K6-2 500 VS VIA C3 for Linux

[The Alien]

Hey,

I want to get myself a box and install RedHat Linux on it to learn it more. Currently, i am learning it by Telnet on servers, but i want to know it as much as Windows. And since i am going to take a network admin course next year (May 2002) i thought i would get a linux box. Well, i am not a complete newbie as i used a RedHat Linux 6.2 server for 2 months when i was running my hosting company but it was a managed dedicated server and there were a few people on it (300), so i didn't wanted to screw everything :D

Anyway, what should i get to learn it? Actually, i could get a K6-2 500 with 64MB ram and a 1MB cirrus (:p ) video card for $150-175 USD (it's $300CDN but i will try to have it at $250 or $275). That's a complete system i just need to hook my old 14 inches monitor to it and i am ready to go, OC to 550 or maybe 600 if i am lucky too ;)

But the thing is i can get a new system with a VIA C3 1GIGA-PRO (http://www.via.com.tw/jsp/en/products/C3/c3.jsp) processor (i think it clocks at 667MHz or 866MHz though), for about $250USD. Everything is on-board though. But there is a 20GB hdd rather than a 4.3GB and 128MB ram on it.

So, to run Linux, the K6-2 or the C3? By the way, i know i could dual-boot Windows-Linux on my XP but i want to have Linux on a different system.

Cheers :beer:

[dugans]

This may end up in alternative oses but........

I am not a linux guru by any means, but one of the big hurdles is driver support. Check out the systems for support in whatever distro you plan on using before you buy!

Linux has been getting better and better but...if a driver isn't out there you have to write your own!

Best of luck to ya!

[The Alien]

yeah, that's why i am not sure which one to get. I checked the RedHat web site and the Cirrus is supported (even if it's not, i'd just buy a used video card like GeForce or Radeon first generation as i am sure they are supported in the last version of linux as they are pretty popular and well know). The C3 system has everything onboard and surely unknown.

Anyone ever saw a C3 in action? I looked in the web and the only place i found some info about it and some benchies stated that the 533MHz celly beats the C3 866MHz LOL. But the site also states that the C3 is better for computing tasks (read as no gaming or multimedia, but i have my XP for that!).

[David]

Go for the C3. Its Socket 370 (I think) so can be upgraded to a PIII later on if you wanted. Socket 7 is as good as dead now. As long as the ob VGA chip isn't too exotic, I'd go for the C3, as the svga or fbdev Xserver can be used for the chip. Anyway, 1MB of VRAM is pathetic, and practically useless. Linux deserves better :)
Even better than a K6-2 or a C3 is a Duron. The ECS K7S5A costs less than £60UK ($80 USD?), Durons are as cheap as muck and extremely OCable. You can also upgrade to a Tbird (possibly even an XP) later on if you wanted.

[XWRed1]

The C3 is probably a good deal faster, but you could get screwed on driver support.

Thats about all there is to it.

[The Alien]

Well, i got a few good offers and two of them are PII with a board that takes PIII, so i guess that's what i'll do and put a PIII in the board. The all-in-one C3 has a VIA video card so i am affraid it's not supported, i rather get a nVidia TNT or ATI something too.

[David]

skip the nvidia TNT - get a GeForce 2 MX - their quite cheap and a lot better imho

[The Alien]

Actually, i ended up getting a Celeron Tualatin 1.2 with a mobo that has a built-in video adapter (ok, i get the stuff on monday actually). I'll check out how the built-in video goes with linux; if it's ok (i.e. compatible and works great) then i'll keep it or else i'll put a TNT2 Ultra i have somewhere in the house. Don't need a fast 3d card on it, just office work :eek:

[XWRed1]

If its just office work, you could probably get along with using the Vesa Framebuffer driver on the onboard video.

It'd be slow for heavy graphics operations, like video or opaquely moving windows, but for wordprocessing, web surfing, email, linux techie-type stuff, it would be fine.

[David]

My GeForce 2 MX was using the fbdev when I first got linux - it worked fine, not as good as the actual proper drivers tho.

W/o drivers = 130FPS
with 3d drivers = 1700FPS
(Mesa Gears)

[XWRed1]

Right.... but he said he was gonna be doing office-type work, no gaming, so he should be fine with FBdev.

[David]

I suppose. I installed my hw drivers even though I didn't really NEED them. I just like the little nvidia logo that comes up every time I boot into linux!

[XWRed1]

Yea, there's nothing wrong with that, the nvidia drivers are really well done.

Although, if you aren't actually doing 3d, the drivers are potentially another point of instability.

I've had my machine take a dump many times because of the nvidia drivers, but its a tradeoff I have to take since I game too.

[David]

v0.9 were a joke, 1.0-1512 were OK, but I've had no probs with the 1.0-1541.

[XWRed1]

You know they are up to 1.0-2313 now.

[David]

Thanks, I think I'll pay a visit to www.nvidia.com ...