Need to upgrade an age old PC

**Renegade** · 17-05-08, 10:03 AM

Presetly its running off AMD sempron 2500+, a 20GB HDD quantum fireball

and a 17" CRT.

My parents would be using it so dont require anything fancy. Was thinking of building it around E2180 and onboard video. Created a separate thread coz people seem to have forgotten about onboard altogether.

Wont be requiring HDD and DVDRW as I already have both. Everything else required.

Please give me options in LCD and PSU coz I believe they are going to be the most costly components, and I would like some cost cutting there if the budget doesnt permit.

Budget: as low as possible

**Gannu** · 17-05-08, 10:12 AM

Heh, good to see another want-a-rig thread in the early dawn...

Will this do:

1. Intel E2160 [2.7k; not worth spending 600 more for a 200MHz upgrade from E2160 to E2180]

2. abit I-N73HD - [4.1k; A very decent mobo with an onboard Geforce 7100 and an HDMI port + SPDIF optical out]

3. A pair of 1 GB Transcend ValueRams @ 800MHz [2.1k max]

4. Corsair VX450 [3.6k; Virtually no substitutes; unarguably the best PSU in the range]

5. Dell E198WFP [9k;The best TN panel in 19inchers; Period]

**aman.pitbull** · 17-05-08, 10:42 AM

Even I had this Hdd 20GB HDD quantum fireball? Is it a good company??

As low as possible! so here it goes:

1.PROCESSOR : Intel Dual Core E2160 Rs.2650-/-:hap2:

2.MOTHERBOARD : XFXn630i board Rs.3250-/- <this thing will last long>:hap2:

3.RAM : Kingston 2*1gb DDR2800MHz Rs.1050*2= Rs.2100-/- <good and fast service in case of troubles>

4.CABINET : Zebronics LAVA+120mm FAN Rs.900+250= Rs.1150-/-:hap2:

5.SMPS : Cooler Master Extreme Power 460W Rs.1700-/-<cheapest VFM for your config> :cool2:

6.LCD : Viewsonic 19'' W VA1926w or VA1912wb wont cross Rs.8800-/-<max>buy the cheaper one :hap5:

7.Keyboard+Mouse : Logitech set Rs.700-/-

8.Speakers : Creative SBS330 Rs.1050-/-

**vivekbabbudelhi** · 17-05-08, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by gannu

Heh, good to see another want-a-rig thread in the early dawn...

Will this do:

1. Intel E2160 [2.7k; not worth spending 600 more for a 200MHz upgrade from E2160 to E2180]

2. abit I-N73HD - [4.1k; A very decent mobo with an onboard Geforce 7100 and an HDMI port + SPDIF optical out]

3. A pair of 1 GB Transcend ValueRams @ 800MHz [2.1k max]

4. Corsair VX450 [3.6k; Virtually no substitutes; unarguably the best PSU in the range]

5. Dell E198WFP [9k;The best TN panel in 19inchers; Period]

Lolz..gannu..VX450 to run a E2160+geforce 7100 mobo :S ,a CM 390,CM 460 would do the trick

**Gannu** · 17-05-08, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by vivekbabbudelhi

Lolz..gannu..VX450 to run a E2160+geforce 7100 mobo :S ,a CM 390,CM 460 would do the trick

Lol, so a cheaper PSU to run a cheap rig and a high-end one only for powering high-end rigs huh??

I'd never suggest one unless he's hellbent on getting a low-end PSU..

**Renegade** · 17-05-08, 11:23 AM

Thanks for the suggestions

@aman - It was perhaps the best brand of its times. Dont have a bad sector even after 8 years of usage.

@vivek and gannu - At present the system is powered by some priya PSU

I had bought a colorsit for it but it conked out. I dont know if a 3.6K PSU is justified

2K seems more reasonable

I like the points 1 and 2 by gannu. 3rd is quite generic so shouldnt matter which brand I get.

