Upgrade or Start from Scratch?

[pbkermit]

The guys on this website are great...I have not had to post before because I was able to search/find most of the info I needed before...but I am hoping for some specific info this time...Here

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
LIGHT Video Editing, DVD encoding/decoding/copying (Want to develop media library), light gaming for kids (Guild Wars, Runescape, Age of Empires etc - no cutting edge stuff)

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread.
Since I am unemployed, as little as possible....I know, not much info.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.

I prefer ASUS MOBO based on past successes, and AMD for the value, but not a big factor.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

Looking for recommendations versus current technology and the price/performance differential.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

I have in the past, but do not expect to overclock this time.

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Flexible.

Current Configuration:
Mobo: Asus A8N-VM CSM Rev 1 with Nvidia 410/430 chipset
CPU: Athlon 64 3200+ with OEM cooler
RAM: Corsair DDR 400 2x512Mb
Graphics: Nvidia 7600 GT based card
O/S: Windows XP Home.
Case: Antec Tower ("Medium")
P/S: Antec 500W
Hard Drives: (2) 7200 rpm drives - so these are solid
External HD: 1TB WD


Scenario A: Just get 2gb RAM and live with it for a while longer
Scenario B: Get 2Gb RAM and upgrade to an X2 CPU.
Scenario C: Upgrade MB to something like the M3A78-CM or a 790GX based chipset board, new CPU and new RAM.

Other thoughts?

THANKS!!

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: pbkermit
Upgrade or Start from Scratch?

Current Configuration:
Mobo: Asus A8N-VM CSM Rev 1 with Nvidia 410/430 chipset
CPU: Athlon 64 3200+ with OEM cooler
RAM: Corsair DDR 400 2x512Mb
Graphics: Nvidia 7600 GT based card
O/S: Windows XP Home.
Case: Antec Tower ("Medium")
P/S: Antec 500W
Hard Drives: (2) 7200 rpm drives - so these are solid

Start from scratch

 

[heyheybooboo]

Combo Deal: $169
Phenom 9600 & Asus M3A78-EM

(Though I think the Phenom 9600 / Gigabyte GA-MA770-UD3 is probably a better deal - but you lose the IGP /htpc possibility)

The 7600gt is not such a bad card for kid's games - you can move that over.

A 2Gb stick of DDR2 800 is less than $25 - 2x2Gb DDR2 1066 is around $50.

Download and testdrive this free trial of Vegas. See how you like it - it uses MainConcept and will peg the cores on that Phenom if you go that way.

Tom's MainConcept CPU Chart

(I put that up there to give you a reference ... here is an older chart with the Phenom 9600 and Athlon 3000 in MainConcept)

 

[richierich1212]

Sorry.

 

[betasub]

Originally posted by: richierich1212
Maybe instead of a whole new platform upgrade just get a new X2 processor? I looked up your mobo specs on Asus and it says the highest X2 processor it supports is the 4800+. It is going for $65 shipped on ebay, new.

If you looked up the same specs I did, you'll have found that OP has a Socket 939 motherboard - so no point recommending an AM2 X2 for the move to dual-core.

939 X2 is too expensive, with little to recommend it over newer generation CPU/mobo combos. Something like heyheybooboo's suggestion would be good - a cheap CPU/mobo/memory upgrade, with 7600GT PCIe graphics as a stand-in until a graphics upgrade is needed/affordable.

 

[richierich1212]

Darn sorry about that. I looked up the 4800+ on ebay but not for socket 939. And yeah they are way too expensive.

 

[pbkermit]

Thanks heyheybooboo....I love the handle by the way! Yogi was great!

I figured upgrade would be the answer. No issues with PS being large enough at 500 Watts?

Also, do you think the onboard graphics that come with this would be better 7600gt card, especially since the mobo includes hdmi?

Is there any mobo out there in this price range with built in wireless? I would like to move this PC to a spot in the older section of my house that doesn't have cat6 run to it - and since it is plaster and lath, it would be a sob to get there. Otherwise, I guess I have to add a wireless n card to it as well.

Thanks again!!

 

[Blain]

Cat6 is expensive, run some Cat5e.
Running "copper" is worth it in the long run.
* More secure than wireless
* Faster than wireless
* More reliable connection