View Full Version : Upgrade time, what should I get?
Sex Kitten
11th Oct 2002, 02:16
I'm thinking of upgrading my 'puter, currently P3 733 with Nvida 32Mb TNT graphics, I've lost touch with whats new or current etc.
I've heard AMD is better than P4, and I'll need new DDR ram etc.
WHat should I look for motherboard wise, processor wise and graphics card wise etc?
Any recommendations, tips, pitfalls etc?
I want to try and future proof it as far as possible
Thanks
:confused:
Don Coyote
11th Oct 2002, 07:48
Why upgrade? Sounds like a pretty good spec machine already. I used to upgrade on a regular basis, but then the difference between 386 & 486 etc was pretty marked.
These days you wont notice much difference in performance. A reformat and reloading your software would probably have a similar effect.
BlueEagle
11th Oct 2002, 10:59
Even if you don't buy Dell you should get some ideas here:
http://www.dell.com
if you'd asked 6 months ago I'd have said AMD, but there chips are starting to fall behind the Pentium 4 which is good to be pushed up towards 10ghz.
The top end chips are the 2.66 and 2.8, but they are still expensive. The best performance/price chip at the moment is the P4 2.4, selling at around $195 here in the USA. This comes in 2 versions to support different motherboard speeds. The newest speed is the 533Mhz FSB.
Newer motherboards which support the 533Mhz FSB also support faster memory, up to PC3100 DDR. PC3100 is thin on the ground but available if you look. It's a bit expensive but makes the most of the CPU. You can economise by getting PC2700 DDR.
That will at least future proof you up to the 3.6Ghz CPU which is due out in the second half of 2003.
At that stage Intel bring out a new chip, codenamed "Prescott", with a .09 micron die in place of the present .13 micron. They may continue to produce faster P4s however, as they presently do for the Celeron, alongside the new chip.
So, A P4 2.4Mhz, 533 FSB machine with 256Mb of PC3100.
Mac the Knife
11th Oct 2002, 21:13
Same question as Don Coyote. I do a lot of editing of large static graphic images & composites using a P3/800 and have no speed problems using a Matrox G450 Dualhead with 2 matching 19" screens - plays DVDs movies nicely too.
If you're doing a lot of games or movie editing or serious image rendering you may be happier, but don't upgrade just for the sake of it. A big monitor may be a better bet.
I'm replacing young Tom's old P2 with an Athlon XP 2000+ on an MSI 745 Ultra AMD ATX 266MHz+DDR ATA133 + 256M 266MHz DDRAM + a GE Force 4 MX 420 and this represents a reasonable cost/performance compromise for a games machine.
BayAreaLondoner
14th Oct 2002, 18:01
www.tomshardware.com and www.anandtech.com are good sources of info.
I have a similar machine to yours although bits have been upgraded around the motherboard.
Personally, I'd wait until Q1'03 before upgrading due to Comdex happening soon (new product introductions) and their ready availability in 2003.
Agree with BlueEagle. 3 Dells (2 laptops and one desktop) in my family. No problems - apart from uninstalling the preloaded AOL, Norton A/V etc.... Look in "Which" in your library; Dell consistently do well in their reports.
BlueRobin
15th Oct 2002, 15:34
Future proof? Well not really that possible unless you have a crystal ball, eh? :)
Money is key here. Whilst some may go for the latest and greatest, I would tread the path that is the middle road. More cash left over for flying too.
Don't go cheap and unbranded. All components here in should be branded but not paid through the nose for.
To go AMD XP something, you'll need a new motherboard. Probably need DDR memory. Typically a 1600+ will set you back around £130 presently. Not bad for the brains of the system. Intel will set you back much more. Just a small word of warning - make sure you set a temperature shutdown threshold in the BIOS. AMDs have poorer temp. protection than INtel. Other than that, as stable as any Intel IMO.
Stick a half-decent 3D card on. Nvidia Geforce 440 MX. Stable, reliable and readily available drivers. There's no denying any thing higher spec'd makes things pricey.
Now, you'll probably be okay with your original hard drive. Ditto your power supply. Stick it all together. If it doesn't compalin about power, leave it. If it does, well budget for a higher wattage unit and buy one.
BlueRobin
An experience and educationally qualified support bod dontchya know :cool: