Upgrading old computer - need help

Mattax · May 18, 2008

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Gaming, video and picture editing, music, play movies

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

$1000

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

USA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.

AMD, Pentium, nvidia

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

Here is the list of current parts:
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA3800BVBOX - Retail

HEATSINK&FAN: XP-90c Heatsink and Panaflo (92mm) fan

MB: DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-DR Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD

RAM: OCZ PC4000 2G(2x1024) DDR500 EL GOLD GAMER EXT XTC OCZ5002048ELGEGXT-K DUAL CHANNEL KIT ENHANCED LATENCY 3-4-3-8

PS:SeaSonic S12-600 ATX12V 600W Power Supply - Retail

CASE:Antec Performance I P180 Silver Computer Case - Retail

HD 1:Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

HD 2:Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3300831AS-RK 300GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - Retail

HD 3:Maxtor 300GB

BURNER/ROM: NEC Silver IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3540A - OEM

CD-ROM: ASUS 52X

DVD-ROM: Creative PC-DVD 12X

VIDEO: eVGA 256-P2-N517-AX Geforce 7800GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

SOUND:Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Elite Pro 8 (7.1) Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail

MONTIOR: LCD SCEPTRE 20" WIDESCREEN

OS: Windows XP Professional

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

Did some searching and am not sure what to believe - so bringing all the questions and answers to one thread.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

NO OVERCLOCKING

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?

NOW

DaveSimmons · May 18, 2008

Want it prebuilt? If you start with the Dell Small Business Vostro 400 $699 package, you can get 3 GB RAM, 8800 GT, 2.4 GHz quad core or or 3.16 GHz E8500 dual (better for gaming), and a cheap LCD for ~$1,000 + tax.

FYI, it's cheaper to start with the $699 opton instead of the $499 option even if you don't need the monitor.

Drawbacks: PSU probably won't support any better cards, and you might have a hard time replacing the PSU.

If you want to build your own, you'll need to explain this in more detail:

Did some searching and am not sure what to believe

Also, if you want to put in a more expensive video card, what are you planning on?

When will you buy? new ATI and nvidia chips are coming out this year, see the top 2 threads in the Video Cards forum

Mattax · May 18, 2008

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Want it prebuilt? If you start with the Dell Small Business Vostro 400 $699 package, you can get 3 GB RAM, 8800 GT, 2.4 GHz quad core or or 3.16 GHz E8500 dual (better for gaming), and a cheap LCD for ~$1,000 + tax.

FYI, it's cheaper to start with the $699 opton instead of the $499 option even if you don't need the monitor.

Drawbacks: PSU probably won't support any better cards, and you might have a hard time replacing the PSU.

If I did this, I would now have an older computer and a new one. So I would then have to upgrade the VIDEO card and the PSU if I did a whole new computer and still have an older one. Not exactly what I was looking to do.

Originally posted by: DaveSimmonsIf you want to build your own, you'll need to explain this in more detail:

Did some searching and am not sure what to believe

Click to expand...

Basically, there is so much information out there, I am not sure what level of MB to start with. I am not an overclocker.

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Also, if you want to put in a more expensive video card, what are you planning on?

When will you buy? new ATI and nvidia chips are coming out this year, see the top 2 threads in the Video Cards forum

Buy NOW as stated above.

I have $1000 to spend to upgrade the listed computer above. I would hope to upgrade either just the CPU to max out the 939 socket and the VIDEO card or as I am told that my setup is outdated, I need to upgrade the MB, CPU and RAM and I know I will need to upgrade the VIDEO card.

Thanks.

DaveSimmons · May 19, 2008

Your CPU is a bit slow to pair with a faster video card, and faster x2 939s are no longer being made. eBay prices on them are crazy ($100+) so buying a used and possibly mistreated CPU is an expensive gamble.

So you need:

- Core 2 Duo CPU, right now they offer better price/performance than AMD. The "wolfdale" 45nm 3.0 GHz E8400 is $195

gaming bench - core duo vs 2,3,4 core AMD
Besides better performance than the X2 6000+ it uses ~60 less watts under load, ~15 less idle.

- motherboard (want SLI or Crossfire support?)
- 2-4 GB of DDR2 that matches mobo

>> I'm not up to date on these, does someone else have non-overclocking suggestions?

- I'd suggest an nvidia 8800GTS 512, for $200 or less after rebate at newegg.

You should be able to get everything for $700 - 800.

Mattax · May 19, 2008

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Your CPU is a bit slow to pair with a faster video card, and faster x2 939s are no longer being made. eBay prices on them are crazy ($100+) so buying a used and possibly mistreated CPU is an expensive gamble.

So you need:

- Core 2 Duo CPU, right now they offer better price/performance than AMD. The "wolfdale" 45nm 3.0 GHz E8400 is $195

gaming bench - core duo vs 2,3,4 core AMD
Besides better performance than the X2 6000+ it uses ~60 less watts under load, ~15 less idle.

- motherboard (want SLI or Crossfire support?)
- 2-4 GB of DDR2 that matches mobo

>> I'm not up to date on these, does someone else have non-overclocking suggestions?

- I'd suggest an nvidia 8800GTS 512, for $200 or less after rebate at newegg.

You should be able to get everything for $700 - 800.

Thanks for the reply!

I am so out of touch with the computers now a days so I need a bit of catching up.

CPU: Core 2 Duo - "wolfdale" 45nm 3.0 GHz E8400 Who makes this?
MB: which one?
RAM: I would go with 4GB due to Video editing and gaming. But the type depends ont he MB so I need that first.
VIDEO CARD: nvidia 8800GTS 512 - is this the manufacturer - nvidia? I thought they were just a chipset on everyone else's cards. Times have changed?

Mattax · May 19, 2008

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...+8800GTS+512&x=14&y=24

The above link is for 2 different EVGA video cards with the nvidia 8800GTS 512 chipset - I assume - more than the $200 after rebate - but no worries. Guess the issue with either will be which MB I go with. So now I need to know that prior to getting the RAM and Video card.

DaveSimmons · May 19, 2008

Core 2 Duo = Intel, see the link to CPU gaming comparison above.

Motherboards:

I'm waiting for the new nvidia g200 chips later this year so I'm not up to speed on the best non-overclocking motherboards yet.

I do know it matters whether you want the board to supprt 2x ATI (crossfire), 2x nvidia (SLI) or both. If you go with an nvidia video card then crossfire support doesn't matter.

8800 GTS 512: some will be overclocked, and any bundled game will differ. Otherwise just pick a brand you trust. Search on just "8800 gts" for more results or slog through all the 880s.

$195 - MSI - with Witcher game - here
$170 - ECS - no game, lesser reputation - (I'd get the MSI instead)
....etc

Comdrpopnfresh · May 19, 2008

If you don't want to dump your ram, you could get a coreduo and keep it w/ an asrock mobo- but many of them feature agp gfx, which is a step in the wrong direction.

If you're dead set on going intel, nothing plugged directly into your mobo will be useful. I'd suggest getting a new gfx card now, and because any losses, or fear over overclocking don't matter (if you're getting a socket 775 system, who cares if you screw up the 939?), try to maximize what you have.

My suggestion is to overclock your current system and plop in the new gfx, and see if you are content with that. I also have a 939 system- and you're mobo is on par with mine in terms of overclocking. We also have the same cpu, and I have been running mine @ 2.7ghz for months now (2.6ghz for almost 2.5 years). DDR ram holds well with overclocking, I have crucial 400mhz, that with all four dimms full, can run @ 560mhz @ a cas of 2.5. Even if the performance of your overclocked system isn't to your liking, the experience may make you confident enough to overclock a new intel system- which can either grab you much better performance, or much lower buy-in costs (or a nice balance of the two). A lot of the rumors about overclocking are misfounded, and a smear by oem builders- as long as one is sensible, there is no trade-off, unless one plans to use the same system for over 20 yrs.
Intel overclocking is even easier- it took me 15 minutes on stock cooling to raise the e2180 I put it in a build for my cousin from 2ghz to 3.2ghz. If you still want to be cautious, go as far as the stock voltage will take you- as long as temperatures remain reason able (at stock volts they typically will), there is nill risk.

