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Would this be good?
theblt:
I'm thinking about buying a whole new motherboard and CPU for my arcade cabinet because the only thing I got now are about 3 486's (and that isn't Mhz) and a couple 200 Mhz systems with about 32mb of ram. So would this system be good:
AMD Athlon XP 1700 (about 1.47 Ghz)
Basic CPU Cooler (50mm)
CPU Copper Shim (Recommended) [add $9.25]
(I didn't buy any of that grease crap cuz I don't think you really need it)
ECS K7VMM (DDR 2100 & PC133 - 2 PCI - AGP 4x) (Recommended) [add $19.75]
1 System Case Fan (Recommended) [add $14.25]
Warranty - 1 Year (Recommended) [add $9.00]
And it came out to be $144.26 . I'll buy memory later for cheaper. They charged about $67 for 256mb when you could get that @ OfficeMax for like $10 when they got a rebate on it. So, it that a fairly good system then? Is it a good value too?
X-0:
Where/what retailer did you find that combo?
newegg lists the board for $60 and the CPU for $50, so the combo is pretty close.
I'd stay away from copper shims. Use a non-conductive one if you go with a shim. I've seen 2 blown cpu's that were shorted by a copper shim, out of 6 installs I've seen. Not a good ratio at nearly $100 a cpu :) And use thermal grease if you have it, but don't pay a lot for it or find it at a local store. It will help, especially with a generic HSF on an AMD cpu.
I've been using AMD cpu's and love them, but the cooling must be paid attention to. Most generic bargain heat sink/fans do an adequate job at best, so make sure heat and ventilation in your cabinet is not an issue. if you need better cooling, most upgrades will result in a louder system, but I have found a few very good options that aren't too expensive to get good quiet cooling at a low cost. Ask me later if you need the link. You won't find it in anyone's combo deal.
What is that "System Case Fan"? If it's just a normal case fan, it seems pretty expensive. Normal 3 or 4" case fans can be found for a third of that price.
I have no experience with ECS boards, but you might spend some time looking at www.amdmb.com and look through their ECS forum. If you see a lot of those people having issues with a specific mobo, or see what mobo people seem to like...etc. They've helped me a lot over the years.
Now is a very good time to buy memory, if you have the cash, and whether or not you need it. 512 MB of PC2100 is averaging $50-$60, compared to the $100 it was earlier this year. Even the better grades of Mushkin and Crucial are dropping, less than $100 now, compared to over $150 in January.
Xphile:
what he said, ditch the shim, buy the grease...it fills imperfections in both mating metal surfaces...conducts heat *much* better. (unless of course you HSF has the white tape looking thing stuck to it, then you don't ned the grease between the HSF and the CPU the tape-looking peice melt and does it for you....)
rhd:
I built an AMD 1700+ for my system and the CPU fan came with the thermal grease already installed. It had a little protective sheet that you peel off with the grease under it. It was a Speeze fan.
I also added a 120mm stealth-fan from FrozenCPU to my cab and have been happy with it. Its very quiet. I left the side off of the mid-tower case and just use the CPU fan, power supply fan, and the 120mm...the system hasn't had any overheating problems even though the cab is sealed.
Rob
rampy:
I've *heard* that ECS aren't very good mobo's... i've *heard* that gigabyte and shuttle are better brands in the the el cheapo mobo department...
(ok I confess Sirp said it...)
rampy