Tight arse/ass PC Upgrade

DjBigK · Post by **DjBigK** » 19 Sep 2006 06:31 pm

Basically it's time to upgrade my PC at home. I don't use it a great deal for anything other than web stuff, occassional image editing and what-not, partly because it's so prehistoric, and partly because that's really all I have the desire to do on it. Nevertheless the machine I use now is prehistoric (Tbird 1400!), so old in fact that my mobo doesn't have USB v2.0.

I've checked over the prices at a local PC store (http://www.itestate.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and have assembled the following list of tight arse/ass components. Basically, I'm after any critiques of the system bearing in mind that the ultimate desire is to build something that will be compatible with Vista, and won't be mega outdated anytime soon for the cheapest possible price. I will be using existing IDE hard drives initially.. will upgrade to SATA at a later date.

Here goes:

CPU - AMD CPU/Processor AM2 Athlon 64 3500+ ($132)
Mobo - ASUS AMD AM2 S940 ASUS M2V-TVM (all in 1/VIA/PCI-e/S3G/Lan/6Ch) ($69)
Memory - DDR2 Ram Generic 1GB PC4200 533MHz ($143)
Video - PCI-e (NVIDIA) Sparkle 7300GS 256MB (550MHz Core/1000MHz Memory/DDR2) ($86)
Case - Generic w/out PSU ($22)
PSU - EZCool 500w True Power (24pin PCI-e) ($55)

Grand Total: $507

Will also have to get a CPU heatsink/fan.

Thoughts?

..orginally posted this in the wrong area.. so have moved it.

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 19 Sep 2006 06:43 pm

The processor should come with a stock AMD HSF otherwise its a nice bunch. You could probably squeeze a little more performance at the expense of an upgrade path if you went a Socket 939 with regular DDR RAM.

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 19 Sep 2006 07:06 pm

you'll probably regret getting that case while you're putting it all together...

I'll talk to you after you get your fingers reattatched

DjBigK · Post by **DjBigK** » 19 Sep 2006 08:18 pm

LoL unfunk...

Just can't justify getting a case that will be more or less the same price as the CPU....

Kabal · Post by **Kabal** » 19 Sep 2006 09:28 pm

7300GS completely sucks.

I know you didnt say you wanted a game machine but a 6600gt is considerably better at playing games and doesn't cost much more

mxlegend99 · Post by **mxlegend99** » 19 Sep 2006 10:11 pm

DjBigK wrote:Basically it's time to upgrade my PC at home. I don't use it a great deal for anything other than web stuff, occassional image editing and what-not, partly because it's so prehistoric, and partly because that's really all I have the desire to do on it. Nevertheless the machine I use now is prehistoric (Tbird 1400!), so old in fact that my mobo doesn't have USB v2.0.

I've checked over the prices at a local PC store (http://www.itestate.com.au" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) and have assembled the following list of tight arse/ass components. Basically, I'm after any critiques of the system bearing in mind that the ultimate desire is to build something that will be compatible with Vista, and won't be mega outdated anytime soon for the cheapest possible price. I will be using existing IDE hard drives initially.. will upgrade to SATA at a later date.

Here goes:

CPU - AMD CPU/Processor AM2 Athlon 64 3500+ ($132)
Mobo - ASUS AMD AM2 S940 ASUS M2V-TVM (all in 1/VIA/PCI-e/S3G/Lan/6Ch) ($69)
Memory - DDR2 Ram Generic 1GB PC4200 533MHz ($143)
Video - PCI-e (NVIDIA) Sparkle 7300GS 256MB (550MHz Core/1000MHz Memory/DDR2) ($86)
Case - Generic w/out PSU ($22)
PSU - EZCool 500w True Power (24pin PCI-e) ($55)

Grand Total: $507

Will also have to get a CPU heatsink/fan.

Thoughts?

..orginally posted this in the wrong area.. so have moved it.

If you could spare an extra $150 to $200, i'd highly recommend going for an Intel Core 2 Duo E6300. And an Intel chipset board also. Would be a lot nicer system. And the Core 2 duo's run quiet cool and if you wanted, are very Over Clocker friendly on default fans.

Also, all in one motherboards with Video Cards onboard are not the best performing boards. Although i'm not a fan of VIA chipsets at all. Is there a limit on what you want? At $500, that's a pretty solid system with exception of the video card... as already mentioned by others.

DjBigK · Post by **DjBigK** » 19 Sep 2006 10:14 pm

PCI-e (NVIDIA) Sparkle Geforce 6600GT 128MB (PX43GDH) HDTV/DVI 128bit is $125... so adds $39 to the price overall. What sort of performance difference would there be between this 6600 and the 7300GS I mentioned previously?

DjBigK · Post by **DjBigK** » 19 Sep 2006 10:19 pm

No fixed limit MX.. basically just want to get a solid system that costs bugger all. Realistically I probably won't upgrade it at all.

mxlegend99 · Post by **mxlegend99** » 19 Sep 2006 10:31 pm

Well if i were going to get a cheap system. I would look at something like this:

CPU Intel Conroe E6300 (This chip is getting rave reviews... it's like $238 though)
MB Gigabyte GA-945P-S3 (Intel Chipset... it's $165)
RAM DDR2 Ram Generic 1GB PC4200 533MHz ($143 - the price has gone up, so i'd stick with the cheapest shit till it drops again)
VID Sparkle GeForce 6600GT PCI-E ($125 - as for how good are they, these things are slightly better then a Radeon 9800pro.... and in some games a lot better... ie. Doom 3 - this thing would run games like Half-Life 2 just fine with the other components in the rig)
Case Generic w/out PSU ($22)
PSU - EZCool 500w True Power (24pin PCI-e) ($55)
Total: $748 (So it's nearly $250 more expensive. But it has a LOT better CPU and MB. And the 6600GT is easily worth that little extra. Infact, i can't beleive it's so cheap to be honest.)

