Hardware critique

[1337_Hippy]

Hey all, first post!

I'm wondering what you think of this build:

Intel Presler 930 - $212
Abit AW8 - $110
Corsair 2GB VS DDR2 - $146
XP Home - $90
Total: $557

It'll be used mostly for mulltimedia stuff (music, movies, photography) and browsing the web with a little bit of gaming on the side. I already have a GPU (X800XL), case, monitor, etc. Thanks for your advice!

[Mama Sumae]

HUM.. first time i see anyone adding XP to their build up

[1337_Hippy]

Haha, well, I've seen enough people underestimate the cost by not adding it to know better.

[amjedm]

Muma Sumae - I like the pic in the signature.

1337_Hippy - Is that a retail or OEM copy of XP? I thought it would be cheaper than that in the States.

[1337_Hippy]

It's OEM. That's fine by me though. Anybody else have a say?

[user1453]

technically if it is oem you will have to buy a new copy when you change the motherboard

[1337_Hippy]

technically if it is oem you will have to buy a new copy when you change the motherboard

Hm..this is the first I've heard of that. Can somebody confirm?

[herulach]

by the strict letter of the licence that is the case, in physical terms its possible to install on a different machine, however, youd be breaking the eula

[nichomach]

*Ahem* Yep; MS define the motherboard as the "heart of a PC" (they're a bit twisted like that) and state that replacement for any reason other than a motherboard failure results in a "new" PC.

[1337_Hippy]

Hum..well, I guess that make the mobo really important. I really don't want to spend $200US on an OS. So if anybody has any nitpicks with that mobo, let me hear them!

[amjedm]

Can't you get a Retail version of XP?

[Lee H]

you can get the OEM version if you get an essential piece of hardware.

Microsoft list the following as included in the "essential" listing ;

CPU, memory, Motherboard, Hard-drive, or even a "MOUSE"

Best Regards,

[amjedm]

you can get the OEM version if you get an essential piece of hardware.

Microsoft list the following as included in the "essential" listing ;

CPU, memory, Motherboard, Hard-drive, or even a "MOUSE"

Best Regards,

So does this mean a motherboard could be swapped and you keep the same Windows XP?

I take it Scan ship a mouse with their OEM versions?

[Lee H]

So does this mean a motherboard could be swapped and you keep the same Windows XP?

Not really. When you "register" windows online it takes a unique snapshot of the system and generates an ID using some codes.

As such they can generally tell if a mobo has been changed and I too have had to get another copy of windows when my old motherboard bit the dust and I move from socket A to 939.

[1337_Hippy]

Well, I found a copy here for $130 after shipping, which seems like a pretty good deal. I guess it'd be cheaper then buying a new one every time I get a new mobo.

[shaithis]

Not really. When you "register" windows online it takes a unique snapshot of the system and generates an ID using some codes.

As such they can generally tell if a mobo has been changed and I too have had to get another copy of windows when my old motherboard bit the dust and I move from socket A to 939.

Odd, perhaps its different for XP64 but I have changed my mobo (including chipset) a few times and activation has worked everytime.

If they said no to me, I would ring them, if they confront you tell them that your mobo/cpu died and it wasn't economically viable to replace it like-for-like, so you had to opt for something different.