Which OS?

[Embattle]

Nice board but I prefer my Abit KR7A-RAID...bit expensive though

 

[ShockingAlberto]

Considered getting a Mac?

 

[Embattle]

Considered imploding?

 

[tooty]

nice thx 4 suggestions

 

[caLLous]

Originally posted by Quicksolv
And at least 40 GB's of HD space

????
i had xp sitting on a 4gb partition and i never heard a whimper out of it.

 

[FuZor]

Did u actually use it AS A PC??? IE: installing games, downloading MP3's & Pics????????? I THINK NOT!!! The question was for a PC that plays games. With the average install for a game going up to 700 MB, AvP2 is 1.3GB u can kiss goodbye to a tiny 4 Gb H/D!

 

[tooty]

when it comes 2 installing a new m.b. is there anything else that needs 2 b updated? most techie thing i've done is install a new hdd, and i made a pigs ear of that, and no mistake! so i need a little advice:

<dubass>
i think my case will support it, i think its an ATX case (is this right?)
my power supply is only a few months old (the last 1 blew), it came wiv the extra Pentium 4 wires, would this indicate its powerful enuff?

will i need extra cooling fans or does that come wiv the motherboard? (was gonna go 4 the Abit KR7A-RAID to use with an athlon xp 1800 most likely)

hope i didn't sound 2 stupid
</dubass>

 

[FuZor]

Originally posted by tooty
when it comes 2 installing a new m.b. is there anything else that needs 2 b updated?

>A clean install of windows is VITAL in my opinion....
Most NU M/B's are a sinch. My latest one set itself up! Worked first time which is strange... Just read the supplied manual all the way through before u start!

<dubass>
i think my case will support it, i think its an ATX case (is this right?)

>YES the M/B is ATX.

my power supply is only a few months old (the last 1 blew), it came wiv the extra Pentium 4 wires, would this indicate its powerful enuff?

>Should be..... U need at least a 300w. But that is my personal preferance! Its better in the long run. So make sure its a 300w +

will i need extra cooling fans or does that come wiv the motherboard? (was gonna go 4 the Abit KR7A-RAID to use with an athlon xp 1800 most likely)

>YES, at least get an AMD approved 1800 heatsink and fan. If your case has any positions for extra fans USE em!!! May be noisy but AMD's chuck out heat. Although the Xp's are much better... be on the safe side... get some more fans.



hope i didn't sound 2 stupid

>no
</dubass>

 

[tooty]

thx Quicksolv, u're a *STAR*
if i knew u, i'd by u a very large drink

 

[FuZor]

hey no problemo... will post a website with a review on the 1800 Xp for ya.

When I can find it again

 

[old.mrmen]

Nice review of Athlon XP's against P4's here .

Recommends Athlon XP 1500+:
According to our calculations, the AMD Athlon XP 1500+ currently offers the best value among all CPUs.

Hope this helps you in making your decision.

 

[tooty]

thx mrmen

 

[Embattle]

Quicksolv is right:

Reinstall windows is required as many/all the motherboard parts will be different and will normally have a fit if you don't reinstall windows . Basically before you take apart your old computer make sure you've backed up all the data you want to keep.

With the Abit KR7A-RAID all the settings are done via Softmenu III located in the BIOS. The mobo also includes a default set of options for the XP 1800+ processor.

300w is a min, I currently run a 350w PSU.

Get a good cooler like the SK6 with a YSTECH fan for cooling the processor. A lot of cases also include a space on the back for mounting an extra internal fan for blowing hot air out the back of the case, it's wise to use this as well.

 

[FuZor]

Good advice Emb

 

[caLLous]

Originally posted by Quicksolv
Did u actually use it AS A PC??? IE: installing games, downloading MP3's & Pics????????? I THINK NOT!!! The question was for a PC that plays games. With the average install for a game going up to 700 MB, AvP2 is 1.3GB u can kiss goodbye to a tiny 4 Gb H/D!

oh, i'm relishing the prospect of THIS reply...

um, i said i had the OS sitting on a 4gb partition (and btw, it's a 6gb partition now). i like to keep the main partition small for a couple of reasons:

• i NEVER install games on the OS partition. the majority of games i own are cracked (so i don't have to change the effing cd every time i want to play something) and therefore don't need anything from the registry in order to run perfectly well. this saves time reinstalling games and it also means that i can pick up where i left off with regards to savegames etc.... some games require the registry no matter what, in fact SOME (glances disapprovingly at black and white) rely on the registry completely for savegame information. these i simply reinstall (over the original typically)
• mp3's aren't stored on the OS partition either for obvious reasons. would you like to have to backup your entire mp3 collection every time you wanted to reinstall windows?
• i use drive image pro to make images of my boot partition, after a basic install (os + drivers + basic apps that i need in day-to-day life), i take an image of my hd. this image is rarely over 1.5gb once i have my system the way i like it. so all i have to do to get a "brand new" install of windows is restore the image to the partition and it's done. i have images of win98se, win2k and winxp pro sitting on my hd at the moment, so i could just as easily restore any of these.

most (if not all) applications i DO install on the boot partition because they are much more picky about the registry, and i can't be arsed to faf around with them.

so before you rush into a reply like you did on this occasion, perhaps you'd like to take the time to think about it first? your way isn't the ONLY way and this may come as a bit of a shock to you (i hope you're sitting down), but there are actually some people out there that do differ from Quicksolv's Magical Computer Knowledge school of thinking. i happen to think my way beats yours hands down. but of course, i wouldn't use the aforementioned methods if i didn't think they were the best way for me.

and for your information:
Hard Disks: (Total/Free: 254.49/115.31GB Total/Free space on: C: 5.85GB/2.28GB D: 19.58GB/5.25GB E: 57.27GB/13.13GB F: 57.27GB/7.23GB G: 57.26GB/30.22GB H: 57.26GB/57.2GB)

 

[FuZor]

Yea well that makes sense... so in total u have what size hard disk?? 250GB???

