A temporary system

I need a new workstation to replace my laptop and I don't want to splash out on top of the range AMD when the new chips are on the way so I have specced out a budget system and could do with some opinions on anything I should change:

Tsunami Virgo
Elite KS7VA
Duron 1.2ghz (EDIT: Thunderbird 1.3)
512mb DDR PC2100
Western Digital 80gb with 8mb cache
Old ATI Rage card (no games)
Sound Blaster Live 1024
10/100 cheapo LAN

Probably going for taisol cooling on the cpu, is there anything you would change about that setup without affecting price too much?

Also, any ideas about the sort of overclock I might get on that duron if any?

 

wouldn't a tbird be better than a duron?

 

How cheap can you get tbirds these days? Can you even buy them any more?

 

of couse you can buy them!

AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1.3Ghz 266Mhz FSB
Requires Socket A Motherboard (e.g. Soltek SL75KAV), 300W PSU & Socket A Cooler


Online Price £53.13 £62.43 Including VAT at 17.5%

http://www.cclcomputers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_AMD_Processors_9.html

 

Ok you convinced me it's only £10 more than the duron!

 

Hey if you want a nice temporary system get a little Eden mobo, £100 gets you mobo, cpu, vid, lan, sound with TV and SPDIF out. Then you can get something mightyer along the line

 

why don't you just get an athlon 2100+xp, its only over a £100 more

 

Because

A) I can't afford it
B) It will be the same price as the thunderbird once the new AMDs come out

 

what WILL you be using the system for?

 

Web surfing, email, word processing, just the usual stuff. Might get a 3d card at a later date that I can transfer to my clawhammer based system, I want to leave my options open by not spending too much on this system.

 

well if its for nothing intense, is 512mb ram really necassary?

 

I have lots of things running at once so I like to have 512mb RAM, it's getting so cheap now it's hardly worth having 256.

What I really want is a system that will run GTA 3 comfortably, but it appears even the best machines wont do that for some reason.

 

if you want to run gta3 then won't you need a better g-card?

 

There's no way I will be able to run GTA3 on a 1.3ghz processor either from what I've seen of it so far, I just said it would be nice to be able to play the game I bought on something.

 

Actually your very much mistaken, I'm running GTA 3 quite happily onmy 1>2 GHz system with 256 PC 133 ram, not bad for cheap generic Ebuyer stuff as it runs at CAS2.

If you've got DDR ram then well I don't see any problmes with running the game with say a GeForce 2MX 400 with 64 meg?? They're dirt cheap these days.

 

ive foudne buyer ram to be exceptionally good. my 256mb DDR from there, generic, runs at cas 2 @ 166fsb