Please help make a selection between two systems(AMD/Intel)

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Dipp

Junior Member
Jan 28, 2005
13
0
0
1)Which computer is better? First or Second?
2)How much does system A and how much does the computer B cost separately from each other?


P4 rig

-Case: Antec PLUS1080AMG (with 430watt true power PSU
Power-Supply: Included with case
Processor: Pentium 4 Hyperthreading - 3.2Ghz Northwood 800Mhz FSB HT
Motherboard: Asus P4P800 Deluxe i875P chipset
Memory: 1GB ( 2x512MB ) Kingston HyperX DDR 500Mhz (PC4000) (running at 2.5-3-3-7 right now ).
Video Card: ATI 9800se by Power Color (256bit L-shaped mem) soft modded
to 9800pro with Artic Silencer no artifacts
Sound-Card: Onboard
Hard drives0: 74gb Western Digital Raptor 8mb Cache 10,000RPM Drive
Hard drives1: 160GB Western Digital 8MB Cache 7200RPM Drive
Hard drives2: 160GB Western Digital 8MB Cache 7200RPM Drive
Heatsink/Fan: Zalman CNPS7000
Fan Controller: Nexxus 4-fan 3.5' manual controller
cdrw &dvdrom


AMD rig

-Athlon 64 3000 Winchester
MSI K8T Neo 2 (K8t800Pro)
BFG 6800 GT OC
NEC 8X DL DVD Burner
2X256 Mushkin level II Black PC3500
WD 120 GB HD(2x)
Thermaltake PurePwer 420 watt
Lian li case


Please help me make a selection and say how much each of them cost approxiametely. Maybe I should hold off for pci-e? The best raid setup is Raid0? Thanks


 
K

KoolDrew

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
10,226
7
81
It would help if you told us the use of the system. I am guessing gaming? If so go AMD. Also RAID is just a waste.
 
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DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
Cost: www.newegg.com

Speed: depends on application. A64 3000+ is almost always faster, and is much faster for Doom3 and Half-Life 2. Click the CPU tab at top of page for dozens of comparison charts.
 
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Dipp

Junior Member
Jan 28, 2005
13
0
0
Most likely gaming, what other things are there to do? I'm trying to run os on one hdd and have my stuff on the other hdd, that's why I would like either RAID or just run each hdd on its own channel.
 
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Dipp

Junior Member
Jan 28, 2005
13
0
0
Well, you can forget the AMD rig, because that's no longer available. This is the new offer:

P4 3.2 ghz Prescott w/ (SLK 800 All Copper HSF) (will do 3.6 and up)
Asus P4P800 865 PE Chipset (all accessories)
PNY 6800NU OC ( it is unlocked)
2X256 Mushkin Level II Black (BH5 Chips) (It's BH5)
2X120 GB WD SE Hard Drives
8X DL DVD Burner (NEC 2500A Black Bezel)
500 Watt PSU (with LED Fan)
Lian li case

Basically, it's between this and the other Pentium rig, but I'm think I'm making the right decision sticking with the first rig, not this one. Also, is it okay to buy used computers? Obviously, it's better to buy just build, but i gotta know if there are any huge probs with buying used(ie. hdd)
 
Regs

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,666
21
81
Sorry, couldn't see the 2 HDD's in the AMD specs.

Even though Prescotts run hot and use a lot of voltage - I would recommend that system since it comes with a much better graphics card. Plus the SLK heat sink and 500watt PSU should do a good job keeping the beast happy. I don't know what you see in the first one other than the Raptor, but a 6800NU would pulvarize the 9800se in gaming. A Raptor would be nothing more than dead weight to you.

Is there a problem buying used computers? Only one way to find out. Just like buying a used car. Hopefully you are buying it from someone who is honest. Maybe ask for a few references.

It may not be a problem to you, but I would rather unlock my own card then buying one all ready unlocked. Matter of fact, I wouldn't try to unlock a card at all with a chance of instability issues to occure in the future.
 
Markfw

Markfw

Moderator Emeritus, Elite Member
May 16, 2002
27,269
16,120
136
What do you mean its no longer available ? Go with the AMD for gaming......
 
