I just purchased an MSI K7T Turbo 2 to use with my XP 2100+ and PC133 memory. After reading some posts I'm starting to have a change of heart. I originally wanted to save money but now I'm not so sure. I know the board will be more expensive as well as the memory but in your opinion is it worth it, will I see a big performance increase? Please help! Thanks.
Should I return my motherboard for an Nforce2?
- Thread starter Medellon
- Start date
Relax, I don't think you would ever see the performance difference in the real world. The best way to spend the money you saved would be:
1.) More memory, put in up to 512Mb
2.) Put in an ATI 9700
Most definately! DDR will be the "standard" memory of both Intel & AMD for many months which is a big selling point IMO. Plus by moving to the NForce2 you get to reap the benefits of using faster DDR RAM *PLUS* dual channel capability. AMD chips do not benefit as much as Intel by dual channel but, you will definately see an improvement. I really liked the ASUS A7N8X board when I was using it and I don't think you will be dissapointed by exchanging your board even for the extra cost.
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You won't notice an absolutely astounding difference, but you will see a difference. You could easily get a cheaper DDR motherboard though that would give you pretty close to the same performance as an nforce2.
Asus A7N266-VM is only 72 bucks at Newegg, only slightly more expensive than the K7T Turbo 2 and considered a very good value board. Crucial PC2100 is actually cheaper than their PC133 modules right now.
Asus A7N266-VM is only 72 bucks at Newegg, only slightly more expensive than the K7T Turbo 2 and considered a very good value board. Crucial PC2100 is actually cheaper than their PC133 modules right now.
I have personally switched from a 1900+ with 512MB of PC133 to 512MB of PC2100 DDR and I didn't notice a bit of difference. You might notice some, but I DIDN'T! People like to tell me that there must have been a difference and I just didn't notice it, and while that might be true, it doesn't change the fact that I didn't notice it.
I agree with woody here, use the money u save to upgrade something else that will give u notice able performance increase. (tho i dunt think i'd save enough to get an ATI9700....)
You've already purchased the board... so just enjoy what you've got. It won't set you back that much to upgrade to 512 PC133 if you don't have that, so I'd just do that. Sink the rest of your bux into a nice vid card or something... just like these guys are saying. Just make sure whatever else you buy is something you really NEED.
You really should have put the thought into this BEFORE you made your purchase.
It's not that big a deal though, so don't sweat it.
You really should have put the thought into this BEFORE you made your purchase.
It's not that big a deal though, so don't sweat it.I already have 512 MB of ram so I don't need to buy any more and I have a GeForce 4 4200 so my video card is okay. I mainly use my computer for game playing but it seems like I won't notice a big difference if at all from what people say. Any other personal experiences like the one above? Thanks for the replies.
If you play games, then it's definitely worth going from PC133 to DDR PC2700. You will see a big peformance increase. In general use you might not notice the difference (i.e. moving around in Windows, surfing the net, etc.). If you play alot of 3D games then you should get a DDR setup and good video card. To give you an idea of performance gains I just went from a:
Intel P4 1.6@2.133ghz
Asus P4B 266-C DDR motherboard
512mb PC2100 DDR memory (running at 266mhz)
to a:
AMD XP 1.733@2.166ghz
Epox 8RDA+ nForce 2 dual channel DDR motherboard
Corsair XMS PC3200 DDR memory (running at 333mhz)
I gained almost 40 fps in Quake 3 with high quality at 1024x768x32 using the exact same video card (i.e. Geforce 4 Ti4400). I realize some of the gain is due to the cpu, but I will guarantee you that going from PC133 to PC2700 will get you a very nice performance increase regardless if you are using Intel or AMD. The real question is are you trying to save money. If that's the case then just get a good video card like an ATI 8500, ATI 9500 pro or Geforce 4 Ti 4200 would be your best cheapest upgrade for playing games. Hope that helps.
Intel P4 1.6@2.133ghz
Asus P4B 266-C DDR motherboard
512mb PC2100 DDR memory (running at 266mhz)
to a:
AMD XP 1.733@2.166ghz
Epox 8RDA+ nForce 2 dual channel DDR motherboard
Corsair XMS PC3200 DDR memory (running at 333mhz)
I gained almost 40 fps in Quake 3 with high quality at 1024x768x32 using the exact same video card (i.e. Geforce 4 Ti4400). I realize some of the gain is due to the cpu, but I will guarantee you that going from PC133 to PC2700 will get you a very nice performance increase regardless if you are using Intel or AMD. The real question is are you trying to save money. If that's the case then just get a good video card like an ATI 8500, ATI 9500 pro or Geforce 4 Ti 4200 would be your best cheapest upgrade for playing games. Hope that helps.
Ive got the exact same setup. 512PC-133 Crucial w/ aggressive timings and im quite satisfied with my system. Sure a DDR system would give you an extra 5 fps in games at most, but the price/performance is great. PC-133 RAM is so cheap now, im thinking of putting in 1 gb (256mb @ bestbuy = $15 AR)
You will get alot more that 5 fps, look at my setup. I gained 40 fps in Quake 3 alone. My 3dMark2001se scores jumped 3000 points. So, it's alot more than 5 fps.
Memory bandwidth does make a difference. Even more so on the Intel P4 systems.
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