Basic upgrade advice

[dpryor5]

I assembled a computer around three years ago and the specs were pretty ordinary even back then:

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 1GHz FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939
Motherboard: ASUS A8N-E nVIDIA nFORCE4 Ultra Chipset Serial ATA150 ATX AMD
Graphics card: eVGA Geforce 6600GT 128MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16
HDD: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 160GB 7200 8MB ATA-133 EIDE OEM
Memory: CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel

I didn't really update any of the components until a few weeks ago when the computer stopped working. I tried a few simple things myself and suspected that the motherboard wasn't working properly. I took the computer in to a local computer shop and they confirmed that the motherboard was to blame. They're asking for around 150-160 bucks to purchase a replacement motherboard and to install it. I thought about it, but I've come to the conclusion that I might be better off just getting a new motherboard and a processor for the same price plus some.

I don't know much about the products on the market to be honest, but I'm guessing that even the worst probably function better than my current set up. But, I would like to get something decent and that will last me a few more years. I don't play too many games and the ones that I do play run fine with the 6600gt graphics card, so I'm not particularly worried about upgrading it.

I would appreciate any recommendations for decent but solid motherboards and processors that would total around 150-200 bucks. I know it's not much to work with, but I think it might be enough for my use.

Thanks.

 

[englandr753]

Actually, you can get an E7200 at Frys Electronics (I think in store only) and an (unfortunately ECS) brand motherboard for 99.99. You can get 2 gigs of ddr2 memory for 25.00 and also get a mediocre power supply for around 50.00.

Are you partial to staying with AMD or do you want to cross over to Intel? My suggestion is for Intel. There are other options that you can go with to stay in budget, easily.

Power Supply: (this is a great power supply)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

Memory:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145034


Are you reusing your windows XP operating system?

These prices are with rebates but if you can wait on getting part of your money back you can come out smelling like a rose...

 

[Proximon]

You will need to get MB, CPU, and RAM.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103289&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-19-103-289-_-Homepage

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135075

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124

That's under 200.

 

[englandr753]

I dont have a link to my cpu & mobo suggestion as it is in store only...

 

[englandr753]

My E7200 would be a faster cpu than the AMD 5400 but both are light years faster than your current setup so you will be happy either way...

Nice find on the RAM Proximon.

 

[Proximon]

Yep if you can get the E7200 it will last you longer. I just started with AMD tonight because that's what one normally does on a $200.00 budget.

 

[dpryor5]

Thanks for the recommendations and links. Englandr753, I'm fine with switching to Intel if it suits the need. There isn't a Frys store around these parts, unfortunately, and the lowest price I could find searching online for the E7200 was around 110 bucks. I'm not sure if that leaves much for a solid motherboard. I'm probably going to reuse Windows XP, so that shouldn't add to the cost.

Proximon, the AMD motherboard and the RAM you linked to look like good options, but I'm kind of worried about the ECS motherboard, because of the somewhat critical reviews of their products.

Again, thanks for the links. They're definitely a good base from which to start my search.

 

[JuiceJones]

1. Like the RAM Proximon pointed out, but another option is the Biostar P43 combo with it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124&SubCategory=147&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

And that almost leaves room for an E5200:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116072

With shipping puts you $203.99 before $20 rebate, $183.99 AR. I say the free boost to over 3Ghz easily with stock cooler is worth the little extra cash. Most powerful option if you already have a decent PSU.

2. If you need a PSU though, I've never seen the 500W Earthwatts at such an attractive price:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371007

45 bucks and free shipping. Then you just settle for this second or fourth combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16819103215&SubCategory=343&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

And the cheap RAM puts you at $194.48 shipped, $174.48 AR. Cheapest option if you need a PSU.

3. Or, if you need a PSU and don't mind waiting two months on $70 worth of rebates, then scrap through the couch cushions and take advantage of one of the sickest combo deals I've seen:

First combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024&SubCategory=7&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

coupled with this second combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCombos.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124&SubCategory=147&SortField=0&PageSize=10&page=1

And end up with the best of all worlds for $201.48 shipped after rebates and a free case to boot.

Heh, I get a little carried away with combos sometimes.

 

[dirtmountain]

All good ideas, but tough to argue with the E5200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116072
and the RAM mobo combo that Juicejones pointed out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138122
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124

sure hate passing by that case/PSU/CPU combo though
if you can squeeze in the E7200 it would be worthwhile.

 

[dpryor5]

Thanks for going through the trouble of finding those deals, JuiceJones. I actually bought a new PSU pretty recently (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182016) for 35 bucks, unfortunately, since I could have waited and gotten a better deal and product in that Antec PSU.

How does the E5200 compare to the AMD 5400+? They seem to be in the same price range.

 

[Proximon]

Gah why does everyone buy these crappy Rosewill PSUs?

 

[dpryor5]

I'm definitely regretting it, but I hope it works well for at least a year or two.

I've narrowed down my list of budget processor choices down to these:

1. Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - 119.99
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115052)
2. AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 125W Dual-Core Processor - 92.99
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103773)
3. Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - 84.49
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116072)
4. AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Brisbane 2.8GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core black edition Processor - 77.00
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103289)
5. AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Brisbane 2.7GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor - 66.00
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103210)

I'm probably looking more for the best cost/performance ratio rather than the best performing processor out of these. Like I said earlier, I think all of these are miles better than my current set up, so almost anything would be an upgrade. I'm hoping that if I can determine what processor to use first, it won't be too difficult finding a decent motherboard for it (and some RAM) within my budget. If there are any other processors that you think I've missed, please alert me to them. Thanks.

