Good mobo/cpu to upgrade to...

[mikable]

ok, I currently have
P2B with a P2-450
128megs of Muskin cas2 100Mhz ram
TNT2 64 agp
IBM 9 gig 7200 rpm ide
Acer 8*4*32 cd drive ide
17" monitor
floppy...
sc875 scsi card with a old scanner and 2 hard drives (ancient!)
linksys 10/100 pci ethernet
Aureal soundcard pci
sportster modem isa
3com ISDN TA (usb)
ide zip drive
full tower atx case

I'm looking to get a new mobo, and cpu, keeping as much of the rest as possible. Later I'll replace the video, and sound cards, I know they are a little out of date. I keep the scsi card cause I love my scanner, and the HD's still work too, so why not use them...


Any recommendations based the need to keep it fairly low in cost, I don't need the latest and greatest.... possibly a 700-800MHz CPU...


Thanks for your input!

 

[loogie]

Duron/T-bird based comps seem to be the popular thing now.

 

[masterskartrg]

duron and i think kt7 seems to do the job at a fair budget right now

 

[ColdTech]

a duron 600 & an asv MB would probable suite you good.
Thats a combo for around 200 dollars & with minimal effort should be above 900 mhz

But there is no isa on the a7v

 

[mikable]

Ok, I see your reccomending a AMD cpu/mobo. Will I have any problems installing the other parts on it? I need to keep the cost down and hope I don't need anything else to get the system up and running.

Will the memory work ok, or will I need 133 memory?

 

[Radboy]

Have Asus CUSL2 (~$140) w/ P3-700 retail cB0 (~$200) running at 938Mhz w/ 1.75v (default = 1.65v).

This mobo lets u run FSB at 133, w/ ram at 100Mhz (so u don't have to buy PC133 ram to run CPU at 133.

Easy to recommend.

 

[mikable]

So, get the intel combo for 350 and save my memory or get a duron combo with new pc133 menory for about the same amount?

what would give better preformance for my dollar? I tend to stay away from first person 3d shooters. I like more of the real time/turn based stratigy games, photo editing, text document creation, web surfing type stuff.

 

[Ornery]

I think the latest BIOS would allow that P2B to use a Pentium-III 750E SLOT-1 256K 100BUS for $244.95 or Pentium-III 750E FC-PGA 256K 100BUS for $234.95 and a $15 slotket.

Could be wrong, but it looks like a huge savings going that route.

P2B Offers Full Range of Intel Pentium® II Family and Pentium III 450MHz~600+MHz Processors Support

Edit: Mo betta deal:

CPU Pentium 3-700E FCPGA Retail Box Socket 370 $201.99

 

[Cybordolphin]

You should be able to get the Pent III700e (flip chip) for around $178. Then get the MSI Slotket for around $12. These will go right into your motherboard. You can most likely get to 931Mhz with that Mushkin Ram.

I would purchase a new video card. $50 - $150 range.

You can always pick up a Soundblaster Live! for the $30 range if you keep an eye out (not with the digital out).

 

[cpars]

Go for the Duron KT7 combo works great for me.

 

[mikable]

I thought about getting just a cpu but I wondered about the chip set. From some of the things I've read, I understand the older BX chipset will give less proformance then even a 810... (not that I'd get a 810 mobo...) I want to build in as much upgrade-ability as possable while keeping cost down. So, if i got just a cpu it would be a dead end upgrade.

At least that's my idea! I might be wrong. Am I?

btw, thanks for the links to the bios update!

 

[Cybordolphin]

I must have missunderstood what you were looking to do. If you want a cheap upgrade.... that will give you substantial performance increase..... go with the CPU/Slotket. If you want to build an entire new system... that's a different story.

Personally if I was going to try and build a system that would remain upgradeable into say next year (this same time).... I would wait for the DDR motherboards, etc.. But it'll cost ya!

 

[Ornery]

"I understand the older BX chipset will give less proformance then even a 810..."

You would be hard pressed to prove that, (it's probably the opposite) and if it actually were true, it would be unnoticeable.

No upgrade-ability? Hey, we're talking about spending a couple hundred that should last you over a year. You wouldn't need to buy new memory, which is (relatively) expensive now. And you get even more use out of that current high quality motherboard. Why not exploit the "upgrade-ability" that was built into that?

 

[ColdTech]

There wont be a problem going to an amd except that there is no ISA on an a7v. as for going with the kt7 I dont think its worth it unless you are actually going to use the onboard raid.

 

[IaPuP]

The BX is so much faster than the i810 chipset!! sheesh..

BX is the fastest chipset made... clock for clock...

do the CPU upgrade... it'll save you some money..

Eric

 

[Dan]

Two days ago I upgraded from a 503+/K6-III/450 combo to a KT7/Duron 600 combo. Cost was $200 and I've got the CPU running at 900MHz. Not a bad upgrade!

 

[mikable]

Ya know, your right. I tend to get caught up in a upgrade fever. I DO need to keep it inexpencive. I Did buy the P2B with the idea I could get a faster CPU. It Would be easier. And it would save cash so I could get a better Video card later...

Thanks for the dose of reality Cyberdolphin and Ornery!

So, I guess I'll start looking for a PIII 700e and an adapter.




M