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#1
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Looking for a videocard/CPU/misc. parts, any suggestions?
Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and
video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking around on NewEgg for parts and I was blown away by the range of options. Have a look at the sections for just ATI Radeon videocards: # ATI Radeon 7500 # ATI Radeon 7500 LE # ATI Radeon 8500 # ATI Radeon 8500 LE # ATI Radeon 8800 # ATI Radeon 9000 # ATI Radeon 9000 Pro # ATI Radeon 9200 # ATI Radeon 9500 # ATI Radeon 9500 Pro # ATI Radeon 9700 # ATI Radeon 9700 Pro # ATI Radeon 9800 # ATI Radeon 9800 Pro # ATI Radeon 9100 # ATI Radeon 9600 # ATI Radeon 9600 Pro And within each of these categories are five or more videocards, made by different vendors! I'm overwhelmed! What does "pro" mean? How much video RAM do I need? Etc? Well, I've come to you guys for help. What do you recommend as a good, reasonably-powered, budget videocard? I'm not looking for the latest Radeon 9800 or GeForce FX 5900 that cost $400. I'm looking for something in the range of $100-$200 that provides the best bang for the buck. I was previously using a Radeon 9000 Pro (the aforementioned dead videocard) that I got for $100 a year ago and was quite satisfied with it. I'm looking for something comparable nowadays, perhaps a little bit more expensive and powerful. I'm also looking for a new AMD CPU (I already have an AMD mobo). What's the difference between Athlon MP and Athlon XP? Which should I get? And what clockspeed provides a good trade-off of price and speed? I also want to replace my current CPU heatsink/fan with a higher quality one that attaches on all 3 clips. Can someone recommend a good manufacturer? And what kind of thermal compound should I go for? Thanks a lot for the help. I know my questions may seem a bit open-ended, but I really need some expert help in figuring out what best to buy for my system. -- Usenet is a strange reality where you see people beating up a patch of grass where nine years ago there used to be a horse. -Nuke |
#2
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John wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 04:13:17 GMT, Cyde Weys wrote: Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking around on NewEgg for parts and I was blown away by the range of options. Have a look at the sections for just ATI Radeon videocards: # ATI Radeon 7500 # ATI Radeon 7500 LE # ATI Radeon 8500 # ATI Radeon 8500 LE # ATI Radeon 8800 # ATI Radeon 9000 # ATI Radeon 9000 Pro # ATI Radeon 9200 # ATI Radeon 9500 # ATI Radeon 9500 Pro # ATI Radeon 9700 # ATI Radeon 9700 Pro # ATI Radeon 9800 # ATI Radeon 9800 Pro # ATI Radeon 9100 # ATI Radeon 9600 # ATI Radeon 9600 Pro Im pretty sure the 8500 is better. Its around that level. People tend to say dont get certain ATI models and the 9000 is one of them. The 8500 and new 9100 is supposed to be very similar . Some call it a renamed 8500 though its slightly different - slightly slower I think. Anyway - Ive already posted I got the 9100 for $49 at COMPUSA after rebate but that sale ended Monday. Its pretty close to that price if you look around Pricewatch.com. It was only 64 megs though. I don't think the 9100 is powerful enough for my tastes. I think I can get a bit better videocard still below the $150 mark, right? Should I consider going with an nVidia card? They generally tell you to go for 128 megs nowadays though Im not sure how many games really benefit from that much mem. Yeah, I definitely want 128MB, for Doom III if nothing else. I just got the 9100 until christmas when all the new games are slated to come out and the ATI 9700 or so comes way down in price , I hope. I can't wait; I have to buy it tomorrow. My mobo doesn't have an integrated crap video card, so my computer won't function until I get _something_. I'm also looking for a new AMD CPU (I already have an AMD mobo). What's the difference between Athlon MP and Athlon XP? Which should I get? And what clockspeed provides a good trade-off of price and speed? I think its for dual processor boards but Im not sure what exactly is the difference if any. Which one, the MP? Yeah, that seems familiar. You should get the XP. Some boards /revisions of boards can only take up to XX speed processor. You should look it up at your MBs site. I have an A7V8X-X mobo from Asus. I asked the dude at the computer store where I bought it and he says it'll take all existing AMD processors. I also want to replace my current CPU heatsink/fan with a higher quality one that attaches on all 3 clips. Can someone recommend a good manufacturer? And what kind of thermal compound should I go for? Why on all three clips? All the ones Ive had only used two. Ive almost always used thermaltakes though others have been highly rated but the TTs have been rated well and they usually are really really cheap if you look around. Okay, maybe not all three clips, but at least two. The current one I have is only one clip, and it just seems too iffy to me. I bought one for a friend I think it was the Volcano 9 or 11 - anyway, it has a huge heatsink and uses a 80mm fan on it. It was around $18. And since its larger it spins at a lower speed and you can hook it up to vary the speed by the temp of the CPU. Quiet is definitely good. This is the computer I'll be bringing to college and I plan to be able to sleep with it on in the same room. The one caveat is - its a large unit though smaller than the Pent 4 units which seem gigantic. Take a look at your MB to see how tight the area is around the CPU. Some MBs have caps that may be a bit too close for some heatsinks. I saw one test where they had to file away a bit of some heatsinks to make them fit . The mobo has enough space around the CPU. -- Usenet is a strange reality where you see people beating up a patch of grass where nine years ago there used to be a horse. -Nuke |
#3
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John wrote:
On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 04:45:49 GMT, Cyde Weys wrote: I don't think the 9100 is powerful enough for my tastes. I think I can get a bit better videocard still below the $150 mark, right? Should I consider going with an nVidia card? Well heres ONE benchmark which isnt the only one to go by. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/vid...deon-9100.html http://www.bytesector.com/data/bs-ar...sources&page=2 You notice the 8500/9100 is faster than the 9000 which you just posted you were pretty satisfied with. The 4200 is faster on this benchmark and probably in general but it doesnt have some features that the ATIs have. In this test they claim 128 megs doesnt make much difference vs the 64 meg. If you want to keep it to play Doom III , Half Life2 etc then you probably should get the 9500 Pro but the problem is they are discontinuing various cards - one is the 9500 pro. The 9500 Pro is $195 at NewEgg - just a bit too expensive for my tastes. There was talk about BestBuy I think selling them - getting rid of them for $150 the 9500 pro but the posts I saw said they couldnt find any at the local Best Buys for that price. You can easily buy the 9500 at Newegg for under $150. Try to get a red PCB with the L-shaped memory if you are getting the 9500 so that you may be lucky and be able to unlock it with a software mod and get a 9500 pro or 9700 at the price of a 9500. Not sure if you can still do this. Here's the page for the 9500 at NewEgg: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...ue=4396,366 8 The first one is advertised as "new black PCB version" ... the others don't say anything special. Are these the magic red PCB ones that can be unlocked via software to become bigger/badder than they otherwise would be? I already know which CPU I'll be getting - I just need some help with figuring out if one of these is the right videocard, because the page alone doesn't tell me. The 9600 pro which many avoid because its designed different - people are looking for the ability to unlock and OC the 9500 /9500 pro and 9700 to get substantially higher performance. Look in the ATI subs. However the 9600 Pro isnt a bad card at all. The more desirable cards usually are the 9500 pro but its being discontinued and the 9700. You should get the XP. Some boards /revisions of boards can only take up to XX speed processor. You should look it up at your MBs site. Well just from a casual look at Pricewatch to check which are good deals - it seems like the XP 2600 333 $91 XP 2500 333 $85 seem like good deals. Someone may have some comment about OC ability or some other relevant factor that may make some other CPU a better deal. I chose the 2500+ Barton over the 2600+ non-Barton because it's $9.00 cheaper, and the Barton architecture means it has 512K L2 cache instead of the 2600+'s puny 256K cache. The clockspeed is rated lower though -- oh well. Is this a wise decision: choosing a 1.83Ghz clockspeed over a 2.06Ghz clockspeed because it has more L2 cache and is nine bucks cheaper? Or is clockspeed more important, in which case I should go for the 2600+? Okay, maybe not all three clips, but at least two. The current one I have is only one clip, and it just seems too iffy to me. Well at Newegg - it was the Volcano 7 that I was talking about. I noticed the plain old 7 was rated well for cooling but many complained about the loud noise. The 7+ which is around $22.50 is rated very well according to the users though some still mention its a bit loud. Im used to the screamers - the highspeed Deltas which were rated the best of the 60mm fans before they started going to bigger lower rpm fans. Now thats loud. Im not sure its all that loud but the pitch is very high which makes it stand out way more. Some compared it to a hairdryer. To me the Volcano 7 seemed fairly quiet. Only you will be able to say whether its too noisy or not but it is variable - depending on temp and slower RPM I think the max is in the 5000 rpm range vs , the 6000-7000 rpm of the 60mm deltas which spin at the max all the time in the early versions I got, Go to Cooler Guys and see what they recommend for a quiet and effective fan too. -- Usenet is a strange reality where you see people beating up a patch of grass where nine years ago there used to be a horse. -Nuke |
#4
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Cyde Weys wrote in message . ..
Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking around on NewEgg for parts and I was blown away by the range of options. Have a look at the sections for just ATI Radeon videocards: # ATI Radeon 7500 # ATI Radeon 7500 LE # ATI Radeon 8500 # ATI Radeon 8500 LE # ATI Radeon 8800 # ATI Radeon 9000 # ATI Radeon 9000 Pro # ATI Radeon 9200 # ATI Radeon 9500 # ATI Radeon 9500 Pro # ATI Radeon 9700 # ATI Radeon 9700 Pro # ATI Radeon 9800 # ATI Radeon 9800 Pro # ATI Radeon 9100 # ATI Radeon 9600 # ATI Radeon 9600 Pro And within each of these categories are five or more videocards, made by different vendors! I'm overwhelmed! What does "pro" mean? How much video RAM do I need? Etc? Well, I've come to you guys for help. What do you recommend as a good, reasonably-powered, budget videocard? I'm not looking for the latest Radeon 9800 or GeForce FX 5900 that cost $400. I'm looking for something in the range of $100-$200 that provides the best bang for the buck. I was previously using a Radeon 9000 Pro (the aforementioned dead videocard) that I got for $100 a year ago and was quite satisfied with it. I'm looking for something comparable nowadays, perhaps a little bit more expensive and powerful. I'm also looking for a new AMD CPU (I already have an AMD mobo). What's the difference between Athlon MP and Athlon XP? Which should I get? And what clockspeed provides a good trade-off of price and speed? I also want to replace my current CPU heatsink/fan with a higher quality one that attaches on all 3 clips. Can someone recommend a good manufacturer? And what kind of thermal compound should I go for? Thanks a lot for the help. I know my questions may seem a bit open-ended, but I really need some expert help in figuring out what best to buy for my system. Well, not to sure about most of that---I simply know enough about Video Cards to attempt to say something. First off, you need at LEAST 64MB of video card RAM. I highly suggest 128MB, as many new programs (at least video games) are coming out, and want at least 32MB, sometimes even 64MB!!!! For this reason, I suggest get a GeForce, as long as it has 128MB. Same with the ATIs. Although, I must admit I am biased against ATI Rage, Rage Pro, ect. (basicly all but the Radeon), due to fact its just plain screwed when it comes to video games. And most my video games are more graphic intensive than Flash MX, which I use to make stuff for my website; At any rate, I say go with a GeForce, however choice is yours but I must insist you go for one with 128MB of video RAM. |
#5
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Cyde Weys wrote in message . ..
Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking around on NewEgg for parts and I was blown away by the range of options. Have a look at the sections for just ATI Radeon videocards: # ATI Radeon 7500 # ATI Radeon 7500 LE # ATI Radeon 8500 # ATI Radeon 8500 LE # ATI Radeon 8800 # ATI Radeon 9000 # ATI Radeon 9000 Pro # ATI Radeon 9200 # ATI Radeon 9500 # ATI Radeon 9500 Pro # ATI Radeon 9700 # ATI Radeon 9700 Pro # ATI Radeon 9800 # ATI Radeon 9800 Pro # ATI Radeon 9100 # ATI Radeon 9600 # ATI Radeon 9600 Pro And within each of these categories are five or more videocards, made by different vendors! I'm overwhelmed! Dont get anything lower than a 9500. I'm getting a Sapphire based one (good company) The best is 9800, then 9700, then 9500, then 9600. The Pro versions are just a bit faster. The only vendor is ATI. The assembler doesn't matter cause they all use the same design, same GPU. Like someone said, you can softmod certain 9500 non-pros to a 9700 Pro. There is about a 40% success rate I hear. In fact, all of these cards are already obsolete because of the new technology that is about to come. Maybe in 1 year time. V-man |
#6
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"V-man" wrote in message m... Cyde Weys wrote in message . .. Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking around on NewEgg for parts and I was blown away by the range of options. Have a look at the sections for just ATI Radeon videocards: # ATI Radeon 7500 # ATI Radeon 7500 LE # ATI Radeon 8500 # ATI Radeon 8500 LE # ATI Radeon 8800 # ATI Radeon 9000 # ATI Radeon 9000 Pro # ATI Radeon 9200 # ATI Radeon 9500 # ATI Radeon 9500 Pro # ATI Radeon 9700 # ATI Radeon 9700 Pro # ATI Radeon 9800 # ATI Radeon 9800 Pro # ATI Radeon 9100 # ATI Radeon 9600 # ATI Radeon 9600 Pro And within each of these categories are five or more videocards, made by different vendors! I'm overwhelmed! Dont get anything lower than a 9500. I'm getting a Sapphire based one (good company) The best is 9800, then 9700, then 9500, then 9600. The Pro versions are just a bit faster. The only vendor is ATI. The assembler doesn't matter cause they all use the same design, same GPU. Like someone said, you can softmod certain 9500 non-pros to a 9700 Pro. There is about a 40% success rate I hear. In fact, all of these cards are already obsolete because of the new technology that is about to come. Maybe in 1 year time. From Websters Dictinary: obsolete \Ob"so*lete\, a. [L. obsoletus, p. p. of obsolescere.] 1. No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused; neglected; as, an obsolete word; an obsolete statute; -- applied chiefly to words, writings, or observances. So tell me, how are these cards no longer in use when the 'new technology' isn't due out for at least a year? Dumbass. -- ~misfit~ --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.500 / Virus Database: 298 - Release Date: 10/07/2003 |
#7
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From Websters Dictinary:
obsolete \Ob"so*lete\, a. [L. obsoletus, p. p. of obsolescere.] 1. No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused; neglected; as, an obsolete word; an obsolete statute; -- applied chiefly to words, writings, or observances. So tell me, how are these cards no longer in use when the 'new technology' isn't due out for at least a year? Dumbass. -- ~misfit~ First, dont call anyone a dumbass. The term obselete is used very often to describe current technology, because new ones are in the works. It need not be available to the public to be called obsolete. Even if grandpa is using some 50 year old equipment, that equipment is called obselete when something newer/better is available. If you don't agree, I dont care. V-man |
#8
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"V-man" wrote in message m... Cyde Weys wrote in message . .. Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking snip Like someone said, you can softmod certain 9500 non-pros to a 9700 Pro. There is about a 40% success rate I hear. Much better than that. So far I'm 4-0 with the Sapphire 9500 (L-shaped memory config.). Performs just like a 9700 NP at default clock rates... snip |
#9
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#10
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~misfit~ wrote:
"V-man" wrote in message m... Cyde Weys wrote in message . .. Turns out it wasn't the new mobo that was broken, it's the CPU and video card. *Grrrrrr* I am so freaking ****ed. Anyway, I was looking around on NewEgg for parts and I was blown away by the range of options. Have a look at the sections for just ATI Radeon videocards: # ATI Radeon 7500 # ATI Radeon 7500 LE # ATI Radeon 8500 # ATI Radeon 8500 LE # ATI Radeon 8800 # ATI Radeon 9000 # ATI Radeon 9000 Pro # ATI Radeon 9200 # ATI Radeon 9500 # ATI Radeon 9500 Pro # ATI Radeon 9700 # ATI Radeon 9700 Pro # ATI Radeon 9800 # ATI Radeon 9800 Pro # ATI Radeon 9100 # ATI Radeon 9600 # ATI Radeon 9600 Pro And within each of these categories are five or more videocards, made by different vendors! I'm overwhelmed! Dont get anything lower than a 9500. I'm getting a Sapphire based one (good company) The best is 9800, then 9700, then 9500, then 9600. The Pro versions are just a bit faster. The only vendor is ATI. The assembler doesn't matter cause they all use the same design, same GPU. Like someone said, you can softmod certain 9500 non-pros to a 9700 Pro. There is about a 40% success rate I hear. In fact, all of these cards are already obsolete because of the new technology that is about to come. Maybe in 1 year time. From Websters Dictinary: obsolete \Ob"so*lete\, a. [L. obsoletus, p. p. of obsolescere.] 1. No longer in use; gone into disuse; disused; neglected; as, an obsolete word; an obsolete statute; -- applied chiefly to words, writings, or observances. So tell me, how are these cards no longer in use when the 'new technology' isn't due out for at least a year? Dumbass. Why you gotta be so mean?! I understood what he meant, and I'm sure you did too. "Obselete" isn't the best word choice for this situation, but that's no reason to call him a nasty word over it. -- Usenet is a strange reality where you see people beating up a patch of grass where nine years ago there used to be a horse. -Nuke |
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