Does this sound like a well designed computer? (Revised)

[halfpower]

This is my second proposal. The first one was scrapped. The proposed system makes a few acoustic sacrifices in the name of higher performance, lifespan, and future compatibility. Once this system is built I will consider modifying it to see if I can quiet it more. I intend to add four PCI cards to this set-up immediately after it is built.


Case:
Antec - SLK 3000B

PSU:
Enermax Noisetaker EG475AX - ATX12V 470W, model# EG475AX-VE SFMA 2.0
Or Enermax Noisetaker EG495AX- AX ATX12V 485W, model# EG495AX-VE SFMA 2.0

Motherboard:
Intel D915GEVLK

Chip:
Intel P4 550 3.4 GHz LGA 775 1MB cache

CPU Cooler:
Stock

Memory (Dual Channel):
(1) Crucial – 512MB, DDR2-533(PC2-4200), 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM, Model#: CT6464AA53E OEM
(2) Crucial – 512MB, DDR2-533(PC2-4200), 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM, Model#: CT6464AA53E OEM

Optical Drive:
NEC 16X Double Layer DVD±RW Drive, Black, Model ND-3520A BK

Hard Drive (no RAID):
(1) SAMSUNG 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model SP1213C, OEM Drive Only -Model# SP1213C
(2) SAMSUNG 120GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive, Model SP1213C, OEM Drive Only -Model# SP1213C

Case fans:
(1) Rear: Panaflow 120mm 55+CFM, I don't know specific models for this yet.
(2) Front: I'm not sure if this is needed. It might be good just so that I don't wind up baking my data. I may very well place a lower value on the machines hardware than the data stored on its hard drives.

*^*^*^


I have chosen the SLK3000B in the hopes that it will not be as flimsy as the SLK2650BQE.

I have listed two choices for PSUs. The EG495AX PSU has active PCF and is $10 cheaper, but slightly less overhead on the 5V line than the EG475AX PSU. Either PSU should work, although I'm a little confused as to what 12V1 powers and what 12V2 powers. I noticed that in the PSU specs Enermax lists a minimum output current. I don't know what this is and what must be done so that this PSU can maintain its minimum output current.

The PSU power rating may seem a bit high, but the board has an integrated graphics sub-system, an integrated LAN, and an integrated audio sub-system. According to the mobo manual the board along with the memory, USB devices, and CPU will draw a no less than 200W and no more than 300W. I am adding an extra 70W for 7 PCI and PCI-e cards, 20W for two hard drives and 25W for a DVD/CD reader-writer.

I hate to go with a stock cooler, but there are very few alternatives that keep *strictly* within Intel's thermal guidelines. The Thermaltake Jungle is the only one that comes to mind, and it does not appear to be superior to the stock cooler.

I may also add some case damping/insulation material at some later point.

*^*^*

What do think? Will this proposed system catch fire? Will it run as I intend it?

Thank you for help. I hope I can ditch this P366 soon.

- halfpower

[burcakb]

The stock cooler is a no-no. not only will it be loud, it'll also be inadequate (ie your CPU will start throttling down) when you start folding (you will, won't you )

What's wrong with an XP90? Or a Zalman 7000 (This MAY be a bit inadequate for a 3.4 though)

With a good CPU cooler you definitely wont need a 55 cfm exhaust.

[Pauli]

How could you even consider the stock Intel HSF? This is SPCR, remember? Replacing stock coolers are the absolute first mod in any SPCR's system.

[halfpower]

The stock cooler is a no-no. not only will it be loud, it'll also be inadequate (ie your CPU will start throttling down) when you start folding (you will, won't you )

What's wrong with an XP90? Or a Zalman 7000 (This MAY be a bit inadequate for a 3.4 though)

With a good CPU cooler you definitely wont need a 55 cfm exhaust.

The CPU will probably only be pushed to its limits on rare occasions.

The problem with some of the alternative heat sinks and fans is that they must be ducted. A 120mm Panaflow on a Zalman mounting bracket held up to a xp120 may work very well ( together they should be 30+Db. Or rather, it should work well if you run a 120 mm duct to it. This may also comply, or very nearly comply, with Intel's thermal design specs. The problem with the 120mm duct is that it will require I do some custom modding. The 120mm duct will also obstruct the rear exhaust fan. It may be that this obstruction causes a lot of noise, I can't really say. Muffling may be an effective alternative to replacing the stock cooler. Another alternative would be to keep the internal case temperature at the top of the CPU fan under 38C.

