Hello, and welcome to my dilemmas:
So I?ve had a P2 400 system since ?98, and last summer I picked up a dual cel rig (bp6, 2x366@550). I was definitely impressed with the speed increase, and the price couldn?t have been nicer. But I definitely wasn?t a fan, and I didn?t like the slight instabilities that reared their heads occasionally.
So I decided I would build a new comp, but then I made my life tougher by buying a micro atx case. (Chilli pro)
I wanted to get an nforce, which at the time appeared to be a perfect matx board, and get something like an 1800+. But, the first wave of nforces were all atx, much to my chagrin. Finally, the abit nforce board came out, but its ports are in funky places and wouldn?t fit my case without a lot of dremelling. My other option is the MSI matx board which isn?t sold in USA, so you can understand my hesitation.
After getting very impatient, I start considering the Epox 8khm. It?s just like the 8kha, only with 3 pci, and it?s matx. It?s cheap too, but it only comes with sound, which means all of the slots are taken up by video, lan, and other things I want (firewire). This seems like my best option, but it leaves me wanting a lot more?
So then I notice all this talk about the new Northwoods, and I get very excited. I personally have never had an AMD system, and secretly I think I?d rather stay with Intel (please don?t flame). Only problem, the specs on the case say ?NOT P4 compatible.? I have no idea why it isn?t P4 compatible, as it doesn?t even come with a psu, and the one I have is P4 ready. There are definitely matx P4 boards (though I don?t know about their ocabilitiy). So now I ponder.
I think it makes a lot of sense to get a 1.6A and oc it to 2.1. I?m interested in stability over performance, and running everything in spec (except the cpu) is something I like. (remember I?m on 2x366@550).
Things I?ve already bought
Memory, it?s mushkin DDR pc2100 (with heat spreaders)
HD Seagate Barracuda IV 60gb
PSU Antec 300 watt
Case Chilli Pro
Things I want:
Fast, small computer
I?ve got like $300-$400 to spend on a cpu and mb.
PLEASE help me out?
I?m considering selling the case and just forgetting about a small comp?.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated by my sanity
-Graham
So I?ve had a P2 400 system since ?98, and last summer I picked up a dual cel rig (bp6, 2x366@550). I was definitely impressed with the speed increase, and the price couldn?t have been nicer. But I definitely wasn?t a fan, and I didn?t like the slight instabilities that reared their heads occasionally.
So I decided I would build a new comp, but then I made my life tougher by buying a micro atx case. (Chilli pro)
I wanted to get an nforce, which at the time appeared to be a perfect matx board, and get something like an 1800+. But, the first wave of nforces were all atx, much to my chagrin. Finally, the abit nforce board came out, but its ports are in funky places and wouldn?t fit my case without a lot of dremelling. My other option is the MSI matx board which isn?t sold in USA, so you can understand my hesitation.
After getting very impatient, I start considering the Epox 8khm. It?s just like the 8kha, only with 3 pci, and it?s matx. It?s cheap too, but it only comes with sound, which means all of the slots are taken up by video, lan, and other things I want (firewire). This seems like my best option, but it leaves me wanting a lot more?
So then I notice all this talk about the new Northwoods, and I get very excited. I personally have never had an AMD system, and secretly I think I?d rather stay with Intel (please don?t flame). Only problem, the specs on the case say ?NOT P4 compatible.? I have no idea why it isn?t P4 compatible, as it doesn?t even come with a psu, and the one I have is P4 ready. There are definitely matx P4 boards (though I don?t know about their ocabilitiy). So now I ponder.
I think it makes a lot of sense to get a 1.6A and oc it to 2.1. I?m interested in stability over performance, and running everything in spec (except the cpu) is something I like. (remember I?m on 2x366@550).
Things I?ve already bought
Memory, it?s mushkin DDR pc2100 (with heat spreaders)
HD Seagate Barracuda IV 60gb
PSU Antec 300 watt
Case Chilli Pro
Things I want:
Fast, small computer
I?ve got like $300-$400 to spend on a cpu and mb.
PLEASE help me out?
I?m considering selling the case and just forgetting about a small comp?.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated by my sanity
-Graham
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