Need Intel PIII 133Mhz FSB processor. Buy now or wait a bit?

[Kwad Guy]

I am in the process of building up a VC820-based
system. This is a "for fun" buildup, so I can
afford to be a bit leasurly in purchasing the
processor. I was about to hit the buy button
on a 667Mhz PIII last night for about $200
delivered, then held back at the last minute.
I believe Intel has pre-announced price reductions
on the PIII line on July 16...

...So my question is: Should I just go ahead and
buy the 667 now, or should I wait a (week, two
weeks, whatever?) I don't really want to wait
"forever". I know the GHz PIII is supposed to
drop to $450 in a few months. But I'm not THAT
patient. But a week (or two or three) I can
handle.

Suggestions? Note that this will be a VC820
board with 256Mb of 800Mhz Rambus memory (133Mhz
bus speed, obviously).

Thanks,

Kwad

 

[Shagga]

You either NEED it or you don't. I would suggest by the tone of your post that you don't really need it.

How much effort can it take to wait a week or two. Either bite the bullet now and accept that the price will drop very soon. Remember, no matter what you buy the chances are that it will drop in price not long after. How much will you actually lose. If your that impatient then get it. What ya waiting for?

I would be more worried if I were considering to buy Rambus right now.

 

[Ulysses]

Why would you ever want to waste the time and money to build a "VC820 board with 256Mb of 800Mhz Rambus memory" system. And with a dinky 667 to boot.

AnandTech tested that pile of yesterday's newspapers months ago.

Get something new and interesting like the ASUS CUSL2, or wait and preorder the new P4 Willamette with the Intel 850 chipset. Now those would be something to have fun with - the ASUS because of its versatility and the P4 for its power.

I try not to laugh at people's posts in these forums, but this one stretches my resolve.

 

[Kwad Guy]

Here's why: That VC820 plus two 128Mb sticks of 800Mhz Rambus
memory cost me a whopping total of $180. Delivered. Got two
CC820 boards @$90/each delivered. Was able to exchange them
under the recall for two VC820 boards and two 128Mb sticks of
800Mhz Rambus. Oh, and that $180 doesn't include whatever I
can sell the second VC820 board off for on e*bay (probably $50,
so that makes the total $130.)

[Note: Intel has recalled the CC820 board due to problems with the
MTH chip required to support SDRAM on this board. Intel will
exchange a VC820 board WITH a 128Mb stick of Rambus memory for
each BARE (no memory) CC820 board you have.]

If you can find me a board/memory combination with similar
performance (and 256Mb of memory) for $130, let me know. I'll buy
hundreds!

Kwad

 

[KarsinTheHutt]

I'm inclined to agree with Ulysses

PC800 just isn't worth it. The Intel webpage even admits as much if you check out their benchmarks.

I recommend an i815 based Mobo and 256 MB of PC133 SDRAM. That'll cost about $450 maybe (Correct me if I'm wrong). Then buy a Coppermine 733 cBO stepping and overclock it for one helluva machine!

If you bought PC800 Sticks you would spend 700-800 $US and then another 125 for the mobo. Even getting the less expensive P3-667 you'd end up spending more dough for less computer.

 

[KarsinTheHutt]

Oops sorry i didn't see your last post

 

[Mister T]

how did you get it for 180?????

I am puzzled

 

[KarsinTheHutt]

But you should have made it known that you got such a geat deal! Personally, I'd sell the PC800 Sticks and mobos, and then go with my own recommendations. Those PC800 RIMMS are worth quite a bit!

 

[Kwad Guy]

Yeah...Selling the Rambus memory (and boards) and getting
something else has crossed my mind. I guess the answer to that
question comes down to the answer to the question of whether
Rambus is going to drop precipitously before Intel introduces
a motherboard/processor (P4) that actually (supposedly) takes
advantage of it! If not, no big problem in using the Rambus
now and upgrading the motherboard/processor later on. If Rambus
is (as is predicted by SOME people, but certainly not all) going
to drop to around 125% of PC133 SDRAM, then selling the Rambus
now seems the prudent move. If (as others have predicted) Rambus
isn't going to get much cheaper on a relative basis, then keeping
the Rambus is reasonable.

Personally, I have a hard time believing Rambus isn't going to HAVE
to drop precipitously (economies of scale, as well as survival
against both SDRAM and DDR) in the near future.

Kwad

 

[vaclav]

So you got a great deal or those part fell off the truck or whatever. Just sell that crap and use the money to build something interesting like dual PIII 700 cB0s (OC to 931) on a VIA133A.

Dell charges $480 for a 128MB RDRAM upgrade on their 1Ghz system. I see them online in Toronto for about $675 Canadian. You should get at least $100 for that VC820 board. Have fun shopping.

 

[Stark]

<< Just sell that crap and use the money to build something interesting like dual PIII 700 cB0s (OC to 931) on a VIA133A.

Dell charges $480 for a 128MB RDRAM upgrade on their 1Ghz system. I see them online in Toronto for about $675 Canadian. You should get at least $100 for that VC820 board. Have fun shopping. >>


The problem is that nobody is buying rambus. At least that's what all the memory vendors I've talked to have said. Dell might buy some, but I'm sure they're getting very special pricing.

 

[vaclav]

Stark,

I guess it didn't come across clearly that my tongue was in my cheek. What I was suggesting is that you don't throw good money after bad, the baby with the bathwater, etc. It's better to unload the 820 &amp; RIMMS for whatever you can get than to buy an expensive processor to work with them - unless you've got a committed buyer for such a POS system all lined up. Might as well list the parts at an online auction site and see what happens.