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Upgrade: Low-Mid End Shopping Challenge!

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  • 10-01-2008 1:02am
    #1
    Solitaire
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 18,377 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    CPU: AM2 3600+ X2 (Brisbane 1.9GHz 65W)
    RAM: Team Elite DDR5300, rated 4:4:4:12@667MHz (defaults to 5:5:5:15 without the BIOS forcing it)
    LiteOn DVD burner, D-Link 108Mbps PCI wifi
    Dusty ol' iQon minitower case

    Okay, the whole disaster with Dabs has to be considered as an omen; namely that I'm flogging a very dead donkey trying to get a cheap yet half-decent AGP card to replace my old 6600GT. The years have not been kind... I could wait even longer for the 3850 to appear, but it'll be more expensive than the PCIe version and I hate my mobo anyway. Its a cheap-as-chips (no pun) MSI MS-7312 and it can't overclock for $#!%. No CPU voltage control, no 5*HT (not that I'd want it on any OC'd CPU anyway, and its called LTP which is just more evidence of its cheapness), no decent control over the RAM whatsoever (a whopping five options for voltage and none for speed-limiting let alone latency!)... Not that it'd be wise anyway; with the stock CPU cooler and one anemic case fan my old iQon case is starting to smoke... and its the only piece of the original PC left :p

    On the other hand, I am somewhat skint. And now I need a new HDD, PSU, mobo, graphics card, and cooling solution as my old stuff really ISN'T cutting it. Brilliant.

    So my questions are:

    1) Anyone know of a decent AM2 motherboard that's good (relatively; we're only talking moderate OCing and air-cooling here, not liquid nitrogen setups!) for overclocking at least from a BIOS point of view, has decent integrated sound (my MSI has some lovely ripple on the sound output that sounds oh-so-cheap. And annoying.) and just happens to be very, very *cheap*? Don't need any SLI/CF. Will never, either.

    2) I've got a naff 17"CRT and only want to play (new) games with a decent mix of FPS and detail at just 1024*768 and 1280*1024 etc. Is a HD3850 overkill for this setup given my (to be OC'd) CPU and RAM? Are there still any *cheap* X1950Pro/equivalent that more suit my requirements? Or is the 3850 the minimum to make SupCom FA and UT3 really playable (by which I mean pretty!)?

    3) Any recommendation on a decent, *cheap* 250GB (or more) SATA2 HDD?

    4) Any really, really *cheap* AM2 coolers that are a darn sight better than AMD's stock heatsink? Not necessarily going to get this online but any advice is appreciated!

    5) And to cap it all off... what's the cheapest decent PSU that can kick out enough juice for the completed setup under moderate OC? Guessing I'll need a fair bit on the 12v rail but at the same time I can neither afford SLI/CF or indeed need a PSU massive enough for it! No crazy RAID arrays going in either, just the above. 400W? Really depends on the rail distribution...

    I'm looking for maximum bang for my buck here... and I'm not exactly an expert on higher-than-low-end mobos so I'm leaving my budget in your hands... lowest price to meet my not-quite-low-end requirements really! :o


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