Overclocking or not, you should forward your intent for the system- budget, or something that will keep its own for a moderate amount of time.

if you're doing lots of video editing, a quadcore might do you well, otherwise, stick to intel dualcores.
for budget, look at e4xxx or e6xxx series. to have something last a bit longer- go with an E8400. @ 3ghz (stock), you won't even believe such a performance difference was possible compared to your current system. And if you decide to overclock later on, the E8400 is an awesome candidate- it can do 4ghz!

I would check out asus or gigabyte P35 motherboard with ddr2 (only) support. If you're going with vista, get 4gigs in a 2x2gb config. And get the 64bit version so you can use all the memory.
The ga-ep35-ds?L is a good choice- with a very cool and power efficient version available for 89 dollars on newegg.
The e8400 is slightly below the 200 dollar mark.
as far as memory- if you're sure you will go to the grave without overclocking, get ddr2-800: go by the review ratings, and customer choice awards on newgg
if you might overclock down the road, get ddr2-1000 or 1066 memory. It keeps you from having to rack you brain over "memory dividers." Buy 4 gigs now, and if you might overclock, get the higher speed now, because ddr2 prices will begin to increase steadily as production of ddr3 increases (it'll be like trying to buy a gig of ddr vs ddr2 currently- little choice, and a lot of money in comparison)

for hdd and optical drives, only go sata- ide cables restrict airflow, and are a pain to neatly route. Asus and samsung make very good sata dvd burners. My recommendations for the hdd would be to stay with the rapter and add a cheap 500gb storage for ~ 100 dollars.
If you want something new, the 300gb velociraptor is awesome, but is a huge budge chunk. Two good mainstrem-performance drives are the WD 640 gig drive for around 115 on the egg, or the 119 dollar samsung f1 750gb- which has 32mb of cache

for the latest video (but not bleeding edge, or bleeding wallet), go with a 9600gt, or the 8800gt. The 9600gt has less "stream processors", but is the latest generation and matches the 8800gt in some instances. Don't get 256mb gfx cards- not worth the meager savings. If you want sli performance w/o the cost of an sli board, or moving away from intel chipsets, the ati 3870 is a dual-card (the crossfire is on the card, and it fits in on pci-e slot), or the nvidia 9800gx2

if you pick things well, and have, or plan to own a hdcp monitor, you can score a blu-ray rom drive for 140 dollars- that should make watching movies a bit more enjoyable.

keep your psu, the raptor, the case, the x-fi, and the xp-pro (to save money, esp if it is already 64-bit)

if you go with an 8800gts, make sure it is the g92 architecture. If it doesn't say, it will be a one with 512mb of ram, not 320 or 640. A g92 8800gts with 512mb will outperform an 8800gts 640mb

don't worry about matching ddr2 speeds to the mobo. a ddr1000 or 1066 part will simply run @ 800mhz in a 800mhz default board, the extra headroom is for overclocking. likewise, a board that enables 1066 or 1200mhz as a default will run 800mhz perfectly fine.

stay clear of boards only supporting 800/1066mhz fsb. 1333/1600 is high end, and 1066/1333 is a good mainstream figure.

reading the stickies in the forums about overclocking may make you feel comfortable enough to give it a try, and even if you won't, you will become more familiar with what to look for in a quality build.
Also, don't be concerned about pci-e 1.0 vs 2.0. a 2.0 card will run in a 1.0 mobo without performance hit, and a 1.0 card will run in a 2.0 mobo.

Mattax · May 19, 2008

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
If you don't want to dump your ram, you could get a coreduo and keep it w/ an asrock mobo- but many of them feature agp gfx, which is a step in the wrong direction.

If you're dead set on going intel, nothing plugged directly into your mobo will be useful. I'd suggest getting a new gfx card now, and because any losses, or fear over overclocking don't matter (if you're getting a socket 775 system, who cares if you screw up the 939?), try to maximize what you have.

I am not deadset on Intel or AMD. I just want the best bang for the buck and upgrade what I already have for around $1000.

