Please Help...

Westovski

Westovski

Westovski

Associate
Joined
1 Aug 2005
Posts
111
Location
Chesterfield
Hi guys,

Just looking for some help regarding an upgrade (or complete overhaul) to my computer.

My current rig specification is as follows:

Mountainmods U2 UFO
Athlon XP2800+
Asus A7N8X
ATI Radeon 9200 (i know, i know)
1gb Crucial PC 3200 DDR 400
1x Maxtor 150 GB HDD
1x Samsung 300 GB HDD
Levicom 330W PSU

I'm desperate for an upgrade as my current rig isn't running anything well (bar CS 1.6) and i'd quite like to play some of the new games around (i've even got HL2 ready and waiting).

The problem being is i'm not the best person at saving money (or waiting even). I've got plenty of disposable income to spend on a rig, however, most of it gets blown before i get chance to upgrade.

The way I look at it, is that it would be sensible to upgrade in blocks (as each monthly wage comes in). I.e. exchange parts of the system when I can afford to do as such. I've no need for a case or HDD space. I guess the starting point would be to upgrade my mobo & cpu and also psu.

I'd quite like a PCI-E mobo, the thing is, I've only got £350 free at the moment. I could possibly stretch to £400, but at the same time, I want to be able to continue using my computer so i'd need some form of graphics chip.

If someone could help to Spec me a machine that i can buy bit by bit and still have a functioning computer all the time, well, quite frankly, i'd adore you. I want something relatively powerful, case monitors etc are not needed. I've got a total budget of around £800 i guess. Thanks in advance.
 
This streches your budget by 10£, but you can win that at lottery next week :D

CP-135-IN Intel Core 2 DUO E6300 "LGA775 Alendalle" 1.86GHz (1066FSB) - OEM (CP-135-IN)
£114.95 £114.95
MB-163-AS Asus P5VD2-MX Micro ATX (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (MB-163-AS)
£39.95 £39.95
GX-044-CO Connect3D ATI Radeon X1800 XT 256MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-044-CO)
£129.95 £129.95
MY-030-CR Crucial 1GB DDR PC3200 CAS3 (CT12864Z40B) (MY-030-CR)
£64.95 £64.95
Subtotal £349.80
VAT £61.22
Total £411.02
 
would the PSU i've got now support those things?

that's the thing, i want to change parts as i'm buying, cos it'll probably be a 3-4 month period (as i'm off to America shortly).

so i figured i might be able to get a psu mobo and chip for about £400 and continue for a while with just those and what i have already.

thanks though!
 
Westovski said:
I take it DDR2 is the way forward then, and there's no backwards compatibility at all?
Click to expand...
Correct, It's just a shame they gave them so similar names as DDR won't even fit in a DDR2 socket and I imagine a lot of people make the mistake of thinking they're backward compatible.
 
Just get a graphics card...?

I played HL2 start to finish with similar horsepower to you current system. Merely with a better graphics card.

This should give you more time to save up. I would take a look at the For Sale forum here for old AGP cards.
 
How about one of the following spec i've found on another thread.

It's a little over budget but i'm sure i could sort something out:

CP-135-IN Intel Core 2 DUO E6300 "LGA775 Alendalle" 1.86GHz (1066FSB) - OEM (CP-135-IN) 1
£114.95 £114.95
MB-003-AK Asrock ConroeXFire-eSATA2 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (MB-003-AK) 1
£51.95 £51.95
MY-030-GL GeIL 1GB (2x512MB) PC5300 667MHz Value DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX21GB5300DC) (MY-030-GL) 1
£51.95 £51.95
GX-044-CO Connect3D ATI Radeon X1800 XT 256MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-044-CO) 1
£129.95 £129.95
HS-021-AR Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 CPU Cooler (Socket 775) (HS-021-AR) 1
£6.25 £6.25
Subtotal £355.05
VAT £62.14
Total £417.19

How about the above, does that sound ok?

Obviously i'd need a PSU aswell, my only specifications for that are £50> and it needs to be silver, preferably with a blue illuminated fan, or UV fan.
 
Ok, an addition to the above, how does this sound?

CP-135-IN Intel Core 2 DUO E6300 "LGA775 Alendalle" 1.86GHz (1066FSB) - OEM (CP-135-IN) 1
£114.95 £114.95
MB-003-AK Asrock ConroeXFire-eSATA2 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (MB-003-AK) 1
£51.95 £51.95
MY-030-GL GeIL 1GB (2x512MB) PC5300 667MHz Value DDR2 Dual Channel Kit (GX21GB5300DC) (MY-030-GL) 1
£51.95 £51.95
GX-044-CO Connect3D ATI Radeon X1800 XT 256MB GDDR3 AVIVO TV-Out/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail (GX-044-CO) 1
£129.95 £129.95
HS-021-AR Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 CPU Cooler (Socket 775) (HS-021-AR) 1
£6.25 £6.25
CA-023-EN Enermax Noisetaker 535W EG565AX-VE(W) SFMA ATX2.0 SLI Compliant PSU (CA-023-EN) 1
£54.95 £54.95
Subtotal £410.00
Shipping (City Link Parcel Next Day (Delivered Mon-Fri)) £8.95
VAT £73.32
Total £492.27
 
Thanks guys :)

would this be a decent PSU? it's the colour scheme i'm going for really (plus it's a tenner cheaper):

OCZ ModStream 450w ATX2.2 Power Supply (CA-016-OC)
The OCZ ModStream power supply family is the quietest, sleekest, most versatile PSU available today! The ModStream comes in 450W/520W configurations with 550W/620W peak loads; they are the ideal solution for PC-users desiring a high-quality mix of power and versatility in their system. Every ModStream is equipped with OCZ EZMod technology. This advanced cable management system allows you to truly customize you power system to utilize only the UV cables you require, resulting in optimal airflow and the coolest possible environment within your case! All EZMod cables glow brightly when illuminated with UV lighting accessories.

- OCZ PowerWhisper Technology with 120mm fan
- OCZ PowerShield PCI-Express lead
- OCZ EZMod advanced cable management system
- Supports ATX/BTX/PCI Express/SATA
- Active PFC**
- 3 Year warranty backed by OCZ’s exclusive PowerSwap replacement program.


Full Specification

Price: £44.95 (£52.82 Including VAT at 17.5%)
 
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