Upgrading my computer for ~$500?

[manticore24]

Hi!

I'm a new user here, and I found a lot of helpful information when I browsed through the forums. Anyway, I was hoping I could get some advice on upgrading my computer. The computer I have right now is a P2 400. It's at least 5-6 years old, and I really want to upgrade. I'm looking for the biggest bang for my buck and any help would be appreciated.

I've been researching a little bit and looking at recommendations and I've come up with the following:

Case: ?
Processor: AMD XP 2700
Motherboard: Athlon XP Motherboard: MSI K7N2-L (nForce2)
RAM: 2x256 DDR RAM
Video Card: Radeon 9500 Pro or Asus V8420S Ti4200

I only have a general knowledge about computers, so I hope this doesn't sound too confusing. My CD ROM is a NEC CD-ROM DRIVE:28B. I think it's 16x. I also have a 12GB 7200RPM Hard Drive. Do I need to upgrade those too? I'd rather not and use the money for the rest of my computer if possible.

 

[overclockerking]

You might have to upgrade those depending on the computer's main function. For example, if you wanted to make a movie I would say that you definitly need to upgrade to at least an 80gb. harddrive and possibly a dvd burner. But if it is gaming I would say upgrade the CD-ROM drive. Officemax has a cd rewrite drive for $9. Perhaps you would like to look into that. Officemax also has FREE Kingston Pc2100 256mb.

 

[Jeff7181]

You should consider a CDRW drive... very cheap now... $40 will get you a 52X drive.
If you wanted a new case, Antec and Enermax make good ones that come with qualitiy power supplies... they both have more value oriented cases, and also very high end cases.
For the motherboard, I'd have to recommend an Epox 8RDA+... it's $85 and arguably one of the best motherboards for Athlon XP processors right now.
Instead of an XP2700, get an XP2500 or XP2400. They're both under $100... I'd recommend the XP2500 because it has a larger L2 cache (512 vs. 256)... however, it runs at 1.83 Ghz, while the XP2400 runs at 2.0 Ghz... but the extra cache makes up for that difference most of the time, and it definately feels faster in every day windows apps. You can also overclock it if you ever have the desire.
With the RAM, you should go with quality RAM, like Corsair XMS PC3200. I would say Kingston HyperX too, but apparently it doesn't get along all the time with nForce2 chipsets. I recommend PC3200 because even though it runs at 400 Mhz, and you'll be running it at either 333 or 266, you'll be able to lower the timing, which will increase performance somewhat.
I have the Asus V8420S and I love it... it runs great in stock form, and is also highly overclockable, mine is running at 325/650, whereas a Ti4600 in stock form runs at 300/650. So for $140 I'm getting more performance than a card that's still well over $200. However, if you play games and like eye candy, get the 9500 Pro... it'll cost you more, but you'll be able to turn on Anti-Aliasing and Ansiotropic Filtering without as much of a performance hit in your games.
Here's a short list to give you an idea of what things would cost...


Epox 8RDA+ = $85
Retail (comes with heatsink/fan + 3 year warranty) Athlon XP2500 = $96
Lite-On 52x24x52 CDRW drive = $45
Antec Solution Series SLK3700AMB Case with 350 watt Power Supply = $73
Corsair XMS PC3200 (2x256) = $120
Asus V8420S = $145

That's a total of $564... little more than you wanted to spend... but it should last you quite a while since it sounds like you don't upgrade often if you're still using a P2 400 =)

 

[extro]

For the biggest bang for your buck, consider spending around $600-650.

Abit IS7 Springdale Mobo: $109
Intel P4 2.4C Retail CPU: $175
2x256MB Corsair 3200 DDR RAM $120
Saphire Radeon 9500 128Mb $150
Case with ATX2.03 300W PS $ 50

With such a system, you can overclock the CPU to 3.0GHz, while the RAM runs stock at DDR 400MHz on a 4:5 divider. The Radeon could be softmoded to a 9700 if it's the right card - if not it's just as good as the Ti4200. You could even save about $25 on a case if you can get by with just a new PS. Newegg sells a good 300W Sparkle for $27, that actually puts out 390W (the FSP300-60ATV) .

Your HD is a 120Gb, not a 12, right? If so it's fine. Consider swapping the CD-ROM for a burner. I haven't looked into burners in a while, so I can't recommend any specific makes and models, but I think Lite-On run around $50 on sale. The Hot Deals forum can be your friend there.

Prices are subject to fall, the longer you wait.

 

[Ionizer86]

Case deal $30 after shipping.

I second the 8RDA+ board and XP2500+ or, or even 2600+ if you want more clock speed (2600+ is not a barton though, but it's under $100 now too, I think). If you want to save here, get an XP1700+ for under $50 and clock it up.

Use the free ram for now to save $. 2100 speed still works but not as fast. One note: last week, Best buy had 2700 ram 256mb for $15. Too bad that deal's over.

If you want to save on video, get a Radeon 9100 from Newegg, $65 and with free t-shirt.
If you want to save on drives, there's like a $10 burner just about every weekend. Some of them are Liteons as well. You can discuss these hot deals with others on AT Hot Deals.
I'd recommend upgrading the drive. Maybe a good deal on a 120gb 8mb cache or 80gb 8mb cache is what you're looking for.
Oh um if the processor is not retail, you'll need a cooler. Spend the $ on something like a SLK-800 then get a quiet Panaflo L1A fan. The noise level will be really low and you'll have some room to overclock the Athlon XP.

 

[Jeff7181]

Case deal $30 after shipping.

Be careful of cheap no name cases... they're often made of very thin aluminum that bends and distorts so that the side panels don't fit correctly and you have to wrestle them on and off. Also the power supplies are junk sometimes... even though it's 400 watts, if it's internals, or the craftsmanship is inferior, it's not gonna do the job... I use to buy cheap cases and cheap power supplies and after about 6 months the fans in the power supply would start to wear out and rattle, and it seemed like every time I took the side panel off the case, it was harder to get back on.
Not saying that's a junk case... just be careful... you get what you pay for.

 

[RagingGuardian]

Your harddrive will be a serious bottleneck so I suggest you upgrade that first. A cheap nforce2 mobo an xp1700+ and some pc2700 will make for a very fast system. Just run the 1700+ at 166fsb and you'd be set for a while. Use the rest of your money to spend on a case and vid card of your choice.

 

[Malladine]

Jeff's recommendation is sound.

 

[Mday]

yes, i will say that jeff's recommendation is the best here. however, i will say this, you may want to consider getting a DVD drive as well, perhaps a DVD and CDRW combo drive. it's a little more, and liteon makes one that reads the various writable DVD formats as well.

if your HDD is indeed only 12GB, then maybe a new one is in order. you may not need 512 MB Of RAM, but go for at least 256MB. you can skimp some on the CPU if you dont do much of anything on the computer.

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: extro
For the biggest bang for your buck, consider spending around $600-650.

Abit IS7 Springdale Mobo: $109
Intel P4 2.4C Retail CPU: $175
2x256MB Corsair 3200 DDR RAM $120
Saphire Radeon 9500 128Mb $150
Case with ATX2.03 300W PS $ 50

Do you Intel and ATI fans even listen to yourselves? You only need to consider spending $600 - $650 if you're going the Intel route, and that would be ridiculous for someone on a budget. Why would you want to pay $175 for a 2.4C and then overclock it to 3.0GHz when you could get a 1700+ for ~$60 that would easily overclock to 2.4GHz (equivalent to a 3000+). Then you say:

The Radeon could be softmoded to a 9700 if it's the right card - if not it's just as good as the Ti4200.

I have a better idea: BUY THE Ti4200 SINCE IT'S CHEAPER! Get the exact card you said before, the ASUS 8420S. I just got one last week and it easily clocked to 320MHz core and 690MHz RAM. Considering the Ti4600 runs at 300/650, that's quite a deal.

Here are the components I would suggest:
8RDA+ from Newegg.com for $85 shipped
AXP 1700+ from SVC for $60
Thermalright SK-6 from SVC for $20
80mm Sunon Fan from SVC for $7.49
ASUS' 8420S from Newegg.com for $145 shipped
2 x Corsair XMS PC3200 from Newegg.com for $119.20 shipped

At this point, you're at $437, without shipping from SVC (about 6 dollars, I'd guess). That hard drive will hinder performance some, so I'd recommend upgrading it. I'd recommend WD 800JB from Newegg.com for $82 shipped. It's 80GB. The 40GB model will only save you $16, so I don't think it's worth saving that small amount. That's just over your total of $500 at $519. You might want to consider upgrading your CD-ROM drive at some point. If you have absolutely no use for a burner, CD-ROM drives are only about $20. Top-of-the-line burners are as low as $50, so they're a steal as well. Either way, 80% of all people in these forums will recommend Lite-On regardless of what optical drive you pick, whether it be a CD-ROM drive, a CD-RW drive, or a DVD-ROM drive.

EDIT: Oh, forgot about the case. Well, I'd get something cheap from Newegg without a PSU and get a Sparkle. If you've got enough for a hard drive, then great. If not, no big deal.

 

[SUOrangeman]

Customize to taste

You can probably shave $250 with the components you don't intend to replace.

-SUO

 

[Ilmater]

Originally posted by: SUOrangeman
Customize to taste

You can probably shave $250 with the components you don't intend to replace.

-SUO

You could also shave off $150 by only getting one video card.

I'd still recommend my setup above.

 

[x3m]

I would have bought:

Case: Whatever you like with the rest of the money Approx. $120, maybe a Lian LI?
Processor: AMD XP 2500+ Barton core ~$70
Motherboard: Athlon XP Motherboard: Abit NF7-S nForce2 ~$100
RAM: 2x256 TwinMos w/ Winbond DDR RAM PC3200 ~$80
Video Card: Gf 4Ti4200 128mb ~$120

This is Swedish prices cuz I don't know the prices in that big country (USA)

 

[lsman]

I think first you need to know (tell us) what you are going to do with the new computer.
And Welcome!

 

[manticore24]

Thanks to all the people who've responded to my post. You've all been very helpful!
Just to clear things up a little bit, the primary reason that I'm upgrading my computer is for gaming purposes. Primarily, I play RTS games, but I want a system that will be able to run other more graphic intensive games as well. I'd also like to not have to upgrade my system for a while. I have a much better idea of what I should get now, but I still have a few questions.

1. I'm definitely going with an AMD processor. Some people have recommend the 1700+, 2500+, or 2600+. Isn't it better to spend an extra 30 dollars to get a faster processor and save money elsewhere? The price difference between the 2500 and 2600 is $3 on the anandtech price guide. Why wouldn't I get the 2600? Is it because of the size of the L2 Cache?

2. People have been recommending many different types of RAM although most have recommended the PC3200 RAM. Is the performance much better with PC3200 RAM?

3. I don't need a lot of memory. It would be nice, but it's not necessary. Will my 12GB hard drive be a bottleneck for my system? It is ATA 66. It's a Western Digital. I dunno the cache size. Do I need to buy a new one, and if I do, can I still make use of my old hard drive at all?

4. Will games in the next 2-3 years require DVDs instead of CDs?

5. Finally, I'd like my case to be a little cheaper and a little more appealing to me aesthetically. If I go with any Antec or Enermax case, will I be alright? Jeff warned me about buying a case that was too cheap, so I'm a little worried.

To everyone who posted, thanks again!!! Especially to the peeps who posted the detailed replies!!! Those were really helpful!

 

[extro]

Originally posted by: Ilmater Do you Intel and ATI fans even listen to yourselves?


WoW! I've never been flamed and accused for being an Intel/ATI fanboy before! I didn't even know I was one, but then I usually ignore arguments from brand fanatics.

The system you propose is a fine, budget alternative that should be usable for gaming for a couple of years, but there's no need for flaming. Just post your recommendations and spare the world your prejudices.

The system I proposed is faster, more robust and ultimately more cost effective as the price can be amortized over a longer period, but if the budget is inflexible then it is sadly out of reach.

 

[lsman]

let me recommed:
$70 160G 8mb HD

Don't forget that if you go for a higher CPU, you need a better (copper/ copper insert base is a must and with that a more powerful fan. You will notice the diff. cp to p2, its much much noisy) HSF and a higher AND QUALITY Power supply. (CPU and display card)

So I think you are pretty much look at a total new system.

 

[drchickenman]

Just get a cheap case at newegg - $25 for a mid-tower with 300 W PS plus case fan - $41 with shipping

 

[Bonesdad]

1. Coming from a PII, the Athlon 1700+ will be an amazing step up for you. Plus it overclocks very easily. Get the 2500 or 2600 if you like, all of them are great processors...the 1700+ will save you $$ to use on a HDD (see below) or something else (video - the pinnacle of the gaming system). You said you wanted biggest bang for buck...1700+ is it!

2. If you want to seriously overclock, then get the PC3200. If overclock doesnt interest you, get the PC2700 or PC3000 (again, savings toward something else)

3. Memory <> HDD. You need a better Hard Drive, definately. Get a Western Digital, Maxtor or Seagate - I recommend at least 60-80GB. Ones with 8MB Cache are noticeably faster. Seagate is the quietest, if you are worried about noisy system.

4. Doubtful. But who can say for sure. Most ppl still have CDROM, many fewer with DVD...game manufacturers know this.

5. Don't worry about case too much. Get a good power supply. Really have to be concerned with case if you overclock (good airflow) and if you open and tinker alot (avoid cuts on your hands). Plenty of good cases out there for $40-$70. Whatever you do, get a good Power Supply Unit (PSU) of at least 300W-400W. Antec, Enermax are two good manufacturers. For gods sake, dont pick a case cuz it looks pretty.


If you are concerned about noisy PC, get an OEM processor and do a little research on heat sink/fan combinations to put on top. Also, the PSU can be very noisy (to avoid, see Antec and Enermax). Seagate is quietest HDD. Good luck!

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

You really might be better off holding out for one of those crazy Dell deals that seems to pop up every month or so.

 

[PraetorianGuards]

x3m, where are you getting those prices for the 2500+? Lowest I've seen it was for $96 and at NewEgg.