Originally posted by: Booja555
Is the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro worth the extra 100$ vs. a 9700 Pro?
I have a PSU already?
Here's a good explanation of the difference between 9700 and 9800:
9800 vs 9700
If I had a 9700, I couldn't justify the difference, since I'm not wealthy. I did replace a Ti 4200 with an ATI 9800 Pro, and I think it was worth the price ($315). I sold the Ti 4200 (one of those Asus with the 3.3ns BGA memory) for $110.
Since the most demanding thing you're going to use your PC for is gaming, and you aren't interested in overclocking, it becomes even more important to know how much you want to spend. You might want to use an Intel 2.8, 800 bus ($214 retail) and whatever motherboard will give you the features you want, and performs well. That might force you to go with a cheaper case, audio, memory (and maybe less of it), etc. Not only is it important to know how much you want to spend, but you need to have an idea of how long you expect all of the individual parts to last. If you don't mind replacing parts often (or enjoy it, like myself), you might want to go with something slower and a lot cheaper, for now.
I think the "value" of computer parts is in the eye of the beholder. If a person gets some real enjoyment from a $600 cpu, and they have the disposable cash, then it's worth it to them. I prefer to change cpu and motherboard when the need (or desire) arises, and I change one or both approximately every six months. Most people don't want to spend a lot of time messing with their machine, and some of us chronic upgraders forget that when people ask us about the newest parts. We're inclined to tell you what we want, or have, and find it difficult to step back and look at things from your perspective. Likewise, you'll have to make an effort to understand why some of us make the choices we make, and how those choices might appeal to you, considering your needs and budget.
With all of that out of the way, I'll tell you what I have right now, and why I bought it:
Antec 800 series case - has room for what I need, and has good airflow, which I want for overclocking. I really don't care what it looks like
.
Antec True 430 power supply - I needed a new one when they first came out, and I knew it would power a bunch of fans and several drives. Antec's plain 350 watt would probably work just as well for me, but somehow I justified the extra $40 for it.
Athlon XP 2400+ - I bought it a few months ago, to replace a XP 2100+ (Palomino core). It cost me $74 shipped, and runs quite a bit faster and cooler, with much lower voltage. I think I really needed it
.
Abit NF-7 rev2 Ultra 400 motherboard - I just got this to replace a KT333 board, which served me well for about a year. It's noticeably faster. I think I needed it.
1GB of Kingston HyperX PC2700 - When I decided (for questionable reasons) to increase memory from 512 to 1024 MB, I couldn't resist the low price of this RAM at the time... $148. As it turned out, it runs well at 200 MHz, but with higher latencies. I'll probably be using this for a few more months.
WD 80GB SE HDD - It's big enough for me, and quicker than the 20GB it replaced. I needed it. I don't buy HDD's often.
ATI 9800 Pro, retail - won a cheap bid on eBay ($315 shipped). After trying Max Payne 2 with it, I'd have to say that it's a necessity. Never mind that I mostly use it to play SOF 2 and Quake 3 online, it just kicks ass
.
Creative Audigy 2 ZS - The Live 5.1 was getting a little old. I think I needed it. It sounds better, and I like that.
Klipsch ProMedia Ultra 5.1 speakers - I just got these, and there's no question that I needed them. Forget the price, they're worth it. Sell something if you have to.
Sony GDM 400 PS 19" CRT - The first 19" super-monitor for less than $1000, and I needed a monitor. That one hurt. I really like it, though. Today, I'd get an NEC.
Epson 1240U scanner - I use a scanner once every couple of months, and this one works very nicely. It stays unplugged most of the time.
Epson Photo 820 printer. It was $99 and does good photo quality. Ink not too expensive.
Facebook
Twitter