Budget and wait?

[xyber]

Ok, what would you do if you were in this situation:

Junior in highschool, going to college right after high school.

Would you buy a budget system now and wait for 1-1.5 years and get a super computer with DDR2 and PCI-E when they are in their mature form?

-OR-

Just get a super computer now. Frick that budget comp.

Budget as in a $500-1000 upgrade
and
Super Comp as a $1800-2200 full computer

 

[xyber]

I would say this is the ultimate question for computer buyers right now ^^

 

[ninethreeeleven]

I didnt wait (but I have a budget as well, and right now have had to put the machine on hold for other expenses)...

I went A64 3200 route, knowing that...
1) I cant afford a 939 chip and board now.
2) PCI express is not ready yet, its out but its not working to its potential yet. I would have to buy a new board at a later date for this.
3) The 6800 series is not out on PCI express yet.

I think I will make the change when all the above criteria are met. I could hardly handle paying $400 for a video card, I cant not do that again any time soon, so I just went the cheaper route to 64 bit.

 

[mchammer]

I voted budget although I haven't seen the specs of your current computer. My friend has been bugging to build him one but I keep telling him to wait just a little while longer. I suggest you follow this guide that Kyle and the gang posted up the other day. http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=NjU5 Its funny because I was going to build pretty much that some computer but wait for the 6600GT (AGP) to come out. Also, if you want to go cheaper you could buy a XP Mobile and different MOBO instead of the A64, but depending on what you use your computer for, its up to you. If my friend can't bear the extra cost I'm just going to go the Mobile route as that is what I have and it serves me well. Good Luck.

 

[OneFry]

Its always cheaper to wait remember you spend half your life waiting
these days applications and games(for the most part) can run smoothly without a super computer so theres no need to spend the money if your not rich...

I invested my 500 dollars in..
abit kv8 pro
a64 3000+
Lian Lipc60 (cases these days dont really change so i went for the expensive one )
corsair cas2 512

 

[EnderW]

what computer do you have currently?

 

[Frosty_axe]

What i did:
Go thru one semseter with your current rig. By doing this you will be able to get a feel for what you need out of your college pc. It will also give you a chance to figure out exactally what your comftorable haveing in your dorm room and what you need to secure it.

 

[Carnival Forces]

you need to post what computer you have now, what you use it for now, and what you plan to use it for in the future.


based off your insufficient information, i voted budget.

 

[DanK]

Right now, I'd wait. There are a lot of things looming on the technological horizon, so it's best to see how they pan out before taking the plunge. Early adopters suffer more than the rest of us.

 

[xyber]

current PC, it sux:

AMD XP 1800+
ECS K7S5A
WD 40GB
256x2 ddram
ati radeon 9100

 

[OneFry]

lol that doesnt suck lmao

 

[xyber]

my standards

 

[DanK]

Heck, you could do budget for about $200, 10x less than the cost of a new "super computer". Just upgrade your current processor & video card... esp. if you don't mind refurbished gear.

Here are a couple processors I'd consider were I in your situation:
AMD Mobile Athlon XP, 2400+, 45W - $77
Refurbished AMD Athlon XP 2400+ "Thorton" - $55. Heh, I was checking the links after I typed this out, and it looks like somebody already bought it. The Thorton core is a Barton that has half the cache disabled; the 2400+ Thorton was clocked at 2GHz on a 266 fsb.

Here's a videocard you might consider:
Refurbished Sapphire Radeon 9700 Pro - $131

More than this and you're likely going to have to redo your whole setup anyway, so max out what you've got now.