What do you think of this setup/upgrade?

[Night201]

I currently have:

Tyan Trinity 400 Motherboard
Pentium 3 - 866Mhz
512MB PC133 RAM (Crucial)
80GB Maxtor 7200
40GB Maxtor 7200
Gainward GF3-Ti200 w/ 64MB
Antec TruePower 330 PSU

I use it mostly for video editing (personal Hi-8 & MiniDV outputting to VCD, DVD) - so I do a lot of compression) using Premiere and will be using After Effects soon.

I also play MOHAA Spearhead alot and I want better performance on that.

What do you think of the setup below? How much faster do you think it will be? Anyone upgrade from a system like this? Any idea about framerates given this setup for MOHAA? Also, I plan on keeping the graphics card for now. I am just looking to upgrade my MB, CPU, RAM. I really don't want spend more than $300 if I don't have to.

EPoX EP-8RDA+ = $94
AMD Athlon XP 2400+ TB = $109.50
Kingston 512MB KVR333X64 PC2700 RAM = $65

Total: $268.50 shipped from NewEgg

 

[wicktron]

Sounds good.

 

[Bound_Vortex]

Don't forget a HSF for that athlon. I'd recommend the thermalright SK-7 with a panaflo L1A (24 CFM 21 dB) or H1A (39 CFM 32 dB). Together you can find the combo for around 30. Depending on your desire to overclock or not, I would go with the 1700+ or the 2100+. From newegg, it is a crapshoot to get a rev B for the 1700, but for $79, they have rev B 2100+'s. These will easily get 2400+ speeds on a 166 fsb (2.0 GHz) at stock core voltage. I have such a 2100+ at 166x12 in my rig profile, and I love it.

Great mobo choice btw.

Depending on your desire to tinker with your box, I would recommend getting zalman passive coolers for the northbridge and southbridge (although definitely not needed at the above setting).

Your RAM will hold you back depending on how high you want to overclock. Anything over 166 fsb and you might run into stability issues. But if you would be content with 2 GHz, PC2700 is fine.

EPoX EP-8RDA+ = $94
AMD Athlon XP 2100+ TB rev B = $79
Thermalright SK-7 = $25
Panaflo H1A = $8
3-pin connector for fan = $2
Kingston 512MB KVR333X64 PC2700 RAM = $65

Total: $273 all from newegg

so for 4.50 more, you get pretty much the same processing power, and a more quality HSF for better cooling

oh, and you will notice HUGE difference from your current box

 

[Night201]

Thanks for the info. I meant to point out that I do not plan on overclocking and therefore am just planning on getting the retail chip with the hsf.

 

[Shimmishim]

Originally posted by: Night201
Thanks for the info. I meant to point out that I do not plan on overclocking and therefore am just planning on getting the retail chip with the hsf.

Have you considered the barton 2500+?

it's only about $20 dollars more i believe.. a little slower but twice the L2 cache...

 

[Bound_Vortex]

Originally posted by: Night201
Thanks for the info. I meant to point out that I do not plan on overclocking and therefore am just planning on getting the retail chip with the hsf.

I kind of got that feeling. I didn't know if you were aware that because of the demand for the 1700+ and 2100+ the chips that didn't pass stability tests at say 2400+, 2600+, or higher were just rebadged as 1700 or 2100. What the chip was initially intended for use when it was fabbed can be found on the chip. The 2100+ I currently use was originally tested to be a 2700+ and the 1700+ was to be a 2600+. If the chip fails at default voltage, it will be rebadged (to a 2100 or a 1700 as in my cases). Both of the cpu's I use do not have a core voltage above 1.6 volts, btw. So it's no really an overclock, just running the cpu at closer to what it was designed to be at (the 2100 is at 166x12 and that is what I will stop at with the 1700 as well).

Don't think I am downplaying or knocking the 2400+ retail, I just want you to have as much info as you will need.

Whichever way you decide to go, you will have a great setup, and you will wonder why you waited so long.