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Car Forum / Toyota / Toyota Cars / July 2006WAY OT: Some advice from the Nerds in the group:
I need some advice: I used to be a master PC builder; I built some of the fastest home-brew systems around. We had all the gamers in the are coming to us because we had a good reputation for high-end custom systems. I built the system I'm using now about 3 years ago; at the time a screamer: SOYO DRAGON Ultra/Black edition, Kingston 433MHz PC3500 RAM, but I skimped on the video; only an ATI 7000 card. I want to upgrade, and I want to keep my current components: the Kingston RAM, I also have a Crucial PC3200 stick, but at 768M RAM I can only run all the memory at 166. I also added a Diamond 8X AGP video card, ATI9550 based. I can do this two ways: either way will be an ASUS MB; I have previously had a LOT of good luck with ASUS boards. Now I can go with a Socket 774 with an AMD CPU, or a Socket 775 with an Intel CPU. Back in the day, all you did was choose a processor (AMD or Intel) and the speed, usually defined by the size of your wallet. It seems both companies do things different ways. AMD seems to have gone with CPU to Chipset communications, using bus speeds of at least 800MHz and up. A decent combination seems to be an ASUS K8N board with a Semperon CPU, 2.6 GHz on a 1600MHz bus. The other choice is the same MB but with the Intel socket, with a Pentium Celeron CPU at 533MHz FSB, but a clock speed of 3.2 GHz. Intel seems to base their performance on the core speed of the CPU. Either of these upgrades will allow me to keep all my same stuff, but up the general speed of my system, at a cost of about $110. The boards are ~$65 and the CPUs are <$50. THe only other choice is an ASUS MB with an Intel Pentium D, 800MHz FSB and 2.8GHz. This option would run about $200 or so. If you guys were building a new system, and money WERE an object, what would you buy? (Hey, Wicked Doll, don't get overcome by the geekery, 'K? ;) > I need some advice: > If you guys were building a new system, and money WERE an object, what > would you buy? I would suggest you post this in alt.comp.hardware and/or alt.comp.homebuilt You will get much more meaningful and informative replies. >> I need some advice: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > alt.comp.homebuilt > You will get much more meaningful and informative replies. *I* don't want to be overcome by Geekoid fumes!!!! > > I need some advice: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > alt.comp.homebuilt > You will get much more meaningful and informative replies. Take it easy on yourself hachi. Call Dell. You can get a Pentium IV with a DVI video card, tons of ram, multimedia, and a 17" flat panel LCD monitor for $449. You can prolly even get 18 months no interest, as I did on my 26" LCD TV/computer monitor. Good luck homey >> > I need some advice: >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Good luck homey But where's the fun in that?!?! No wedging the motherboard into the case? No fanagling the three drive cables I need for my DVDs, CDs, Zip and 2 HDDs? No pressing so hard on the fan you think you're going to waste the MoBo?!? No cursing at Microsoft for making an OS that can see there have been changes and just load the correct parameters, digging out the Install CD and waiting 40 minutes while it reloads the operating system for the 5th time?!?! No playing with clock speeds, freezing the system, resetting the BIOS and starting over, getting it up and running at mind warping speeds until XP chokes on it? (Linux just says, OK, 4 GHz? Let's do it!) Where's your sense of adventure, man?!?!? (I've had AMD "K" Systems that have run circles around P-IIIs...) > >> > I need some advice: > >> [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > (I've had AMD "K" Systems that have run circles around P-IIIs...) I suppose I lost _that_ sense of adventure around the same time I got tired of getting brake fluid on my hands when I changed the shoes on my old Honda. I knew how to do it, but I found that a trained mechanic could do a better job, and can also be the best friend a guy ever had. >> >> > I need some advice: >> >> [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > old Honda. I knew how to do it, but I found that a trained mechanic > could do a better job, and can also be the best friend a guy ever had. I built my computer 3 years ago. I think it actually had the case on it for 2 months out of all that time... >SNIP< > But where's the fun in that?!?! > No wedging the motherboard into the case? > No fanagling the three drive cables I need for my DVDs, CDs, Zip and 2 > HDDs? ---------------------------------------------------------------- Err, ZIP??? You gotta be kiddin' >>SNIP< >> But where's the fun in that?!?! [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Err, ZIP??? > You gotta be kiddin' I have an ORIGINAL PPA Zip 100, and I