Help me pick an upgrade path...

[Bonesdad]

Current:

ECS K7S5A w/ 512MB Crucial PC2100
Duron 900Mhz
Gainward GF4 4200 64MB

I can see 2 roads...

A) Upgrade CPU to Athlon XP 2100+ (due to budget constraints) retail = $102 at Newegg. Keep current mobo, upgrade it later to an NForce2 mobo (currently eyeing Epox 8rda+). Total cost = $102.

B) Upgrade CPU and mobo. Lowering expectations of CPU (again, budget) to an Athon 1700+ Tbred retail = $63 at newegg PLUS the EPox 8rda+ mobo ($112 at Newegg). Total upgrade cost=$180 (shipping included).

Option A is the lower cost with faster processor, Option B is future upgradeability and still a nice step up in CPU (for me). Also, I assume I would be able to OC the Athlon 1700+ with the EPox board. Not currently an option with the ECS board. I would keep the PC2100 until I can afford PC3200 upgrade. Also keeping the GF4, no reason to mess with that yet...

Also, I am using Win98SE now, is it worth it to get WinXP???

What y'all think?

 

[mjolnir2k]

My .02:
Go with option #2. The XP1700 will nicely OC and you won't notice a big difference in performance vs. a XP2100 anyway.

 

[cmdrdredd]

however option number 2 almost requires 2 sticks of DDR in order to benefit the most. ALso make sure you get a B core chip and not an A as the B overclocks nice.

 

[JBT]

id go with path 2 also

 

[Bonesdad]

As luck would have it, I have 2 sticks of PC2100...just got my second 256MB yesterday ($30!!).

 

[DT4K]

Another vote for # 2.
Then you'll be able to pop in an XP 2800 or 3000 when the prices come down.
Do you have 2 x 256 RAM? If not, you might want to see if you can trade your 512 for 2 x 256. Or you could just wait until you can buy some PC 2700 or higher. Even with only one stick, that Nforce2 with XP 1700+ will be quite a bit faster than your current system.

 

[DT4K]

You answered my question 1 minute before I posted.

 

[Bonesdad]

Integrated sound good on 8rda+? If so, it will save me from buying a card to override crappy K7S5A sound chip...

 

[arynn]

The integrated sound on the 8RDA+ uses the nForce APU and is far better than the integrated sound on the ECS board.

I'd recommend getting XP. It is far more stable than Windows 98.

 

[DT4K]

XP is definitely much more stable.

I've been running it for 1 year and have never had a system crash or hang.
Any time I've had a program crash or hang, which is less often than with 98, either XP closes the app and gives me an error message, or a simple alt-tab then ctrl-alt-del to end process. I've never had to reboot due to app crashes or hangs.

The system restore function has also saved me quite a bit of trouble after installing bad drivers that were causing issues. All I had to do was restore to right before I had installed the drivers.

XP also has a decent built in firewall.

Other than that, I haven't found a lot of features that I can't live without.

The question is how much does 98's instability annoy you and how much are you willing to pay to get rid of it..

 

[compudog]

Go option 2 and get WinXP. Lot of upgrade potential as budget permits. Can't go wrong with that set up. Good Luck!

 

[Bonesdad]

Sounds like option 2 is the way to go...anyone else have opinions?

 

[cmdrdredd]

you could always bite the bullet and go Intel with SIS655 or not

 

[Bonesdad]

So...being fair, I never considered Intel...been in AMD camp for 6 years. What mainboard and processor/memory would u recommend?

 

[azkiwi]

You might save a $ and go with Win2K, and you'll probably get as much benefit form your software upgrade as your hardware upgrade. By comparison 98 really blows chunks.

 

[DT4K]

If you were interested in going the P4 route, probably the best bang for buck is the 2.4B at around $170. This would be about equivalent to an XP 2400+ for around the same price. If you don't want to spend that much, you are probably better off going with a cheap Athlon XP.
If you decide to go Intel, you should look at the i845PE mobos or the new dual-channel SIS 655 mobos. Definitely stick with DDR boards.