Originally posted by: ComdrpopnfreshMy suggestion is to overclock your current system and plop in the new gfx, and see if you are content with that. I also have a 939 system- and you're mobo is on par with mine in terms of overclocking. We also have the same cpu, and I have been running mine @ 2.7ghz for months now (2.6ghz for almost 2.5 years). DDR ram holds well with overclocking, I have crucial 400mhz, that with all four dimms full, can run @ 560mhz @ a cas of 2.5. Even if the performance of your overclocked system isn't to your liking, the experience may make you confident enough to overclock a new intel system- which can either grab you much better performance, or much lower buy-in costs (or a nice balance of the two). A lot of the rumors about overclocking are misfounded, and a smear by oem builders- as long as one is sensible, there is no trade-off, unless one plans to use the same system for over 20 yrs.

What is the gfx? Video card? I am really out of touch on terminology. So should I keep the current set up MB and upgrade the video card and CPU or get a new CPU, MB, RAM and Video card. Your suggestions - while I am educatingly guessing are good - are bouncing all over the place. That and the I'm out of touch bit aren't helping me sort it all out.

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
Intel overclocking is even easier- it took me 15 minutes on stock cooling to raise the e2180 I put it in a build for my cousin from 2ghz to 3.2ghz. If you still want to be cautious, go as far as the stock voltage will take you- as long as temperatures remain reason able (at stock volts they typically will), there is nill risk.

Overclocking or not, you should forward your intent for the system- budget, or something that will keep its own for a moderate amount of time.

I have never overclocked and don't have the time or need to do so. That said, having the capability to do so down the road is not a bad option. But is not the primary purpose of putting together the RIG.

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
if you're doing lots of video editing, a quadcore might do you well, otherwise, stick to intel dualcores.

QUADCORE?

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
for budget, look at e4xxx or e6xxx series. to have something last a bit longer- go with an E8400. @ 3ghz (stock), you won't even believe such a performance difference was possible compared to your current system. And if you decide to overclock later on, the E8400 is an awesome candidate- it can do 4ghz!

I assume now you are referring to Video cards?

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
I would check out asus or gigabyte P35 motherboard with ddr2 (only) support. If you're going with vista, get 4gigs in a 2x2gb config. And get the 64bit version so you can use all the memory.
The ga-ep35-ds?L is a good choice- with a very cool and power efficient version available for 89 dollars on newegg.

I take it this is the MB?

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
The e8400 is slightly below the 200 dollar mark.

what is the e8400?

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
as far as memory- if you're sure you will go to the grave without overclocking, get ddr2-800: go by the review ratings, and customer choice awards on newgg
if you might overclock down the road, get ddr2-1000 or 1066 memory. It keeps you from having to rack you brain over "memory dividers." Buy 4 gigs now, and if you might overclock, get the higher speed now, because ddr2 prices will begin to increase steadily as production of ddr3 increases (it'll be like trying to buy a gig of ddr vs ddr2 currently- little choice, and a lot of money in comparison)

RAM: that is fine with me to get the better of the two with the DDR2-1000 or 1066. What is the difference between the two? Or does the MB factor in to which type I get?

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh for hdd and optical drives, only go sata- ide cables restrict airflow, and are a pain to neatly route. Asus and samsung make very good sata dvd burners. My recommendations for the hdd would be to stay with the rapter and add a cheap 500gb storage for ~ 100 dollars.
If you want something new, the 300gb velociraptor is awesome, but is a huge budge chunk. Two good mainstrem-performance drives are the WD 640 gig drive for around 115 on the egg, or the 119 dollar samsung f1 750gb- which has 32mb of cache

for the latest video (but not bleeding edge, or bleeding wallet), go with a 9600gt, or the 8800gt. The 9600gt has less "stream processors", but is the latest generation and matches the 8800gt in some instances. Don't get 256mb gfx cards- not worth the meager savings. If you want sli performance w/o the cost of an sli board, or moving away from intel chipsets, the ati 3870 is a dual-card (the crossfire is on the card, and it fits in on pci-e slot), or the nvidia 9800gx2

if you pick things well, and have, or plan to own a hdcp monitor, you can score a blu-ray rom drive for 140 dollars- that should make watching movies a bit more enjoyable.

keep your psu, the raptor, the case, the x-fi, and the xp-pro (to save money, esp if it is already 64-bit)

if you go with an 8800gts, make sure it is the g92 architecture. If it doesn't say, it will be a one with 512mb of ram, not 320 or 640. A g92 8800gts with 512mb will outperform an 8800gts 640mb

don't worry about matching ddr2 speeds to the mobo. a ddr1000 or 1066 part will simply run @ 800mhz in a 800mhz default board, the extra headroom is for overclocking. likewise, a board that enables 1066 or 1200mhz as a default will run 800mhz perfectly fine.

stay clear of boards only supporting 800/1066mhz fsb. 1333/1600 is high end, and 1066/1333 is a good mainstream figure.

reading the stickies in the forums about overclocking may make you feel comfortable enough to give it a try, and even if you won't, you will become more familiar with what to look for in a quality build.
Also, don't be concerned about pci-e 1.0 vs 2.0. a 2.0 card will run in a 1.0 mobo without performance hit, and a 1.0 card will run in a 2.0 mobo.

OKay in a nutshell you are suggesting:

CPU: ??? can't figure a name or model from above
MB: asus or gigabyte P35 motherboard with ddr2 (only) support - which brand and model? - I am sticking with Windows XP Professional - heard too many horror stories about Vista and I already own a few copies of XP - not buying another one.
RAM: ddr1000 or 1066
VIDEO CARD: you are jumping between too many cards - 9600gt, 8800gt, 9800gx2, 8800gts 512mb - which card???
SATA DVD BURNER: Asus and samsung - what models?

I really need more explanations on the above and/or manufacturer and model numbers to help mw narrow down what I need for my upgrade. I think I am more baffled now than before.

Thanks.

betasub · May 19, 2008

Originally posted by: Mattax
VIDEO CARD: you are jumping between too many cards - 9600gt, 8800gt, 9800gx2, 8800gts 512mb - which card???

gfx = graphics, i.e. graphics card. The above are all from Nvidia and are similar designs with performance (and usually price) increasing 9600gt < 8800gt < 8800gts-512 < 9800gtx < 9800gx2

They are suggestions thrown out for you to investigate. Or do you just want someone to tell you exactly what to get with no thought on your part?

I really need more explanations on the above and/or manufacturer and model numbers to help mw narrow down what I need for my upgrade. I think I am more baffled now than before.

You need to read the AT main site as well as these forums. Manufacturer and model numbers may only confuse you further: you should look at nailing down the basics (what you require from your motherboard e.g. P35 with basic features, Core2Duo or Core2Quad, 2GB or 4GB RAM, how much $$$ on gaming gfx).

Comdrpopnfresh · May 19, 2008

The E8400 is one of the best Intel dual-core CPUs.
I was suggesting you focus on graphics now, either an 8800gt or 9600gt from evga, palit, or msi (go by comments and ratings on www.newegg.com)

You don't want to upgrade your current system- trust me, I don't think anyone on these forums would suggest that, especially with your budget of 1000 dollars- which is enough to get build two computers, each with better performance than what you have

That being said, if the graphics card is really the only thing slowing you on games and such, and you know you'll be putting the rest of your budget to a new build, OVERCLOCK THE SOCKET 939 SYSTEM. If you kill it, it doesn't matter. No one will buy the 939 parts for an appreciable amount of money, and none of it except the harddrives can go to a new intel system. You might reach a level of performance you are happy with (I'm sure if I had an 8800gt or 9600gt in my 939 system I would be happy), and save A LOT of money.

P35 is the "chipset" from intel (it will be a narrowing-down option in the left pane on newegg). Asus and Gigabyte are two very good producers of the motherboards. Asus is a bit more expensive, but performance is a bit higher, and overclocking ability is much higher.

"I am not deadset on Intel or AMD. I just want the best bang for the buck and upgrade what I already have for around $1000. "
939 is dead- the processors are no longer made, prices are inflated over shrunken supplies, no good motherboards can be found. You already have a socket 939 motherboard in the top 5 out of ALL OF THEM. You memory is as fast as it gets on the socket 939 platform. Your processor is only 700mhz from the top 5 of all made for that socket.
To put it plainly: If you want to work with the system you have, and not get ripped-off. BUY A NEW GRAPHICS CARD AND OVERCLOCK THE PROCESSOR

recommendations typically go by brand here- these posts stick around for awhile, and new models are always being released. The quality of a brand lasts longer than a single product line. So in the case of dvd burners: Samsung or Asus- to make your choice, look up products on newegg, narrow it down to a few, and then google the product and model name along with "review" to see if someone did an indepth look- they might have even compared it to the other ones you were considering.

