please comment on my upgrades

[statik213]

ASUS A8R-MVP Socket 939 ATI Radeon XPRESS 200 CrossFire ATX AMD CrossFire Motherboard - Retail = $94.99
SAPPHIRE 100106-RD Radeon X850XT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM = $169
AMD Opteron 165 Denmark 1GHz HT Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model OSA165CDBOX - Retail = $328

I'm seeing price differences of only about $3-5 at the most on each item, so i'd rather get it all from the egg.... any recommendations on where i can improve on these upgrades?

budget: $600
current system:

athlon 2500
soyo kt-600 dragon plus 2.0
Gigabyte radeon 9800 pro 128 mb
2 x 512MB DDR @ CL 2.5
2 x 160 GB HDD (PATA)
DVD-ROM
DVD-RW
Firewire card (which i won't need any more)
Audigy 2 ZS
*** Thermaltake 420 W ATX PSU (20 pin atx connector) -- 12V = 18A up to 216W / 3.3V = 30A + 5V = 40A up to 220W
Big honking mammoth Antec case (can't remember which -- older one) w/ 4 80 mm fans

*** As a side question, will my PSU hold up with this new rig? I'm planning on getting a 20pin-24pin cable like this: Thermaltake PSU Adapter Cables - Retail.

edit: added current system specs.

 

[imported_fx]

What's your budget? I recommend X1900XT or X1900XTX for video card.

 

[Cinna696]

what is your current system? you should know to post that

and what is your budget?

 

[Crescent13]

Yeah what is your budget, and what is your current system?

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Cinna696
what is your current system? you should know to post that

and what is your budget?

my budget is around $600

I was hoping to save up a bit more and get a better rig but my POS radeon 9800 crapped out on me a few days ago.

current system:

athlon 2500
soyo kt-600 dragon plus 2.0
Gigabyte radeon 9800 pro 128 mb
2 x 512MB DDR @ CL 2.5
2 x 160 GB HDD (PATA)
DVD-ROM
DVD-RW
Firewire card (which i won't need any more)
Audigy 2 ZS
*** Thermaltake 420 W ATX PSU (20 pin atx connector) -- 12V = 18A up to 216W / 3.3V = 30A + 5V = 40A up to 220W
Big honking mammoth Antec case (can't remember which -- older one) w/ 4 80 mm fans


In addition to these i have anotehr 160GB hdd that I want to hook up using a PCI IDE RAID controller.

**** As a side question, will my PSU hold up with this new rig? I'm planning on getting a 20pin-24pin cable like this: Thermaltake PSU Adapter Cables - Retail.

 

[statik213]

bump

 

[imported_fx]

Need CPU, Monitor, DVD Burner, HDD, Optical Drives, Case, etc?

 

[Cinna696]

just the cpu mb and gpu?

do you plan on o/c at all?

don't get the 20-24pin cable, you don't need an adapter if your psu doesn't have a 24pin, just place the 20pin where it fits

 

[Ricemarine]

Opteron 165 = $280 (AR)
New PSU = $50 (forton 450w)
Video Card $170 (x850xt)

For ram, you only have $100 left, decide well.

 

[Cinna696]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Opteron 165 = $280 (AR)
New PSU = $50 (forton 450w)
Video Card $170 (x850xt)

For ram, you only have $100 left, decide well.

and wtf about the motherboard, his current mb is socket A

im thinking he should just reuse his (2x512 PC3200 ram)

 

[TanisHalfElven]

if your on a budget i'd recommend getting x800gt /gto (about 150) and putting in more ram.

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Cinna696
just the cpu mb and gpu?

do you plan on o/c at all?

don't get the 20-24pin cable, you don't need an adapter if your psu doesn't have a 24pin, just place the 20pin where it fits

but, the new board has a 24 pin connector on it... so i just plug the 20-pin conenctor here? how do i allign it?

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: fx
Need CPU, Monitor, DVD Burner, HDD, Optical Drives, Case, etc?

making the switch from AGP after card crapped out...
so need cpu, mobo and pcie card.

budget: $600

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Opteron 165 = $280 (AR)
New PSU = $50 (forton 450w)
Video Card $170 (x850xt)

For ram, you only have $100 left, decide well.

where are you getting the price for the 165?

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Cinna696

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Opteron 165 = $280 (AR)
New PSU = $50 (forton 450w)
Video Card $170 (x850xt)

For ram, you only have $100 left, decide well.

and wtf about the motherboard, his current mb is socket A

im thinking he should just reuse his (2x512 PC3200 ram)

i'm getting a new mobo and plan on reusing the ram

 

[Cinna696]

24 pin connection is the same 20pin connect with a 4pin 12v rail connector attached to it essentially, it will fit in the origional 20spots on the 24pin connector on the mb

the 165 opteron at newegg is about 325 vs the x2 3800 is 285, are you set on the opteron to o/c it or ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131569 Asus A8n5x. don't go with a radeon xpress 200 chipset mb, i would return the one i have if i could

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814102483 Saphite X850XT

your psu should be good

total is like 570 with the x2 3800, just over 600 with the opteron

 

[Praxis1452]

Originally posted by: statik213

Originally posted by: fx
Need CPU, Monitor, DVD Burner, HDD, Optical Drives, Case, etc?

making the switch from AGP after card crapped out...
so need cpu, mobo and pcie card.

budget: $600

The 165 quote is from monarch. Check in the hot deals forum and look for the monarch coupons. I think there's a $50 rebate you gotta pm the guy though.
Half your budget for Opteron 165 $280
Ultra D is $120
X850XT $170 around

 

[Ricemarine]

Originally posted by: Cinna696
your psu should be good

I disagree... TT 420w doesn't have over 18 amps on the 12v rail.

Opteron 165 at monarch goes for $280 AR.
As for motherboard, prolly Epox 9NPA+ Ultra
But that forton 450w is a MUST in this case IMHO.

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Praxis1452

Originally posted by: statik213

Originally posted by: fx
Need CPU, Monitor, DVD Burner, HDD, Optical Drives, Case, etc?

making the switch from AGP after card crapped out...
so need cpu, mobo and pcie card.

budget: $600

The 165 quote is from monarch. Check in the hot deals forum and look for the monarch coupons. I think there's a $50 rebate you gotta pm the guy though.
Half your budget for Opteron 165 $280
Ultra D is $120
X850XT $170 around

ok... what's ultra d?

edit: nvm -- dfi board found it.

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Cinna696
the 165 opteron at newegg is about 325 vs the x2 3800 is 285, are you set on the opteron to o/c it or ?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131569 Asus A8n5x. don't go with a radeon xpress 200 chipset mb, i would return the one i have if i could

I was thinking of OCing the 165 to around 2.2GHz (w/ stock fan), from what i've read this should be pretty easy...
Any particular reason why the xpress is bad? I kinda like having the option of getting a xfire card later on.... and the I/O on the ULi southbridge is pretty good.

 

[statik213]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine

Originally posted by: Cinna696
your psu should be good

I disagree... TT 420w doesn't have over 18 amps on the 12v rail.

Opteron 165 at monarch goes for $280 AR.
As for motherboard, prolly Epox 9NPA+ Ultra
But that forton 450w is a MUST in this case IMHO.

how many amps needed for my rig on the 12v?

 

[Praxis1452]

oh well since you are going to overclock I suggest the DFI LanParty Ultra-D. Best overclockers board for the price. The SLI-DR can go higher HTT but it;s also $180.. and it's an uneeded SLI. Though now that I think about it go with this
X2 3800+ $280?
ASRock 939SLI32-eSATA2 Socket 939 ULi M1697 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $85
X850XT and then get some more ram