I don't think that it will be an easy task to improve upon the stock CPU cooler, though it can probably be done.

As for the 55CFM exhaust fan, it is required to meet Intel's thermal specifications. This gets complicated though because I don't know what the CFM is for the Intel stock CPU fan. The RMP of both the CPU fan and the rear case are controlled by the Intel motherboard, so a 55CFM capable exhaust fan does not have to move 55CFM.

[halfpower]

How could you even consider the stock Intel HSF? This is SPCR, remember?

I'm sorry. My Pentium 366 just had a critical hardware failure or something. It won't boot. When I turn it on three green lights shine and the speakers hiss. Other than that it sits on my desk lifeless. It is beyond its life expectancy as far as I am concerned.

Replacing stock coolers are the absolute first mod in any SPCR's system.

By keeping the stock cooler I get a new computer NOW. The thing is that cooler must allow radial air flow, weigh (aproximatel)y under 450g, be ducted, and provide adaquate cooling. The thermal design guide says that the duct should not touch the fan, and that it should also be wider than the fan. This is intended to permit "passive cooling." This means that I may need to build a duct with a 120mm or 130mm mouth in fornt of the fan. Some funneling might work, but I can't be sure. Doing all this properly may require that I read up on convective air currents - not exactly fun.

[Pauli]

How could you even consider the stock Intel HSF? This is SPCR, remember?

I'm sorry. My Pentium 366 just had a critical hardware failure or something. It won't boot. When I turn it on three green lights shine and the speakers hiss. Other than that it sits on my desk lifeless. It is beyond its life expectancy as far as I am concerned.

Replacing stock coolers are the absolute first mod in any SPCR's system.

By keeping the stock cooler I get a new computer NOW. The thing is that cooler must allow radial air flow, weigh (aproximatel)y under 450g, be ducted, and provide adaquate cooling. The thermal design guide says that the duct should not touch the fan, and that it should also be wider than the fan. This is intended to permit "passive cooling." This means that I may need to build a duct with a 120mm or 130mm mouth in fornt of the fan. Some funneling might work, but I can't be sure. Doing all this properly may require that I read up on convective air currents - not exactly fun.

Are you saying that you will eventually run the CPU passive, without a fan mounted on it? From what I've read here, this will not be possible with a 3.4Ghz Prescott P4. But it sounds like you are going to carefully design your airflow, so I'd be very curious how it all turns out.

One question, though? What is the reason for strictly adhering to the Intel thermal recommendations? Popular thought here is that it's not necessary to do things "the Intel way"? (e.g. side ducting is not considered desirable here).

[Devonavar]

For HSF: Arctic Cooling Super Silent Series. Under 450g, adequate cooling, radial airflow (by which I assume they mean a top-down blowing fan). Ducting is not necessary, but, I'm sure, a possibility. The most recent version has a 92mm fan, if that's too big, older versions are still available through retail channels and have 80mm fans. Get the TC version if you can, it's thermally controlled.

[halfpower]

For HSF: Arctic Cooling Super Silent Series. Under 450g, adequate cooling, radial airflow (by which I assume they mean a top-down blowing fan). Ducting is not necessary, but, I'm sure, a possibility. The most recent version has a 92mm fan, if that's too big, older versions are still available through retail channels and have 80mm fans. Get the TC version if you can, it's thermally controlled.

As far as I know, the Super Silent Series is not compatible with Prescott chips.

By radial air flow I mean omni-directional airflow, such as one would get from a star shaped heat sink.

[halfpower]

Are you saying that you will eventually run the CPU passive, without a fan mounted on it? From what I've read here, this will not be possible with a 3.4Ghz Prescott P4. But it sounds like you are going to carefully design your airflow, so I'd be very curious how it all turns out.

One question, though? What is the reason for strictly adhering to the Intel thermal recommendations? Popular thought here is that it's not necessary to do things "the Intel way"? (e.g. side ducting is not considered desirable here).