You might want to buy a prebuilt computer. If no overclocking will happen, it is okay, because Dell and such keep you from doing it anyhow. They also hone in the choices when you customize, and tell you gladly which is better (and more expensive).

Mattax · May 20, 2008

Thanks! I will 8800gt or 8800gts video card. I suppose the gts is better?

Where do I go for information on overclocking my MB and CPU?

Quiksilver · May 20, 2008

Originally posted by: Mattax
Here is the list of current parts:
PS:[/b]SeaSonic S12-600 ATX12V 600W Power Supply - Retail

CASE:Antec Performance I P180 Silver Computer Case - Retail
HD 1:Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM 8MB Cache Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
HD 2:Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3300831AS-RK 300GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - Retail
HD 3:Maxtor 300GB
SOUND:[/b]Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Elite Elite Pro 8 (7.1) Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
MONTIOR: LCD SCEPTRE 20" WIDESCREEN

Mattax · May 21, 2008

Thanks so much for that list.

For the OS, I should be able to online upgrade my Windows XP Professional to Service pack III thus avoiding buying it yet again and saving $139. So that brings the total back down to $711 shipped.

Questions I have now is:

1. which Video Card is better 8800GT or 8800GTS?

2. The Gigabyte MB only has 2 PCI slots. I am going to need one for the Audio and one for Video Capture. I was going to jack in a Network card but I suppose onboard Ethernet has come a long way in the past few years and I won't have to do this.

3. Since the MB supports up to 8GB RAM, I should go with at least 4GB to start especially since I do a lot of video editing. So that will up my cost. I have always been a fan of Crucial so I will look into the correct RAM for the MB.

Mattax · May 21, 2008

:bump:

PolymerTim · May 21, 2008

A few quick points:

1) 8800GTS-512 > 8800GT. Currently there is a deal on newegg for the ECS 8800GTS-512 making it slightly cheaper than the 8800GT. I got this one myself, but the one caveat is that ECS supposedly has worse customer service and may be more difficult to work with if you get a bad product.

2) I think the onboard ethernet should be fine for you. For the motherboard, the most important thing for you is to select one from a reputable company with the features you need. I think the GIGABYTE DS3L previously linked is a great place to start. Make sure it has the backpanel connectors you need. It also has 3 PCI slots so that should be plenty for you. If it seems to have everything you need, I think it is a good choice for you.

3) If you want to use much more than 3 GB of RAM, you will need a 64-bit operating system. You can get this as either XP or Vista, but 32-bit versions (sometimes referred to as x-86) will only support around 2.8-3.2 GB RAM with the system you are looking at. With RAM prices the way they are. You may want to get a nice DDR2-800 set of 2x2GB for now leaving you room to add more later if you want.

Mattax · May 22, 2008

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
A few quick points:

1) 8800GTS-512 > 8800GT. Currently there is a deal on newegg for the ECS 8800GTS-512 making it slightly cheaper than the 8800GT. I got this one myself, but the one caveat is that ECS supposedly has worse customer service and may be more difficult to work with if you get a bad product.

I remember way back when there was a motherboard that was constantly having the BIOS upgraded to fix issues. It was almost a daily occurence. After 4 months of never getting the RIG completed I gave up and returned the MB. It was a slight hassle. I don't think I want to go through customer service issues so taking that into account I will avoid ECS. Perhaps another company will have better customer service. So I will search for the GTS version.

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
2) I think the onboard ethernet should be fine for you. For the motherboard, the most important thing for you is to select one from a reputable company with the features you need. I think the GIGABYTE DS3L previously linked is a great place to start. Make sure it has the backpanel connectors you need. It also has 3 PCI slots so that should be plenty for you. If it seems to have everything you need, I think it is a good choice for you.

The second listed board has much more that I need except the need for the additional PCI slot, unless there is a video capture card out there that uses PCI Express, I may have to find another MB. I will research this.

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
3) If you want to use much more than 3 GB of RAM, you will need a 64-bit operating system. You can get this as either XP or Vista, but 32-bit versions (sometimes referred to as x-86) will only support around 2.8-3.2 GB RAM with the system you are looking at. With RAM prices the way they are. You may want to get a nice DDR2-800 set of 2x2GB for now leaving you room to add more later if you want.

I am using Windows XP Pro. I gather it does in fact have the 64 bit OS. Yes, 4GB for now and add more later.

Blain · May 22, 2008

Originally posted by: Mattax

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
2) I think the onboard ethernet should be fine for you. For the motherboard, the most important thing for you is to select one from a reputable company with the features you need. I think the GIGABYTE DS3L previously linked is a great place to start. Make sure it has the backpanel connectors you need. It also has 3 PCI slots so that should be plenty for you. If it seems to have everything you need, I think it is a good choice for you.

Click to expand...

The second listed board has much more that I need except the need for the additional PCI slot, unless there is a video capture card out there that uses PCI Express, I may have to find another MB. I will research this.

Originally posted by: PolymerTim
3) If you want to use much more than 3 GB of RAM, you will need a 64-bit operating system. You can get this as either XP or Vista, but 32-bit versions (sometimes referred to as x-86) will only support around 2.8-3.2 GB RAM with the system you are looking at. With RAM prices the way they are. You may want to get a nice DDR2-800 set of 2x2GB for now leaving you room to add more later if you want.

Click to expand...

I am using Windows XP Pro. I gather it does in fact have the 64 bit OS. Yes, 4GB for now and add more later.

* Yes there are PCI-Express X1 capture cards. But they are a little expensive for someone on a tight budget.
* Is your XP Pro a 32-bit or 64-bit version?

Roguestar · May 22, 2008

Originally posted by: Mattax
I am using Windows XP Pro. I gather it does in fact have the 64 bit OS. Yes, 4GB for now and add more later.

This is not enough to make sure it's 64-bit, go to Start->Run and type "winver". If you're using the x64 version it will look like this:
http://www.ittvis.com/services...t4040_winver_xpx64.jpg

Mattax · May 22, 2008

So if it is not 64 version then I have to buy another FRACKING copy of XP? SOAB. Is there not an upgrade on the microsoft website? Talk about raping you.

I have Version 5.1 Build 2600.xpsp_sp2_gdr.061219-0316

Roguestar · May 22, 2008

...

You should be able to tell because it'll say "x64 version" like in the image I linked.

The 64-bit version is not a downloadable update, no. It's a different operating system intended for x64 CPUs and people running x64 programs. They're not raping you, it's a different set of needs so a different OS to fulfil them. You can get a copy of Vista Home Premium x64 OEM for less than $100, that's not going to break the bank.

Mattax · May 22, 2008

I have a video capture card now Pinnacle 7 but that was purcahsed over 4 years ago. I am looking to get something better such as being able to capture HD from Satelite. Specifically Directv but have the OTA capability as well.

With the suggestion of the OPTIMAL above, will all things work with the 64 bit system? Or will I need to upgrade everything?

Mattax · May 22, 2008

Originally posted by: Roguestar
...

You should be able to tell because it'll say "x64 version" like in the image I linked.

The 64-bit version is not a downloadable update, no. It's a different operating system intended for x64 CPUs and people running x64 programs. They're not raping you, it's a different set of needs so a different OS to fulfil them. You can get a copy of Vista Home Premium x64 OEM for less than $100, that's not going to break the bank.

Thanks, I posted before I saw your response.

I seems that much has changed since putting together my last RIG.

So based on the fact that there is a new OS either XP Pro 64bit or VISTA (which I hear has lots of issues) should I upgrade to the new OS? Or will I be better served to stay XP Pro version that I already have?

chinaman1472 · May 22, 2008

There's nothing wrong with Vista 64-bit unless you're using hardware that's probably older than a decade. 64-bit allows you to use 4GB of RAM rather than ~3.25. Practically everything that was made for XP works on Vista.

Blain · May 22, 2008

Originally posted by: Mattax
So if it is not 64 version then I have to buy another FRACKING copy of XP? SOAB. Is there not an upgrade on the microsoft website? Talk about raping you.

Go with a Linux distro. That will teach Gates and Ballmer a thing or two. :thumbsup::laugh:

Upgrading old computer - need help

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