Upgrade opinions..

[Hellmund]

Well recently I pulled off a awesome poker machine win and have some money http://www.sysopt.com/forum/biggrin.gif

Currently:
Duron 750
Abit KT7
KYRO 4000XT
10gb Quantum Fireball
36X CDROM
128mb RAM PC100 CL2
250W PS

Now, I gotta make a decision what to get,
1) Geforce 2 GTS PRO + 256mb PC133
2) 256mb PC133 + FOP/WBK38 + 1ghz T-bird B
3) 256mb PC133 + FOP/WBK38 + Apollo KYROII

I've been able to test my duron to 900mhz but the HS is inadequate to test any higher so I don't know how high I will be able to get this proc. What would you pick and why, this is solely for gaming and Vis-clarity isn't that important....15' screen @60hz!

[Gibbo]

I'd go for the Geforce 2 (+ a new heatsink + fan. just to see how far u can get that duron http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif )

If it's purly for games 900Mhz should (I Think) be plenty of grunt especially if you have a graphics card to take the hardest part of workload of the CPU

just my opinion though, see what every 1 else says and make an informed choice

[Hellmund]

FAN VANTECH D1-6040B $19
+
SUMA 64meg DDR GF2 PRO Retail Box BLACK PCB $319
or
SUMA 64meg DDR GF2 PRO TV Out Retail Box BLACK PCB and Ram Sinks!! $329
+
PC133 256meg KING-MAX TINY BGA $75
All up around 410 or 430.....hopefully in a couple of weeks http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[Dudster]

I'd go for:

This - FAN VANTECH D1-6040B $19 (I don't know what it is but I assume it's a good one http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif)
This - SUMA 64meg DDR GF2 PRO TV Out Retail Box BLACK PCB and Ram Sinks!! $329
And this - PC133 256meg KING-MAX TINY BGA $75

Then maybe try n sell the Kyro if you don't mind not having a spare vid card (I still have a spare GF256).

Even if 900Mhz is the most you can get your Duron to, I think it still wouldn't be worth getting a 1Ghz Athlon.

Edit: Whoops; I'm forgetting that you'd probably be able to OC a 1Ghz Athlon so I don't know anymore. I'll get my coat http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

[This message has been edited by Dudster (edited 09-04-2001).]

[Hellmund]

Well I have got a spare M64, actually all I need is a PS and I got a whole spare PC http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif. Thing is where am I going to sell it......don't know anyone who could use it, all my friends have pretty sad cpu's which won't do jack for a KYRO.

BTW, I think $10 is worth TV-out and the RAMsink's, just that the ramsinks are just for appearance and I'll probaly never use the TV-OUT.....

I can get a leadtek 32mb DDR card for about $270...but it'll probaly be worth it later on having 64mb....Maybe I'll get save some more after and get a T-bird....although I'm already concerned the ol' 250W PS won't be upto the PRO.....

[Dudster]

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif Oh right. Personally I wouldn't want to risk it with a 250W PS so I'd buy a new 300-350W one. Then have a spare machine that you could maybe sell via local newspapers and shop windows. I've read several stories recently of people frying 250W PSs (aswell as the ones of people having no problems) so I wouldn't let a 250W PS anywhere near my PC http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
the ramsinks are just for appearance and I'll probaly never use the TV-OUT.....
I thought you'd probably be wanting to OC it and I thought RAMsinks would aid that (though I don't really know. As you might've guessed, I'm not into OCing http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif).

With money an issue, I'd be tempted to get the Leadtek 32MB GF2. I dunno but I think by the time 64MB becomes useful (especially with your monitor), the GF2 could be struggling anyway.

So now I would get:

A new PSU
This - FAN VANTECH D1-6040B $19
This - PC133 256meg KING-MAX TINY BGA $75
And either a GF or an Athlon if there's enough cash left.

While I'm here, could you answer a question that I've been wondering about for some time? Is there any such thing as an Australian arachnaphobic http://www.sysopt.com/forum/biggrin.gif ? I'm arachnaphobic and if I found myself in Australia, I'd be freakin out big time.

[Hellmund]

Yep http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif
My mum is, I've enjoyed a fun life of being woken up at 4am cause ones in the bathroom....

DDR/SDR RAm rarely outputs more than 4W, the ram simply doesn't get hot enough, ramsinks accordingly look cool but don't do that much. Maybe cool it down 3C more at the most.

I'm already looking at powersupplies....but decent ones are just too expensive. I gotta try and sell the ol RAM/Vid-card.

[Cody]

This is a hair offtopic, but why does everyone seem to think GeForce 256's get ****-poor performance?

This is my rig:

PIII Coppermine 800EB
512MB PC133 RAM
30GB HD
SoundBlaster Live! Value
16X DVD-ROM and PlexWriter 8/4/32A
Visiontek GeForce 256 w/32MB

I can get upwards of 200 FPS in Tribes 2.

You can't TELL me that that isn't pretty good for ANY card!

[Dudster]

http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif My GF256 SDRAM just couldn't handle the amount of eye candy and resolutions I like in the games I play (I doubt I would've got 200fps in Tribes 2). I now have a bottleneck in my 800MHz T-Bird which is holding my GF3 back so I'll be upgrading to at least 1.2GHz in a few weeks. Then I'll be getting what I consider good performance.

[dawgtuff]

Hellmund-1)OC the Duron with a better fan/HS and make sure it runs stable.2)Post a question about BGA and see if anyone is using it and how it performs.3)Get a better monitor!!4)Buy a geforce2 pro(it's $60 cheaper than an ultra and I don't think there's $60 worth of difference).4)Your PS may be a problem.I found it was cheaper to buy a full size 300w ATX case for future upgrades.
The main thing is getting your Duron 750 to 900.I think this is close enough to the breakover point where you won't loose much in performance,and if it works you saved yourself from buying a new cpu/mobo.
Hope this helps.....dawgtuff.

[Hellmund]

Lol, yeah I definitely gotta get a new monitor....but firsts thing firsts. I do need a new case with Powersupply though, but the thing is most 300W PS's are more than RAM + a Heatsink. I think I may save a little longer and get a Geforce2 PRO with a HS and Ram, plus a 300W PS. I think it should be right though, it's a barebones case, I don't think I even still have the floppy connected http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[Hellmund]

I caved....couldn't wait and a computer fair was today, Got a Leadtek Winfast GF2 GTS PRO for $340, has TV-out http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif....won't use it but it's there. Unfortunately I'm typing from the trusty ol' KYRO, The little green power LED doesn't come on, I guess the PS isn't enough.....Hopefully I'll be able to get a new PS SOON!!!

I dying to play UT at a constant 60fps +...KYRO's good with UT but still takes a hit with heavy rocket launcher action.

[eagle1]

Congratz Hellmund.!
You've taken a step from your Kyro?
Wow... I'm impressed http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif

I think you'll be able to push your Duron if you get better cooling but you could do the same with a new T-bird.!
Does your motherboard let you overclock easily? If it does, your next update should be a T-bird with a good h/f combo!

[Dudster]

Unfortunately I'm typing from the trusty ol' KYRO, The little green power LED doesn't come on, I guess the PS isn't enough.....
http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif Man, that's gotta hurt. I'd be borrowing money left right and centre (like I have been doing).

[Hellmund]

Yeh I have a board easy to o/c with, a mighty ol original abit KT7 with the KT133 chipset that can't handle 133mhz FSB......

I don't need to borrow money, I put this money aside....well I won on the pokies but putting the money aside sounds better http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Hopefully have this sorted out today.

[Hellmund]

Oh missed one little point, yes in a LOT of pain...I gotta go the dentist in 10 hours as well....

[Hellmund]

I am now posting from the fragile PRO card http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

Dam thing, I took the card to mates work and he chucked it in an ol K6-2 machine with a 200W ATX powersupply and it worked first dam time...!!!!!!!! So knowing the card was functional I decident to do testing. I broke out the ol' BF6 with a cel333( while it was in i did some experimenting, it managed 550mhz with NO VOLTAGE INCREASE!) plugged it into the PS and HDD's etc (sat it on top o the case http://www.sysopt.com/forum/wink.gif) and the card worked straight away!!!!

So I unplug the BF6, plug the KT7 back in and AGAIN it won't work!!!! Being slightly annoyed.....well to be honest I wanted to punch a hole in the wall, I used a little tough love and forced that ******* in the slot REAL HARD......wouldn't ya know the bloody thing worked??!!!!! Now if u so much as bump the case while it's off you have to apply pressure to the card or the system won't POSt again....hence 'fragile' PRO, it'll have to earn the trust I had in the ol KYRO. I guess the AGP slot on the KT7 is too tight to get the card in deep enough.....but nothing I can really do about that. I suppose as the PRO heats up it'll expand the slot as well.