Upgrade Kit

Latest revision as of 13:11, 12 February 2009

Essentially all of these upgrade kits are going to be fairly basic, in the budget of $200-250. The first two machines are for people who want a basic cheap upgrade, the third is intended for someone who has DDR1 and an AGP video card lying around they'd wish to retain, although with DDR2 at current prices, it could be argued it's not worthwhile.

[edit] Basic AMD

Part	Model	Price
CPU	AMD Sempron LE-1100	34
Motherboard	Abit NF-M2SV	51
RAM	1GB Brand-name DDR2-667	20
Hard Drive	Carry over from previous machine	-
Optical Drive	Carry over from previous machine	-
Graphics Card	Onboard from motherboard	-
Sound Card	Onboard from motherboard	-
Case	Carry over from previous machine	-
Power Supply	430W Coolermaster Extreme Power	50
Cooling	-	-
Additional	-	-
Total Cost	-	155 + Postage

I'm assuming that the buyer will carry over their hard drive and optical drive. If you wish to purchase new drives as well, you may be better off with the complete systems on the Workstation page. Remember that freight charges from different stores will add up - this defeats the purpose of finding the cheapest price from several stores, rather than just one. The board features onboard video and onboard everything else which removes the need for a graphics card (which is expensive and unnecessary). If you require AGP graphics support, you could purchase the MSI K9MM-V for similar. The new power supply is recommended because of the fact that most current day motherboards are 24pin, whilst most older power supplies are 20pin. Whilst adapters are available, it's wise to play it safe and get a brand new quality power supply anyway. If the machine you're upgrading still uses a BabyAT power supply, chances are it's past being upgradable (the rest of the system would be ancient), and you'll be looking at a completely new machine.

[edit] Basic Intel

Part	Model	Price
CPU	Intel Celeron 420	39
Motherboard	Asus P5S-MX-SE	55
RAM	1GB Brand-name DDR2-667	21
Hard Drive	Carry over from previous machine	-
Optical Drive	Carry over from previous machine	-
Graphics Card	Onboard from motherboard	-
Sound Card	Onboard from motherboard	-
Case	Carry over from previous machine	-
Power Supply	430W Coolermaster Extreme Power	50
Cooling	-	-
Additional	-	-
Total Cost	-	165 + Postage