have an ATAPI/IDE Zip 250. I got the 250 from work, because I have a Zip 250 there, also... I also have a 256MB memory stick, and a 1GB memory stick... >>>SNIP< >>> But where's the fun in that?!?! [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >I have an ORIGINAL PPA Zip 100, and I have an ATAPI/IDE Zip 250. >I got the 250 from work, because I have a Zip 250 there, also... I have never really trusted Iomega after getting burned on a Zip 100 that died from the "click of death." http://www.grc.com/tip/codfaq1.htm >I also have a 256MB memory stick, and a 1GB memory stick... Sony is another company I'm not wholly pleased with. I bought a Clie PDA and then had them announce a couple of months later that they were withdrawing from that market. That was the end of upgrades and bug fixes too. I would still buy a TV from them, but I think I'll avoid anything that could need ongoing support like software or firmware upgrades. The Memory Stick is another story. All of my other devices take Compact Flash. I kind of hated to get into yet another flash card format with the Clie. I will say that the Memory Stick is less fiddly to insert than Secure Digital, and probably better in this respect than Compact Flash too. I picked up a USB flash card adapter from Crucial on sale for like $9. It's regularly $12, but they're always having sales and specials. http://www.crucial.com/store/listbyattr.asp?attr=Flash%20Reader&cat=Flash This turns my flash card into a USB flash drive. That's useful in itself, and I also sometimes use it to access pictures I've taken instead of using the camera and its USB cable for that. It also gives me a use for those old Compact Flash cards (like 8 MB ones). They're really too small to bother with for my camera, but they're still just great for transporting documents and spreadsheets and stuff. >>>>SNIP< >>>> But where's the fun in that?!?! [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > that died from the "click of death." > http://www.grc.com/tip/codfaq1.htm You got an early one! I was working in a Computer store at the time, and we had books and magazines, too, and I saw it in one of the mags.100MB on 3.5"?!?!?! I GOTTA have one! I called Iomega and got a sales rep, but he said you caould only get one from 3 retailers, and they weren't even ready yet! He was surprised I had seen it in the mag, because they asked the press to hold the story for another month. So, I waited until they became available to us. I sure wasn't going to pay Retail when I could get one Wholesale! Turns out those early ones just weren't ready after all... I have used mine for backing up customer's machines (back when you COULD fit stuff onto 100MB...), I had one disk with all the drivers I could fit, etc, and I always had a floppy to either boot from or run Guest from. I hooked the thing up a couple months ago, and it still runs great, 11 years later! But, now I have the ATAPI, I don't use the PPA anymore, except on my laptop occasionally. I also have one ZIP disk with OS/2 on it... >>I also have a 256MB memory stick, and a 1GB memory stick... > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > really too small to bother with for my camera, but they're still just > great for transporting documents and spreadsheets and stuff. >I also have one ZIP disk with OS/2 on it... I moved from DOS to OS/2 to Windows NT. I completely skipped Windows 3.1 and Windows 9x. I used OS/2 as my main OS until '96 or so. OS/2 was a wonderful product that IBM just didn't market the right way. Now I mainly use Linux (and I'm even using Agent on Linux via WINE). I got really tired of Windows and having to reboot all the time, having stuff crash, viruses and other malware, having stuff just stop working for some unknown reason or start working differently. and etc. MS is probably, overall, good for the US. They've brought a lot of money back into the US economy from all over the world. They're a very successful business. On the other hand, their products are generally kind of crappy, and they have definitely wasted huge amounts of people's time and money with crashes and malware. > >I also have one ZIP disk with OS/2 on it... > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Now I mainly use Linux (and I'm even using Agent on Linux via WINE). Dude, why are you using Agent via WINE?? There are better freeware programs on linux, such as pan, which kicks butt as a newsreader. I > got really tired of Windows and having to reboot all the time, having > stuff crash, viruses and other malware, having stuff just stop working [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > money back into the US economy from all over the world. They're a very > successful business. I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other than Windows NT. > On the other hand, their products are generally kind of crappy, and > they have definitely wasted huge amounts of people's time and