I want to move some of the components over to a new case and motherboard
Ill be moving the following specs across
Pentium IV 550 3.40 CPU LGA775 Socket
SATA Harddrive
IDE DVD Drive
Nvidia 6610 PCI Express
PCI TV Tuner
so Ill need to buy a new case, new mobo (which accepts both SATA and IDE) and new memory (DDR2). Sound should be built in and no need for on-board graphics
Im looking for future proofing as well so will need a mobo that will accept the above but also accept the newest
CPU's and graphics card when I have money to buy these.
I think the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L Motherboard fits the bill nicely here. It offers support for your current processor as well as all the current and future intel socket 775 processors. It also supports IDE and SATA drives (no more than 2 IDE devices though).
Memory: Will you be overclocking your CPU when you upgrade it? If so, Corsair and Crucial high performance modules are recommended. If overclocking is not your bag, then value models from any of the major vendors (GEIL, G.Skill, Mushkin, OCZ, Corsair, and Crucial to name a few) will be fine. I recommend DDR2 800 (PC2-6400) as a minimum.
Case: Depends on how much you want to spend. Coolermaster Centurian 5 series for mid-rage pricing, and Antec Nine Hundred or P180/2 or Thermaltake Armor series for mid-high to high-end.
Message edited by mtyermom on 02-29-2008 at 01:31:04 AM
Well, I wouldn't say you'd exactly be able to future-proof anything. In just a year, even the 45nm boards will be outdated and the x38 will be a relic. That gigabyte mobo is a kick-ass board, though.
thanks for replies. I also have an Arctic Cooler Freezer fan (non-pro) that I use with the Pentium IV - can I also transfer this over to this motherboard?
Ive seen this other motherboard that has hybrid DDR2 and DDR3 (ASUS P5KC)- is this worth bothering with from a future proof point of view. Ill buy DDR2 because its cheap but If I decide to upgrade to the latest processor at a later date will it require DDR3 as well or could DDR2 still be used?
The case would need to have its own PSU - whats the minimum W that is
required ?
get a case with a removable motherboard tray.
why pay for 2 memory controlers? and unused slots just suck up availiable board realestate. you can use both types at once
you may want to consider a uATX board and case. I have an Ultra microfly that I think is pretty good and has lots more crammed into it than you looking to do.
your power requirements should be fairly low. what was the watt rating on your old PSU? I would suggest 400 or what ever you had before as a minimum. massivly oversized PSU can hurt energy efficiency as the PSU is working below its sweetspot
I've messed with computers with removable trays and without.
Its not a huge thing, but it makes things easier.
to me, its worth finding a decent case with a removable tray. maybe your fingers are more nimble than mine (very probable) and its not a must have for you. I'd be kicking myself pretty hard if I ended up trashing a MoBo or CPU because I was working inside a case instead of on a nice open tray.
There are so many options out there, I'd keep looking till I found a case that had all of what I wanted.
as it looks like you not a performance nut, a good with the case PSU is a good thing. the cables should all be the right length and its one less thing to buy.
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX All Solid Capacitor Intel Antec Sonata III Piano Black Quiet Case - Earthwatts 500W PSU
OCZ 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-6400C4 Dual Channel Platinum Revision 2 XTC Series DDR2 (OCZ2P800R22GK)
Does this look good ?
Looks great. As groo said, removable mb trays are nice, but not a dealbreaker, IMO. The Antec Sonata III is a great case nonetheless.
Great motherboard choice.
Memory: 4GB is nice, but you're not going to take FULL advantage of it unless you're going to be using a 64-bit OS. You can always start with 2GB and add 2GB later. This saves a few bucks on the initial buildout. The particular brand/model you have chosen are high quality.
to me, its worth finding a decent case with a removable tray. maybe your fingers are more nimble than mine (very probable) and its not a must have for you. I'd be kicking myself pretty hard if I ended up trashing a MoBo or CPU because I was working inside a case instead of on a nice open tray.
You should be initially installing the CPU & HSF with the motherboard outside of the case regardless. The removable tray really only comes into play here if you are upgrading the CPU/HSF later after you have already built the system. But, you are right, the removable tray will make things a bit easier down the road if you do any major work on the system.
Message edited by mtyermom on 02-29-2008 at 06:42:09 PM
Thanks for all the advice given. Ive ordered and the parts will arrive tomorow!
I don't need 4GB or anything really fancy. just wanted to prioritise getting a good working PC at mimumum cost but also with potential to upgrade when I've got more money.
I've read of some cases of the HSF flexing the mobo enough to cause problems if installed before the mobo is screwed down.
if your getting a rebate on the OCZ memory, print out the form now, because OCZ and Newegg like to hide them by the time your ready to fill em out. also, OCZ like to sit on rebates for quite some time bafore paying up. 3 months for the last one
