New System Advice: LCD Monitor, Shuttle XPC? Lots o questions

[NickMahoney]

I'm not much of hardware guru, but i've always had some interest. I've run my inspiron 7000 for almost half a decade now, and when it came to buy a new machine, i figured i'd take some time from my summer break from med school to learn a thing or to and build my own machine. I read "anandtech's guild to pc gaming hardware", though i'm not really a gamer, and it was a great book for someone like me who is up for some learing but didnt really know much beyond software. Now that i've got my into and credentials out of the way...

I'm building a machine in 2 weeks and i need advice/help. I very much like the small form factors, and it would appear shuttle's are the best. The TV for my bedroom recently broke, so i've decided to pick up an LCD TV for my monitor. Most components I can figure out on my own, but here are my main two questions that I would love advice from more experienced folks.

A) I'd like this machine to last a while with some yearly upgrades. Is this possible with the shuttle or is the m.board pretty much my permanent choice? Either way, how quickly will the Socket A and Socket 478 be outgrown (and more importantly what is the fastest chip i will be able to put into either socket . i.e. assuming i can only afford around 2500+ AMD or a 1.8 Ghz p4 now, how much will i be able to upgrade later/is it worth it?) Along the same lines, if i get an AMD based shuttle, is it worth it to opt for the SN45G with the 400FSB and then buy an additional video card, or is the sn41g2 with the 333fsb and onboard video a better option for a non-serious gamer (though i do play a bit). Finally, how good is the Intel Extreme Graphics from the SB61G2? Would i need an additional video card there? [I know i need the cv20 DVI video card for the sn41g2 btw]. Is SATA a consideration?

B) Part B is actually something i need more advice on. I think that b/c i am going to be watching TV on this thing now and again, i need to get 17". From what i can tell, my options appear to be the Albatron L17ATD or the Cornea 1702T. Both are 17", both have CATV, DVI, & s-vid in. I like the idea of not having to turn my cpu on to watch tv, so i'd like the tuner built into the monitor, though i could see myself getting a video card with a decent tv-tuner if i got the sn45g and needed a video card anyway (any suggestions there..it would need dvi out too). So, my question is: Knowing that the tv really isnt that good but i think its good enough for me, does anyone know which of these two monitors (or any other ones) has the best TV? The specs for the monitor itself are varied, but according to NewEgg, the cornea is better and it comes with a longer warranty. BUT, i cant find many reviews on either, and all the ones on the albatron indicate its a better monitor.

OK, thanks for your help. I, of course, have more questions on memory, heat issues, bla bla bla, but i'll post them later separately.

Cheers
-nm

 

[NickMahoney]

too much to handle?

 

[nowayout99]

Shuttle mainboards in the XPC line are basically permanent. The layout has changed slowly over time with new features, so you can't depend on future boards to fit in the XPC case you buy.

Socket A is also going to be replaced as AMD launches their Athlon 64 line, which is not socket A compatible. AMD will likely continue to support Socket A for a while, but they're ultimately going in a different direction. At this point, unless AMD continues Socket A after Athlon 64, the highest Socket A goes to 3200+.

I haven't followed Socket 478 so I'm not totally sure about that one, but Intel's track record of mainboard backward compatibility is worse than AMD's. The Pentium 5 coming in a few/several months will likely use yet another board.

Any on-board graphics aren't going to be very compelling. That goes for the XPC and Intel's "Extreme" graphics, which is a joke. If you went the XPC route, I would go for the one with 400FSB and get a Radeon 9600 which is their "mainstream" card, and suitable for the occasional gamer.

In a nutshell, the XPC line is going to extremely limit your upgrade options because you can't upgrade the board. The best you'll be able to do is bump the CPU from the 2500+ to a 3200+ down the road, as well as upgrade the graphics card.

It's sort of a sticky time for the do-it-yourself'ers. Even if you get a full-sized case, you can't depend on Socket A or 478 to last you for years. They're at the end of their lines. You can upgrade your system, of course, but expect to upgrade the mainboard, CPU, and memory together all at once.

Monitors aren't my place, but if you go the route of a TV tuner on a card, go with the best ATI All-in-Wonder card you can afford instead of the previously recommended 9600. Then your system graphics and video inputs are both covered. A-I-W's come with a remote, and you'll be able to record video to the hard drive like a TIVO.

 

[NickMahoney]

:beer:
thanks so much for the info. (unfortunate as it happens to be bad news for me, but none the less, very informative). i think i may get screwed building a system now, but if i wait for the new stuff to come out, i'll have to wait until it drops in price as well, so i can afford it. and then the next chips will be coming and i'll prolly want to wait again.

because buying this board is pretty permanent, but i'd have to replace the board, memory, and chip anyway in order to upgrade, i think i'll build this machine, upgrade the chip in a year and then build a new custom at that point. not exactly what i'd planned, but based on what you said and what i've read, i think thats my only affordable and usable option.

thanks again!

nm

 

[RagingGuardian]

I wanted to get a SFF PC but in the end I decided to build myself a Matx rig. I saved money this way because the XPC's are overpriced and I can upgrade my parts at will since all everything is standard.

My rig is:
Matx case
LG combo drive
2400+
512mb PC2100
80mb DM+9
A7N266-VN/AA
Radeon 9100
15" NEC LCD

The system runs plenty fast for now and I can upgrade in the future if the need arises. I also saved some money since the case and mobo costed no more than $100 compared to about $300 for an XPC. I suggest you atleast look into getting your own board and case if space is not an issue.

 

[HGC]

I like your idea of the little Shuttle with an LCD monitor. It would make a great looking and unobtrusive system. I would stretch for a better monitor if possible, such as a 19" samsung, NEC, or Sony.

 

[HGC]

Oh, I just noticed this is an old thread. What did you end up buying?