In what order should I replace components in this computer?

[beer]

I haven't added anything to my main desktop PC in about 18 months (besides a new display and a DVD burner). I'm thinking its about time to junk most of my computer, as some of the components are bordering on 4 years old. But I don't want to do it all at once, I'd perfer to do it incrementally. In what order should I replace these system components?

NEW STUFF:
Dell 1800 FP
Optorite DD0203 DVD+/-RW

OLDER STUFF THAT I DON'T THINK NEEDS REPLACING, BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG:
Lite-on 32/16/48x CD Burner (16 months old)
Enermax 330W (about two years old)
Antec SX1030(I think?) case (about two years old).

STUFF I THINK I NEED TO REPLACE (SOLICITING OPINIONS):

1. Case fans - they aren't sounding too good lately. Some of those are over 3 years old. They're 80mm low-flo panaflos. My computer is equipped to handle the bare leads, so that shouldn't be too hard (I have 4x80mms, quieter the better).
2. XP 1700+, stock cooling and stock speeds, the PC2100 DDR SDRAM that goes with it, Shuttle AK-31 motherboard (all 3 of them count as one item I guess)
3. Nvidia GF3 Ti200
4. My disk array - an 80 GB drive running media, a Deathstar 40 GB running my main windows drive, and a 27 GB holding backups. I am thinking about replacing the 40 and the 27 with a SATA drive and keeping the 80 GB as a media drive. It's all full now (well except for 8 GB) and is only about 8 months old.
5. Soundblaster Live! value with a Hoontech daughtercard. I need digital coax out on whatever sound card I replace it with, but I don't want to eat up two PCI slots if I an avoid it. I'd also perfer to not have any outputs to the front of my case. Is there an adequete solution?
6. Promise ATA100 controller - to accomodate my 3 HDs, 2 opticals and zip drive. I'm just gonna chunk it when I replace my disk system.
7. Adaptec firewire card for the iPod. I'd perfer to chunk it too if I can get a mobo with integrated 1394.
8. Linksys ethernet card. I'd perfer to chunk it too and replace it with an integrated solution.

Basically, in what order should I replace the main components? And furthermore, I am seeking a motherboard with integrated 1394/ethernet definitely, and sound, if possible. I don't want to lose PCI slots to them.

I shouldn't have to replace my power supply or case, should I? I'm really happy with both of them. As an EE I know for a fact that there is absolutely no way that a relatively empty system with only two HDs, two opticals, and integrated components can use anywhere near 330w. The concept of buying 400+w power supplies is just ludicrious. Do the latest P4 motherboards use the standard ATX spec for a few years ago, or do they have aux power connectors and different case grounding points?

I don't play that many games but I want to get something that can last me two years without falling behind 'the curve' to a point where I can't play the latest releases. The next big game I'll play will probably be HL2 and I need to replace most of this stuff by then.

And a final question - My case predates the concept of decent integrated solutions - will I have to get a new case to back panels to accomodate such outputs? Or will the motherboard give me a slot bracket that holds all of these outputs?

Thanks in advance for any help I can get. It's so hard to find unbiased solutions to these types of problems. And quite frankly, I don't care about the extra 5 fps I can get by spending 15 hours overclocking and breaking in a system. It just needs to be stable, run my eng applications and not complain about things like my iPod, which this system loves to do for some strange reason.

EDIT: To clarify, I'm looking for an Intel solution. I do some IT work and the Intels feel faster and more responsive than the current AMDs, and run cooler and more stable. I'm not looking to start a debate here, but I am looking for an INTEL solution to be run at stock clock speeds and an ATI video card to go with it. Do NOT suggest to me AMD or nVidia solutions, even though I am currently looking to be interviewed by AMD shh. I don't have the desire to overclock AMDs and the P4s with HT and 800 FSB handle Windows and my applications more responsively. And I can run quieter fans and a cooler system, in general.

I'm looking at ATI cards simply because they are ahead of Nvidia right now. Detonator 50.00 or so be damned. But I'm not familiar with the ATI product release timetable and am looking for a <$175 or less video card.

 

[DaveSimmons]

> don't play that many games but I want to get something that can last me two years without falling behind 'the curve' to a point where I can't play the latest releases.

> I'm looking at ATI cards simply because they are ahead of Nvidia right now. Detonator 50.00 or so be damned. But I'm not familiar with the ATI product release timetable and am looking for a <$175 or less video card.

Then either wait 6 months, or bump your price up to $250 so you can get a Radeon 9800 non-pro. A $150 9600 Pro will play current games but is just barely good enough for Half-Life at lower resolution.

> will I have to get a new case to back panels to accomodate such outputs? Or will the motherboard give me a slot bracket that holds all of these outputs?

Retail mobos should include a metal place ("I/O shield"). If you buy OEM look at the pictures on newegg.com to make sure it's included. Don't buy refurb mobos since they might or might not include the I/O shield.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
> don't play that many games but I want to get something that can last me two years without falling behind 'the curve' to a point where I can't play the latest releases.

> I'm looking at ATI cards simply because they are ahead of Nvidia right now. Detonator 50.00 or so be damned. But I'm not familiar with the ATI product release timetable and am looking for a <$175 or less video card.

Then either wait 6 months, or bump your price up to $250 so you can get a Radeon 9800 non-pro. A $150 9600 Pro will play current games but is just barely good enough for Half-Life at lower resolution.