There is some little clause in the Intel Thermal Design specifications that says that the air, and the gap between the air duct and the CPU fan, allow air to flow in and cool passively.

The reason for sticking to the design specifications is that it will leave me with a reliable machine. In other words, I will be able to through any software or add-in hardware at it and not have to worry that it could be damaged in the process. These specifications also permit the computer to operate in rooms with air temperatures of 38C. Common room temperature is only 22C, so in that regard one could probably cheat on the Intel specs a little bit.

The reason that side air ducts are not popular here is because nobody here uses a Prescott.

[Rusty075]

You do not half to comply with the Intel Thermal Design specs.
It will not impact stability.
It will not impact component longevity.
Even big OEM's don't worry about complying with every CYA clause of the spec.

And reason side ducts aren't used here has nothing to do with Prescotts, but has a lot to do with with the fact that side ducts produce a direct path from the noisiest component to the user's ear.

I'd suggest that you do some research before you buy anything. And by "research" I do not mean reading the mobo manual. Start with the PSU fundamentals article on this site, it alone will dispel the myths the your mobo manual is telling you about power draw.

[Pauli]

Are you saying that you will eventually run the CPU passive, without a fan mounted on it? From what I've read here, this will not be possible with a 3.4Ghz Prescott P4. But it sounds like you are going to carefully design your airflow, so I'd be very curious how it all turns out.

One question, though? What is the reason for strictly adhering to the Intel thermal recommendations? Popular thought here is that it's not necessary to do things "the Intel way"? (e.g. side ducting is not considered desirable here).

There is some little clause in the Intel Thermal Design specifications that says that the air, and the gap between the air duct and the CPU fan, allow air to flow in and cool passively.

The reason for sticking to the design specifications is that it will leave me with a reliable machine. In other words, I will be able to through any software or add-in hardware at it and not have to worry that it could be damaged in the process. These specifications also permit the computer to operate in rooms with air temperatures of 38C. Common room temperature is only 22C, so in that regard one could probably cheat on the Intel specs a little bit.

The reason that side air ducts are not popular here is because nobody here uses a Prescott.

If Intel's thermal design specifications are so important to follow, why not just use the stock Intel HSF? After all, it is the HSF that Intel themselves have spec'd for the processor so it must be appropriate for their own thermal design spec!

In fact, I would submit to you that most SPCR's machines run not only quieter, but just as cool as those that strictly follow the Intel guidelines. Heck, the Thermalright heatsinks and even the Zalman HSFs outperform Intel's own offerings by a large margin.

Now get your head out of the Intel manual right now and start reading the articles and messages here

BTW, sorry to hear about your dead system. You must be champing at the bit to get your new system up and running.

[Spod]

The Intel Thermal Specs are designed to make it easy and cheap to mass produce a working, reliable computer. They won't especially help you if you want it to be quiet, and if you're willing to put in a little effort and research into product selection, and are willing to assemble the components yourself, you can easily build a system that's quieter AND cooler than if you adhered strictly to the intel guidelines.

We're quite willing to help you, and the recommended case, fan, PSU, etc. pages can give you a quick fix of which products to buy, but in order to have a quiet system, you'll more or less have to drop the strict adherence to intel's guidelines.

[halfpower]

The Intel Thermal Specs are designed to make it easy and cheap to mass produce a working, reliable computer. They won't especially help you if you want it to be quiet, and if you're willing to put in a little effort and research into product selection, and are willing to assemble the components yourself, you can easily build a system that's quieter AND cooler than if you adhered strictly to the intel guidelines.

We're quite willing to help you, and the recommended case, fan, PSU, etc. pages can give you a quick fix of which products to buy, but in order to have a quiet system, you'll more or less have to drop the strict adherence to intel's guidelines.

It is imprtant to be aware of the Intel guidelines though. One could easily put a 120mm fan on the CPU, but with out a duct one must also keep internal case temeratures under 38C. This will lead to a few trade offs.

I apreciate the help. I was actually hoping that somebody would comment on the apropriateness of my power supplies, the sturdyness of the SLK3000B, and my options for case fans....I will check the Enermax site for info.

