"Temporary" Upgrade?

[BoomAM]

Hi.
My current specs;
XP1800
Abit KT7A-RAID
768MB PC133
9800pro@XT
Audigy1

With the impending release of both Doom3 & Half-Life2, im considering doing a temporary upgrade to "tide" me over till the PCI-E/939 fiasco has been cleared up next year. That and im seeing my XP1800 holding me back in some games that i already have, like C&C Generals & UT2004 for example.
The parts im considering are;
1Gb GeIL PC3200 Cas2.5 Value
Whatever the best SocketA mobo is.
And then next month, a new processor as well. Probably a 2500-M.

What do you think? Worth it? Or should i scrap that and go with my original plan of new case/WC system. And just do a big upgrade in March?

Thanks in advance all.

 

[DaveSimmons]

With the impending release of both Doom3 & Half-Life2

of Doom3 anyway 😉
I'd still wait and see how D3 plays on your box, if it plays well and HL2 isn't out by Xmas you could save the cost of the XP+mobo (RAM should be transferrable).

Even if HL2 is out by xmas and is good (two big ifs) do you have to play it the week it's released? Waiting a month or three could save you another $20-30 on the game too.

 

[Alkaline5]

A few people on the PCPer.com forums claim to have mobile Bartons running in their KT7As. Since you just want a cheap temporary solution, you may want to head over there to the ABIT forum and check that out.

 

[BoomAM]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

(RAM should be transferrable)

You need to re-read my first post 🙂
I have PC133 ram. SDRAM. Not DDR. So its not transferable.

Mobile processors on a KT7A. I`d like to belive it, but i dont. I already researched that. KT7As just wont do cores above a Paly.

 

[StrangerGuy]

The "mobile Barton, mobo and 1GB memory" plan sounds pretty good to me IMO. Most of the time you should be able to hit 2.4GHz easily with mobile Bartons, and at that speed it is probably as fast as a 2GHz A64 3200+ which costs about 2.5 times more than the mobile Barton.

And also your 9800 Pro will be much better paired with the overclocked Barton since your 1800+ now is holding your card back.

 

[BoomAM]

My problem, is that im a little hesitant in doing an upgrade like that. All the fiasco of reinstalling windows, updating it, installing my programs, getting the file associations like they are now, specific problems. Which would mount to ALOT for me to do.

 

[txxxx]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
My problem, is that im a little hesitant in doing an upgrade like that. All the fiasco of reinstalling windows, updating it, installing my programs, getting the file associations like they are now, specific problems. Which would mount to ALOT for me to do.

No it wouldnt 🙂

I cheat on this part. When changing chipsets, bang in the Windows XP CD, carry on doing a normal install. It will detect your present Windows XP install, and offer to repair it. Do so. Everything stays intact (apart from patched windows contents) and all programs stay put. And so do hardware drivers for most items too 🙂

When your in Windows XP, goto device manager, and show hidden devices.
Next, goto non-plug+play devices, and get rid of the viagart and other via items. Then your set to go.

That'll save you a few hours 🙂

Edit : Worked from a VIA > Nvidia system perfectly for me.

 

[BoomAM]

But its not exactely a clean install then. Loads of crap is left over, still on the HD. And theres still the potential for things to go wrong/incompatibilites. It avoids ALOT of problems doing a complete format/install.
Ive counted 32 programs/utilites i would need to install to get my system to "normal". Not including driver+their acompanying software. Or specific tweaks. Then theres re-creating my shortcut menus & re-arranging program interfaces to how i like them (opera for example).
I do have alot of time to do all that (finished college), but its a pain to do!

Im starting to think that it would be better for me to do all that if i waited for 1) SP2 to be released & 2)See how Doom3 runs. Doom3 looks to be more intensive than HL2 anyway, so if that runs reasonably, then i could probably still wait till next year to do the upgrade.

 

[txxxx]

Originally posted by: BoomAM
But its not exactely a clean install then. Loads of crap is left over, still on the HD. And theres still the potential for things to go wrong/incompatibilites. It avoids ALOT of problems doing a complete format/install.
Ive counted 32 programs/utilites i would need to install to get my system to "normal". Not including driver+their acompanying software. Or specific tweaks. Then theres re-creating my shortcut menus & re-arranging program interfaces to how i like them (opera for example).
I do have alot of time to do all that (finished college), but its a pain to do!

Im starting to think that it would be better for me to do all that if i waited for 1) SP2 to be released & 2)See how Doom3 runs. Doom3 looks to be more intensive than HL2 anyway, so if that runs reasonably, then i could probably still wait till next year to do the upgrade.

Does it? Well it worked for me.

 

[BoomAM]

Ive been reading around the PCP Forums, and there seems to be a change that i can run a 2400 T-Bred in my mobo, at either a reduced FSB (18x111), or if the chip OCs, at 2.4GHz (18x133).
Im not sure wether i should risk it or not. Its a £50 risk.