Lesson learned...hard way.

[xigurd]

Well, now that I have built one system, I have two tips for begginers.

1. don't buy SATA HDD for main drive. and...

2. NEVER,
EVER
EVER
EVER put AMD systme with Ati video cards. don't waste half a month figuring what the %@* is wrong with your machine like me.

...Whew, now I'm looking for a new card, I have
AMD 64 300+ with
ABIT KV8 PRO VIA K8T800PRO MOBO.

can someone suggest good video card about 50$~150$?

thanks!

[EvilRick]

Two questions . . .

1. Why not use SATA as main drive?

2. Why not use an ATi video card on an AMD system?

I've done both and haven't had any problems whatsoever.

[xigurd]

Well, for beginners, figuring out why windows installation doesn't recongize sata drives and installing it can be a problem. especially on ABIT boards.

And with my current setup (AMD64 + sapphire ATI radeon 9200) will freeze everytime when it actually has to use video power. and sapphire support forum acknowledges that Ati graphic cards with AMD mobo will give you hell.

Do you have any video card suggestion?

[maxiderm]

as crazy as this sounds..... it happened to me! i had a radeon 9200 and it would freeze all the time on my AMD system. when i got my nVidia 5900 Ultra, problem solved...... weird, but true....

[bombledmonk]

Originally posted by xigurd
Well, for beginners, figuring out why windows installation doesn't recongize sata drives and installing it can be a problem. especially on ABIT boards.

And with my current setup (AMD64 + sapphire ATI radeon 9200) will freeze everytime when it actually has to use video power. and sapphire support forum acknowledges that Ati graphic cards with AMD mobo will give you hell.

Do you have any video card suggestion?

There are thousands of people to contradict those claims. They don't all post because most people don't post when they are happy. You just had a compatability issue with YOUR card and YOUR motherboard.

I'm having trouble with your generalization, you say

2. NEVER,
EVER
EVER
EVER put AMD systme with Ati video cards.

While I say I have NEVER
EVER
EVER
EVER had a problem with my AMD board and ATI video card.

Why post BS like this?

[xigurd]

It's not BS because it's true. It happened, at least to me and number of other people. some of them from this board.

I know I have overdone it with that never, ever, ever, ever remark, but i was just trying to share problems I had with my first building exprience.

[MDS]

[JiminElkGrove]

For the price range you list an nVidia GeForce FX 5600 would be your best shot.
You are correct about the AMD/ATI conflict problem but only partially . . . the problem is with the Via chipsets most commonly put on AMD boards. Via has acknowledged the conflicts with 4 in 1 drivers and ATI Catalysts and you can see the innumerable posts about it if you care to view the Via Arena support forum. Quite possibly, problems with ATI cards and Via based motherboards are the most common help topic posted on the Via Forum. ATI cards can be made to work, but generally nVidia seems to be an easier install. Here:
http://forums.viaarena.com/
As an aside, some folks actually have better luck with ATI graphics cards on AMD boards with nVidia chipsets. Sounds like a contradiction in terms but that is sometimes the case. Jim

[JPMiller]

your issue is actually a problem with your research skills and a rare compatibility issue with a specific chipset... not an entire platform...
not to be rude... but your statements are unfounded.
To say not to use a newer technology standard just because you couldnt figure it out easily seems a bit silly...
Telling people of your experiences and how you figured things out would have been a better post...
I myself had problems the first time I set up a SATA drive as the boot device
as for the AMD statement regarding the use of ATI products... Its not even worth commenting on.

[xigurd]

Now I see i oversimplified things. I was really frustrated I didn't care to fact-check things. (I work at CBS... or not.)

I guess i made few people upset and I apologize. sorry.

thank you for the suggestion, Jim. I decided to go for Chaintech 5700LE.