Update '05 build or start fresh?

[kirsten27]

My current build is definitely outdated - I built it in early 2005 with a combo purchased from Monarch:
Motherboard:Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 Socket 939
Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3200 939 90nm Pin ADA3200DIK4BI

My video card just died on me so I purchased this card and now I'm debating on whether I should just sell the system and buy a new pre-made box system, OR use the parts I have and build a new system.

I'm primarily interested in using the system for some light gaming (ocassionally WoW, Starcraft, Sims) and surfing. I definitely would like to put Windows 7 64-bit on it once it comes out and stream media from the PC to my Xbox 360.

I'd like to stay around $500-600.

Here are the other parts of my current build:

Antec Life Style SONATA Piano Black 0.8mm SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ TruePower 380Watt ATX12V Power Supply

NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model ND-3520A BK - OEM

LITE-ON CD Burner Black IDE Model SOHR-5238S - OEM

2x CORSAIR 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model VS1GBKIT400

ViewSonic Optiquest Series Q19WB-2 Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail

Logitech Cordless Desktop LX700 967418-0403 Black USB or PS/2 RF Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard & Mouse

Any thoughts, ideas are more than welcome.

 

[alyarb]

sell it. socket 939 stuff has a pretty high resale value for its age. read this thread, this guy is going through the same thing.

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2340492&enterthread=y

all you need is cpu/board/RAM. no need to spend even $300, let alone $600.

 

[yh125d]

Pretty meh video card, but it's not too terribly bad for the cost. With a 5-600 budget you could have done better. Also with the 939 you have, there's no updating to be done (worthwhile anyways)


PHII X3 720 - $130
Insert gigabyte/asus board here - $80-100
4GB DDR3 - $80
500GB single platter HD, WD/Sammy/Hitachi - $60 or 1TB version - $85
Corsair or Antec 400-500w PSU - $60
4670-4850 - $60-90

Save the rest, sell your old stuff on ebay, and buy a nice 22-24" 1080p monitor around black friday or maybe earlier if you can

 

[kirsten27]

So sell the exisiting cpu/board/ram and just upgrade those components? Is my current power supply (380W) enough?

Would this combo that you rec'd in that thread do the trick?

 

[alyarb]

i like that combo because it was the cheapest combo with that processor that will unlock/overclock it well. you may as well keep your video card though because it's a little bit faster than the onboard IGP, and i'd guess wow/sims/whatever you're doing could use it.

380 watts is definitely enough. what are you doing about hard drives?


is "light gaming" all you'll be using the system for?

 

[kirsten27]

Originally posted by: alyarb
i like that combo because it was the cheapest combo with that processor that will unlock/overclock it well. you may as well keep your video card though because it's a little bit faster than the onboard IGP, and i'd guess wow/sims/whatever you're doing could use it.

380 watts is definitely enough. what are you doing about hard drives?

I'm not concerned with overclocking - is their a better combo out there with a decent Gigabyte/Asus board that you know of?

I'd like to get a 1TB drive - since I only have about 320gb now. Do you think I'd make more money selling my current rig (with new vid card, case, PSU, HD) and then piecing together a new one from scratch or just selling the board, cpu, mem as a combo while using the existing case/psu, etc.?

 

[alyarb]

get this combo then. it'll save you ~40 bucks and be just as fast
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.271893


terabyte drives are only ~$80, a DVD burner is $30, a psu is like $40... if you sell your entire machine you'll have to make up for all these parts and you wouldn't end up "making" much money off the sale. i think you're better off keeping everything the system the way it is and just selling your CPU/board/RAM.

 

[alyarb]

double

 

[jdjbuffalo]

You should sell your current system.

You won't be able to use your Power Supply. I'm pretty sure that one is only a 20 pin and all the motherboards now take a 24 pin.

You're going to need to replace all the parts, I don't see anything that you will be able to keep except the Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse.

It can certainly be done in your budget as yh125d suggested.

 

[RU482]

why not just link to newegg on those links? why go through detonator.dynamitedata.com

 

[Terzo]

Originally posted by: RU482
why not just link to newegg on those links? why go through detonator.dynamitedata.com

Originally posted by: allisolm
AnandTech is testing a system whereby product links to sites with which AnandTech has a relationship will automatically be changed to reflect that our forums are the originating point for the link. Sites with which they have no relationship will not change.

The new links will take you to the same place the old ones did. Please do not try to edit them. They're fine.

The new ones will look something like this (spaces added so it won't go to a link):

http : //detonator.dynamitedata.com/cgi-bin/redirect.pl?user=u00000687&q=http%3a%2f%2fwww.samsclub.com%2fshopping%2fnavigate.do%3fdest%3d5%26item%3d421315

Thanks for your attention!

The original post is stickied in the hot deals forum, apparently there isn't one for general hardware.

 

[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: RU482
why not just link to newegg on those links? why go through detonator.dynamitedata.com

That's an automatic thing with the forum. Read here.