Author Topic: Alright you hardware smarties (Bloom & Skuzzy look here) (Read 2252 times)

SOB · « **on:** December 04, 2003, 12:17:11 AM »

I may be upgrading on the cheap soon and I've got questions! After a little research I've decided on the following:

-P4 2.4GHz (probably 800MHz FSB w/Hyperthreading)
Chip is non-negotiable, as it's being given to me
-Biostar P4VTB w/ Via PT800 chipset - $58.99
-256MB DDR400 PC3200 Muskin Basic Green memory - $46.00

I guess my most important question is...will all of that work together? From the two reviews I've read on it, the PT800 chipset is almost as good as the Intel equivalent. Any comments on that? Also, if the chip is actually a 400MHz or 533MHz FSB version would the same setup still work? Anything else I need to know? Thanks!

Roscoroo · « **Reply #1 on:** December 04, 2003, 02:15:50 AM »

that doesnt look like a bad set up at all ....

id think about alittle more ram .. along with spending time over in the pentium bbs reading up on that mainboard .. just to see if there alot of problems with it or not ... ( bad bios problems, combo problems, ect )
Dont go by what the sellers say .. go to the actuall owners

im not to familier with the biostar boards ... but i do know a few guys that have them .. and they dont seam to be complaining about them .

ole MrBlack should be along shortly with the pent bbs link ...

BB Gun · « **Reply #2 on:** December 04, 2003, 03:13:41 AM »

spend the extra 11 bucks and get this memory: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?description=20-144-111

or even better, get two. WinXP is much happier at 512.

dunno anything about biostar. Other than their IDEQ miniPCs roxxors according to the reviews.

an 800MHz capable board will support a 533 or 400 MHz chip. It'll just set the FSB to the appropriate speed, and away you go.

BB

mold · « **Reply #3 on:** December 04, 2003, 09:54:30 AM »

Yeah, I third the more mem suggestion. I would say get a gig. You will be happier. For example, here is a gig for $114:

http://buyaib.com/1gbpcddnound.html

This memory is cheap and maybe a teensy bit slower than the stuff mentioned above, but if you aren't building a bleeding edge speed demon it really doesn't matter.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #4 on:** December 04, 2003, 11:00:20 AM »

I wouldn't touch a VIA based motherboard with a 10 foot pole.

If that is a 2.4C P4 (assuming it is, and you want to go "on the cheap", then the ASUS P4PE-X is decent enough, or the ABit IS7-V.

Mini D · « **Reply #5 on:** December 04, 2003, 11:17:51 AM »

I believe the processor is 533 FSB... I can find out for sure tonight. I don't believe the processor is a 2.4C. My undrestanding is that is was made to test the functionality of Hyperthreading prior to the C release.

MiniD

Skuzzy · « **Reply #6 on:** December 04, 2003, 11:23:40 AM »

A 2.4B (533Mhz FSB) should work in those two motherboards.

SOB · « **Reply #7 on:** December 04, 2003, 01:18:06 PM »

Damnit Skuzzy, I finally talked myself into buying a NON Asus motherboard with a NON Intel chipset and now I'm thinking "heck, it's only $15 more". Is VIA really that bad? I've never had a motherboard with their chipset before.

I agree I need more memory. I'm skimping on that now because it will be easy enough to get more in the future...and I will!

Skuzzy · « **Reply #8 on:** December 04, 2003, 01:26:34 PM »

It's your money and nerves. No way I would have a VIA base motherboard.

This is just an example; Ever notice that people that complain about Creative sound cards use VIA based motherboards? It's not the sound card that is the problem.

That is one of many types of things that get masked in the form of other complaints when someone has a VIA base motherboard.

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #9 on:** December 04, 2003, 01:34:36 PM »

I may be one of the lucky few, but I have a SB Live! Value and an EPoX 8KTA3+ (KT133 chipset) and the card has always peformed well. The only sound problems I have are problems that the game has (hearing a ship cannon that sounds like its in your cockpit when its 3,000meters away in FB) or the sound of objects outside the cockpit when the engine is running (although these effects are done intentionally, I believe to piss me off

)

I also don't have any problems with overclocking (by using the FSB because my Athlon isn't unlocked)... but then again, it could just be a luck of the draw thing.

The system was giving me problems last year, but that was due to a poor power supply that had a low output. With 450w it runs fine.

Like I said though, I could of just gotten really lucky.
-SW

SOB · « **Reply #10 on:** December 04, 2003, 02:23:41 PM »

I know you're right Skuzzy...I was just hoping to get off cheap and someone to tell me I was making a good decision.

I guess my last 4 motherboards have been Asus for a reason. Plus, I'm making a friend a deal on my existing P3 1GHz setup, so if I go with the Asus (and i think i will now), my total upgrade cost is going to be $15.

mason22 · « **Reply #11 on:** December 04, 2003, 02:44:35 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Skuzzy
It's your money and nerves. No way I would have a VIA base motherboard.

This is just an example; Ever notice that people that complain about Creative sound cards use VIA based motherboards? It's not the sound card that is the problem.

That is one of many types of things that get masked in the form of other complaints when someone has a VIA base motherboard.

that's exactly what i'm thinking about my new ATI 9600 XT that i can't get working on my machine....yah the MB is a VIA chipset too

going to try one of our intel based "white boxes" here at work today i think.

bloom25 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2003, 10:39:29 PM »

I'd also recommend against a VIA chipset, there are better alternatives out there. As for the RAM, I think 512 MB is plenty for that system. 256 MB will be enough for now, but I'd recommend 512 MB. I think 1 GB is a waste of money from a bang/buck standpoint at this time.

If you are going to go with a P4, couple it with an Intel chipset. If that's an 800 MHz FSB part, the best value is probably the i865PE (Springdale) chipset, which is used on the Asus P4P800 line of boards. The high end 800 MHz fsb chipset is the i875 (Canterwood), which makes up the P4C800 line of Asus boards. Also still available are the "older" i845PE (533 MHz FSB) chipsets in the P4PE boards. I believe Asus allows the FSB to run at an overclocked 800 MHz effective rate on these boards now. Possibly a better, if still very new, choice would be a board using the i848P chipset, which officially supports an 800 MHz FSB. The only Asus board currently using this chipset that I know of is the P4P800S.

BB Gun · « **Reply #13 on:** December 06, 2003, 01:03:45 AM »

Anybody heard anything about the new SiS655FX boards?

http://www.techreport.com/reviews/2003q4/655fx-pt880/index.x?pg=1

BB

mold · « **Reply #14 on:** December 06, 2003, 07:51:28 AM »

Disagree on the 512 vs 1gig, bloom. It depends what you use it for, of course, but if you are doing any heavy-duty multitasking you will like the 1gig. My machine was considerably faster and less annoying with 1gig of RAM, than 512.