Topic: I've Returned, and With a New Rig

[Ghosthunter]

Hey everyone, long time!

How have you all been, and for those that don't remember/know me -- the question still applies  

Well, after five and a half YEARS of Pentium 3 rigs, I've finally bought a new tower. My question was, besides the obvious (like going up to 2GB DDR2 ram, and getting away from the integrated 6100), I was wondering how well this'd hold up with some newer games. My main concern, more than anything, was I didn't have the time to lapse the few things I'm still shady about in PC construction to make my own rig, but more importantly, I was additionally constrained by cash. Also, I was looking for something Vista-capable (and more importantly, Vista logical).

My new tower:

AMD Dual-Core x2 4200+ (2GHZ FSB)
1GB DDR2 533MHZ (motherboard has 16GB capacity; 800MHZ limit)
Integrated nVidia 6100 (will go to a nVidia PCi-Express card later -- as stated, budget)
Sound Blaster Live! 5.1
Belkin PCi WiFi
200GB SATA-2 HD @ 3GB/s
Media Card reader
2 DVD-writing drives

Motherboard is:

ECS C51GM-M Socket AM2/GeForce 6100/DDR2 Motherboard

Specification

Mfr Part Number: C51GM-M (V1.0)
CPU: Socket AM2 support AMD Athlon 64 FX/ Athlon 64/ Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core/ Sempron processor; FSB 2000/1600/1200/800/400 MT/s
Chipset: nVidia GeForce 6100 & nForce 410 MCP
Memory: 2x 240pin DDR2-800/667/533/400 DIMMs, Dual-channel, Max capacity 16GB
Slots: 1x PCI Express x16 slot; 1x PCI Express x1 slot; 2x PCI slots
IDE/SATA: 2x ATA-133 channels; 2x SATA2 ports, support RAID 0, 1
Audio: Realtek ALC655 6-Channel audio
Video: nVidia GeForce6100-based 2D/3D graphic engine, Share memory upto 128MB
LAN: Broadcom AC131 10/100 LAN
Ports: 8x USB2.0 ports (4 rear, 4 headers); 2x PS/2 ports; 1x Parallel port; 1x Serial port; 1x VGA port; 1x RJ45 LAN port; Audio Jack (Line in/ Front Speaker/ Microphone)

All of this, for $605 USD, with a $70 shipping expense, and $10 insurance fee.

What're your thoughts?
 

[Ghosthunter]

Wouldn't let me edit my post 0.o

I wanted to include that the next buy, in 3 weeks, will be a nice 21'' Dell Ultrasharp LCD.

Bye bye CRT, and the last bits of Pentium 3.

[Doc Nyar]

Doesn't look to bad, although I prefer Intel above AMD. But especially looking at the price tag, not a bad deal


PS. Welcome back 

[A NO0B]

great deal, that only $605 US?

think i will save for it:P

great price if that is the case, may have read wrong

but for gamming AMD is the way to go, i prefer AMD over intel, just a matter of oppinion

[Ghosthunter]

Yep, that was the price.

It's a good board just the 2 PCI slots are a pain in the ass obviously.

But I'm bringing the router here (on WiFi), and land-basing it for a physics generator to aid the 7800 512mb I'm putting in the PCI-Express slot.

All so I can play GR3.

Today I OC'ed the 4200+ to 2.4 over the base 2.2; thing's running like a charm.

Found out my BIOS had my DDR2 533mhz running at DDR2 400, which was irritating.

Ordered x64-bit, and in two weeks comes the 21'' LCD.

[Ghosthunter]

Time of this report: 9/2/2006, 15:21:38
       Machine name: SEANS-AMD
  Operating System: Windows XP Professional x64 Edition (5.2, Build 3790) Service Pack 1 (3790.srv03_sp1_rtm.050324-1447)           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: NVIDIA
       System Model: AWRDACPI
               BIOS: Default System BIOS
          Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+ (2 CPUs), ~2.4GHz
             Memory: 990MB RAM

Well, I finally installed x64 as the first series of upgrades.

I installed it and immediatly experienced the problems everyone was talking about.

My Belkin WiFi card doesn't have any x64 driver, so I brought the router to my computer and land-based it.

I connected the ethernet cord to realize that I had forgotten to install the motherboard drivers, which is why the internet wasn't working.

Found the CD, ran it, didn't work; coded in 32-bit.

Friend sent me the link over my laptop for the NVIDIA drivers, which worked fine.

Had some issues installing the Creative x64 drivers, but they worked after a second shot, and the NVIDIA ones characteristically worked right on.

Shame I have to find some x64 Lexmark driver for my Dell printer for it to work -- that and Creative told me getting x64 support for my webcam wasn't ever going to happen.

Turns out most everything runs in 32-bit anyways, including the betas you have to install just to make normal programs work.

That and I'm not entirely convinced it's faster than 32-bit integration, though it seems a lot more stable.

What I find funny is that though 64-bit IE comes installed, Windows Update only runs in 32.

[Ghosthunter]

Update:

Installed my first ever fan (hey, I'm still a newb, lmao). Was a 120mm blue LED fan. Went out to buy a 80mm (the last pre-made opening for a fan) with a 3-pin connector. Problem is, came home, and I don't have anymore. I have three 4-pin connectors, the same as the 3, only with an additional -- what're these used for?

So, I have to go pick up a molex one, just sort of lazy.

Besides that, installed a Soundblaster Audigy EX. Not too amazing, but I got it for free, and my 5.1 Live! finally crapped out. What's nice though, is that I never got my center speaker because the card was in the process of dying. Now I do -- 5.1.

Upgraded my graphics card to the 7950GT as a transitionary card between now and the introduction of an affordable SLi DX10 option. Either way, the card's running a helluva lot better than the 6100, featuring maxxed out FEAR and GR:AW.

The ram install is my last major upgrade, and I'm done. Looking for 2GB of 6400.

[Doc Nyar]

Gratz
Not a bad upgrade..