Fardringle
Diamond Member
I pulled the RAM out of my dead computer the other night and discovered that it is actually PC3200 DDR and not PC2700. I don't remember ever buying PC3200 but I'm not going to complain. 🙂
The RAM chips are identical and are branded Elixir. I can't find much of anything on these memory sticks but they have run reliably with my old motherboard and CPU at CAS2 settings since I bought them about a year ago..
After doing a lot of research on many different options given to me here and other places, I think I have pretty much settled on one of these two options. They are both over my $150 goal, but close enough that I can squeeze by and I just couldn't find anything cheaper that I was satisfied with. The Asus and Sempron 2500 I was looking at earlier for $125 was tempting since Asus makes great stuff, but that CPU only has 128 MB cache so it would be a dog for SETI and other DC projects.
Anyway, here are my current top choices:
EPoX EP-8KDA3J (socket 754 dual channel NForce3-250) - $69.75
Sempron 2800+ 1.6 GHz 256KB L2 (retail) - $89.00
Total: $163.73 shipped
or
MSI K7N2 Delta2-LSR (socket A dual channel NForce2 Ultra 400) - $56.00
Athlon XP 2600+ "Barton" 512KB L2 (OEM) - $83.00
Masscool (Speeze) 5F287B1L3GL CPU cooler - $10.49
Total: $156.48 shipped
Here are my pros and cons of each. Please let me know what you think. 🙂
EPoX combo pros:
Socket 754 (coolness factor)
Retail CPU for better warranty
Faster core speed
90nm process for lower temperatures and lower power consumption
Recommended combo on Anandtech's Buyer's Guide
EPoX cons:
Some reviews say the board is picky about RAM, so mine might or might not work with it in dual channel
Only 256KB L2 cache could put a hit on SETI performance
Rather loud fan, but this isn't a major problem since the rest of the fans in my system aren't particularly quiet either
MSI combo pros:
Cheaper
512MB L2 cache
Reviews say this board is very forgiving to off-brand RAM
Barton core Athlon XPs have been reported as insane overclockers (in case I ever decide to do it)
Speeze cooler has extremely good reviews and should keep everything cool
Cooler is MUCH quieter than the retail fan on the EPoX combo
MSI cons:
Older socket A technology
OEM CPU doesn't have much of a warranty
I am leaning towards the MSI - Barton 2600+ (2500+ OEM is the same price on Newegg) for compatibility and price, but I do really like the idea of putting together a socket 754 system and I would appreciate any comments you might have before I click the "Order Now" button. 🙂
The RAM chips are identical and are branded Elixir. I can't find much of anything on these memory sticks but they have run reliably with my old motherboard and CPU at CAS2 settings since I bought them about a year ago..
After doing a lot of research on many different options given to me here and other places, I think I have pretty much settled on one of these two options. They are both over my $150 goal, but close enough that I can squeeze by and I just couldn't find anything cheaper that I was satisfied with. The Asus and Sempron 2500 I was looking at earlier for $125 was tempting since Asus makes great stuff, but that CPU only has 128 MB cache so it would be a dog for SETI and other DC projects.
Anyway, here are my current top choices:
EPoX EP-8KDA3J (socket 754 dual channel NForce3-250) - $69.75
Sempron 2800+ 1.6 GHz 256KB L2 (retail) - $89.00
Total: $163.73 shipped
or
MSI K7N2 Delta2-LSR (socket A dual channel NForce2 Ultra 400) - $56.00
Athlon XP 2600+ "Barton" 512KB L2 (OEM) - $83.00
Masscool (Speeze) 5F287B1L3GL CPU cooler - $10.49
Total: $156.48 shipped
Here are my pros and cons of each. Please let me know what you think. 🙂
EPoX combo pros:
Socket 754 (coolness factor)
Retail CPU for better warranty
Faster core speed
90nm process for lower temperatures and lower power consumption
Recommended combo on Anandtech's Buyer's Guide
EPoX cons:
Some reviews say the board is picky about RAM, so mine might or might not work with it in dual channel
Only 256KB L2 cache could put a hit on SETI performance
Rather loud fan, but this isn't a major problem since the rest of the fans in my system aren't particularly quiet either
MSI combo pros:
Cheaper
512MB L2 cache
Reviews say this board is very forgiving to off-brand RAM
Barton core Athlon XPs have been reported as insane overclockers (in case I ever decide to do it)
Speeze cooler has extremely good reviews and should keep everything cool
Cooler is MUCH quieter than the retail fan on the EPoX combo
MSI cons:
Older socket A technology
OEM CPU doesn't have much of a warranty
I am leaning towards the MSI - Barton 2600+ (2500+ OEM is the same price on Newegg) for compatibility and price, but I do really like the idea of putting together a socket 754 system and I would appreciate any comments you might have before I click the "Order Now" button. 🙂
