Some questions(first time builder/OCer)

[Syon]

Parts/specs i'm gonna be working with:

Athlon XP 2500+
ASUS A7N8X-DX Deluxe nVidia n-Force 2 Ultra
512MB PC3200 400mhz DDR
120GB/8MB Maxtor ATA/133 HDD
Audigy 5.1
Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB
XP Pro or 2K Pro

I'm looking at running a 2500+ because I want the barton core. And turning a 2500+ into a 3200+ is just a matter of raising the bus 34 mhz.

Now my first question, how tried-and-true is this? Raising the bus on the 2500 to get performance around the 3200's level. Is it fairly painless as long as you have decent cooling? Is it stretching the procesor a bit thin, and I might wanna look at taking that down a bit?

Also, what am I looking at on the video card. I've heard overclocking 9600/9700 to 9800 speeds is fairly good, but would it be more worth my while to get a 9800 instead of chance the chip?

And what cooling am I going to be wanting.

Right now I plan to get the system from a company called Xtreme Gear. Then I will get the RAM, HDD, Video card on my own and install them since I have experience with those parts, and can install them fairly easily.

Another question, would it be better to build the entire thing myself, and take a bad chance? Or should I do what I know like I plan?

And the specs for the case says it has a CAPACITY of 4 front intake, 2 rear exhaust, and one side panel fans. And a 350w P4 ready power supply. (D x W x H) 440 x 200 x 430mm dimensions. Is this case going to work for me? They call the case the Black X-Gamer Medium Tower Case.

If you wanted to seem ore detailed information on what i'm workign with, check out http://www.buyxg.com/system/amd_config/amd_config.htm then you can check out the parts I listed.

Any help/comments/suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. I'm working my ass off trying to teach myself as much as I can about hardware, configs, specs, etc, etc, etc, but it's being a long and hard task.

P.S. I am on a bit of a budget, which is why I was planning on getting a 2500+ and OCing it.

[WingWizard]

I wouldn't buy from buyxtremegear (aka buyxg); from what I understand they've stolen from a lot of people in the past and were part of some scandal regarding inflated resellerratings.

Go with a trusted vendor like newegg.com or zipzoomfly.com; I've also used ajump.com with great success.

[MrPurple]

Honestly I do not like that case at all.
Plus with 4 intake fans plus the side and and the rear exhust that thing is going to be loud.

I would look into a case that utilizes 120 mm fans and get ones that can be RPM adjusted. That way you can either run a silent PC or boost the RPM of the fans to get the air cooling.
One great case is the Antec SLK3700AMB.
It is cheap and offers good space inside.
As I see it, the perfect air cooled O/Cing case would be the Antec with 2 120 mm Enermax speed control fans, a 92 mm Enermax speed control side fan, and either a 92 or 80 mm Enermax speed control blow hole. With this setup you will have near perfect air flow through the case with no hotspots. This would also help with the CPU heat since the inside air would not be high.
I know that this is beyond some people but putting in side fans and blow holes is not that hard, all you need to look into is with the blow hole and the depth of the optical drive (if you like it in the top most bay).

In all honesty building your own system would be better since you get a feel of the parts and how it goes together. Also it can be a bit cheaper.
Considering that the case is $66 shipped. The fans, if you go with only the 2 120 mm will set you back around $40. A decent HS for o/cing will set you back around $40 at minium, and I would not pay more then $50.

[DallasDon]

A critical part of a machine with those specs is the power supply.

You will be gambling with a generic psu bundled with a case, unless it is a well respected brand.

Second the thought on NewEGG. It's almost easier buying from them that it is driving across town to shop at large electronics stores.

Take a look at the Maxtop cases there. Search by manufacturer, and look at there accessories, also.

I just recieved the case with two 92 mm ball bearing fans, side and blowhole, no power supply. Ordered a Thermaltake psu seperate.

The accessories available include a window side panel, and drive bay coolers. Can't wait to build this rig!!