[Piercingaze]

I am working on a bit of a budget and need to upgrade my computer. I was looking at getting the following MOBO, CPU, RAM, & Video Card combo. Not sure if this will work together.

MOBO - BIOSTAR TForce590SLI Deluxe Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard

CPU - AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ Windsor 2.6GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor

RAM - CORSAIR XMS2 1GB (2 x 512MB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory (x2) for 2GB Total

VC - BIOSTAR V7602GS51 GeForce 7600GS 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card

Any inputs would be appreciative.

[Advertisements]

It all looks good. Wish i had the ability for a $800 upgrade.

SRX660

[SRX660]

It all looks good. Wish i had the ability for a $800 upgrade.

SRX660

[ultimateslacker2]

Haha, me too SRX660, me too.

[kidnova]

It looks good, but for $100 less, you could upgrade to a Core 2 Duo 6600, which will perform as good, if not better than the AMD 5200. You can take the $100 you save and get a better video card or save it until the DX10 cards become affordable.

Here's an excellent article comparing various processors and as you can see, the e6600 beat the 5200+ in almost every benchmark:

http://www.sharkyext...3261_3641516__2

Edited by kidnova, 16 November 2006 - 08:52 AM.

[warriorscot]

Intel motherboards cost as much as $100 more. The 5200+ is more expensive because it has the 1mb cache.

[Piercingaze]

I am keeping with AMD, I have been using it for years and have no plans to change it.

[jrm20]

The core 2 duo motherboards can get up very pricy yes but that doesnt mean you have to pay out that much for the most expensive one. You just have to look around, there is core 2 duo mobos the same price as amd boards or even cheaper.. One of the companies that offers this is Gigabyte. Gigabyte has from cheap all the way to really expensive. They have a nice motherboard for $115 us dollars that will do everything you want it to its not a pos mobo.. There is also a $90ish dollar gigabyte core 2 duo mobo but I would go for the $115ish one if you did happen to change your mind about the amd system... Gigabyte offers many different boards.. Im just clarifying that subject on the prices for core 2 duo boards.


The E6600 would be the better overall chip, plus get a mobo like I suggested in the $115-$140 range.. The $115 gigabyte mobo would be fine..

[Serrik]

I would sooner get a 7600 GT, even if you can only afford the 256mb version. But thats just my opinion.

[kidnova]

If you are set on AMD, then you have made excellent choices. Personally, I have never truly understood brand loyalty as the company couldn't care less about you personally, one way or the other. Sure, they like having you as a customer, but if they had a choice between losing you and gaining 5 other customers, then you will lose every time.

The fact of the matter is that you can buy these two components:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115003
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128017

for more than $100 less than your proposed upgrades and get better performance. But, if you are set on AMD, then you can't do better than what you have chosen.

[Kurenai]

Personally, I buy the same brand, every time, because I know exactly what to expect from them, and how they react to a given situation.
Even two pieces of hardware who's only difference is that they come from different manufacturers will have enough differences to make them difficult to use in some situations, and to troubleshoot.

I use AMD because I prefer how their processors perform vs an equivalent intel. Not how well they perform, but how they do their job.

[jrm20]

Personally, I buy the same brand, every time, because I know exactly what to expect from them, and how they react to a given situation.
Even two pieces of hardware who's only difference is that they come from different manufacturers will have enough differences to make them difficult to use in some situations, and to troubleshoot.

I use AMD because I prefer how their processors perform vs an equivalent intel. Not how well they perform, but how they do their job.

The thing is that the new Intel Conroe processors out perform any of the current amd DESKTOP processors, no if ands or buts about it. Read the reviews and look at benchmarks. The Conroe E6600 will out perform the amd fx-62 processor and its cheaper. Its $380ish dollars cheaper and faster than the amd fx-62. The Intel E6600 is only $311ish dollars.



About what you said here...

I use AMD because I prefer how their processors perform vs an equivalent intel. Not how well they perform, but how they do their job.

What you typed above is no longer true because of the new Intel conroe core 2 duo processors. They completely redesigned the chip and its not based on the trashy pentium 4 architecture.

I agree with you if you were comparing amd X2 to the older Pentium 4 line or Pentium D. The amd X2 is better than the older pentium 4 architecture and chip all together but like I said when you compare the new Intel Conroe core 2 duo up to the amd X2 the Conroe wins.

Get what you want im just telling you the better performer.

[Kurenai]

You missed what I said. I made a specific point to say "I prefer how their processors perform vs an equivalent intel. Not how well they perform, but how they do their job."

I know, for a fact, that the Core 2 Duos outperform anything on the market. That doesn't change the fact that I've worked with AMD processors of many various types, and Intel processors of many various types, and I like how the AMD processors do their job better than how the Intels do the same, regardless of which has higher performance.

[jrm20]

You missed what I said. I made a specific point to say "I prefer how their processors perform vs an equivalent intel. Not how well they perform, but how they do their job."

I know, for a fact, that the Core 2 Duos outperform anything on the market. That doesn't change the fact that I've worked with AMD processors of many various types, and Intel processors of many various types, and I like how the AMD processors do their job better than how the Intels do the same, regardless of which has higher performance.

Yeah I try to tell amd die hard fans like yourself the better buy but you dont listen as that is totally fine like I said above on the very last line.

I tried to persuade you that is all.

[Piercingaze]

I understand what you are saying, that currently the Core 2 Duo is a better processor according to thousands of computer geniuses out there. But I have never been truely satified by any product that they have made, and I am not about to spend money on a MOBO and CPU combo I do not trust. Back when I was in HS I troubleshot and repaired many of the school computers and friends/family. Most of them were Intel processors and since then have never relied on them.

[warriorscot]

I dont get the nessecity of going on either about intel is better, you can read benchmarks tell you once if you dont want it you dont want it i understand, the performance difference isnt as big as it looks all the time anyway if you read the really really exhaustive reviews, your average user would never notice a difference especially for gaming the difference isnt huge anyway and the fact is most cant afford a good enough gfx card to let the CPU make a difference.

I would maybe even lower the CPU to the cheaper 512k cache models just to save some money but thats up to you. I would buy AMD mostly because i prefer the motherboards the nforce boards are fantastic.

In HS that was probably because intel has the largest market share nothing to do with the cpu choice, its like windows it gets all the heat because its the largest market share it seems like its got more problems than it does because there are just so many more people using it.

The core2s are perfectly good, personally if i was building myself if i couldnt afford an E6600 i would go with an AMD, i do trust AMD more and i would just get a cheap CPU and upgrade later because AM2 is going to work for later AM3 chips from AMD whereas intel are thinking of switching to a new socket soon(they should have already to be honest). The mobos are a bigger factor i dont like the intel mobos either but im just spoiled with the AMD ones of late.

So for me i would spend less on the CPU and spend more on the rest of the system probably the gfx card and getting a matched pair of 1gb sticks you never want to max out your ram slots if you can help it the majority of motherboards dont like you doing that and you often incur a performance hit how large that is varies on the board.