersupplys so i thought i would save time and post my question here, im building myself an all new computer and i have several questions
1) Im going to put the following items in it
a) a Evga GeForce 7900 GTO Video Card
b) a AMD Athlon 3800+ Processor
c) 2 Kingston 512 MB RAM Sticks, maybe a 3rd if i have extra Money. (I have the two sticks already)
d) Unknown Motherboard
e) Unknown PowerSupply
f) i have a Network Card (56 K), and Sound Card (Dynex 5.1) that i am also going to transfer from the computer i already have.
so my question is what kind of Motherboard is good ( i was looking into this one Asus A8N-E nForce4 Socket 939 ATX Motherboard Audio PCI Express Gigabit LAN USB 2.0 Serial ATA RAID A8NE at TigerDirect.com, but im not sure if it is good. I need it to have all that if not more of the PCI slots, i think) I would like the Mobo to have several RAM slots just incase i ever want to add.
2) if anyone knows the size of a Standard E-Machines computer case, i was wondering if that mobo would fit into it with out any problems.
3) I need to know what type of power supply i would need to run my Video card and all my other items very well. If you could supply a link from TigerDirect.com Super Buys - Computer Parts, PC Components, Desktop Computers, Laptops, Notebooks that would be best seeming that is where i shop from.
4) one of my friends told me that in getting all this, i am going to need a Windows XP disc to reinstall my OS, if this is true, my computer never came with one so where would i get one, and if i have to buy it, how much would it cost.
5) if u can think of anything else that i am missing in order to make a good computer please tell me
Thankyou very much!

 

[Big B]

Size...most e-machines use a micro ATX motherboard, you may find rather limiting in terms of expansion slots. Also, if you're looking for extra features, particularly if you'd like to run an SLI or Crossfire configuration and have lots of extra storage options, you'll be hard-pressed to find a mATX motherboard to float your boat. CoolerMaster has some cheap cases in their Centurion line.

I noticed Tiger has a lot of shitty power supply brands: Powmax, Coolmax, Aerocool, Apevia/Aspire, Ultra...Stay the hell away from those brands, although the Ultra X-Finity PSU actually seems to be a better unit than the X-Connects and V series units they put out (the X-Connects have blown up in two reviews I'm aware of).

Stick with an Antec or Enermax unit, since those seem to be the only good brands on Tiger. Get a 500W or better unit, like the Enermax EG565P-VE, which is what I run in my main box.

The Asus A8N-E is a good pick, as the company typically puts out solid products. If you want a second opinion, Gigabyte also has some nice, inexpensive motherboards. If you're into heavy tweaking, DFI LanParty motherboards are great, but they're high-performance motherboards that need high-performance RAM. I love them, but I'm uncomfortable recommending them to new DIY builders because of the tweakability options.

The nForce 4 series chipsets are your best bet for the Athlon64 line up (I'm assuming you have a Socket 939 chip).

As far as a reinstall of your OS, for best results, do a clean install. Most pre-built systems don't come with a physical copy of Windows due to some changes that Microsoft made in liscensing a few years back. However, if you have your CD key, you can borrow a copy of XP and use that key during the install. That's what it's linked to. A pre-built box typically has a sticker with the CD key on it some where on the case.

 

[donkey42]

in addition i'd like to agree, Emachines are ATX, but they also have crap PSU's in them (almost ifpossible to upgrade without a new PSU, i'd have suggested the Antec TP 2 550)
also with Emachines, the power switch (from front panel to mobo) are also not good, but once those 2 bits are changed Emachines are great