Ready to Upgrade system - Just some comments welcomed.

I am pretty sure about these specs for my upgrade but I would like
some input about it, if anyone knows about how well the hardware
works and/or personal experiences, Thanks!

MB - Gigabyte 7VKMLS: Specs are:

Processor
- Socket A for AMD Athlon™/Athlon™ XP/Duron™ 200/266 MHz FSB processors
- Supports AMD Athlon™ XP processor 2200+ and beyond.
- CPU voltage overclockable by adding 5%, 10% CPU voltage
- Auto-detects CPU voltage


Chipset
- VIA KM266/KL266 North Bridge
- VIA 8233A(CE) South Bridge
- Realtek 8100 10/100Mb LAN chip
- AC97 codec


Memory
- Supports PC133 SDRAM memory
- Supports up to 1GB SDRAM memory
- 2 DIMMs of 168-pin SDRAM sockets


Expansion Slots
- 3 x PCI slots support 33MHz and PCI 2.2 compliant


Audio: AC97 CODEC


LAN: Realtek 8100 10/100


Video: Onboard Savage Pro


Back panel I/O
- 2 x USB
- 1 x COM
- 1 x LPT
- PS/2 Keyboard
- PS/2 Mouse
- 1 x VGA out on rear side
- 2 x ATA 66/100/133 bus master IDE ports on board
- 1 x RJ45 LAN port on board


Bundle Software
- @BIOS™, EasyTune™ 4, Q-Flash™, GMC™
- Symantec Norton AntiVirus (Internet Security 2002) OEM Ver.
- Symantec Norton Personal Firewall OEM Ver.


H/W Monitoring
- System voltage detect (Vcore, VDD, Vcc,+12V)
- H/W detect and report power-in voltage, CPU voltage
- CPU/System fan revolution and temperature detect


BIOS
- 2Mbit flash ROM
- IDE#1~#4, SCSI, LS120, ZIP and CD-ROM bootable
- Supports @BIOS™ Live Update utility
- Auto-detect and report system health status
- AMI BIOS with enhanced ACPI feature for PC98/Win98/Win2000/ME/XP compliance, Green, PnP, DMI, INT13 (>8.4GB) and Anti-Virus functions


Form Factor
- Micro ATX and 4 layers PCB ( 24.4 x 21.5 cm)


Other Features
- Suspend-To-RAM (STR)
- Supports @BIOS™ and Q-Flash

CPU - AMD Duron 1.3GHz
RAM - Possibly 512 PC-133, maybe just 384
HD: Current WD 40 gig x's 2 (7200 and 5400)
TV Card - AVerTV Stereo

Any ideas? Thanks.

BTW: I am on a buget and I have scoured the internet for the best
prices. The MB, CPU and 256 Ram will come from TigerDirect, so if
anyone has any experiences with Tiger that would be great also.

Thanks again!

[ncgoldwinger]

Since onboard video is never a plus in a system upgrade I would stay away from a motherboard that has it. You will ALWAYS get better performance with a standalone video card versus onboard. I use the Elitegroup ECS K7S5A motherboard which has the same features as the one you mentioned but is a full size ATX board with more expansion slots and 4 USB connectors. It also has support for DDR RAM. For only about $8 more you can get an AMD XP1600 CPU rather than a Duron. You would get MUCH better performance from the XP chip rather than a Duron. I buy all my system parts from newegg.com and won't buy from anyone else. They have the best selection, price and service. I have built about 10 systems with the above ECS board and continue to do so with great success.

Happy Holidays!!!
Rick

What are the drawbacks to OnBoard video compared to StandAlone?

The only games that I have are Descent3 and ST:Elite Force.
Are the cons related to video editing?

Thanks.

BTW: IF I have to go this route (Which I wll probably will) I could
always upgrade to at least a PCI Vid Card in the future. Any problems
pertaining to this?

Thanks.

[kitty]

Most serious video types would opt for the following:
- more than 3 PCI slots - also AGP slot
- DDR or RDRAM memory
- Athlon XP or Intel P4 processor

I tend to agree - spend maybe $50 more to get a better system - it will last you longer & you won't die of old age capturing and encoding.

Ok, how about this setup:

Product: Biostar M7VIG MATX VIA Athlon Motherboard.
Contents: Retail Box, Motherboard, Owners Manual, Ribbon Cables, Software Drivers.
Warranty: One Year.
Comments: Requires ATX Case.




