help a n00b

[jackhammer4]

I am trying to find a suitable upgrade for my computer. I am looking at getting an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Socket 939 and therefore i will need a new motherboard. I have found this one MSI MS-7025 K8N Neo2 Platinum it looks to me to be compatible and at the same time i am going to get another 512 mb of RAM. Does anybody know of any problems that i am going to encounter. My current sytem is as follows
Operating System: Windows XP Home Edition (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 1
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) XP 2000+, MMX, 3DNow, ~1.7GHz
Memory: 512MB RAM
NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 128mb RAM

What do you guys think. Are the things that i mentioned the things that i need to replace or do i need to do more or less.

Many thanks in advance.

[jlreich]

Check the specs on what you are going to reuse.

You will want to make sure the new mobo will fit in your old case. Also that your existing PSU will have enough power for your new system. If you have a 230w PSU for example, you should probably upgrade to 350w or more. If you need either a case and/or PSU they are relatively cheap parts.

Others may have more suggestions.

And welcome to the PcGuide forums. :)

[Mick_D]

A couple of more things to consider. Your board supports dual channel memory so to take advantge of that you want to match your ram (ex DDR400) in slots 1 and 3 and slots 2 and 4. So purchase matched pairs of 256 mg rather than 1 512 if you currently have 2 sticks of 256. MSI even goes as far as warning of possible system instability if 3 sticks of ram are used. What is the speed of your curent ram?

In addition to the PSU consider the cooling requirements of the CPU. Does your case have or can have 3, 4 or five fans added.

If you are a gamer you might want prepare to beef your budget for a video card upgrade. The FX 5200 is ok but to really appreciate that new processor you'll be wanting a better video card. Trust me on this. :)

[jackhammer4]

How do you find out what power supply you have? For the fans i really dont know, how would you find out. There are no holes in the case, that is a good point cause my current one is running at 57 degrees c. What video card should I go for?
< Temperature Sensor(s) >
Board Temperature: 36.0°C / 96.8°F
CPU Temperature: 57.0°C / 134.6°F td
Power / Aux Temperature: 64.0°C / 147.2°F td

< Cooling Device(s) >
Auto Fan Speed Control: No
CPU Fan Speed: 2679rpm
These are some bits of information that might help you, to help me.

Nice one for all the help guys.

[jackhammer4]

How do you find out what power supply you have? For the fans i really dont know, how would you find out. There are no holes in the case, that is a good point cause my current one is running at 57 degrees c. What video card should I go for?
< Temperature Sensor(s) >
Board Temperature: 36.0°C / 96.8°F
CPU Temperature: 57.0°C / 134.6°F td
Power / Aux Temperature: 64.0°C / 147.2°F td

< Cooling Device(s) >
Auto Fan Speed Control: No
CPU Fan Speed: 2679rpm
These are some bits of information that might help you, to help me.
Bank 0: 256MB DDR-SDRAM 2.5-3-3-7CL 2CMD
Bank 1: 256MB DDR-SDRAM 2.5-3-3-7CL 2CMD
This is what i have at teh moment so maybe you could tell me some of the answers to your questions.

Sorry for being such a n00b.
Nice one for all the help guys.

Whoops double post. Sorry :(

[jlreich]

You will have to look inside the case to try and see what your PSU is. Sometimes it is hard to see. Or if you have the specs for your computer you can look there. Or the manufacturers website(HP,Dell etc...). If your computer is a brand computer it will probably be 230-250w.

As for the fans, you will have to take a look while you have the cover off the case.

[jackhammer4]

Nice one, Unfortunately i dont have the specs and the computer was not built by a well known maunfacturer. It was built by a local company and they turned out not to be very good. But never mind. :(

[Mick_D]

The info you posted about your ram is the voltage (2.5) and the timing or clock cycle. You can pull a stick of ram and look on the side for PC2100, pc2700 etc. etc if you don't see it in your bios. You can also download SiSoft Sandra (free), install and get all your system specs. Here is a link to site's where you can download it from.
http://www.sisoftware.net/?dir=dload&location=sware_dl_x86&langx=en&a=

Also you will need a good power supply (at least 350W) but I reccommend a 450W. You will also need and a case with decent cooling. You're already running very hot at 57C. For reviews on good power supplies you can go to:

http://www.tomshardware.com/

For pricing/purchase, decriptions and pictures go to:

http://newegg.com/

[jackhammer4]

I got bored of all this software balls and opened up my computer for teh first time ever. The RAM is Samsung SD RAM and it is 1 stick of 512 PC2700. The power supply is in fact a 350W. Again can somebody answer the question of which graphics card i should get. Im not going to use newegg cause i am along way away, between England and France. I have a place that i might get it from locally.

Many thanks

[Mick_D]

OKay, you would need to buy 1 stick of Samsung 512 PC2700 also called DDR333. However, Samsung is not listed manufacturer under supported memory on the MIS website. That doesn't mean it won't work though. If you are purchasing locally and think you would be able to return it if you do have problems, then it's worth a try. You could also try contacting MSI support and ask them. I would not suggest you mix it with another brand.

Lot's of good cards out there but it's difficult which is THE best for you. What specifically do you want to do with it and how much money you are willing to pay?
Check out boards with the ATI Radeon 9800, 9800 pro, or 9800 XT chipsets with 256 mg ram.

[jackhammer4]

If i was to get another samsung 512 just like you said would i be able to say put a different type of memory in the other slots for instance 2X256. I will look at the graphics cards, they may come later though. This is due to funding. :(

[Mick_D]

It's possible but it really depends on the board. Some boards are very sensitive to the make of ram in them. You could wind up with a very unstable system or one that will not even boot. My preferance is to go with totally matched memory (same specs/same supplier). I would ask MSI directly as it's always best to ask the manufacturer/assembler of motherboards directly about possible combatibility issues.

I understand the funding constraints with the video upgrade at the same time as mobo, cpu, and ram upgtades. You're buying a board that has the potential for the "wow factor" performance. You'll just have to be patient and know that some componants are limiting the real potential performance of what your system can attain in the future.

[saphalline]

This is due to funding.
What exactly is your budget? How much are you spending on the mobo alone? If you don't have enough money right now, the best thing I can suggest is to wait. Upgrading your core is the most major upgrade you can do, so it's best to do it right the first time.

Some things to consider...

Your current RAM is only DDR333. To make the most out of the Athlon64's dual-channel capability you'd want two matching sticks of DDR400. You can certainly use two sticks of DDR333, but you won't be getting the most out of it.

PCI-E support is coming for Socket 939 by way of NVidia's NForce4 chipsets and I'm sure a follow-up from Via. If you can wait, getting PCI-E support will be worth it and will completely change your choice of video card.

With your current system, the temps are too high. If you're thinking about putting an Athlon64 into your case without more cooling, you're asking for trouble! Fix the heat issue before you upgrade, or else count on getting a new case with more fan options.

[jackhammer4]

at the moment i am looking at about 200 to 250 quid for the motherboard and processor and about 70 on the RAM.

[jackhammer4]

I have actually got space for another fan but i think that i am going to bump teh budget to include a new funky case.

[jlreich]

New case is the way to go. I agree with Saphalline, if you can wait go for the new chipsets. I think they are due to come out soon. :) A few weeks?? I'm sure Saphalline knows.

[jackhammer4]

So what is all this about these new chipsets? Does anybody know when they are coming out? Does anybody know of any good cases for less than a hundred quid preferably with lots of nice extras. ;)

[jackhammer4]

Will i lose out if i don't do the original plan and instead i go for a Amd Athlon64 3400+(Soc 754) priced at £145. Is this a good price and will i be issing out on anything. I have read other forums now and it seems to me that people stand by there AMD64s. Most saying that they would never go back. If i do this which is the possitively best motherboard out there, i mean the BEST.

Many thanks

[jlreich]

I think the new chipsets are due out around the first of the year but not positive. The new chipsets will have support for all the latest and greatest. I think what you have picked out already is very good. But if you wait for the new chipsets to come out you will have the best available(at least for the next six months :rolleyes: ). Seriously though, they are a major step up in performance. ;) And they will be for AMD64 as well as Intel.

As far as waiting or not, it is a question of if you can wait that long. Or do you want the latest and greatest? Or more important will the parts you picked out meet your needs?

[jackhammer4]

I know it is going to make me look like a fool but i really can't wait. What is the performance increase going to be, massive or minimal. As for the case i was thinking about going for a blingin acrylic one, maybe uv reactive. Then putting some black cathode lights in it and seein git light up like a christmas tree :p . Do you know of any problems with the acrylic cases. What PSU would you recomend. I have snapped out of my changing plans and have settles with getting AMD Athlon 64 3500 Retail / Abit AV8 3rd Eye / 512MB Corsair PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit, all this is for £310 is this a good price or not.

Nice one

[jlreich]

I know it is going to make me look like a fool but i really can't wait

Hey no need to be sorry or feel like a fool. We are here to make suggestions and recommendations. Nothing wrong with getting what you want. And nothing wrong with what you have picked out. ;) Actually it will probably be better than a lot of us here have at the moment. I'm still using an AthlonXP 2400 for my best system. :eek: LOL

If my guess is right £310 is about $450.US. That sounds about right for what you are getting.

I haven't heard of any problems with acrylic cases.

Good luck Jackhammer. :)

[Paleo Pete]

According to XE (http://www.xe.com/ucc/)

1 GBP = 1.85970 USD
1 USD = 0.537722 GBP

so 310 British pounds should be $576.49 in US Dollars. Looks like a decent online convertor, might come in handy from time to time.

[jackhammer4]

According to XE (http://www.xe.com/ucc/)

1 GBP = 1.85970 USD
1 USD = 0.537722 GBP

so 310 British pounds should be $576.49 in US Dollars. Looks like a decent online convertor, might come in handy from time to time.

That means that if i get it from England i will get it loads quicker but it will be more expensive, i am going for England :p

[saphalline]

Much has happened since I've been away...

NForce4 is getting later and later. It should have been released by now, at least on paper. That hasn't happened yet, so we're looking at probably January of '05. On an interesting note, ATI has released their Radeon Xpress 200 series of chipsets that bring PCI-E to Socket 939/754, and it appears to be quite good. Of course, ATI's system chipsets have always had poor support in terms of mobo manufacturing partners, so we'll have to see how this turns out.

The only real performance advantage you lose by going with Socket 754 is dual-channel RAM. Socket 754 is single-channel only, and while this can have a big impact on overall system performance, it's less of an issue for the K8 architecture (but absolutely devistating for Intel's NetBurst architecture). The performance increase that you can expect by upgrading from an AthlonXP 2000+ to an Athlon64 3400+ is astounding. But still, I'm glad you decided to keep your plan and go for Socket 939! :D It has better performance and is much safer from an upgrading standpoint (no telling how long Socket 754 will last).

Acrylic cases are becoming incredibly popular with the more flashy computer owners. ;) The only downsides to them are worse cooling than aluminum cases (duh!) and they can scratch easily if you aren't careful. Definitely not as rugged as metal in terms of constant upgrading, especially when it comes to optical/hard drives. One scratch-resistant tip when it comes to screwing things in is to use felt washers between the metal and the acrylic case. They're relatively cheap at any hardware store and are thin enough so that the drives still fit.

If that Corsair dual kit is 2 x 512MB sticks, then yes, that's a good deal. If that's only 2 x 256MB, then... :rolleyes:

I think I covered everything...

[jackhammer4]

Cool i think that i will get one of those acrylic cases depending on the prices that i can find and what they come with. The budget isnt going to double just to make my computer blingin'. As for teh Ram that is two sticks of 256. Is that a major problem. If it is then i will get some more at a later date. Do any of you have experience with the Abit AV8 3rd Eye, i have read a review and it looks pretty funky (with that second screen thing and all)

[Paleo Pete]

jackhammer4:

I had to guess at what monetary conversion to use, the term "quid" you used above was the only reference I had, since you don't list a location in your profile. England is usually where I've known of the term quid being used, but I could be way off, since I know almost nothing about terminology or slang usage in other English speaking European countries. Let us know what actual currency we can use that's listed in that convertor, and we'll be able to get a good idea how much money is involved, relative to what we are accustomed to.

[jackhammer4]

Sorry i didnt mean to confuse you just forgot that you wouldnt understand it :rolleyes: