$100 bucks to burn [Archive]

MJCfromCT

08-13-2003, 06:08 PM

Hi all,

I came into about a hundred bucks recently, i'd like to spend it on computer upgrades...here are the specs on my machine

AMD Athlon XP 2100+
Gigabyte GA-7VAXP Deluxe motherboard
786 MB DDR 333
Visiontek TI-4600
400W Power Supply
Thermaltake Xaser II Case
DVD Burner
CD Burner

I am going to be replacing the 2100 with a higher-powered processor soon, but this 100 bucks will not go toward that...besides the processor, what do you all think would be a good upgrade for my machine? (Used primarily for gaming) Thanks in advance :)

iceblue

08-13-2003, 06:23 PM

how bout another stick of memory to up that to 1gig. the rest of the system looks fine. i would save up for all the goodies coming this fall.

edit: i recommended this since he said besides the processor

BipolarBill

08-13-2003, 06:32 PM

Get the 2500+ Barton Athlon - retail with HSF:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?catalog=343&DEPA=0&submit=property&mfrcode=0&propertycode=&propertycodevalue=4159,4575

MJCfromCT

08-13-2003, 06:39 PM

BipolarBill,

Most likely i will be getting a new CPU...if not a 2500+, then something like a 2800-3000 (part of my high school graduation gift). So i will not have to spend the money on the CPU

$1500-P4 gamer

08-13-2003, 06:58 PM

Well the #1 rule with upgrades is to replace the weakest part i.e. bottleneck. BUt the only one there is the cpu-which you said will be a gift. So the $100 you have will more or less be a waiste till then. Take your Girlfriend out for the night or get some dvd's or somthing. That pc is top end enuff already to where anything but cpu will be a waiste of $. The video card is good enuff-sure a 9800 would woop its **** but A, not enuff $ for one. B) not really worth the upgrade as the ti4600 is still fast card. Video cards are such a ripp-off.:( For the price of one high-end card ya can build a whole nother mid-range system.:t

gjimene2

08-13-2003, 08:09 PM

the 2500+ will oc to 3200+ specs, and then some! :)

BipolarBill

08-13-2003, 08:11 PM

Not on a KT400 it won't. :(

Someone Stupid

08-13-2003, 09:04 PM

Get an 8rda+... 85 bucks or so at newegg if you want to overclock - just enough money left over the cheap 7 buck heatsink that will work better than many five times it's price. Speege or something... BpB knows it for sure, he loves the little buggers. :)

Personally though, the system is fast enough, and you have enough ram and such... save the cash as upgrade time will come eventually, and you don't want to be scraping then.

$1500-P4 gamer

08-13-2003, 09:07 PM

Originally posted by BipolarBill
Not on a KT400 it won't. :(

I agree. But it supports the mem to do it with (ddr400) LOL:rolleyes: Typical Via naming schemes. Err plots I mean. Any bets a 400A will? If there ever will be one. Man I hate Via.:t

MJCfromCT

08-13-2003, 10:01 PM

yeah, i have to say that although my motherboard performs decent, i'd REALLY like to have one like an asus a7n8x with an nforce2 chipset...maybe i'll count my pennies and buy one of those...

gjimene2

08-13-2003, 10:37 PM

Originally posted by BipolarBill
Not on a KT400 it won't. :(

Didn't pay attention to what the mobo was.

Another reason to upgrade to a better mobo :D

BipolarBill

08-13-2003, 10:54 PM

Well there ya go - the concensus is....

nForce2 motherboard!

gjimene2

08-13-2003, 11:53 PM

You know what gets my vote.

Epox 8RDA+

BipolarBill

08-14-2003, 12:09 AM

Why do you think I used green? Subliminal suggestion. ;)

Someone Stupid

08-14-2003, 12:58 AM

And a speeze to keep it cool - hey, if your chip melts, point at the guy with 20,000 post, not at me. :) I have an SLK. :)

They already ditched the 400... they have kt600 boards coming out. EPoX and Gigabyte already have at least handed out review boards to Anandtech.

BipolarBill

08-14-2003, 01:00 AM

I have an SLK. :)So do I. The Speeze is just as effective and quieter. Ahhhh....

$1500-P4 gamer

08-14-2003, 01:54 AM

"They already ditched the 400... they have kt600 boards coming out. EPoX and Gigabyte already have at least handed out review boards to Anandtech."

Ah I see-thanks for the info. Ya can tell I dont follow via very close. I knew somthing would follow the 400 to deliver what it promised. Just to follow trend of thier normal product cycle.

Yep Id up and go for a real oclocking mobo to support that new cpu you'll get later.

Yoshi

08-14-2003, 05:58 AM

I would save that money, and 6 months or so go for a complete change, go for the new Athlon 64, all you really need is a new MOBO ( that supports the new chipset), the New CPU ( the price will not be that high), and maybe up you vid card around then. So save all you nickles and dimes, 64s ar commin to town:D :D :D

MJCfromCT

08-14-2003, 08:31 AM

...just curious...what is one of the main drawbacks of the via chipsets? Can anyone give me some pros and cons, or maybe just the cons, of Via chipsets?

Baddog

08-14-2003, 08:47 AM

zeebs

08-14-2003, 09:37 AM

give it to your best friend :D

MJCfromCT

08-14-2003, 09:40 AM

...give what to Jon??? :D :r :t j/k

zeebs

08-14-2003, 09:49 AM

oh ur just sooo funny..more like...best friend..hmmm I know I have one let me just try and think of who it might be... maybe not oh well $100 for myself :eek:

lol j/k:)

ConfusedAlien

08-14-2003, 12:51 PM

not that those kt600s are faster than the nforce2 ultras...lol

id just keep that money.

$1500-P4 gamer

08-14-2003, 03:34 PM

Originally posted by Yoshi
I would save that money, and 6 months or so go for a complete change, go for the new Athlon 64, all you really need is a new MOBO ( that supports the new chipset), the New CPU ( the price will not be that high), and maybe up you vid card around then. So save all you nickles and dimes, 64s ar commin to town:D :D :D

O.K. but think a minute here. The 1.8gig is one of the bigger Athlon 64's and will be very $. $200 and some $. Games are gonna be 32bit for a long while yet-be sure of that. So that means a 2500+ at less than 50% cost will be = in games. Why wait-what will you save and how will you gain are the questions to be asked. And you will need a new Xp OS that is 64bit there goes antoher 130-$200. Your gonna be out a easy $400-500 (cpu/mainboard/64bit OS) to get up and running just to be = to a 1.8gig 2500+ now in games! THat dont make sense to me yet. When 64bit is truely here OS, apps and all-then go for 64bit. Thats just MHO.:t

Baddog

08-14-2003, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by $1500-P4 gamer

O.K. but think a minute here. The 1.8gig is one of the bigger Athlon 64's and will be very $. $200 and some $. Games are gonna be 32bit for a long while yet-be sure of that. So that means a 2500+ at less than 50% cost will be = in games. Why wait-what will you save and how will you gain are the questions to be asked. And you will need a new Xp OS that is 64bit there goes antoher 130-$200. Your gonna be out a easy $400-500 (cpu/mainboard/64bit OS) to get up and running just to be = to a 1.8gig 2500+ now in games! THat dont make sense to me yet. When 64bit is truely here OS, apps and all-then go for 64bit. Thats just MHO.:t

SEE! All that price you better be saving your money.:D

zeebs

08-14-2003, 03:46 PM

good call p41500 the 64bit will effect so much it's hard to just update one thing for $100 and reap the benefits.

Someone Stupid

08-14-2003, 03:59 PM

BpB, I have a 120mm fan with adaptor jury rigged to it, so I'm pushing abut 100 CFM (with the option to go to 190CFM with switching the wires around, though that is loud) rather quitely and keeping it cool. It just needs strong airflow... It cools my cpu better than the 5500 rpm Thermaltake fan I had on there which pushed an ungodly amount of air... the cone reduces the turbulence and erases that gaping hole in the center where the spindle is.

How well would it handle 2.1 volts though? :) As that 2500 barton took it for a few weeks (to hit 2.4 ghz) until the ac went out and the nb got picky on mem speeds sinec I wasn't there to shut it off and the cpu didn't hit the 65C shutdown temp as it isn't suffering any (checked it with another chip to make sure it was the nb). So now it's at 1.9 to run at 3200 specs - any higher and the nb gets nasty. The curse of having a first run chip - oh well. It'll last me until I need to upgrade - that's enough for me.

Baddog

08-14-2003, 04:04 PM

Originally posted by Someone Stupid
BpB, I have a 120mm fan with adaptor jury rigged to it, so I'm pushing abut 100 CFM (with the option to go to 190CFM with switching the wires around, though that is loud) rather quitely and keeping it cool. It just needs strong airflow... It cools my cpu better than the 5500 rpm Thermaltake fan I had on there which pushed an ungodly amount of air... the cone reduces the turbulence and erases that gaping hole in the center where the spindle is.

How well would it handle 2.1 volts though? :) As that 2500 barton took it for a few weeks (to hit 2.4 ghz) until the ac went out and the nb got picky on mem speeds sinec I wasn't there to shut it off and the cpu didn't hit the 65C shutdown temp as it isn't suffering any (checked it with another chip to make sure it was the nb). So now it's at 1.9 to run at 3200 specs - any higher and the nb gets nasty. The curse of having a first run chip - oh well. It'll last me until I need to upgrade - that's enough for me.

Opps wrong thread.:D

Tor

08-14-2003, 04:19 PM

Originally posted by $1500-P4 gamer
Well the #1 rule with upgrades is to replace the weakest part i.e. bottleneck.

How come no one has mentioned hard drives yet?

MJC, you didn't specify your hdd. Are you running 5400/7200rpm, 2Meg buffer? You can get 80Gig 7200rpm/8Meg buffer WD's from pricewatch for less than a hundred.

Tor

$1500-P4 gamer

08-14-2003, 05:30 PM

I guessed he had good drive with dvd burner and other high pc specs. But yer right-lets not assume. What is yer hdd? Tor, thats a very good point.:t

MJCfromCT

08-14-2003, 05:43 PM

Tor,

Right now, i have an 80 gig and a 60 gig, both 7200 rpm, both non-8mb cache

I don't have the cash to buy a giant hdd to replace them both, so if anything i'd need to get a third and a controller card

$1500-P4 gamer

08-14-2003, 06:06 PM

Well, their good enuff already. Id say get a real mobo with 200fsb support to run the new cpu you want the right way! Thats gonna be kt600 or Nf2. Nf2 has my vote, but thats just me. Im a little biased Hate via and I have a Nf2 sooo. LOL.

MJCfromCT

08-14-2003, 06:45 PM

$1500-P4 gamer,

I'm not up to par when it comes to differences between chipsets...what's so bad about Via?

strat1

08-14-2003, 07:26 PM

Originally posted by Tor
How come no one has mentioned hard drives yet?
MJC, you didn't specify your hdd. Are you running 5400/7200rpm, 2Meg buffer? You can get 80Gig 7200rpm/8Meg buffer WD's from pricewatch for less than a hundred.
Tor
Why not get the Western Digital Caviar Special Edition 80.0GB Internal Hard Drive 8mb cache for $59.00 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051384460160&skuId=4599777&type=product&cmp=%20%20)

MJCfromCT

08-14-2003, 07:28 PM

...i would but then i'd have to get rid of one of my existing drives...don't really want to do that unless i get something that's almost double the storage space...

if i got the 80 gb with the 8mb cache, i'd also have to get a controller card and hook it up as a 3rd hard drive...never done that before, always had 2 hard drives the max :)

gjimene2

08-14-2003, 07:32 PM

I hate mail in rebates :mad:

But now that I think of it, last mail in rebate I did from Best Buy did work :D

That's a cheap drive for only $59.00 :t

$1500-P4 gamer

08-15-2003, 01:57 PM

Originally posted by MJCfromCT
$1500-P4 gamer,

I'm not up to par when it comes to differences between chipsets...what's so bad about Via?

drivers, bad naming schemes>. A revisions that fix stuff that shouldn't have been broke to start with hence making you the consumer the test subject. Accepting good $ for beta material. Ignoring performance issues with mainboards particularly the mem in the past.

BUT....that is just my opinion. THats why I said go Kt600 OR nf2. Both will do 200fsb for yer new cpu, good thing to have as these 32bit ones are on the way out. Might aswell be able to run the heavy weight.:t

Tor

08-15-2003, 03:48 PM

Originally posted by $1500-P4 gamer
I guessed he had good drive with dvd burner and other high pc specs. But yer right-lets not assume. What is yer hdd? Tor, thats a very good point.:t

I've got a WD 80Gig 7200 2Meg buffer. I'd like to know where I can get that WD 8Meg for $59 though!!! As P4gamer said, VIA has been notorious for buggy chipsets, they release their product and fix it later. I hated the 4in1 or whatever those drivers were called, when I had an Athlon 800 bout 3 years ago. I stick with Intel chipsets now. They're pretty much rock solid, but I don't know a whole lot about the Nforce, or other chipsets for AMD machines. I did have a good experience with the Sis 645 chipset though, but thats also for P4's, okay I'm not being any help now so I'll stop rambling. :D

Tor