Name: splinters Date: January 6, 2007 at 04:55:56 Pacific Subject: XP to AM2...options? OS: XP Pro SP2 CPU/Ram: XP3000, 2gb DDR Dual Model/Manufacturer: Custom
Comment:
I am quite happy with the PC I have (XP3000+ with 2gb Dual PC3200 and Radeon 9800 Pro)but I recently won an XFX Geforce 7900GT card and rather than sell it I thought it would be a good time to upgrade my PC but I have been out of the technology loop for a while so I am not sure what it is all about. My local PC store will do me a AMD X2 3800+ Dual Core, Asus mobo, case, 80GB SATA drive and 1gb DDR2 667 for about £300. I have everything else I need. However, they also so an Intel E6300 for about the same.
Question is; will the upgrade above be worth the cost? I can change mobo and get a Athlon 64 3800+ for just over £100 and use my existing drives, memory etc but still use the card I won.
Sorry if this is such a general question but I have no idea where to start and don't want an off-the-shelf PC.
"I can change mobo and get a Athlon 64 3800+ for just over £100 and use my existing drives, memory etc but still use the card I won"
Not quite that simple. You won't be able to use your old RAM because new systems use DDR2, so figure at least another $200-225 (US) for 2GB of DDR2-800. And you'll need a different power supply because new boards use a 24-pin main ATX connector, plus SATA & PCI-E plugs, so figure another $75-100 for a PSU.
Actually I can..I was referring to the Athlon 64 3800+ which runs on a socket 939 mobo with DDR400-that was the cheap option I mentioned. The X2 3800+ is the AM2 and needs DDR2.
sorry, I thought the 3800+ you mentioned was the X2 3800+ & you were comparing the difference between the shop building it & you building it. You didn't say anything about S939.
Good spot but I cannot find any details about expandability on the Acer site. That model is not listed under support... I really need 2gb RAM eventually and a slot for my 6900GT as well as connecting my external drives.
Jam, sorry for confusion-I will build it either way but the cheap £100 option was just for new mobo and 939 3800+ while the £300 was for X2 3800 (dual core) new mobo, SATA drive and Ram.
Well, I just bought that Acer from Comet for £299. So what is the catch I wonder? I added the components up with a copy of Windows Media centre at my local PC shop and it came to just over £400. This was £100 less and no building to do. I can still put my Geforce 6900 GT in when it arrives. Problem is-I can't seem to find any real info on the inside of the PC. I can return it unopened within 21 days so I guess I have time to investigate.
"I can still put my Geforce 6900 GT in when it arrives"
It's a 7900GT. You can put it in, but there's no guarantee that the ACER PSU will be able to handle it...and it's very possible you'll void the warranty. Plus, if you're into overclocking, the ACER BIOS will probably be a crippled version that will prevent too much "user intervention".
Ok, opened the case up and it has a nice quiet LiteOn PSU at 300W (24Pin). Will this be enough to run the 7900GT? Bear in mind there is only one Sata drive, one Dvd and the CPU (plus 1Gb Ram and another gig I am going to add).
I have a Q-tec 400W dual fan (brand new) but it has 20 pins while the mobo has 24.
Question is; leave the Liteon in or replace it with the Q-tec? Or, of course, get a new PSU (more cost).
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