AGP x850pro died, time for new system. Advice?

autoboy · Post by **autoboy** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 10:27 am

My AGP x850 pro that I unlocked to a x850xt died today. It will no longer output anything to the monitor. I'm kinda glad it died because it was holding my system back. It was fast enough for any game I played so I really couldn't justify an upgrade, and because it was AGP, I couldn't buy a new motherboard and cpu without upgrading it.

My system that died is as follows:
A64 3400+ @2.4Ghz S754
MSI nforce3 motherboard
4GB ddr400 memory
WD 74GB raptor
AGP x850pro w/ VF700
Arctic Cooling Alpine64
Cooler Master Centurian 5
DVD ROM
Seasonic Super Tornado 430
Windows XP

I would like to reuse anything I can to keep costs down. Power supply, Harddrive, DVD rom, Windows, VF700, Alpine64 (so cheap it doesn't matter), RAM if at all possible. I think I want a new case. I was thinking Solo.

This is my gaming rig and is only turned on when I am playing games. I would like it to be quiet but it does not need to be silent. it does not need to be low power like the rest of my rigs. I haven't built a high performance rig in awhile (this computer was my very first SPCR inspired computer and was still going strong up until the day it died).

Any suggestions? I prefer AMD (yes I'm a fanboy) but I am willing to consider Intel especially if I can reuse the ram. I don't plan on overclocking much if at all (how can you not overclock an e4300? It is so easy

). I can live with a slower processor for now until the new AM2+ cpus are released. I would like a DX10 graphics card less than $300 and the ability to run physics if the need arises in the future.

ryboto · Post by **ryboto** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:12 am

If I were you, I would look into a low cost AM2 system around an X2 3600. They're selling for less than $70. Unfortunately, your ram wouldn't be reusable, but DDR2 prices aren't that bad right now. As for graphics, it's a toss up. You can get an x1950pro for ~$165, and it can be cooled passively. Does windows XP actually see all 4gb of your ram? You could still make some money off of 4gb of ddr, and put that towards some of the newer parts.

edit: i forgot to mention, the x2 3600 seems fairly overclockable, and AM2 boards are going to work with AM2+ processors, so if you feel the need, you can upgrade.

autoboy · Post by **autoboy** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:18 am

I got the 4GB because my ram died. I bought new ram and sent the old stuff in for RMA. It took a couple months before I got the RMA ram back. I have other systems the ram can go in so it is no big deal if I have to get another 2GB.

I want a DX10 card. The AMD and Nvidia mid range cards should be coming out soon. Mid april i believe.

There are no real advantages to waiting for a AM2+ board for desktop use is there? I can wait a bit but not forever. None of my other computers have discrete video cards

Intel is also another option. An e4300 at 3Ghz is hard to beat.

ryboto · Post by **ryboto** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 11:44 am

autoboy wrote:
I want a DX10 card. The AMD and Nvidia mid range cards should be coming out soon. Mid april i believe.

There are no real advantages to waiting for a AM2+ board for desktop use is there? I can wait a bit but not forever. None of my other computers have discrete video cards

Intel is also another option. An e4300 at 3Ghz is hard to beat.

I assumed this would be an immediate upgrade, if not, waiting for DX10 cards could be beneficial, considering the mid-range Ati's are suppoedly made on a 65nm process. The only advantage to AM2+ is the HT 3.0, or that's what I thought. It's highly unlikely that you'll need that much bandwitdh, it'll show it's worth with servers, or so I've read.

As for the E4300, it is a nice chip, considering the avg. overclock. Then again, it's more than twice the price of an X2 3600 after the recent price drops. I can't speak on the cost of an intel compatible motherboard. An overclocked 3600 isn't going to beat an overclocked e4300, but it's no slouch either. Buying intel basically garauntees the highest performance, but buying AMD will give you a semi-future proof platform. If your system weren't dead, I'd say wait, as a lot of new tech is right around the corner.

autoboy · Post by **autoboy** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:02 pm

Ok, doing some research, saving the DDR is out of the question. A 3600+ is only $65. I spend more on dinner than that! I think the 3600+ should be able to keep me going until the new AMD cpus come out. When I am done, I have an A64 3200+ AM2 HTPC that can use it.

Any recomendations on motherboard? I was looking at the AMD580x (3200 crossfire) from ASUS. Most people use nvidia motherboards but I'm not a big fan because they are hot. I was also leaning towards the AMD video cards even though I don't know what their performance will be. I like the idea of physics on a 2nd video card. I wonder if physics support will be supported by mismatch chipsets. I'm getting tired of this matching marketing crap. There is no reason we should be limited to boards and AMD should be the one to stop the practice because nobody buys their boards anyways.

ryboto · Post by **ryboto** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 12:32 pm

autoboy wrote: I was looking at the AMD580x (3200 crossfire) from ASUS. Most people use nvidia motherboards but I'm not a big fan because they are hot.

This is exactly why I went with the same chipset, it's basically a RD580 board, which is the same chipset my AT8 uses. I have it passively cooled at the moment. Not many amd chipset based boards are available right now, but AMD is readying the RD790 chipset, hopefully they'll make a bigger dent in the market with it.

autoboy · Post by **autoboy** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:24 pm

Ok, nevermind. I got the old one working. Dang, I kinda wish it was dead.