Here is an Intel version of the upgrade rig, for those who prefer Intel's products. If you want to use some spare DDR1 RAM you have lying around, the Abit IP-95 is about $10 more expensive.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-==== $250 AMD ====
+Essentially all of these upgrade kits are going to be fairly basic, in the budget of $200-250.
+The first two machines are for people who want a basic cheap upgrade, the third is intended for someone who has DDR1 and an AGP video card lying around they'd wish to retain, although with DDR2 at current prices, it could be argued it's not worthwhile.
+==== Basic AMD ====
 {| class="wikitable" border="0" style="text-align:left; border: 1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF"
 |- bgcolor="#cccccc"
 !Part
 !Model
 !Price
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! CPU
-| [http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_11599,00.html AMD Sempron 3200+ AM2] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=Sempron+AM2+3200 41]
+| [http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/0,,30_118_11599,00.html AMD Sempron LE-1100] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=Sempron+LE-1100 34]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Motherboard
-| [http://www.asus.com.au/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=101&l3=349&l4=0&model=1375&modelmenu=1 Asus M2N8-VMX] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?sourceid=Mozilla-search&q=M2N8-VMX 65]
+| [http://www2.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?fMTYPE=Socket%20AM2&pMODEL_NAME=NF-M2SV Abit NF-M2SV] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?sourceid=Mozilla-search&q=NF-M2SV 51]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! RAM
-| 1GB Corsair DDR2-667 kit || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=1GB+Corsair+667+kit 49]
+| 1GB Brand-name DDR2-667 || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=1GB+DDR2 20]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Hard Drive
@@ Line 31: / Line 33: @@
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Power Supply
-| [http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RS-430-PCAR/P&other_title=+RS-430-PCAR%2FP+eXtreme%20Power%20430W 430W Coolermaster Extreme Power] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=extreme+430 49]
+| [http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RS-430-PCAR/P&other_title=+RS-430-PCAR%2FP+eXtreme%20Power%20430W 430W Coolermaster Extreme Power] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=extreme+430 50]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Cooling
@@ Line 40: / Line 42: @@
 |- bgcolor="#cccccc"
 ! Total Cost
-| - || 204 + Postage
+| - || 155 + Postage
 |}
+I'm assuming that the buyer will carry over their hard drive and optical drive. If you wish to purchase new drives as well, you may be better off with the complete systems on the [[Workstation]] page.
-Some people are really short on cash and need to get a boost in performance (it really sucks to be on something like a Celeron 600 nowadays). These are probably the cheapest bits you can get from Staticice, I'm assuming that the buyer will carry over their hard drive and optical drive. If you wish to purchase new drives as well, you may be better off with the complete systems on the [[Workstation]] page.
+Remember that freight charges from different stores will add up - this defeats the purpose of finding the cheapest price from several stores, rather than just one.
-Remember that freight charges from different stores will add up - this defeats the purpose of finding the cheapest price from several stores, rather than just one.
 The board features onboard video and onboard everything else which removes the need for a graphics card (which is expensive and unnecessary). If you require AGP graphics support, you could purchase the [http://global.msi.com.tw/index.php?func=proddesc&prod_no=1104&maincat_no=1&cat2_no=171 MSI K9MM-V] for [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=K9MM-V similar].
-If you plan to run Windows Vista, 1GB of RAM is recommended, although if you're not using Vista and don't ever plan to, 512MB may be enough.
 The new power supply is recommended because of the fact that most current day motherboards are 24pin, whilst most older power supplies are 20pin. Whilst adapters are available, it's wise to play it safe and get a brand new quality power supply anyway.
 If the machine you're upgrading still uses a BabyAT power supply, chances are it's past being upgradable (the rest of the system would be ancient), and you'll be looking at a completely new machine.
+==== Basic Intel ====
-==== $250 Intel ====
 {| class="wikitable" border="0" style="text-align:left; border: 1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF"
 |- bgcolor="#cccccc"
 !Part
 !Model
 !Price
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! CPU
-| [http://www.intel.com/products/processor/celeron/index.htm Intel Celeron 420] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=Celeron+420 58]
+| [http://www.intel.com/products/processor/celeron/index.htm Intel Celeron 420] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=Celeron+420 39]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Motherboard
-| [http://www2.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?pMODEL_NAME=IP-95&fMTYPE=LGA775 Abit IP-95] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=IP-95 64]
+| [http://au.asus.com/products.aspx?l1=3&l2=11&l3=502&l4=0&model=1682&modelmenu=1 Asus P5S-MX-SE] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=P5S-MX 55]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! RAM
-| 1GB Corsair DDR2-667 kit || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=1GB+Corsair+667+kit 49]
+| 1GB Brand-name DDR2-667 || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=1GB+DDR2 21]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Hard Drive
@@ Line 87: / Line 81: @@
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Power Supply
-| [http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RS-430-PCAR/P&other_title=+RS-430-PCAR%2FP+eXtreme%20Power%20430W 430W Coolermaster Extreme Power] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=extreme+430 49]
+| [http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RS-430-PCAR/P&other_title=+RS-430-PCAR%2FP+eXtreme%20Power%20430W 430W Coolermaster Extreme Power] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=extreme+430 50]
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Cooling
-| - || -
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Additional
-| - || -
-|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
-! Total Cost
-| - || 220 + Postage
-|}
-Here is an Intel version of the upgrade rig, for those who prefer Intel's products. This motherboard has the advantage of having slots for both DDR2 and DDR1, so if you have some spare DDR RAM to use, then this is a better bet than the AMD rig (and would save you a further $50).
-Any higher end upgrade rigs have been removed, except for the DDR system. This is because that the systems recommended are similar to the [[Workstation]] systems, but just without a few components, so it might be worth choosing one of the Workstation systems and removing unnecessary components (like cases).
-==== $300 Intel, AGP/DDR1 ====
-{| class="wikitable" border="0" style="text-align:left; border: 1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF"
-|- bgcolor="#cccccc"
-!Part
-!Model
-!Price
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! CPU
-| [http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2duo/index.htm Intel Core 2 Duo E4300] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=E4300 139]
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Motherboard
-| [http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=4CoreDual-VSTA&s=775 ASRock 4CoreDual-VSTA] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=4CoreDual-VSTA 79]
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! RAM
-| Carry over from previous machine || -
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Hard Drive
-| Carry over from previous machine || -
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Optical Drive
-| Carry over from previous machine || -
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Graphics Card
-| Carry over from previous machine || -
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Case
-| Carry over from previous machine || -
-|- bgcolor="#efefef"
-! Power Supply
-| [http://www.coolermaster.com/index.php?LT=english&Language_s=2&url_place=product&p_serial=RS-430-PCAR/P&other_title=+RS-430-PCAR%2FP+eXtreme%20Power%20430W 430W Coolermaster Extreme Power] || [http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=extreme+430 49]
 |- bgcolor="#efefef"
 ! Cooling
@@ Line 141: / Line 90: @@
 |- bgcolor="#cccccc"
 ! Total Cost
-| - || 267 + Postage
+| - || 165 + Postage
 |}
+Here is an Intel version of the upgrade rig, for those who prefer Intel's products. If you want to use some spare DDR1 RAM you have lying around, the Abit IP-95 is about $10 more expensive.
-The big advantage of this board is that it can run AGP and PCIe video cards, and DDR1/DDR2 RAM, it's the ultimate upgrader board, can even support the latest quad-core CPUs. :)