new system critique

hashv2f16

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Dec 23, 2005
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Alright, I have another person who wants a new bottom-of-the-line system. A secondary computer with "just the bare minimums to get onto XP". They said they don't want to spend like $520 on a new computer because they might as well just buy a new one.

This is pretty much my finalized line-up, and I'm just looking for any suggestion or recommendations please.

Asustek K8N Socket 754
AMD SEMPRON 2800+ 1.6GHz 64BIT
Legend DDR 512MB PC3200
Seagate BARRACUDA 7200.9 80GB
Samsung SH-W162C (DVD-RW)
PowerColor R96L-LC3 (ATI Radeon 9550SE 128MB AGP)
Antec SmartPower 400W

cheers
 

hashv2f16

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Forgot to add what they are planning to use it for... :oops:!

So, a 2nd computer for doing work on whenever their other computer is tied up, and their son wants to play his games on it. But being only 8 years old i dont imagine he'll be into FEAR or anything so is this card alright?
 
Assuming this system will not be used for gaming, you could save the cost of the 9550 board by simply getting a mobo with integrated video...

I'd also opt instead for the Sempron 3000 or 3100, which are only like $10 more...

(I built a socket 754 Sempron 3000+ rig on a Via /ECS K8M800-M2 mainboard for my daughter, and it is a nice running system; onboard sound/video/raid controller, although only has one 10/100 base T ethernet port....)
 

hashv2f16

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well, he's doing a little low end gaming for now. how does onboard VIA K8M800 (on an Asus K8V-MX) compare roughly to a 9200SE 128MB?

at the moment deciding to blow the rest of the budget on getting a s754 athlon 64 2800+, because i really hate budget chips!!!
 
"how does onboard VIA K8M800 (on an Asus K8V-MX) compare roughly to a 9200SE 128MB? "

the K8M800 is playable with Q3, UT2k4, Medal of Honor, and first COD at modest resolutions, but I'd not attempt any FEAR of BF2 on it!
 

WOWchamp

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Almost any hardware graphics card could do better then intergrated.

This 9200 will run COD2 at 1024x768 (of course no eye candy).

If hes going to game at all... look for something higher up in the AGP mark. The older cards (9800 ect) should be getting really cheap when you can find em.
 

hashv2f16

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this project has turned out to be a complete upgrade into existing case, as about two years or so ago the guts of this computer were ripped out and everything was put into a new case. So i am keeping the current case.