To upgrade or rebuild???

Donkey

Donkey

Active member
I have been trying to milk my old PCI/AGP system for as long as possible now and I think I might have hit the limit. While the temptation to just drop a hundred here and there on new graphics cards and better memory seems like a good idea, I don't think it is anymore.

This is my dilemma I can get a ATI HD 3850 sapphire HDCP ready AGP card for about 120 bucks however my proc is only a P4 3.06 so this wont quite hack it for Blu-ray (which sucks)...

My three questions?

Has anyone got Blu-ray playback to work on anything under a P4 3.2 and if so how good is it?

What do you all recommend for a new base mobo/chipset setup for Gaming and High Def movie watching?

LGA 775 or LGA 1366, thinking longevity and cost, which do you suggest?
 
Donkey said:
I have been trying to milk my old PCI/AGP system for as long as possible now and I think I might have hit the limit. While the temptation to just drop a hundred here and there on new graphics cards and better memory seems like a good idea, I don't think it is anymore.

This is my dilemma I can get a ATI HD 3850 sapphire HDCP ready AGP card for about 120 bucks however my proc is only a P4 3.06 so this wont quite hack it for Blu-ray (which sucks)...

My three questions?

Has anyone got Blu-ray playback to work on anything under a P4 3.2 and if so how good is it?

What do you all recommend for a new base mobo/chipset setup for Gaming and High Def movie watching?

LGA 775 or LGA 1366, thinking longevity and cost, which do you suggest?
Click to expand...


1. Speaking stricly in terms of Blu-Ray I wouldnt worry so much about the Processor. CPU power for decoding was a worry 2 years ago when Blu-Ray and HD-DVD were new, but with the newer Intel and AMD CPUs you shouldnt sweat it.

This chart is from 2006, and as you can see only the last-gen CPUs had trouble. As you can see a slow Conroe E6300 can handle it easily and thats 1.8Ghz. Seriously CPU for Blu-Ray shouldnt be a concern. Anything above 2.0Ghz you should be fine.

http://www.hardwarezone.com.au/reviews/view.php?cid=2&id=2108&pg=2

2. The first order of business is to decide on your videocard, as the motherboard/CPU decision has a direct bearing on which videocard you want to put in. The first question is for you to set a budget on your Videocard. You should also think about if you plan on Crossfire or SLi? Do you have a preference for Ati or Nvidia? Basically if you go ATi you should go with a AMD processor. If you prefer Nvidia, Intel is your best bet. You can mix it, but its better to stay pure. Give me alittle more info I can better direct you.

3. LGA 1366 is the future, the 55mm cores will generate much less heat (thus more speed) than the older 90mm cores. But its new, and rather expensive for the moment. We have a saying in IT, "never buy first generation of a new tech". I think within a few months Intel will drop the price and release new CPU models based on the 1366 Architecture. (They always do). This is why I would wait a few months if you are planning on buying a 1366 chip.

I have to admit your situation sucks because normally I'd have told you to by a new GPU now and get the mobo and cpu later. But since your card is not pci-e your up sh**s creek without a paddle. Your best bet would be to be patient and wait. Until 1366 becomes more standardized. I wouldn't go back to LGA 770, its time is over unless you have money to burn.

Also keep in mind that Windows 7 is coming out, you'll want to keep an eye on what hardware can take full advantage of it. I have heard some rumors at MS that they are working at creating a new tool that shares the GPU load with the CPU. I didnt see it on the Beta, but that wont mean it wont be released with the RCs.

I am using the beta on this computer, and let me tell you its MUCH better than Vista. The new taskbar is awesome. Crystal Ball says Q3 but that could be Q1 2010 if things get nasty. I do think we will see it this year as MS wants people to forget about VISTA as soon as possible.
 
Last edited:
Awesome reply man, I knew I could count on you!!!

Yeah it sucks having end of life technology....It's like a car do I keep putting money into it or do I just buy new...

Then the other thing is one could wait forever really...

Just for ha-ha's this is what through together real quick for an idea

Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128369

Chip
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

Ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231190

But now that you mention LGA1366 I may look into getting more that setup with slower (hence less expensive) chip since I can always upgrade later....
 
Donkey

Mobo: Its not bad. I prefer boards based on the Intel X48 (abit better performance for OC) chipset but they do cost more. The P45 still gets the job done though. Its got the dual pci-e setup for Crossfire so if you are on a budget it will do the job, You would be advised to stick to ATi Videocards.

CPU: A good choice, best bang for buck right now. Good overclocker too.

RAM: GSKILL is a good brand. But if you intend to Crossfire I would take a look at memory optimized for it. I know OCZ makes it for DDR2 but I am unsure if crossfire-optimized DDR3 is available.
 
mmarsh

I will admit I am an ATi fanboy have been before they where acquired by AMD that being said I am also a Intel fanboy. Such a delima today with the aforementioned stated.

What I'm looking for is something, much like my last machine, that is capable of lasting 5 years via various upgrades in performance. I come from using Intel chip sets, MSI mobos, RAMBUS, and ATi GPUs. While its a shame I can not find a PCI-X mobo with RAMBUS (I have a rather large investment in RDRAM and funny 10 years later that stuff is still expensive) but I must concede and go with the mainstream.

I have noticed reviews of the more expensive ASUS boards seem to lead one to believe that the less expensive Gigabyte is a better bang for the buck, would you concur?

What do you consider a good manufacture of RAM these days?

