Now i know you guys are experts on hardware components and whats best for FS2004+ so i need your opinion on this new system i am going to order in the coming days, i would like you to tell me if their's anything wrong, ie motherboard chipset wont be compatible with the memory, graphics card etc...AMD (San Diego) Athlon 64bit 4000+ 939pin 1mb L2cacheCorsair (VS512MB400) 512MB, DDR400 / PC3200, non-ECC, 184 DIMM, unbuffered, CL2.5, 32Mx8 DRAMsCorsair (VS1GBKIT400C3) 1024MB (2 x 512MB Matched Pair), DDR400 / PC3200, non-ECC, Unbuffered, CL3 /////MAKES 1.5 GIGI-Cute 0314TL ATX Gaming Case in Black with side window and 400w PSULG GSA4163 16x DVD R/RW/RAM Internal Dual Layer IDE OEM Black DriveConnect3D ATI Radeon X850 XT PE 256MB GDDRIII + DVI + DVI + VIVOSeagate Barracuda ST3200822AS 200Gb 8Mb Cache 7200RPM - OEMMSI K8N Diamond SKT939 nForce4 Onboard Sound/LAN DDCreative Labs Inspire T7900 7.1 Speaker SystemCreative Labs OEM Audigy2 ZS 7.1 Pci Sound CardAG Neovo F419 19" TFT 12ms 500:1 (Analogue & DVI)Trust 305KS Wireless Optical Desk keyboard & Mouse BundleSo what do you guys think?any comments are welcome,thanks,Scott Waterworth

Hi Scott,Sounds like a fantastic system! I'm jealous! :D In general, your system is fine (more than fine, actually) but if I were to nitpick, I would make the following suggestions. Note: some of these are more expensive than what you have planned.CPU: You can't go wrong with the AMD Athlon64 and the 4000+ is the best single-core CPU at the moment (save the exorbitant AMD Athlon64 FX chips). Just note that the dual-core CPUs (AMD Athlon64 x2) are already out and the cheapest of those (the 4200+) should only be slightly more expensive than your 4000+ (US$50 more?). The performance difference will be minimal in FS because FS won't take advantage of the second core (in fact, the 4200+ might be marginally slower because it only has 512Kb of L2 cache per core while the 4000+ has 1MB L2 cache) but in everything else, dual-core should allow for a smoother experience. Your call here....RAM: that's fine. You can't go wrong with Corsair. The CAS3 latency in your 1GB matched pair is not ideal but your machine should still run pretty well. I'm not sure about 1.5GB. I went from 1GB to 1.5GB and didn't notice any difference. I'd get 1GB now and get another 1GB later.Motherboard: I've used a couple of MSI boards before. They were neither here nor there, not great but not bad either. I heard fantastic things about the DFI (known as Grandmars in Hong Kong, not sure about where you are) Lanparty nF4 SLI-DR. PSU: Don't skimp on this. You didn't mention the brand. Make sure you get something reliable. 400W is enough for this system but if you can afford it, higher wattage would be more "future-proof". More importantly though, get a reliable brand (e.g. Antec, OCZ, Zalman etc.). Oh, and make sure it's got a 24-pin motherboard connector.Video card: Fantastic choice although FYI, the 7800GTX is out already and has better performance than the ATI. (I've been a big fan of ATI but seeing that the R520 has been delayed, the 7800GTX is the current reigning champ.) Plus, with an NVIDIA, you can SLI later whereas the ATI Crossfire cards are nowhere to be seen yet.DVD burner: I heard good things about the NEC ND-3540A. There's probably little difference among the different brands though.Hope this helps and enjoy your new rig!Edwin

here the modified system which you recommended, what about the motherboard will it be compatible with the 7800 GTX?also will the PSU w/the case be ok?...Trust 305KS Wireless Optical Desk keyboard & Mouse BundleAG Neovo F419 19" TFT 12ms 500:1 (Analogue & DVI)Creative Labs OEM Audigy2 ZS 7.1 Pci Sound CardCreative Labs Inspire T7900 7.1 Speaker SystemSeagate Barracuda ST3200822AS 200Gb 8Mb Cache 7200RPM - OEMAMD (San Diego) Athlon 64bit 4000+ 939pin 1mb L2cacheCorsair (VS1GBKIT400C3) 1024MB (2 x 512MB Matched Pair), DDR400 / PC3200, non-ECC, Unbuffered, CL3DFI LANPARTY nF4 SLI-DR SKT939 - Retail BoxI-Cute 0314TL ATX Gaming Case in Black with side window and 400w PSUGigabyte Geforce 7800 GTX G70 256MB 256bit GV-NX78X256V-B PCI-E 24 pixel pipelines! I decided to stick with the proessor, went with th new 7800 GTX:)

The DFI SLI D series of motherboards demand top quality RAM and PSU. Skimp on either of these and you'll learn a new meaning of the word "grief". Give the motherboard top quality components and it will run like a scalded cat. Mine runs 260x10 24/7 and has been great. More info here.Check the PSU requirements of the 7800 as well. nVidia and ATI are requiring more and more power with each new generation of product they introduce.Cheers,Greg

could i buy your power supply and memory from ebuyer, will that keep me safe?

edited, will this PSE and memonry do??Antec TruePower 550 12V AC 550W ATXOCZ Performance Dual Channel Kit 2x512MB DDR433 PC3500 CL 2.5-3-3-7cheers, Scott

The Antec Truepower 550 will do fine (just make sure it is enough power before you buy it or the 7800. nVidia should have power requirements on their site for their new VC).If the memory is Model#: OCZ4331024PFDC-K then it should be fine as well. Nice bang for the buck in both products.Have fun,Greg

Yes, that Antec looks fantastic.As for RAM, if you're going OCZ, the best is supposedly the OCZ PC3200 Platinum Edition version 2 (Model number: OCZ4001024ELDCPER2-K)Hope this helps!Edwin

System specs and components look excellent (well thought out)...except the I-Cute case and power supply. I would go with a Thermaltake, Antec and/or Enermax brands...stay away from cheap clone cases, this can create a hazard or poor performance.An example from a American supplier (good quality/performance at a reasonable price level)...http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133145