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| Thread ID: 60378 | 2005-07-30 11:11:00 | PC upgrade - would like some advice | echothreezero (6612) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 376894 | 2005-07-30 11:11:00 | Hi, currently running what years agoused to be my gaming machine: Asus A7V333-X mobo running an Athalon 1.2Ghz and 256 DDR 3200, has about 30gb of hd split in 2 partitions with a 7.5mb windows xp pro partition and the balance for documents and music. 32xcd-rom 48x12x48 Lite-on CD-rw drive 10gb removable hd for backups 400W psu all in a custom tower with perspex window blah, blah... Finding it a bit slow and need dvd drive and more hd space. Can anyone recommend a reliable approx 80gb hd that I could buy two of for a raid setup? Also, how much RAM recommended - another 512mb should do it I reckon? DVD drives - anything recommended - quality over cost. Have the format wars been resolved? Processors - what socket A processors are available at a reasonable price. the 1.2 Athalon just doesn't cut it these days. I am not trying to resurrect the "gamer", just want it to be a bit quicker, a bit more robust (hence the raid) and be able to read and burn dvd's. My gaming days are over anyway lol amazing how left behind you get after 2.5yrs out of the IT game... Cheers G P |
echothreezero (6612) | ||
| 376895 | 2005-07-30 14:39:00 | Also, how much RAM recommended - another 512mb should do it I reckon? If your Mobo supports DDR 2, then go for DDR 2 version instead DDR1. In my opinion, half a gigabyte of RAM should be relatively sufficient unless you are a hardcore-gamer or you frequently edit videos and pictures. However, for future-proof purpose, I would advise you to get at least 1 Gig of RAM. Cheers :) |
Renmoo (66) | ||
| 376896 | 2005-07-30 14:45:00 | Your first task is to identify the fast Cpu your board can handle. | Metla (12) | ||
| 376897 | 2005-07-30 17:37:00 | Get 512mb and if you can afford it get 2 x 512mb to make 1gb and that will make a cheap but big up grade and make your computer run faster . check out www . pricespy . co . nz for prices of computer components . :thumbs: Check out your motherboard and see what cpu processor it will go up to,look in your motherboard manual,or do a Google search on your motherboard and find out or go to your motherboards website and find out there . Get a combo cd/dvd drive it copys cd's and plays dvd's or get a dual dvd burner it copy's cd's and dvd's and plays both of them . Your motherboard and AMD at the moment does not support ddr2,so just stick to ddr 400 . Oh and by the way this talk of future proofing is $#@!%^&* as you cant future proof yourself as every gamer knows that as soon as Doom 3 and Half Life 2 and Far Cry,Battlefield 2 came out Gamers upgraded again and will carry on upgrading as the games demand it/or is necssary to play the game . :cool: Harddrives, get the biggest you can afford,with NCQ . :thumbs: |
memphis (2869) | ||
| 376898 | 2005-07-30 21:45:00 | Can anyone recommend a reliable approx 80gb hd that I could buy two of for a raid setup?A couple of 80gig Seagate Barracuda's will do you just fine. | Greg (193) | ||
| 376899 | 2005-07-30 22:27:00 | Harddrives ... 2*80GB Seagate Barracuda's (they have a 5 year warranty too :)) DVD +/-R ... Maybe a Liteon .. seem quite good for the price RAM, I would go for 2*512MB RAM |
Myth (110) | ||
| 376900 | 2005-07-30 23:05:00 | If this is your m/b, then an Athlon Thoroughbred XP 2700+ would do, or a Sempron socket A 2600+ : usa.asus.com But you need to check the version number and manual to make sure. You may have to hunt around a bit for a new Athlon cpu, they are disappearing now. |
Terry Porritt (14) | ||