Well, now I can wait till the new stuff comes out. RD790, DX10, and Barcelona. It is time to upgrade finally.

bonestonne · Post by **bonestonne** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 6:30 pm

ok, today i built my friends system, and upon checking it with speedfan, i've come to a problem.

The PSU isn't as powerful as i would have hoped it would be. every voltage rail seems to be running with less juice than it should. its a mATX system, however i do believe it had a full sized PSU in it, i can double check that later.

i'm unaware of the power output of the PSU, but here are the stats of the rig:

C2D E6600 - 2.4Ghz <-never to be overclocked
LG DVD+/-RW drive
2GB Corsair RAM [unsure of the timings]
abit motherboard [can't remember the model]

i can get better stats at a later date, but i think the E6600 would be a good indicator of needing juice. i have no power supplies to give him, so i told him not to stress the system at all, meaning no memory intensive programs due to the instability of the PSU. the system runs fine, and runs his Creative Labs soundcard [which is very high quality] without a problem, however i don't want a problem to appear, and i want to reccomend a PSU that will definately help the system.

its greatly appreciated, from me for building it, and from him because its his computer.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 7:17 pm

autoboy wrote:Ok, doing some research, saving the DDR is out of the question. A 3600+ is only $65. I spend more on dinner than that! I think the 3600+ should be able to keep me going until the new AMD cpus come out. When I am done, I have an A64 3200+ AM2 HTPC that can use it.

Any recomendations on motherboard? I was looking at the AMD580x (3200 crossfire) from ASUS. Most people use nvidia motherboards but I'm not a big fan because they are hot. I was also leaning towards the AMD video cards even though I don't know what their performance will be. I like the idea of physics on a 2nd video card. I wonder if physics support will be supported by mismatch chipsets. I'm getting tired of this matching marketing crap. There is no reason we should be limited to boards and AMD should be the one to stop the practice because nobody buys their boards anyways.

There is no need to waste that ddr memory.... you can get an Asrock board that supports that + new chip

They make that stuff for that. 4 gigs is a sick amount to play with for 2007-2008.

Also, if you buy new, AND game, dont consider 1.9ghz brisbane. It is for cheap systems and micro-atx builders who do multimedia/tv stuff.

youll want to go Intel core 2 duo, like the cheapest version is fine. Or, go like 2.4ghz+ for an amd system on am2.

below 2.4ghz is a bottleneck for modern games that you shouldnt be tempted to go to. I hAve 2.2 939 4200+ chip. it runs fine but would be nice if i could get a opteron 185 in here for 2.6ghz 1meg cache sickness.

TheAtomicKid · Post by **TheAtomicKid** » Mon Apr 09, 2007 11:49 pm

Will $77.99 plus the cost of your new video card sway you?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813123257

Been pondering this little jewel myself, but can't really excuse it, as I'd also need chip, memory, etc, to set it up as a second system. But dang it's got 'neat' factor all over it

Kinda low powered compared to modern systems, but you can EASILY swap the northbridge sink out for a passive units because of it's location.. there's no toggle card to fool with (permawired to 8x8 operation), other than that, it's got all the normal bells and whistles.

It'd hold you over for a while longer, and when you finally made the jump to a 'modern' system, you could take everything except the motherboard/cpu/ram with you.

Atomic

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:03 pm

Truthfully, if you could get 2 gigs of memory to do like 2 3 2 timings with 1T (which is easier on a 754 I found), you could blow away most "gaming" rigs if you use SLI. SLI is where the power is. 10-15% more frames from a faster proc, of course, but max frames is all you need not more.

you could get a 90nm 754 2.2ghz chip with 512KB on it and oc it up to like 2.6ghz easily making this a very fast, and cheap, and low wattage (besides the sli's) gaming rig.

oddball thing though.

Post by **NeilBlanchard** » Tue Apr 10, 2007 6:09 pm

Hello,

I've used that SLi Socket 754 motherboard -- not bad really. Ya gotta' replace that silly little (noisy) northbridge HSF -- the "fins" on it are pitiful little bumps...

I don't care how fast the tiny little fan spins, it can't move very much air or much heat! Any old passive HS would be easily better.

autoboy · Post by **autoboy** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:24 pm

Well, now that I said my video card works again this thread is kinda dead, but since people keep posting on it i'll chime in.

I have been stretching this 754 system along for so long that I can't possibly justify spending more money on the 754 system for PCI-e. Yeah, I love my 754 systems, I have three, but they are on their way out.

I would buy the 3600+x2 so I could later use it in my HTPC and upgrade as soon as the K8L processors came out. Yes, it would be slower in games than my 2.4ghz 754 machine, but it is fast enough for me for now. Now that my video card is working again this is kinda a moot point.

As for the 4GB of memory, I can use that in all my other systems. Older systems always need a little extra memory.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Thu Apr 12, 2007 10:26 pm

it should be remembered/noted that in a game, dual channel memory only had a 3-6% difference over single channel.

the rest is the speed of the chip and now, with new blockbuster sorts of games, an extra core being there.

still, the best way to get 50% more frames is a next generation video card. the cpu never does half as much as a new vid card. hence, sli on 754 could be killer.

just a bit not worth it in many regards.