Upgrading - A few questions

[Raz1r]

Here's what I'm looking at:

Intel Pentium E2180 2.0GHz (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116052)
GIGABYTE GA-G31M-S2L (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128078)
Patriot Viper 4GB DDR2 800 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220293)
Rosewill RP500-2 ATX12V v2.01 500W PSU (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182016)

And eventually
EVGA GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130082)

So do I have to overclock the FSB on my Pentium from 800 to 1066 for it to work at all with that motherboard?

Also, what is the best place to buy cable sleeving so I can get better airflow in my small case?

[Drum Thumper]

First off, do yourself a favor and get a beefier PSU--Rosewill makes great fans and that's about it.

As for overclocking, I'll let others answer that.

And for cable sleeving...look to the right of the screen. See the Xoxide ad? Click it.

[Spawn-Inc]

yes i second loosing the psu. get this, much better.

CORSAIR 450VX 450W Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003)

as for the motherboard these ones are wicked. it's a bit more but its worth it IMO.
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059)

i've put the above two in the last to rigs i built for friends and there working great, they don't oc so i can't give you any results for that but they run great.





So do I have to overclock the FSB on my Pentium from 800 to 1066 for it to work at all with that motherboard?


no, 1066 is what the max, stock, fsb it can handle. but you can overclock and get it going faster than that (if the cpu/ram can do it)

[Drum Thumper]

Cosair makes top notch gear. I've had good luck with Coolermaster too. My only complaint is that I didn't get a modular.

[Raz1r]

Just wondering if you guys read any of the reviews on the PSU. I only found a review from JonnyGuru (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=32), and the Newegg reviews (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817182016&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=100&SelectedRating=-1&PurchaseMark=&VideoOnlyMark=false) aren't too bad either.

I know when you hear Rosewill you cringe, but this one seems like a good one. I'm trying to keep it around $60.

[doug91]

pretty nice upgrade specs there..
however that processor just bugs me.. I don't know what your previous processor was, but the pentium isn't much of an upgrade. Unless your budget is just airtight, I would go for a Conroe CPU. Something with 2mb cache and 1066FSB.

You motherboard runs at 1066/133mhz. So if you stick with your processor, it will just lower its FSB to 800mhz to be compatible. I also, agree with the other posts. The PSU is perhaps the most important component. Rosewill... not so much

[Raz1r]

I have a single-core Celeron D @ 2.8ghz, Socket 478.

533mhz
256kb L2 cache
28kb L1 cache

Definitely not good for gaming. What sucks worse is that I'm trying to do this on a budget. So the e2180 it will be. I plan on upgrading it later to a quad once they come down a bit. Can't wait till Summer, I'm gonna work my ass off to get enough money for some top stuff.

As for the PSU, now that I look at it,the Corsair looks really good. I didn't realize that it is basically a rebranded Seasonic. I'm just hoping it will last a long time.

Anybody have any suggestions for a HDD? I was looking at this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)


Oh, I forgot to tell you guys the Motherboard I'm getting has to be Micro-ATX.

[Spawn-Inc]

i prefer seagate over western, but that's a preference thing i think for most people. so thats a good hdd :)

and the gigabyte board i posted b4 is micro atx :)

[Raz1r]

I'm just wondering, how much does the cache matter? I don't plan on going any lower than 16mb, but will there be a huge performance increase in a 32mb version @ the same RPM?

[Spawn-Inc]

not sure myself. all the ones i have are 16, but that wasn't my deciding factor, well maybe a little. i wouldn't worry about it.

[Raz1r]

Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth the $20. I think I'll go with the 16mb version and put the money I save towards that PSU.

[Raz1r]

Sorry for double-posting. I've updated my list, since I don't think that going over 2gb of RAM is worth it right now. And for $35 after Rebate for a good brand, I couldn't find a better deal.

Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2 x 1GB 240-pin DDR2-800 (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16820148076)

Also, can I still use my 300w PSU until I upgrade? I am using a 20-pin PSU with my 24-pin mobo successfully right now, will it work on this new board? And are the 4-pin CPU slots different from 478 to 775?

[Spawn-Inc]

Also, can I still use my 300w PSU until I upgrade? I am using a 20-pin PSU with my 24-pin mobo successfully right now, will it work on this new board? And are the 4-pin CPU slots different from 478 to 775?

you should be able to use the old psu but not sure i would risk damaging it. but thats me.


and yes the 4 pin cpu power is the same on all motherboards.

[Okele]

Also, can I still use my 300w PSU until I upgrade? I am using a 20-pin PSU with my 24-pin mobo successfully right now, will it work on this new board? And are the 4-pin CPU slots different from 478 to 775?


Do you have a PC Club in your area? not even sure what country youre in. I found a quiet deal there, it will be a little more then what you were originally expecting but will prepare you for your upgrades over the summer. I picked up a 1000W PSU from soly-tech for 149.00. It runs like a charm, I need to do my review of it soon but I wanted to give it another week or so before I have any firm review points.

[a.Bird]

What exactly would you use that 500GB HD for that you linked to? If it's just your OS and a handful of programs and games, save 50 bucks and get 160GB... it'll be PLENTY of space. If you put that 50 bucks you'd save into your processor, you could make your way into Conroe territory and really take advantage of what modern technology has to offer. Of course that 50 bucks could also go towards a rock solid PSU if you're looking for stability and reliability for overclocking or upgrading. It really all boils down to what you're building this rig for, which I apologize if you've already mentioned it and I missed it scrolling through this thread.

Edit: And unless you're watercooling, running three videocards, 10 high performance fans and powering your toaster oven all on a microATX board, there is no good reason to drop the extra money on a 1000W PSU. 500W is even a little much but safe if you plan on OCing a little may want to upgrade your motherboard + components in the future. That's just my opinion.

[Fuganater]

Do you have a PC Club in your area? not even sure what country youre in. I found a quiet deal there, it will be a little more then what you were originally expecting but will prepare you for your upgrades over the summer. I picked up a 1000W PSU from soly-tech for 149.00. It runs like a charm, I need to do my review of it soon but I wanted to give it another week or so before I have any firm review points.

Off topic...

We had a PC Club her in Pittsburgh. Was only there for about 2 years. I bought my first mod there. Went back last year to get some gear... and they were gone :(

Ok back to your discussion...