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kkastagon
Posts: 21
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 Posted - Mon Feb 11, 2002 9:55 pm
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I'm planning on upgrading my system soon. I always build a system that is about a year out of date to keep the costs down.
Any suggestions, and where is a good online site to purchase?
Currently I am running:
AMD K62-500
Iwill XA100+ mobo
320 MB PC100
WD 9 Gig HD 7200
Diamond Stealth video AGP
Gadget Labs 4/24
Soundblaster Live
Win98 se
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Zombie
Posts: 281
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Posted - Tue Feb 12, 2002 7:25 am
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http://www.pricewatch.com
I can't make an un-biased suggestion actually, because I'm now running and am completely addicted to:
2 AMD Athlon MP 1800+ (It's the Palomino, just like XP chips)
on the Tyan S2460 dual-AMD mobo
3 GB RAM
Western Digital 60, and 100 GB 7200 rpm drives
Geforce2 mx400 64 MB video card
and I have the SB audigy platinum, I plan to get a 2nd card with recording in mind, but the audigy actually works well for what I require.
I'm running Win 2000 right now, thinking about XP
The Athlon MP 1800's can be found for right around 200 bucks right now...
If you decide to get a rippin' Athlon system, make sure the Heatsinks are top quality, and that they STAY on there... an Athlon chip will vaporize in about 1 second or so if the heatsink is removed(they don't have thermal protection). Copper heatsinks seem to run about the coolest, but of course it expands and contracts a lot with heat/cooling. I'm using a couple of aluminum heat sinks that look quite a bit like a VW bug engine ;)
Z.
Edited by - Zombie on 02/12/2002 07:48:44 AM
Edited by - Zombie on 02/12/2002 07:50:18 AM
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kkastagon
Posts: 21
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Posted - Tue Feb 12, 2002 1:57 pm
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Thanks Zombie, your system sounds great; however, I am trying to keep the costs down, so maybe something is the 1 to 1.2 gig arena.
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Zombie
Posts: 281
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Posted - Tue Feb 12, 2002 2:26 pm
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pricewatch.com has Athlon 1 Ghz for 70-75 bucks, so check that out. yeah, you can do very well on the 1-1.2 area, I'm just not sure about what type of single athlon board I would recommend, is all, though I'm sure since tyan makes a good dual board, their single should be great as well, and probably not real expensive
Z.
Edited by - Zombie on 02/12/2002 2:34:32 PM
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jester700
Posts: 546
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Posted - Tue Feb 12, 2002 4:07 pm
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I do suggest the newest batch of Athlons (XP). I just ordered a 1700+ for $122.
There's a roundup of motherboards at:
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.html?i=1578
One that didn't score tops but looks like a great deal is Shuttle's AK31. $76 for KT266A chipset...
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kkastagon
Posts: 21
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Posted - Tue Feb 12, 2002 6:56 pm
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I noticed the Shuttle's AK31 in my quest. It takes DDR memory, but I heard that certain AMD processors were tempermental on DDR.
It comes with onboard audio, can it be disabled?
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jester700
Posts: 546
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Posted - Tue Feb 12, 2002 7:56 pm
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As long as the memory timings aren't too aggressive, it should be fine. And yeah, audio can be disabled.
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Zombie
Posts: 281
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Posted - Wed Feb 13, 2002 8:17 am
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AMD is temperamental with Generic, Unregistered, Non-ECC DDR RAM. They're faster than holy hell and very smooth using Registered ECC DDR RAM. The extra cash for *real* RAM is well, well worth the headaches you save. Also, most of the unstable nature of DDR RAM is due to the fact that it runs very hot. By using some memory cooling fans, and a cooling kit, like this:
http://www.maximum3d.com/reviews/ttmemorykit.htm and it can be bought for 10 bucks here:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=T925-1022&SRCCODE=INCEPTOR
By the way, it can be used for cooling memory modules, or DDR RAM on video cards,
and that will solve the heat problem ;)
Z.
Edited by - Zombie on 02/13/2002 08:18:12 AM
Edited by - Zombie on 02/13/2002 08:18:49 AM
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Heavens to Betsy
Location: USA
Posts: 508
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Posted - Wed Feb 13, 2002 10:00 am
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| Any suggestions, and where is a good online site to purchase? |
I'm currently bringing my new rig up to speed, expecting it to be operational within the week:
AMD Athlon XP 1700+
(Zalmantech Copper Flower Cooler, 6000 Series)
Epox EP-8KHA+ motherboard
Zalman 300W power supply
Fong-Kai PC case (black!)
(9cm and 12cm Enermax Case Fans)
256 DDR PC2100 RAM (Crucial Micron)
Quantum Fireball 20GB boot drive, Maxtor 40GB audio data drive
Matrox G450 video card
M-Audio Delta 66
Windows 98SE
I'm staying with Windows 98SE because it offers maximum cooperation with my programs and drivers; I've had too many problems with Windows 2000. If LindowsOS can eventually support my setup, I'll jump to that rather than Windows XP. My choices for other components are based on reports of dependability, stabilty and compatibility. And the Fong-Kai (sounds like "funky," doesn't it?  ) case, not only well-built, is simply cool.
When it comes to buying, I'd strongly recommend staying at least one tier underneath the cutting edge--benchmarks for performance versus price drop substantially beyond my specs. In the long run, you'll save money while receiving nearly identical results. NewEgg, found at http://newegg.com , has become my choice for a one-trip shopping spree. This new computer provided my first transaction with them, by which I was duly impressed. They sport a wide catalog and offer incredibly low prices, all through excellent service.
Global Computer Supply and Tigerdirect are now my safety net for the odd item not found on NewEgg's shelves, as their respective prices are noticeably higher; moreover, while their service is good, it's not nearly as rock-solid as NewEgg's. I cancelled an item from an order with Tigerdirect yesterday after an unsuccessful attempt to inquire as to its (belated) status. The statement, "Nine times out of ten, this means that it's probably on backorder," was quite enough to galvanize my resolve!
You'd be best off spending some time surveying the scene, checking prices and reviews, and gathering feedback from users running kits similar to your prospect. Good luck!
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jester700
Posts: 546
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Posted - Wed Feb 13, 2002 10:23 pm
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I orderd my stuff from Newegg, too. I'm a big fan of their price & service.
Let us know how your rig turns out; I got a Soltek but was considering the Epox (and a Shuttle). There have been some issues with the Epox & some Enermax power supplies (low voltage on 5v rail). I have an Enermax (and like it), so it was easier to go with the Soltek. I got the 1700+ also. Couldn't see the extra for the 1800+. Plus, I'll probably run it high anyway. Yes, mother-like people, I'm aware of the risks... ;-)
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Heavens to Betsy
Location: USA
Posts: 508
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Posted - Thu Feb 14, 2002 11:27 am
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You know, it's all fun and games until somebody melts their CPU...
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AndyH
Posts: 1425
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Posted - Thu Feb 14, 2002 4:52 pm
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I have only very limited experience, but my system is about a year old. The
motherboard is an ASUS A7V133. I have had no trouble with audio, using a
Soundblaster Live at first, now an Audiophile 2496. I have only a 900MHz AMD,
but I am told that, with a flash BIOS update, the board supports the 1.4GHz
Athalons. The newer A7V266 supports the faster processors and newer memory, but
who knows if the modified chipsets bring difficulties with audio?
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kkastagon
Posts: 21
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Posted - Thu Feb 14, 2002 6:05 pm
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Andy H wrote:
but who knows if the modified chipsets bring difficulties with audio?
This is the one area that worries me. Gadget Labs is out of business, so the drivers are from 2000, and I don't plan on buying a new audio card.
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Upgrading system, help!