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PC upgrade time
Dud - Jun 26, 2005

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  Dud Jun 26, 2005
You guys were all a big help when I built my computer almost two years ago, but I need more advice on upgrading key components, and I don't follow developments in technology so I don't know whats what anymore. I'm looking to replace the following parts:

Processor - 3 Ghz/800 mhz FSB minimum, 64bit & hyper-threading (don't know what that is but I want it) preferred. I'm leaning towards the intel Pentium 4 series at the moment.

Motherboard - I'll probably pick this out myself after I find a processor. I'll probably go with ASUS again, but it's got to have 2 onboard ethernet dealies, and PCI Express slots.

Video Card - I'm going back and forth between the ATI X800 and the GeForce 6800GT, I'll probably get a GeForce but there are so many different manufacturers of said card, I have no idea which one to get. I'm also interested in getting two and running that SLI two card setup thingy.

Sound Card - Doesn't have to be too fancy, just decent.

 it290 Jun 26, 2005
IMO, you're still better off with an Athlon 64 for price/performance.

As for the motherboard, rather than getting 2 onboard ethernet ports, why not just get a mobo with 1 ethernet port, and add a cheap $10 ethernet card? You'll probably save some bucks that way.

As far as the 6800GT is concerned, I think Gigabyte makes some good Nvidia cards.

Sound card - Nvidia Soundstorm is good, past revisions have had some problems but they're awesome for onboard sound. If you want a dedicated card, the Audigy 2 line is still good, but beware -- Creative's drivers still suck, and EAX3 enhancements aren't really worth it for most games IMO.

 Dud Jun 26, 2005

  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by it290+Sun, 2005-06-26 @ 12:33 PM-->
QUOTE(it290 @ Sun, 2005-06-26 @ 12:33 PM)
IMO, you're still better off with an Athlon 64 for price/performance.



[/b]



Perhaps, but I was very unimpressed with my current Athlon XP, for example it takes like 6 hours to compress a DVD into XviD and I can't use the computer for anything else while it's doing that. I just don't see an Athlon 64 3700+ or whatever being a big enough step up from a Athlon XP 2600+. And I don't buy into that thing where AMD says the actual speed maybe lower but it is really comparable to faster cpu x.


  
	
	

		
		

			Originally posted by it290@Sun, 2005-06-26 @ 12:33 PM



As for the motherboard, rather than getting 2 onboard ethernet ports, why not just get a mobo with 1 ethernet port, and add a cheap $10 ethernet card? You'll probably save some bucks that way.


Well, I usually go all out on motherboards, and it's never been an issue where I found something that didn't have 2 ethernet ports. Plus I like to keep by PCI slots free.