**Gannu** · 17-05-08, 11:27 AM

Originally Posted by Renegade

I had bought a colorsit for it but it conked out. I dont know if a 3.6K PSU is justified

U sure do have a bad experience with the Colorsit PSU; Trust me, a good PSU will do good to ur system and will last longer than the low-end ones and even get along with some major upgrades.

A 1k spent more for ur PSU wont do any harm.

Anyhow choice is urs. Suggestions're ours to make.

**fangface** · 17-05-08, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by gannu

U sure do have a bad experience with the Colorsit PSU; Trust me, a good PSU will do good to ur system and will last longer than the low-end ones and even get along with some major upgrades.

A 1k spent more for ur PSU wont do any harm.

Anyhow choice is urs. Suggestions're ours to make.

do agree with gannu that a vx450 would be the best psu @ that range.. but might be a bit excessive for a e21xx + onboard graphics

However a vx450 will sure be stable + silent + save you money on power bills due to the higher efficiency! :hap2:

**techie_007** · 17-05-08, 12:22 PM

Theres a seventeam goin in the market for around 1.6-1.8k

shud be a good option too

**greenhorn** · 17-05-08, 02:19 PM

the problem here is that both your HDD and DVDRW are IDE. most modern boards come with just a single IDE slot. if you put both of them together ,They will work, albeit a bit slowly, and even worse , you wont be able to burn anything. The burn will fail and your HDD will be set to PIO mode the moment you try

at least thast what happened to me

**kippu** · 17-05-08, 02:29 PM

i thought the 780g onboard graphics kicks intel's onboard not that its entirely necessary wont that work out cheaper?

**techie_007** · 17-05-08, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by greenhorn

the problem here is that both your HDD and DVDRW are IDE. most modern boards come with just a single IDE slot. if you put both of them together ,They will work, albeit a bit slowly, and even worse , you wont be able to burn anything. The burn will fail and your HDD will be set to PIO mode the moment you try

at least thast what happened to me

Its more of a case to case to mobo thing greenie

I was running a combo like that for 4 years and nothin happened to it

that too on a A7N266VM mobo with a 2000+

So in general no issues. Only in rare cases U might hit a snag.

**greenhorn** · 17-05-08, 02:53 PM

ideally you shouldnt put optical and Magnetic drives on the same channel....

**Renegade** · 17-05-08, 03:34 PM

@kippu - wont those boards be much costlier too

@greenhorn - I would most likely be getting a new 500GB HDD later

**Gannu** · 17-05-08, 03:35 PM

Hey Renegade, any preference among AMD or Intel??

Can suggest a good one from AMD as well else the Intel certainly will kick AMD's a$$ when coupled with a good gfx card.

**techie_007** · 17-05-08, 03:37 PM

Originally Posted by greenhorn

ideally you shouldnt put optical and Magnetic drives on the same channel....

OT: why not? I know transfer speeds are reduced, but if u compensate by reducing those burn speeds, everything goes ok

Thats my experience anyways, ran for a long time when my 2nd cable was busted.

Since it ran fine I saw no need to replace the cable

**Renegade** · 17-05-08, 03:43 PM

I dont have any preference as such. I have been on athlon 1700+ and sempron 2500+. And I doubt they will start playing games any time sooner

Should be able to play 1080p movies though

**Gannu** · 17-05-08, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Renegade

I dont have any preference as such. I have been on athlon 1700+ and sempron 2500+. And I doubt they will start playing games any time sooner

Should be able to play 1080p movies though

Then Intel FTW...

**greenhorn** · 17-05-08, 03:46 PM

if you're getting a SATA hdd, then this will do as a stand in, no issues. I had some isssues running a DVDRW and HDD on the same IDE channel. i was writing at 4X and still had issues.

I think a 690G should be better than the 7050 boards

you might need a more powerful proccy if you're planning to run 1080i - something like an X2 4800+ or an equivalent intel