money > with crashes and malware. Again, I ask... why Agent on Linux? > I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other > than Windows NT. I started on DOS 3.1 with an eight-inch floppy drive to boot with. This was in 1988 I think. Before that we used paper tape readers to start up our simulators. badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> trolled: > > I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other > > than Windows NT. > I started on DOS 3.1 with an eight-inch floppy drive to boot with. > This was in 1988 I think. Before that we used paper tape readers to > start up our simulators. Sorry, chump. But DOS 3.1 didn't support 8 inch floppies. It was written for 5.25 inch floppies. cordially, as always, rm > badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> trolled: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > rm My apologies, we were using eight-inch floppy disks to boot the computers of the simulators in 1988. Prior to that we were using paper tape readers. The floppy disks were a major improvement in reliability and speed. We were using Wordstar for DOS in our 8080 (?) PCs to write reports by 1989 which was a major improvement over the IBM typewriters and triplicate carbon paper forms. Maybe it was 5.25" drives, I really can't remember so I will defer to you. > badgolferman <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> trolled: > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > rm MS-DOS 1.0 in 1980. I started with 2.0, in 1986, although 2.0 came out in 1983 and added support for good old-fashioned 360k double-sided 5.25" disks. I thought the 1.44mb disks were amazing. My first DOS PC was a LASER with a 5.25" 360k drive, bootleg wordperfect 3.x, and not a whole lot else. Circa 1988. 64k... no maybe 128k of RAM, soldered in. XT. Sooper fast (don't press that button, Scottie!!!) 4.77k "TURBO" mode. Otherwise ran at something like 2.82. It was a laptop... about the size of a weekend bag. Yo, there's a great dinosaur show on the Science Channel. I'm using KDE 3.3 on Debian 2.6xxxxxxxxxxxx right now. > I'm using KDE 3.3 on Debian 2.6xxxxxxxxxxxx right now. That sounds like something out of Star Trek! > > I'm using KDE 3.3 on Debian 2.6xxxxxxxxxxxx right now. > > That sounds like something out of Star Trek! Now I have a Smart Phone that holds a card smaller than my pinky nail, which holds 512 mb of data. Recently, they've come out with 1 GB cards this size. Thing has an mp3 player, camcorder, 1mb camera with zoom, and of course sms voice and text... demand one for yourself. Remember Jazz drives??? HAH! > > > I'm using KDE 3.3 on Debian 2.6xxxxxxxxxxxx right now. > > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Remember Jazz drives??? HAH! I didn't have Jazz drives, but I still have Iomega Zip 100 drives on some of my work machines. Those aren't really that old. Some of the ones we still have to keep around are the 286 machines where the computer is horizontal and sits beneath the monitor. Those things are built like a tank, not like these plexiglass $29.99 cases that I buy now. >> > > I'm using KDE 3.3 on Debian 2.6xxxxxxxxxxxx right now. >> > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > built like a tank, not like these plexiglass $29.99 cases that I buy > now. We have to keep an 8088 around for one app! And, I was trying to round up some 286's and it seems they are actually in high demand, because machine tool companies have machinery about 10 years old that would require a major upgrade to run anything newer. It's easier to pay $500 for a refurbed 286 than $3,000 to upgrade the machine, or $35,000 for a new machine! Some of the software (as in our case) will only run on certain video cards, or certain versions of DOS or Windows, and the newer machines can't run those versions, the video is TOO good, etc. >computer is horizontal and sits beneath the monitor. Those things are >built like a tank, not like these plexiglass $29.99 cases that I buy >now. You can still get well-made cases. How about: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112084 :-) Both Lian Li and Antec make some nice cases that aren't all plastic. I've seen this Antec case in use and it's pretty sturdy. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129166 > > I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other > > than Windows NT. > > I started on DOS 3.1 with an eight-inch floppy drive to boot with. > This was in 1988 I think. Before that we used paper tape readers to > start up our simulators. I go back to CPM and audio tape to upload basic, no hard drive, 64KB memory. My first computer was a Digital Group with a Z80 processor. It was a mother board mounted on an aluminum chassis breadboard fashion and the monitor was a black and white Ball. The keyboard was a Cherry, I built it from a kit, no mice of course. -- >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other >> than Windows NT. > >I started on DOS 3.1 with an eight-inch floppy drive to boot with. >This was in 1988 I think. Before that we used paper tape readers to >start up our simulators. What simulators? Manned Space stuff?  