| 376901 | 2005-07-31 06:06:00 | ASUS Universal Model for K7 Solution The A7V333-X, based on the KT333 chipset, supports the Socket A platform and high-bandwidth DDR 333 memory . . . Processor Socket A for AMD Athlon XP/ Athlon/ Duron up to 2 . 8 GHz+ 333MHz FSB Support Chipset North Bridge: VIA® KT333(CF) South Bridge: VIA® VT8235 FSB 333/266/200 MHz Memory 3 x DDR DIMM Sockets Max . 3GB unbuffered PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 non-ECC SDRAM Memory (PC2700 Max . to 4 banks only) Expansion Slots 1 x AGP 4X 6 x PCI IDE Ports 2 x UltraDMA/133/100/66 Audio (Optional) Realtek 6-channel CODEC LAN (Optional) BroadCom 10/100 Mbps Ethernet controller USB 2 . 0 VIA VT8235 built-in USB2 . 0 6 x USB 2 . 0 ports Special Features ASUS MyLogo ASUS EZ Flash ASUS Q-Fan Power Loss Restart ASUS JumperFree SFS (Stepless Frequency Selection) ASUS C . O . P . (CPU Overheating Protection) Back Panel I/O Ports 1 x Parallel 2 x Serial 1 x PS/2 Keyboard 1 x PS/2 Mouse 1 x Audio I/O (on audio model only) 4 x USB 2 . 0 1 x RJ-45 Port (on LAN model only) Internal I/O Interface CPU/Chassis FAN connectors 20 pin ATX power connector IDE LED connector Chassis Intrusion Game port (on audio model only) CD/AUX audio in (on audio model only) Front panel audio connector (on audio model only) 1 x USB 2 . 0 connector supports additional 2 USB 2 . 0 ports BIOS Feature 2Mb Flash ROM, ASUS JumperFree, Award BIOS, TCAV, PnP, DMI2 . 0, WfM2 . 0, BIOS 2 . 3, ASUS EZ Flash, MyLogo Industrial Standard PCI 2 . 2, USB 2 . 0 Manageability WfM2 . 0, DMI2 . 0, WOR, WOL, Chassis Intrusion Support CD Drivers ASUS PC Probe Trend Micro PC-cillin 2002 anti-virus software ASUS LiveUpdate Utility Accessories User's Manual Driver CD UltraDMA 133/100/66 cable FDD cable I/O shield Board Size ATX Form Factor 12" x 9 . 6" (30 . 5cm x 24 . 5cm) Check to see if this is your mb . If it is I would go for a Athlon 3000XP as that is the fastest your mb will take as its a 333fsb . (make sure you get the Athlon 3000XP 333fsb as AMD made a Athlon 3000XP 400fsb as well) . And get 2 x 512mb . (Memory is the cheapest and allways the best price/perfomance upgrade anyone can make) . And 2 x 512mb will make a big difference that you will notice straight away . Programmes load faster,windows operates faster,smoother and games love more ram too and are so much better for it . :thumbs: Check out www . pricespy . co . nz on the cpu page near the bottom of the page is the AMD Athlon XP CPU's . :) The Athlon 3000 XP L2 cache 512kb is faster and has more cache then a Sempron 3000 L2 cache 256kb . The Athlon 3000XP beats the 3000 sempron in benchmarks and in real life as well and is what I would go for . :2cents: |
memphis (2869) | ||
| 376902 | 2005-07-31 21:34:00 | Thanks everyone - yes the specs listed and the link given are for my mobo. Seeing as I have two spare slots for memory I suppose I may as well go the whole hog and get a couple of 512 dimms. The Seagate barracudas look to be well priced drives, and from memory they used to be quite good quality so I will prob go for them. Also agreed on a Liteon DVD drive. I have owned several liteon products in the past and IMO they can't be beaten. And obviously I am restricted in my options for a cpu. I don't forsee myself upgrading the mobo any time soon. although it is a few years old, it has only seen around 100 hours of computing as not long after I built this machine, I went overseas and it went into storage. I have just pulled it out and dusted it off, hence the upgrade, but I am loathe to buy another new mobo after using this one so little. Thanks again for all the advice it is appreciated. |
echothreezero (6612) | ||
| 376903 | 2005-07-31 21:48:00 | Does you board have Raid, if not I would just settle for a 160-200GB seagate. | Rob99 (151) | ||
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