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$500-600 For new Hardware..

L

LiveWire

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 3, 2004
Messages
99
Title says it all. I have $500-600 to spend on new hardware for my computer. However, I haven't upgraded or looked at new stuff for so long that I don't know what to get. I was thinking maybe a new motherboard and processor, but even then I can't decide which to purchase. Maybe a new sound card couldn't hurt either as I'm on onboard sound right now. If I have enough $$$ left over I might buy a new case also.

This rig would be used for gaming and surfing online. I really don't do much else on it.

I'd be taking the old parts outta my current computer and mixing them with the new.

Current Rig:

AMD Athlon 2200+
Msi K7N2 Delta
Radeon 9600xt
WD 80gb 7200rpm
Liteon 52x24x52x
300 watt Antec psu
512mb of unknown ddr ram
 
you could get some ram, and a next gen video card... or go buy a chip Mobo combo from Frys, $199 for a 3.2 pent 4 and mobo at Fry's here in TX. but i'd deff upgrade the ram! 1 gb is almost becoming the standard now. IMO
 
I was wondering if I was to get new motherboard should I also go for Pci-Express and a new Gfx card? I really don't want to spend that money, bu thtne again I don't want to have to buy another mobo in a year or so.
 
How about this:

ABIT "AV8" K8T800 Pro $114 at Newegg
AMD Athlon 64 bit 3500+ 415
$ 534.98 shipped

Is this a good setup? I'd like to go cheaper and get a better power supply or memory though.
 
I have it down to 2 mobo-proc combos. Which is better? and if there's another option that's better or more cost efficient please list it. Also what type of memory would be good for each setup?

Asus P4C800-E Deluxe (Any different from the P4c800? Just has more junk with it?)
Intel P4 Prescott 3.0 GHz 800 FSB 1M (HT)
$364...

Abit AV8 K8T800 Audio/Gb-LAN/IEEE/USB/SAT
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ 512K (939)
$473...
 
Umm I dont understand why you want such a fast CPU for surfing the web. I would prob. go with a AMD 64bit 3000+, a new mobo and then you will have a lot left over for 1gb of nice new ram and a sound card probably a new case too.
 
LiveWire said:
I have it down to 2 mobo-proc combos. Which is better?
Click to expand...
Well no matter what, you will want dual-channel memory for the P4 otherwise you would be killing the P4's advantages. This means you need to buy TWO sticks of RAM also. They need to be the same brand, speed, etc. Don't expect to use your current RAM with another similar stick.
The Athlon 64's in socket 939 don't need registered memory so thats a plus for price concerns. But you would still need new memory to use with that setup too, cause your current RAM is probably way too slow to even work with the A64.
Really the best thing IMO for price/performance in your ballpark would be an Athlon XP 3000+ with a Nvidia Nforce2 chipset Mobo. You might say its not a great chip, or that it won't be upgradable in the future. The fact is Athlon XP 3000's are just as good and sometimes better than P4's. And what kind of upgradability would you have with a socket 478 board anyway? They are going the way of the dodo bird too. The Athlon 64 is probably more future proof but still the PCI express thing along with BTX mobos will kill you later on too. The only good thing about it is that current stuff is going down in price.
But this way you can grab a CPU, Mobo, case with power supply, dual-channel memory, and a cheap video card. Then you can mix and match parts to build a whole new machine alongside your current rig. You might need to get a HDD and cdrom later to make it all happen but they are cheap. You'll thank yourself in the end, since you could either sell whats left for a couple hundred bucks or keep it and run two rigs
:D
BTW, I got $604.50 from Newegg when I priced those parts- XP 3000+, 1 gig of dual-channel corsair, chaintech Nforce2 ultra board, FX 5900 XT video card, and an Antec case with 350watt PS.........
 
Shakezilla it's mostly for gaming and secondary purpose is the web, but then again that's what all computer these days do. If I wanted that I wouldn't upgrade...

Zeus that sounds pretty good too. What's the performance difference in 3000+ XP and a 3500+ 64?. If I do go the XP route I'd pick up a 3000 or 3200 and keep my old motherboard. No reason to upgrade that then.

Hmm Zeus maybe you're right. I think maybe I'll get a barton 3200+ XP 1gig of ram and maybe a new video card/sound card.
 
LiveWire said:
Zeus that sounds pretty good too. What's the performance difference in 3000+ XP and a 3500+ 64?.
Click to expand...
Big difference. But then so is the difference between the 2200 and 3000/3200 XP *PROPERLY SETUP*. If you just toss a CPU in your board it might help you out, but it probably won't support a 400 mhz bus and the dual-channel memory that the Nforce2 Ultra will. The motherboard I looked at on Newegg was $60 or something and it supports SATA, USB 2.0, RAID, Dual-channel 400 mhz ram and inludes the kitchen sink, too..... For $60, what the hell!
Like I said, you will be left with almost a complete machine to either sell or use yourself. That puts the icing on the cake ;)
 
I suggest getting CPU+MOBO+ RAM... if there is left over cash.. get a dual layer burner!!!...

or get me ba dual layer burnner.. that works too.. :)
 
Oh the motherboard i have right now is an Msi K7N2 Delta. Says 400fsb edition right on the box. Also has dual-channel 400. The only thing is that it doesn't have SATA. I'll be putting 1gb mem in there too if I go the 3200+ option.

I found it on Newegg for $61 so it's comparable to the board you posted.
13-130-419-07.JPG
 
you can just get a 2500+ or a mobile proc and overclock it too the 3200+ very easily.

its the standard overclock these days... all you do is raise the fsb to 200 from 166. all you need is pc3200, which is in some cases only a few dollars more.

i'd get the a64 (754) rig though... its well within your budget
 
I decided to spend a wee bit more and go for a AMD64 3500+ 939 with an Abit AV8 K8T800 motherboard. I also got 1gb of corsair dual channel ddr memory and a dvd-rom. Free Farcry too...

Total for all this was $750 with shipping.
 
LiveWire said:
I decided to spend a wee bit more and go for a AMD64 3500+ 939 with an Abit AV8 K8T800 motherboard. I also got 1gb of corsair dual channel ddr memory and a dvd-rom. Free Farcry too...

Total for all this was $750 with shipping.
Click to expand...
Nice! Good luck with your new stuff. You will be very impressed at the improvement in games!
 
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