Finished upgrading my old 1999 desktop pc tower to a gaming rig the other day, I stripped everything out of the case and started from scratch. Refusing to get a new case, I decided to work around the beige nightmare (stupid mistake) . First off the rear I/O panel was soldered on, so i had to "unsolder" it in a manner of speaking. Next, i got a micro-ATX mobo and so I had to make new holes for it. Since the PSU fan had a 120mm fan on the back, and there was only a grill there for a 80mm fan, more cutting was needed. Also the holes for the fan on the side panel weren't big enough, so I had to make them big enough. Plus the rear expansion slots didnt match up. The cons were seriously outweighing the pros now. I finally got everything in, but there was a huge gaping hole over two external drive bays. So i cut cardboard out about the same size and stuck it in there. So now it looks like a ghetto pc
Old Hardware Specs
Motherboard: No idea, really old though
CPU: Pentium III at 700Mhz
Memory: 384MB(3x128GB SDRAM pc100)
Graphics: Integrated TNT 2 Pro, one of the first nvidia cards ever made
Power: 200watts
New Hardware Specs
Motherboard: XFX 630i
CPU: Intel E4500 OC @ 3.13Ghz
Memory: Patriot 2GB DDR2 800 @ 4-4-4-12
Graphics: XFX 9600 GT OC 790Mhz/1950Mhz/2100Mhz
Power: 550watts
3DMark01 was the highest benchmark I could use for the old system unfortunately, so here is the comparison.
3DMark01 score for old system: 671
3DMark01 score for new system: 35,266
That's over 52x faster! Considering I only spent $400 on this rig, I'd say i hit the jackpot as far as price-per-performance. I wasn't sure if I should build this or get a PS3, but I'm glad I went with this. The PS3 has a lot of locked options and can't be upgraded over time. Anyway, now I am going to enter part 2 of the upgrading and I need some help. I am thinking of a 22" gaming monitor and the G5 gaming mouse(already have the G15 keyboard), but I don't know what to get for the case and speakers. What are the best value for about $80 each or less?
1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
- aircommando13
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1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
Intel E8500 @ 4.0GHz
4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz
EVGA 750i SLI FTW
Seagate 7200.11 500GB HD
EVGA GTX 260 55nm
Antec 630 watt PSU
Samsung 22x DVD/+/-RW Burner
Antec p182 Case
4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz
EVGA 750i SLI FTW
Seagate 7200.11 500GB HD
EVGA GTX 260 55nm
Antec 630 watt PSU
Samsung 22x DVD/+/-RW Burner
Antec p182 Case
Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
whats your style flashy, classy, small, large?
shot in the dark for something I would pick up in the 80ish range.
Coolermaster CM690 http://legitreviews.pgpartner.com/searc ... t/sv=title
Thermaltake M9 http://legitreviews.pgpartner.com/searc ... S/st=query
shot in the dark for something I would pick up in the 80ish range.
Coolermaster CM690 http://legitreviews.pgpartner.com/searc ... t/sv=title
Thermaltake M9 http://legitreviews.pgpartner.com/searc ... S/st=query
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- martini161
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Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
if you like flashy you can get a 900 for under 80 on newegg sometimes with rebates. and the g5 mouse is a great way to go, if your a high sensitivity player its the best mouse in the world right now ;) i have one
Dan:3Martin:3 "my manhood is so big if i put it on the keyboard it would stretch from A to Z!"-Anonymous
Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
I have used this case 3 times in the past year for builds. After the first one went so smooth I just kept using it. its around $70 with shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119068
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119068
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Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
I've used Coolermaster centurion cases for the past year...plain and simple, with good cooling and ventilation.
How about a 3DMark06 score on that rig?
How about a 3DMark06 score on that rig?
- aircommando13
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Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
Yea the antec 900 looks good, but it's a bit pricey right now, and honestly I probably wouldn't be taking full advantage of all its features. I am aiming for a mid-tower, and side panel would be nice cuz of the blue LED fan. The thermaltake soprano looks pretty cool and has good reviews, so i will probably get that. As far as speakers though, I know logitech has the best kind, but i don;t want to pay more for my speaker system than my graphics card
Intel E8500 @ 4.0GHz
4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz
EVGA 750i SLI FTW
Seagate 7200.11 500GB HD
EVGA GTX 260 55nm
Antec 630 watt PSU
Samsung 22x DVD/+/-RW Burner
Antec p182 Case
4GB(2 x 2GB) DDR2 800MHz
EVGA 750i SLI FTW
Seagate 7200.11 500GB HD
EVGA GTX 260 55nm
Antec 630 watt PSU
Samsung 22x DVD/+/-RW Burner
Antec p182 Case
- martini161
- Mr Awesome
- Posts: 3183
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 8:27 pm
- Location: Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
i have the x540 and they sound great for games and stuff, the bass is pretty good. i cant listen to music on them though but thats just cause im an audiophile
Dan:3Martin:3 "my manhood is so big if i put it on the keyboard it would stretch from A to Z!"-Anonymous
Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
I really like are the XClio with the jet engine front look. The price is higher with more features.
XClio $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811103010
Looking at the sub-$80, yes the CoolerMaster Centurion is a good buy.
Right now the Thermaltake Soprano VG7000BWS is running $59 with a $20 mail-in rebate. That's only $39!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811133046
Here's a really great deal for $60 ...
RAIDMAX Scorpio Case/Keyboard/Mouse ATX-868WUP/COMBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811156081
XClio $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811103010
Looking at the sub-$80, yes the CoolerMaster Centurion is a good buy.
Right now the Thermaltake Soprano VG7000BWS is running $59 with a $20 mail-in rebate. That's only $39!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811133046
Here's a really great deal for $60 ...
RAIDMAX Scorpio Case/Keyboard/Mouse ATX-868WUP/COMBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811156081
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Re: 1999 gaming computer upgrade-Part 1
If I was living back in the dorm rooms, I think that Scorpio would be really cool. Now that I have a home office and my wife wants it to appear sophisticated, I am back to the plain front styles of Lian Li and the like.bmaverick wrote:Here's a really great deal for $60 ...
RAIDMAX Scorpio Case/Keyboard/Mouse ATX-868WUP/COMBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811156081
Athlon 2900 + 9600PRO + Chaintech MB + 1GB PC3200 = I need a new computer