Building my new computer - Thoughts?

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-10 03:02pm

Sokartawi wrote:
But if you do so, get a socket 939 I'd say.

Obviously, unless your an OCer,the last socket is dead.

it might be a small price increase, but its well worth it.

Sokartawi · Post by **Sokartawi** » 2004-10-10 03:23pm

Still, there isn't really a motherboard with socket 939 around here that I'd want to have. I'd go for the Athlon64 3500+, with the 1000MHz FSB (over 400 Euros), but there are no mobos for sale here with DDR2 support, and then I want 2x 1GB Corsair DDR memory in there running at 500MHz instead. I'd go for the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum-54G (NForce 3 Ultra), that's another 170 Euros. However it only supports upto the 3800+ CPU, so if I upgrade the CPU later, I have to buy YET ANOTHER mobo. And isn't NForce 4 just around the corner? I'm holding my breath for that, until then I'm happy with my AMD3200...

And fuck this, just installing win2k on a SECONDARY harddisk but it seems to have installed itself over win98 on my primary harddisk, despite me saying not to do that! Grrrr I hate windows...

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-10 03:55pm

Sokartawi wrote:Still, there isn't really a motherboard with socket 939 around here that I'd want to have. I'd go for the Athlon64 3500+, with the 1000MHz FSB (over 400 Euros), but there are no mobos for sale here with DDR2 support, and then I want 2x 1GB Corsair DDR memory in there running at 500MHz instead. I'd go for the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum-54G (NForce 3 Ultra), that's another 170 Euros. However it only supports upto the 3800+ CPU, so if I upgrade the CPU later, I have to buy YET ANOTHER mobo. And isn't NForce 4 just around the corner? I'm holding my breath for that, until then I'm happy with my AMD3200...

And fuck this, just installing win2k on a SECONDARY harddisk but it seems to have installed itself over win98 on my primary harddisk, despite me saying not to do that! Grrrr I hate windows...

Any Nforce3 mobo should be good. on the DDR2? WTF? AMD has no support for DDR2.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-10-10 04:00pm

Sokartawi wrote:And fuck this, just installing win2k on a SECONDARY harddisk but it seems to have installed itself over win98 on my primary harddisk, despite me saying not to do that! Grrrr I hate windows...

W2K needs to install its bootloader on drive 0 to properly boot unless you use some sort of third-party bootloader.

Sokartawi · Post by **Sokartawi** » 2004-10-10 04:16pm

Ace Pace wrote:Any Nforce3 mobo should be good. on the DDR2? WTF? AMD has no support for DDR2.

Yah yah wasn't thinking straight as I thought win2k was messing up my system...

phongn wrote:
Sokartawi wrote:And fuck this, just installing win2k on a SECONDARY harddisk but it seems to have installed itself over win98 on my primary harddisk, despite me saying not to do that! Grrrr I hate windows...
W2K needs to install its bootloader on drive 0 to properly boot unless you use some sort of third-party bootloader.

Yes, I noticed the system was OK once it started for the second time, have indeed got that funny boot menu now... Internet still doesn't work on with 2k but worked immediately on 98... I thought 2k was easier with network crap...

In case I get rid of the second harddisk or want to install something else on it, is there a way to get rid of that menu easily?

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-10-10 04:54pm

Sokartawi wrote:Yes, I noticed the system was OK once it started for the second time, have indeed got that funny boot menu now... Internet still doesn't work on with 2k but worked immediately on 98... I thought 2k was easier with network crap...

In case I get rid of the second harddisk or want to install something else on it, is there a way to get rid of that menu easily?

Not too easily, no. You can try to use the command "fdisk /mbr" with a W98 boot disk, but that may or may not work. W2K is not neccessarily easier with networking but it is better at it.

admiral_danielsben · Post by **admiral_danielsben** » 2004-10-10 07:19pm

Get a full gigabyte of RAM, especially if you want to play brand new games. Trust me on this. 512 isn't bad, but memory is one of the cheapest ways to increase performance (up to a certain point, the more memory you buy, the less per unit performance jump you get).

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2004-10-10 07:19pm

Ace Pace wrote:
Sokartawi wrote:
But if you do so, get a socket 939 I'd say.
Obviously, unless your an OCer,the last socket is dead.

it might be a small price increase, but its well worth it.

Oh, I'd love to have it, but the AMD Athlon64 3500+ CPU is $557.90. That's more (by a couple of dollars) than my entire "2800+ and everything else left" budget.

Stop Press: The 500W power supply and HSF just arrived in the mail. Sweeet...

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2004-10-10 07:26pm

admiral_danielsben wrote:Get a full gigabyte of RAM, especially if you want to play brand new games. Trust me on this. 512 isn't bad, but memory is one of the cheapest ways to increase performance (up to a certain point, the more memory you buy, the less per unit performance jump you get).

I'm now kind of stuck between "XP 3200+" vs "XP 2800+ & extra 512MB RAM"...