MY POINT EXACTLY

U need more than 4GB regardless of partitons...

And, I use a similar method..... (Kinda) I have a completly seperate H/D for Games. And my main which is only 20GB which has windows on it and yes even Mp3's.

I only backup my mp3's and drivers, and patches for games.
BECAUSE I have windows on CD. and I like clean installs. Mainly because it identifies crap that builds up. And games that I don't play anymore. Keeps only the essentials on my hard drives.


A complete but longer backup.
But its suits me fine.

And I backup MP3's onto CD because I don't trust any Hard drive! I mean you got to admit... If your Hard Disk Died tomorow. U'd be shafted!!!!!

In my opnion a valid backup is only valid when the backup is stored somewhere different. Backing up onto the same H/D is VERY dodgy

 

[Embattle]

Lots of porn space

 

[FuZor]

heheh

 

[caLLous]

Originally posted by Quicksolv
BECAUSE I have windows on CD. and I like clean installs. Mainly because it identifies crap that builds up. And games that I don't play anymore.

you seem to be missing my point. the images i use ARE clean installs, none of the images i currently have on my hd contain os installs older than 2 days. i install the os, install drivers, install commonly used apps, and then make the image.

Originally posted by Quicksolv
And I backup MP3's onto CD because I don't trust any Hard drive! I mean you got to admit... If your Hard Disk Died tomorow. U'd be shafted!!!!!

i have cd backups of all my mp3s etc... in case of such a failure.

Originally posted by Quicksolv
Backing up onto the same H/D is VERY dodgy

and a complete waste of space.

Hard Disks: (Total/Free: 254.49/115.31GB)

 

[FuZor]

lol,

So you now say you backup onto CD? heheh

CONFUSING...
Thought you use your partitions or some shit?
Totally agree that if you did it would be a waste of space, although you do have plenty.

But you are happy with your backup method and thats good

Let's just go with that and accept that my point about having a hard disk bigger than 4GB is needed!!!!

 

[Embattle]

Why you backing up for in the first place.....incase my hard drive fails....so why you backing it up to the same hard drive

I personally don't bother with images since I find it easier just to reinstall my OS then the apps/games I have...well I have on CD any way but each to there own.

My system currently works like this:

2x20 GB = 40 GB RAID 0
1x30 GB = 30 GB IDE1

The 30 is where all my drivers, non CD apps, etc are located it also includes my MP3s. I generally don't download that many since most of them that others have created are either shit or you can't get a whole album from one person meaning porr consistancy. Alll I really do is just encode the massive amount of CDs I've got so that I can gain easy access without having to fook about with CDs.

Space wise I only take 10 GB of the 40 GB(RAID 0) which is Windows, Installed Games, etc. I take a total of 10 GB of the 30 GB backup drive.....another words I still have plenty of room

If someone is happy doing it another way then fine....has no bearing on my hard drives

 

[FuZor]

Cool

My main is 20GB and ONE slave 40GB

But I haven't come close to filling it yet
Burned all my MP3's to CD last week so I deleted all the ones on the H/D. and the bonus is I can listen to them on my CD player


I agree with the images Emb. I can see the point, maybe more quicker. But my PC installs windows like s**t of a shovel these days

Oh yea Callous Y the F**K do you need so much space??????? just clicked!!! 250 GB!!!!!!!!! jesus!!! clean up those H/d's m8!!!!

 

[caLLous]

Originally posted by caLLous
would you like to have to backup your entire mp3 collection every time you wanted to reinstall windows?

of course i have a backup of my mp3's. my point was it would be a royal pain in the arse to have to back them up and copy them back again if you kept them on the same partition as your OS.

Originally posted by Quicksolv
Let's just go with that and accept that my point about having a hard disk bigger than 4GB is needed!!!!

no. LET'S NOT.

and you may not see the point in the images... but how long does it take you to get your system from an empty hd up to what you would call an acceptably running system? including os install, drivers install, app install, configuring all of the above to suit your needs, etc etc...?

 

[FuZor]

50 Mins!!!

May seem long to u but its cool by me.


Images I CAN see a point! do you actually read what I write???
sorry but I did write that I DID SEE A POINT ffs!


Oh and backing up mp3's its a royal pain in the ass for YOU! Not for me cos I backup in a different way, IE: I ONLY back-up the mp3's!!! not the os!

Comprede??

 

[caLLous]

this is just getting stoopid now

my only point about the reinstalling thing is:
YOU:
1) find the windows cd, search for the product key, install windows.
2) find driver cds/files. install drivers. probably multiple reboots.
3) install applications. again, find cds etc etc... input serials, product keys, reg codes etc etc...

ME:
1) insert drive image pro bootdisk. reboot. select image to restore. click restore. wait about 5 minutes. reboot.

can you at least see where i'm coming from? pleeeaaase?

and btw, the mp3 backups are completely different from the os backup, i don't know where you got the idea that they were one and the same thing...

 

[Embattle]

Hush you two brats

 

[caLLous]

Embattle, look at the desperation in my last post!

Originally posted by caLLous
can you at least see where i'm coming from? pleeeaaase?

but he keeps being wrong, and so i have to keep correcting him

 

[Embattle]

This could take all night though

 

[caLLous]

nah, he's gone i think

 

[FuZor]

Nope, of course I can see where you are coming from! Thats what I wrote ages ago!!!

I said I CAN SEE A POINT!!!!