Where can I find advice on how to upgrade my computer?

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Mills
  • Start date Start date
D

David Mills

What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a website
and have them tell me which components are compatible with my system that I
am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my motherboard and
videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with what and whether
or not they are even compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I
have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
 
What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a website
and have them tell me which components are compatible with my system that I
am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my motherboard and
videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with what and whether
or not they are even compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I
have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

Well its not exactly rocket science so you could post the info here.
 
David Mills said:
What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a
website and have them tell me which components are compatible with
my system that I am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to
upgrade my motherboard and videocard and cpu, but I am not sure
which ones work with what and whether or not they are even
compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I have been
fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

That might be a major task if this is your first time upgrading
anything. I suppose upgrading the mainboard is a major leap from
upgrading a video card or increasing memory.

You could try reading this group for a while, picking whichever
subjects you wish to read about. You could even add a question to the
useful thread.

I think you might get some pointers if you list your complete system
specifications. That includes manufacturer and model information for
everything including your power supply.

I think you can do/learn that here, if you don't expect instant
gratification. I wouldn't try to do everything all at once. The
general rule about computer stuff, in my opinion, is to always gather
information before you act. Without information, you go off on a
detour, and then off on a detour to that detour, and so on until you
are completely lost.

My understanding, generally speaking. The two system types are Intel
and AMD. Then there is old and new. Your current power supply must be
compatible with your choice of mainboard, and it must be powerful
enough for the devices. Your current memory must be compatible with
your new mainboard. The new mainboard CPU socket information must
match your new CPU.

Good luck.
 
[email protected] said:
Well its not exactly rocket science so you could post the info here.
Click to expand...

Ok, well here is what I got, I want to upgrade my CPU, MOBO and Video Card.
I want something fast enough that it can run Half Life 2. It's not rocket
science, but if you have never done it before, it becomes confusing rather
quickly.


Computer:
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP
OS Service Pack Service Pack 2

Motherboard:
CPU Type AMD Athlon XP, 1466 MHz (5.5 x 267) 1700+
Motherboard Name PCChips M841LR (3 PCI, 1 AMR, 4 DIMM, Audio, Video, LAN,
Modem)
Motherboard Chipset SiS 740
System Memory 992 MB (DDR SDRAM)
BIOS Type AMI (12/19/01)

Display:
Video Adapter SiS 650_651_M650_M652_740 (32 MB)
3D Accelerator SiS 315

Multimedia:
Audio Adapter C-Media CMI8738 Audio Chip
Audio Adapter SiS 7012 Audio Device

Storage:
Disk Drive WDC WD1200JB-00DUA3
Optical Drive DVD-ROM DVD-16X6S (16x/48x DVD-ROM)
Optical Drive TDK DVDRW0404N

Partitions:
C: (NTFS) 38177 MB (26035 MB free)
F: (NTFS) 114470 MB (49820 MB free)

--------[ CPU ]--------------------------------------------------

CPU Properties:
CPU Type AMD Athlon XP, 1466 MHz (5.5 x 267) 1700+
CPU Alias Palomino
CPU Stepping A5
L1 Code Cache 64 KB
L1 Data Cache 64 KB
L2 Cache 256 KB (On-Die, Full-Speed)


--------[ CPUID ]--------------------------------------

CPUID Properties:
CPUID Manufacturer AuthenticAMD
CPUID CPU Name AMD Athlon(tm) XP 1700+
CPUID Revision 0662h
Extended CPUID Revision 0762h
Platform ID CBh (Socket A)
IA CPU Serial Number Unknown

--------[ Motherboard ]-----------------------------

Motherboard Properties:
Motherboard ID 62-1219-001131-00101111-040201-SiS740$M841LRRelease
12/19/2001 S
Motherboard Name PCChips M841LR

Front Side Bus Properties:
Bus Type DEC Alpha EV6
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 133 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock 267 MHz
Bandwidth 2132 MB/s

Memory Bus Properties:
Bus Type DDR SDRAM
Bus Width 64-bit
Real Clock 133 MHz (DDR)
Effective Clock 267 MHz
Bandwidth 2132 MB/s

Chipset Bus Properties:
Bus Type SiS MuTIOL
Bus Width 16-bit

Motherboard Physical Info:
CPU Sockets/Slots 1
Expansion Slots 3 PCI, 1 AMR
RAM Slots 4 DIMM
Integrated Devices Audio, Video, LAN, Modem
Form Factor Micro ATX
Motherboard Chipset SiS740


-------[ SPD ]-----------------------------------
[ 512 MB PC2700 DDR SDRAM ]

Memory Module Properties:
Serial Number None
Module Size 512 MB (2 rows, 4 banks)
Module Type Unbuffered
Memory Type DDR SDRAM
Memory Speed PC2700 (166 MHz)
Module Width 64 bit
Module Voltage SSTL 2.5
Error Detection Method None
Refresh Rate Reduced (7.8 us), Self-Refresh
Highest CAS Latency 2.5 (6.0 ns @ 166 MHz)
2nd Highest CAS Latency 2.0 (7.5 ns @ 133 MHz)


Memory Slots:
DRAM Slot #1 512 MB (DDR SDRAM)
DRAM Slot #2 512 MB (DDR SDRAM)

AGP Properties:
AGP Version 2.00
AGP Status Enabled
AGP Aperture Size 64 MB
Supported AGP Speeds 1x, 2x, 4x
Current AGP Speed 4x
 
What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a website
and have them tell me which components are compatible with my system that I
am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my motherboard and
videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with what and whether
or not they are even compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I
have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

Generally a website could provide an overview but not really
what you're after. Instead you need an interactive feedback
based upon:

1) Where you feel the system is lacking, what it's not
doing fast enough now and/or what capabilities it lacks that
you want to add. For many people they have all the same
typical needs but a more limited number of more demanding
uses... usually best to focus on those... and prioritize
them, their important relative to #2.

2) Budget - immediate budget, timeframe for making
purchase, & potential that later upgrades might be made
(many PCs are a work-in-progress, if the budget is
constraining or desired technologies aren't available yet).
Basically an idea of whether you're looking at lowest cost
possible (but perhaps sacrificing system lifespan,
reliability) a good value, a midgrade with more performance
and features or something more costly and modern enough to
suppport all popular technologies coming along in the next
couple years... or at least be upgradable towards that end.

3) A concise but complete list of current system specs
like:
OEM Make/Model and a link to it online
System case (link to it if not shown at OEM link),
or thorough description or picture of the rear).
Motherboard
CPU
Memory- type, amount, number of modules
Hard Drive
Power Supply
Video card
Sound/Modem/etc

Generally speaking if the current system is over 6 years old
you'll want to start from scratch. If less than that you
might need case modifications and/or power supply upgrade to
deal with the higher heat and energy issues of a more modern
system. IF it's an OEM system then a carefull look at power
supply and case are needed to determine if they're standard
or (how) proprietary.
 
Go to websites such as www.intel.com www.amd.com www.ati.com
www.antec-inc.com and read a lot and follow links. Don't
forget www.nvidia.com I spent about 6 months picking out
the components I wanted for my computer.
What ever you pick will be obsolete in 6 months to a year,
so don't worry too much. Also, you'll find good info on
sites from the magazine, such as www.pcworld.com and
www.pcmagazine.com and www.tomshardware.com Also suppliers
such as www.newegg.com have useful info (New Egg is a good
source for parts too).


--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.


| On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 23:21:41 -0500, "David Mills"
|
| >What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to
someone or a website
| >and have them tell me which components are compatible
with my system that I
| >am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my
motherboard and
| >videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with
what and whether
| >or not they are even compatible with my current computer.
Any ideas? I
| >have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for
your time.
| >
|
| Generally a website could provide an overview but not
really
| what you're after. Instead you need an interactive
feedback
| based upon:
|
| 1) Where you feel the system is lacking, what it's not
| doing fast enough now and/or what capabilities it lacks
that
| you want to add. For many people they have all the same
| typical needs but a more limited number of more demanding
| uses... usually best to focus on those... and prioritize
| them, their important relative to #2.
|
| 2) Budget - immediate budget, timeframe for making
| purchase, & potential that later upgrades might be made
| (many PCs are a work-in-progress, if the budget is
| constraining or desired technologies aren't available
yet).
| Basically an idea of whether you're looking at lowest
cost
| possible (but perhaps sacrificing system lifespan,
| reliability) a good value, a midgrade with more
performance
| and features or something more costly and modern enough to
| suppport all popular technologies coming along in the next
| couple years... or at least be upgradable towards that
end.
|
| 3) A concise but complete list of current system specs
| like:
| OEM Make/Model and a link to it online
| System case (link to it if not shown at OEM link),
| or thorough description or picture of the rear).
| Motherboard
| CPU
| Memory- type, amount, number of modules
| Hard Drive
| Power Supply
| Video card
| Sound/Modem/etc
|
| Generally speaking if the current system is over 6 years
old
| you'll want to start from scratch. If less than that you
| might need case modifications and/or power supply upgrade
to
| deal with the higher heat and energy issues of a more
modern
| system. IF it's an OEM system then a carefull look at
power
| supply and case are needed to determine if they're
standard
| or (how) proprietary.
|
|
|
|
 
What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a website
and have them tell me which components are compatible with my system that I
am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my motherboard and
videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with what and whether
or not they are even compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I
have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

If you want to upgrade your motherboard, processor and video card,
and don't have any experience building computers, you might want
to think about buying a barebones system from some outfit such as
Tiger Direct. That way, your old system will still be in working
condition, and you can sell it, or use it as a second computer.

The upgrades you mention will result in a completely new computer
anyway, since you will probably have to get new RAM to match your
CPU and motherboard. Only the case, a few cards and drives will be
left unchanged. Cases are cheap -- you can get a new case and
power supply for around $35 or so, to put your new motherboard,
new CUP, new video card, and new RAM into. The cards and drives
can go into either box, as you see fit.

If you just upgrade your old case, you are going to have a pile of
old parts left on your table.
 
On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 23:53:34 -0500, "David Mills"

Well the obvious step up is to get a 3200 AMD XP athlon.

You have several options.

The cheapest step up is to the 3200 XP by overclocking the 2500 barton
something thats pretty old hat nowadays its so easy to do.

The idea here is to get a halfway decent Nforce2 chipset board and
2500 barton.

Biostar for $48
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-138-216&depa=0

Full ATX board so you get 5 slots the downside for you is you have a
board with graphics built in. Its better to get a separate card unless
you have really modest graphics needs - no games etc. , but then
getting a separate card costs more. Even if you have really modest
needs its hard to find a graphics card for 10-20 bucks.

There was a sale recently at Compusa for $10 after rebate 400mx nvidia
based card. One alternative is Ebay. I dont recommend trying to get
everything on Ebay but you might be able to get a decent 400mx nvidia
based card used on ebay for $10. Now if you want to play games --
there was a sale at compusa over today ---- 9600xt for 99 after rebate
and a 5900 nvidia for 89 or something after rebate on black friday
last week.




So any socket A nforce2 board.
Heres a chaintech $48
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-152-045&depa=0


They are better than your old chipset board which is made by Pc chips
which is one of the worst makers of motherboards.

Like most boards they both come with sound and LAN built in. However
the Chaintech has SATA raid. Most boards have 2 ide channels in which
2 devices each can be connected per channel. You know hard disks ,
cdroms , burners , etc. 2x2 = 4 devices max. The biostar can take 4.

The chaintech can take 2x2 = ide connections - max 4.
Plus 2 sata devices - you know the new sata hard drvies.
So you get a max of 6 devices.

$48-50 motheboard
$85 barton 2500 XP at newegg OEM
you have to buy a fan and heatsink for $15-20 or more.

You also need a graphics card like I said - $10-20.

IF you really have modest needs you can get this :

Has the same general nforce2
chipset but also has a 400mx level graphics chip set integrated so you
dont have to buy a card for $60.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-138-234&depa=0


You have 2700 (333) DDR memory so if you wanted save some money you
could just use the 2500 barton as it was intended to be used at
333/166 - and you wouldnt have to buy new memory.

Or you could easily set it to equal a 3200 AMD XP by setting the FSB
to 200/400 and buy a stick 512 DDR 400/3200 or a two sticks of 256 400
DDR.

