Very budget-oriented upgrade

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Mephistopheles

Mephistopheles

Distinguished
Feb 10, 2003
2,444
0
19,780
I think the time has come to upgrade my brother's computer. He currently has a P3 550Mhz on a P3V133 Asus mobo with 256MB PC133 SDRAM, an UDMA66 15GB hard drive and a Diamond viper 2 (32MB memory).

His use for this computer is minimal at best, and he's using Win98SE. He uses word, some audio editing, internet surfing and CD burning. The problem is that his computer is too old to run WinXP, which is something we would be interested in doing for better and more seamless network compatibility with my computer; plus, his hard drive has repeatedly had problems (it's some 6-7 years old) and his video memory gets read errors half the time he tries to turn on the computer.

I was thinking about upgrading his computer to a quite budget-minded computer, like an Athlon 2200+ with a Gigabyte GA7S748-L, 512MB of DDR400 (from Corsair - value select), a 120GB hard disk from Samsung (Barracuda 7200.7 model; I might ask for the $8 more for a 160GB model). As for the added space, even I need right now - I want some space for me. Oh, and a new video card: a rather cheap Radeon 9200SE-DT.

This upgrade also considers the possibility of playing more and newer games in both our computers - networked gaming is always an idea if you have two networked computers. And the Radeon, coupled with this upgrade, would make his computer even faster than mine (for now, hehe :evil: ), and would make multiplayer great!! 😎

You guys have any suggestions? Please don't exceed my brother's needs, though - I'm going to pay for a nice part of this upgrade, and I'm reluctant to spend more than required. After all, I postponed my own upgrade for later...
 
Hm, I didn't find that. K2M2?... Combo?...

The only mobo I found was the <A HREF="http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K7N2GM2-LSR&class=mb" target="_new">K7N2GM2-LSR</A> from MSI. It has integrated graphics, but I'd be a little reluctant to go with integrated graphics for that price level. I'd rather pay something like $10 or $20 more for the difference with the gigabyte board and actually get the R9200SE-DT like I originally planned. After all, there's the very real possibility that this computer will be used for multiplayer gaming in our home network... And dedicated graphics, even cheap ones, are probably a better choice!

Oh, and one more important thing: does anyone know of any problems with the Gigabyte GA7S748-L mobo?... I was happy to know that it has thermal shutdown functionality; and plus, it comes with Norton internet security. Not bad.
 
In order for it to be of value, it has to last a very long time without high power consumption and heat as well work well with programs that will be written for home use/normal user in 2005 and 2006.

There are two setups that do such, a Mobile Xp chip, 2500 or 2600, an abit board, or msi for a lil less money, and 512 megs of ram. the ram could be purchased at first with just a 256 option, actually if i was on a budget i would do so. for a video card, get anything with 128 megs of ram and radeon, will work for eternity for less than 65 dollars shipped.

It should be Barton, or else it just will fall short very quickly.

A tualatin 1.2 ghz system also runs REALLY well for things a normal user would want. I play doom3 without a skip :) 512 megs 133 ram, an IBM hd, 40 gig 7200 rpm 2meg, and well, its a very smooth system. i have a 8500dv AIWonder card, its faster than the 9000 by a lot, but is about the same as a 9200 without the cutdown version.

xp2200 chip isnt a value.

The XP-Mobile chips are best ever besides tualatins in my opinion as far as value and performance are concerned. The wattage difference allows for a 250-ish power supply (stock small one in a budget case) which in turn drives the psu cooler and less wattage, which in turn buys it back in power usage in less than a year (difference i mean from xp desktop verions)
you could even go ddr333/pc2700 ram. theres HUGE deals on very cheap 512 and 256 versions of this, being that they are phasing them out of the desktop lines.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by el_jefe_77 on 09/18/04 03:57 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
He could run XP fine simply by upgrading him to 512MB of RAM. Also, if the CPU is a Coppermine core (256k cache), you can overclock it to 133MHz bus fairly easily for PIII 733EB performance.

Personally I'd go with a $20 Slot-T adapter from Upgradeware and a $40 Tualatin Celeron 1100 overclocked at 1466MHz (133MHz bus).

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>
 
again with the overclcoking advise for regular users, i wont understand it.

anyway, this may be a long shot and this may be too much compared to what you were thinking about, but id check into the chaintech vnf3-250 motherboard, you can pick it up for around 80 and then get a sempron 3100+. it will be a bit more investment, but then you can always upgrade it alot further later wihtout as much hardware shuffling.
 
heya Meph;

Try this on for size, i dont know how much you were wanting to spend exactly but heres a possible inexpensive config.

Abit IS7 - $75
P4c 2.8Ghz - $155
2x256MB PC3200 - $100 or less
WinXP Pro FULL Retail Box $198

The XP is whats going to kill youre budget but i bought it for that price Online, and i consider it a good deal, because its full retail box i can use it on any computer core i want to and change cores a million times and MS wont complain.

The core is inexpensive and fast, this isnt an overclocking core, you will need faster memory if you want to bring it up to 3Ghz+, which is easily possible with the 2.8 chip, you can get 3150Mhz without touching your VCore.