SignatureScott in Florida > >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything > other >> than Windows NT. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Manned Space stuff? At that time I was in the Air Force and worked on B-52 Electronic Warfare and Fire Control (rear gunner) simulators. The technology was quite old and they would occassionaly update certain parts of it. The Fire Control simulator was all tubes, including the power supplies. Those were the days when we were practicing bombing missions into the Soviet Union. We had to have TS clearances because of our access to actual bombing run plans. >> >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything >> other >> than Windows NT. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Soviet Union. We had to have TS clearances because of our access to > actual bombing run plans. And I was working for the company doing a number of the upgrades. >> >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything >> other >> than Windows NT. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >Soviet Union. We had to have TS clearances because of our access to >actual bombing run plans. got ya. I worked Manned Space flight from Gemini 7/6 thru Apollo. SignatureScott in Florida >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other >> than Windows NT. > > I started on DOS 3.1 with an eight-inch floppy drive to boot with. > This was in 1988 I think. Before that we used paper tape readers to > start up our simulators. I started on an Abacus, and we used to trade binaries by Morse code.... Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 (look THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. If you had a spare $150, you could by a 4" reel of Mag tape to save your programs on. And, we had a DECWriter, a pin printer that would make the speed of some modern lazers look lackadasical! Then onto the VAX, and then my very own Timex Sinclair!!! Computers these days are AWESOME by comparison to some of the systems I've used! >Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 (look >THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. I'm still working with software that originated on RSTS on the PDP11. It's done in Basic Plus and now runs under a RSTS emulator/translator on unix. > >Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 (look > >THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. > > I'm still working with software that originated on RSTS on the PDP11. > It's done in Basic Plus and now runs under a RSTS emulator/translator > on unix. RSTS!!! holy mackerel. I'm getting a vision of the movie "Office Space" ... have you been out of the basement lately? >> >Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 (look >> >THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >I'm getting a vision of the movie "Office Space" ... have you been out >of the basement lately? When I applied for this job and they started explaining some of the systems they use, it was like history class or something. I guess it just shows how you can get locked into ways of doing things and not want to change because you don't want to interrupt business. You may also be reluctant to throw away all that time and money invested in the old software if it still does the job. Things have been improving though. They're now phasing out the dumb terminals connected via serial port, and I suspect that we will switch over to more modern software for the whole chain within the next few years. I feel this will increase efficiency, and allow for new functonality to be added in the future much more readily than in the past. It's difficult to move away from something that's been working for years. It's even hard to fully specify what the old software does, since there have been so many things added over the years, and no authoritative master list of changes exists. (Of if a list does exist, you can't be certain it's accurate.) To tell you the truth, the old system with the dumb terminals makes a certain amount of sense even today because dumb terminals withstand harsh environments better, and if one fails you don't lose any work really, because it's all done on the server. So there are all kinds of factors you have to account for, and that's why there is still so much legacy software around. I remember my Mom taking COBOL classes and using punchcards. This was in the late '70s. :-) So it was legacy then. Companies are still (today) using a lot of that old software done in COBOL because it would just cost too much to replace it. As for "Office Space" or the basement, I work aboveground and even have a window. I don't even have a red stapler. :-) BTW, we also have a lot of very modern apps running on big Sun boxes and on AIX and Win 2K3. Some of it is really cutting-edge. >> >Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 (look >> >THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > I'm getting a vision of the movie "Office Space" ... have you been out > of the basement lately? Really. But, "Rastus" was a really good Time-Sharing system! > >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other > >> than Windows NT. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I started on an Abacus, and we used to trade binaries by Morse code.... Ran a paper route when I was 18 on a Commodore VIC-20 with a cassette player and a 90 min cassette as persistent storage. Commodore BASIC. I swear... it had 8 KILOBYTES of ram. And that was with a cartridge plugin that was almost the size of a dvd case!! > Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 (look > THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. Back in '97 I did a one year job as a systems admin ... converted an engineering firm from a PDP 11/40 (and 11/83, 11/84) based dumb terminal system to an NT network. I used AltaVista software for email, firewall, and vpn. Remember AltaVista? They were the "google" of 1997. Also ran a 750 MB LAN web cache to augment the users' suggested 20 mb cache, which enabled me to share a 56k dialup connection between 20 concurrent web-surfers (and no speed complaints were ever heard while I was there), along with the firewall, dns, and POP/SMTP servers. Oh yeah, and the IIS 3.0 piece of crap external web site. Had a DEC Alpha (64 bit) running NT 4.0 SP3, along with Mysql 6.5. That was a real fun job. I did everything from crawling under desks pullling wire to writing all the code to convert the legacy apps to an intranet-based app. > If you had a spare $150, you could by a 4" reel of Mag tape to save your > programs on. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Then onto the VAX, and then my very own Timex Sinclair!!! Did a VAX back at that nameless chemical plant I worked at from 92-97. OpenVMS, Alpha hardware, ANSI C, Provox, real-time Manufacturing Execution System. Used DEC Rdb -- which was bought by Oracle in ... erm, I think 1998. Maybe a little earlier. > Computers these days are AWESOME by comparison to some of the systems I've > used! All they do is add 0's and 1's. >> Computers these days are AWESOME by comparison to some of the systems I've >> used! > >All they do is add 0's and 1's. But much faster, and there _have_ been some new applications added over the years. :-) The first time it really struck me was when I was given a Palm Professional as a Christmas bonus. I started reading the specs and realized that this little handheld thing was more powerful than the first Apple Macintoshes. It even had 1 MB of RAM, and I think the first Macs had 128K. The early Macs and the first Palms both used the 68000 series CPUs. The Palm had, I think, a 16 MHz CPU, and that was faster than the first Macs. >>> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything >>> other than Windows NT. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Actually, my first forays into the computer world was on a PDP11/03 > (look THAT one up!) with Teletypes and paper tape readers. I started on a DEC PDP8e with an ASR33 teletype and PDP8e reader somewhere around 1968. Had a whopping 4K of ram that was magnetic. Used the system to do calculations on a Bendix coordinate measuring machine at work. Crazy octal code using the four banks of three switches. load address 7600 load... Can't remember the whole sequence to start the binary loader. First home computer was TI 99/4. Later moved to a Franklin Ace 1000, an Apple clone. Geeze, you guys sure pulled up some old memories. Thanks! Ed Maier Arlington, TX >>>> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything >>>> other than Windows NT. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Ed Maier > Arlington, TX I actually got my hands on an 8 in 1995! Can't remember what OS it was running, but we got it started! 8" floppies, IIRC! Had to DL some stuff from DEC to get it running, they still had archives for it! >> I started on Windows 286... and it was more stable than anything other >> than Windows NT. > >I started on DOS 3.1 with an eight-inch floppy drive to boot with. >This was in 1988 I think. Before that we used paper tape readers to >start up our simulators. Boy was that some weird hardware. The first IBM PC I used had a 5 1/4" floppy drive (and the Apples had them too before that). I thought the 8" floppy was more or less obsolete by the end of the '70s. When I first started using the Apple, there was software that came on cassette tape. _That_ was kind of Rube Goldberg. :-) >> >I also have one ZIP disk with OS/2 on it... >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >Dude, why are you using Agent via WINE?? There are better freeware >programs on linux, such as pan, which kicks butt as a newsreader. I like Agent better. >> On the other hand, their products are generally kind of crappy, and >> they have definitely wasted huge amounts of people's time and money >> with crashes and malware. > >Again, I ask... why Agent on Linux? Why not? I like Agent and I run Linux. If I weren't using Agent, I'd choose either slrn or GNUS. >>I also have one ZIP disk with OS/2 on it... > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > stuff crash, viruses and other malware, having stuff just stop working > for some unknown reason or start working differently. and etc. Which verson of 'nux are you using, and how the hell did you actually get WINE to work?!?!?!?! I'm using Pan on SuSE > MS is probably, overall, good for the US. They've brought a lot of > money back into the US economy from all over the world. They're a very [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > they have definitely wasted huge amounts of people's time and money > with crashes and malware. >> Now I mainly use Linux (and I'm even using Agent on Linux via WINE). I >> got really tired of Windows and having to reboot all the time, having [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Which verson of 'nux are you using, and how the hell did you actually get >WINE to work?!?!?!?! I was using SuSE 9.3 and now I'm using 10.0. I don't know, WINE just worked... >>>SNIP< >>> But where's the fun in that?!?! [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > >I also have a 256MB memory stick, and a 1GB memory stick... I have a PPA Zip 100 too! It, along with 15 or 20 disks, has been gathering dust for the last 10 or so years :o ... > >>>SNIP< > >>> But where's the fun in that?!?! [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > ... Same here, I got a couple of zip drives free, but I don't use them. I backup my photos and other important stuff on CD's and a external firewire HD which is turned off except when I'm backing up. I like to use more than one media for backups. -- >I need some advice: > >I used to be a master PC builder; I built some of the fastest home-brew >systems around. We had all the gamers in the are coming to us because we >had a good reputation for high-end custom systems. Are YOU a gamer or a surfer? >I built the system I'm using now about 3 years ago; at the time a >screamer: SOYO DRAGON Ultra/Black edition, Kingston 433MHz PC3500 RAM, but >I skimped on the video; only an ATI 7000 card. What CPU are you using now? And which Dragon Ultra Black is it? (There are two for the AMD based board...) >I want to upgrade, and I want to keep my current components: the Kingston >RAM, I also have a Crucial PC3200 stick, but at 768M RAM I can only run >all the memory at 166. ??? You should get ram that runs at the same speed :/ >I also added a Diamond 8X AGP video card, ATI9550 >based. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >Celeron CPU at 533MHz FSB, but a clock speed of 3.2 GHz. Intel seems to >base their performance on the core speed of the CPU. WHY use Celery based cpu's??? You'll be happier with a *real* cpu ;-) >Either of these upgrades will allow me to keep all my same stuff, but up >the general speed of my system, at a cost of about $110. The boards are [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >(Hey, Wicked Doll, don't get overcome by the geekery, 'K? ;) If getting the fastest cpu that your current motherboard supports doesn't seem to be a good option, then spend the extra and get the Pentium D or Athlon 64 cpu (and get matching sticks of ram, too!) ... > >I need some advice: > >I used to be a master PC builder; I built some of the fastest home-brew > >systems around. We had all the gamers in the are coming to us because we > >had a good reputation for high-end custom systems. > Are YOU a gamer or a surfer? More of a surfer, business user, software antagonist (easiest way to describe my job!) and musician. Also currently an amateur photog; I used to be semi-pro, but that was a while ago... > >I built the system I'm using now about 3 years ago; at the time a > >screamer: SOYO DRAGON Ultra/Black edition, Kingston 433MHz PC3500 RAM, > >but > >I skimped on the video; only an ATI 7000 card. > What CPU are you using now? > And which Dragon Ultra Black is it? > (There are two for the AMD based board...) KT400 VIA chipset with the 400MHz FSB. > >I want to upgrade, and I want to keep my current components: the Kingston > >RAM, I also have a Crucial PC3200 stick, but at 768M RAM I can only run > >all the memory at 166. > ??? > You should get ram that runs at the same speed :/ They will play together at the DDR 400 speed, but the MB only allows 512M of DDR400. I had the Kingston 256, and bought the Crucial, and then bought more Kingston so I could set the bus speed back to 217. The ONE good thing about that SOYO MoBo!! > >I also added a Diamond 8X AGP video card, ATI9550 > >based. > >I can do this two ways: either way will be an ASUS MB; I have previously > >had a LOT of good luck with ASUS boards. > >Now I can go with a Socket 774 with an AMD CPU, or a Socket 775 with an > >Intel CPU. Back in the day, all you did was choose a processor (AMD or > >Intel) and the speed, usually defined by the size of your wallet. > >It seems both companies do things different ways. AMD seems to have gone > >with CPU to Chipset communications, using bus speeds of at least 800MHz > >and up. A decent combination seems to be an ASUS K8N board with a > >Semperon > >CPU, 2.6 GHz on a 1600MHz bus. > >The other choice is the same MB but with the Intel socket, with a Pentium > >Celeron CPU at 533MHz FSB, but a clock speed of 3.2 GHz. Intel seems to > >base their performance on the core speed of the CPU. > WHY use Celery based cpu's??? > You'll be happier with a *real* cpu ;-) Yeah, I think I'll skip the Celeron. It was 'cheap' at $44. I can get an OEM Intel P4 for about $100 more, 800MHz FSB at 3.2GHz. This seems to be the way I am leaning... > >Either of these upgrades will allow me to keep all my same stuff, but up > >the general speed of my system, at a cost of about $110. The boards are > >~$65 and the CPUs are <$50. > >THe only other choice is an ASUS MB with an Intel Pentium D, 800MHz FSB > >and 2.8GHz. This option would run about $200 or so. > >If you guys were building a new system, and money WERE an object, what > >would you buy? > >(Hey, Wicked Doll, don't get overcome by the geekery, 'K? ;) > If getting the fastest cpu that your current motherboard supports > doesn't seem to be a good option, then spend the extra and get the > Pentium D or Athlon 64 cpu (and get matching sticks of ram, too!) It is a Socket "A" (4??) and the chips are GONE! > I need some advice: > [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > (Hey, Wicked Doll, don't get overcome by the geekery, 'K? ;) Now days I wouldn't bother building a computer with component parts. You can buy them all ready to go for very little. Example, I purchased an XP machine, AMD3100 w. 40 meg HD, memory, a decent video card and XP home edition and it all came to $200 after I got my rebate back. This summer I picked up a nice 17 inch LCD display and after my rebate comes in I'll have $140 in it. If you have a Micro-Center near they have these deal all the time and also have a bunch of mother boards if you like to go that route. Signature>> THe only other choice is an ASUS MB with an Intel Pentium D, 800MHz FSB >> and 2.8GHz. This option would run about $200 or so. The Pentium D really isn't that good, and it runs really hot like other Netburst CPUs from what I've been told. You're better off with an AMD CPU at the present time. (This will probably change as the Core 2 Duo chips come out.) >> If you guys were building a new system, and money WERE an object, what >> would you buy? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >these deal all the time and also have a bunch of mother boards if you >like to go that route. There are even better deals out there. http://www.k-ossystems.com/cgi-bin/kart/index.php?p=productsMore&iProduct=30 > >> THe only other choice is an ASUS MB with an Intel Pentium D, 800MHz FSB > >> and 2.8GHz. This option would run about $200 or so. [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > http://www.k-ossystems.com/cgi-bin/kart/index.php?p=productsMore&iProduct=30 Makes me wonder how they can make any money. No rebate to fool with either. Signature>> >> THe only other choice is an ASUS MB with an Intel Pentium D, 800MHz FSB >> >> and 2.8GHz. This option would run about $200 or so. [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Makes me wonder how they can make any money. No rebate to fool with > either. A Socket A MoBo?!?!?! Noly Crap! I have a Socket A MoBo...you can't get them OR the chips any more, or I'd just pop in an Athlon XP 3200+!!!! >>> >Now days I wouldn't bother building a computer with component parts. >>> >You can buy them all ready to go for very little. Example, I purchased [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >Noly Crap! I have a Socket A MoBo...you can't get them OR the chips any >more, or I'd just pop in an Athlon XP 3200+!!!! But you have to admit that this is a lot of computer for $150. The point about no rebate is a good one too. > >>> >Now days I wouldn't bother building a computer with component parts. > >>> >You can buy them all ready to go for very little. Example, I purchased [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > The point about no rebate is a good one too. A better deal than I got for sure, bigger hard drive ect. Thing to keep in mind too is these computers are most likely made in the same factory. -- >by Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.GTS> Jul 17, 2006 at 10:57 PM > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] >>> > >>> >Now days I wouldn't bother building a computer with component parts. >>> >You can buy them all ready to go for very little. Example, I >purchased [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >>> >in I'll have $140 in it. If you have a Micro-Center near they have >>> >these deal all the time and also have a bunch of mother boards if you >>> >like to go that route. >>> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >Noly Crap! I have a Socket A MoBo...you can't get them OR the chips any >more, or I'd just pop in an Athlon XP 3200+!!!! You can still get Athlon XP 3200's, 3000,2800,etc, new or used, on Ebay. >>by Hachiroku <Trueno@ae86.GTS> Jul 17, 2006 at 10:57 PM >> [quoted text clipped - 43 lines] >> > You can still get Athlon XP 3200's, 3000,2800,etc, new or used, on Ebay. I love the processor, it's the SOYO MoBo I'm trying to get away from! It had all the right pieces, but the execution wasn't there. Shame, because you can clock the hell out of EVERYTHING; the biggest problem is that even with 3 DDR (3x184) RAM sockets, you can only run 512M at DDR400. If you try to put in more, it crashes at anything above 166. Looks like an Asus A8V, K8T800 Chipset, AGP 8X, DDR 400 MoBo with an Athlon +3800 Venice CPU. All the banchmarks place this chip near the top, and at $145 it keeps up with Pentiums ~$225-300! It fall on it's face in the CPU Drystone/Whetstone test that measure JUST the CPU, but in all the tests using apps it performs as well as some of the more expensve Intels (most of the test results hover around a 3.2GHz Northwood, and it costs $300!!!) and it outperforms similarly priced Intels. I JUST BOUGHT an 8X AGP card, and bought some Kingston HyperX PC3500 RAM a couple months ago, so I want something I can use these pieces in for another couple years. By then the Next Best Thing will be out, and the price of evereything else will hit the deck. Now, just gotta stay away from Windows 'Vista'... >>> THe only other choice is an ASUS MB with an Intel Pentium D, 800MHz FSB >>> and 2.8GHz. This option would run about $200 or so. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > You're better off with an AMD CPU at the present time. (This will > probably change as the Core 2 Duo chips come out.) I've had an AMD 386/40; first machine I built, then an Intel 486DX33 clocked up to 50MHz, and then an AMD k6 400 clocked up to 450MHz (ran the damn thing for 7 years! The only reason I built a new one was because the KB connector went south. If I put a USB KB in it it would live again!) Then I built my AMD Athlon XP 3 years ago, with Kingston HyperX RAM, PC3500, clocked to 217MHz. Runs well and is plenty fast, but the SOYO MoBo it a PITA. I ran the HyperX at 217MHz (433MHZ) and the CPU at 2.08GHz, and it ran fine on Linux or W2K until I loaded XP, then started crashing. I can run Linux Full Bore, but XP doesn't like the speed! The Intel chips are finally starting to outrun the AMDs after a long time of AMD Dominance. Basicall, I'm running from the MoBo, and right now, Intel seems to have the Hot Setups for under $500. >>> If you guys were building a new system, and money WERE an object, what >>> would you buy? [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > http://www.k-ossystems.com/cgi-bin/kart/index.php?p=productsMore&iProduct=30 >by Stuart Krivis <jd@mongo.krivis.com> Jul 17, 2006 at 10:45 AM > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >>Now days I wouldn't bother building a computer with component parts. >>You can buy them all ready to go for very little. Example, I purchased >>an XP machine, AMD3100 w. 40 meg HD, memory, a decent video card and XP >>home edition and it all came to $200 after I got my rebate back. This >>summer I picked up a nice 17 inch LCD display and after my rebate comes >>in I'll have $140 in it. If you have a Micro-Center near they have >>these deal all the time and also have a bunch of mother boards if you [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >http://www.k-ossystems.com/cgi-bin/kart/index.php?p=productsMore&iProduct=30 There's no such thing as a Duron 2.8 Ghz. The fastest and the last one they made was 1.8 Ghz, with 266 Mhz Front Side Bus. Maybe it's overclocked. >There's no such thing as a Duron 2.8 Ghz. The fastest and the last one >they made was 1.8 Ghz, with 266 Mhz Front Side Bus. Maybe it's >overclocked. I kind of doubt it's overclocked. There's so little margin on this that they're not going to waste time fiddling around with that kind of thing. I'd imagine it was a typo. If I was in the market for a new PC, I'd shoot them an e-mail and ask. >>There's no such thing as a Duron 2.8 Ghz. The fastest and the last one >>they made was 1.8 Ghz, with 266 Mhz Front Side Bus. Maybe it's [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > If I was in the market for a new PC, I'd shoot them an e-mail and ask. I would guess it's a Sempron, which is the last of the Socket "A" series. |
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