Ok here is another wtg thread..

GobblesGobbles Ventura California
edited December 2003 in Hardware
What to get... 350$ usd in the USofA

What i got...

Case: Antec 860 case w/ Antec 300w PSU
Mobo: Abit KT7 non raid v1
Ram: 2x 256 PC133 Crucial
Proc: Duron 1gig
HDD: 1 15 gig Maxtor 1 40 gig Maxtor
CD/DVD: HP 8x Burner, Creative 16xDVD
Video: ATI Radeon 8500 LE
Sound: Herc. Muse 5.1 dvd
Network: 3com 905c

512 ram is a must and it must be 350 shipped not a buck more, under would be best. Machine is used for gaming, mostly WC3 and FPS like wolfenstien and ET and UT/UT2k3..

I know I ask alot but, faith in you I have... I dont really OC so thats not a priority. Do your worst...

Gobbles

Comments

  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    It's a priority if you want to meet your budget and get some decent performance.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    I figure opposed to what I am running now... Everything is gonna seem lightning fast...

    Gobbles
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    Abit NF7-S 2.0 (Newegg #: N82E16813127166)
    Corsair XMS3200 - 512mb/C2-2-2 (Newegg #: N82E16820145425)
    Athlon XP 2500+ (Newegg #: N82E16819103378)

    Straight to your door for $295.

    Consider a new PSU in the future.
  • TheSmJTheSmJ
    edited December 2003
    After you get a new PSU, go for a new vid card, and a larger/faster HDD if desired.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    299.00 no shipping charge but gotta pay sales tax as I live CA. 320.00 to my door....

    Not bad... not bad at all. Ill probably be ordering in the next several days... If all goes well...

    Should I go single 512 or dual 256's?? Do I get like dual channel if I use 2 sticks? I dont mind using 256's, or will the performance difference not be noticable?


    Gobbles...
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    Performance difference won't be noticeable.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    mucho gracias senior Thrax... and Hope you had a Great Holiday season.

    Gobbles
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    I know you don't really overclock, but in this instance, throw in a CPU hsf for that radeon 8500LE (basically any cheap s7/370/a unit would be fine, although most of them would have to be cut down); a Coolermaster DP5-5G11A would be perfect, though.

    Add a Zalman fan bracket (part number FB-123)-unless your case has a blowhole- and you should be able to get a decent overclock out of that 8500.

    My non-LE 8500 does 294 mem/324 core, and ~13k in 3DMark '01 at that speed, with a 2.4GHz 2500.
  • GnomeWizarddGnomeWizardd Member 4 Life Akron, PA Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    get a single 512 ten get another single 512 in the future
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    That's like asking someone who doesn't really work with cars to replace the entire exhaust system. :skeptic:
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    True, but everyone's gotta start somewhere, and now is as good a time as any...
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    Im not an idiot.. :D and as a side note.. I can replace an entire exhaust system.. was a mechanic before I got into computers...

    I am a hardware tech... I can OC I have always just choosen not to.. as base system performance has always been enough...

    Gobbles
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited December 2003
    That's not what he's saying. It's easy to overclock. But it takes practice to mount a cpu heatsink onto a video card without damaging the gpu. No offense meant.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    oh I know... I was just playin, hence the big s**t eatin grin smiley...

    How does one remove the heatsink off an 8500?? Ive never looked. I think its glued on from quick glances. Ive also overclocked the 8500le to 275 275 from 250 250.. I did not leave it there cuz of tearing in some games...

    Gobbles
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    hey the 4 prong power connector.. do you use that on the this board? I see it in the pictures just wonder if its used... I have one just wondered if they need it...

    Gobbles
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited December 2003
    Yea you use both the regular atx one and the 4 prong. Adds a little more stability to the board. As for removing the heatsink from the card, get some needle nose pliers and on the underside of the board there should be some little plastic things protruding from the heatsink holes. Squeeze them so that you can push it back up the hole. It should come off with ease, as most likely the heatsink is held on with a thermal pad that should easily come off. I'll hook you up with some pictures in a minute.
  • Al_CapownAl_Capown Indiana
    edited December 2003
    Blah, from a few reviews I've recently looked at it appears the 8500 doesn't have heatsink holes, so I can't help you there.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    Removing the heatsink from an 8500 is not too difficult, although it is glued on.

    You use a flathead screwdriver to gently pop it off. Supposedly, freezing the card for a few hours makes it easier, since the epoxy becomes more brittle. I just popped mine off without freezing it, though.

    The difficulty is getting any remaining epoxy off the chip; you can use sandpaper and/or a razor blade.

    If you manage to get it off without ripping the GPU off the board (which, in point of fact, I've never heard of anyone doing), putting on a bigger heatsink is dead easy... mix thermal epoxy, apply, stick heatsink on, stick heavy book (dictionary) on heatsink to press it onto card, wait 24 hours, and it's done.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited December 2003
    How heavy a book (dictionaries come in many sizes)? I'm thinking of the juxtaposition between squeezing enough epoxy off to make sure it gets good thermal conductivity, vs. crushing the core...
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited December 2003
    It's not a flipchip, so crushing the core shouldn't be an issue. When I glued the heatspreader on my 9700 back down so I could RMA it (if they don't know I tore off that IC... :D), I stuck 2 AMD/Ajigo heatsinks on it, which weigh 300-500g each...

    I wouldn't have a problem putting an unabridged dictionary on it.
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited December 2003
    So what HSF should I slap on it.. I have several old pentium coolers and an old Duron 650 stock cooler layin around...


    Gobbles
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited December 2003
    I actually have done this with a couple of older vid cards. Like Geeky said, I put my vid card in the freezer for a few hours and then popped the heatsink off with a butter knife, using something between the knife and the pcb to protect the card. I then used some mineral spirits and plenty of rubbing to remove the rest of the thermal glue left on the gpu; no need to resort to drastic measures like sandpaper. Then I mixed up some AS adhesive with some extra AS2 and applied it to the gpu and then stuck the cooler(in my case it was an Agilent Arcticooler on the Radeon LE and an aftermarket nb cooler in the other case) on the gpu and put about 5-10 lbs of books on top of it and let the adhesive set for several hours. I let the adhesive cure for around 24 hours before I used the card.

    I have done this type mod on both an original Radeon LE and an old TNT vid card.
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