[halfpower]

You do not half to comply with the Intel Thermal Design specs.
It will not impact stability.
It will not impact component longevity.
Even big OEM's don't worry about complying with every CYA clause of the spec.

And reason side ducts aren't used here has nothing to do with Prescotts, but has a lot to do with with the fact that side ducts produce a direct path from the noisiest component to the user's ear.

I'd suggest that you do some research before you buy anything. And by "research" I do not mean reading the mobo manual. Start with the PSU fundamentals article on this site, it alone will dispel the myths the your mobo manual is telling you about power draw.

I don't know if the people on this site are computer scientists, computer engineers, hardware technicians, or are like myself and fall into some other category, but...

There are some basic thermal requirements that I should meet. If I comply with Intel's Thermal specs then I am, in a manner of speaking, guaranteed to have a computer that performs well and has a long life span. If I don't meet the Intel specs then there are no guarantees.

It should not be difficult to build a computer in such a way that less than 10% of the noise produced by its CPU fan passes through the outer air-duct opening. All you need is an air duct with a non-reflective surface. (I suspect that much of the noise will pass directly through the case wall.) Even so, the direct path problem could be solved by placing an inch think piece of foam directly outside the duct opening.

I've done a lot of reading, and in general I think that the hardware manufactures manuals are the most reliable. The systems used in the PSU fundamentals article have different chipsets, different chips, and different graphics systems. I have no logical reason to assume that they have similar power requirements.

[halfpower]

If Intel's thermal design specifications are so important to follow, why not just use the stock Intel HSF? After all, it is the HSF that Intel themselves have spec'd for the processor so it must be appropriate for their own thermal design spec!

In fact, I would submit to you that most SPCR's machines run not only quieter, but just as cool as those that strictly follow the Intel guidelines. Heck, the Thermalright heatsinks and even the Zalman HSFs outperform Intel's own offerings by a large margin.

Now get your head out of the Intel manual right now and start reading the articles and messages here

BTW, sorry to hear about your dead system. You must be champing at the bit to get your new system up and running.

There are HSF fans that have the equal or better cooling capacity and are quieter. To stuff such a HSF in a Prescott based computer would require a fan mounting bracket, and some very fancy duct work. I think this can be done but it would likely result in a headache. It would be nice if I were being paid to do this.

My computer booted today. I don't know what happened. But hey, what can I expect from a computer that's laughably old?

[Rusty075]

Helfpower, the people who have posted aren't "computer scientists, computer engineers, hardware technicians", but they are people who have experience with the task you've set yourself upon.

Complying with the thermal specs won't guarantee stability. It won't even help stability. It will, however, guarantee extra noise.

You haven't built a computer since a 366mhz. You frankly have zero idea what sort of noise you're talking about, about about what sort of steps will be required to make it quiet.

If you're concerned about noise, listen to the people who have been there. We're only trying to help.

Or....

Stop over-thinking everything, and just build the damn thing. Then you'll know, and you will have a baseline to start working towards silence from. You're big ticket items are set in stone (although I have zero idea why you would want that CPU), so any little things you have to change later in the quest for silence won't be too painful on the wallet.

[sthayashi]

I don't know if the people on this site are computer scientists, computer engineers, hardware technicians, or are like myself and fall into some other category, but...

I'm both a computer engineer by training and an electrical hardware technician/engineer by trade.

Can you point me to the thermal requirements that Intel specifies? I'm curious to read them and I'm wondering if you're misinterpreting guidelines (i.e. suggestions) for requirements.

[Pauli]

There are HSF fans that have the equal or better cooling capacity and are quieter. To stuff such a HSF in a Prescott based computer would require a fan mounting bracket, and some very fancy duct work. I think this can be done but it would likely result in a headache. It would be nice if I were being paid to do this.

The collective experience here at SPCR is exactly for people in your situation. Ducts, case mods, fan testing...it's all here on the messageboard somewhere (easy to search, BTW). And if you don't find exactly what you want, you can design your own mod and share your experience for the rest of us. That's the beauty of a messageboard like this -- you'll get way more useful and practical info here than you would from an Intel specification.
Think about it --- an active, global community of PC tinkerers and hobbyists, centered around the idea of quiet computing, with no ulterior profit motive to cloud their vision. This, my friend, is the real power of the internet.

[halfpower]

Complying with the thermal specs won't guarantee stability. It won't even help stability. It will, however, guarantee extra noise.

You haven't built a computer since a 366mhz. You frankly have zero idea what sort of noise you're talking about, about about what sort of steps will be required to make it quiet.

If you're concerned about noise, listen to the people who have been there. We're only trying to help.

Or....

Stop over-thinking everything, and just build the damn thing. Then you'll know, and you will have a baseline to start working towards silence from. You're big ticket items are set in stone (although I have zero idea why you would want that CPU), so any little things you have to change later in the quest for silence won't be too painful on the wallet.

If I build to Intel specs and I have an Intel motherboard failure, then it is likely a faulty board.

I didn't even build the 366MHz. Its a laptop that runs off a 45W power supply. I have little knowledge of the noise produced by modern desktops.

I want the Prescott for things like FFTs, multi-tasking, and fast memory.

[halfpower]

I don't know if the people on this site are computer scientists, computer engineers, hardware technicians, or are like myself and fall into some other category, but...

I'm both a computer engineer by training and an electrical hardware technician/engineer by trade.

Can you point me to the thermal requirements that Intel specifies? I'm curious to read them and I'm wondering if you're misinterpreting guidelines (i.e. suggestions) for requirements.

There are few documnets.

http://cache-www.intel.com/cd/00/00/06/ ... _62086.pdf - Chassis Air Guide Design Guide

http://developer.intel.com/design/Penti ... 302553.htm - Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor on 90 nm Process in the 775-Land LGA Package Thermal and Mechanical Design Guidelines

I haven't gone over the second one.

There is also the basic information contained in the mobo manual.

[Mr_Smartepants]

Yes, Intel designs the P4 HSF, they even design their own motherboards, but show me one case that Intel has designed?! They 'SUGGESTED' the Intel Thermal Design Spec alterations to the basic ATX design to compensate for the P4 processor excessive heat dissipation problems. AMD makes no such alterations of the basic design. Just because Intel says it's so, doesn't make it right.
And don't be so quick to dismiss suggestions made by forum members (especially senior/seasoned ones) who have "been there, done that". There's much to be gained by asking advice from experienced people.

My dad had an insightful definition of a "fool".
A fool is someone who asks for, and receives, good advice; and then ignores that advice to do his own thing.

If you had already planned to build "according to Intel spec" then why ask for peoples advice here?
Go ahead and build your system. It won't be quiet by any definition but you'll have your system built to Intel spec and your own spec. Only then will you have a baseline to start quieting from.

All of your components are sound (pun intended) investments.

I have a BS in Computer Sciences and by trade repair aircraft avionics systems. I have written technical manuals and worked on prototype projects as well for the Air Force. I've built PCs for the past 15 years.
I know what I'm doing.

[NeilBlanchard]

Hello:

If I build to Intel specs and I have an Intel motherboard failure, then it is likely a faulty board.

I didn't even build the 366MHz. Its a laptop that runs off a 45W power supply. I have little knowledge of the noise produced by modern desktops.

I want the Prescott for things like FFTs, multi-tasking, and fast memory.

If you build to the Intel specifications, then it will be noisy, and fairly hot, too. If you put a better HSF on there, it has a good chance to be quiet, and it will likely be much cooler, too.

Here's another suggestion, that may be shocking to you: build and Athlon 64 system! The memory is much faster (in terms of latency), and multitasking might even be a bit better. What are FFT's?

In any case, an Athlon 64 3400+ or 3500+ would run much cooler, and therefore it could be quieter, and it might even cost a hundred or two less. And you will be able to move to Windows 64 XP Pro, and then be able to run 64bit apps; if and when they become available. Considering how long you have run your previous computer, this sort of thing might well be a very good thing to have.

[sthayashi]

The thermal design guide says that the duct should not touch the fan, and that it should also be wider than the fan. This is intended to permit "passive cooling." This means that I may need to build a duct with a 120mm or 130mm mouth in fornt of the fan. Some funneling might work, but I can't be sure. Doing all this properly may require that I read up on convective air currents - not exactly fun.

I missed where it said that the duct HAD to be larger than the fan. In fact, the guidelines specify 60% or greater, with a minimum diameter 80mm. That means that at minimum, you get 0.6*80mm = 46mm diameter hole equivalent or better.

What's more it was NOT intended for passive cooling. Ever.
Let me quote them:

Do not use a passive processor cooling solution with the Chassis Air Guide. The Chassis Air Guide is intended only to provide the path for cool air to be drawn to the processor core area.

In other words, it was meant to cool the processor itself and the area around it, not necessarily the heatsink and the fan. A larger than normal fan will do that anyways, no fancy duct work needed.

[halfpower]

If you build to the Intel specifications, then it will be noisy, and fairly hot, too. If you put a better HSF on there, it has a good chance to be quiet, and it will likely be much cooler, too.

Here's another suggestion, that may be shocking to you: build and Athlon 64 system! The memory is much faster (in terms of latency), and multitasking might even be a bit better. What are FFT's?

In any case, an Athlon 64 3400+ or 3500+ would run much cooler, and therefore it could be quieter, and it might even cost a hundred or two less. And you will be able to move to Windows 64 XP Pro, and then be able to run 64bit apps; if and when they become available. Considering how long you have run your previous computer, this sort of thing might well be a very good thing to have.

It is not easy to replace the Intel stock HSF with a system that has equal cooling capacity and similar air flow. I may have to purchase products first and then determine whether or not they have similar airflow.

Determining system performance is difficult. It will depend some on the specific user. The AMDs run cooler, but(as far as I know) will not multi-task as well. If I have 4+ programs open at once, as I often do, am I multi-tasking? I can't very well read web pages and type at the same time.

I don't think that any current AMD systems will get as much bandwidth out the memory. True it will have lower latency and be quieter. Though I have no real world noise reference, so I do not know how much noise I will be dealing with.

There are rumors that the Prescott chip will run 64-bit software. I don't know much about this, but the Prescott, is in some way, very different from the Northwood.

FFT short for fast fourier transform. Its a mathematical transform used in things such as audio processing.

[halfpower]

I missed where it said that the duct HAD to be larger than the fan. In fact, the guidelines specify 60% or greater, with a minimum diameter 80mm. That means that at minimum, you get 0.6*80mm = 46mm diameter hole equivalent or better.

I thought that the 60% referred to the area of the air-duct inlet. So in other words the duct would have a cross sectional area of pi*0.04m^2, and the sum of the area of all the holes in the air-duct inlet vent would be 0.6*pi*0.04m^2.

What's more it was NOT intended for passive cooling. Ever.
Let me quote them:

Do not use a passive processor cooling solution with the Chassis Air Guide. The Chassis Air Guide is intended only to provide the path for cool air to be drawn to the processor core area.

In other words, it was meant to cool the processor itself and the area around it, not necessarily the heatsink and the fan. A larger than normal fan will do that anyways, no fancy duct work needed.

I'm not sure about this. Obviously it not totally passive, but if it were totally active then why would the mouth of the duct have to be larger than the fan? and why would they recommend that there be a small gap between the duct and the fan?

[Rusty075]

Halfpower, if FFT performance is important, why are you even looking at the Prescotts? I'm sure your research showed you that the A64's are clock-for-clock something like 50% faster in that regard. (even when running in a Windows 32 environment)

Your assumptions about the Prescotts being better for multitasking and "memory bandwidth" are equally dubious. There's lots of independent benchmark results out there, pick whatever program you use the most, and its almost certain that someone has benchmarked the P4 against the A64 in it.

Might expand your horizons.

[halfpower]

My dad had an insightful definition of a "fool".
A fool is someone who asks for, and receives, good advice; and then ignores that advice to do his own thing.

If you had already planned to build "according to Intel spec" then why ask for peoples advice here?
Go ahead and build your system. It won't be quiet by any definition but you'll have your system built to Intel spec and your own spec. Only then will you have a baseline to start quieting from.

It would be good to have a base line. There are many people here with impressive credentials, certainly better than mine. When I started this thread I was doing so to see if I would get any replies saying something such as, "No! You can't put 45V on your CPU!" or "The Kingston HyperX will not run with a latency of 3 unless it has 1.85V. The motherboard you choose will only has 1.8V on the memory interface."