I know you mentioned vid card first, but from my experience I'm thinking you want to find a good mobo that is going to be able to last you the life cycle of your machine, since everything else can easily be individually upgraded over time, make sense?

What are your thoughts on this LGA 1366 mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375
 
Last edited:
Donkey said:
mmarsh

I will admit I am an ATi fanboy have been before they where acquired by AMD that being said I am also a Intel fanboy. Such a delima today with the aforementioned stated.

What I'm looking for is something, much like my last machine, that is capable of lasting 5 years via various upgrades in performance. I come from using Intel chip sets, MSI mobos, RAMBUS, and ATi GPUs. While its a shame I can not find a PCI-X mobo with RAMBUS (I have a rather large investment in RDRAM and funny 10 years later that stuff is still expensive) but I must concede and go with the mainstream.

I have noticed reviews of the more expensive ASUS boards seem to lead one to believe that the less expensive Gigabyte is a better bang for the buck, would you concur?

What do you consider a good manufacture of RAM these days?

I know you mentioned vid card first, but from my experience I'm thinking you want to find a good mobo that is going to be able to last you the life cycle of your machine, since everything else can easily be individually upgraded over time, make sense?

What are your thoughts on this LGA 1366 mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375
Click to expand...

5 years is abit of a tall order, Its very hard to predict as techology is always in motion, but I'll hazard a guess and say the 1366 LGA will be around for about 3 years.

Since you want to keep the PC for the Longrun I would advise you to to for the ASUS. There is a reason they are more expensive...they are better quality. Gigabyte isnt bad, but its generally considered slightly inferior to ASUS. If you plan on upgrading alot, or on on a budget, Gigabyte is fine. If you can spare the cash, go for ASUS, particularly if you plan to OC, there is a big difference. Asus generally offers more bells and whisles too, neon light, extra connectors, MB reset buttons (handy for testing), easy of access to the MB, etc...

Of course it very much depends on the board, Gigabyte can release a killer MB and ASUS can release a real dog. The roles can reverse. Thats why you should look at articles that compare multiple boards of the same chipset, like the X58. TomsHardware, HardOCP, Anandtech, Sharkyextreme, overclockers. I personally am using a 775 LGA with a X48 chipset. So I haven't tried the X58 boards yet. The gigabyte board looks fine from the specs though. My advice: Since you are thinking very long term I would invest in topnotch (building block) parts like the Case, MB, CPU, and RAM as that's the parts you upgrade least. Things like Video Cards, HDs, PSU tend change more often.

Intel is not abandoning ATi despite its merger with AMD. They will continue to support it, so there is no problem to mix it. Its just that since they have a vested interest in seeing Nvidia win the performance will probably be better with Nvidia GPU chips, especially with this new load balancing Utility that MS is reportedly developing that will share GPU load with the CPU.

As for RAM, I have used lots of brands. Crucial, Corsair, OCZ they are all good. OCZ seems to cater specifically for gamers in mind. Just make sure that whatever you choose you buy in Pairs (2-pacs) and that they have been tested together.
 
Last edited:
My current rig is running in this lovely case
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/ttarmor/

I said what I did because I have been using the same mobo in my gaming rig for 5 years now and it's, well it being a EOL mobo i need to replace....

Current set up is as follows:
Manufacturer: Donkey Custom
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz
Memory: 1024MB RAMBUS
Hard Drive: 424 GB Total
Video Card: RADEON X850XT
Monitor: SyncMaster 226BW(Digital)
Sound Card: SB Audigy 2 Audio
Speakers/Headphones: Cambridge Soundworks 6.1
Keyboard: Saitek Eclipse
Mouse: Saitek GM3200 Gaming Mouse (USB)
Mouse Surface:
Operating System: Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2
Motherboard: MSI 850E Max
Computer Case: Termaltake Armor
 
The Case itself is Good, but you didn't mention the PSU. You will need 600 Watt ABSOLUTE MINIMUM. Try to get one with Modular cables as they are very handy. You can also keep:

The sound system (although you might want to consider upgrading both at a later date, not urgent though). T

The Monitor: I had the same one. Bad for movies, great for games. If this is a problem consider another (although the viewing angles for TNs all suck).

Mouse+Keyboard+Surface. If you dont already have one, get a good quality surface. I have the Ratpadz XT. It seems like a silly upgrade, but it made a big difference with my laser Mouse. Plus you can keep it indefinatly.

Harddrives; You didnt specify. Is it IDE or SATA? Whats the RPM? And how many drives are there?

Optical Drives? Blu-Ray DVD etc. I am still not sold on Blu-Ray. I will wait on this. A big problem for me is that Blu-Ray is not mulitzone, and I got tons of zone 1+2 dvds. I am not going to toss out my library because they wont run.

What you'll need:

A MB/RAM/CPU/GC. All 4 are totally obsolete and impossible to salvage. For your purposes I'd say focus on, the MB, GC, CPU and RAM in that order. The reason being your MB is the most difficult to replace and will require a complete reinstall of the OS to do. The GC because you want to do games. The CPU for your uses is less of a problem, so you can skimp a few bucks here if you need to. Finally there is RAM, but RAM while important can be easily upgraded later without fuss. You should try for paired sims, try for 2 GB if possible.
 
I dont recall what mfg. my PSU is but its I believe 700W or so...

I have a mix of HDD from SCSI to PATA (5 SCSI (15k RPM) and 2 PATA)

The optical drive is a LG DVD, it works for now.

I game, a lot, and while the MB/CPU/GPU may be obsolete surprisingly they still hold there own.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top