Theres a slight problem with the builtin graphics motherboard the last
one I cited ---- it cant be set usually to 400/200 unless you use a
separate graphics card so if you choose to do that it makes the
purchase of that board a waste cause you pay 10-11 bucks more and cant
use the onboard graphics usually.

Sell your 2700 DDR memory, 1700 processor and motherboard on Ebay.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IF you do the above the thing you have to watch is :

a) is your case a standard case that can take a full ATX sized board?
You are using a micro atx board right now.

b) What kind of power supply do you have? If its an OK 300watt PS then
you probably can still get by but if its an ancient cheapo or 250
watter than you might have to get a new one especially if you plan on
using a beefier graphics card for games.

So $50MB+$20 graphics card + 60 memory + 100 processor and heatsink =
230 before taxes shipping. But if you sell your stuff even for $60 its
net 170.

Use old memory and run it at 2500 XP/333 speed - $170
170 less say $40 or so you sell your old processor and MB for = 130.

Thats not counting the Power Supply and case.
I think Frys had an Antec for $39 recently.
Compusa has an antec-looking mid tower case for $25 no PS
and Newegg has the sparkle 300 watt for $22 or so. I got a Maddog 350
watt at compusa Thanksgiving day sale for $10.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
step up

Nforce 3 250 chipset 754 socket - Chaintech board for $73
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-152-043&depa=0

Take a look at this page - 2800 Amd 64 bits $127

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-452&depa=0


Check others too like Zipzoom fly which has free 2nd day shipping and
Mwave.com which sometimes has lower prices.

You need a decent 400 watt Power supply and DDR 400/3200 memory for
this though.
 
[email protected] said:
On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 23:53:34 -0500, "David Mills"

IF you do the above the thing you have to watch is :

a) is your case a standard case that can take a full ATX sized board?
You are using a micro atx board right now.

b) What kind of power supply do you have? If its an OK 300watt PS then
you probably can still get by but if its an ancient cheapo or 250
watter than you might have to get a new one especially if you plan on
using a beefier graphics card for games.

So $50MB+$20 graphics card + 60 memory + 100 processor and heatsink =
230 before taxes shipping. But if you sell your stuff even for $60 its
net 170.

Use old memory and run it at 2500 XP/333 speed - $170
170 less say $40 or so you sell your old processor and MB for = 130.
Click to expand...

Wow............that is one hell of an answer............thanks a
ton..........I will go thru this e-mail again and see what I can do to
follow your advice.
I've been posting on 4 different forums for the past 3 days and got little
help, I post here and you reply in GREAT detail in like 30 mins.....amazing.

Thanks again.
 
Wow............that is one hell of an answer............thanks a
ton..........I will go thru this e-mail again and see what I can do to
follow your advice.
I've been posting on 4 different forums for the past 3 days and got little
help, I post here and you reply in GREAT detail in like 30 mins.....amazing.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Im assuming you dont want to go another step up.

The other step up is a 939 socket AMD 64.
Im looking at these now. The 754 socket is better than the old socket
A (what you have and what the Barton 2500 upgrade is which is being
phased out) since it can take a version of the AMD 64 chips but its
being phased out reportedly in 5 more qtrs or so.

The longest lifespan will be the socket 939s AMD 64s.
The new super overclocking Winchester 90nm chips are out now and they
are being sold - AMD 64 3000 retail for $149 so its better than Id
dreamed about when I planned on it coming out possibly in Dec at a
$200 or so price.

The old AMD 64 chips are newcastle /130nm and come in
754 socket and the newer 939 socket.

The new 90nm Winchester chips so far Ive seen are only 939 but
I assume they are going to make the 754 and even the semperons with
the new 90nm form.

However the big sticking point is the chipsets and PCI-e.
They are phasing out AGP and PCI slots a huge change.

In addtion to all those sockets and new 90 nm chips - theres

VIA K8T800 and K8T890 chipsets
NFORCE 3 - 150,250 and the upcoming Nforce 4
There are variations on the Nforce 4 too the basic one , Ultra
version and SLI version (ability to use two graphics cards for higher
performance like the old Voodoo cards) .