PROCESSOR

Socket A
AMD Athlon™ XP , Athlon™ and Duron™ Processor
200 / 266MHz system interface speed

CHIPSET
VIA KM266 / VT8233A

MEMORY
2 x 184-pin DDR DIMM
2 x 168-pin SDRAM DIMM
Maximum 2.0 GB
PC2100 (DDR266)

EXPANSION SLOT
3 x PCI
1 x AGP
1 x CNR

I/O
1 x Parallel, 1 x Serial
1 x PS/2 Mouse, 1x PS/2 Keyboard
2 x Rear USB
1 x Game Port, 1 x Speak-out, 1 x Line-in, 1 x Mic.-in
1 x Floppy
4 x IDE Hard Disk Devices
Ultra DMA33/66/100/133
2 x Front USB
1 x Front Audio

INTEGRATED VIDEO

S3 Savage 4 Video Integrated

INTEGRATED AUDIO
AC'97 2.2 Audio CODEC Onboard

HARDWARE MONITOR FUNCTION
CPU Fan Speed
System Voltage
CPU Temperature

SIZE
Micro ATX Form Factor
Dimension: 24.4cm X 24.4cm ( W x L )


OPTIONS INCLUDED
LAN

CPU - Duron 1.3GHz (I know but at least I can upgrade in the future)
RAM - 384 PC-133 (This, too, can be upgraded)
Video - Voodoo 3/3000 AGP 16MB
TV Card - AVerTV Stereo

[ncgoldwinger]

Megadeus..

On board video verses a stand alone video card...
Onboard means the video card is built into the motherboard and shares cycle time with the main processor. This drags the performance of the system down to a crawl especially when running graphic intensive programs such as video games or anything graphic related. With a stand alone video card all of the graphics are processed by it alone leaving all of the other stuff to the processor itself. Do yourself a favor and DON"T get onboard video. Though I would recommend an AGP video card which would be the best performer even a PCI video card is still heads above onboard video performance.

Rick

BTW: Can I make do with a 300W Power Supply with the following:

The above MB and CPU
2 Hard drives
2 CD drives (CD-ROM and CD-RW)
1 Floppy Drive

The reason why I am asking is due to a power problem I had in the past.
I do not want to risk causing a meltdown due to an underpowered sys.

Thanks again for any input!

Megadeus..

On board video verses a stand alone video card...
Onboard means the video card is built into the motherboard and shares cycle time with the main processor. This drags the performance of the system down to a crawl especially when running graphic intensive programs such as video games or anything graphic related. With a stand alone video card all of the graphics are processed by it alone leaving all of the other stuff to the processor itself. Do yourself a favor and DON"T get onboard video. Though I would recommend an AGP video card which would be the best performer even a PCI video card is still heads above onboard video performance.

Rick

Thank for the info. I do have a Voodoo3 3000 16mb AGP card. I just
could not find a suitable MB, until my post above. If you could, please
review the info and let me know what you think.

Thanks again and again...

Sorry but another question:
I am pretty sure about this BUT I just want to confirm it:
PC-133 memory IS 3.3V, correct?

[ncgoldwinger]

Megadeus,
Are you limited to what size motherboard you can put in your case? I see both boards you priced were Micro-ATX in size. The BioStar motherboard still has onboard video which I still suggest staying away from.
The ECS K75SA motherboard, AMD XP1800 Retail w/heatsink and fan and 512MB Crucial PC133 ram from Newegg is only $200 delivered.
What price limit did you need to meet?

Rick

I am limited to approx. $200 (maybe $210).
I would like a MB, CPU (fan and sink), possibly a 256 mem. chip and
a case.

I currently have a 256 PC-133 chip but I am unsure if it meets the 3.3v
specs. I have done a little research and I am pretty sure ALL PC-133
chips are 3.3v but I am just double checking.

I am not looking for a power sys. but at least one I can upgrade in
the future. I know the current Biostar I listed has onboard Vid. but
I figured I could disable it so I could use the Voodoo I have.

As far as size, I am not limited. ATX or Micro ATX, doesn't matter.

