--- FoulDragon@aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 12/22/2005 2:24:00 PM US Mountain
> Standard Time, 
> josh_coffman@yahoo.com writes:
> 
> >It's also got a 32 mg Geforce2 MX which sucks.
> Also, I
> >lost a hard drive earlier this year and am down to
> >one. I prefer to keep two in the box: one for
> >system(s), one for data.
> 
> If you upgrade the whole box, you might end up
> getting integrated video.  
> Most cheap systems are based on integrated-video
> boards.  Only a handful of 
> integrated-video parts even beat a GF2MX.  I think
> the nForce-with-integrated video 
> does, but it's still a poor substitute for a real
> video card, since it will 
> eat system memory.
> 
> For video:
> 
> $75 budget:  6200, 128Mb, not the TurboCache version
> (which steals system 
> memory)  Beware "Supports 128Mb" "effective size
> 128Mb" or "6200TC"
> $100 budget:  X1300 series, avoid anything that says
> HyperMemory/HM (same 
> story)
> $150 budget:  6600GT or if you can find one a 6800LE
> or 6800XT.
> 
> The x1300 is an ATi card; you might review its
> driver support.  I know 
> nVidia's at least known for trying to offer Linux
> drivers.
> 
> For mainboard, a good choice is the ASRock
> 939Dual-SATA2.  It allows you to 
> pick PCI-Express or AGP video cards.    $72
> delivered at Newegg.  I'm quoting 
> their prices because they're known to be generally
> pretty cheap and reliable.
> 
> For processor, the least expensive Socket 939 Athlon
> 64 you can find.  At 
> Newegg today, that's the 3200+, at $165 delivered. 
> Apparently the lower-end A64s 
> are being discontinued so the price has shot up a
> bit.
> 
> Finally, get 1Gb of DDR400; a "dual-channel set"
> (preferrable for guaranteed 
> compatibility) will cost about $80.  I liked the
> Corsair Value-Select stuff I 
> got for my A64 build, just over $81 delivered.
> 
> About $325 plus your choice of video card.  Just
> under four hundred with a 
> $61 delivered AGP 6200, and you can probably squeeze
> a hard disc in with a $450 
> to 500 budget   It has the advantadges (over an OEM
> box) of greater 
> upgradeability (I specced a Socket 939 board and
> chip.  Socket 754 is cheaper, and 
> allows you to use Semprons, but you can't put an X2
> on it later, and nobody makes a 
> dual-video-option Socket 754 board.  The board I
> reccomend also allows you to 
> swap the AGP video card for a PCI-Express one
> later), more memory (many 
> bottom-end boards feature 256M or 512M), no
> integrated video stealing system memory.

i figured I'd compare the gf2mx to the integrated
video of the cheap and just use the better until I buy
a gf 6800. the memory and video card are the two least
reusable pieces I have.

a cheap system with my better parts would be pretty
decent other than the vid card.

Shin zen ni rei
-j
Registered Linux user number 403109
  http://counter.li.org/
  



		
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