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Opinions of this combo, please. AMD people out there?

D

de8212

Diamond Member
I have strictly used intel for the past 4-5 yrs now. I am thinking of taking the AMD plunge. Anyone have opinions or know of any conflicts with any of the following.
Abit KT7A RAID
T-Bird 1GHz
Micron PC100 RAM (already have this, will it run with the mobo/cpu for a while till I can get better?)
SBLive (already have)
IBM 10.2 GB hd (already have)
generic case w/300 watt PS (I heard tbirds have to have a certain PS)???(already have)
Adaptec SCSI 2906 card (already have)
Yamaha 4416 SCSI burner(already have)
Pioneer 104S dvd (already have)
Viper 770 Ultra

See any problems?

As far as RAID goes, i may try it one day but it'll be down the road when I can get a second HD. Is there any problem NOT running RAID on a RAID board?

Thanks
de


EDIT:
Besides pricewatch, anyone have a good recommendation of where to buy combo's? I see certain member on this board selling chips but does anyone here sell the mobo too?
thanks.
 
I don't see any major problem as far as it goes, however, the power supply should be no problem, since it's a 300w.
 
Thanks jack. Anyone else see conflicts?
How about somewhere to get this stuff from? I'd rather get it at the same time from the same place. Does compuwiz sell mobo's? anyone else?
de
 
Looks good.

Since you already have SCSI, I wouldn't bother with the RAID. You won't have a problem not using the RAID. RAID only really helps when you have more than one HD, anyways.
 
Everything looks good. There could be a potential problem with the Viper V770 Ultra but I doubt it. Just make sure to use the newest Detonator drivers.
 
For a combo you might want to look at Monarch. There have been quite a few discussions on them in previous posts, a search on Monarch will find them. They sell the motherboard, processor and heatsink all together.
monarch

Your 300w PS will probably work. The AMD spec requires a certain wattage on the +3.3v and +5v supplies.

AMD
To ensure reliable operation of AMD Athlon? Processor-based systems, an AMD-recommended power supply is required. Recommendations are based on the ability of a supply to provide the power sequencing and current requirements of AMD Athlon? systems. The current supplied on the +5VDC power rail as well as the combined current supplied by the +5-VDC and +3.3-VDC power rails has been tested on the supplies listed below.
 
Monarch is located in Georgia and unfortunatley so am I. So if I ordered from them I would have to pay tax, right? That could add on quite a bit of $$. I'll keep them in mind but there has to be others.
Thanks
de
 
No conflicts, however, you will only be able to run a 100 fsb with that pc100 ram. You can only run 100/100, 100/133, 133/133 fsb to ram combinations, and not 133/100.
 
What model is that IBM hard drive? An old drive will really hold you back. It's always the slowest part of the computer (not counting removable storage, network card, and modem) and a most often used part of the computer 🙂.
Too bad the mobo+cpu is at such a nice price, otherwise I would go with a slower cpu and get a new IBM 75GXP or Quantum Fireball+LM hard drive...

If you can't manage it now, definitely have a new hard drive written into the future of the system.
 
Yeah Vinny, she's an older 5400 rpm drive. But it suits me fine for now. Definately a new one is in my future. I just want to make sure I am not gonna have major conflicts with something and NOT even be able to use the system if/when I get the new combo. I know ther's always gonna be something I could replace to speed it up but for now it'll do.
de
 
Mwave is an excellent place to buy combos. It's getting to be the only place I order from. Customer service is excellent and the prices are pretty good.
 
I would check on your powersupply, see if it's on AMD's list. If it isn't, it will still probably work but if youhave any probs i would look there first. Get a good cooler, taisol ones for the T'bird are a solid choice. There are better out there but the Taisols are very good and fairly quiet.
 
Your limiting the only advantage of the Kt-133A with only PC100 Ram. If you plan on upgrading to PC133 soon though it will be no problem. Nothing to do with overclocking.
 
I agree that the Ram is a problem: couldn't you pass the pc100 on to another system and invest in some massively discounted Crucial pc133? In addition, I've heard tons of people on this board complain about the long-term reliability of Abit boards. I've had an Asys board (K7M) for nearly two years with terrific results. I'd recommend the A7V+ (I've just ordered an A7M266).
 
That RAM may not be an issue. My generic PC100 runs fine at 133 CAS3 in an Asus A7V, so, if de wants, he'll likely be able to run 133.

That setup looks fine, except I'd go for a better vidcard.
 
May be a bit of a pain (compared to the Intell's) until you work through all the VIA 4 in 1 driver stuff and some IRQ sharing quirks,...........after that it is well worth the trouble !

Check at www.pricewatch for combo's, then check @ re-seller's ratings for user ratings, .........
Hsf to cpu contact is critical for proper cooling and hsf must be plugged in to #1 cpu fan header (on the ABIT mb) or the board won't boot .............good luck.....

Oh,......almost forgot, go for the 1.2G T-bird cpu and it comes unlocked (I think?) so if later, you do decide to over-clock, you won't have to hassle with the pencil/pen tricks.....

I hope the above cpu info is correct ............. anyone else help verify ........ ??
 
Well, I could give the RAM to my dad. I just didn't want to have the extra expense of buying RAM on top of buying a cpu/mobo that, alone, will be $350.00++++.
So does anyone know about the 15% off of the mocron/crucial RAM? I thought I read that they were giving some kind of 15% off recently but I can't find it. Is the 15% already reflected in their online prices?
ALsowhen looking on their site for ram can I just enter my current mobo (BE6-2) and then just use that on my new board (hopefully KT7A) when I get it?
Keep the info coming!!!!!
de
 
If this is your 1st AMD and you're not planning on overclocking, why not go for a less expensive combo ? ECS (Elite group) makes one - KZV7A. You can get it as a combo with the 1Ghz Tbird for $265 (includes HS & fan) at MicroPro and they are from Ohio (no tax). It's not a 133A MOBO, but for the price, it's a very good value. 5 PCI slots, onboard sound builtin CPU temperature sensor that will shut down your system if it gets too hot (wish more MOBO's had this built in). Tom's Hardware Review compares its performance to the A7V (see conclusion in the review). If you order from them, mention Pricewatch to get the combo price.
 
j2
I would but I don't like onboard sound plus I need an ISA slot for my modem. the built in cpu temp thing sounds cool though.

OK guys the only thing scaring me about the AMD switch is that I am reading alot of things about the chip running hot and really good cooling is needed. Now I'm not trying to start the intel against amd crap but i've owned 3 different intel setups and never had to worry about this stuff. Does this mean that the heatsink/fan that comes retail will not suffice???
de
 
You can always bypass the onboard sound. I'm building a 2nd AMD system for my wife with leftover hardware from my original A7V (kept upgrading stuff). If you have an ISA Modem, then this board won't work for you. As far as heat goes, if you're not going to overclock, then the Heatsink/Fan that ships with the CPU's should suffice - just make sure you use a good thermal compound when you mount the fan on the processor. Do a search on thermal compound or arctic silver.
 
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