And a new alternative (for $50 more than the "XP 3200+ and everything else" budget):
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ "Newcastle" ($346.70)
Gigabyte GA-K8NSPRO Motherboard ($186.50)

Post by **Dalton** » 2004-10-10 07:33pm

Lord of the Farce wrote:Or maybe you're talking about something completely different... *shrug*... And now I've got 4 and a half hours before I have to get up again... *sigh*... sleep...

Nah, I think I was probably just being not too swift

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2004-10-10 09:05pm

My current three options:

Option 1: $389.00 wrote:AMD Athlon XP 2800+
Gigabyte GA-7N400PRO2

Option 2: $477.00 wrote:AMD Athlon XP 3200+
Gigabyte GA-7N400PRO2

Option 3: $533.20 wrote:AMD Athlon 64 3200+ (Newcastle)
Gigabyte GA-K8NSPRO

Sokartawi · Post by **Sokartawi** » 2004-10-11 05:04am

I'd go for option 2 and increase RAM later... Only going to get cheaper, and you won't upgrade the 2800 CPU to 3200 later, but if you get the 3200 now you'll be able to do a bit longer with the PC before it gets too old and slow. And socket 754 is dead and you don't want to invest in that.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2004-10-11 05:09am

Befor I allways built my own computer, but my last one was a Dell 8200.

If it's win XP or the fact that it is a branded computer I do not know, but it is problem free when compared to all other computers I have owned.

So my next computer is a Dell.

Sokartawi · Post by **Sokartawi** » 2004-10-11 07:07am

I advice people when they buy PCs, and always when they buy prebuilt ones (Dell, IBM, Packard Bell, you name it), I get much more problems then when I tell them to buy a bag of parts and assemble it for them. A lot of times it's not the computers that are messed up, but they didn't give the proper media along with it, like invalid drivers or recovery software for completely different hardware, or no Windows CD...

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-11 08:14am

Lord of the Farce wrote: Oh, I'd love to have it, but the AMD Athlon64 3500+ CPU is $557.90. That's more (by a couple of dollars) than my entire "2800+ and everything else left" budget.

Stop Press: The 500W power supply and HSF just arrived in the mail. Sweeet...

I don't know about prices, but why not get a 3200+ 64-bit or even a 3000?

if you really can't do it, okey, go with the strongest Athlon XP you can get, but it will hurt later on.

Meest · Post by **Meest** » 2004-10-11 08:34am

With Socket 754 being really cheap and 939 having no real cheap solution at the moment, having not to worry about expensive RAM makes it more of a steal to get the AMD64 to an XP. If you want to upgrade later anyways you're going to need a new mobo regardless, at least you'll be able to have a better chip of that generation.

XP3200+ 2.20Ghz CPU 512K 400fsb box $275.00CAN
AMD64 3200 2.2Ghz 512K 400fsb box $273.00CAN

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-11 08:46am

For interest on prices, recent 939 CPU's which are reletivly cheap

Athlon 64 3000+
Athlon 64 3200+

Both should be had for under 200$, that allready lowers the price for you.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-10-11 08:58am

Remember that he lives in Australia.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-11 09:02am

phongn wrote:Remember that he lives in Australia.

Ah oops, I don't suppose theres an aussie price engine?

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2004-10-11 09:14am

After some thought, I had decided on going with option 3 (left the order at the sho earlier today):
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ "Newcastle" CPU ($346.70)
Gigabyte GA-K8NSPRO Motherboard ($186.50)

Anyway, I didn't even know that you can get socket 939 in 3200+ (I've only seen them in equal or greater than 3500+)?!

Ah, just had a quick web search, and there is 3200+ in socket 939. Now I'll just have a quick look for availability and price in Australia...

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-11 09:17am

Lord of the Farce wrote:After some thought, I had decided on going with option 3 (left the order at the sho earlier today):
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ "Newcastle" CPU ($346.70)
Gigabyte GA-K8NSPRO Motherboard ($186.50)

Anyway, I didn't even know that you can get socket 939 in 3200?!

I point at Anandtech's update for AMD's lineup.

Lord of the Farce · Post by **Lord of the Farce** » 2004-10-11 09:50am

Ace Pace wrote:
Lord of the Farce wrote:After some thought, I had decided on going with option 3 (left the order at the sho earlier today):
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ "Newcastle" CPU ($346.70)
Gigabyte GA-K8NSPRO Motherboard ($186.50)

Anyway, I didn't even know that you can get socket 939 in 3200?!
I point at Anandtech's update for AMD's lineup.

I've only had a fairly quick look, but from what I can tell, there isn't any 3200+ 939 currently in Australia (except for imported ones)... And I don't see it being widely distributed here for a long while... Shit.
(Hell, it was only due to be publically released in the US a few days ago.)

Vertigo1 · Post by **Vertigo1** » 2004-10-11 04:52pm

Ace Pace wrote:
phongn wrote:Remember that he lives in Australia.
Ah oops, I don't suppose theres an aussie price engine?

The result of five seconds on google...

http://www.x-rates.com/

StarDestroyer.Net BBS

Building my new computer - Thoughts?

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