Thinking of Upgrading....

[Dan0368]

I've been thinking of upgrading my processor lately (and in turn my motherboard). I have an MSI motherboard (I forget the exact model number, I believe KT400 Ultra FSIR or something like that) and an XP 2400+. I've been thinking of getting one of the new athlon 64 processors, but I'm not sure if its worth it. Should I be looking at bartons, or are those not worth it?

Anyways, assuming I'm going with a 64+, whats a good motherboard and chipset to get along with it? I really don't want to spend more than $150 on cpu, which looks like it will get me a 3000+ from newegg. Is that worth the money?

Thanks a lot for your help.

And in case you're wondering, here's my system as is:

XP 2400+
768mb PC 2100 DDR Memory
Radeon 9700 Pro
SATA Raptor 80 Gig Drive

p.s. Would upgrading to a gig of PC3200 DDR400 be a good idea as well? Is the fastest out there right now (only in the realm of 184 DDR)?

Thanks again

 

[Traire]

You probably ought to upgrade that memory to PC3200 as well if your going to A64. PC2100 will work, but it will be a bit of a bottleneck.

For chipsets nForce 4 (PCIe Graphics) is probably the most popular choice, though the VIA and nForce 3 chipsets are good too (AGP Graphics).

But the first thing you need to decide is if you really need to upgrade. Are you experiencing performance problems with your current setup? Are you doing mostly gaming?

I have a very similar setup, with a 2500+, PC2700, and the same video card, and I have no issues with any of the current games. I dont plan on upgrading any of my core components until late summer at the very earliest. Its just not worth the money to me since my current machine is more than powerfull enough for everything I use it for.

 

[HeaterCore]

If you're going to upgrade, there's no question but that you should get an Athlon 64. Even the 2800+ will beat up on the fastest (non-OC'd) Barton. Plus, at this point there's no material price advantage in going for a Barton, especially given the lack of an upgrade path.

-HC-

 

[PCHPlayer]

I concur. Since you are still using PC2100 memory, you would have to upgrade memory, CPU and possibly the MB if your current one does not support a higher FSB. At that point you might as well just jump to A64. It will be a few more bucks, but at least you will have an upgrade path. I was fortuate to have a MB that supported 400 Mhz FSB, so I was able to upgrade from my 2400+ to a Barton 3200+. I will stick with what I have until the 939 boards come down in price. For me that will probably be at least a year, unless the CAPS on my kids 8KHA+ MB start to leak (I do check them about once a month).

 

[skadoo323]

i agree with everyone as well. might as well spend the extra money now so it will last you longer. as far as motherboards, i got an asus motherboard for my A64 cpu. i have no complaints regarding the cpu or motherboard at all. my friend who purchased the same cpu decided to get a MSI motherboard and had all sorts of issues. He had to RMA his board twice. Maybe it just wasn't his month for putting a system together.

 

[SalientKing]

Id go with a 3000+ 754 and a nforce3 250GB mobo. About $225 for both. Get a gig of pc3200 value ram as well, about $140.

 

[Dan0368]

Thanks guys. Everyone here is so knowledgeable

Traire, I build a lot of systems for my family. They don't need the greatest out there, so when I buy parts, I usually upgrade my own stuff and then perform hand me downs. That way, the price doesn't hurt as much. They also end up getting a spanking fast PC (more like a supercomputer to them) for a much cheaper cost.

For instance, I was looking at AMD cpu's. The cheapsest barton was $75. The way I see it, this person doesn't need that CPU, so I look at the difference between that and a 3000+, cover the difference and then some. Its a great system

But yeah, I think I'll definitely go with the 3000+, a gig of PC3200 ram, but I'm not sure what mobo yet. The only thing I'm concerned about is buying a new MB and everything else now. Then when it comes time to upgrade my video card, its all about PCI-express...

Oh well, thats the way it always is.