Machine Upgrade This Week! (Advice welcomed...)

[PAugustin]

Originally posted by rugger
I agree about the A78NX boards ... they are good, though, more picky about drivers then SiS boards.

If you have SATA ... get yourself a WD 10krpm raptor drive. They are the fastest for desktop use.

He said he wanted a quiet drive

[Paddy]

The Coolermaster drive cooler 4 looks funky!

[Kurt]

Originally posted by PAugustin
He said he wanted a quiet drive

The Raptor _IS_ a quiet drive

[cjolley]

Well?
So what did you wind up with?
chuck

[RC Agent]

Originally posted by Gurm
Hrm there's another thought - is the onboard LAN on this ASROCK board any good, or will I end up slapping the 3Com back in?

- Gurm

I'm using the onboard LAN on my ASRock K7S8XE+. Seems fine to me. Works under XP and Fedora.

[RC Agent]

Here's the case that I have:

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=11-144-014&depa=1

There's the issue with the case power led connector being a "3" pin type with missing pin in the middle, and the ASRock K7S8XE+ having a 2 pin power led connector. I haven't gotten around to pulling the wire on the "3" pin connector and moving it to the middle, so I've left the power led disconnected for now.

[Gurm]

I ended up getting a FIC SiS748 board (less than $50!!!) sans SATA, since I won't be going SATA for a while and the SATA wasn't from SiS anyway so I'd rather buy a PCI card with the best implementation.

I also picked up a retail Barton 2500+, 512MB of DDR400 (to go with the 512 I already have), and a nice shiny new Liteon 411s (which can be handily upgraded to an 811s, and later to dual-layer burning!).

- Gurm

[Marshmallowman]

nice choice

and a nice shiny new Liteon 411s (which can be handily upgraded to an 811s, and later to dual-layer burning!).

Is this really true, 8x speed would be a nice upgrade for mine, but dual layer would have me singing in the streets

[Kurt]

Originally posted by Gurm
I ended up getting a FIC SiS748 board (less than $50!!!) sans SATA, since I won't be going SATA for a while and the SATA wasn't from SiS anyway so I'd rather buy a PCI card with the best implementation.

I also picked up a retail Barton 2500+, 512MB of DDR400 (to go with the 512 I already have), and a nice shiny new Liteon 411s (which can be handily upgraded to an 811s, and later to dual-layer burning!).

- Gurm

Have you seen this about the 411s being turned into an 811s?

[Gurm]

Yep. You have to use Zebra's flasher, you can't just change the code in the 811 flasher and force it.

What REALLY rocks is that people can softmod 401s->411s, then 411s->811s, and then pretty soon 811s->811Dual, which is just amazing, considering that the 401s is going for less than $90 right now (although I had trouble finding one, so I just nabbed the 411s retail for $115).

- Gurm

[The PIT]

Bugger you mean I could have just bought a 411 instead of the 811.

[DentyCracker]

What's that about the SATA not being SiS?

[DentyCracker]

OK got it, the FIC SATA wasn't Sis

[Kurt]

Originally posted by Gurm
Yep. You have to use Zebra's flasher, you can't just change the code in the 811 flasher and force it.

What REALLY rocks is that people can softmod 401s->411s, then 411s->811s, and then pretty soon 811s->811Dual, which is just amazing, considering that the 401s is going for less than $90 right now (although I had trouble finding one, so I just nabbed the 411s retail for $115).

- Gurm

Can you post a link for the softmod? I just got a 811s. I'd like to see if there's any difference with my 401s...

[Gurm]

Yes, what I'm saying is that all the manufacturers who are tacking SATA onto the board ... it's not SiS's SATA. I dunno whose it is, but it's not a standard part of the 748 chipset. I'd rather pick my SATA than get whatever crap-ass addon is included. Last time someone "added on" something to my motherboard, it was a HIGHPOINT RAID. ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!

Anyway, I have to scrounge up the softmod. People are keeping links to it off forums to keep Lite-on from getting pissed. I'll get it and PM it to you.

Turns out my 411s is actually a 451s. Grr... there's still a 451->851 softmod though.

- Gurm