You probably want the newer versions of the boards which Ive read tend
to have more overclocking features but the newest versions can be
expensive.

The thing is the older versions of the boards dont have PCI express.
There are some Nforce 3 250 boards with AGP and 5 PCI slots which Ill
probably end up getting since I havent seen any boards with both PCI
express for graphics AND AGP like rumors stated a while ago.

Ive seen a few VIA based boards with a mix of AGP and PCI express
short slots - the mini slots and Ive seen a few with PCI express
graphics slots and a few PCI slots but I just bought a 6800 AGP so I
need AGP and I need lots of PCI slots still so PCI express just isnt
going to happen for me.

Even if I wanted rebuy all new cards - music recording card, TV tuner
card , back up modem card for when my cable connection goes down ,
Audigy sound card - you cant get them in PCI express format anyway.

About the best I could do is sell my brand new 6800 AGP rebuy a PCI
express and then buy the PCI express nforce4 ultra which seems like
itll be slated to sell for $200. Not worth it.

I can get a nforce 3 for $111 and 939 3000 Amd 64 for 149 and then the
total isnt that bad. Ill upgrade to a new 939 nforce 4 board when the
next generation graphics cards come out and fall in price and its PCI
express. Then Ill get a nforce 4 with at least 3 PCI slots hopefully
around $100 by then.
 
David Mills said:
What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a
website
and have them tell me which components are compatible with my system that
I
am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my motherboard and
videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with what and whether
or not they are even compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I
have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

That's easy. Motherboard, CPU and Video card are most of the cost of a
whole new computer. You might as well add ~$150 for a case, power supply
and RAM. Then you won't have to worry about any of the new components being
compatible with the old components. All the components that might have
compatibility problems are brand new! For just one example, the following
rig will handle office applications, Internet and all the latest games just
fine: (just add your current drives)

From Newegg:

Qty Product Item # Unit Price Qty x Price

RAIDMAX Silver Case 10-bay Case without Power Supply, Model
"ATX-268WSP" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Gaming Tower
Color: Silver
Material: 0.7mm SECC Steel
Drive Bays: 5.25'' x4, 3.5''(External) x2,3.5''(Internal) x4
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0 x2
Power Supply: N/A
Cooling System: 80mm Side Panel fan x2
Motherboard Compatibility: ATX Form Factor 12" x 10.5" or
smaller
Dimensions: 16.2''Hx8''Wx17.8''D more info-> N82E16811156019
$27.50 $27.50


EPoX "EP-4PDA3I" i865PE Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket
478 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: Intel Pentium 4(HT)/Celeron Processors(Prescott
Ready)
Chipset: Intel 865PE + ICH5
FSB: 800/533/400MHz
RAM: 4x DIMM for Dual-Channel DDR400/333/266 Max 4GB
IDE: 2x ATA 100 up to 4 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X(1.5V), 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS/2,2xCOM,1xLPT,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),SPDIF Out,Audio
Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC650 6-Channel Codec
Onboard LAN: Realtek 8100B 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet
Onboard SATA: 2x Serial ATA
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813123217 $76.50 $76.50


High Tech ATI RADEON 9800PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 256-bit,
DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP, Model "EXCALIBUR R9800PRO ICEQ " -RETAIL
Specifications:
Chipset/Core Speed: ATI RADEON 9800PRO/380MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 128MB DDR/680MHz
BUS: AGP 4X/8X
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out(S-Video/Composite Out) +
DVI
Support 3D API: DirectX 9.0, OpenGL 2.0
Cable/Accessories: 2 Adapters, 3 Cables, 6 CD, Manual
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536@85Hz
Retail Box (See pics for details) No Half-Life 2 coupon more
info-> N82E16814161109 $235.50 $235.50


Thermaltake Silent PurePower, 420W ATX power supply.UL, CSA,
TUV, CE Approved. Intel Pentium 4 Compliant
Specifications:
Type: ATX
Maximum Power: 420W
PFC: No
Power Good Signal: 100-500ms
Hold-up Time: >16ms at Full Load
Efficiency: >65%
Over Voltage Protection: +5V trip point<+6.8V;+3.3V trip
point<+4.5V;+12V trip point<+15.6V
Overload Protection: Not specified
Input Voltage: 115 VAC / 230VAC
Input Frequency Range: 47-63 Hz
Input Current: 10.0A (Measuring 90-132Vrms);5.0A (Measuring
180-264Vrms)
Output: +3.3V@30A;+5V@40A;[email protected];+12V@18A;[email protected];+5VSB@2A
more info-> N82E16817153006 $41.49 $41.49


