$700 upgrade - mobo/cpu/gfx

M

mops

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 18, 2002
Messages
69
Howdy.
My two yeard old overclocked barton 2500+ with 9800 non-pro is on it's lst legs now. I'm looking to upgrade just the following things:
-mobo (i think abit s393 nf4, i think the model is AN8)
-cpu (hopefully a64-3500, and I'll clock it hard)
-video card... thats where I need advice.

I do not want to exceed US$700 for those items. I already have DDR500 memory, 500W decent PSU, high performance watercooling for cpu and gpu, etc, etc.

I was holding up with the upgrade until new ATI cards became available, so I have good choice.

I have decided that I want a single vid card (not SLI) , pci-x. the obvious choice would be 7800, but that might exceed my budget. I understand that new ati x1800 performs nearly as well as 9800, is that correct ? That would be my preferable choice, as could reuse my peltier/water block to run mad gpu clocl speeds (assuming bolt pattern is the same as x9xx)

What do you guys/gals think ?
Would it be better to go with slower CPU (like a643200 or a643000), but 7800 or better cpu (a643500) and get the new ati x1800 ?

Thanks in advance,
Mops.
 
get the good CPU, but 7800 GT is what you want, it ties with the X1800XT and sometimes beats it, and you'll save a few bucks on the side.
 
I don't think it makes any sense to get a 3500+ or even 3200+ over a 3000+. Correct me if I'm wrong, but they all oc the same. And you memory is good enough you shouldn't need the higher multiplier from the more expensive chips.

I don't think the 7800gt compares to an x1800xt. More like an x1800xl. And at this point there is only like 40-50 dollars difference between the two.
Newegg has x1800xl for 399.99
They will only get better as the drives mature. I'd bet money in 3 months the x1800xl will be clearly ahead of the 7800gt especially in the newest games.

So really you can get either card and stay at or under 700.
3000+ = 150
AN-8 = 110 ?
7800gt = 350 ?
x1800xl = 399
 
AMD 3000+ - $119.00
Abit AN8 Ultra - $115.00
7800GT - $350.00 (possibly lower)

Around 580, hell you could go to a GTX and still stay under 700 :)
 
spend the extra for the SLI board, its not worth doing without. what about when that second card drops to 200 or 150 in a year? Take that extra hundred bucks and save it for that.
 
ChronicTrees said:
AMD 3000+ - $119.00
Abit AN8 Ultra - $115.00
7800GT - $350.00 (possibly lower)

Around 580, hell you could go to a GTX and still stay under 700 :)
Click to expand...


Sadly, I'm in New Zealand, so prices here are higher, especially on gfx cards and high end cpu's.
not many reasonable priced online retailers will actually ship outside US....
so it's not all that easy.

I particulary want a64-3500, as I believe they have decent chances hitting 3 GHz, right ?
 
M1ster_R0gers said:
spend the extra for the SLI board, its not worth doing without. what about when that second card drops to 200 or 150 in a year? Take that extra hundred bucks and save it for that.
Click to expand...
My philosophy is in a year to take that 150-200, sell the old card and buy the newest one out at the time. Case in point: 1 7800GTX is better than 2 6800s. I only see SLI as viable if you're getting two cards to max things out right away or within a few months of getting the system. But I know people have different opinions.
 
mops said:
I particulary want a64-3500, as I believe they have decent chances hitting 3 GHz, right ?
Click to expand...
uh, i thought you're mistaken there. a 3000+ has the same chance. all the venice's are exactly the same core, so they'll oc to the same place. the early steppings were awesome oc'ers; those had good chances of hitting 3ghz. but any venice nowadays should do as well as any other. go ask in the oc'ing section for a better answer, but i think the 3000+ has just as much of a chance.
 
On liquid cooling I don't know. I do know some of the new opterons will go way past that on water. Some will do 3ghz on air cooling easily. :)
 
I understand that new ati x1800 performs nearly as well as 9800, is that correct ?
Click to expand...

:eek:

Not even in the same class... the x1800 is about 3x the power of your 9800..
 
Stereophile said:
My philosophy is in a year to take that 150-200, sell the old card and buy the newest one out at the time. Case in point: 1 7800GTX is better than 2 6800s.
Click to expand...

Can't agree more. This year's Annual GPU Budget went like this:

$250 + ($250 from 6800GT) = $499 Leadtek 7800GTX and some Splinter Cell 3 lovin'

:D :D :D

OP:

I agree with the low end cpu folks. Grab a nice 3000, cheap nf4 board (non sli...bang for buck just aint' there imo), and a GT, GTX, XL, or XT.
 
lloose said:
:eek:

Not even in the same class... the x1800 is about 3x the power of your 9800..
Click to expand...

right, i ment to say that x1800 will do similar to 7800... bad typo.
 
Stereophile said:
My philosophy is in a year to take that 150-200, sell the old card and buy the newest one out at the time. Case in point: 1 7800GTX is better than 2 6800s. I only see SLI as viable if you're getting two cards to max things out right away or within a few months of getting the system. But I know people have different opinions.
Click to expand...


I keep saying that too, but still I see people getting 6600gt's in SLI < makes no sense to me :confused:
 
Chickan said:
I keep saying that too, but still I see people getting 6600gt's in SLI < makes no sense to me :confused:
Click to expand...

That crap just saddens my heart. Why not sell the 66gt and grab a 68? At least nv's not mockin' the world with 6200 turbocatsup in sli...yet.
 
On the other hand, 6200 Non-TC's can be unlocked to make 6600GT's with slower memory. Just something to keep in mind...

-SEAL
 
ChronicTrees said:
AMD 3000+ - $119.00
Abit AN8 Ultra - $115.00
7800GT - $350.00 (possibly lower)
Click to expand...

Very good suggestion. Maybe a slightly better CPU if you can fit in the budget.

6200's suck. My AGP 6200 is NOT unlockable. I think the original ones might have been unlockable. But Rivatuner doesn't show any extra units to unlock on mine. Maybe b/c I got the crappy 64-bit Asus one?
 
I had an unlockable 6200 from leadtek. But anyway, it doesn't really matter if they all oc the same, the 3000 has an unadjustable (at least upwards) FSB, so to get to 3 GHZ w/o dividers this guy would need ram that can stay stable 24/7 @ 666 MHZ DDR, you can find memory like thaT, BUT this guy only has 700.


Yeah, your 6200 is NV44 A, not a nv 43 that the real 6200's use.
 
it would be great if i could find such a combo on ebay, with worldwide shipping....
I calculated, if I had to buy that stuff new locally, i'd have to pay over $1100US
 
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