Um, can i get some opinions on this?

[punkrawk]

Ok, frys has this on special:

ECS L4S8A2 (sis 648 chipset)
P4 2.4 ghz proc retail

$230

i mean, is it a really good bang for the buck? i know the motherboard is lacking in features, but the proc alone is like $180, and the motherboard alone is like $90, so it seems to be a steal.

they also have this on sale
Althon XP 2100+ OEM
Soyo KT333 Dragon Lite
$130

Again, the motherboard is low on features, but i dont use that many peripherals or anything. my upgrade has to be as cheap as possible, but i still do want it to be somewhat future proof. the p4 rig can support all the new p4s until the 8000 mhz ones come out, but the althon one seems to be rather limited, as the kt33 cant even ruyn the 2600+ - beyond at the 333 mhz bus, only the slower speed, i forget what it is. am i right? what woudl you poepel do? keep in mind money is very much the object,

i cant afford these upgrades every 4 months like some of you, so which one will be a very good value now (not necessarily the best), but will also have some upgradability options down the road? thanks for ur input.

[number1sixerfan]

Unless you overclock, then both are a steal.

[punkrawk]

what do u mean unless i overclock? are both motherboards crap overclockers? i thought the soyo was good for that? and either way i probably wont, at least for a few years until my proc becomes crap and i dont want to overhaul yet.

now i know both are good deals, i just need a good way of convincing my parents to buy now rather than later. they do relaly want my current computer cause they try to surf the net on a 6 year old p1 166 mhz with 32 mb edo ram. thats a good reason, but it probably wont be enough. anyone else have experience in the art of persuasion?

[speedstream5621]

How old are you? Do what I do and say that it will be the last upgrade for a long time. Say that the amount of experience that you would get from this upgrade would be very beneficial to your future. Also, if you have a sister then you can say that you can burn her cds for free or something, be creative.

[number1sixerfan]

I meant that ECS boards aren't great for overclocking. The soyo should be fine in that department.

[punkrawk]

Originally posted by speedstream5621
How old are you? Do what I do and say that it will be the last upgrade for a long time. Say that the amount of experience that you would get from this upgrade would be very beneficial to your future. Also, if you have a sister then you can say that you can burn her cds for free or something, be creative.

um, i'm 18 (yet i still have to beg and plead, but i'm getting off my lazy *** and gettinga job soon, but my money will still be tied up in other things and :/), and my biggest bargaining chip is my current rig that my parents would take over, and get rid of the 166mhz computer. my dad really wants to, its just my mom whos being hesitant. my brother is off at college already and has his own burner, so basically my biggest bargaining chip is my only bargaining chip. my mom always thinks these specials come along every other week and she doesnt realize frys only stops selling crap combos like for 1 week every 6 or 7 months, but she doenst relaly believe me so i cant sell her on that. basically i need a reason why NOW is the time to buy rather than later.

also, they have an antec 1080 AMG metallic grey case with 420 watt power supply for $100. considering the power supply alone is like 70 bucks i think thats a good deal, and even if i dont buy the mother board and stuff right now, do you htink it would be good to buy the case righ tnow, seeing as prices dont fluctuate all that much.

[punkrawk]

oh yeah, and can someone clarify if in fact the kt333 chipset supports the new XP processors (like the 2600+ and 2800+) at the 333 fsb speed, rather than the 266? mhz bus?

[speedstream5621]

18, maybe my parents will keep buying me stuff for the next three years before I get the hell outta there. Need a change of state or something more interesting and fun then boring old oregon.

[bluesfusion]

Those processors should have about equal performance. One costs $230. The other costs $130. It is easy to tell that one of them gives you a massive bang for the buck while the other one is overpriced.

What I am trying to say in a subtle manner is - the AMD is the obvious choice here.

[bluesfusion]

I forgot to mention this - Forget About Future-Proof Upgrades (or FAFPU if you like meaningless acronyms.)

Running after future proof upgrades is a waste of time, money and patience. Not to mention that such a thing as future-proof upgrade doesn't exist in the world of computers today where technology changes wholesale every 6 months. So don't kid yourself that 2 years from now you can put a 8GHz cpu in a motherboard you buy today cause thats not going to happen, no matter what the commercials tell you.

When I made my Duron comp 2 years ago I had the same idea - get a so-called "future-proof" motherboard so I could just upgrade the cpu at a later stage and have an up-to-date computer. Guess what, in one measly year, technology had changed so much on both the cpu and memory fronts that that old motherboard was done as far as any meaningful upgrade was concerned. I mean why would you upgrade from PC100 to PC133 when systems with DDR PC2100 are available for the same price? Well you are stuck with older technology cause thats the only thing that'll work with your 'future-proof' motherboard at that time. Heh. So you end up spending the same amount of money and getting a mediocre system. Makes no sense financially.

So just look at how much you want to spend and buy the best system that fits that price today. Dont worry about what you'll be able to put in it 2 years from now.

[punkrawk]

yeah blue fusion i was thinking the exact same thing. my current rig was supposed to be somewhat future proof as i thought i would just sink a faster proc into my mobo to extend life a bit. well, now the p3s didnt go much further before it died, then it came back as the tualitain, but they want like 200 bucks for a 1.4 ghz processor which, for the same price, would get me the amd proc, mobo, and a 512 mb stick of ram! so yeah, i guess u CAN update ur stuff later on down the road, its just not worth it. and both combos are really good deals, it just happens that hte amd is a better deal. honestly, each combo saves you about $50, but i think i will go AMD. i dunno my parents are being super stingy though. i guess i can afford to do the whole thing myself if i save money from a job for 2 or 3 months, but it just deosnt seem fair, seeing as my brother got his computer for free! oh yeah, add to that they UPGRADED it for FREE for him. i think theyre trying to tell me they love him more. hahahaha jk jk....i hope.

[clh61]

That soyo combo is a nice deal. Just over a year ago I think I paid about 260 for my 2000+ cpu. That extra savings I would use toward a good video card.

[clh61]

Originally posted by punkrawk
yeah blue fusion i was thinking the exact same thing. my current rig was supposed to be somewhat future proof as i thought i would just sink a faster proc into my mobo to extend life a bit. well, now the p3s didnt go much further before it died, then it came back as the tualitain, but they want like 200 bucks for a 1.4 ghz processor which, for the same price, would get me the amd proc, mobo, and a 512 mb stick of ram! so yeah, i guess u CAN update ur stuff later on down the road, its just not worth it. and both combos are really good deals, it just happens that hte amd is a better deal. honestly, each combo saves you about $50, but i think i will go AMD. i dunno my parents are being super stingy though. i guess i can afford to do the whole thing myself if i save money from a job for 2 or 3 months, but it just deosnt seem fair, seeing as my brother got his computer for free! oh yeah, add to that they UPGRADED it for FREE for him. i think theyre trying to tell me they love him more. hahahaha jk jk....i hope.

Just ask them. That alone may pay for the parts

[punkrawk]

eh, its not going too well so far. can anyone comment on the case i suggested earlier? i really want to snag one before theyre gone or something.