Intel Pentium 4/ 3.2E GHz 800MHz FSB, 1MB L2 Cache, Hyper
Threading Technology - Retail
Specification
Model: Intel Pentium 4 w/ Hyper Threading Technology
Core: Prescott
Operating Frequency: 3.2GHz
FSB: 800MHz
Cache: L1/12K+16K; L2/1MB
Voltage: 1.25V-1.525V
Process: 0.09Micron
Socket: Socket 478
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
Warranty: 3-year MFG
Packaging: Retail(with Heatsink and Fan) more info->
N82E16819116172 $219.50 $219.50


Geil Ultra Series Value Dual Channel 184 Pin 512MB(256MBx2)
DDR PC-3200 w/ Blue Heatspreader - Retail
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Geil
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 2.5 7-4-4
Support Voltage: 2.55V-2.95V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 32M x 64 -Bit
Special Features: Optimized SPD for Dual Channel DDR
motherboards
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820144309 $88.77 $88.77




Subtotal » $689.26
 
David said:
What I am looking for is a way to my computer specs to someone or a
website and have them tell me which components are compatible with my
system that I
am wishing to upgrade. For example, I want to upgrade my motherboard and
videocard and cpu, but I am not sure which ones work with what and whether
or not they are even compatible with my current computer. Any ideas? I
have been fighting with this for days now. Thanks for your time.
Click to expand...

That should be easy enough. If you're running WinXP, go to Start->All
Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Information. You'll have to do
a little detective work, since the information is a little incomplete.

Alternatively, you could install SiSoft Sandra, though the current version
is getting some bad reviews. I run Sandra 2004 and love it. It tells you
everything about your system and lets you benchmark much of it for free.
For a fee, you can unlock everything and benchmark everything about your
system. You can find Sandra Lite 2005 at www.download.com.

Now, you're interested in upgrading the very core of your computer.
Basically, You'll be building a new system, scavenging some parts from the
old. Well, that makes everything easy.

The power supplies is gonna have to be changed, most likely. You need at the
very minimum, 350 watts of a good quality power supplies from Antec,
CoolerMaster, or a brand of equal quality/reputation. Some cheap 500 watt
supplies don't put out the power of a quality Antec 350 watt power supply.
This is also an area to never, ever skimp on as it is the number one
culprit for build problems. The best way to upgrade your power supplies is
to upgrade your case too, if you go with Antec. Other cases also sometimes
contain power supplies, but beware of ones that you don't know who supplied
them. Get one that has a quality power supplies.

If you're upgrading your motherboard, you'll also have to upgrade your
memory. If you like playing games, or just getting the most out of your new
system, you'll want a board that uses dual channel DDR. You'll know if they
are if the slots use 2 different colors to identify the channels.

Also, if your system is really old, consider upgrading everything else,
though you could build your system initially and upgrade those parts as you
go, later. DVD burners are now well below $100, CD burners and DVD ROM's
are as little as $30, and a nice big, fast hard drive will set you back
$100 (or less if you get one with a nice fat rebate from Best Buy). Small
potatoes after you just spend a couple hundred on everything else.

Some sites that may be of interest to you for shopping for parts are:

www.newegg.com
www.zipzoomfly.com

You might also be interested in checking out some reviews at some web
sources:

www.tomshardware.com
www.hexus.net
www.pchardware.ro
www.anandtech.com
www.sharkyextreme.com
www.lostcircuits.com
www.hardocp.com
www.hardcoreware.net
www.xbitlabs.com
 
Dave C. said:
That's easy. Motherboard, CPU and Video card are most of the cost of a
whole new computer. You might as well add ~$150 for a case, power supply
and RAM. Then you won't have to worry about any of the new components
being compatible with the old components. All the components that might
have compatibility problems are brand new! For just one example, the
following rig will handle office applications, Internet and all the latest
games just fine: (just add your current drives)

