Socket 478 processor, newer AGP cards

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I know my stuff in cards, so don't worry. Just asking for some real input - apart from just stats and benchmarks - about newer generation AGP cards. Guess it's time for upgrade and I'm not sure I want to rely only on numbers from the Internet. As for processors, well, I have an ABIT IS7 (i865 chipset) mobo here that supports up to 4 GHz and IIRC hyperthreading as well (not like I'm a fan, but I don't know if a HT proc will run on a non-HT mobo). Thing is, I don't have the money or incentive to replace everything (such as new proc needing new mobo needing new RAM type and new GFX card and possibly even new HDD... no bargain) - I just want to replace my proc and my GFX card and maybe add more RAM (512/400 MHz on one Kingston chip here). I've sort of decided simply to grab the best bargain for the processor and put my old one on a long auction so the price has enough time to fatten up. I guess 2.8 or 3 or 3.2 GHz, unless a 2.66 would be really cheap - although I already have a Celeron 2.4 here. As for graphics, I've taken a looong look at specs and benchmarks and the conclusion is that within my league, 7600GS is not a bad card so long as the memory is good enough, and actually 7300GT with DDR3 memory is a whole different card from 7300GT with DDR1-2 memory. On the ATI side, x1650pro seems to be a great card, and the rest is either crappy or quality/price ratio is bad. Well, 7600GT with DDR3 wouldn't be bad to have, but you know, there's always a newer and newer model, so you can raise the bar indefinitely and I just don't grow money on trees.

As for cards, please feel free to disagree with me. As for processors, I'm more waiting for some guidance, hehe, as in I know my stuff but I'm no expert. So what's the best thing to do with socket 478 apart from replacing? Should I go with the cheapest 2.66 I can find (and that's cheap) or do I want to shell out more and go for 3.4 GHz HT? Or maybe I want more RAM? Or maybe I want to forget proc AND GFX and focus just on GFX, getting something like 7800 instead of upgrading both the card and the proc?

 

Does the 478 series Mobo support PCI Express GPUs or are you going to be limited to 8x AGP? I know my 478 Mobo doens't even support 8x AGP, and that of course sucks, and it is also why I am getting a new PC.

 

I'm limited to AGP for my graphics and DDR1 for the RAM. I could get a new mobo for not that much, and it would support PCI-E, and PCI-E cards are cheaper than AGP, but then I'd have to buy new RAM - or buy an old enough mobo to support my old RAM. So I'll just replace the processor, maybe the card, maybe add some RAM.

 

GPU: The x1650pro is a pretty good choice, as is the 7600GS (dumbed down 7600). They are almost identical in both performance (I think the x1650pro is ever so marginally faster) and price, so go for whatever is cheaper (failing that the one with the best package).
CPU: I'd kind of go for something at or greater than 3GHz. A 2.66 GHz core is probably not worth it given your current core (you could probably overclock it to this speed any way, and if it breaks, well you were looking for a new core anyway). Just go for the core you think offers the best value for money. The naming scheme is pretty upfront on what your going to get and the performance differences are not too difficult to infer.

 

Keep in mind that socket 478 P4 are becoming increasingly hard to find. They've been supplanted by LGA775.

AMD socket 939 mobos support DDR1, though. AMD processors are fairly cheap as well, so you might want to check it out as well.

 

Guys, I've just found and bought Pentium IV 3.0 GHz with a full 1M cache and 800 MHz FSB. Yuppee! Costs me 338.5 PLN, which is about 87 euro or 112 USD. Some 8 PLN shipment and 33 for a cooling system, another 8 for shipment, going to be like 380-390 total.

 

Oh s***. I hope you haven't got a Prescott P4...

 

Prescott's arn't that bad. They just run a tad hot, which they can handle. The only real downside to this is less overclockability. They were also a tad expensive on release. At that price I think you did well.

 

Ummm...Stu? You're talking to DotW. He hates Intel in general about as much as he hates Motorolla and Sony Ericson. Don't bother trying to stick up for Intel...it's no use.

 

Yep, that's a Prescott PIV. It's going to run damn hot from what I know, but I'll handle that.

@Stu: Do you mean less overclockability in general or compared to Northwood? Prescott is much sweatier than Northwood, but Northwood has the Sudden Northwood Death Syndrome which can make it die randomly from overclocking, whereas Prescott's voltage is low, so with enough cooling, you should theoretically be able to overclock it quite well along with more voltage down its way. Except If I were to buy a moon-sized radiator with a jet turbine attached and something to prevent the sound from driving me mad (I love the power supply humming but I organically hate fan vibrations), I would be better off just using the same money along with what my stuff sells for, to buy a new mobo with goodies... PCI-E, DDR2 etc. So I guess I'll just get an Arctic Super Silent 4 TL or something.

Or is there an affordable but efficient cooling solution allowing a Preshot to be overclocked, anyone?

[ January 08, 2007, 15:00: Message edited by: chevalier ]

 

That's not true... I love Intel - when they're under a sledgehammer. Non-iDEN Motos sucks and Sony Ericsson sucked from the beginning.

The best combination I can think of is a huge copper Zalman fan, joined with silver thermal paste... if that combination can keep my bro's Preshot decently cool, it should work for you as well... but still, overclocking a Preshot isn't a very good idea, Chev.

 

Probably both - I had a friend who managed to successfully overclock his northwood a fair bit more than my prescot and with less system instability.

Yeah, I've got that with my 3.2ghz prescot (it's damn heavy). It kind of did ok, Its a lot quieter at least. The main problem with doing something like that now is that you could buy a far superior core for the price of the cheaper core plus the price of the new fan and past

 

Yep.

At any rate, I'll be drilling the case and/or adding fans, tubes and the like stuff. Wonder what I get out of it. Probably a bigass copper Zalman or a Scythe Ninja/Infinity or a Big Typhoon too, but maybe not right away.