Don't really know what Case/PSU to recommend. Different cases will appeal to different people. I like bigger cases personally, i have an Antec Performance One server case on my machine.

Personally i'd grab a better motherboard and video card then what i'm recommending... and i'd use my current RAM till it drops again and grab 2GIG of G-Skills or Corsair. But for a budget machine... i'd say the extra $200 would be worth it.

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 19 Sep 2006 10:49 pm

the GF6600 is a pretty hard card to beat in terms for value for money - even when I got mine for $200, it was pretty kickarse for the money.

Kabal · Post by **Kabal** » 20 Sep 2006 09:55 am

<shameless plug>
I'm selling a 6600GT on ebay right now.
</shameless plug>

General Chaos · Post by **General Chaos** » 20 Sep 2006 11:46 am

I'm going to be upgrading soon myself. Not that I ever really use my PC but hey these new Core 2's are a nice and pretty cheap carrot to get me to jump and know I'll have a system I can sit on for ages.

I'm also doing a bit of reading on the whole running OSX on X86 PC's and I might have a dip at that too.

What's the go with the GeForce 7900GS? It seems to be a pretty solid mid range card at a decent enough price.

DjBigK · Post by **DjBigK** » 21 Sep 2006 03:03 pm

Have upped the specs on the system....

CPU - Pentium Dual Core 805 2.66 GHz LGA775 2x@MB L2 - $140
Motherboard - S775 Gigabyte GA-945P-S3 (Core2/DDR2-5400/PCI-e) - $165
Memory - DDR2 Generic Ram 1GB (2 x 512MB) - $154
Graphics - PCI-e NVIDIA Sparkle GeForce 7600GS 256MB - $136
Power Supply - PD00003795-EZCool 500W 24 pin Power Supply - $45
Case - Generic PC Midi Case - $22
KB + Mouse - Microsoft Wireless KB + Mouse - $66

Grand Total: $728

$200 more, but has a better motherboard with more room for expansion, a better video card (outperforms the 6600GT plus has 256MB RAM compared to 128MB), and has a dual-core processor (though not a core 2 dual core). This new price also includes a new KB and mouse.

Thoughts?

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 21 Sep 2006 06:16 pm

much better, but that case still needs to be hurled out of the window of a fast moving vehicle...

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 21 Sep 2006 06:24 pm

http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_prod" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... .php?input[product_code]=CA-GTR7101BK&input[category_id]=221

$69

http://www.auspcmarket.com.au/show_prod" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ... .php?input[product_code]=CA-GTRDU09ABK&input[category_id]=221

$66

Sonic Jam · Post by **Sonic Jam** » 21 Sep 2006 06:33 pm

I realise there's no discussion of HDD's but this is as good a thread as I'm going to get for venting.

FUCK YOU MAXTOR.

NEVER BUY THEIR PRODUCTS.

NOT EVEN IF YOU DESPERATELY NEED A HDD AND ALL OTHER BRANDS ARE SOLD OUT IN THE CAPACITY YOU WANT.

That is all.

Losing 100 odd gig of data, and rifling through an additional 100 gig to find stuff that is and isn't corrupted.. great fun.. Aswell as the reinstall/setup of everything.. Woo..hoo...

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 21 Sep 2006 06:36 pm

Oh. Yes.
Western Digital all the way, for me.

Kabal · Post by **Kabal** » 21 Sep 2006 06:47 pm

DjBigK wrote:KB + Mouse - Microsoft Wireless KB + Mouse - $66

It's probably unlikely but if you can type at 120+ words per minute like me then you really really dont want that wireless keyboard

selfish · Post by **selfish** » 21 Sep 2006 08:18 pm

what about samsung hdds? i'm looking at a 120 for my ibook...

Shaneus · Post by **Shaneus** » 21 Sep 2006 08:54 pm

No problems with mine... I have a 120gig in my ThinkPad, and it's worked flawlessly. Might even be a tad quieter than the factory 30gig, but I'm not exactly too sensitive to the operating volume of my laptop

mxlegend99 · Post by **mxlegend99** » 21 Sep 2006 09:53 pm

Western Digital and Seagate FTW

Maxtor are shit. At work we have had just about every Maxtor drive used crash on us. Soured me for life. I wouldn't touch their products even if it was a 1TB drive for $20. Just don't trust them.

DjBigK · Post by **DjBigK** » 21 Sep 2006 09:59 pm

Kabal wrote:
DjBigK wrote:KB + Mouse - Microsoft Wireless KB + Mouse - $66
It's probably unlikely but if you can type at 120+ words per minute like me then you really really dont want that wireless keyboard

That sucks.. what would you recommend?

unfnknblvbl · Post by **unfnknblvbl** » 21 Sep 2006 10:18 pm

something with wires, I suspect... it'd probably be cheaper that way, too

Madmya · Post by **Madmya** » 22 Sep 2006 12:28 am

I've got a maxtor and I do not recommend it :s

Talez · Post by **Talez** » 22 Sep 2006 09:39 am

Please don't change from an AMD to a Pentium D. Fuck those chips are shit.

Also, Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 FTW.

The Games Ranch

Tight arse/ass PC Upgrade

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