Daily use machine, dual core a must, LOW power consumption and onboard RAID mirroring.

Ideas? I have a pair of Seagate SATA 3.0 drives already and a decent power supply.

I'm hearing good things about the Intel Core 2 Duo.

With an Intel based system you're probably looking at the following:

Intel Core 2 Duo E2xxx or E8xxx series processor.

Chipset:

A list of chipsets, from low power to high power consumption:

i945G *
nF7150i *
P35 (best case)
X1250 *
P965
G31 *
G33 *
G35 *
G965 *
975X
RD600
nF650i Ultra
nF570i SLI
nF680i LT
nF680i
P35 (worst case)

* = IGP
P35: best case is right bios + DDR2 memory, worst case is wrong bios + DDR3 memory.

P35 related:
http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2993&p=16
http://techreport.com/articles.x/13351/13
http://65.38.171.212/articles/Abit_IP35_PRO_and_AB9_QuadGT_Motherboards/?page=4
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2007/05/21/first_look_intel_p35_chipset/12
http://techreport.com/articles.x/12940/13

Yes, DDR3 is supposed to be less powerhungry than DDR2 but apparently it isn't. See here: http://techreport.com/articles.x/13351/13

Videocard: integrated is best, otherwise low/mid end nVidia cards use less than AMD cards.


AMD processor? Go for either a BE or LE one
LE's:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103199
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103198

Don't know about the rest for AMD.

the EE athlon64s are not too shabby either,if you arent aiming for ultra high performance.and they are dirt cheap..the new amd chipsets look good too (bought a amd770 mobo last week,I'll test it in couple of days).

intel or amd,I doubt there is really much difference in this particular segment,so I would go for the one you prefer..its amd for me (I dont care about quadcores,and I wont be caring for them for quite a while)..


only one advice: no matter which path you take,stay away from nforce chipsets,I have bad experience with them (and looking around forums,I'm not the only one).unless you really,really need to have nv SLI (I kind of doubt that).

Oh yeah, if I'm not mistaking, the nVidia i680 doesn't support the new 45nm Intel cpu's :P

wrote on 19.01.08 at 00:13:58:

the EE athlon64s are not too shabby either,if you arent aiming for ultra high performance.and they are dirt cheap..

Looking for a platform that *can* be upgraded for more power down the road, mostly this will be used for web work, Photoshop and DVD ripping.

The most powerfull DVD ripper I have here is a 2.8c Pentium 4 which beats the hell out of the 3000+ AMD 939 I just picked up. DVD Shrink will use all cores available and the Hyperthreaded P4 beats the single core 939 3000+

The P4 isn't noted for low power consumption though.

Oh, and for the moment I have a 6600 128mb PCI-e for video so onboard or not isn't an issue.

NV-SLI not on the table for the future, Intel chipset perfered.

Not good- Can't use the Intel ICH9R RAID, driver doesn't support Windows 2000.

As I'm (naturally) spending alot of time, testing and attention to creating lowest-power Systems with optimal performance, here's my recommended AMD config :

Athlon X2 BE-2400 (2x 2.3GHz, 45W TDP)
AMD 480/480X or 580/580X Chipset ( if below-par USB performance isn't a show-stopper, most power-efficient AM2 Chipset existing I know of)
Seasonic S12II 330W (most power-efficient PSU I know of)

Depends on the power consumption of your Drives, but with a single 2.5" SATA Drive and PCI VGA installed, you're looking at ~67W power consumption at full CPU load with Cool&Quiet even disabled.

Idle power with Cool&Quiet enabled is far below that for this config.

The AsRock AliveXFire-eSATA2 is currently my Board of choice, already has BIOS support for the Phenom X4 (so far, I haven't read of any significant performance loss of AM2 vs. AM2+ , and the newer AM2+ Chpsets currently draw significantly more power than the AMD480X, for example).

A good alternative is the AMD690G/V Chipset, approx. 10W higher Power consumption, but still below any stand-alone PCIe VGA Card (plus a normal USB performance).

Besides the CPU (which power rating most people are aware of), the biggest power-hogs are Video Card, Motherboard Chipset, inefficient Power Supply and fast Harddrives.