 

[Proximon]

While both the LGA 775 and AM2+ sockets are nearing the end of their run, I believe the Intel option will leave more room for future upgrades.

I think in your case you have to look at motherboards as well. A $90 MB, say a P43 chipset, would leave you with a whole lot of upgrade room... but of course you might have to sacrifice on the processor a bit for now.

 

[Proximon]

E5200 in combo with this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

120.00

P43 ASROCK:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157130

80.00 after shipping

Total= 200.00 before tax (if applicable)

That's one way to go.

 

[dpryor5]

I don't know the general consensus about ASROCK as a company, but that motherboard looks great at that price and the reviews, for whatever they're worth, look good as well.

The more I think about this, the more I feel I'm probably going to have to end up choosing in between the Intel E5200 and the AMD 5400+. How do you guys think those two compare? Is one markedly better than the other in terms of overall performance?

Also, is the performance increase in the Intel E7200 and the AMD 6000+ from the E5200 and the 5400+ worth the extra 20 or 30 bucks? Those two might make me go over the pretty frugal budget that I've set for myself, but honestly, I only upgrade my computer every two or three years and that too in small ways, so if the 7200 and 6000+ are significantly better, I might as well go with them in the long run.

 

[megamanx00]

You can go with option 5, but I would recommend you go with option 4 and overclock that 5400+ BE a little. Either way those options are fine if you don't use any particularly demanding desktop applications such as heavy image or video editing. As for games they will be limited by your 6600GT anyway so going with a faster CPU than your option 4 or 5 doesn't much justify the added expense.

 

[Proximon]

I owned an ASRock at one point and it was a fine board. Had both AGP and PCI-E on it, and was useful so that I didn't have to upgrade my video card right away.

It's not as good a bet as ASUS or Gigabyte, but I think it's fine for someone on a very limited budget.

 

[dpryor5]

I'm gradually whittling away my options and I think these four are the main ones right now:

1. Processor: Intel E5200
Motherboard: ASRock P43Twins1600 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157130)
RAM: G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
(Total: 196.44)

2. Processor: Intel E5200
Motherboard: BIOSTAR TForce TP43D2A7 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138122)
RAM: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
(Total: 195.97)

3. Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+
Motherboard: BIOSTAR TFORCE TA780G M2+ AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138105)
RAM: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
(Total: 188.48)

4. Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+
Motherboard: ECS A780GM-A AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813135075)
RAM: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
(Total: 183.72)

So, are these my best options under 200 bucks and are there any that you would change or take out?

Thanks.

 

[Proximon]

Given what you have, I would drop the ECS board as the least desirable.

While there are some benchmarks that the Athlon wins, most go to Intel... and you have better upgrade options with Intel.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

I think there was a deal on newegg with an antec case, earthwatts PSU and the AMD Athlon x2 5400+ black edition for like 129.00 or so. Not shabby if you need a case and PSU.

 

[dpryor5]

I bought a new PSU just before the deal was announced, unfortunately. Definitely regretting it.

I think I'm settled on the E5200 as the processor if it works better than the AMD 5400+ overall.

I'm unsure about what motherboard to use with it though. I have two options right now - the ASRock P43Twins1600 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157130)
or the BIOSTAR TForce TP43D2A7 LGA 775 Intel P43 ATX motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138122). I don't know which one's better or if there's another motherboard aside from these two that I should consider using. I would appreciate any recommendations on this matter. Thanks.

 

[dpryor5]

One more thing, I plan to continue using my old HDD - Maxtor DiamondMax 10 160GB 7200 8MB ATA-133 EIDE - and my old 6600gt graphics card. I probably should upgrade them soon, but I would like to make the change gradually. Will they work with the new motherboards?

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Well, I would not necessarily recommend it. It'll probably work, but if you have an IDE DVD drive, then on most new motherboards, you'd end up having the hard drive as a slave to the dvd drive, which is not the best idea for performance. If you are worried about that, maybe drop to the amd rig or a cheaper intel chip, and get a sata drive. Trust me, big difference for performance in my opinion.

 

[dpryor5]

If I can sell the Rosewill PSU I bought recently, should I go for the Antec case/PSU/5400+ deal even if the E5200 is better overall in performance? Is the deal that good?

Also, are these two RAM essentially the same in performance?

OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227124)

and

OCZ SLI-Ready 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
(http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227198)

Even though I have no use for SLI, the second card is around 8 bucks cheaper.

 

[dpryor5]

Hey, I'm almost ready to order, but I just wanted to get your final thoughts on the selections, so that I can, perhaps, make a few last minute changes.

I managed to sell the Rosewill PSU, so I've decided to take advantage of the Antec PSU/Case/CPU deal.

1. CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5400+ Brisbane 2.8GHz Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core black edition Processor (77.00)

2. Motherboard: ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard (79.99)
( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131324 )

3. RAM: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory (21.50)

4. CPU Cooler: Rosewill RCX-Z1 Long life ball bearing for over 45,000/hrs CPU Cooler (9.99)

5. Case/PSU: Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply (79.99)

6. DVD burner: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS120-04 (24.99)

After the rebates and other discounts (including the money from the Rosewill PSU), the total comes to around $210, which isn't too bad, I think.

I don't need the SATA DVD burner, but I decided to add it on because I have to use the IDE Hard drive. But, I wonder if it would be worth spending another 20 bucks to get a decent WD or Seagate 160 GB, 8 mb cache hard drive.

Any thoughts, guys?