Need a new mobo & cpu

[livefree75]

Hi,

I'm sick of my AMD dragging to a halt every time I fire up IE7 etc. I
have a blazing fast cable connection, but my computer is choking. I
should be able to watch Lost in HD on the ABC web site without it
dropping frames and grinding to a halt. When I bring my work laptop
home and connect wirelessly, I have no problem.

I've heard that AMD chips tend to run very hot - I wonder if that is
my problem It's been a long time since I checked, but I believe my
current config is a Shuttle mainboard with 1 GB RAM, and a AMD 2300XP
CPU. I have a SATA HD, and a AGP GeForce2 (I think) video card, which
I rarely use to its full capability. About the most demanding game I
play is Star Wars Empire At War - and my PC runs that with no problem.

Looking to get a new MoBo & CPU - should I move to Intel? Basic specs
would be:

- Must be SATA-capable
- At least 2 GB RAM maximum
- Onboard sound & LAN
- AGP
- Plenty of USB 2.0
- Onboard Firewire would be nice, but I do have a card.
- Not too much $$$
- No trouble editing video

Now - I don't know anything about Dual-Core / Quad-core, etc. I
haven't kept up with the tech. Any suggestions would be great.

Jamie

 

[peter]

Ever think that maybe the bottleneck is that ancient Geforce 2 video card???
Does it even do High definition....I doubt it
I am typing this on a machine with an AMD x2 1.6 processor...not the fastest
available but it does not drag to a halt when I fire up IE7 under
Vista...........maybe its time to Clean the Machine...clear out old Temp
Files....Defrag the HD....run disk cleanup...See how much HD space is
available......maybe add more RAM..
Then if its still not fast enough for you be aware that you will need to
change mobo..processor..Ram...and Video card.
The newest processors from Intel take a socket 775...run only SATA
drives..have no Floppy connector...only one EIDE connector for DVD/CD
use DDR2 or 3. RAM...and have no AGP only PCI-e slots for Video..........
AMD mobo are about the same...new socket..and every thing else that Intel
based board needs..
I happen to have one of each...an older Socket 939 AMD board as well a
socket 774 with an Intel core2duo processor ...and yes the Intel is
quicker...but there aint nothing it can do that the older 64x2 2800 cant do
as well...

pk

 

[livefree75]

OK I was at work when I typed my original messgae - sorry - more
details below...

Ever think that maybe the bottleneck is that ancient Geforce 2 video card???

Sorry I was mistaken - it's a GeForce 3.

Does it even do High definition....I doubt it

It's worked fine in the past.

I am typing this on a machine with an AMD x2 1.6 processor...not the fastest
available but it does not drag to a halt when I fire up IE7 under
Vista...........maybe its time to Clean the Machine...clear out old Temp
Files....Defrag the HD....run disk cleanup...See how much HD space is
available......maybe add more RAM..

Sorry I have 1.5 GB ram. would another 512K really help that much?
My max is 2GB.

Then if its still not fast enough for you be aware that you will need to
change mobo..processor..Ram...and Video card.
The newest processors from Intel take a socket 775...run only SATA
drives..have no Floppy connector...only one EIDE connector for DVD/CD
use DDR2 or 3. RAM...and have no AGP only PCI-e slots for Video..........
AMD mobo are about the same...new socket..and every thing else that Intel
based board needs..
I happen to have one of each...an older Socket 939 AMD board as well a
socket 774 with an Intel core2duo processor ...and yes the Intel is
quicker...but there aint nothing it can do that the older 64x2 2800 cant do
as well...

OK thanks for the info. Shows how far behind I am - i've never heard
of PCI-e.

~ Jamie

 

[livefree75]

Did your machine ever work faster with your current software and
requirements?
Personally I don't like IE7 (or 6, 5, 4 etc...) I use Firefox, which you may
like to try.

Yes I do use FF too. I also downgraded from IE7 to IE6. But still
have the same issues with the video.

What Anti virus software do you use? I'm clutching at straws here but have
you recently upgraded to AVG 8? That could make a difference.

I have McAfee Security Suite on there.

This is where things start to escalate.
Leaving aside the Intel vs AMD question, is you case a full size ATX case or
one of the Shuttle small form factor types?

If the latter then you need a new case too.

Nope - full size ATX, and I believe I have a 400W PS - can't remember.

Oh dear
LOL


Ok, what sort of editing? What software are you using? (more just me being
nosey than any real need to know)

What I do is connect my digital camcorder to the firewire port, and
use Windows Movie Maker to import the video. I do the editing right
in there, and just create AVIs or DVDs from there. Just family home
videos - Nothing major.

Which ever you go for, you basically need a whole new system.
Dang.

New motherboard probably means new case (even if your old is big enough, it
is probably not as well designed thermally as newer cases)

Case is probably 3-4 yrs old. Standard off-white, and it does have
cooling fans on the side, but they're very noisy.

New case means new PSU unless it comes with a /good quality/ PSU fitted!
New RAM is needed as is new graphics card.

Currently have DDR SDRAM - so if I get a new MoBo, I need to upgrade
to DDR2 etc.?

A fast hard drive will make a difference to how fast Windows runs and how
fast it feels in use and if you're spending all this money on a new system
it would be a shame to leave an old drive in as a big bottleneck.

Currently have 80GB SATA HD. Not sure the specs.

Anyway, if you're prepared to bite the bullet then I highly recommend an
Intel system at the moment as follows:

Motherboard - Abit IP35 (you could spend more on the Pro or ProXE but I
don't see the point. The standard IP35 should be fine)
CPU Dual-core - E8200, E8300, E8400
Quad-core - Q9300 or the older Q6600
I recommend using an aftermarket Heat sink and fan like the Noctua NH-U12P.
It's big and expensive but powerfull and very quiet (it's one of the best)
A Zalman 9700 is cheaper and still pretty good.

Would this be cheaper than walking into a store and just buying a
system, or a laptop?

I particularly recommend it if you overclock your processor (which I also
recommend you look into)

Yeah - never done that - always afraid I'm going to fry something. Of
course that would give me an excuse to get a new machine.

Thanks for all the advice.

Jamie