Member Avatar for Kiba Ookami

If anyone would look through what I have and point out any issues that arise in how it will work with some of the stuff I'm getting to upgrade/replace, I'd be forever greatful :eek:


This is what I have as of now:

*
*KINGMAX SuperRAM 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model MPXD42D-2K - Retail (Can't find link on Newegg)
*Rosewill Black IDE CD Burner Model RR-521 Black - Retail (Another lost link)
*Motherboard
*SAPPHIRE RADEON 9600XT 256M Radeon 9600XT 256MB DDR AGP 4X/8X Video Card - OEM (Another link down the gone)
*AMD Athlon 64 3400+ Newcastle 800MHz HT Socket 754 Processor Model ADA3400AXBOX - Retail (Why can't I find my stuff anymore :eek: )
*Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 ST3120026A 120GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive - OEM (Grr...no linkage)
*AOpen Black ATAPI/E-IDE Combo Drive Model 91.5TD37.304 - OEM (Reads/Writes CD's, Reads but does not write DVD's)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Getting~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Cable for Vid Card to LCD
*
*
*Bigger Power Supply to Feed New Card (500W)
*
*LCD Monitor -- This one seemed awesome
*


The greatest of thanks to anyone who accually looked through all this, even mroe if you reply...

The purpose of this rig is gaming, Oblivion's coming out and I want a PC that can go into the next generation of games without dieing hard.

One other issue, if you take a look at my current RAM, its listed as Dual Channel, someone told me that 754 boards such as mine dont support dual channel--is this true? I don't believe so because I'm using them together as we speak :?:

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Dani AI

Generated

A short compatibility checklist and installation notes for 's upgrade path, plus a few clarifications tied to 's comments.

The important cross-checks are slot type, memory channel support, power/connectors, CPU vs GPU balance, drive interfaces, and physical clearance/airflow. Mismatching any of those is the usual cause of problems during an upgrade.

Memory/dual-channel: Socket 754 Athlon 64 CPUs use a single-channel memory controller. Installing two identical DIMMs increases capacity and will work, but it does not create a true dual-channel memory interface. To get real dual-channel operation the platform itself must support it (a later AMD socket/chipset). For games, having enough RAM (matched modules for stability) is more important than chasing dual-channel alone.

Graphics/power/CPU balance: AGP and PCI Express are different standards and are not interchangeable. Moving to a PCIe x16 motherboard requires a PCIe GPU. High-end GPUs require the proper auxiliary PCIe power plugs and a solid +12V delivery; a nominal "500W" supply is only useful if it has the right connectors and a quality design. Also, pairing a very powerful GPU with an older single-core 754 CPU often yields CPU-limited performance in CPU-heavy titles, so balance the platform choices rather than only chasing the fastest card.

Practical checklist before swapping parts: back up all data; confirm whether the new board uses SATA or IDE and have drivers ready; check CPU socket and cooler mounting compatibility; verify case clearance and airflow for the new card; uninstall old GPU drivers and do a clean driver install after hardware swap; update BIOS and set memory timings/speeds per the modules. Agreeing with , the older AGP video card will likely be the weakest link for next-gen gaming; moving to a matched PCIe motherboard/CPU/RAM set is the most forward-looking approach.

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Member Avatar for Member #2466

Why a 9600XT? That card is a bit antiquated...especially if you're going 64bit...no point of having this graphics card. The Nvidia 6600 GT would be a better card than this one. If you want to stick with ATI...You'd have to get the X800 series to be above 9600XT and 9800 Pro level. Otherwise, a good middle card is that Nvidia 6600GT.

Or use this chart to find a good AGP video card:

You can try this card, it's affordable and people have reported good experience with oblivion... but be warned, better cards means more ventilation... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102665

Member Avatar for Kiba Ookami

Eh thats my old gear you're talking about. Accually I've seince modified that list...this thread is way outdated now.

Member Avatar for Member #2466

Mar 1, 2006 is outdated? Holy cow you move fast... :)

Member Avatar for Kiba Ookami

Yeah. That list was a list of what I already had and below it is stuff I was considering getting.

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