Maybe this is not the right forum for that, on the other hand I am concerned about noise.

[halfpower]

Halfpower, if FFT performance is important, why are you even looking at the Prescotts? I'm sure your research showed you that the A64's are clock-for-clock something like 50% faster in that regard. (even when running in a Windows 32 environment)

Your assumptions about the Prescotts being better for multitasking and "memory bandwidth" are equally dubious. There's lots of independent benchmark results out there, pick whatever program you use the most, and its almost certain that someone has benchmarked the P4 against the A64 in it.

Might expand your horizons.

I run 5-8 programs at once. I might run more if I had a beefier machine. It's difficult for me to rate the permance of either setup. I also suspect that a lot of software does not utilize the Prescott's new instructions. In the end it might boil down to how the computer is used. I am in essence being told to go with an AMD computer that has a slow CPU clock, less CPU cache, and less memory bandwidth. Where would I find benchmarks for an AMD DDR and an Intel DDR2 together?

[Rusty075]

I run 5-8 programs at once.

Which ones?

[Spod]

You're right, we are drifting OT a little - your attitude to this build is unusual, and it has provoked some attempts at correction, because we feel it could be improved (by our own standards).

So, I'll try to answer some of your original questions.

The 3000B has a significantly better build quality than the SLK2650 - the 3000B was derived from the SLK3700 AMB/BQE design.

The Noisetaker is a good PSU, if you're running a higher load. It's also worth considering the Seasonic S12 series, which may prove quieter and more efficient. Of the two you mentioned, I'd get the 495; it was Athlon XP systems that needed high 5V current, modern P4 and Athlon 64 systems mostly need 12V.
Usually, 12V1 is the molex connectors (drives, graphics card additional power connectors, fans), 12V2 is the motherboard & CPU.

Check recent SPCR PSU reviews for real world power draw of various systems. You don't really need more than a 400W PSU, as long as the 12V rails are adequate for your CPU and graphics card. You shouldn't need more than 12A on either 12V rail, even with a 6800 Ultra and a P4 3.8. And that's erring on the side of caution - letting you hang 144W off each rail.

The NEC 3520 is a good drive - some here prefer the LG 4163, the latest Plextor is good, and I like my Pioneer DVR-109. Is drive noise a big issue? If not, any of the above will serve you well. CDR-Info and CDR-Labs are good resources.

Hard drives - try to get Samsungs with Nidec motors - the JVC motors in many recent P80s are a bit noisier. Search the forums here for relevant threads.

Case fans - Panaflo low-flow (L1A etc.) are good, but the Globe fans are rather better - more consistent quality, smoother when undervolted, but still retaining decent airflow capability at 12V. For silence, Nexus is the way to go - barely audible at 12V, and effectively inaudible at 5V, the 120mm is perfect for the front of your case - your hard drives don't need much airflow, but a little helps.

The Acoustipack pre-cut kit for SLK3700-BQE fits the 3000B well, though you'll have to cut holes in the foam for the side air vent & duct if you want to use those.

As for your choice of CPU, motherboard, RAM and cooling, I would advise switching to a Winchester Athlon 64 3500+, an nForce 3 (AGP) or nForce 4 (PCIe) motherboard, an XP-120 or if that won't fit your motherboard*, XP-90 heatsink with a 120mm or 92mm Nexus or Globe fan, and some Crucial Ballistix DDR RAM. A Zalman NB-47J for the chipset, a VF-700Cu for your graphics card, and a bunch of Fanmates for any fans that are annoyingly noisy.

Of course, the last paragraph kind of throws some of your ideas out the window, and requires careful choice of motherboard to avoid layout conflicts*, but I think you'll find it perfectly stable if you keep case temps down with adequate (not excessive) ventilation. Even without using the side vents.

*These forums can help you there.

Still, I hope you found that useful. And if you do stick to Intel, then the motherboard and RAM you picked will be fine.

Edit: Check out Anandtech for benchmarks of Intel vs. AMD in a variety of tasks, and don't forget to bear in mind the relative price (and heat) of the chips being tested.