1st Build! AMD Athlon xp 2900+ setup w/ Mach Speed V600DAP Set-up, Please comment!

Hopefully this doesn't sound like the typical newbie post, but here goes. I've been reading for the past 3-4 weeks about computer basics (IDE interface, SCSI, Bits and bytes, AGP cards and such) and decided I wanted to build a computer of my own. At first, when I talked to a few of my friends that build their own, I was lost in the lingo and terms they used to describe their systems. Fortunately, I've been able to catch on. My friends essentially said it was one big learning experience and I should try it. With this being said, over the past week I've been shopping for components for the computer and here is the list I've come up with:
A Mach Speed V600DAP VIA Socket A ATX Motherboard and AMD Athlon XP 2900+ Processor, Chieftec Dragon Series Case, ATX Hitachi / 60GB / 7200 / 2MB / ATA-100 / EIDE / OEM / Hard Drive, Diablo / PSDIA-01 / 420-Watt / ATX / Dual 80mm Fan, Viking 256MB PC2700 DDR 333MHz Memory, Inland U-Point Wireless PS/2 RF Keyboard and an XFX GeForce MX 4000 / 64MB DDR / AGP 8X.

I've been reading reviews on these various components and they all seem to excel for the setup I'm looking at. Another processessor I looked at was the Avit KV7-V. (I've read reviews on both, and they both seem good. Which is better?)My question(s): are there any small tricks/tips or things to watch out for when building a computer like this? Are any of the listed components from a sub-par company? Another thing that I wanted to know was what cable I need to build (should I use this set up) to connect the computer to a standard TV. Any other wwwwgeneral comments are more than welcome. Sorry about the extended post, but I just needed to ask a few questions. Thanks for reading and any information would be greatly appreciated !

This message was edited by travisE46 on Feb 10 2005.

This message was edited by travisE46 on Feb 10 2005.

I've built my own pc for the last 9 or 10 years and I've never heard of a Mach Speed motherboard...so on that note, i can't really recommend it. I'm not sure what guildlines you are using to build your pc, but when I do it.. I go for the bang for buck pc.

From your hardware parts, I can assume that your not going for the top of the line parts..so I conclude that this will be a daily surfer and word processor.

AMD 2900+ sufficient
Case - anything will do
420watt is sorta overkill for non overclockers..but more juice never hurts.
Harddrive - Can't really recommend 60GB, since you can get double or triple the size with 8mb cache and a 133mhz interface for 20bucks more.
memory - even if you plan on word processing on winxp, i'd recommend 512.
Inland u-point wireless - never heard of it.

now to answer some of your questions.

quote

Another processessor I looked at was the Avit KV7-V. (I've read reviews on both, and they both seem good. Which is better?)

- Assuming you meant that its another motherboard you looked into.. Avit is a no-namer to me either. Some of the brands I trust are Abit, Asus, Epox, DFI

quote

Are any of the listed components from a sub-par company?

I think so, but they could be good companies that aren't big named.

quote

Another thing that I wanted to know was what cable I need to build (should I use this set up) to connect the computer to a standard TV.

Make sure you get a Geforce card with a S-Video or composite tv-out jack on the back. Then you will need the appropriate svideo or composite cable.