A Good Upgrade On Small Budget?

Kitki · August 2004

Alright, I've finally got some work and am starting to upgrade.. I plan on getting

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Note on my desktop)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>CPU INTEL P4 2.0A GHz s478 (512K 400MHz) $179.97
MB ASUS P4P800-S s478 800FSB w/ A & L $99.97
VC ATI RADEON 9600SE 128MB DDR TVO $109.97
MEMORY 256MB DDR PC400 $59.97

Total: 499.88
Taaax: 74.98

Total Cost: 574.86</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

Currently, I'm running

ASUS - 58582e31
Intel Pentium II, MMX, ~400MHz
256MB RAM
Matrox Graphics MGA-G200 AGP

I've got all 4 RAM slots filled too.. >_<

For my budget of.. nothing.. this seems pretty good.. The most I can spend is about 600.. Any suggestions?

Windelkron · August 2004

I'm feeling the excitement of hardware upgrade myself.
I have since learned that if you want to go budget, you have to go AMD.

here's the processor portion of my upgrade, take a gander:

$120 - AMD Athlon XP 2800+ Barton 2.08 ghz <a href='http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=80177-R' target='_blank'>link</a>
$75 - ASUS "A7V880" VIA KT880 mobo <a href='http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-501&depa=1' target='_blank'>link</a>

for a total just under $200 (shipping is only $1.00 !!!! and tax $0.00 !!! YAY!)

I"m also (perhaps) getting a radeon 9800 pro XT from my friend for... $200. Half off, nya nya.
if that doesn't come through then I"m looking at Radeon 9800 pro (128mb).

but again, if you're on a budget, you might want to look at AMD more. beacuse intel is "for the rich" as my friend puts it.

Har_Har_the_Pirate · August 2004

use pricewatch.com or newegg.com and stay away from se versions of the radeons, they have less piples(4) than their similarily named brothers

/edit
2.0 ghz for 179 bucks is really really high IMHO unless i am missing something

i dont know much about mother boards but a 2.4 ghz processor is only 122 dollars at newegg.com and ad about 100+ bucks for mobo and S&H =$250

512 mb ram=80 bucks (your old ram wont be compatable)

radeon 9600 pro= 86 bucks
if you really want the se= $55

Ratonetwothreetwoone · August 2004

beware the VIA tech

Kitki · August 2004

I'm also in Canada where prices are screwy

Personally, I don't want anything mail-order.. The place I'm buying them is Summit Direct.. Firefox is being an ****.. <a href='http://www.summitdirect.com' target='_blank'>http://www.summitdirect.com</a>

Windelkron · August 2004

omg, I forgot something.
if you are deadset on getting intel, DON'T get a p4 A!!!
I learned about this in IRC talking to people in #naturalselection.

Look for the P4 C, this is the latest version of the core. It has "hyper threading" which is supposedly very good.
a 2.4ghz hyper-threaded p4c can be found on newegg for $157, which is less than the card you originall had lined up (which is not as fast!) here's the link: <a href='http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-116-157&depa=1' target='_blank'>g0g0g0</a>
keep in mind that you'll have to buy a motherboard that supports hyper-threading (HT) in order for this to work.
but yea, this is very important. dont pay more money for slower stuff!

CommunistWithAGun · August 2004

Intel is fine if you are the type of person that buys the bigmac over 2 double cheeseburgers <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

iFire · August 2004

Right now the amd 64 bit is a pretty good deal. <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

MrPink · August 2004

Original Pentium 4 CPUs used the Willamette core and ranged in speed from 1.3Ghz to 2Ghz in 100Mhz increments. They were built on a 0.18 micron process, had 256K L2, used a 400Mhz FSB, and came in Socket 423 and Socket 478 packages.

Second generation Pentium 4 CPUs use the Northwood core, built on a 0.13 micron process. They range in speed from 1.6Ghz to 2.8Ghz and come in 400Mhz and 533Mhz FSB versions. They have 512K L2 and come in Socket 478 packaging. Any speed where a Northwood and Willamette overlapped (like 1.6Ghz, 1.8Ghz and 2.0Ghz), the Northwood receives an A suffix. Any speed where both a 400Mhz FSB and 533Mhz FSB CPU overlaps, the 533Mhz FSB CPU gets a B suffix (2.4Ghz CPUs come in 2.4 and 2.4B flavors). The final

The second and a half generation P4 use the Northwood core, but enabled HyperThreading. They range in speed from 2.4Ghz to 3.4Ghz. There is but a single P4 CPU with a 533Mhz FSB that has HyperThreading - the 3.06Ghz. The rest are 800Mhz FSB CPUs. They still have 512K L2 and come in Socket 478 packaging. Based on the latest datasheets, all 800Mhz FSB P4s received a C suffix.

The third generation P4 uses the Prescott core, built on a 0.09 micron process. They have 1MB L2, still use Socket 478, have 533Mhz or 800Mhz FSBs, and use an E suffix to denote their core type when overlapping with 800Mhz FSB parts from the Northwood era. However, they use an A suffix to denote their Prescott cores when overlapping with existing 533Mhz FSB parts. For example, a 2.80A is a Prescott core on a 533Mhz FSB with HT disabled. Based on the latest specification update, Prescotts range in speed from 2.4Ghz to 3.4Ghz. HyperThreading is only enabled on the 800Mhz FSB parts.

This covers just the Desktop P4, not the P4 Extreme Edition or the mobile/semi-mobile parts.

Long story short, buy 2.xC. <a href='http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=50009562&f=77909774&m=913000713631&r=913000713631#913000713631' target='_blank'>See here for more information.</a>

Talesin · August 2004

As noted, you'd probably want to go with an AMD. Even though they run at a lower actual clock, they're quite a bit more efficient... an Ath64 @ 2.2GHz can easily keep up with the latest P4 overclocked to 4GHz. And costs a hell of a lot less.

And as noted.. AVOID the SE versions. I'd also say to avoid the 9600 line in general. A R9800 Pro 128 can be had for about $174 USD, and is a far better bang-for-buck than the 9600, much less the SE.

And Rat, I swear by VIA. I've never had a VIA fry a DIMM... and the VIA K8T800 chipset is up to 20% faster for the Ath64, as compared to the laughable nForce3 chipset.
Laughable because AMD partnered with them for launch, and benchmarks showed that they were undeniably the LAST in the pack, trailing even the budget boards by about 3-7% at any given time. The 250 has not shown much improvement, though cuts the trailing to 12%, and actually beat out two of the five budget boards.

CommunistWithAGun · August 2004

Something everyone here can agree on. Intel isn't worth it. I don't understand why a 500 dollar processor is 500 dollars when an AMD replica exists thats probably 200

Kitki · August 2004

Hmm.. Yet again Windelkron, I said no mail order..

Anywho, I'll probably go and get an Athlon now.. There's differnt mobo's for those right?

Caboose · August 2004

You won't be getting much if you don't order it from some site. Do the mail order, it'll save you a ton of $.

May I ask why you are unwilling to order parts?

Wheeee · August 2004

*edit* nvm just read the bit about canada. joor screwed <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />

j/k, most internet retailers should ship to canada...?

Kitki · August 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Caboose @ Aug 11 2004, 08:57 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> You won't be getting much if you don't order it from some site. Do the mail order, it'll save you a ton of $.

May I ask why you are unwilling to order parts?  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
1. I'm 15
2. Parents don't like me ordering things by mail

I want to, but the conversion rate is killer also..

A Good Upgrade On Small Budget?

Comments