thiru

Hello again...

I said in my other thread that my dad would buy me a new GPU. Well he still hasn't, but he did give me 179$ (converted, and most of the stuff here costs more).

I went to the computer shops (mall, really), and only found a AGP 6800LE with 128-bit memory interface (are those modable to 6800+? don't think so...) and X1600pro at 137$ (which I will buy, unless I can find a 6800XT/LE that might have a chance to be unlocked) .

This means that I have about 40$ free. AFAIK, the things I can upgrade in my computer are :

PSU (the reason the post is here) : current is 400W, 12V@16A, a new one will need to support a normal PC (OCed) with 2 HDDs and a X1600pro.

CPU fan : to replace my stock AMD HSF. BTW, the Big Typhoon here costs 39$ (found the Tuniq Tower too, and other 10pound looking HSFs too ).

Case : I have a case with over 10,000 holes in it (with filter). Somehow it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Cables, case fans, GPU fan, sound system, sound card... other stuff : I have those huge IDE cables, PSU cables aren't in sleeving kit/stuff, crappy fans seem to blow in both directions, the fan of the 9600 I plan to sell to my friend won't start without a little help (found THAT out the day my warranty for it expired ). And I have very crappy speakers and no microphone or webcam (don't particularly care for that).

So what are the things I should upgrade?
My probably good bet is the PSU, right?
So what PSU can be found at less than 40$, with sufficient power for my rig (which I plan to overclock 24/7 with the new PSU, not just for fun )?

Also, I don't get those PSUs with two 12V rails (20A and 18/20A)... guides on this forum tell you how to get the effective amperage on the 12V, but how is it effective if I can't fit them both on my motherboard?

Thank you for reading this far.


Big EDIT I totally forgot. My memory needs upgrading too : 2 different brands of DDR400, 512MB, timings are 3-4-4-8 and 3-3-3-8. Here, 512MB DDR400 Corsair 2-2-2-6 (not sure which model) costs 76$, and I can trade the 3-3-3-8 for about 30$ (the other I'm not sure, but probably).

And, I'm selling my current GPU to a friend, for about 44$, which means I have about 70-80$ (since stuff costs more, and I might need to a buy a new fan for the 9600).

Namrac

If you can find it, my PSU is very good for the price. FSP Saga 450W. It's $50 here. And that's a great deal for the Big Typhoon, Mine cost me $50, and it's closer to $60 now.

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ENTERPRISE

Yes in that system the major thing that needs an upgrade would be that PSU of yours.

When it comes to getting a PSU dont just look for a high wattage. Something of around 500-600Watts is ok for todays hardware. However remember that its the +12V rail that you need to look out for. I would get a PSU with atleast 30-35 amps all together. Here are a few reccomendations:

Silverstone: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817163111
Seasonic:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151024

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frosty15

Thoroughly agree, for SLI/Crossfire.
However running an NF3 with an AGP card, so long as it's a minimum of 400W with 26A (+12v) you should have no problems.

In all honesty thiru, it seems like you have bigger plans than your current budget will allow, heh

I'd suggest that you start with parts that are going to stabalise, then improve your rig, buying new kit with the possibility of something else damaging it would be disasterous.

Start with your budget $179

As Enterprise suggested, I'd see your priority as your psu (if you are wanting to overclock), at the end of the day, if your psu fails, it could take out other components too!

Next, I'd say your ram, even a 7800GT will underperform with only 512mb system ram behind it.

remaining budget + $30
Unless you are going to overclock your rig to the max (which I don't believe your mobo will allow), more memory would be a better upgrade than better performance.
eg 2x1GHz DDR400 would be better in your rig than 2x512mb DDR500

Your next option is, depending on funds, whether to buy a new cooler for your cpu, or a new graphics card.
I'd go with the Tuniq Tower depending on it's price, it's certainly the best aircooler available and will allow you to run cooler.

remaining budget + $44
Alternatively a better graphics card will allow you to play more newer games at better framerates.

You have to make the best of what you have and what your budget will allow.
It's all too easy to say, sell everything and get a 939 or low price Pentium D, but you have to be realistic. Although your rig won't perform as well as a 939 and won't have PCI-e graphics, your budget will allow you to improve what you have and make gaming more enjoyable.

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thiru

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm trying to get as many suggestions as possible since the selection here is limited (though it seems they have popular overclocking-quality stuff like the Tagan, Tuniq Tower, Thermaltake, Antec stuff...). (and please don't suggest the Tagan, it's overprice and overkill)

So a PSU with 400W and 12V@26A will do...

ENTERPRISE1701, the second PSU you linked me to has two 12V rails. Could you explain how that works with a mobo that has only room for one (just being skeptic ?

frosty, all those things I listed are the things that need upgrading. AFAIK, the important one is the PSU, then the memory, for overclocking (and better timings anyway). The CPU cooler I have is stock, but it seems to keep my CPU at 40 under load at stock (overclocking would make those go up quickly, though).

And my budget is about 179$, and 223$ IF I buy a new GPU and sell my old one. Which is what I am going to do (that 6800XT/LE or X1600Pro I mentioned). So that's why I'm asking what PSU is good for my rig (AGP, 2 HDD, overclocked, otherwise average) under 87$.

frosty15

thiru,

Are there any online etailers that we could checkout who deliver to Jakarta?
There may be some manufacturers that you've not heard of who make decent quality reliable components.
These would be more than capable enough -
http://tinyurl.com/86h8b
http://tinyurl.com/duzo3
http://tinyurl.com/dh92o
http://tinyurl.com/o34ag

If there is, could you tell us how many IDR's you have to spend, it'll prolly work out easier than converting currency as the exchange rates differ from country to country.

With regards to memory, the most widely regarded as quality and suitable for overclocking are as follows -
G.Skill, Mushkin, OCZ, Buffalo, Corsair and Vitesta. It is not recommended that you buy generic (non branded ram) these are often mismatched chips and often won't scale well at all.

I'd suggest the X800 GTO or GTO², both have 12 pipelines and it may be possible to unlock the extra 4 pipelines IF YOU'RE LUCKY.
If you are lucky the X800GTO is moddeble to an X800XT and the X800GTO² is moddable to an X850XT.
As stock cards they're no slouch, but modded they will blow away both the X1600Pro and 6800XT with ease. modding cards invalidates warranty and is done at your own risk! Also note, if unlocked a better cooler is recommended.

__________________
250x10 @ 42°C
watercooling setup almost complete, just need tube, clips and coolant, oh and a little modding,

How to HotFlash

thiru

I would've considered the X800series (which probably can't be found here in AGP), until I saw that some future games require SM3 capable cards (UT 2K7 only, AFAIK).

I have 1,625,000 IDR to spend, and plan to sell my GPU for 400,000 IDR if I buy a new one. Unfortunatly I can't find a computer shop website (based in Jakarta, as I can't purchase online) with good PSUs (at least they don't mean anything to me, and cost between 7 and 40$).

Sorry, gotta go, I'm not supposed to be online.

gonX

thiru: Alot of games requires SM3, so it'll be better if you just buy a 6600 or 6800 (6800 preferred, since it unlocks, and then gives performance per X800 or such.)

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frosty15

Why thiru, you're a millionaire, rofl

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250x10 @ 42°C
watercooling setup almost complete, just need tube, clips and coolant, oh and a little modding,

How to HotFlash

thiru

lol, 1$=9022IDR...

Well I've found a few ads online, but most of them are unacessible (online only, or not based in my city) or cost too much.

EDIT: Since I'm not sure what I can find (2 hour trip for the best computer shops, not planning to go twice), what are the specs I should look at (except 400W, 12V@26A)? Anything I should avoid?

Also, are there any "simple" PSUs? Most of the ones I come across have SLi/Crossfire support, PCI-e cables, 4 SATA cables, two 12V rails, modular stuff,... things I don't really need, since I'll be leaving this computer in a year (and no CPU/mobo upgrade either). Also, I'm looking for cheap stuff, so I can upgrade other things sooner (like memory, which I've found to be cheaper here, for some reason, but still out of my budget).