Overall this is a great core for hardly any money, and wont have any trouble playing even the latest games, like farcry, doom3, half-life2, etc etc.
 
you can get the boxed xp pro now for about $110, thats how i bought mine online.

i think that system would be alright too, except for the oc'ing part, but i guess the thing im hung on is upgradeability. i guess the s486 with the p4 would be just as much room as the s754 for amd. but dont base your decision on overclcoking, evne if you did its a wash since you can oc on the amd board as well.
 
FYI, meph is not a regular user, he's a resident Intel optamist who, in the post before Crashes, asked how far an xp2500 could be safely OCd.
To answer your question Meph. the mobile xp2500+ is usually fine to 2.3, and the regular xp2500 used to be good to 2.2 It would seem that the newer regularsdont get as high, but somewhere around 2.1 is usually stable. Oh. and if you want to call me the resident Intel pessamist, I wont mind.
 
Any chance you'd share a link to that retail box XP Pro?

Either here or in a PM? :smile:


ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 1GB Corsair XMS 4000 Pro Series, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt
 
duh use toms pricing guide

<A HREF="http://tomshardware.bizrate.com/marketplace/product_info/overview/index__cat_id--307,prod_id--6668000.html" target="_new">http://tomshardware.bizrate.com/marketplace/product_info/overview/index__cat_id--307,prod_id--6668000.html</A>

Dichromatic for your viewing plesure...
 
well, ok, duh, could you show me a Retail Box MS XP Pro full at any of those sites. I don't see any. The picture on your link doesn't mean they are retail versions for sale. :tongue:

I can buy a lic sticker, or a Dell XP pro w/ no lic sticker needed (on the CD) for under $110. But where can you find a retail box full version for $110. I'm guessing they have a 4" MS company store sticker on them, but hey, even so I'll take it if it is sealed.

All I am asking for is first hand confirmation from him rather than trusting one of those sites. I don't see any state it's the retail box version.

ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 1GB Corsair XMS 4000 Pro Series, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Pauldh on 09/21/04 10:17 PM.</EM></FONT></P>
 
Or you could pirate xp.......but i didn't just say that :wink: j/k.............or am I?????/

Watch out for the <b><font color=red>bloody</font color=red></b> Fanboys!

AMD64 2800+ :: MSI Neo-Fis2r :: 1024mb Kingmax ddr400 :: Sapphire 9800pro 128mb :: 10K WD Raptor

Addicted, finally.
 
Inciting others to commit criminal acts. tsk tsk tsk.

Next you'll probably recommend he check a p2p network to see what's available. Then you'll probably give him some advice like look for descriptions that say something like "corporate edition" so he won't have to use a key or product activiation. Or tell him to use google to search for windowsXP key generators.

People like you make me sick.

<i>Cigarettes - No cholesterol, high in fiber, low in fat, how could they not be good for you?</i>
 
hmm your right, the one i was talking about was the full dsp version that is from 95-105. that is not the boxed version, although it is a sealed retail version, just in the slim oem type package. thats what i bought when i got xp pro. sorry i didnt realize you meant in the box lol. is there a particular reason you need the box?
 
Why Pirate it when you can get the Academic Upgrade for $84.00? Retail stuff too!

Abit IS7 - 3.0C @ 3.6ghz - Mushkin PC4000 (2 X 512) - Sapphire 9800Pro - TT 420 watt Pure Power
Samsung 120gb ATA-100 - Maxtor 40gb ATA - 100
Sony DRU-510A - Yellowtail Merlot
 
No, not the box. But the RETAIL comes with Microsoft support, where oem has no support. Not that I ever call Microsoft, but I'd love for my customers to use up their free MS tech calls sometime before bugging me. :wink: Especially when it is just basic "I can't do it" stuff.

Anyway, you can't go wrong with the retail. But I don't like selling systems that have a Compaq, Dell, HP, Sony, etc. license sticker, and many of these sites with the cheap prices sell you versions that have a company name on them. I mostly buy the full oem, but Again, with the retail, no need to worry. An considering your price was by far cheaper than a trustworthy company like Newegg has the oem, I was very interested. I'd take 5 today at that price if it was the retail version.



ABIT IS7, P4 2.6C, 1GB Corsair XMS 4000 Pro Series, Radeon 9800 Pro, Santa Cruz, TruePower 430watt
 
well the dsp version i buy for the systems i sell also come with ms support. i belive there is a difference between dsp and regular oem versions, especially those crappy dell only oem discs. i havent had a problem yet from any of my customers when they got ms support.
 
I wish my brother would buy me a new computer! *wink wink* if he reads this :)

As I sit up in my bed looking at all the stars, I begin to wonder... WHERE THE HECK IS MY ROOF!?
 
I kind of was thinking on those lines too....

But I'll make him pay back!!!!! Mwhahaaaaa.... :evil:

Now seriously though, it's even my birthday next week, and my computer is slower than my brother's? :frown:

Actually, he needed the upgrade badly. And I'll be using some of his 120 completely new gigabytes, hehe...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom