Mobo upgrade questions

Hi, I just joined the Major Geeks forums. I'm researching mobo upgrade options for my old PC.

My current PC is an HP Pavilion XG833. Based on research I've done, it has an ASUS CUW-AM microATX motherboard.

The specs for this motherboard can be found on HP's website here:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=bph07170

I've added the following upgrades: 320 watt PSU, ATI Radeon 9250 64-bit 128MB PCI video card, SoundBlaster Live! 5.1 PCI sound card, and 256MB additional RAM (320MB RAM total).

This setup has served me well for nearly 8 years. But I'm finally hitting the wall with the Celeron 766Mhz CPU and 66Mhz bus on the ASUS board. So I'm looking into replacing the mobo/cpu/ram, but using all my other existing components.

I've done some research, and Tiger Direct has a mobo/cpu combo that looks good to me.

It's the Biostar GeForce 6100-M9 NVIDIA Socket 939 microATX motherboard with an AMD Sempron 3000+ 1.80Ghz. Info on this board can be found here

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...details.asp?EdpNo=2665505&sku=MBM-6100M9-3000

I can get the Biostar mobo, Sempron CPU and 512MB dual-channel DDR 400Mhz RAM for about $160 from Tiger Direct. Definitely low-end by today's standards, but still a *major* improvement over what I have now.

I've measured my case, and the Biostar mobo will fit in my existing HP Pavilion case. Also I've compared photos of the ASUS and Biostar mobo's and the screwholes appears to line up okay. So I'm fairly sure the Biostar board will fit the existing HP Pavilion case.

I have the following questions:

(1) How do I determine if my current PSU will work with the Biostar mobo? How do I verify my current PSU has the right connectors for the Biostar board?

(2) Will my current IDE hard drive and CD writer work with the Biostar mobo? The old ASUS board has UltraDMA33/66 IDE, and the newer Biostar board has UltraDMA133 IDE. I assume the Biostar mobo will slow down for my older HDD and CD-Writer. Is this correct?

(3) I'm still using Windows 98SE, and I'd rather not have the added expense of an XP upgrade at this time. So how do I determine if Biostar has Windows 98 drivers for this mobo?

(4) My current video card is a 64-bit 128MB PCI Radeon 9250. Since it's PCI I assume it will work with the Biostar mobo. But which video is better? My Radeon 9250 or the builtin nVidia geForce 6100/410? I know neither of these are particularly good by today's standards, but which one is overall better?

(5) My current sound card is a PCI SoundBlaster Live! 5.1. Same question as the video, Which is better? My existing SoundBlaster card? or the builtin sound of the BioStar mobo?

(6) The Biostar mobo supports up to the Athlon 64 X2 CPU with 1000Mhz FSB. It also supports SATA. So I was thinking that I could start with a Sempron, then upgrade the CPU as needed later. Also I would upgrade to a SATA hard drive when my budget allows. Is this accurate? Can I add upgrades to the Biostar at a later date?

(7) Getting back to the OS, since the Biostar mobo supports CPU's up to Athlon 64 X2, 4 GB RAM, PCI-Express x16 video card, and SATA drives, I could upgrade this to run Windows XP or Vista in the future, right?

My family and I use our PC for Internet, email, MS Office, schoolwork, and low-end gaming. I'd love to buy a whole new prebuilt system, or custom-build a new system. But one income, a wife, three kids, a 1st/2nd mortgage and 2 car payments kind of restricts my PC budget, if you know what I mean

So any help or feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks

Craig

 

Would have thought you could have done rather better than that for price, stateside.

Look at
http://www.autdirect.co.uk/acatalog/autdirect_co_uk_M_board___CPU_Bundles_24.html

I will go through your list of questions and post again

Studio T

 

Oh where to start?:eek

You really have given a comprehensive listing of the internal workings of a pc, but haven't mentioned the most important component - the screen!

There is no point acquiring a better base unit than you can display the output from and the capability of your graphics card is already in excess of your stated requirements.

Ditto your sound card. Do your use all the 5 channels?

These comments are not meant as criticism, you have correctly dentified the weaker components of your present system. However you should look again at other solutions which would proove much more cost effective in the long run. The website I posted has many ideas, look around it I'm sure there are US equivalents. In particular you can buy 'bare bones' systems, perhaps including Windows XP for the same or little more than your budget. You would not then need to spend megadollars on a new processor soon. It is getting harder to maintain Win98 for the internet, there are an increasing number of sites which will not work with the maximum upgrade IE win98 will run. For instance you can't buy an airline ticket on Flybe this way any more.

Anyway taking your questions in reverse order

7) Windows XP yes, with no real trouble. Windows Vista expects lots of trouble; look at all the agony posts in MG and elsewhere. You would need to buy and store (!) a copy of XP to have it available later for upgrade.

6)Upgrading processors like that will cost you an arm and a leg. SATA is an alternative, not an upgrade. For some SATA only goes smoothly; for others it's a nightmare. See also the note on the power supply.

5)What are you doing with the sound to be able to need or even to hear better than you already have?

4)Unless you are displaying on a widescreen plasma, like some families I know, I doubt if you will see the difference. Widescreen and gamer specials need appropriately matched graphics cards. One current problem is that current pc graphics cards have the wrong aspect ratio for High def TV. I am sure that over the next couple of years this will all change and all current top cards will be useless.

3)An OEM full XP can be bought with a mobo for lest than $50.

2)Yes they will work fine. CD/DVD drives still use the older standard anyway so motherboards are obliged to be compatible. Your connector cables may not be long enough however, check this. If you buy newer drives they should come with a new 80way cable you will require for them.

1)Your present psu will supply the new motherboard plus your present kit IF it has the extra 4way connector to fit the socket shown on the Tiger picture but not labelled. This socket is the white square midway between the 939 socket and the Northbridge heatsink and slightly to the left.
You will also require a 20 way to 24 way adaptor for the main power connector as your original is probably 20 way and the Biostar takes a 24way.
If you go for SATA you will require further adapters to connect their power supplies.
The PSU is definitely not adequate to run PCI-E graphics cards. These also require additional power connectors. They also require plenty of space for cooling airflow, something you would be short of in that cabinet.

0)Some general points. Motherboards are attached at standard places so you should have no trouble there, however the Biostar has different rear connections (extra lan socket). You should ensure that it comes with a new blanking plate to fit the rectangular cutout in your case. I did not see one in the Tiger spec.

Hope this all helps

Studio T