04-30-2003, 07:01 PM
so I've been researching boards and CPU's, comparing prices and performance - I was leaning towards Intel first, then I went heavily towards AMD - specifically, the A7N8X board with an XP2700 CPU, but I've been reading at Anandtech and motherboards.org that this board seemingly needs a lot of BIOS tweaking, espcially with CPU type and speed reporting, as well as FSB speed settings - and while I think I'm fairly technically adept, I really don't wanna have to fuck around with BIOS settings (which is the only major complaint/issue that the people who had it gave). If it means I need to spend a few more $$ to avoid that, so be it.
No now I move back to Intel, but I see their boards are primarilly AGP4x - and while most (if any) applications/games don't make use of this now, it's definitely something that will become necessary by this year's end, if not next - and I don't plan on upgrading the new mobo in a year's time to play Doom3. In any event, I got turned onto Intel's newest board based off the 875 chipset - AGP 8X, USB 2, 800Mhz/533Mhz FSB. All the reviews I read put this board at the top of the heap among Intel's other boards as well as all AMD boards.
Here's where I think I stand :
mobo - Intel D875PBZ (Canterwood) - $180.00
CPU - Intel P4 2.53 Ghz 533 FSB retail w/heatsink and fan - $189.50 or Intel P4 2.66Mhz 533 FSB retail w/heatsink and fan - $218.00
CPU Fan - Thermaltake A1545 P4 Spark 7 - $30.00
RAM - Crucial 2 DIMMs 512MB PC2700 - $149.98
HDD - Either a Maxtor or a Seagate 120 gig drive (unless there's a better brand to get) - $120.00 (estimated)
DVD Drive - either the Lite on 163 16x Drive or the Pioneer 16x DVD drive - $50.00 (estimate)
CDRW Drive - Either the Plextor 48x24x48 or the comparable TDK drive (probably the Plextor though) - $65.00 (estimated)
Sound Card - Soundblaster Audigy Gamer, maybe the Audigy2 card assuming the installation issues have been addressed. I've got the Audigy card in my machine now and it works perfectly - $50.00
Video Card - Most likely the GeForce4 Ti4200 - I'm still not sold on ATI cards, and this card would be a huge step-up from my GF3Ti500. Once the ATI's have been around for a while and enugh people rave about them, I might get one - $150.00 (estimated)
Case - I'm not sure, something from Antec probably, with a 460 watt power supply (at least) - or a PC Show case, but they're usually all flash and really not the best made cases - $120.00 (estimate).
So, I'm looking at around $1,100.00 - I can probably get the board and CPU cheaper at a PC show, as well as the HDD and Vid card - worst case I wait until mid to late summer for the prices on both to come down. The sound card and cd/cdrw drive prices are pretty much on target. I also like that the mobo will do 800Mhz as well as 533 because chances are a year from now the 800Mhz cpu's will be in the price range (if not lower) than the current 533's are - making a CPU upgrade for me easy as Hell to do.
Any thoughts?
No now I move back to Intel, but I see their boards are primarilly AGP4x - and while most (if any) applications/games don't make use of this now, it's definitely something that will become necessary by this year's end, if not next - and I don't plan on upgrading the new mobo in a year's time to play Doom3. In any event, I got turned onto Intel's newest board based off the 875 chipset - AGP 8X, USB 2, 800Mhz/533Mhz FSB. All the reviews I read put this board at the top of the heap among Intel's other boards as well as all AMD boards.
Here's where I think I stand :
mobo - Intel D875PBZ (Canterwood) - $180.00
CPU - Intel P4 2.53 Ghz 533 FSB retail w/heatsink and fan - $189.50 or Intel P4 2.66Mhz 533 FSB retail w/heatsink and fan - $218.00
CPU Fan - Thermaltake A1545 P4 Spark 7 - $30.00
RAM - Crucial 2 DIMMs 512MB PC2700 - $149.98
HDD - Either a Maxtor or a Seagate 120 gig drive (unless there's a better brand to get) - $120.00 (estimated)
DVD Drive - either the Lite on 163 16x Drive or the Pioneer 16x DVD drive - $50.00 (estimate)
CDRW Drive - Either the Plextor 48x24x48 or the comparable TDK drive (probably the Plextor though) - $65.00 (estimated)
Sound Card - Soundblaster Audigy Gamer, maybe the Audigy2 card assuming the installation issues have been addressed. I've got the Audigy card in my machine now and it works perfectly - $50.00
Video Card - Most likely the GeForce4 Ti4200 - I'm still not sold on ATI cards, and this card would be a huge step-up from my GF3Ti500. Once the ATI's have been around for a while and enugh people rave about them, I might get one - $150.00 (estimated)
Case - I'm not sure, something from Antec probably, with a 460 watt power supply (at least) - or a PC Show case, but they're usually all flash and really not the best made cases - $120.00 (estimate).
So, I'm looking at around $1,100.00 - I can probably get the board and CPU cheaper at a PC show, as well as the HDD and Vid card - worst case I wait until mid to late summer for the prices on both to come down. The sound card and cd/cdrw drive prices are pretty much on target. I also like that the mobo will do 800Mhz as well as 533 because chances are a year from now the 800Mhz cpu's will be in the price range (if not lower) than the current 533's are - making a CPU upgrade for me easy as Hell to do.
Any thoughts?