Any Suggestions???

[Chaffers]

Hi All....

I'm still very new to this forum, and I was wondering if anyone can help me with a few techy questions that I have...

First off, here's my spec:-

AMD Athlon XP 2400+
Asus A7V333 (KT333 Chipset)
256Mb DDR SDRAM 333Mhz PC2700
Maxtor 120Gb HDD (7200rpm 8Mb Cache)
IBM 15GB HDD
MSI Geforce4 MX440 SE-T
Connexant 56k Soft Modem
Alcatel Speedtouch 330 USB ADSL modem
Other miscellaneous devices
8x/4x/32x CD-RW
Windows XP Pro on Maxtor HDD
Unbranded Realtek 10/100 NIC
300W unbranded PSU
System running @ ~50 degrees Centrigrade/~122 degrees Fahrenheit

The first thing that I am going to do is to invest in some RAM... Probably another 512Mb as the price for one of those are fairly reasonable now...

In terms of everything else, I would like to know what would give me better performance for money if I was to add stuff...

I am thinking of investing in a PSU with more juice, but do I need one? How can I tell if I do.

For the AMD processors, I have seen AMD CPUs called throughbred / barton / thorton... What do each of these mean? How can I find out which one I have?

In terms of overclocking, where would be a good starting point without running the risk of killing my machine totally?

Since my motherboard is 4X AGP, is the Geforce4 MX440 the best that I can get? Would a better one be that much significant differece?

What kind of cooling would I require to get the most out of my machine?

Or would it be better if I just throw everything away and get something totally different???

Any advice would be appreciated...

Many Thanks in advance!

[butch81385]

well first of all, if you are really considering "just throwing it away and get something totally different" then I ACCEPT DONATIONS!
i feel that ram i always a good investment

if you play lots of games, go with the new video card or ram

if you wanna overclock, start by getting a new heatsink (or if your really crazy then go with watercooling or liquidhydrogen like THG did)

also, i would suggest getting ram either way as xp is a hog (but i still like it) and if you are anything like me (running a bunch of programs at the same time) the extra ram is very nice

[Gettinbye]

I agree w/ butch...ram is a good place to start...256mb is running a little light, especially for multi-tasking...
Something else-you say you're running at 50c? Is that under load or at an idle? If that's at an idle, perhaps you should be thinking about some case fans and/or a better hs/fan...just seems a little high for a 2400+ (not critical, just unsettling)...and I definately wouldn't recommend overclocking unless you get your temp down first...
As far as your PSU-if you're not having performance issues, you're fine with the 300w, although if you start overclocking or add new hardware you may find a 400w-550w to be advantageous-if for no other reason than to give you some overhead so you don't have to worry about it.

[jmichna]

Originally posted by Chaffers
...AMD Athlon XP 2400+
Asus A7V333 (KT333 Chipset)
256Mb DDR SDRAM 333Mhz PC2700
Maxtor 120Gb HDD (7200rpm 8Mb Cache)
IBM 15GB HDD
MSI Geforce4 MX440 SE-T
Connexant 56k Soft Modem If you use aDSL, why do you keep a dial-up modem installed?
Alcatel Speedtouch 330 USB ADSL modem
Other miscellaneous devices
8x/4x/32x CD-RW
Windows XP Pro on Maxtor HDD
Unbranded Realtek 10/100 NIC
300W unbranded PSU
System running @ ~50 degrees Centrigrade/~122 degrees Fahrenheit

The first thing that I am going to do is to invest in some RAM... Probably another 512Mb as the price for one of those are fairly reasonable now...
RAM = good... this upgrade is a "no-brainer." Since you are thinking of overclocking... make sure you get higher speed (faster timings) ram. On our two XP Pro gaming PCs, I run 1024mb ram (dual 512mb). Out third PC is primarily MS Office and mail... even that has 512mb RAM.

In terms of everything else, I would like to know what would give me better performance for money if I was to add stuff...
For the most part, what to upgrade depends most heavily on what you use your PC to do, and what you perceive doesn't run fast enough to suit your needs. Next consideration is how much money you have to spend.

I am thinking of investing in a PSU with more juice, but do I need one? How can I tell if I do.
A good power supply's lifespan can extend beyond a couple system upgrades. You will never go wrong getting a high quality, tight tolerance, brand name PS with a lot of "juice"... I would no longer consider using power supplies less than 450W. At a given power load, you won't be taxing a higher capacity power supply as much as a less powerful unit. A larger PS will also tend to run cooler at a given level of power output.

For the AMD processors, I have seen AMD CPUs called throughbred / barton / thorton... What do each of these mean? How can I find out which one I have?
AIDA32 or wCPUID will identify what you have (google search will locate D/L sites)... but at an "XP2400+" level, it is very doubtful that your CPU is the limiting factor for any application or game you run. Ram and video capability tend to more limiting. My suggestion would be to sit tight on the CPU and mobo until you figure out exactly what else you want to upgrade first.

In terms of overclocking, where would be a good starting point without running the risk of killing my machine totally?
Read... there are many, many guides to overclocking. Before you start, however, given that 50°C temp you currently run -- assumed at "idle" -- you will want to improve your CPU cooling first. Most folks stick with air-cooling... again, read up on the subject. ThermalRight manufactures some of the best top-tier heat sinks... their SLK900 and SLK947 models are excellent. The PAL8045 is also a great cooler (I've used that one on an A7V333 build for a relative).

