Sony and ATI....and more ???

[bobkny]

Hi......I'm back, and still trying to piece a system together and have some questions. I like the ATI cards. I'm interested in getting a 19" Sony CPD-G420S CRT and an ATI 9500 Pro card. Are there any known problems with using this card with this monitor? Also, are there any known problems with the ATI 9500 Pro card? And any known problems with the monitor itself?

Also, I'm looking at 2 mobos for a P4 system. I'm interested in the New Intel D875PB2 with the i875 chip. Also, interested in the new ASUS P4C800 Deluxe board. They both have the 800 FSB, at this time I can only afford a P4 2.6 500 FSB chip. But, down the road will upgrade the P4 chip. With using the 2.6 500 FSB chip with one of these boards, do you see any problems? Also, are there any known problems with these boards? And any known problems with using the ATI 9500 Pro card with one of these boards? I'm not a gamer, I won't be doing any over clocking, will be mainly using the system for Photoshop 7 and web surfing using WinXp home. Since I'd get the 2.6 P4 chip I'll be using 2-512-333 MHz ram chips. Any advice or known problems with this setup would be appreciated!!!!!!!!

Also, could you advice me on a good Surge protection/Backup unit with (AVR) such as APC, Belkin, or Triplite? I live in an apartment and the voltage fluctuates every so often, and have a window A/C unit in the same room. Looking for a lower end unit with (AVR) to run my new system. A lot of questions here I know. I'd really appreciate some help.
Thanks so much,
Bob

[KevinBE]

Bob, I wish I could answer all your questions. You are mentioning leading edge equipment of which I have no knowledge. I have been living in the AMD world for a few years and haven't paid attention to the Intel hardware. You might try http://www.anandtech.com or www.tomshardware.com . There are some message boards at www.overclockers.com that might have some insight for you.

Some of the motherboard chip sets have specific memory configuration requirements for RAM. You should seek information about the motherboard you will purchase about these issues. I would get all the RAM you can afford, PS 7 loves RAM and so does windows XP Pro.

I have used the APC UPS's and surge suppressors for years but Belkin is also a good brand. I personally don't like Tripplite but I think they make good units these days also.

Good luck, sounds like you are building a good system. Fast is nice!

[jeaniesa]

Bob,

Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with the exact equipment you're asking about. If you want to find out about potential problems, I would do a google search with the make & model number along with the word "issue" or "problem". That's what I did when I was putting my system together and things have worked out fine. (If there's a problem, you can be sure someone has complained about it - and if you find the same complaint in more than one place, there's a good chance it really is a problem and not user error.)

As far as the mobos you're looking at. I purchased the Intel D845PEBT2 about six months ago and I've been happy with it. I ordered two 512MB 333MHz DDR memory sticks to go with it and have had no problems. (I chose to go for reliability rather than "cheap" with the memory based on multiple people who told me that you don't want to mess around with questionable reliability on the memory. Thus, I purchased Corsair memory.) I put a P4/2.53GHz CPU (what I could afford at the time) on the mobo and I've had no problems.

A couple of minor problems that I ran into that might be useful to you:
1. The monitoring utility that came with the mobo was causing wierd hangs in Windows XP Pro. I turned it off and haven't had any problems since. Intel does have a new version of the monitoring utility, but I haven't felt the need for it, so I haven't tried it. (It basically monitors the heat at various points inside the case and warns you if things get too hot.) I'll probably turn it on once the summer heat hits just to check that my fans are providing enough cooling. Until then, I don't have time to mess with it.
2. Check for BIOS updates (on the Intel site) as soon as you install things - and then check regularly. My system was running slowly with large Photoshop scratch files and as part of my trying to track down why, I downloaded a new BIOS from the Intel site. Wow - what a difference that made for my entire system! I didn't realize how slow it was running until I did that update.

I purchased a refurbished APC BackUPS Pro 1400 (with new batteries) from eBay for a significantly reduced price from a new one. It has already saved my butt a few times from various power outages and surges due to winter storms. Every so often I can hear it go on when there is a dip in electricity - like when the vacuum cleaner goes on in a neighboring room. So, I think it would work fine for your situation with the air conditioner. It's a good idea to get one - varying power levels can really reduce the life of your system!

Hope this helps a little. Sorry I can't be more specific.

Jeanie

[jeaniesa]

Oh, one more thing... Make sure that the power supply you are getting can handle all of the components you'll be attaching to it. It's better to get one that's a little more than you need than one that is right at the limit of your needs.

Jeanie

[bobkny]

Hi Kevin,
Thank you for the Sites to look at, I will check them out and see what I can find!!!!!
Thanks,
Bob

Hi Jeanie,
Thanks a lot for all the information!!!! I will look into the things you suggested!!!!!!!!
Thanks,
Bob