Some help upgrading (moderate noob)

Explicit · 25 Feb 2006 at 20:12

They run at the same speed as the other expensive options, but they have slightly slacker timings.

But for a dual core, multi-tasking setup, they will be absolutely fine. The value name should not put you off, they are very good kits for that kind of money.

JaMeS89 · 25 Feb 2006 at 20:15

what does slacker timings actually mean?

JaMeS89 · 25 Feb 2006 at 22:30

so this is the final spec:

CP-134-AM AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 3800+ (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA3800BVBOX) (CP-134-AM)

£182.95

MB-119-AS Asus A8N-VM CSM Micro ATX (Socket 939) PCI Express Motherboard (MB-119-AS)

£54.95

CA-000-AR Arctic Cooling T1 Silentium Silent Midi Tower Case - 450W Seasonic Silent PSU (CA-000-AR)

£49.95

MY-046-GL GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 Value Dual Channel Kit CAS3 (GE2GB3200BDC) (MY-046-GL)

£109.95

Subtotal £397.80

VAT £69.62

Total £467.42

Do i need anything else? Is this all compatible? Is this correct for a non-gamer who wants to run multi applications/music/downloading etc? That mobo includes a graphics card?

Explicit · 25 Feb 2006 at 22:38

^ That is spot on for a £500 build!

Don't worry about the memory timings, GeIL is perfect for your needs.

Do you already have a hard drive / DVD writer?

JaMeS89 · 25 Feb 2006 at 22:54

Yup, its only a 40gb HD, but i have a 120gb external HD which i store most of my data on anyway, so thats fine. May upgrade some time anyway

i just bought an LG 4167B, so i got a DVD writer (even if it is a bit temperamental)

thanks for all ure help, ill complete the upgrade asap, i think im now slightly less of a noob

Explicit · 25 Feb 2006 at 22:55

No worries mate, let us know how it goes

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 15:01

a few more quick questions (just in case

)

- Is the graphis card on the mobo any good?

- Wil i have to reinstall Windows as i am still keeping my HD (may format though)

- Are the components easy to install, i.e. just plug in?

Etaqua · 26 Feb 2006 at 15:13

A nice analogy for AMD and Intel processors is a shovel.

Think of AMD as a shovel with a gigantic head; it can move tons of soil in one go.

Think of Intel as a shovel with a tiny head; it can move a small amount of soil in one go.

In order for the small headed shovel (Intel) to move the same amount of soil as the large headed shovel (AMD) it has to move a lot quicker, which is why a 1.8GHz A64 is roughly the same speed as a 3GHz Intel processor.

Graphics cards, sound cards, RAM and hard drives are easy to install.

Graphics cards slot into a PCI-E or AGP slot, and may require you to connect them to the PSU.

Sound cards just slot into a PCI slot.

RAM just slots into the memory bays.

Hard drives require you to connect them to the IDE/SATA slots on your motherboard, and connect to the PSU. You have to set the jumpers as well.

Processors are the only hard things to install really, since they install in multiple steps.

When you turn on your PC, you can just go into the BIOS and tell it to probe for hard drives, etc, and it should autodetect them.

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 16:02

do you have a guide for installing processors?

iraiguana · 26 Feb 2006 at 16:25

the motherboard manual will have a guide for how to install the cpu onto it. and if u are using the retail cpu then the cooler will have a pad already attached so u basically just slot it on top and lock it down, all of which is explaine in the manual or a piece of paper with the cpu. Just when u stick it in make sure to check that the corners with the arrow match, all u really need to know.

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 17:40

Will i need to reinstall Windows, even if i dont format my hard drive?

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 17:54

also.. what other cases are compatible for the mobo? i just want to see whats on offer (around the same price or a little higher)

just read on the arctic cooling spec site:

Mainboard Compatibility
All mainboards that follow the ATX standard and therefore are no wider than 24.5 cm are compatible to our PC case.
But there are some Asus mainboards that align their Floppy connector horizontally instead of vertically. Therefore the board exceeds the ATX standard as soon as you install a Floppy data cable and is then no more compatible to our case.
Without pluging in a Floppy data cable, these boards fit our case perfectly.

will this be fine with the mobo im getting?

Ender · 26 Feb 2006 at 18:11

should be, are you adding a floppy drive anyway?

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 18:40

Ender said:
should be, are you adding a floppy drive anyway?

yes, will this be a problem? if it is then i can always not put one in

Monstermunch · 26 Feb 2006 at 18:47

you really need a floppy just in case you need to run things like manufacturers boot discs for HDD problems etc etc.

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 18:51

but will this mobo be fine with the case? (also.. what other cases can be used with this mobo?)

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 19:04

which case it better for this mobo: Asus A8N-VM CSM Micro ATX (Socket 939) PCI Express Motherboard (MB-119-AS)

this case

Asus TA-210 Series Midi Tower (Black) - 360W PSU (CA-004-AS)

or this one

Arctic Cooling T1 Silentium Silent Midi Tower Case - 450W Seasonic Silent PSU (CA-000-AR)

Monstermunch · 26 Feb 2006 at 19:10

JaMeS89 said:
which case it better for this mobo: Asus A8N-VM CSM Micro ATX (Socket 939) PCI Express Motherboard (MB-119-AS)

this case

Asus TA-210 Series Midi Tower (Black) - 360W PSU (CA-004-AS)

or this one

Arctic Cooling T1 Silentium Silent Midi Tower Case - 450W Seasonic Silent PSU (CA-000-AR)

360w psu will not be powerful enough, I would say 450w minimum these days. How about this case as another option:

CA-040-AN Antec Sonata II Piano Black Quiet Case - 450W Smart Power PSU (CA-040-AN)
£65.95

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 20:34

TBH i prefer the look of the arctic cooling case, and its cheaper, but will a floppy drive fit in it as there is a warning on its site?

JaMeS89 · 26 Feb 2006 at 21:15

when the spec of a case says "2 usb slots", does that mean the max amount of usb slots i can have is 2?