Advice please!

[steimm]

I've got a puter at home that I like to upgrade, what I have is:
PIII700E@980
512 MB RAM cas2 (Crucial)
ASUS P3V4X mobo
Geforce 2MX 64MB
Miditower 300W PS

I'd like to upgrade - no strange if you see what I've got...

My prio is:
Overclocking
3D-gaming
Benching
and of course stability...

What I like to buy is:
CPU
Mobo
Videocard

One thing though, I've recently bought the 512MB RAM from Crucial and I'd like to have them (I live in Sweden the shipping is too much) a while longer...
What should I get?
I'd like to switch to AMD - of course...
I'd like a CPU around 1.4GHz
Is it any idea to stay with the SDRAM? Should I get a DDR-mobo and sell the SDRAM's?

What do you think of these hardware instead of what I got:
ASUS A7V133-C (maybe IwillKK266+, but it's expensive here in Sweden...)
AMD XP 1600+ (or should I get an "regular" Athlon 1.4GHz?)
Geforce2Pro (Maybe a Geforce3Ti200 - but it is also expensive here in Sweden...)

Do I have to get a new PS?
How much more performance will I get if I get DDR-mobo and new DDR-RAM?
Is it a good Idea to get att DDR/SDR-mobo, is there any good brand for o/c's where you can tweak a lot in BIOS?

Hopefully can I sell the things I have and get a little money back...

/steimm

 

[asiagian]

If you are a gamer, then Video card takes much priority than procesor. My AMD 700MHz + GF3 give a lot of higher number in benchmark, rather than my friend's AMD 1.4MHz + GF2 MX. I can now play most of games with Anti-aliasing enabled and all options go to "High" or "Detail", where my friend's GF2 MX has to disable anti-aliasing and sometimes make the setting as "medium".

 

[steimm]

So do you think I only should get a new vieocard to start with and then wait a while to buy the other stuff (CPU, mobo)?

/steimm

 

[Wind]

For gamers...VGA card top priority. GF3 & above reccommended.
On ur other q's,

1. Asus mobo is good. The A7V133C support XP w/ bios update. Decent O/cing as well.
2. W/ A7V133, CPU choices r Athlon 1.4 & XP.
3. U can keep ur SDRAM using A7V133C.
4. 300W is bout sufficient.

Of course, if u can forgo the SDRAM, then u can go DDR which is way better.

 

[Muadib]

It depends on how much you want to spend.

ASUS A7V133-C
Can't go wrong with ASUS. However, if you want to save a few dollars, take a look at the shuttle AK31. I just built a system using it, and I am quite impressed with it. Do a search in the motherboard forum, and you will see I'm not the only one. I also just upgraded my system from the P3V4X, but I went with a MSI K7T266 Pro2. It's a good board too, but there are a few minor issues with it.

AMD XP 1600+ (or should I get an "regular" Athlon 1.4GHz?)
Go with the XP!

Geforce2Pro (Maybe a Geforce3Ti200 - but it is also expensive here in Sweden...)
Then I would wait for the Geforce3Ti200 to come down in price, and keep your MX for now. I agree with asiagian 100%, but you will still see an quite an improvement when you upgrade you cpu AND memory. Which brings me to:

I've recently bought the 512MB RAM from Crucial and I'd like to have them (I live in Sweden the shipping is too much) a while longer... Nooo!! I hear you, but I think this is a bad move. Can't you sell it??

Do I have to get a new PS?
Hard to say because you don't mention what brand it is. You can do like I did, and try the one you have and monitor the readings. If your readings are all over the place, then I would replace it.

 

[asiagian]

Yes, that what I did. I used to have GF2 MX and since games mostly rely on GPU rather than CPU, changing to GF3 has most advantage.
At least, I was glad to have this decision when my friend telling me his 3DMark2001 benchmark score with AMD 1.4GHz +GF2 MX.