Hooray, it's upgrade time.

[Dezolat0r]

My socket 754 CPU (it was an Athlon 64 3400+, annoyingly the most expensive component in my computer) has burnt out somehow, so I'm looking to get a new CPU. I figured I may as well upgrade to a PCI-E mobo and socket 939 CPU get a new graphics card as well, in order to be upgradeable in the future.

The maximum I can spend is about £300 or around that mark. Being only 17 with a part time job, I can't afford to spend much hence the tight budget.

What I need is a new motherboard *CI-E and socket 939), a new CPU, about as good as my old one (but I'd be willing to go down to say, a 3200 or 3000 to save money) and a relatively good mid-range/high-end graphics card. The graphics card I decided on was an x800 GTO2 (http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatal...aGX_2d101_2dSP) which I could unlock to X850 speeds. That'll cost around £160 unless I can find it cheaper. So now I need a mobo and a CPU. I don't know much about either so I was wondering if you guys could recommend something for me? Perhaps a CPU/Mobo bundle from a site somewhere. What would you recommend? Cheers guys

[BrandX]

How about then From Scan

MSI K8N Neo4-F S939 NForce4 1000fsb Dual DDR400 PCI-E SATA Raid Gbit Lan 7.1Ch Audio USB2 £51.44 £60.44

AMD *Retail* Opteron UP Model 146 (2000MHz) 64bit CPU (S939) 1024L2 Cache with AMD Heat Sink Fan 3Yr £89.46 £105.12

256Mb Abit PCI-E RX800 XL-256EDVIO Dual DVI ViVo £133.25 £156.57

Ok maybe a little over budget but it's all from Scan and not OCUK (horrible service just read around for comments and take my word on it) Also free shipping from Scan for Hexus users also at OCUK you would pay about 16 quid postage for all that and more!

The Opterons by all accounts clock up to FX speeds due to them being downgraded FX's cpu's etc., Just read the thread and that X800xl will be a good enough match for that GTO2 even when the bios is flashed. Plus no scary downside of it breaking or not flashing right. With you being on a budget an all!

Anyways I'm sure someone else can add a bit more or change a few things!

[Ricco]

Looks good, but I would go with a GTO2 over the XL

[Dezolat0r]

How about then From Scan

MSI K8N Neo4-F S939 NForce4 1000fsb Dual DDR400 PCI-E SATA Raid Gbit Lan 7.1Ch Audio USB2 £51.44 £60.44

AMD *Retail* Opteron UP Model 146 (2000MHz) 64bit CPU (S939) 1024L2 Cache with AMD Heat Sink Fan 3Yr £89.46 £105.12

256Mb Abit PCI-E RX800 XL-256EDVIO Dual DVI ViVo £133.25 £156.57

Ok maybe a little over budget but it's all from Scan and not OCUK (horrible service just read around for comments and take my word on it) Also free shipping from Scan for Hexus users also at OCUK you would pay about 16 quid postage for all that and more!

The Opterons by all accounts clock up to FX speeds due to them being downgraded FX's cpu's etc., Just read the thread and that X800xl will be a good enough match for that GTO2 even when the bios is flashed. Plus no scary downside of it breaking or not flashing right. With you being on a budget an all!

Anyways I'm sure someone else can add a bit more or change a few things!

Hmm, that looks good. Few questions though: first off, what are Opterons? Are they a type of codename for the Athlon 64's (like Newcastle, Clawhammer, Venice, etc) or a different CPU? If not, how would they be for gaming in comparison to my old CPU? They have a lower clockspeed my 400Mhz, which is quite a lot, although I know clockspeeds aren't everything.

I really liked the idea of having an X800GTO2 at X850 speeds though. Wouldn't there be a pretty large performance difference between that and an X800XL? They're pretty similar prices. I figured a GTO2 would be a better value-for-money card and worth the risk of poor customer service from OCUK compared to an XL. Isn't there a 100% bios flash rate on the GTO2 anyway?

Thanks very much for your help so far, it's much appreciated.

[Hans Voralberg]

Opteron is not a code name. It was the server/workstation CPU of AMD. Recently made available to desktop. Typically clock up to 2.5-2.8Ghz, also the benefit is 1Mb lvl 2 cache. The point of having an Opty is to overclock it But Scan doesnt have them in stock atm and i think it can be long till they get some in.
The GTO2 success rate is 100% and the number is growing. I think it's gonna be out of stock soon enuf.

[Dezolat0r]

Opteron is not a code name. It was the server/workstation CPU of AMD. Recently made available to desktop. Typically clock up to 2.5-2.8Ghz, also the benefit is 1Mb lvl 2 cache. The point of having an Opty is to overclock it But Scan doesnt have them in stock atm and i think it can be long till they get some in.
The GTO2 success rate is 100% and the number is growing. I think it's gonna be out of stock soon enuf.

Oh right...

Well, considering my last CPU died by overheating and wasn't overclocked at all, I'm really reluctant to overclock my next one =/ I wouldn't really be using my computer as either a server or a workstation either so would you recommend I get an Athlon 64 instead?

[Dezolat0r]

By the way, I keep hearing that Scan gives free P&P. Why is this? Is there something that we have to do on the hexus forums to be eligible for this service? Seems pretty generous to me!

[fredered]

you get 25 posts and go find a link that someone will post very soon, or ask someone in the scan forums. and the opteron is the same arcitecture as the athlon 64, it is essentially an underclock sandiego core athlon64: The 146 is exactly the same as an athlon 64 3200 but with twice the L2 cache

[Dezolat0r]

Would the Opty 146 in BrandX's post be a better deal than an Athlon 64 3200 at say, £99? Which would be better for gaming?

[Ricco]

Would the Opty 146 in BrandX's post be a better deal than an Athlon 64 3200 at say, £99? Which would be better for gaming?

Stick with theOpteron - for the price its impossible to beat ATM.

[Dezolat0r]

Right, okay!

Any more opinions on whether I should get the X800 XL or the X800 GTO2? Cheers

[Nox]

The Opterons by all accounts clock up to FX speeds due to them being downgraded FX's cpu's etc.

Only the first steppings of opterons were using the same core as the FX's, and I don't think you will find any in a retail store in this country! They are now a different stepping, but still giving outstanding OC's. If possible check the stepping before you order one.

Nox

[Dezolat0r]

Still looking for more input guys

[BrandX]

Sorry bout that, couldn't actually find this thread! Thought it had been deleted but looking in wrong place.

If it was me I'd go for the X800xl for ease of mind but then again I can see what everyone else is on about with the gto! Depends on what sort of a person overclocking wise you are and how strapped for cash on which card you go for. I myself have a x800xtpe and if you can get similar performance out of a gto2 then thats amazing at the price. End of the day it's purely up to you!

[Dezolat0r]

Well personally I'm not really a fan of overclocking as I said earlier, but with something simple such as unlocking extra pipelines which (apparently!) can't go wrong if you do it right, I'd be happy to have a go at. Would the card be more likely to overheat if I did? And is there anywhere apart from OCUK that sells them (the gto2 that is)? As you say, I've heard bad things

[BrandX]

I don't really know that much about the GTO2 card tbh. I know there is a really big thread over at the OCUK forums or their was the last time I had a look for information about the card.