🚀 go-pugleaf

On Mon, 26 Feb 1996, Phil wrote:

>  I'm looking to upgrade this outdated 486/33 to some sort of pentuim
> based P.C. .  However, i ask the help of all you "experts" to overcome
> the vast number choices available. 
> First, i'm probably limited to only around $1500-1600 max for this new
> system. I own a NEC 4FG 15"  mult. monitor, and although it is 3 years
> old it still works very fine and i'm happy with it. 
> (it can do 1280*1024 i believe)

Hiya,

	Yes a 15" is usually good enough for games.  It would be a smart 
move to keep it.

> 1) I _need_ a system that is a quiet as possible. I have problems with
> even mild noises (consentrating, headaches,ect), and even this 486
> desktop is annoying the heck out of me. It is _imperative_ that i get
> a mini-tower system and keep it as far away from where i sit as
> possible.
> Any suggestions of which types of machines are the most quiet?  

	Well, a PC would almost certainly have all sorts of background
noise-- The hard disk's clicking sounds as it accesses data, and the whir
of the CPU and power supply fan.  Offhand I don't know if there are 
"ultraquiet" versions of these components, but you can check in Computer 
Shopper if it is indeed that important to you.

> 2) A pentuim c.p.u. running anywhere from 90mhz to 150mhz. If a 90 mhz
> system can produce 15 fps-full screen, in games such as Nuke-3d, then
> i'll be very satified. But if it is a p90 it _must_ be upgradable on
> the motherboard to at least a p133.
> What would you personally suggest, is a P120 or greater a _must have_?
> And how much of a difference in cost, is there between a P90 and P133?

	Don't laugh, but I suggest a Pentium-75.  Get yourself a good 
Pentium motherboard like the AsusTek P55TP4XE with a Socket-7 and a VRM 
header and a dirt-cheap Pentium-75.  The P-75 isn't that good, but with 
the AsusTek motherboard, you can simply pull out the P-75 and pop in a 
Pentium-200 when Intel comes out with it in another six months or so.  
But for six months you will still be able to enjoy Pentium power, albeit 
at a slow 75mHz.

> 3) I will of course need the fastest PCI video card possible, for
> games that is. You see, although i do some graphical designing, it's
> not impotant if the board is fast in Windows 3.1 or 95'. 
> I heard alot of good things about a board called the #9GXE64 and how
> it speeds up dos based games. 
> Is this a good choice, or are there faster boards available?. 
> Also, it seems 2mb-4mb of dram on the video card is pretty solid,
> however is the 2mb to 4mb difference that big a deal?

	The #9 64-bit cards are all built around the S3 Corporation's
64-bit chipsets such as the 864/868, Trio, and 964/968.  They are indeed
decent for DOS, though if you can find a cheaper card built around the
same S3 chipsets by other manufacturers such as STB or Hercules or
Diamond, go for those.  If Windows performance is important to you, get at
least 2MB of video memory so you can at least do 800x600 at 16.7 million
colors. 

> 4) I'm still using a 14.4 modem, and it's just plain too slow to
> access those web pages.
> So of course, a 28.8 modem seems the logical choice, but should i stay
> with the U.S. Robotics type or are there easier-better modems around?

	I have had a Boca v.34 28.8 for the past year.  Not a hiccup.  
=)  Cheap nowadays too at around $150 or less.

> 5) I will need at a 1gig. hard drive, as my present 340mb hd is just
> not enough anymore. Other then posting,articles, the o.s. system,and
> sharewhare software, i really buy all other stuff on cd.
> Will a 1 gigabyte hard drive hold be over for the next 18-24 months?
> Oh...also, can i throw this 340-ide hd into a pentuim system, or is it
> too slow..or just not worth it?

	Yes to all your HD questions--  The AsusTek as well as most other 
Pentium motherboards can take up to 4 IDE hard disks or ATAPI CD ROM 
drives.  You can keep your 340 and get a Gig as well.

> 6) 16mb of edo ram seems like a good choice..or will the latest games
> (Quake, Duke-3d,ect) require 20-24 mb to get the best
> detail..speed.ect?
> (btw: how much faster is edo ram then the my 60ns 486 ram?)

	16MB is standard.  Go with it.  Make sure you get 60ns EDO RAM 
BTW, and synchronous burst pipeline cache--  The Sync-burst cache is what 
really gives Pentiums the extra performance edge.

> 7) It seems that quad speed drives are now the new entry level cd
> drive, and it seems the speeds of them only make a difference in FMV
> games..however it would be nice to have FMV that runs more smoothly :)
> Which quad speed drives give the fastest access times, and do any of
> these come bundled in some of the big name systems (ie..dell, zeos,
> compac, pack. bell, ect..) ?

	I think the best EIDE CD ROM bargain out there right now is the 
TEAC CD-56E six-speed.  It cost me $170, and it's blazing fast with 145ms 
access times and 922K/sec transfer speed.  It beat out all the other 
six-speed IDE drives by Wearnes, Toshiba EIDE, Creative Labs 6x or Turtle 
Beach 6x.  The TEAC 6x even beats out the Diamond and Turtle Beach 8x IDE 
drives!

> 8) I still have a decent sound setup with an old pro-audio 16 sound
> card and a Roland Lapt-1 music card. And while i'm a musician myself,
> i don't care much for music in a game..just as long as the sound
> effects are crisp enough.
> The pro-audio card i believe, does produce up to 44mhz in it's sound
> effects, but if there's a very good sound card that is reasonably
> priced i'm open for suggestions.

	Though the PAS is a good card, I think going Creative SB16 is the 
better choice--  No compatibility problems.

> I know, $1500-$1600 max can not get me my "ideal" system, but is this
> configuration possible?
> P120 that's upgradable to a P150,ect.. , or at least a P90 that's
> fully (ie..P133,150,ect) upgradable. 
> 16mb edo ram (i can always upgrade the ram in the future)
> PCI #9GXE64 , video card w/2mb of dram
> 28.8 baud modem
> 1 gig. hard drive
> 4x cd drive - decent speed (i can do without a cd-drive if needed)
> Mini-tower, that is pretty quiet.
> I really don't need additional sound boards, as long as my pro-audio
> 16 can internally connect to the cd-rom drive..or won't slow down the
> system.
> And if i have to i can still use my 2x cd-rom drive, and upgrade it
> later, and forget the 4x drive..to get the other things.
> Can i afford a system like this?

	Hmm...  Hard to say.  I'd say something like that would run about 
$2000, but I can be wrong.

> Or can you suggest a system that i can afford that comes close?

	Hmm...  I'd say a P75 with the AsusTek P55TP4XE motherboard, 
#9GXE 330 DRAM PCI vid card, 16MB 60ns EDO RAM, 1GB, 28.8, and a TEAC 6X 
would probably run around $1600 or a bit less.

	Good luck.  =)

TRH