Benn out a while. . .need system advice

[Istari1]

Ok, so I used to be very up to date on my hardware but the last year or so I've been out of the game. My current system is the one in my sog and I still love it, even with just a GeForce 3 500 I run alot of games and such very well. Problem is I told my brother he could have it for $300 and I would build myself a new system. He really needs a better computer (P2 400 right now..ouch) and he cant afford the $550 or so it would take to equal mine, so I'm helping him out. I'm prolly gonna spend around $650, give or take. Already thinking of a Raptor SATA drive, those look great. I run 2 40 GB HD in Raid 0 right now but I think I am going to go away from RAID. Great for the speed but it really has caused some headaches for me in the past couple years. Now the processor and NB chipset are my big problem. There is so much comflicting info now out there about which is better. I'm thinking of going with a 2500-3000 Barton, would like to stay AMD. Also heard Mobile Barton's are good for overclocking, and my WC system will be getting transfered to my new box. So do I go with the NForce or Via chipset and what are the benefits. I've read alot about both and the NForce seems to be better, but I remember the first NVidia MB's always had issues like driver compatibility and such, not sure if that is still true. Finally, the vid card. I am def. staying with Nvidia, never have liked the Radeon drivers, just not very robust. Ti4200-4600 are very cheap now, but those 5900FX look good too. Would an overclocked Ti have any chance to be near an FX? Thanks for all the help guys, I remeber when noobs used to post these types of topics every other day, but they still usually got some good answers from everyone.

[AFIsoldier]

Radeon 9800 seems to own everything when it comes to vidcards, if you are jumping into a new system you might want to try the radeon. I would suggest the NF7-s mobo with the barton 2500m. If you only have a $650 budget, you might have to stay away from the raptors as they will be pushing your budget if you spend $250+ on vid card, $80 on mobo, $90-110 on proc. If you do get the raptors, i am sure you will be happy as everyone has been positive about them asside from the price. Good luck bro, and GO PACK!(fellow north carolinian here, Albemarle, NC here...1A State Football Champs 3 years running!)

[CeeDeeJay]

You can't go wrong with either chipset.I think almost everyone would have to agree in the last 18 months the Nfoce2 chipset has really matured.It would be difficult t spend amy time on AMD forums without running into legions of Nforce2 converts.Like many others the inital nfroce1 chipsets left me skeptical but I have been slowly converted by thier preformance.

[Mr.Radar]

The nForce 2 chipset is where it's at OC'ing these days! It has AGP & PCI locks (i.e. FSB as high as you want without destroying PCI devices). I'd recommend either the ABIT NF7-S v.2 or the Asus A7N8X series. Some people have said that the DFI Inifinty (or something like that) is also pretty good. For CPU the Mobile Barton 2500 is good because it uses a lower stock vcore and it isn't mutiplier locked like the desktop version. The ATI Radeon 9800 Pro is simply the best gaming card today, and can be flashed up to a 9800 XT. If you want to stay with nVidia then you should get FX 5900 Ultra and flash it to a 5950 Ultra. An OC'ed Ti would waste the FX in DX8 performance but the FX would kill it in DX9.

[Istari1]

This is what I have right now, its about $620. Was hoping to get a DVD burner too, but that can wait. Gonna need a new case too, but need it to be the same as I already have so that I KNOW my watercooling system will fit fine. Think I can find another one somewhere for a decent price. Here:

36.7 Raptor SATA HD
2x 256 MB Geil Ultra Platinum PC3500
ABit NForce2 NF7-S MB
Barton 2500+
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9800PRO

Back in the day I would only ever buy Corsair or Crucial memory but I read alot of good things about this Geil and its only $53 a stick for PC 3500 2.5-3-3-6. SOunds good to me. Should I go for the 2600+ for a couple bucks more since the 2500 is prolly locked? Or does the extra .5 not make much of a difference just harder to bump the FSB more? Anyone see anything wrong with this? I'm just gonna give my brother my Santa Cruz and use the onboard sound and lan. Thanks all.

[CeeDeeJay]

If I understood you correct you have owned your Barton for awhile.If you check the m manfaactured date it may have an unlocked multiplyer.(cpu sticky tells dates).If so I would buy a new Barton 2500 and let him have it with the rig and keep the unlocked Barton.I would tell him whay I was doing (you sound like you might use it) and most people that buy others peoples rigs are not quite as avid about thier processors as most of us.(example-you might buy one of my computers but I have a couple of cpu's and a couple of vid cards that someone will have to steal because the will not be sold).

[Istari1]

My CPU right now is an xp1900, tbred, not barton.

[CeeDeeJay]

I misunderstood your above post . I thought you said this is what I now have. I now understand (I think) the above is what you now planning on getting. It all looks good-My only two inputs:
1) Consider the amount of RAM.1/2 GIG is pleanty for most people.
are you ones of these OR are you thinking about overclocking or game playing or someday upgrading the amout of RAM if so you might consider 2x512.
2) Because the Barton (Desktops) 2500's are now multiplyer locked would you might want to consider a Barton 2500 Mobile for future possible overclocking(an addational cost of $25 appox.
Your above post will give you a sound system and
Good Luck

[Istari1]

I am a pretty avid gameplayer/overclocker when I have the time. But 1 Gig of RAM just seems overkill. I've clocked my systems memory usage before and with 512 of RAM I dont think I've ever used it all (barely a couple times) 1 Gig would def. kill my budget too, would rather get the DVD burner if I am gonna spend that cash I think. As for the Mobile Barton, what if I get a chip that cant go to 166 though? Are these chips EXACTLY the same core as a regular barton just labeld differently? Got any links to explain this to me? Thanks.

[Istari1]

Real quick too, is 3500 enough? I once built an OC machine and my only bottleneck was really the RAM, dont want that to happen again.

[CeeDeeJay]

1 GIG of RAM is overkill.But the memory of being short on ram last a long time. I guess I have worked on to many computers that didn't need anything except ram. I just feel better about using 2 sticks (of 512) than sometime in the future having 2 sticks (of 256) and wishing I had the 512.I understand budgets and I am running 512 on everything except my overclocker.
Good PC-3500 is DDR-433 and with the Barton 2500's FSB of 333 that gives you a lot of room.As long as your happy with the quality of the ram.I think that is just as or more important.
I am not running the Mobile chip. I have just started my research

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=271103 ( [url)]
The CPU forum has started a data base on overclocking the Mobile
2500 it is one of the few places info can be found.It seems that even at the AMD web site data isn't availible.They feel that the pdf's should be restriced to OEM's that build and work on them and the end users don't need this info. There is some good info
(but not a lot) on an AMD forum.http://forums.amd.com/index.php?showtopic=8857

[CeeDeeJay]

Either I messed up on my first link or you cant link to one of the other Overdlockers threads(I am betting I messed it up).It is in the CPU section the thread is titled " Mobile 2500 + weeks,steppings,and Results. It looks like thier starting a data base and the thread is growing.Its worth a read if your interested.