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PC Replacement Needed! Best Options?

S

SlapShot

Limp Gawd
Joined
Mar 31, 2004
Messages
167
For the past fifteen months I've been using a system that I built with an i850E based Gigabyte GA-81HXP with 2x256MB 1066 RDRAM and a P4 2.4 Northwood B 533mhz processor. Due to the pc being hit with a series of brown out/power fluctuations a while back, while running (the UPS failed first, then the pc got socked)the motherboard has developed serious problems, and one stick of memory is also shot.
I had originally been waiting for Prescott and the related motherboards to build a completely new system around. Given the disappointment with Prescott's performance, I was hoping to be able to hold out for Tejas and Alderwood (or whatever will replace it), or a socket 939 w/FX Proc when the prices get semi-down to earth.
I REALLY want PCI Express, DDR2, etc.
Now my problem is that due to the need to replace the failed hardware I need to purchase another motherboard, new memory, and also a processor to carry me over till the stuff I want is available in roughly twelve months. I want very good performance, and I can afford it, but I also cant see spending a fortune, for a motherboard and a processor for this "temporary" need. I also can’t see re-investing more in another i850E platform (if I could even FIND a motherboard, and PC1066 both of which are long discontinued technology, and incompatible with current performance stuff.
What would you recommend as the best performance solution given my budget, and this situation? The 865/875 platform has been out too long to buy into, and is, frankly, boring.
I'm torn between going for dollar value with maybe be an nForce2 board, probably a DFI Lan Boy, w/ Mobile Athlon XP 2500/2600+w/ SLK900/SP97 cooling, overclocked..........or, maybe go with Athlon 64 3200, and a nForce 250 motherboard (about to be released any day now).
I would REALLY like to go socket 939, but supposedly those are delayed until June/July or so, and there will be extremely limited numbers of processors , available until probably fourth quarter, for very big prices.
The pc is used for heavy net surfing, some digital photography storage and manipulation, and a LOT of gaming. The remaining components I can re-utilize include one WD Raptor drive, one 80gb Western Digital Special Edition w/8mb cache, a Radeon 9700 Pro, an Audigy ZS, a Plextor cdrw unit, Antec True 430 etc, AND I just grabbed two 256mb DDR3200 BH5 sticks from ZipZoomFly.
Thanks for any recommendations, assistance or expertise that you can provide to help with this. Its greatly appreciated. I've been using a "borrowed" pc as we speak or I coudlnt even leave this message. I know this isnt the ideal time for a whole new platform, but I dont have many options.
 
If you want a cheaper solution to tide you over, then I'd recommend that DFI LAN Infinity Ultra II and the Barton cored 2500+.

You'll get some pretty good performance out of that, for the price. You have a good outlook though, as it's definitely best to minimize spending now with all the new technology popping up in the near future.

Dark Assassin
 
Thanks for the suggestion, I am seriously considering that option, probably with a Mobile XP. But IF there was a logical reason to pop for an AMD64 and nForce 250 motherboard it would at least be a bit more interesting. Still, its a tough choice right now. Anyone else? I need more input on this please.
 
Oh, and one last thing........given the possible delays on everything that I've read about today, I'm thinking this might have to last me for up to 18 months, instead of the original twelve that I expected. Given that I have a real need for enough performance to play games well, with all the bells and whistles (think Half Life 2 and Doom 3 etc) would an overclocked mobile XP, my new BH5 3200 memory, etc. be up to this? Or do I need to go to something faster?
 
Given that these are going to be near top-of-the-line when those games that come out...they'd better be.
 
Well, Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 will have to be PLAYABLE on reasonably old gear...

How much of your current equipment is still working? Just getting a pair of 512MB sticks of PC3200, a motherboard, and CPU will probably be enough to tide you over for a good while.

Mobo: DFI Infinity sounds good. I use an A7N8X Deluxe, but it's a bit spendier.
CPU: AXP 2500+ retail (comes with a basic HSF)
RAM: 2x 512MB Corsair Value Select

So that's about $100 each on mobo and CPU, and about $170 on RAM. $370 isn't bad for a system core. :)
 
SlapShot, welcome to the [H].

I've edited your thread title to remove "Please Help - Urgent Emergency". Such excited utterances will not further your cause and only detract from people being able to assess the issue.
 
If you want the hardware to give you extremely good gaming performance for about 18 months, then I'd alter the suggestion that I told you.

Go with some good Corsair memory (make sure you read a motherboard manufacturer's compatibility with said RAIM though), an Asus K8V motherboard, and an Athlon64 3200+. I know a guy that's running this system with some different RAM, but his performance is stellar compared to my lowly P4 2.4c.

This option is definitely a sound way to go, and most likely will be perfectly compatible with the new 64 bit age of software coming in the near future.

Dark Assassin
 
dfi infinity, Mobile 2500, good air.
and good mem that does 200-230FSB 1:1 and you got yourself 2.4-2.6ghz stable with a long life ahead of it, that will performu with a 3400 a64 and 3.7ghz p4's.

for being 50-70% of the cost comapratively, what do you think ;-)
 
There is always going to be some hot new technology around the corner when you buy whatever computer component you're buying. If the need is now, get the best performance/$ you can from what is available, not from what is coming out in 4/6/12 months whatever.

It's a pretty good guess that in 4/6/12 months there will be some hot new technology coming out in another 4/6/12 months that you can't wait to get your hands on.

So, as George "Dubya" Bush would say, "Spend that money now, son, and help build America's economy."

Whoops, all that stuff came from Taiwan - now what?
 
Originally posted by Unoid
dfi infinity, Mobile 2500, good air.
and good mem that does 200-230FSB 1:1 and you got yourself 2.4-2.6ghz stable with a long life ahead of it, that will performu with a 3400 a64 and 3.7ghz p4's.

for being 50-70% of the cost comapratively, what do you think ;-)
Click to expand...

My recommendation exactly. But the 2400+M instead of the 2500+M, I hear they're exactly the same chip.
 
Comming out of no where... isnt the Athlon64 FX the best gamming system??? It still costs two arms, two legs and a kidney..... LOL! Sorry for being so naive.
 
Originally posted by zupadupa
Comming out of no where... isnt the Athlon64 FX the best gamming system??? It still costs two arms, two legs and a kidney..... LOL! Sorry for being so naive.
Click to expand...

Actually, the best gaming system is a multiprocessor Opteron, but that'll cost you both arms, both legs, your spine, your eyelids and your shirt. :p
 
It's unfortunate that your old rig used rambus --if it was using some compatible memory, it'd be easy as anything just to pick up a cheap mobo + CPU till it was time to get the new stuff :).

My advice would be to pick up a well priced nforce 2 motherboard --there are lots of them-- and a mobile barton 2400+. I would NOT spend money on 'performance' memory at this time, given that it's not going to work with the new stuff coming out that you want anyhow. So I'd just buy the cheapest two sticks of 256mb DDR you can find (two, so that you run them interleaved;)).

With a good nforce motherboard you don't have to worry about memory timings and speeds anyhow --on my A7N8X I run my FSB at 210 and my memory at 150. Hell, if I wanted to I could run my memory at 66, so buying the cheap stuff isn't gonna hurt you.

That way you'd end up with a system that would still be pretty darned fast with overclocking, while saving a chunk of change to put towards what's 'around the corner' :).

Erik
 
Well, it seems that the predominating suggestion is the Mobile XP, nForce 2 platform. I'm okay with that, but, if anyone else feels strongly that the AMD 64 and nForce 250 make sense, I can afford it, but still, I appreciate your guidance as to whether it makes sense in my situation.
 
Please, a few more recommendations.............otherwise, the Athlon XP's have it.
 
And is BTX appearance something I need to factor in, do I need a new case for all of this, or am I wasting money on a non-BTX case, esentially all thats available now.
 
You might go with what I am thinking, since I game enough but keep computers around for a while. If you feel like playing with opterons for cheap go for the the current nforce or via setup and pick up a 144 or 146. It might not be an overclocking fiend but since the 940 will be around for a while you can always processor upgrade down the road. I am wondering how a 146 overclocks on an nforce150 board.
 
Originally posted by M1ster_R0gers
You might go with what I am thinking, since I game enough but keep computers around for a while. If you feel like playing with opterons for cheap go for the the current nforce or via setup and pick up a 144 or 146. It might not be an overclocking fiend but since the 940 will be around for a while you can always processor upgrade down the road. I am wondering how a 146 overclocks on an nforce150 board.
Click to expand...


Now THATS something I hadnt thought about, interesting option. I'll look into it. I dont honestly know how fast Opterons are in comparison to say, a P4 3.0/XP 3200/A64.
 
Does your UPS come with insurance? Most UPS systems I have seen have a rather large warranty that covers all of your equipment in the event that your UPS fails to protect it. You should check into that and you might be up and running for free or close to it, and then your upgrade would be a little less urgent.
 
Originally posted by Tsumari
Does your UPS come with insurance? Most UPS systems I have seen have a rather large warranty that covers all of your equipment in the event that your UPS fails to protect it. You should check into that and you might be up and running for free or close to it, and then your upgrade would be a little less urgent.
Click to expand...


Very good thought, and certainly an applicable one, except that the UPS was an older, professional series one that was given to me used, from a company I had done some work for. Thus, the insurance warranty dosent apply. My new one, which I bought as a replacement, would indeed cover such an occurrence.
Thanks though.
 
Opteron 1xx == Athlon64 FX. Don't do it.

If you DO want dual-channel memory Athlon64, you'll need to wait for socket 939 to come out.

Another vote for Mobile AthlonXP and nForce2.
 
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