PC Upgrade Questions

Computer Hardware
#1

Hello Everyone!

                      I am new to CDCLub Freaks. I have a few upgrade questions. I hope someone can help. I built my system on my own. Now I want to uppgrade it again. I will list what I have now. I am more concern about the motherboard and ram. I was told the info for the motherboard is no longer available. so this is what I have as of now:

MotherBoard: Pc Chips M848 Rev. 2 ( I know cheap board, was i could get
at the time.)

Processor: Amd Athlon XP 3200+

Video Card: Radeon 9250

Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy

Memory: 1535 MB. (PC-3200)

My other question is can this motherboard be upgraded? or the ram? please let me know. thank you all in advance for your help.

#2
  1. What is the intended use(s) of the computer ?
  2. The system is aged and some would say to retire it.
  3. The mobo is weak
  4. The graphics card is weak.
  5. The processor was one of the best in its day and I still have 3 in service.
  6. The memory is OK for XP

You could look for a used nForce2 400 (chipset) motherboard and a used AGP graphics card to rehab the old boy.
It wouldn’t be worth pumping much money into this, so look for fire sale prices on the above.
I once found an ABIT NF7-S v2.0 at a garage sale for $2.00
This was one of, if not the best soacket A boards ever produced.

If you go this route, if possible post back with your findings before you buy.
All of the best components (and the turds) of this era are well known.

#3

[QUOTE=jflan;2222555]1. What is the intended use(s) of the computer ?
2. The system is aged and some would say to retire it.
3. The mobo is weak
4. The graphics card is weak.
5. The processor was one of the best in its day and I still have 3 in service.
6. The memory is OK for XP

You could look for a used nForce2 400 (chipset) motherboard and a used AGP graphics card to rehab the old boy.
It wouldn’t be worth pumping much money into this, so look for fire sale prices on the above.
I once found an ABIT NF7-S v2.0 at a garage sale for $2.00
This was one of, if not the best soacket A boards ever produced.

If you go this route, if possible post back with your findings before you buy.
All of the best components (and the turds) of this era are well known.[/QUOTE]

the intended purpose for this system is just for fun (not gaming), accessing the internet. this was a barebones system, i built it myself. my graphics card and sound card are new. this system is not used often just once in a while. I am not looking for top of the line upgrades, just decent, lol. I want to get more ram, but if I have to i change the whole motherboard out. I even like the tower i have. I have another computer but it is a laptop and I use it for gaming. I hope answers all of your questions. thank again for your help.

ps. I run Windows Vista Home Premium on this system. runs great!

#4

[QUOTE=LovedBySLUGO;2222445]MotherBoard: Pc Chips[/QUOTE]

When I read that part, I cringed. Those are typically absolutely horrid. Even if it would make economic sense to upgrade a motherboard of that age, motherboards from that brand are usually of dreadful quality and have major HW compatibility issues!

If you want to upgrade, you really ought to replace the motherboard. While the CPU is pretty good for its age, if you’re looking for a cheap system, an AMD 780G has pretty decent integrated graphics and low end AMD CPUs are now ludicrously cheap. DDR2 is currently the cheapest memory type - you might actually be able to sell your current memory on ebay for more than what the equivalent amount of DDR2 memory would cost you :slight_smile: If you want a system that will remain upgradeable for many years, it might instead be a good idea to wait until DDR3 memory + boards fall in price a bit more since in a few years DDR2 will be in the same situation as DDR is now - an obsolete technology that costs many times more than the current one.
You have a nice soundcard, and you should probably be able to reuse any optical drives and hard discs on a new system - keep in mind though that most current motherboards only have on IDE (AKA ATA AKA PATA) channel meaning that one ATA device works well and two will work but with major performance problems. The case ought to work with a new motherboard (keeping in mind that if it is small you might only be able to fit micro ATX boards - but they’re cheaper anyway) but you almost certainly need a new power supply.

#5

[QUOTE=LovedBySLUGO;2222558]the intended purpose for this system is just for fun (not gaming), accessing the internet. this was a barebones system, i built it myself. my graphics card and sound card are new. this system is not used often just once in a while. I am not looking for top of the line upgrades, just decent, lol. I want to get more ram, but if I have to i change the whole motherboard out. I even like the tower i have. I have another computer but it is a laptop and I use it for gaming. I hope answers all of your questions. thank again for your help.

ps. I run Windows Vista Home Premium on this system. runs great![/QUOTE]
OK, I say again, if you can find an inexpensive, nForce2 Ultra 400 motherboard you will have a better system. This chipset will be able to address 3GB memory.

History lesson:
The advent of nForce2 Ulta 400 chipset brought the Athlon Barton core to full flower and put much pressure on Intel to respond :slight_smile:

#6

For what he uses the PC for, he has more than enough memory. The only upgrade I could see happening that would be worthy of some performance gains would be to install a new HDD. Anything else would be a waste.

LovedBySLUGO, your willing to buy a new/used MB for your system, if you spend just a few dollars more you can get a modern MB+CPU+RAM for around $130.

GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor
G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800

Selling your old cpu+MB on ebay as a combo, then selling the ram in another auction, in the end you probably will only be spending 50-60 bucks on a pretty new system.

#7

Thank you Eric I thought my system was pretty good considering, lol. I still looking at motherboards and ram though. any suggestions on mother board without paying an arm and a leg and few fingers? lol.

#8

[QUOTE=eric93se;2222891]For what he uses the PC for, he has more than enough memory. The only upgrade I could see happening that would be worthy of some performance gains would be to install a new HDD. Anything else would be a waste.

LovedBySLUGO, your willing to buy a new/used MB for your system, if you spend just a few dollars more you can get a modern MB+CPU+RAM for around $130.

GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 AM2+/AM2 AMD 740G Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor
G.SKILL 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800

Selling your old cpu+MB on ebay as a combo, then selling the ram in another auction, in the end you probably will only be spending 50-60 bucks on a pretty new system.[/QUOTE]
These are good ideas. I have two comments to add.

  1. To save the existing Barton machine, a mobo of the aforementioned lineage, along with 2GB of memory would be nice for [B]Vista[/B] duty. With a 2GB kit, the machine could stay in dual-channel.

  2. I would sell the CPU and motherboard separately. Anyone looking for a 3200 Barton core will not want a PC Chips mobo :disagree:

#9

I would agree, the pc-chips MB would be kind of considered as a ‘free bonus’ to the buyer. But some people do want a super cheap MB to do some simple server functions.

#10

[QUOTE=LovedBySLUGO;2223097]Thank you Eric I thought my system was pretty good considering, lol. I still looking at motherboards and ram though. any suggestions on mother board without paying an arm and a leg and few fingers? lol.[/QUOTE]

But seriously, people want your old junk, just as you right now want to buy someone elses old junk. Sell your junk and buy some good stuff.

#11

[QUOTE=LovedBySLUGO;2222445]Hello Everyone!

                      I am new to CDCLub Freaks. I have a few upgrade questions. I hope someone can help. I built my system on my own. Now I want to uppgrade it again. I will list what I have now. I am more concern about the motherboard and ram. I was told the info for the motherboard is no longer available. so this is what I have as of now:

MotherBoard: Pc Chips M848 Rev. 2 ( I know cheap board, was i could get
at the time.)

Processor: Amd Athlon XP 3200+

Video Card: Radeon 9250

Sound Card: Sound Blaster Audigy

Memory: 1535 MB. (PC-3200)

My other question is can this motherboard be upgraded? or the ram? please let me know. thank you all in advance for your help.[/QUOTE]

I forgot to mention that the power supply that is in this system is 500 watts.

#12

Changing your MB will not make your PC faster. You have more than enough ram for your casual use. The only upgrade for such an old system would be the HDD IMO.

#13

ok so If i wanted to be able to play a game such as Tomb Raider: Legend or Tomb Raider: Underworld, what would I need to change?I do want to upgrade my hard drive, and ram. but with games such as the 2 I listed require a faster processor and they specify certian video cards. Please know I am not a serious game player, but I like to play once in a while. I guess I should have mentioned that before hand. sorry. but thank you all for your advice and input on this. even though I dont really consider my system to be old per say ( Of course I can say this cuz I built it!! LOL!)

#14

Honestly if you want to play some games with that system, it will only dissapoint you. It is too old for any modern games, only the lightest of games is it capable of handling. For just $200 you could get CPU+MB+RAM+video card, and sell your old stuff for 50-60 bucks. I would save up for that, the old AGP cards are not performance based anymore, they aren’t making any good ones that are worth spending a penny on either.

A new HDD is all I could say to go with. Use the software from the manufacturer that you buy it from, its free and allows you to make a perfect copy of your old HDD and allow you to boot from it. Doing a fresh install is always better but not everyone has the OS installation cd’s that are needed.