Why are you guys so worried about power consumption?  I like my overloaded power strips :)

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/8076/dscn7823yw1.th.jpg

You're freakin' nuts treats :o

Power consumption becomes a factor when the price per KWh exceeds 20 Euro-Cent (~ 30 US Cent) and keeps climbing every year ;)

Already old, but still nice pic ;)

wrote on 19.01.08 at 01:40:58:

Athlon X2 BE-2400 (2x 2.3GHz, 45W TDP) AMD 480/480X or 580/580X Chipset ( if below-par USB performance isn't a show-stopper, most power-efficient AM2 Chipset existing I know of) Seasonic S12II 330W (most power-efficient PSU I know of)

Looks interesting, I'll check into this.

SInce the most demanding thing running off the USB is a document scanner and some printers not a huge concern, stability is though.

AMD is starting to look better and better- I can't find a single intel board that either has few issues (or a lot of issues in some cases) or in the case of the Intel OEM boards doesn't have RAID on board.

This Gigabyte AMD board looks very nice and has the features I'm looking for-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128081

I have had very good luck with Gigabyte and the board supports Win 2000 well.

Paired up with 2 gig of ram-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

I just need to pick the CPU =)

An X2 is a must so that will narrow things down a bit.

Thoughts?

As mentioned before; X2 BE-2400:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103204

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103211

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 65W Dual-Core Processor

More power consumption than the CPU FalconFly suggested but that is offest by the AMD 770 chipset that is very stingy on consumption compared to Nvidia chipsets that pull upwards of 35-45 watts!

So for $260 USD I can have a stout little platform and pickup a better video board in the future.

Already have case, 6600 PCI-e, SATA drives, dual DVD burners and a 550 watt coolermaster power supply (overkill for this platform but better to much than to little)

wrote on 19.01.08 at 14:09:28:

As mentioned before; X2 BE-2400

How does it compare to the 2.6 ghz 5000+ ?

I'm not going to quibble over 20 watts and if the calculations are correct the above posted 5000+ configuration would actually use slightly less power than my 2600+ socket A!

Comparison between a 200MHz slower BE-2350 and the X2 5000+.

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=938&model2=933&chart=435
For the people who don't know:
You can switch between benchmarks in the 'Choose benchmark' dropdown list.
Selected CPU's have red bars in the graphs.

At first glance it doesn't seem to perform all that bad.

The 5000+ is almost 2 minutes faster encoding DVD, I think we have a winner!

Same price, faster performance but pulls a tad more power, I think I can live with it.

I'll find a few more light bulbs to replace ;-)

Unless someone can point out some weakness in the package I'll place the order later today.

I took this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131234&Tpk=m3a

better in case you would like to have one extra pci slot (at the cost of two pci-e 1x slots)..bit cheaper as well.

I considered the sparse number of PCI slots into account but really there is nothing I need in regards to PCI*

The onboard sound will do fine or I can throw in a Live 5.1 board (which may or may not be better, CL drivers have been junk for years)

Current network board is PCI, but that will go away too.

*I have a PCI modem for faxing and t there is a USB modem tucked away upstairs if need be.

My current P4 Gigabyte has served me well for years so I'm inclined to go that way again, and ASUS' reputation has been rolling downhill IMHO the last several years.

Good call on the RAM, G.Skill is cheap but delivers stability and reliability otherwise seen only on much more expensive brands.
The company came out of nowhere just 2 years ago on the European market, and already got themself an excellent reputation for their excellent value.

The AMD 770 Chipset, however, is a power-hungry one... comparable to older power-hungry NVidia chipsets.
It'll do the job, but at upto +20W power consumption compared to the most power-saving Chipsets.

Its only advantages are the support for the faster HyperTransport V3.0 and the extended Power-Saving modes for the Phenom X4. Both play no role when using current Dual Core X2's / BE-2xxx.

The Athlon X2 BE-2400 is basically a 45W Athlon64 X2 4400+ (2.3GHz, 512k L2/core).

