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Answer» As of Tuesday, December 5th, 2007 at 17:18 my ASUS Motherboard was pronounced dead. She was survived by a graphics card.. and a case.
Basically, I'm buying a new motherboard / processor. I was informed that a good route to go would be a Duo 2 Core Processor by Intel. I'm going to try and remain with Intel, as I have always done.
However, I'm very, unknowledgeable, when coming to hardware. I'm not sure exactly what I need to get. It seems I have a "P4 3.4GHZ (800FSB) 1MB" Processor and a Asus P4P800-E Deluxe I865PE MB Motherboard. Looking at www.newegg.com I found two items I was considering purchasing, however I'm not sure if its necessary, or if it is even a upgrade. The sole purpose of my computer is gaming, and I LOVE graphics/performance. My gaming consists of MMORPGS (World of Warcraft) so I need good performance to compete.
Here are the two hardware pieces:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115003
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128012
Thanks!!Your budget is an important thing to know. Some things can be salvaged off the old carcass, but some things will need to be bought anew if you go with state of the art equipment. If you have a P4 processor and plan to use it, then your are pobably looking at an AGP slot based motherboard,which are a lot less common these days as PCIe is the new standard.
So let us know what all you are planning to re-use and we can advise further.
Track has also been summoned to assist with gaming suggestions, as that seems to be your main focus.Thanks for you reply!
I had gone to Circuit City at the Firedog desk and they had informed me that my motherboard was shot, and my processor could not be reused. They said that my Videocard was still good, however.
My budget is about $600, but lower would be good, as always :-). I really want to have the best performance I can, I'm an avid video gamer and on top of that I really enjoy making machinema (movies using video-games) so good video quality AND recording that quality is a preference of mine. However this movie making obviously is not bringing me any money so I'm not going to invest in it too much.
Here's the jist of my post:
My processor and motherboard seem to be shot
My video card is OKAY
My budget is about $600 for a motherboard and CPU
(Will pay more obviously for more pieces)
Are my options an upgrade? I tried researching on PCWorld.com
I took some software classes through highschool, and I took apart and put together a computer, but thats all I know. Thats why I'm in this forum to try and learn from my problems, and other people's problems as well :-)
EDIT: Who is Track? I don't know a whole lot about the new Intel Duo2 processor, but from looking at the spec's on the MB that you are considering it does say that it takes DDR2 Memory(240 pin). From what I found out about your old mb, it used a P4 processor(478 pin) and DDR Memory(184 pin). You would have to buy new memory also. Also check to SEE what form your old MB is.ATX or minATX?
Will the new MB fit in your case?
If you're interested in selling your old processor and memory,I would be interested in it.
Hope the information helps. Alright, seems pretty simple..
Your motherboard died, and allegedly took ur Pentium 4 with it. Now u must buy a new motherboard.
This means that u have 2 choices - Buy the same exact motherboad u lost (if ur P4 is alright) or buy a new 775 motherboard.
Comparison beetween ur old P4P800-E Deluxe and a 775 motherboard:
P4P800-E Deluxe
- CPU socket 478
- DDR RAM
- AGP x8
775 motherboard
- CPU socket 775
- DDR2 RAM
- PCI-Express x16
So this means that u will have to buy a new CPU, a new graphics card and new RAM, along with the new 775 motherboard. There is an option to buy a 775 motherboard with AGP, but thats a bad idea - only stick with AGP as long as u stick with a P4.
What to buy:
- DFI Infinity motherboard - [highlight]160$[/highlight]. This motherboard is an amazing thing. Why? Ill tell u why! It has the exact same features as the X975XBX2 (the most expensive motherboard on earth) and costs only half of it's price. It has 2 PCIe slots (for extreme gaming now and for the future), 1066Mhz Core 2 Duo support, DDR2-800 support, etc. It is what i will buy very soon aswell. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136168
EDIT: After researching high-end motherboards all day, i find that the DFI INFINITY has an issue where it can only overclock the FSB to 333Mhz, unless u try their new Beta Driver. Only thing that is LEFT is the Asus P5W DH Deluxe, or the Intel X975XBX..
-E6600/E6400 CPU - [highlight]225/300$[/highlight]. It would be difficult to truly express how amazing the brand new Core 2 Duo line of Dual-Core CPUs from Intel is. They are far superior (mostly in gaming) to AMD's competitors, the Athlon 64 X2 series of Dual-Core CPUs, and they cost MUCH less.
For instence, in order to get the same performance as an Intel E6400 (2.1Ghz) wich costs 225$, from an AMD CPU, u would have to buy the FX-62 (2.8Ghz), wich costs 900$.
Not to mention that the Core 2 Duos can overclock like *censored*. What does this mean? Well, imagine u have an E6400 wich u bought for 225$. Now u can take that same CPU and overclock it to 2.9Ghz or above, and have the most powerfull CPU on earth - the X6800.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Category=34&N=2000340343+1051707842+1050722265&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=343
- 1GB Corsair DDR2-677 RAM - [highlight]100$[/highlight]. You will need at least DDR2-667 for overclocking, u can get DDR2-800 for abt 15$ more, but that could be too high for the E6400. You could also buy 2GB, wich u would need for gaming, but u can do that later.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820146580
-X1950XT/8800GTS - [highlight]250$/450$[/highlight]. The X1950XT is the most powerfull card on earth, and it costs only 250$. The 8800GTS is a DX10 card, and u may want it for Windows Vista. You could buy an X1950XT now and another X1950XT in a few months and put them both to work together in Corssfire, or u could buy an 8800GTS from eVGA for 450$, trade it in when the 8900GTX comes out, and another 8900GTX a while after that.
The above is the bare minimum for a budget high-end gaming machine, with the performance of the highest machine possible today. Price/Performance wise, its perfect.
Without the graphics card, the system is under 550$, but you're going to need a graphics card.
You could choose to wait, and not buy a WHOLE new PC right now, but u might aswell buy it now.
Surely u can sell some of ur current hardware. Make SURE that the P4 dosent work.
Enjoy!Thanks a ton, Track :exclamation I will definately look into what you've told me. I really appreciate you taking the time to write this out.
Is there a way to test my P4 without putting it into another computer?
Also, you really impressed me by saying you researched high-end motherboards, thanks again. Since the beta driver is the only thing I can use, wouldn't it be worth getting the motherboard and waiting for the beta to go, official or however its termed?
Another question, I'm trying to learn as much as I can... what is the difference between DDR ram and DDR2 Ram? Is it just performance? Comparing a v6 engine to a v8?
Thanks again for your time and effort.
EDIT: While looking for a X1950XT I found several results searching for it. I believe this is what you are speaking of?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102067
[smiley=dankk2.gif]There are some smaller PC repair shops that will bench test a CPU for a small fee...check in your area and don't waste time on the big houses they couldn't be bothered.
I usually make a very small nick on the face of it to make sure i get the tested one back.
These small shops can be a great place to do business as after getting a relationship going and making a few purchases that they will bargain for; you become a regular and they will usually get real close in price to the mass retailers.
It's worth the extra few bucks the first few times.
As a matter of fact if more people shopped this way more of them would be in business...I'm going to need one of them nifty anti-static bags for when I take my CPU, correct? I'm not gunna toss it into my pocket.
Quote Also, you really impressed me by saying you researched high-end motherboards, thanks again. Since the beta driver is the only thing I can use, wouldn't it be worth getting the motherboard and waiting for the beta to go, official or however its termed?
Thats an interesting issue ive come accross.
The "Beta" BIOS drivers dont ever seem to be released. There was a beta released on 08/30 that fixed the overclocking issue, but then there was a "final" release after that on 09/13 wich had the overclocking issue still. So its like they forgot abt the "Beta" driver and made a new one.
Same thing happened 3 weeks ago - "Beta" drivers released on 11/15, "final" drivers released on 11/26. "Final" Drivers have the same problem as before the release of the 11/15 betas.
So all in all its like this - the "Beta" drivers fix the problem, but then the "final" release after that still has the problems that the beta that was released before it fixed.
Ive been talking to DFI support, and i hope to resolve this issue soon.
QuoteAnother question, I'm trying to learn as much as I can... what is the difference between DDR ram and DDR2 Ram? Is it just performance? Comparing a v6 engine to a v8?
DDR2 uses a smaller PROCESS technology, wich means that the DDR2 chips are smaller, produce less heat, and thus are able to be clocked much higher. Not to mention that DDR2 uses much less power. The highest clock achieved on DDR was 400Mhz and the current highest to be had with DDR2 is 1,200Mhz. So yes, it is performance that differs them (if u buy low latencies on DDR2), because the clocks are higher. A V6 is bigger than a V8, and is thus more powerfull - in the world of PC hardware the point is to be more or less the same size and still have gradule performance gains.
The only problem is that while the clocks go up, the latenct goes up aswell, meaning that having DDR2-800 is not different than having DDR-400 or around that (at normal latencies). If u buy DDR2-800 memory with the same latency as DDR-400, u will have very much faster memory, but that costs a *censored* of a lot more.
QuoteEDIT: While looking for a X1950XT I found several results searching for it. I believe this is what you are speaking of?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102067
[smiley=dankk2.gif]
Yup, thats it alright - the most powerfull card on earth for 250$, can u believe it was over 600$ less than 10 months ago?
QuoteI'm going to need one of them nifty anti-static bags for when I take my CPU, correct? I'm not gunna toss it into my pocket.
I dont use one. As long as ur careful and remmember to touch the back of the case (in order to discharge any static electricity u may have) before touching the components, ull be fine.Track, and GXI_Man, janmcl, patio thanks a ton for your help!!
I will work on this for awhile and give you an update on how things are going!
Thanks Again
QuoteTrack, and GXI_Man, janmcl, patio thanks a ton for your help!!
I will work on this for awhile and give you an update on how things are going!
Thanks Again
No problem. Happy to help!Har Har! T'was 21 days that I've been working on my new hardware.. sorta. Had a lot of little issues here and there but FINALLY I've got it all in my computer, booted 'er up and away she goes!!
If that was true, this wouldn't be a post worthwhile.
I have failed to hold onto my Installation CD for my motherboard and all this wait has got me a wee bit anxious. I've installed drivers sucessfully (somehow) without using the CD until I got to the Ethernet Controller, Primary IDE Channel, PCI Device and a SM Bus Controller. I've also failed to get sound working, which I am also troubleshooting using windows.(woo hoo.)
I told ya I'd be back with a report and here I am, true to my word! I'm looking for a driver pack online that I could... download onto this internet accessible computer and transfer over via USB Jumpdrive perhaps to the other computer ?
Thanks a ton, all!You can find any driver u need on the internet. Google the manufacturer's website.Thanks a ton!
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