Air cooling has some drawbacks... noise is a consideration. The SLK900 and 947 can accept 92mm fans, so you get a lot of airflow, at a relatively low noise level.

Water-cooling is more expensive (figure adding about $200US to add watercooling) but more effective and more quiet.

Since my motherboard is 4X AGP, is the Geforce4 MX440 the best that I can get? Would a better one be that much significant differece?
Video card upgrades will have the greatest impact for folks who do a lot of graphics work or are gamers. The latest AGP 8X vid cards are backward compatible. I just added an ATI 9800XT to my EPoX 8K3A+ KT333, AGP 4X mobo, with no problems. I replaced a very good nVidia Ti4400 card (which trickled down to my daughter's PC).

I see an approximately 25-to-35% performance gain... depending on the benchmark programs being run... with the upgrade from a Ti4400 to a 9800XT. You would have no problem putting an AGP 8X card in your A7V333 mobo. Take a look at how much you have to spend, and then get the fastest video card available with your funds.

What kind of cooling would I require to get the most out of my machine?
See my comments above regarding CPU heat sink. Case ventilation and cooling becomes more critical, as the higher powered vid card and overclocked CPU generate more heat. A full tower case that accepts either single 120mm fans, or dual 80mm fans, for both intake and exhaust will help you control case temperatures. Cases are an excellent upgrade value... a good, sturdy, roomy, well ventilated case will also live through several upgrades.

Or would it be better if I just throw everything away and get something totally different???
IMO, until you are ready to step up to an nForce mobo, or -- better yet -- decide to go with an Athlon 64-bit (940-pin) compatible mobo, the A7V333 is a very good Via KT333 mobo

Any advice would be appreciated...

Many Thanks in advance!

[cysus]

The biggest bang for the buck would be to get some more ram, 256-512, and a new video card, the best deals being a ATI9600xt, FX 5900, or a FX5700ultra depending on your price range. Ram and a new video card will give you the biggest boost for the buck. Also a new mobo, and PSU would help but not significantly.

[Chaffers]

Thanks to all that have replied... especially jmichna for all the info... it's been really useful...

In terms of having the 56k modem there as well as the ASDL one is so that I can send faxes at the same time as surfing the web...


This is the list of things that I am going to do, or at least attempt to:-

1. 512 MB x 1 - Kingston Tech Memory - DIMM 184-PIN - DDR - 333 MHz / PC2700 - £51

2. Antec TruePower 550 - Power supply - £115
-or-
Antec TruePower 480 - Power supply - £103

3. GeForce FX 5700 - AGP 8x - 256 MB DDR - £120
-or-
Creative Radeon 9600 - AGP 8x - 256 MB DDR - £102

4. A few case fans for ventilation. £10 each

So I'm looking at around £300...
Don't really have that much money to get a 9800XT... and the 5700 looks very similar to the Ti4400 according to Tom's Hardware reviews...

Any other suggestions on this list or any other part of the config?

Thanks all!!!

[stroyal]

9700 pro is about $200 US. Way better than 5700 FX.
No I'm not ATI only, I use Nvidia also, but I think 9700Pro is the best bank for your buck at the moment.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/graphic...229/index.html

[jmichna]

Originally posted by Chaffers
1. 512 MB x 1 - Kingston Tech Memory - DIMM 184-PIN - DDR - 333 MHz / PC2700 - £51
Look at PC 3200 grade if you are going to get into serious OC'ing, otherwise PC2700 is fine. Also, most ram benefits (stability at fast timings) from adding a bit more vDIMM, especially when OC'ing and/or using fast timings. I run my ram at +0.20 and +0.30 over default. Your board will let you do this.

2. Antec TruePower 550 - Power supply - £115
-or-
Antec TruePower 480 - Power supply - £103
For £12 more, I'd go with the 550. I use Antecs... like 'em, reliable, fairly quiet, too.

3. GeForce FX 5700 - AGP 8x - 256 MB DDR - £120
-or-
Creative Radeon 9600 - AGP 8x - 256 MB DDR - £102
Most games still can't take advantage of the 256mb ram... if you dropped down to a 128mb card, can you go up in speed at the same price point? You may want to create a video card-specific post in the Video and Graphics forum here at TechIMO and get more input.

4. A few case fans for ventilation. £10 each
Do some shopping here. Some brands are known to run more quietly at a given airflow, especially Papst and Panaflow. Go to the various fan manufacturers' websites and review their specs for the size fans you are going to use. I always check airflow versus noise... anything in the low 30 dBA range or below, doesn't seem to bother me. I use Sunon 80mm and 120mm fans... very good performance versus noise, good price.
Just to get an idea what is out there, look over offerings at www.1coolpc.com even if you may not be able to buy from them, it will provide a sense of what's out there.

So I'm looking at around £300...
Don't really have that much money to get a 9800XT... and the 5700 looks very similar to the Ti4400 according to Tom's Hardware reviews...
Also check out any reviews at www.anandtech.com

Any other suggestions on this list or any other part of the config?

Thanks all!!!