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fishmonger12

Senior member
Sep 14, 2004
759
0
0
"500 Watt PSU (with LED Fan)"

make sure this psu is of at least decent quality. i'd hate for you to spend all that money on a system and not get a DECENT power supply. doesn't have to be some server psu, just make sure you get at least an antec or enermax or fortron, thermaltake if it tickles your pickle.

edit: you're only going to use 512 mb of ram??? in a rig you're using for gaming???? and you're not going to use an AMD ontop of all of this? bleht, why are you even asking for user input?
 
Boze

Boze

Senior member
Dec 20, 2004
634
14
91
Originally posted by: BrentUnitedMem
Doesn't RAID split the files between drives?

If so, how are you to decide which information goes on what drive?
Click to expand...


Brent, RAID doesn't split the files between the drives in the way you might be thinking; in the simplest of terms, RAID (I assume you are talking about RAID 0, which is referred to as striping) makes two hard disks act as one big hard disk (for example, two 74.3 GB Raptor drives configured in a RAID 0 array forms an array that your computer sees as a 138.6 GB hard disk). The stripe size, also sometimes referred to as the stripe length, which is usually set in 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128 KB sizes, determines how much data gets put onto one hard disk before another chunk of data is wrote to the other hard disk. For example, let's say you had a 1000 KB file and you were using 64 KB-sized stripes. The first 64 KB might be written to hard disk A and the second 64 KB written to hard disk B, and so on and so forth until the entire 1000 KB was physically written across both hard disks; however, your operating system would see a 1000 KB file on its 138.6 GB hard disk.

There are lots of really good sites with information on RAID and the different type of arrays (and there are many different types); unfortunately I can't remember any and I haven't transferred links over to my new computer from my laptop.
 
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ohnnyj

Golden Member
Dec 17, 2004
1,239
0
0
Boze:

You seam to know quite a bit about RAID. Could I get your expertise on what stripe size would be most beneficial for a graphic design/gaming system. It will mostly be used for web design (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, etc.) and gaming as well. I think my system default to a 64kb stripe as Optimal but not sure if that is true.

Thanks,
 
T

Terumo

Banned
Jan 23, 2005
575
0
0
Just goto Start>All Programs>>Accessories>System Tools>Disk Defragmentor and click Analyse. Read the report. Under "File fragmentation" it'll show you an "Average file size". That's usually the best sized stripe for you (mind you if you did any video/audio work on your hard drive). If it says something like 324KB, 512KB is a good size. 872KB, a 1024KB stripe. Etc., etc., etc..

If you're planning to make alot of huge files of the 50mb to 2gigs size, 1024k stripe or higher might be best. Otherwise a 512k or 1024k stripe would do the trick. For large files you want larger stripes because it reduces the seek, read, write, seek, read, write work on the HDDs, which speeds the save time and transfering files.

It's an art trying to find the right stripe. You'll have to experiment, especially if you write a lot of different sized files a week.
 
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Duvie

Elite Member
Feb 5, 2001
16,215
0
71
Dripp...

1) first P4 system is fine but I think the power supply is weak and with that ram would you have oc'd a bit?? If so I would want a better PSU....MY antec 430 true power I had couldn't power my old 2.4bto 3.24ghz oc so I went enemrax 430 and it was so much stronger on the 12v rails...I think that is what you need with all those drives listed there.... First system raid can be an option...

2) the amd system rocks for gaming and ocing though that power supply bites....I have zero luck with ThermalTake anything over the last 3 years and somehow I keep going back to them everywhile. If no ocing it may cut it...

3) the last prescott system is blend of both. I would want another drive if I was planning on raid 0. The prescotts need to oc to 3.6ghz to make up for the piss poor performance of the longer pipeline....At 3.2ghz it would not be equal to the 3.2ghz northwood. Heat will be more of a factior is this machine versus the P4 first system and themuch much cooler AMD system....



Overall if I had to pick out of the 2 P4 setups I would say the prescott cause of the vid card. Proabably dont need all thast drive space anyways for the 1st P4...

However I would say keep looking and do not rule out an amd system. usually amd systems of this calibur are better priced then the p4 prescott system you are looking at so you should be able to beat it...
 
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ohnnyj

Golden Member
Dec 17, 2004
1,239
0
0
Originally posted by: Terumo

It's an art trying to find the right stripe. You'll have to experiment, especially if you write a lot of different sized files a week.
Click to expand...

How do you experiment? It isn't an easy thing to have to format the sytstem just to check stripe sizes.
 
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