Need some input

[CH3NO2]

I've asked a time or two about this before and didn't recieve much feedback. I've currently got a 9800 Pro coupled with an XP2200+, A7V8X, 512 PC2700. This combination will NOT overclock, and even if it could it wouldn't be enough. It equates to one BIG bottleneck, so the time has come to replace some things. Due to instability issues, high temps, and noise (Volcano running at 5400, and still hot), I'm all but sold on trying an Intel setup for the first time. I'm not into extreme OC'ing (ie 2.4 to 3.4), so I figure a 3.0C with a P4C800-E Dlx will give me a good starting point. 1GB XMS3700 will allow me 233fsb (3495mhz)...which is more than plenty. I've been contemplating waiting for the Prescott's, but with heat rumored to be a concern, cost, and a whole new run of motherboards inevitable, I feel compelled to skip right past it. So what do you guys think? This is mainly a gaming rig, with a little graphic/photo editing work at times. I'd like my investment to be at least somewhat futureproof, as I generally upgrade about every 15 months or so. So, plainly speaking, would this setup be a "weak POS" in 6 mo-year?

 

[shortbus_]

i just got the setup in my sig. works great, >100 fps in all the current games..

if you dont want to o/c a lot id recommend a 2.8 m0 if u can find it. azzo.com has them, and its porbably better/cheaper then a 3.0.

 

[2coop]

I just read some info on xp cpus and certain agp cards. It may have been here or at another place, but I will try to find it. It related to xp cpu's and the agp gart table and a registry fix. Mostly with win 2000 but xp was mentioned. It is not in any of the service packs from MS. I'll look. I love T/F. They smell like gunpowder.

 

[2coop]

It was here that I read it. http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=258089

 

[CH3NO2]

While it would be nice to fix the random crashes I currently have, that won't rid the problem of just plain not having enough juice. The Prescott 3.2's with 1mb cache are "supposedly" set to launch at $278, the same price as the current 3.0C...but I find this hard to believe. They are supposed to run quite a bit hotter...heat is already a problem, so I would likely leave those at default just to avoid any more.