Recommendations for upgrading a P3 system to an Athlon system

[superbaby]

Hello,

From what I understand I need to get 3 things:

(I would also like to keep my existing PC133 SDRAM)

1. Power suppply - AMD processors are picky(?) about power, or is this just a myth? Looking for a +350W PS, what what would be a good brand?
2. Motherboard - What would be the most stable Athlon/Duron motherboard out there? I am not interested in overclocking, just a very, very stable machine.
3. Processor - Have my eyes set on a 1.2 Ghz Athlon... good idea?

All input appreciated!

 

[limsandy]

Hmmm, I am using only 250W PSU, so getting a 300W PSU is more than enough for you, esp when you don't overclock and have a few fans inside your case. Most motherboards are stable, but get a KT133A chipset-based mobo. Asus, Abit, MSI and Iwill offer very stable mobos. Since you don't intend to overclock, get yourself a T-bird 1 GHz.

 

[kmmatney]

There's a good chance you won't need a new power supply. I think that the socket A Athlons use a lot less power than the original Slot 1. In any case, I've installed socket A athlons in systems with 250 Watt power supplies, but 300 W should be fine.

Get a motherboard with the KT133A chip set (Epox 8KTa3, Asus, or MSI). These are all stable.

1.2 GHz athlon is good - a little pricey - but good. Get the 266 Mhz bus speed variety to get the best perfromance if you are not going to overclock.

 

[dave127]

Power Supply-Enermax makes good ones
Mobo-the ASUS A7V133
the 1.2 GHz processor is good, if you arent going to overclock, get the 266 bus version

 

[TravisBickle]

not interested in overclocking! heretic!
if you buy a tbird 1GHz chances are you'll get a lot of overclocking out of it sooner or later. a 1.4 tbird allegedly runs at 70W or so (OMG) so I would recommend a 300W power supply just in case.
Asus have a good rep and are doing some cheaper kt133A version boards now (you want the VIA KT133A, the A is very important.) you do want a board with multiplier and voltage adjust, trust me
enermax are getting a backlash because the famous thermocontrolled fans are not cutting in at sensible temperatures, they are set too high for practical use.
avoid Thermaltake products, they get panned by real sites.

 

[superbaby]

Wasn't there this huge thing about Athlon processors... that they required an AMD certified power supply to run properly? I'm looking to get an Enlight 350W power supply (although I don't overclock, I do have 8 drives...).

I don't overclock because I hate crashes and rebooting

Thanks for the help...