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> if you are going to buy or build something fairly new, i would
> suggest you make sure the processor and hard drive have 3 year
> warranties. and if you use a 2.0ghz or higher and wd hard drive make
> sure you pay the extra money for extended to 3 year warranty if all
> that is provided is a 1 year warranty.
I would also recommend you spend a few bucks extra for a top-end
CPU cooler, like a Swiftech MCX462. This might run you $30-50
more than a bare-bones heatsink, but it will keep your CPU much
cooler, and that will extend the life and reliability of the box.
Tom's Hardware at http://www17.tomshardware.com/cpu/20010306/
tests a bunch of coolers, and it shows the MC462 as the coolest
by quite a margin. (However this is an older review. There are
others, just search around in Google.) Interestingly the MC462
is also listed as the noisiest in the bunch by a long shot. I
have an MCX462 with a quieter fan (Enermax UC-8FAB at a lower
speed) and it's quite reasonable. I'm pretty sensitive to noise,
and this fan/cooler is a LOT quieter than the heatsink & fan the
MB/CPU/RAM bundle came with.
If you want to cut down on the noise, Tom's shows the
NoiseControl Silverado near the top of the pack cooling-wise, and
MUCH quieter than all other coolers tested. Sounds great -- but
I don't see it at any of the normal PC sites I know of. Finally
found it at http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozencpu/cpu-sil-
01.html.
Gary
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