I want to build meself a SFF PC but...

RuggieBear · 11-12-2005 7:57pm #1

I'm pretty skint.

I'm looking to build a reasonable game machine but probably most important is that it be quiet as i wanna leave it on overnight and it'll be in my bedroom...:eek:

Basically i have about 300 - 400 euro and my present system to work with.

Present system

&#166;&#166; Amd XP Barton 2500+ @ 2200mhz
&#166;&#166; Abit NF7-S v2
&#166;&#166; 1Gb Adata pc3200
&#166;&#166; Sapphire Radeon 9800pro 128mb with VGA silencer
&#166;&#166; Gainward Hollywood@home 7.1
&#166;&#166; Cambridge Soundworks DTT2200 5.1
&#166;&#166; Liteon DVDRW SOHW-832S
&#166;&#166; 22" Diamond Plus 220
&#166;&#166; Antec SmartBlue 350w
&#166;&#166; Antec Lanboy Case
&#166;&#166; Western Digital WD1200JB 120Gb HD
&#166;&#166; Western Digital WD2000JB 200Gb HD

Any advice i what i can/should/wish to do?

masteroftherealm · 11-12-2005 8:30pm

Are you pleased with current performance or?

RuggieBear · 11-12-2005 8:45pm

masteroftherealm wrote:

Are you pleased with current performance or?

Oh the performance is grand and tbh, only the FEAR demo has caused it to struggle recently. HL2 and Quake 4 were grand for the most part.

But i'm in two minds....

spend 200euro and i can get a shuttle/sff and have the same performance.

or

is there a way to spend a tiny bit more and get a shuttle/sff but possibly improve performance/future proof it....

Is it really worth spending 200 and getting the same performance?

masteroftherealm · 11-12-2005 8:47pm

Yeah try and find (Their elusive) A socket 754SFF and pick up a semperon 3100, instant boost, everything is tranferrable and you have the upgrade path to a 3700which are dropping in secondhand prices massivly.

RuggieBear · 11-12-2005 8:54pm

masteroftherealm wrote:

Yeah try and find (Their elusive) A socket 754SFF and pick up a semperon 3100, instant boost, everything is tranferrable and you have the upgrade path to a 3700which are dropping in secondhand prices massivly.

will a semperon 3100 have the same "powah" as an overclocked barton 2500

commited · 11-12-2005 9:12pm

Why do you need SFF?

If you're going to do anything, you're best to upgrade rather than side step.

Going to a S939 Shuttle with PCI-E, opteron, PCI-E gfx & selling your existing case/psu/mobo/soundcard/cpu&gfx would probably be the way to go imho.

RuggieBear · 11-12-2005 9:36pm

commited wrote:

Why do you need SFF?

If you're going to do anything, you're best to upgrade rather than side step.

Going to a S939 Shuttle with PCI-E, opteron, PCI-E gfx & selling your existing case/psu/mobo/soundcard/cpu&gfx would probably be the way to go imho.

i just fancy a smaller machine....how much would all that cost?

commited · 11-12-2005 10:47pm

Alot of money for something to take up less room!

Anyway,

Shuttle ST20G5 Barebone Socket 939 Ati XPress200,16x PCI-E, GbLAN, 240W

AMD Opteron 144, 1.8GHz, Socket 939, 1MB, BOXED w/fan UNKNOWN ETA

Club3D GeForce 6600GT 128MB GDDR3 PCI Express, VGA, DVI, Tv-Out, Retail
Total: 694

You'd probably get about €250-300 for the parts you have now. There are loads of GFX cards available at that price point - no idea about various noise levels

It's going to cost you a fair whack to go SFF unless you find a used Socket A shuttle on ebay or similar.

Cuddlesworth · 12-12-2005 1:29pm

Looks like thy have stop making 939 optys and there is a large backorder at the mo

masteroftherealm · 12-12-2005 1:35pm

krazy_8s wrote:

Looks like thy have stop making 939 optys and there is a large backorder at the mo

Yeaah I can see Optys going for HUNDReDS now

Atlas_IRL · 12-12-2005 1:47pm

does anyone know where they still stock them?

WizZard · 12-12-2005 2:03pm

Heard www.overclockers.co.uk have some 146s

RuggieBear · 12-12-2005 2:17pm

what's the advantage of the opeteron 144 over the similarly priced athlon 64 3200?

And what are these things like for overclocking

WizZard · 12-12-2005 2:25pm

The early Opterons were fantastic for overclocking. 3Ghz from a 144 was average. Plus they have extra cache (supposedly worth an extra 200Mhz depending on who you talk to)

jjmax · 12-12-2005 2:30pm

AMD Opteron 242, 244, 246, 248 available.
PM if you're interested.

Atlas_IRL · 12-12-2005 2:37pm

just ordered a 146 from overclockers

WizZard · 12-12-2005 2:38pm

jjmax wrote:

AMD Opteron 242, 244, 246, 248 available.
PM if you're interested.

Put them on the for sale board if you want to sell them.
Anyway, they are socket 940 Opterons which are no good for Ruggie

RuggieBear · 12-12-2005 9:05pm

I can get my hands on a newSN85G with a AMD 64 2800+ for 330 euro delivered.

Good deal/worth it?

commited · 12-12-2005 10:56pm

If you arent going to upgrade in the next 2/3 years then go for that. Otherwise go 939 & PCI-E.

RuggieBear · 13-12-2005 4:22pm

Some more questions:

are the higher class socket 754 chips still being made/sold?

And what's the best AGP gfx card available at the moment?

I'm quite out of touch and have more or less ignored the changes in technology over th last 2 years due to a complete lack of funds and being happy with my rig:D

masteroftherealm · 13-12-2005 4:23pm

Nope nonting but sempys beibg made. Em if ya can fing them X850XT PE but that'll set ya back!!
6600GT or X800XT PE would be the best, between 250-300region.

commited · 13-12-2005 5:11pm

Only Semperons are being made for 754, and it is thought that when the new AMD platform comes out next year, 939 will become the "budget" choice and 754 will die.
I wouldnt bother buying an AGP card now - they are more expensive than the PCI-E and very few boards are being made now that support AGP. The X850XT is the best agp @ €380.

Have a look here: http://anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2476&p=2
It's pointless "upgrading" to 754 imho. If you cant afford 939, wait.

RuggieBear · 13-12-2005 5:54pm

commited wrote:

Only Semperons are being made for 754, and it is thought that when the new AMD platform comes out next year, 939 will become the "budget" choice and 754 will die.
I wouldnt bother buying an AGP card now - they are more expensive than the PCI-E and very few boards are being made now that support AGP. The X850XT is the best agp @ €380.

Have a look here: http://anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2476&p=2
It's pointless "upgrading" to 754 imho. If you cant afford 939, wait.

Cheers. You are probably correct wrt moving to 754.... ah **** it, we'll just have to see.:)

This is my twisted logic...:rolleyes: :
i'm paying 200 to go sff, i might as well pay another 100 for a chip/chipset and some slight future proofing. If i do upgrade in the nearish future it'll be using the 2nd hand market and it'll be at least 2 years before i go for a decent system again.

I'll be able to flog me case, motherboard and cpu for a few shillings. Any idea's what woulkd be a fair price?

and tbh, i could probably flog this lowend 2800 amd 64 too and try and get a better chip 2nd hand? What's it worth?

I want to build meself a SFF PC but...

Comments