From Newegg:

Qty Product Item # Unit Price Qty x Price

RAIDMAX Silver Case 10-bay Case without Power Supply, Model
"ATX-268WSP" -RETAIL
Specifications:
Case Type: Gaming Tower
Color: Silver
Material: 0.7mm SECC Steel
Drive Bays: 5.25'' x4, 3.5''(External) x2,3.5''(Internal) x4
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0 x2
Power Supply: N/A
Cooling System: 80mm Side Panel fan x2
Motherboard Compatibility: ATX Form Factor 12" x 10.5" or
smaller
Dimensions: 16.2''Hx8''Wx17.8''D more info-> N82E16811156019
$27.50 $27.50
Click to expand...

Damn bro, thanks for the details on this, I never thought of doing it that
way.
 
Ruel Smith said:
That should be easy enough. If you're running WinXP, go to Start->All
Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Information. You'll have to do
a little detective work, since the information is a little incomplete.
Click to expand...


Thanks Ruel, I am getting information overload.
That tool you mentioned is great though.
 
[email protected] said:
Im assuming you dont want to go another step up.

The other step up is a 939 socket AMD 64.
Im looking at these now. The 754 socket is better than the old socket
A (what you have and what the Barton 2500 upgrade is which is being
phased out) since it can take a version of the AMD 64 chips but its
being phased out reportedly in 5 more qtrs or so.
Click to expand...

John, I am actually considering your suggestions on this last post. I am a
little confused on all of this new stuff though, so I would have to research
it for awhile. All I have heard for the last 3 days is AGP, Barthon, Socket
A, etc.........so now you are talking about all of the new stuff, so I am
not sure where to begin. I will check it all out though. Thanks again for
the details on all of this.
 
John, I am actually considering your suggestions on this last post. I am a
little confused on all of this new stuff though, so I would have to research
it for awhile. All I have heard for the last 3 days is AGP, Barthon, Socket
A, etc.........so now you are talking about all of the new stuff, so I am
not sure where to begin. I will check it all out though. Thanks again for
the details on all of this.
Click to expand...

OK - I might get this stuff in a few weeks.
Heres some prelim stuff that I was looking at.

First there are some deals on mem recently. Strangely somethings have
been going up like the barton 2500 xp when I bought it was 85 retail
version. Now its $113 ! And memory - I bought my two sticks of DDR
400/3200 512 megs for $58 or so each with rebates of course. 3200
instead of becoming the standard mem selling everywhere like the other
memory 2100/2700 has actually gone a bit up.

Right now Ive seen Patriot 3200 sticks at Frys for around $60 512 megs
and I see256 meg Kingston sticks for around 32 or so after rebate at
Circuit city unfortunately youll probably only be able to get one
stick with the rebate. I think a stick of Mushkin DDR 400 512 was $69
at Newegg. You can run them in dual mem mode on the 939s but not the
754 sockets I think the reviews said it was marginally faster 1-3 % or
something. Not a big deal but its something.

The 939 - 3000 90 nm winchester 64 AMD is exciting because its
supposedly like the old AMD chips - like the Barton 2500 actually , a
monster overclocker and its only 149 retail version.

Now after searching I did see the Gigabyte nforce 3 250 Ultra

Check them out here
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?submit=property&DEPA=1

There are several in the low one hundred range.
The most interesting one is the Gigabyte GA-K8NS Ultra-939 $111

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-128-263&depa=1

Its a real reasonable combo. The funny thing is its very similar to
the GIgabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939 for $190 !

Another thing is these are NEW boards so youll find lots of posts as
usual complaining about bugs . Because of that some are bashing the
nforce 3s a bit and particularly the Gigabytes based on the supposed
problems of the $190 board . The funny hing is the newer $111 board -
Ive seen posts at sites which owners say its pretty stable and they
havent had any major problems unlike the more expensive board so
unless I see a rash of posts saying the cheaper one is also horrible
Im probably going to get it , if I dont see posts claiming another
board is vastly better than that one.

Another thing is - if you really want to get into vastly overclocking
it - I cant remember off the top of my head but some of them require
going over the 200 FSB setting so you might need particularly good
memory which may cost a lot more. Ive had no problems with cheap DDR
400/3200 PNY/Kingston/Centon at all at its stock settings but Ive
never pushed it higher than 200 FSB.
 
Another thing is - if you really want to get into vastly overclocking
it - I cant remember off the top of my head but some of them require
going over the 200 FSB setting so you might need particularly good
memory which may cost a lot more. Ive had no problems with cheap DDR
400/3200 PNY/Kingston/Centon at all at its stock settings but Ive
never pushed it higher than 200 FSB.
Click to expand...

John

I was looking at NewEgg for some PCI-E mobos and I noticed that they have 2
different types:
-PCI Express x16
-PCI Express x1


What is the difference?
 
I was looking at NewEgg for some PCI-E mobos and I noticed that they have 2
different types:
-PCI Express x16
-PCI Express x1


What is the difference?
Click to expand...

The x16 is for the new video cards generally though I guess they could
be used for something else in the future too but usually theres only
one. Theres several mini ones the x1s for future cards . What cards? I
dont know but Im sure there will be some in the future since some
boards dont have many PCI slots.

Anyway thats the situation , lots of things that were talked about for
the last few years are being phased in now so no matter what you get ,
you wont get a completelyly current board .

The big problem as I said is , you can get amd 64/939 which is the
most up to date option and its already at a reasonable cost even for
semi-budget users but then there PCI express.

Theres several reasons Im not willing to go PCI express at the moment.
All those fabulous options I mentioned -- even the 939 option and
winchester option have fallen so quickly that its reasonable even for
lower end users as long as they arent on a shoestring budget. However
the PCI express adds tons of more costs and hassles :


a) The thing thats happening the fastest is graphics cards which you
can buy now in PCI express form but you arent going to find a really
budget card in that form since they wont bother to put old designs in
that format. So its mainly the newer cards probably in the $200+ range
, maybe a bit lower though I havent done a search of all the PCI
express cards. Eventually youll see $49 PCI express budget cards Im
sure but I dont think they are around yet.

b) Im more interested in getting Nforce 4 probably vs the VIA K8T890
chipset though there probably isnt anything wrong with it - and Im
sure the new boards that come out will probably be around $150-200
though I could be surprised.

c) The more smaller PCI 1x slots you get , the less PCI slots youll
have and all the cards you still have - modems, TV tuner cards etc
will be PCI.

So right now the Gigabyte I mentioned looks good since its a nforce 3
250 939 board with AGP and PCI slots - a combo of the most current
socket with the older slots.

If you want to wait until summer maybe the PCI express graphics cards
and newer boards coming out soon will drop to the budget level.

Ideal would be (though this might be a kludgy board )

AGP + PCI express 16x both for both graphics cards.
A few PCI express mini slots and at least 3 PCI clots.

Alternatively - if you decide to shell out the bucks for a PCI express
graphics card then :

PCI express 16x + 2 mini PCI express slots and 3 PCI slots.

But then as I said if you are going that way might as well wait and
see if there are any nforce 4 boards that will be halfway reasonable
in cost since if I recall they were putting in a more advanced SATA
controller , more flexible RAID controller and some come with Wireless
G built in and other goodies. I dont think thats worth $200 for a
board unless you REALLY need some of those features.


http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1087&page=3


http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1087&page=5


Heres a roundup of 939 boards Anandtech picks the MSI but the
article is dated back to the summer , so its old and they dont test
the newer cheaper Gigabyte.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2128


A look in Nov at the Gigabyle Nforce 4 board - this would be the
most current format to get - 3 PCI+ 2 1x PCI express and + 1 16x PCI
express.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2273

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=1677
 
John

I was looking at NewEgg for some PCI-E mobos and I noticed that they have 2
different types:
-PCI Express x16
-PCI Express x1


What is the difference?
Click to expand...

I stand corrected there are cheaper graphics cards but youll better
deals in the AGP format.

Ive seen PCI express cards as low as $83

http://www.xpcgear.com/ab.html
RX300 a wimpy card

and the Nvidia 5300 for $100 another wimpy card.

Compusa had the 9600XT AGP for sale last week for $99 after rebate.
 
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