Oops, I guess I should have posted this under 'System Advice'. Feel free to bump me!

I'm awaiting arrival of a new CPU and mobo to rebuild my system - my trusty A64 S754 system mysteriously went south on me, forcing my hand for a rebuild before I was quite expecting to. I was using the onboard Realtek ALC850 audio in my previous setup, and to be honest was pretty satisfied with it. ...

The Saitek Eclipse is an excellent keyboard beyond the backlit feature. It is black, has volume controls not not the calculator thing though. No offense meant to Mr.B (since these things can be very subjective), but I own a Saitek Eclipse that I am typing on right now and I don't know if I'd recomm...

I think the purpose of the rotating arm on the Asus is to position it to receive airflow from the CPU fan. If you are using the Ninja fanless I wouldn't think it matters - you'll have to get your airflow from elsewhere anyway. The same goes for the Gigabyte - I have read some posts that the Gigabyte...

For the graphics card, you can always split the difference and get a 7900GS or ATI X1950PRO which both get very good price/performance reviews. If it were me, though, I'd stick with a cheaper card and plan on upgrading to the inevitable nVidia 8800GT or 8800GS we'll see next year. Depending on what ...

I know better than to give advice on overclocking capability, since I have never tried to OC. Intel may have learned its lesson and will keep Socket T around past the first Core Quads. No matter what you decide, it sounds like an awesome system. I'm jealous!

If DX10 is a must-have, I'd drop down to the 8800GTS. Take the ~$200 in savings (over an 8800GTX) and put it towards the processor. Get a T6600 or T6700. For me at least, upgrading to a faster video card down the road is a lot less hassle than upgrading the CPU. Intel might decide to change sockets ...

Ditto, is your dad a real hard-core gamer? If not then IMHO the 8800GTX would be vast overkill. Of course if DX10 compatability is required then the 8800's are the only game in town for the moment. You might look at the 8800GTS if budget matters at all. If he is not so hard-core then there are bette...

I wanted to keep the PSU separate from whatever else. My reasoning was the Opticals don't get used that often and they don't put out that much heat, maybe 15 watts at most. That was kind of my thinking, too. The foamcore I plan on using is not for sound absorption, it's a stiff 1/4" craft board wit...

I have another comment, not really silence-related: I have a Saitek gamer's keyboard on a secondary computer (my son's machine), and although the blue glow is cool I don't really care for the feel of it. The keys just don't have a positive action that I like. In particular, the space bar seems very ...

You can find it at auto parts stores (as I did) but you'll pay through the nose (as I did). I should have had more patience and ordered from the e-tailer Ralf lists above. Back to the original topic, I'm planning on attempting the duct mod on my new Solo by simply installing a foamcore panel below t...

I just received a new Solo case I ordered from Fry's/Outpost.com last week, and it came with the newer bungie-style cords. I don't know if there's any way to tell from the outside of the box, though. I was under the impression from forum postings that Antec had converted all the P150/Solo cases to t...

Jeez! Come on you guys, you know you want to make it look nice! Ha! You're too right; I had already gone out to my local Advance Auto to buy some C-channel before I even read your post... 50¢ worth of rubber C-channel and it'll look spiffy, and be safer. ...except the only C-channel I could find t...

Yeah, I used tin snips to remove the grille on my SX630, but I didn't like how raggedy it looked...maybe I should have taken a little more time and been more careful! If I remove the Solo's grille, I was going to go the Dremel route and get the rubber edging just to make it look neater...but then ag...

Thanks for the input, RAFH. One question: Have you bothered to remove the rear grille from the 120mm fan mount? I have read a few posts where folks have done that to reduce turbulence, and I did that with my current Antec SX630 because the 80mm grille was really restrictive, but I'm not sure it woul...

I found that CoolerMaster now has a web store where you can purchase replacement parts for their cases. Their 'Stacker' series of cases have mesh drive bay covers - A person could probably easily mod one of these to fit nicely in a Solo drive bay. http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/PartsShop/productsBy...

Even if you don't get the $30 rebate, $79 with free shipping is still about as cheap as I've seen a Solo. Even the Securemart lower price was a higher total after shipping!

I was just about to order one from Securemart this weekend when I saw the Outpost/Fry's deal. Currently you also get Free Shipping from Fry's! Not sure how long that lasts but the $30 rebate is through 11/7.

Also consider resale value. Buying 939 now would be a very stupid thing to do. Ouch! Heyyyy...... Nobody wants to buy your old computer. AM2 and 775 will live long (2 years maybe) from now one and there will be buyers at least if you buy a mobo that supports Kentsfield. Nobody wants to buy old comp...

Hmmm, I thought it was a 15.4 but I checked the IBM website, you're right, it must be a 15 inch. Yes, I think the fan has to run all the time to circulate air through the chassis...There is an air vent on the side and back where you can see copper cooling fins inside. However, if you are not working...

I have one for business and like it very much. Of course I am biased because my previous Pentium4 laptop by MPC was like a boat anchor and was constantly breaking down. What I like best about my 15.4" T60 is its compact size and battery life. I have the extended battery pack (it sticks out the back ...

I've been mulling over this same issue as I think about an upgrade in the near future. My A64 2800+ S754 system is still running pretty well...but upgrading the CPU enough to make a significant difference doesn't seem worth it (the fastest upgrade, a 3700+ S754, is running about $180 on eBay). If I ...

I've been pretty happy with my Arctic Cooling Silencer 64 Ultra TC: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835186123 It's pretty cheap and fairly quiet. I never measured it, but the product sheet says the cooler is 42 mm tall. I'm not sure that includes the fan, but even so I don't thi...

I can't remember where I read it on the Forums (this thread is a bit old) but I think the gist of it was that the chemical formulation used in clear plastic is more prone to becoming brittle as it ages than solid (black) plastic. But I don't remember the details, if there were any. Maybe this is one...

Thanks - I have browsed the CPU charts on Tom's Hardware, but I always take those benchmark charts with a grain of salt. Finding a 3700+ S754 Clawhammer is kind of hit and miss right now, but I have seen them around...Newegg has them in stock but $325 seems too pricey... they also have the 3400+ S75...

Any socket 754 users out there have enough experience with a 3700+ clawhammer to tell me if it would truly be worth upgrading from a 2800+? Those are drying up in the online marketplace (but still available for +/- $200 in places)...When I originally bought my parts, I anticipated eventually being a...

You may have some trouble with that Zalman heatsink, depends on the exact layout of your mobo....I built an Aria system for a second (kid's) computer, and the old ThermalTake AX-7 heatsink I used barely squeezed under the power supply. In fact, the 80x25 fan is snug against the bottom of the PS, but...

This should meet your requirements....It's obviously the latest Zalman GPU cooler, but appears to be an all-aluminum (no copper) OEM version.

http://www.giga-byte.com/VGA/Products/P ... 56D-ZK.htm

Oops, of course I meant Best BUY, not Best But. Freudian slip there I guess.

I posted this earlier in the Deals forum, but if anyone is interested in the Logitech diNovo Wireless Desktop (the non-bluetooth, notebook-oriented version) you can get it at Best But right now for $79.99 on sale. This set seems to get mixed but generally favorable reviews, and at that price it seem...