#15

[QUOTE=LovedBySLUGO;2224292]ok so If i wanted to be able to play a game such as Tomb Raider: Legend or Tomb Raider: Underworld, what would I need to change?I do want to upgrade my hard drive, and ram. but with games such as the 2 I listed require a faster processor and they specify certian video cards. Please know I am not a serious game player, but I like to play once in a while. I guess I should have mentioned that before hand. sorry. but thank you all for your advice and input on this. even though I dont really consider my system to be old per say ( Of course I can say this cuz I built it!! LOL!)[/QUOTE]
http://www.vgrequirements.info/?p=7641
Even with the best AGP card you can’t meet the recommended standard, plus you would have to throw another hundred bucks+ at it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102730

Probably better to keep it for a basic-duty machine.

#16

After some searchin on the internet this is what I am hoping to get:

XFX GeForce 8200 Motherboard CPU Bundle - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5800+ Processor 3.0GHz OEM

Specifications

Form Factor: microATX

Processor Speed: X2 5800+ / 3.00GHz

Processor Interface: Socket AM2

Processor Interface: Socket AM2 / AM2+

Processors Supported: AMD Athlon 64
AMD Athlon 64 FX
AMD Sempron
AMD Athlon X2, AMD Phenom FX, AMD Phenom

Processor Class: Athlon 64 X2

Processor Core: Brisbane

Additional Technologies: HDCP Compliant, HyperTransport 3.0 Technology, Hybrid SLI Support, GeForce Boost

Front Side Bus: 1000MHz (2000 MT/s)
2600MHz (5200 MT/s)

Cache Size: 2 x 512KB L2

Bus Speed: 1000MHz (2000 MT/s)

Additional Technologies: MMX
Dual-Core
SSE
SSE2
SSE3
Enhanced 3DNow!
NX bit
AMD64
Cool’n’Quiet
AMD Virtualization

Architecture: 65 nm

Wattage: 89W

Fan: Not Included

Northbridge: NVIDIA GeForce 8200

Number of Slots: 4

Number of Pins: 240-Pin

Maximum Memory Supported: 8GB - 64bit

Memory Supported: 600MHz DDR2
Dual Channel Supported
800MHz DDR2
1066MHz DDR2

Channels: 8 Channels

Audio Chipset: Realtek ALC888

Video Chipset: GeForce 8200

Video Memory: 256MB Shared Memory

Supported Devices: 2

Hard Drive Types: ATA/100
ATA/133
ATA/33
ATA/66

USB Version: 2.0

USB Data Transfer Rates: 480Mbps

LAN Type: 10/100/1000Mbps Gigabit

Port Type: RJ-45

PCI Slots: 2

PCI Express X1 Slots: 1

PCI Express X16 Slots: 1 - (PCIe 2.0)

PS/2 Keyboard Connectors: 1

PS/2 Mouse Connectors: 1

USB Ports: 10

USB Rear Panel Ports: 4

USB Onboard Headers: 3 - (expandable to 6 USB ports)

Audio Out Jacks: 2

Line In Jacks: 1

Microphone Jacks: 1

Center Audio Jacks: 1

Subwoofer Audio Out Jacks: 1

IDE Headers: 1

FDD Headers: 1

Serial ATA Headers: 6
1 - External

ATX Power Connectors: 1 24-Pin Connector

PC Power Connectors: 1 - 8 Pin

VGA Ports: 1

DVI Ports: 1

Length: 9.598 in. (24.38 cm)

Width: 8.970 in. (23 cm)

This along with hopefully a 500 gig hard drive, and 4 gigs of ram.

Let me know what you all think of my prospective upgrades :smiley:

I was told that I could use my current dual layer/dvd combo drive.

so let me know what you all think.

#17

So how much are you looking to spend, and what country are you in?

the 8200 graphics isn’t really the best choice for onboard graphics, I would go with the 790GX chipset. Newegg link

edit: also what is the model of your current PSU?

#18

im in the usa. like I said i just want a decent system. i was told by a tech that ths combo with motherboard and cpu it would satsify my needs and then some. im not looking for top of the line video card either. my psu is 500watts and its a demon. and it has red lights in it.

#19

I would have to advice you not to get the 8200, it sucks when compared to the 790gx chipset! :cop:

My suggestions
ASRock AOD790GX/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX $105
or
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX $139

and

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600 Brisbane 2.9GHz Socket AM2 $73
or
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.1GHz Socket AM2 89W Dual-Core $89

and

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 $40

#20

[QUOTE=eric93se;2226133]I would have to advice you not to get the 8200, it sucks when compared to the 790gx chipset! :cop:

My suggestions
ASRock AOD790GX/128M AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX $105
or
GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX $139

and

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5600 Brisbane 2.9GHz Socket AM2 $73
or
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000 3.1GHz Socket AM2 89W Dual-Core $89

and

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 $40[/QUOTE]

Eic I cant get the links to ork, they just take me to the main page :sad: