Need your advice guys (and girls)

Ask yourself a few questions first:

If you sell it now (bearing in mind the loss you'd make from selling a second-hand PC), what would you replace it with? Does the performance difference between the two justify the net cost to yourself?

Why are you thinking about selling it in the first place (other than to raise cash, that is)? Is there a real need to improve performance, in which case would a selective component upgrade make more sense?

My own view is that you've got a fairly sensible PC that should be able to handle most things. Personally, I'd upgrade the video card to an ATi 9700 Pro, which would also give you AGP 8x when you finally upgrade your motherboard and CPU.

I know it's tempting to go for the latest and greatest, but you gotta be disciplined. Think hard and critically - there's few things as bad as buyer's remorse.

Wingding - proof of the need for genetic screening

The reason I sell it is because I need more CPU power when doing graphical stuff.
I mainly use 3D Studio and it would be delighted if I bought a faster processor.

I probably could get away with just buying a new processor (XP2400), but I´m uncertain if it
will run with my current mobo and if I have to buy a new mobo I could as well buy new faster
memory and so on...

I know I could probably get away with buying only a mobo, mem and processor but
if I sell my computer in a "whole" state I figure I can get more cash, and faster (I´m
too lazy to hustle with different buyers, selling my PC in pieces)

And lastly...I just feel like getting a new rig.
If I manage to sell it for say $700 I can add another $500 (if I stay on noodle diet for a month),
that makes it $1200...for that I should be able to buy a new and fresh rig if I skip the monitor
and wait with that till my next salary (looking at a 19" Samtron monitor for $200)

<font color=red>I need a sig</font color=red>

I've done that before, I mean selling the whole PC. It's easier to do if you've bought a branded PC, some buyers just won't touch a 'home-made' computer (that's why they go to PC World to get ripped off).

What you tend to forget is the extra cost of replacing your case, keyboard, PSU, floppy drive, and all the other small bits and pieces. They may be boring but the costs really add up. I'm assuming you have a good keyboard and mouse if you're doing 3D work.

Breaking it down:

1. The amount and speed of RAM you have is fine. Extra RAM won't substantially improve 3D rendering speeds anyway.
2. A faster CPU does make sense. I would tend towards the 2400+ because it uses the Thoroughbred B core. You might have to wait a while though.
3. Your graphics card sucks, and is due for an upgrade anyway.

I'm pretty sure your motherboard should support the 2400+ with a BIOS upgrade. I haven't checked the EPOX website but you could always send them an email if necessary (pose as a potential rather than an existing customer ).

Or, if you really have to, just sell your PC and get a new rig. But I wonder why you posted in the first place, seems like you know that it's not entirely the most sensible solution. Maybe I'm wrong.

Wingding - proof of the need for genetic screening

Yeah, that's easiest to do imo. I have this plan with this company though that I can trade in my older parts for a price discount on the new (however much the old is worth).

What if you had admin rights to life?

Would you be interested in an Intel D850MDL motherboard and four RIMMs of 64MB 45ns Samsung PC800?

<font color=red><i>Doctor Hooter</i></font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.page3.com/" target="_new"><b>(·Y·)</b></A>

Its the best way to go because it keeps you current.

Right now I'm posting from my Dell Inspiron 8100 notebook with a PIII 1.13 and its already a dinasour and its less than six months old.
But it is reliable because I bought the model at the end of its production cycle so I know all the major bugs are worked out of it.


<font color=red><i>Doctor Hooter</i></font color=red> <A HREF="http://www.page3.com/" target="_new"><b>(·Y·)</b></A>

Yeah I know, when you stand in the queu (hate that word, spelling?) in the shop it can be an "emotional" struggle as wel not to buy tons of chips and candy that they have strategically positioned just where the queu lines are.

You just stand there for like 10 minutes waiting to pay for your stuff and get home when you feel the munchies coming, naturally you grab a Snickers or two, would not happen
if they put the candy in a corner...bastards.

<font color=red>I need a sig</font color=red>

Sell it for $900. Use your skillz

<b>Agent <font color=green>81</b></font color=green>