[ncgoldwinger]

Megadeus,

Yes the PC-133 SDRAM is 3.3v.
I run an AMD XP2100 w/512mb of DDR ram, GeForce 3, 3 hard drives (100GB, 120Gb and a 75GB), DVD drive and 24x CD burner in an Antec case with only a 300 watt power supply so a 300 watter will work just fine.

Rick

Megadeus,

Yes the PC-133 SDRAM is 3.3v.
I run an AMD XP2100 w/512mb of DDR ram, GeForce 3, 3 hard drives (100GB, 120Gb and a 75GB), DVD drive and 24x CD burner in an Antec case with only a 300 watt power supply so a 300 watter will work just fine.

Rick

If I go with the Biostar and a 300w case I will make my $200 mark with
some extra to spare. Thanks for your input. If you have more comments
or suggestions I'll be online for a little while but away from the PC.

Thanks again and have a "Happy Holiday"

BTW: What part of the country are you located in?
I am expecting 4-13" of snow PLUS I am travelling into a zone
of 11-17" on Christmas.

Thanks again!!

[ncgoldwinger]

Megadeus,

If your email is valid that you have listed here I emailed you a link to the items I told you about at Newegg.

You can reply back to it if you have any further questions..

Rick

[ncgoldwinger]

Megadues,

I am in North Carolina. No major snow predicted on this side of the US. Just a few flurries..

Be careful out there..

Happy Holidays to you and yours..

Rick

[sterno]

If you can get DDR instead of PC133, you probably should.

I wouldn't buy from Tiger Direct, I've heard too many bad experiences. They all boiled down to very poor customer service. You may not think you need much customer service beyond a person to take your order, but all it takes is one DOA part and suddenly you find yourself on the phone again.

Megadeus,

If your email is valid that you have listed here I emailed you a link to the items I told you about at Newegg.

You can reply back to it if you have any further questions..

Rick

Does the CLK3 have to be 3? Not too sure about this but I do have a 256
PC-133 chip that I bought last year. If this one will work then I may be
able to go with the system you emailed. I can downgrade the mem. to
128, use my 256 chip and buy the case from Tiger and I am STILL
under to $200 mark.

[ncgoldwinger]

You can buy a CLK of 2 & 3 but newegg only sells the 3. I have also bought memory from crucial.com. They carry the 2 & 3 and have a great return policy if you have any trouble with the memory chip if it doesn't get along well with your current 256MB stick. If you could find out what CLK speed your current chip is then I would suggest getting the same thing in the new one. I would say you would have less chance of any problem if they were matched up with the closest possible specs.
I hate to keep pushing newegg.com but check their prices on cases as well. I use strictly Antec cases as their power supplies are of very good quality. I will also mention that not all 300 watt power supplies are created equal. I have heard about some cheaper 300 watt power supples that don't perform well but I do know that the Antec's have proven themselves for me since I started using them about three years ago.

Rick

You can buy a CLK of 2 & 3 but newegg only sells the 3. I have also bought memory from crucial.com. They carry the 2 & 3 and have a great return policy if you have any trouble with the memory chip if it doesn't get along well with your current 256MB stick. If you could find out what CLK speed your current chip is then I would suggest getting the same thing in the new one. I would say you would have less chance of any problem if they were matched up with the closest possible specs.
I hate to keep pushing newegg.com but check their prices on cases as well. I use strictly Antec cases as their power supplies are of very good quality. I will also mention that not all 300 watt power supplies are created equal. I have heard about some cheaper 300 watt power supples that don't perform well but I do know that the Antec's have proven themselves for me since I started using them about three years ago.

Rick

I am going to buy the items listed from you on Newegg.com.
The case I will purchase from Tiger. I have found a 350w case:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?sku=B452-1018

for $34.99, this fits my budget. I will be going about $24 over but that
is a small price to pay for a secure system.

Thanks again for all of your help!

[ncgoldwinger]

Megdeus..
Best of luck with your new system build. You will be pleased with the service you get from Newegg. My only concern is that your new case's power supply will perform well for you. I understand completely about having to stay within a budget.
Have a safe trip and the best to you and yours..

Rick

[Nelson37]

Not familiar with Newegg but I am familiar with Tiger. I would not buy a mousepad from those guys. They make cheap crap.

S3 Video SUCKS, onboard video is not always able to be disabled (disableable?)

DDR much faster than PC133.

Budgets I understand, but don't spend money on something you will have to replace fairly soon. Have an upgrade path.