Ideas for upgrading my desktop system?

Tim

I've had my custom built (by me) computer system for 2-1/2 years now, and it has always run good. But I'd like to improve some things on it, and don't want to spend the $$$ on a new motherboard / CPU setup. I don't think a 64 bit AMD system, even dual core, would make much difference in my day to day computing needs.

Here's what I have:

Antec 350 watt Smartpower power supply.

Abit NF7 Version 2.0 motherboard. No dash letters, like NF7-S or -B or -G or whatever.

Barton 2500+ CPU, unlocked multiplier, running at 2.2 Ghz, 11X200.

768 MB DDR RAM memory

Radeon 9200SE 128 MB video card.

80 and 20 GB Seagate Barracuda hard drives. The 80 is 2.5 years old, the 20 is almost 5 years old.

I plan to replace the 20 GB drive with a new Seagate Barracuda 300 GB drive. Not one of those new perpendicular drives, though. I'd like a 7200.9 model. The 80 GB will get a full reformat / reload and remain as the operating system drive.

I'm putting more RAM in it, maybe replacing one of my 3 256 MB sticks with a 1 GB stick of PC3200 or higher.

I think the motherboard and CPU is good as is, although a better cooling system might let me push it to 2.3 Ghz or so. I like to make sure it stays below 55C at all times under 100% load.

Biggest change I want to make is the video card. This 9200SE is okay but not great. The NF7 suppots 4X and 8X AGP, so what is a good video card? I'm thinking of what was a top end video card a year or 2 ago. Don't want to spend more than $100 on a video card.

The local Staples store recently had a sale, and I grabbed a new Antec Smartpower 400 watt power supply for $35 + tax. I wonder if I should put it in when I rebuild the computer, or is the 350 watt unit more than enough to run 2 hard drives and a CD-RW / DVD that is rarely used?

I do some video editing on my computer for my webshow, "Online Video" at www.loudmouthtim.com , but other than that, not much that requires high power. I don't play games on my computer, but I just got a 10 day free trial to World of Warcraft, so I'll see if I even like that game. Only other game I really play is Halo 2 on my Xbox.

So what kind of parts should I be looking for?

Thrax

Why would you not get one of the perpendicular drives? What is your reasoning behind it?

Install your 400.

Maybe you can get a refurb 9800 Pro or 9800XT for that price. Also look at a GeForce 7300 GS OC in AGP if they even make something like that.

Tim

My reasoning on not getting a perpendicular hard drive is this, although it may be a weak reason.

I recently heard about them, and from what I read, they are supposedly stacking the data bits on end, or something like that. Things are getting packed even closer together. I wonder what the chances are of adjacent data bits getting corrupted like that. I'll wait a year or 2 and see what kinds of reports come out about these perpendicular drives before I get one.

I don't need super high storage capacity, so getting a drive that packs in a few more GBs isn't critical.

What are the differences between the 9800 Pro and 9800XT? I'll look around on google for them, and see if any can be found on eBay or Tiger Direct.

Thrax

The difference is a couple percent, but if you can get an XT in your price range, might as well get it.

Your perpendicular reasoning is, as you say, a little weak.

Tim

I looked around on google and found a review of my 9200SE video card against a 9000 pro and some nvidia card. As I suspected, my 9200SE flat out SUCKS, even among the cheap under $50 video cards.

The 9800 Pro and 9800 XT both look pretty good. I'll look on eBay and see what sort of prices they are going for.

My thoughts on perpendicular drives may not be well informed, but it seems like a new technology to me, and I'd rather have this new stuff fail on other people's computers and read about it here rather than get one, load it up with data and video files, and have them screw up on me.

What are your thoughts on my NF7 and 2500+ CPU combination? A few years old but still very good and capable, that's what I think.

Thanks for the information.

profdlp

I recently helped someone buy a video card who was suffering with their crummy onboard video. They were able to find a Sapphire 9600 Pro w/ 256MB for under $70 brand new at Newegg. With a used card you're never really sure what you're going to get or how hard the previous owner(s) have beaten it.

The 9600 pro is not as good as the 9800 series (I'm sure Thrax can tell you how much it falls short), but it may be worth considering.

revenger

Hello, I am looking for your thoughts on which graphic card is better. Recently I have purchased a xfx 7900 GT 256mb, but my friend says his ati radeon x1600 Pro 512mb is better. Which one really is better?

revenger

oh and how do i make my own thread

Thrax

revenger wrote:

oh and how do i make my own thread

muddocktor

Right offhand, I would say the 7900GT 256 would be the better card of the 2. But I could be mistaken. BTW, are these 2 video cards you are talking about AGP or PCI-e video cards?

And to make a new thread, there is a button on the main page of each forum. I've cirled the button in a screenshot I just took for you.

NiGHTS

Tim wrote:

What are your thoughts on my NF7 and 2500+ CPU combination? A few years old but still very good and capable, that's what I think.

Thanks for the information.

Very good and capable, indeed. Still using that combination today and its quite worthy. I've got a 9800Pro in there as well and I'm quite content with the gaming I'm able to do on it, at the settings I'm able to set my games at.

revenger

yes i'm talking about pcie cards. so which one is better, 7900 GT 256mb or x1600 pro 512mb

revenger

oh and thank you guys so much for telling me how to post a new thread

NiGHTS

revenger wrote:

yes i'm talking about pcie cards. so which one is better, 7900 GT 256mb or x1600 pro 512mb

http://www.gpureview.com/show_cards.php?card1=384&card2=350