CPU Upgrade..

[aristotlewilde]

My stepdaughters computer is really beginning to show it's age. I am going to build her a computer in a couple of weeks. In the process, I am going to take advantage of the situation by giving her my current processor (see setup below) and upgrading mine. I will also upgrade my video card (but not too drastically) in the process.

I am not a gamer. I just want to have a cool/fast computer and be able to do pretty much anything I want to. Which of the newer AMD's (that won't be th enewest/most expensive) would you suggest as an upgrade??

Cooler Master Cavalier Case
400 Watt Power Supply
Elite Group ECS NForce-939 Motherboard
AMD 3000 Winchester CPU
Asylum GeForce™ FX 5200 (256 mb) Video Card
4 x 512 MB RAM

[saphalline]

I would recommend either a 3500+ Venice (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103533) or a 3700+ San Diego (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103539) for starters. If budget allows, feel free to go even higher.

What are you planning for your vid card upgrade, and the rest of her system?

[DigitalJ]

I'm partial to the Athlon 64 3800+, myself. It performs very well when compared to the big dawgs...usually a difference of only 10 or so seconds in the coding benchmarks. And the cost is less than half of an FX-55 ($320 or so). Since you have a 939 board, and you're only buying a proc, I'd even say go for an X2 3800+ for $50 more.

Performance wise, you'd have one of the best CPU's on the market at about 1/4 the market bprice for the FX-57 or X2 4800+.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I haven't seen benchmarks for the X2's or the FX-57 yet, and for all I know they might be vastly more powerful. I doubt it though. When it comes to performance, these new CPU's are waaayyyy outside my idea of an acceptable price/perfomace ratio.

[aristotlewilde]

I am unsure what I am building for hers. It will mostly be used for music storage, homework, and IM. I was thinking of going with a smaller form factor for hers. I'll use the 3000 Winchester, the GEForce 5200, and 1 GB out of my box for a base, re-use the DVD writer I put in her current computer, an extra PSU I have sitting in the garage, and we're about set.

That frees me up to throw in a 2 GB kit, a new video card (Radeon x800 perhaps? http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1239), and the new processor. I like the idea of going with a mid-range dual core.

[saphalline]

If you have the money, then I definitely second DigitalJ's motion for an X2 3800+. It's in my list, afterall! :D Very nice CPU for the money since it's dual-core.

As for your new vid card, you'll have to stick to AGP cards. The X800 you linked to is PCIe x16. That won't fit. Find an AGP version or find a different vid card. If you give me a rough budget for just the vid card, I can find you the right one.

[aristotlewilde]

My mobo actually has PCI Express and no AGP slots.

[hockey man]

Then a x800 would work wonders. By the way, I followed your link and saw that they were sold out. At newegg the x800 starts at $140 i believe.

[saphalline]

Check my sticky (http://www.pcguide.com/vb/showthread.php?t=39018) to find the best vid cards for the money. I've gone through all the tough work for you guys by comparing all the specs vs the prices.

[i an not a nerd]

hehe, i saw that thread... i've been trying to code a program that uses that "format" of grading price vs value, that updates to realtime prices.

God, i hate/love programming...

btw, saph. the x800XL from sapphire tech is cheaper than the ASUS one

[hockey man]

Yes, but what perks does the ASUS have? For myself, I would spend more to get better quality.

[saphalline]

btw, saph. the x800XL from sapphire tech is cheaper than the ASUS oneWell, actually I do that on purpose. I know that not everyone buys from Newegg (they may buy from a local shop or overseas for instance) so I usually don't pick the cheapest vid card on Newegg. This also relates to fluctuating prices, "average street price", and the fact that my vid card selections are not set in stone. I only pick the models that I do as representative of the chipset and price in question.

The vid cards are unlike my other parts listed because as long as you get, say, a Radeon X800XL you're good to go! There's very little difference between one X800XL vs another. Some vid card manufacturers like to throw in games and charge a bit more, or make their versions out of red or black PCB, or whatever they can do to stand out. But from a pure performance perspective, a Radeon X800XL is just like the others around the same price. Pick what you want, I just gave links and prices so you know what you're getting and more importantly how much it should cost!