Every Three Years I Build a New PC...

[contrapositive]

And here's what I'm considering...

EPOX EP-8RDA+ PRO nVIDIA nFORCE2 ULTRA 400 CHIPSET SERIAL ATA150 ATX FORM
FACTOR 1xAGP(8X)/6xPCI/3xDDR W/SATA RAID, LAN, USB 2.0 & AUDIO

AMD ATHLON XP 3000+ 400MHZ OEM W/O COOLING FAN
- or -
AMD SEMPRON 3000+ SOCKET 462 RETAIL BOXED W/COOLING FAN

KINGSTON KVR400X64C3A/1G 1024MB PC3200 400MHZ CL3 (3-3-3) DDR DIMM

MAXTOR 250GB MXDX6B or 6L250R0 UATA-133 PATA 16MB 7200RPM (Bare drive)

ATI RADEON 9250 256MB DDR 8XAGP W/TV & DVI

Etc.

The PC will be running Windows XP, and will primarily be used for internet,
light gaming (for the kids), and managing MP3's (for my iPod).

I want to make sure that what I've selected isn't technology about to go
obsolete. I guess the board is okay (I want Firewire and I like EPOX) but
I'm not sure the difference in the two chips (Sempron vs. Athlon; the more I
read, the more confused I get). Also, there are a lot of different
technologies of memory, it seems -- DDR, DDR High Performance, DDR2 -- and
speeds. Hopefully what I've selected here will hold me for a while. (Crucial
was my other choice as far as "brand," but it's slightly more expensive.)

Any comments at all would be great. I try to stay slightly ahead of the game
in terms of technology, but I need something affordable at the same time.
Thanks.

-jk

 

[Carbon]

And here's what I'm considering...

EPOX EP-8RDA+ PRO nVIDIA nFORCE2 ULTRA 400 CHIPSET SERIAL ATA150 ATX
FORM FACTOR 1xAGP(8X)/6xPCI/3xDDR W/SATA RAID, LAN, USB 2.0 & AUDIO

AMD ATHLON XP 3000+ 400MHZ OEM W/O COOLING FAN - or - AMD SEMPRON 3000+
SOCKET 462 RETAIL BOXED W/COOLING FAN

KINGSTON KVR400X64C3A/1G 1024MB PC3200 400MHZ CL3 (3-3-3) DDR DIMM

MAXTOR 250GB MXDX6B or 6L250R0 UATA-133 PATA 16MB 7200RPM (Bare drive)

ATI RADEON 9250 256MB DDR 8XAGP W/TV & DVI

If you're building a new machine it might be better to skip over the
discontinued socket A stuff and go with a socket 939 nforce4 ultra system
and an amd 64 bit cpu. A couple of months ago I picked up a Foxconn board
for $104 (comes with firewire, gigabit ethernet, etc.) and an Athlon 64
3000+ retail cpu for $146. You would need also to get a PCI Express video
card; I think the 128mb X300 based card w/DVI and TV I got was $65 or so.

The price difference will be small but the 64-bit machine ought to be
quite a bit faster and have more upgrade potential.

 

[Marc Hulsebosch]

And here's what I'm considering...

EPOX EP-8RDA+ PRO nVIDIA nFORCE2 ULTRA 400 CHIPSET SERIAL ATA150 ATX FORM
FACTOR 1xAGP(8X)/6xPCI/3xDDR W/SATA RAID, LAN, USB 2.0 & AUDIO

AMD ATHLON XP 3000+ 400MHZ OEM W/O COOLING FAN
- or -
AMD SEMPRON 3000+ SOCKET 462 RETAIL BOXED W/COOLING FAN

KINGSTON KVR400X64C3A/1G 1024MB PC3200 400MHZ CL3 (3-3-3) DDR DIMM

MAXTOR 250GB MXDX6B or 6L250R0 UATA-133 PATA 16MB 7200RPM (Bare drive)

ATI RADEON 9250 256MB DDR 8XAGP W/TV & DVI

Etc.

The PC will be running Windows XP, and will primarily be used for internet,
light gaming (for the kids), and managing MP3's (for my iPod).

I want to make sure that what I've selected isn't technology about to go
obsolete. I guess the board is okay (I want Firewire and I like EPOX) but
I'm not sure the difference in the two chips (Sempron vs. Athlon; the more I
read, the more confused I get). Also, there are a lot of different
technologies of memory, it seems -- DDR, DDR High Performance, DDR2 -- and
speeds. Hopefully what I've selected here will hold me for a while. (Crucial
was my other choice as far as "brand," but it's slightly more expensive.)

Any comments at all would be great. I try to stay slightly ahead of the game
in terms of technology, but I need something affordable at the same time.
Thanks.

-jk

Though an Athlon XP 3000+ is stil quite a nice processor (wish i had one
), Socket A is quite old, it has been replaced which Socket 754, and
later that one was replaced by 939, which would be my first choice. It
probably wont be possible to upgrade this system, because a Sempron
3400+ might be the fastest processor you will ever be able to get.
Same thing with your graphics card: AGP is also being replaced, and the
newest series of cards are PCI-E only.

So: i would recommend to try a Socket 939 system, with PCI-E. (But if
you want this system, i would go for the Athlon XP)

Marc

 

[Max]

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 90nm (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA3000BPBOX)

Gigabyte K8N Pro SLi nForce4 SLi (Socket 939) PCI-Express Motherboard

OcUK Value 1GB (2x512MB) PC3200 184pin DDR Memory Dual Channel Kit

Sapphire ATI Radeon X800 XL 256MB DDR3 TV-Out/DVI (PCI-Express) - Retail

This is more like what you need these days, PCI-E and a 64Bit CPU with at
least 1GB Ram.

Max

 

[contrapositive]

If you're building a new machine it might be better to skip over the
discontinued socket A stuff and go with a socket 939 nforce4 ultra system
and an amd 64 bit cpu. A couple of months ago I picked up a Foxconn board
for $104 (comes with firewire, gigabit ethernet, etc.) and an Athlon 64
3000+ retail cpu for $146. You would need also to get a PCI Express video
card; I think the 128mb X300 based card w/DVI and TV I got was $65 or so.

The price difference will be small but the 64-bit machine ought to be
quite a bit faster and have more upgrade potential.

Thanks to all for the feedback. This is exactly the technology update I was
hoping for. A 939 board and PCI Express video card seems to be the way to
go. And it should only cost about $100 more. Thanks again!