Upgrading (1 Viewer)

[Demandred]

Hey guys, I searched around to find some deals concerning my ancient piece of metal called a computer. This computer has been around for about 3 1/2 years:

- P4 2.0 - 100 x 20
- 768 DDR 2700 (1 x 512, 1 x 256)
- 40 gig HD
- SB live value
- Generic network card
- 128mb 4200ti
- 17'' CRT
- 1 x CDRW, 1 X DVD ROM

- Doom 3 runs at around 30 fps on 640 x 480 - medium, Quake 4 runs around 20-25.
- HL2 runs at around 25-35 fps on 1024 x 768 on high .
- NFSU MW is a fast slide show at anything over 800x600.

I am looking for an upgrading which should boost those games to about at least 60 FPS on high setting at 1024 x 768. Ability to decently run Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a must.

So here are the specs:

Gigabyte GA-K8VT890-9 $ 159.00
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (Socket 939) $ 349
512MB PC-2700 DDR Ram $ 79.00
Western Digital 250GB 7200rpm 8MB Hard Drive $ 199.00
Leadtek PX6600 GT 128MB GeForce PX6600 $ 275
300W ATX Power Supply $ 99

All up $1160. What do you guys think? I am on a limited budget and hopefully when i do scrap up the cash, it would just under a grand.

 

[bscienceboi]

I am looking for an upgrading which should boost those games to about at least 60 FPS on high setting at 1024 x 768. Ability to decently run Elder Scrolls Oblivion is a must.

So here are the specs:

Gigabyte GA-K8VT890-9 $ 159.00
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (Socket 939) $ 349
512MB PC-2700 DDR Ram $ 79.00
Western Digital 250GB 7200rpm 8MB Hard Drive $ 199.00
Leadtek PX6600 GT 128MB GeForce PX6600 $ 275
300W ATX Power Supply $ 99

All up $1160. What do you guys think? I am on a limited budget and hopefully when i do scrap up the cash, it would just under a grand.

You can get a better system for that money.

$99 for 300W? Most computers now require at least 400W and you can get a Thermaltake XP550 420W (Max 500W output) for <$50

Leadtek PX6600GT is the Extreme version and you can find it for $240 at Fluitek.com in Sydney.

512Mb is NOT enough for games. Minimum 1 Gig (and decent brand).

For $349 you can get a AMD64 3700+

Shop around.

 

[Collin]

Get a Venice core AMD64. Great overclockers, and I reckon you won't even need anything much more than a 3200+ Venice since your video card will only be a 6600GT.

Forget PC2700 and go for faster RAM like PC3200. Get 1GB too.

 

[Templar]

The motherboard you chose is based on the Via chipset. Get a nForce 4 one.

 

[Demandred]

I had a look around, I've been able to reduce the price to just under $949 total. Some of my friends said AMD is prone to overheating... what do you guys reckon?

 

[euskadi_warrior]

yeh, i used to have an AMD and it used to get so bloody hot and the computer didnt last long before it broke down. However, that was about 4 years ago now... I've heard thing have changed.

 

[equiski]

Some of my friends said AMD is prone to overheating... what do you guys reckon?

Thats bullshit. AMD 64s run much cooler than equivelent Pentiums. Running at stock speeds I very much doubt you could overheat a 64.

 

[euskadi_warrior]

Thats bullshit. AMD 64s run much cooler than equivelent Pentiums. Running at stock speeds I very much doubt you could overheat a 64.

I'm thinking about buying a new computer.

So...to start the age old question again...which is better? AMD or Intel? I've just had bad experiences with AMD and I havent used one in a while.

 

[Templar]

There is no simple question to what is better. It depends on what you need, your budget etc.

In general, get an Athlon 64.

 

[equiski]

Actually, yesterday i ordered the parts for my next computer.

1 x AMD Athlon 64 3500+ (S939) (CPAT3.5K) = $301.40
1 x GIGABYTE NX68G256D-B Gef6800GS, 256MB, 256bit, PCIE16, DDRIII8Mx32, DSUB, TVOUT, TWINVIE () = $333.30
1 x Gigabyte GA-K8N-SLI motherboard () = $152.90
1 x Pioneer DVR-110 DVD Re-Writer (16x/8x Dual Layer Black) (WRDPIO110BK) = $69.30
1 x WD 200Gb 7200 8Mb Cache SATA Hard Disk (HD200WD/72/S) = $123.20
1 x Cooler MasterT Cavalier 3 Charcoal Black (CAVT03UKC) = $128.15
1 x Corsair VS1GBKIT400 1024MB (2x 512MB) Va (VS1GBKIT400) = $128.68
2 x Zalman Fan ZM-F1, 80mm, 3000RPM+-10%, 36 (ZM-F1) = $13.90
1 x 1.44MB FDD "SONY" BLACK Colour! (FDD1.44-BL) = $11.55

All up its under 1300 bucks, and should be rather good for games. Now I'm thinking I should have got an Athlon 64 3000+ and put a little bit extra in for a 7800GT. Oh well.

Generally, unless you have alot of money to spend, gamers should be looking at an Athlon 64/Athlon 64x2 system. Thats just my opinion though.

 

[bscienceboi]

A San Diego core AMD 64 is a better overclocker than the Venice.

THe temperature on average when running small programs (surfing net, msn etc) should be around 35 - 40 degrees, higher when playing games. With 2 fans in a case it should be fine and would not overheat to the point the CPU will die.

When purchasing RAM. THe stepping is often important. The first number in the chain etc. 2.5-3-3-3 usually gives an indication of the speed the RAM runs at (not just based on hertz). the lower the first digit the faster. Usually it would be 2/2.5/3.

AMD is a better choice for Midend-highend mainstream now. Generally due to performance and pricing.

WHen purchasing a HDD-Hard Drive aim for a SATA I/II drive as these have better transfer speeds and the cables are smaller.

 

[Templar]

When purchasing RAM. THe stepping is often important. The first number in the chain etc. 2.5-3-3-3 usually gives an indication of the speed the RAM runs at (not just based on hertz). the lower the first digit the faster. Usually it would be 2/2.5/3.

Just a few additional on RAM for AMD system. Only concerns those who want the max performance.

For best performance try to get RAM with 2-2-2-5 timing at DDR400. However this is only available in 512MB modules which means you can get a maximum of 1GB of RAM (explained later why this is the case). If you want to overclock it might be better to aim for modules rated above 400 eg DDR500. Timing will be slightly worse off, but in general, DDR400 2-2-2-5 should overclock well anyway.

Despite having 4 RAM slots, you can really only use two of them if you want the best performance. If all 4 slots are used RAM timing is slowed down to 2T instead of the 1T with two modules. As explained above 1GB RAM module with good timing is both rare and expensive, so you have to compromise between performance or RAM size. Unless you're willing to spend lots of money on >DDR400 with good timing.

 

[Spikeru]

Here are the specs for the new PC I'll be getting for uni, the parts should be arriving in the next week or so.
Athlon 64 3200+S939 $229.99
Gigabyte X800 XL 256Mb $330.00
Corsair Value Select PC3200 1024Mb/1Gb Module $145.00
Seagate 160Gb 8Mb SATA NCQ $128.00
Gigabyte K8N51GMF-9 939 $129.00
Pioneer 110 Dual Layer 16x DVD+-RW Black $77.00
Coolermaster AMMO 533 No PSU $99.00
Microsoft Basic Black Keyboard & Mouse $35.00
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Paste $10.00
Coolermaster Real Power 450w PSU $85.00

All in all I pretty happy. The price for postage killed me a little and I would have rather gone with a more expensive/budget MB, like a Lanparty Nf4 Ultra-D and I'll still need to buy a few fans. I decided that the money would be better spent on a good quality, study case as I'll be moving it alot.

The Coolermaster Ammo looks like some sort of futuristic ammo case, so I think I'll be repainting the whole thing light olive drab with a big Federated Suns sword/sunburst on one side, with
Pack, Power, Man Portable PPC,
DI-XI-67PPC
stenciled on the other side, maybe with some graffiti and a unit logo (prob Dav Guards RCT or 10th Deneb Light Cav)

In any case.... it'll be awesome