> will I have to get a new case to back panels to accomodate such outputs? Or will the motherboard give me a slot bracket that holds all of these outputs?

Retail mobos should include a metal place ("I/O shield"). If you buy OEM look at the pictures on newegg.com to make sure it's included. Don't buy refurb mobos since they might or might not include the I/O shield.

Thanks, Dave. Would it make more sense to go with a 2.8 GHz P4C now and get the ATI later? What is coming out soon that would change the prices so much?

What are the leading motherboards to go with the latest P4s?

 

[DaveSimmons]

> Basically, in what order should I replace the main components? And furthermore, I am seeking a motherboard with integrated 1394/ethernet definitely, and sound, if possible. I don't want to lose PCI slots to them.

What is your time frame, and what are you doing now that is too slow?

The 9800 np will make the most difference in games, next would be the CPU/mobo/RAM. A good P4 price/performance combo if not overclocking is: Abit IS-7, P4 2.8C, 1 GB PC3200 (2 x 512 MB).

(ed) next price drop might be after the Athlon64 comes out 9/23? Not sure what the latest date is for the 3.4 GHz P4 rollout.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
> Basically, in what order should I replace the main components? And furthermore, I am seeking a motherboard with integrated 1394/ethernet definitely, and sound, if possible. I don't want to lose PCI slots to them.

What is your time frame, and what are you doing now that is too slow?

The 9800 np will make the most difference in games, next would be the CPU/mobo/RAM. A good P4 price/performance combo if not overclocking is: Abit IS-7, P4 2.8C, 1 GB PC3200 (2 x 512 MB).

(ed) next price drop might be after the Athlon64 comes out 9/23? Not sure what the latest date is for the 3.4 GHz P4 rollout.

Well, some things are starting to act funny that I think trace back to chipset glitches on the shuttle. A few of the components are just getting OLD - That SB Live is about 3 years old, and the tech was 1 year old when I bought it. But I don't want to necessarily replace it with a $100 PCI card IF I can get decent audio integrated including optical and coaxial out. Why pay $20 for an ethernet card or $40 for a firewire card if the motherboard has the connections? It costs them merely dollars to integrate the connections on the mobo.My linksys card is nearing the end of it's useful life and I've gotten two BSODs for the drivers lately - coming from linksys, not surprising at all.

My iPod doesn't remain seen in Windows - Windows loses if it I'm not actively transferring data. Annoying, yes, but it is still usable. I swapped out firewire cards with my computer at work and both card I had worked fine on the Dell there but give me the exact same problem at home. That, and I've just got a messy disc heiarchy (3 HDs....) and none of them are particularily fast. Plus, who knows when the Deathstar will die on me? And so on, and so forth. And my DVD burner is having problems but the burner itself works fine in another system with the same software.

 

[beer]

Also, are there other good motherboards besides the Abit? Abit has serious, serious QA issues and I will NEVER buy another Abit again after my experiences with them. Their RMA procedure is also among the worst I have ever seen. MSI seems to be the same way lately. I'll have to look into Asus offerings. Money isn't really an issue, I just don't want to buy more than I need given the exponential price/performnce decreases as you approach the highest-end models.

 

[sandorski]

Not to start anything, but the Asus A78NX Deluxe gives you everything you want: Firewire, LAN, Great Sound, SATA, etc. It's not an Intel solution, but it does allow you to make 1 incremental upgrade that gives you a whole whack of improvements.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Not to start anything, but the Asus A78NX Deluxe gives you everything you want: Firewire, LAN, Great Sound, SATA, etc. It's not an Intel solution, but it does allow you to make 1 incremental upgrade that gives you a whole whack of improvements.

And an $84 XP 2400+ with 266 FSB would provide a fairly cheap but noticeable speed bump while letting you keep using the PC2100 DDR.

But for P4, if you don't want the IS7, most people's second choice is the Asus P4P800 Deluxe, it has everything onboard except coax digital. If not that, you just need to look at all the i865/i875 boards at newegg.

The only ones I'd say for sure to avoid are the MSI i865, though they may be OK if you turn off the "stealth overclocking" they ship it with to cheat on benchmarks in product reviews.

 

[nowayout99]

I would suggest getting commodity items first... sound, firewire, fans, etc. since they don't go down in price very much. They're all fairly cheap and stay that way.

CPU, Mobo, HDs, graphic cards, and RAM can dip significantly with new product launches, so I'd get the expensive/premium stuff last. You're likely going to get the CPU/Mobo/RAM in one swoop, for compatibility, as it is.

 

[beer]

Originally posted by: nowayout99
I would suggest getting commodity items first... sound, firewire, fans, etc. since they don't go down in price very much. They're all fairly cheap and stay that way.

CPU, Mobo, HDs, graphic cards, and RAM can dip significantly with new product launches, so I'd get the expensive/premium stuff last. You're likely going to get the CPU/Mobo/RAM in one swoop, for compatibility, as it is.

Well the prob is, I don't want to replace things that I can get integrated into my motherboard.....


And on another note, are there no motherboard that have digital coax out sound?

 

[beer]

uppity up up

 

[beer]

evening crowd bump

 

[OverVolt]

hoyl ishyt thats a lot to read. i didn't get very far. Anyone care to make some cliff notes !

 

[beer]