The fastest AMD 65W TDP CPU is currently the Athlon64 X2 5200+ EE (2.7GHz, 512k L2/core). For max. performance at optimum power saving it would be my CPU of choice.

wrote on 19.01.08 at 21:10:20:

The AMD 770 Chipset, however, is a power-hungry one... comparable to older power-hungry NVidia chipsets.

The numbers I saw were reasonable, something like 7 watts compared to upwards of 35 on the nvidia stuff.

I defer to your greater research though.

wrote on 19.01.08 at 21:10:20:

Its only advantages are the support for the faster HyperTransport V3.0 and the extended Power-Saving modes for the Phenom X4. Both play no role when using current Dual Core X2's / BE-2xxx. The Athlon X2 BE-2400 is basically a 45W Athlon64 X2 4400+ (2.3GHz, 512k L2/core). The fastest AMD 65W TDP CPU is currently the Athlon64 X2 5200+ EE (2.7GHz, 512k L2/core). For max. performance at optimum power saving it would be my CPU of choice.

1) I have an eye open for future upgrade paths, never hurts to keep options open.

2) The 5000+ is right at the price & performance point I'm looking for. If I was looking for larger power saving I could always downclock!

Figures, the motherboard is out of stock! lol.

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814125070

I like this video board!

If ATI is an alternative, take the Gigabyte 2600XT -> cheaper, better performance, lower power consumption.
And it's cooled passively, too.

Parts on order! ('cept the video board)

This thing is stupid fast, I have never seen Win2000 install so fast.

This thing slices and dices DVD's like a hammer- It's the first time I have seen a 16x DVD reader actually holding the machine back instead of the CPU.

Both cores are tooling along with only 60% usage! 11 minutes flat to store a typical movie, before it would take 45 minutes to decode the same movie.

I might have to go over to the dark side and install XP though, there are some "!" in the system properties that the driver installs are not making go away.

Don't seem to be bothering the system and I know one is "cool and quiet" which AMD doesn't support under Win2k.. maybe it's finally time.

weird,win2000 drivers seem to be available (the asus board is xp only)..no big deal,xp is just a service pack fo 2k anyway,once you disable all the kiddy flashy colory stuffed animal stuff you wont know the difference.slightly higher memory consumption is hardly an issue if you have 2gigs of memory..

btw,no tests with the asus board yet,had to RMA it-the board produced annoying buzzing sounds when accessing any type of drive (usb,sata,pata etc),no good for my low noise pc..would go for the gigabyte board now if I could,but it seems like gigabyte is not rushing the deliveries for central europe.

screw.

wrote on 24.01.08 at 10:54:10:

would go for the gigabyte board now if I could,but it seems like gigabyte is not rushing the deliveries for central europe.

I can pick one up for you if need be.

Installed XP last night, no "!" and it runs pretty darn sweet. I will do a reinstall due to the RAID setup as I did not install the RAID drives last night. Should be fun as the SATA drives are 3x faster than the PATA I was testing on last night.

I think I have an old box upstairs with an XP tag, perhaps a phone call to MS indicating the box was upgraded and they will let me use the SN.

Quote:

"cool and quiet"

If you have the option, disable it in the BIOS as it can cause stability issues. ;)

Anyone know what is the difference between XP home and pro versions?

wrote on 24.01.08 at 12:18:53:

I can pick one up for you if need be.

thanks,no real need-its only a matter of time,and I have all the time in the world :)

wrote on 24.01.08 at 13:07:41:

Anyone know what is the difference between XP home and pro versions?

this sums it up nicely.the differences are very minor,almost insignificant,at least from my point of view..

wrote on 24.01.08 at 12:18:53:

Installed XP last night, no "!" and it runs pretty darn sweet.

yep,as much as I hate to say it,xpsp2 is a very solid system,and pretty much everything that was bugging me on sp0/sp1 is gone (nasty network problems if you have unstable internet connection,lag when opening shared network folders and some other minor things)..only the infamous 60Hz refresh idiotism is too hard to root out,it seems.


edit: one more sp2 idiotism: it comes with integrated media player 9,and I have no idea why,but this integrated version is busted in some horrible way,and wont cooperate with ANY of the codec packs out there (rainbow colors,inverted picture etc).full install of media player 10 fixes all those issues..

wrote on 24.01.08 at 13:07:41:

Anyone know what is the difference between XP home and pro versions?

