Comments on these upgrade components, please... - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Moskie · 06-19-2004, 06:12 AM

Well, it's time to upgrade my system. I've been poking around newegg for a while now, and I think I'm happy with what I've picked out, and the prices are doable for me.

I was hoping I could get some input on what I picked out. I just want to make sure that all these things will play nice together, and whether I'm overlooking some important specs. And any recommendations for similar components that would be a better bang for the buck would be nice, too.

So here they are:

Quote:

ASUS "P4P800-E Deluxe" i865PE Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Intel Pentium 4/Celeron Processor (Prescott Ready)
Chipset: Intel 865PE + ICH5R
FSB: 800/533/400MHz
RAM: 4x DIMM for Dual Channel DDR400 Max 4GB
IDE: 2x UDMA 100 by ICH5R, 1x UDMA 133 by Promise 20378
Slots: 1x AGP 8X, 5x PCI, 1x ASUS Wi-Fi
Ports: 2xPS/2,2xCOM(Rear 1),1xLPT,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),2xIEEE1394(Rear 1),1xGAME,Audio Ports
Form Factor: ATX more info->
$109.00

SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800 PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9800 PRO/380MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/680MHz
BUS: AGP 8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub)+TV-Out(S-Video Out)+DVI Connector
Support 3D API: DirectX®9, OpenGL®2.0
Cable/Accessories: 4 Cables, VGA via DVI Adapter, PowerDVD, Driver CD
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz more info->
$209.00

Intel Pentium 4/ 3.0E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper Threading Technology - Retail
Specifications:
Model: Intel Pentium 4 w/ Hyper Threading
Core: Prescott
Operating Frequency: 3.0GHz
FSB: 800MHz
Cache: L1/12K+16K; L2/1MB
Voltage: 1.25V - 1.525V
Process: 0.09Micron
Socket: Socket 478
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail box (with Heatsink and Fan) more info->
$215.00

CORSAIR XMS Extreme Memory Speed Series, (Twin Pack)184 Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail
Specifications:
Manufacturer: CORSAIR
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 3-3-3-8
Support Voltage: 2.6V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 64M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info->
$254.00

So what do you guys think?

Lasereth · 06-19-2004, 07:12 AM

Looks good to me. Does the motherboard have onboard LAN and onboard sound? I'd switch motherboards if it doesn't. Other than that, it looks great!

-Lasereth

yakimushi · 06-19-2004, 09:04 AM

Seems pretty solid.

Watch those faster P4's though, they get pretty toasty. You're going to want to get a decent cooler for it, the stock one that comes with the processor isn't going to cut it.

Check out Thermaltake and Thermalright, the big copper ones.

Moskie · 06-19-2004, 02:38 PM

Thanks guys. The motherboard does have onboard gigabit LAN and audio, so that's covered.

And I'll look into keeping the sucker cool.

I officially can't wait.

MooseMan3000 · 06-19-2004, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by yakimushi
Seems pretty solid.

Watch those faster P4's though, they get pretty toasty. You're going to want to get a decent cooler for it, the stock one that comes with the processor isn't going to cut it.

Check out Thermaltake and Thermalright, the big copper ones.

Eh.

Not so sure about that. The stock heatsink/fan with my P4 2.6 GHz keeps me at about 36 C without any trouble. If you want cooler than that, then I recommend Thermaltake, but I haven't had any trouble with my stock units. That is all.

bltzkriegmcanon · 06-19-2004, 06:46 PM

I'd drop the E-core p4 and go with a 3.0C instead. Prescott's suck. Rather, the increase in speed due to the increased cache isn't a big enough increase to justify the price tag.

Mak · 06-19-2004, 07:01 PM

I would personally look into the AMD Athlon 64's. If you are an Intel guru then I don't want to change your mind but I think you will get better performance out of something like an AMD Athlon 64 3200, coupled with an ASUS "K8V SE Deluxe", which is about $391 total (for the cpu+mobo at newegg). If you are going to get the Athlon I would think about getting ram with lower latency timings. AMD processors seem to perform a little better with lower cas timings. Possibly this: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...146-290&depa=1 . I think an Athlon 64 will last you a little longer because you would then have the ability to do things like upgrade the the 64-bit version of windows. Well worth the extra cost I think. btw, you could pick up a nice heatsink/fan for 20 some dollars.

06-19-2004, 07:12 AM	#2 (permalink)
Lasereth Knight of the Old Republic Location: Winston-Salem, NC	Looks good to me. Does the motherboard have onboard LAN and onboard sound? I'd switch motherboards if it doesn't. Other than that, it looks great! -Lasereth __________________ "A Darwinian attacks his theory, seeking to find flaws. An ID believer defends his theory, seeking to conceal flaws." -Roger Ebert

06-19-2004, 02:38 PM	#4 (permalink)
Moskie Pure Chewing Satisfaction Location: can i use bbcode [i]here[/i]?	Thanks guys. The motherboard does have onboard gigabit LAN and audio, so that's covered. And I'll look into keeping the sucker cool. I officially can't wait. __________________ Greetings and salutations.

06-19-2004, 06:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
bltzkriegmcanon Holy Knight of The Alliance Location: Stormwind, The Eastern Kingdoms, Azeroth	I'd drop the E-core p4 and go with a 3.0C instead. Prescott's suck. Rather, the increase in speed due to the increased cache isn't a big enough increase to justify the price tag. __________________ What do you say to one last showdown? - Ocelot, Metal Gear Solid 3 The password is "Who are the Patriots?" and "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo." "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo." Gotcha. - The Colonel and Snake, Metal Gear Solid 3

06-19-2004, 07:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
Mak Upright	I would personally look into the AMD Athlon 64's. If you are an Intel guru then I don't want to change your mind but I think you will get better performance out of something like an AMD Athlon 64 3200, coupled with an ASUS "K8V SE Deluxe", which is about $391 total (for the cpu+mobo at newegg). If you are going to get the Athlon I would think about getting ram with lower latency timings. AMD processors seem to perform a little better with lower cas timings. Possibly this: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...146-290&depa=1 . I think an Athlon 64 will last you a little longer because you would then have the ability to do things like upgrade the the 64-bit version of windows. Well worth the extra cost I think. btw, you could pick up a nice heatsink/fan for 20 some dollars. Last edited by Mak; 06-19-2004 at 07:05 PM..

06-19-2004, 09:04 AM	#3 (permalink)
yakimushi Addict	Seems pretty solid. Watch those faster P4's though, they get pretty toasty. You're going to want to get a decent cooler for it, the stock one that comes with the processor isn't going to cut it. Check out Thermaltake and Thermalright, the big copper ones.