POST #452 --The $800 Upgrade, $1300 Business, $2200 Gen Purpose System and Alternatives by NetWorm. (I will review this again
before sending in my final order) Thanks.
Configuration Possibilities:
$800 Home Upgrade
1) Monitor-------------------------------------------Reuse Old Monitor
2) Super Micro SC750A Case-------------------159
3) A Open AX6L Mobo--------------------------159
4) 96MB ECC SDRAM 3x32MB----------------165
5) PII 300 MHz Processor------------------------209*
6) Global Win PII Fan FHK20--------------------22
7) Modem--------------------------------------------Reuse Old Card
8) 2D Video------------------------------------------Reuse Old Card
9) 3D PRVSG AGP---------------------------------200**
a) 3DfxCool Fan for Vid Card---------------------15
b) No RAID
c) Hard Drive----------------------------------------Reuse
d) CD ROM------------------------------------------Reuse
e) Floppy---------------------------------------------Reuse
f) Game Theater 64 Sound-------------------------99
g) 16MB Upgrade Snd to 18MB----------------Reuse Old DRAM
h) SpeakersReuse
Upgrade TOTAL------------------------------------828
NO S&H or Taxes included in price calculation
$2200 Gen Purpose System
1) 17" Acer 76C Monitor--------------------------335
2) Super Micro SC750A Case--------------------159
3) A Open AX6L Mobo---------------------------159
4) 128MB ECC SDRAM 4x32MB----------------220
5) PII 300 MHz Processor-------------------------209*
6) Global Win PII Fan FHK20----------------------22
7) Modem----------------------------------------------Reuse Old Card
8) 2D Video--------------------------------------------Reuse Old Card
9) 3D PRVSG AGP-----------------------------------200**
a) 3DfxCool Fan for Vid Card-----------------------15
b) Promise Trakker IDE RAID--------------------110
c) TWO 6.5G IBM Deskstar-----------------------470
d) CD ROM--------------------------------------------Reuse
e) Floppy-----------------------------------------------Reuse
f) Home Studio Pro 64 Sound---------------------189
g) 16MB Upgrade Snd to 20MB------------------Reuse Old DRAM
h) Cambridge Soundworks
PCWorks Speakers-----------------------------------99
System TOTAL-------------------------------------2165
NO S&H or Taxes included in price calculation
$1300 Gen Business System
1) 17" Acer 76C Monitor---------------------------335
2) Super Micro SC750A Case---------------------159
3) A Open AX6L Mobo----------------------------159
4) 128MB ECC SDRAM 4x32MB----------------220
5) PII 300 MHz Processor-------------------------209*
6) Global Win PII Fan FHK20----------------------22
7) Modem----------------------------------------------Reuse Old Card
8) 2D Video--------------------------------------------Reuse Old Card
9)
a)
b)
c) ONE 6.5G IBM Deskstar------------------------235
d) CD ROM--------------------------------------------Reuse
e) Floppy-----------------------------------------------Reuse
f)
g)
h)
System TOTAL-------------------------------------1339
NO S&H or Taxes included in price calculation
* Retail Intel roadmap price for 08/98
** Anticipated $150 to $200 release date price
Alternatives
1) 17" Liyama Vision Master Pro-----------------629
2) Super Micro SC801S ATX Case--------------599
3) Abit LX6 Mobo-----------------------------------123
4) 128MB ECC SDRAM 2x64MB-----------------350
5)
6)
7) 56K Internal Modem D/F/V---------------------138
8)
9) Voodoo2---------------------------------------------200
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f) Game Theater 64 Sound----------------------------99
g) 16MB EDO RAM-----------------------------------30
h)
Selection Reasoning
System Case
Heat is the great killer in electronics. Every active electronic component
uses electricity
and therefore creates heat. Now the funny thing is that the heat created
increases the
resistance of almost ALL electronic components, this causes them to
draw more current which
creates even more heat.
In electronics, stay cool or keep cool are not a casual greeting, it is an
imperative! The
two Super Micro cases listed have good internal design and member
placement for air flow.
They also have good fan placement with an internal fan mount for
mobo/component cooling and
additional mounts for device bay cooling.
The SC750A is a full tower with five 5 1/4 EXTERNAL bays which
allows the normal user to
exclude the use of internal bays. Using internal bays provides an
airflow/heat trap and
becomes a BIG hassle when troubleshooting. ALL external bays have
rails for slide out of
devices.
The SC801A is a full tower with eleven 5 1/4 bays and 12 slots for
those who need a server,
mutli processor mobos or will have future expansion needs. All bays
have rails.
Processor
The 300MHz was selected over the 330 for several reasons. First the
08/98 roadmap prices are
$209 vs $316 respectively. Secondly, due to technical internal design
changes of the 330MHz,
real applications may run at the same or very slightly slower speeds. At
the very best they
will run marginally better. Why pay 50% more.
Processor Heatsink and Fan
The Global Win product line has consistantly tested as one of the best.
The PII FHK20 is no
exception. See Tweak-it for definitive measurements and comparison.
CPU-Central has yet to
test this model however their data on other GW fans is indicative. I
believe the PII FHK20
uses thermal tape, which can be removed with care & thermal grease
substituted, if desired.
Offloading Processor Utilization
As the different components/subsystems make advances, they also
make greater and greater
demands on the CPU. Hard Drive data transfers, sound and video
processing are eating up all
that power of our new PII CPU. We need to have each of these
subsystems take responsibility
for their own processing. Luckily careful component selection can
accomplish this and leave
our processor to handle traditional program manipulations.
RAID
RAID, whether IDE or SCSI, is an excellent way to increase the HD
subsytem performance and
decrease CPU utilization demands at the same time. If so implemented
(mirroring), it also
provides data insurance against a failed hard drive.
Sound
The two Guillemot products listed, offload sound processing to their
own very powerful DSP.
These are excellent sound cards that also decrease demands on the
CPU.
Video
Most new video cards require about 50% processor utilization to do
their magic. The PRVSG,
IF final product actually tests to meet press data, will have more
functions than any other
video card. It also does onboard what other cards, including Voodoo2s,
offload to the CPU.
If the released card performace/features/price are consistant with press
announcements, then
this should be the card of choice. Otherwise go with the alternative
Voodoo 2s. Of course,
an AGP selection in either case allows an extra PCI slot and the speed
of the AGP bus.
Video Fan
Many of the newer vid cards dissipate a lot of heat. Use of a fan in
these cases is very
desireable. It can be either an internal directed fan (using Super Micro's
internal fan
mount) or a card fan such as the 3DfxCool.
Monitors
Because monitors are a long lived, replace upon fail system component
and this device is
extremely user dependant, YOU MUST actually see each of your
candidates in living color, in
action. There ain't no other way to guarantee your satisfaction. You are
the one who either
likes or dislikes a specific model and monitors are a very expensive part
of the system!
Start your candidates with these specs: 17", 1280x1024@85 minimum.
A possible candidate is
the Acer 76C at ~$335 and the other end of the price spectrum (not
necessarily quality) is
the Liyama Vision Master Pro 17 at ~$639. Let your eyes and pocket
book be the judge.
Conclusion
These are suggestions to use as a yardstick to measure your own
choices against and are not
intended to be the "RIGHT" ones for you. Visit vendor websites, check
the data sheets, look
at the photos, check independant reviews, talk to some reps and then
make your decision.
The layout of each configuration might aid readers that wish to
swap/discuss component
choices amongst themselves. Use it as a message template to insert your
choices.
BTW, might want to check my math, been at this awhile. Hope this
assists some. Later
Networm
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