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp
(just noticed it's from feb 2001 :P)

http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&safe=off&q=difference+between+xp+home+and+pro&btnG=Search

wrote on 24.01.08 at 02:51:59:

Don't seem to be bothering the system and I know one is "cool and quiet" which AMD doesn't support under Win2k.. maybe it's finally time.

*ugh*

I have AMD CPU Driver and Cool&Quiet installed under Win2k, no problems noted (?)

Might be that the latest versions have Win2k support locked out, though. Just take an older Version of the Drivers, they'll work like a champ.

For a System with Internet connection, I wouldn't touch XP at all. Too much effort required to secure...

wrote on 24.01.08 at 20:38:03:

For a System with Internet connection, I wouldn't touch XP at all. Too much effort required to secure...

Not more than W2k ;)

wrote on 24.01.08 at 21:05:06:

Not more than W2k ;)

But much, much more then any Linux  8)

wrote on 24.01.08 at 23:44:08:

But much, much more then any Linux  8)

True but install XP, update it and install a virusscanner. Firewall of XP SP2 in combination with the firewall in the router (which both are basic though) will do. Just use Firefox as webbrowser and don't install weird software and the system will run for years.

I have a COA here from a XP home machine that has been retired, I'm going to call MS and tell them it was upgraded =)

Ordered the video board this morning, going to wait till I have everything setup before calling Microsoft.

I have to install the 2 seagate SATA 320 gig drives in RAID mirror too and reload XP, I want it to be as close to the baseline I'm going to be using as possible before making the call.

One more reason not to use XP...
I've never called the manufacturer of my washing machine because I changed the detergent and softener.
Sure as hell don't plan to change that for an OS.

wrote on 26.01.08 at 15:02:56:

One more reason not to use XP... I've never called the manufacturer of my washing machine because I changed the detergent and softener.

Most washing machine companies don't have to worry about their customers making copies of thier product either.

Hmm, if that XP license is OEM license, I don't think you can reuse it, yes Microsoft sucks a lot there. Anyway, OLP license is the way to go, tends to be a little expensive tough.

wrote on 26.01.08 at 15:26:44:

Most washing machine companies don't have to worry about their customers making copies of thier product either.

True, but just as much as they know that, MicroSoft (or any Software publisher) knows, that effectively avoiding people to copy Software is futile.

The only ones bitten are the honest buyers. (actually those are the targets, but that's another story)

wrote on 26.01.08 at 16:30:51:

Hmm, if that XP license is OEM license, I don't think you can reuse it, yes Microsoft sucks a lot there.

How odd- The OEM COA number worked without a hitch, I didn't even have to call Microsoft.

Perhaps after some period of time (years in this case) they flush keys that have not checked in or have been active.

VERY happy with the Gigabyte 8600GT, it overclocks like mad. I ended up buying the one with the large fan, an excellent investment.

Stock clocks are 600/700 (600 is over the 8600 OEM spec too), I have no problem running the board at 700/1000 (2000 ddr).

Edit: heh, with Doom3 at 1024 x 768 I'm CPU limited since Doom 3 doesn't support dual core. I'll have to load Quake 4 tonight and tinker.

So far so good with XP- I have two firewalls running plus the routers firewall (a tricky act as it took a while to access other computers on the network!) after some tinkering about it all seems to be running pretty smooth.

Still tweaking XP to my tastes, a bit different than 2000 in a lot of respects.

oo-key,I got my second m3a board,guess what,it has the same problem.last time I have bought an asus mobo..I hope gigabyte will speed up the deliveries for central EU (says the boards are on their way,but no date,hmm)..

soo,anybody wanna buy two buzzing asus m3a boards? ::)

gdonovan wrote on 30.01.08 at 00:51:15:

VERY happy with the Gigabyte 8600GT, it overclocks like mad. I ended up buying the one with the large fan, an excellent investment.

Ended up replacing the 8600GT with a 8800GT, yowza is it fast!