Graphics and CPU

[Auron]

I've got £150 to spend on upgrading the afore mention components, im currently running a DUron 1.2GHz and a GeForce2 GTS.

Whats the best combo? as I want to improve my C'n'C Generals performance, and my gamin in general

TIA

Auron.

[unrealrocks]

Whats your motherboard ...

If it can handle AthlonXPs then getting a 2400XP or something would be good, if not get one of the new 1.6Ghz Durons!

GFX - 60 squids'll get you a GeForce4 Ti4200!

[Auron]

It's a Soltek SL75-FRN-L, and where do I find these ~£50 Ti4200's? Everywhere I look they are nowhere near that amount.

[Stylez]

Obviously if your motherboard can take a barton, get a Barton 2500+ which is around £70 and then you can get a GF4 Ti4200 for around £60-70 making the overall price around £130-140 without p&p which should make it to around £150 exactly.

[luke313]

Link for the ti4200- http://www.pcnextday.co.uk/product_d...PNV&pgroup=VID
And you could get a barton 2500+, which may need a bios update to work with your mobo, but I'm not sure.

[unrealrocks]

http://tekheads.co.uk have some cheap Ti42/6/800s!

That boards NForce2 so it'll handle Bartons no trouble. You may need to flash it although it'll be an offcial flash!

A 2500XP Barton is your best bet, that an a Ti4200 will get you 11,500 3DMarks (2001) ish!

[Austin]

If you're getting any gfx card do aim for 128MB, a 4200_64MB will still own a GF-FX5200 or Rad9200 with 128MB (or even 256MB) but it makes sense to pay the £10ish extra for a 128MB card.

I believe Soltek SL75-FRN-L is based on the VIA KT600 chipset (both this and nF2 should handle 400FSB). If so you should definitely put any TbredB (AIUHB, JIUHB) or Barton CPU in there as they all tend to o/c to XP3000+ to XP3200+ speeds, sweet for only £40-70. All you should need is PC3200 (pref TwinMOS, Crucial or Adata) and that's cheap now too. For the gfx card the 4200 (£70) is easily the best of the budget buys, Rad9600PRO (£120) will give you DX9 and excellent AA+AF, better if you plant to keep this setup for quite a while. You could also consider the Rad9500PRO and Rad9700, they aren't made anymore but are both better than the current 9600PRO. You won't believe the speed boost your system will get, whatever you decide!

For gfx card prices do shop around, IIRC www.dabs.com offered some good deals on 4200. Many people have found this guy to be good, he also sells on Ebay with a very high rating http://www.kl1128.fsnet.co.uk/vga.htm . Other than that check out the list of online retailers stickied on Hexus.

[luke313]

Right, finally Austin has proved he is human and not a robot
The SL75-FRN-L is Nforce2, not kt600, but the same rule applies, as the nforce2 is a beast overclocker. I did look at Dabs for the ti4200, but they say 'Long lead time expected', which means they probably won't have any more stock in. Pcnextday also have the 128mb version, but it is at £98 so not worth it IMO.

[Austin]

Originally posted by luke313
Right, finally Austin has proved he is human and not a robot
The SL75-FRN-L is Nforce2, not kt600, but the same rule applies, as the nforce2 is a beast overclocker.

Maybe I was trying to throw you off the scent!

It shouldn't be too hard to find a 4200 with 128MB for < £80, if it is just get the Rad9600PRO instead. I imagine nVidia are once again kicking themselves for offering such a wonderful card as the 4200 ... it must be embarassing enough to have the Radeons destroying the higher priced and inferior GF-FX without their previous generation whipping them too! 4200 is faster and largely superior to the GF-FX5200, FX5200ultra and FX5600 ... and can give even the new flipchip FX5600ultra a good run for its money too!

[Bruno]

I've seen a lot of people selling they're Ti's for cheap - just keep an eye out on forum for sale/wanted and you'll be able to stick with your budget easy, incl. a CPU. Someone on tekforums sold they're ti4400 for 60quid last week!

Bruno

[Auron]

Great advice, thanks

I thought the Barton 2500+ would be the best bet, from what I've heard it is a v nice chip.

so thats about £70.. the Ti4200 on Erik's site is priced at £80 (128MB ASUS) would be ideal if I could get both from the same place (I feel Erik's P&P is pricey, mainly becuase the stuff comes from HK..

[Auron]

Well, finding the fabled Ti4200 128MB leaving me enough for a 2500+ Barton is priving damn near impossible (Apart from Erik of course)

[BUFF]

http://www.zyaan.com/acatalog/GeForce_4.html

Scroll to the bottom
128Mb DDR ASUS 4 Ti4200 8X £65 incl.VAT

Their XP2500 retail is £71 incl.VAT so you can combine both to minimise carr.

[TomWilko]

For a ti4200 i went for THIS card. Great card to see me over to next year when i can afford to build a system! Altho as luke313 said there is a long lead time which means they can't get their hands on anymore or sommit Which is sad because i only got my card like a month or two ago and they had hundreds in stock!

And THIS is the first link you can go to on ebuyer when ou go to the video cards section...

[Auron]

That looks brill BUFF, anyone have any feedback on the said card?

[Austin]

http://www.zyaan.com/acatalog/GeForce_4.html

YES buy it! £66 is a give away price. Asus are a great brand (not that it tends to matter that much in gfx cards) but the nice thing is that you are guaranteed a 4200 with 128MB and fast clocks of either 250/512 (Asus site) or 250/550 (Zyaan). Either way that card should have good o/c'ability as well as great stock perf. Only thing that could put you off is £7 (incVAT) P&P but as said if you're after an XP2500+ or a case (Sparkle look good) then it more than evens out.

I'd get one myself but the P&P is too much for a single item.

PS. 550mhz RAM is available on an Asus card, but code doesn;t match up with box displayed.