new mobo Qs

[MerePeer]

I've been thinking about gutting a box that has a pentium mmx 200 and making it more crunch-worthy. I'd keep the case/pSupply250/floppy/cd52x and 4g ide drive. I was looking at mobo cpu combos on tigerdirect - amd only. I'm wondering if my 4g ide drive will be compatible with these new mobos? or must I get a new drive too. For instance this XFX MACH 4 KT400ANB w/2000+ ($98) says "ATA-133 FastDrive is the fastest IDE standard currently available on the market, and allows each IDE controller to burst up to 133MB/s" . Are these "ata ultra" controllers going to be compat. w/this pokey old drive?

Second question -- if you had a choice between (under $100) mobo combos, where one has an amd 1800 or 2000+ but a better-sounding mobo, and the other has a 2400+ but maybe not as good a mobo, which way do you lean, or should I not sacrifice either?

Third question -- since many of these boards don't have integrated video but do have an agp slot, and since I dont have an agp board but I do have a pci-based radeon7500 all-in-wonder, will that work or must I have agp for the video? {Trying to keep cost down since I also must buy ddr mem + cpufan}

Fourth question -- do these mobos come with those plastic thingees to attach them to the case? Anything else I'll need?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...2400&CatId=188

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...2000&CatId=188

TIA

[Evilmoose]

#1 ide is compatible
#2 depends on if its strickly a cruncher
#3 pci works in all boards
#4 plastic thingys are spacers that I only use when when my case doesnt have all the holes for what you should use, threaded standoffs. your case comes with these.

One word of advice, you can get refubished mobos for $39 on new egg that come with G2 video and decent sound and xp 2700+ is $99 right now.

Ill gladly help you with the set up

2700 kicks @$$ in D2OL and TSC BTW:shocked:

[matrix_fan]

Yes, it is backwards compatibale, just i think as long as it has a master/slave selcter ( i have a old old old 512Mb hdd that doesn't). I'd say get the 2400+, yes i believe that video card WILL work...., i doubt it, both motherboards i have gotten come with no screws, usually the case comes with them..

[MerePeer]

I'm ready to order. Two things I'm not sure about:
1) is coolermaster htk001 good enough grease for an amd 2400+?

2) the power connectors on these boards don't look like they will work with the good old fashioned 4 pin "angle corner" plugs I'm used to/got. Do I need some kind of adaptor? Doesnt look like the mobo comes with it.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...157-022&depa=1

Thx again.

[PCZ]

Do you have an old AT PSU.
The power connector to the motherboard is 2 plugs side by side and black wires go in the middle.

If so you will need to buy a new ATX power supply.
There aren't any AT to ATX adaptors that I am aware of.

[MerePeer]

Yes I just pulled it open and those connectors, w/black in middle are there. Sorry for false alarm. Me newbie at this.

[MerePeer]

Re-reading your email I'm now not sure whether you mean that because I appear to have 2 connectors (black wires in the middle), do I have an AT and therefore need to buy an ATX type power supply?

[PCZ]

Yes you will need to purchase an ATX power supply.

Also an ATX power supply is turned on and off differently, the on/off switch on your case will be redundent.

ATX power supplies are turned on by momentarily bridging two pins on the motherboard.
A switch on the case makes a circuit when depressed, the leads from this have a 2 pin plug which goes to the motherboard. {Same size as hdd led or reset}

You can probably use the reset switch or turbo if your case is really old !!

Also you can modify the old mains switch to disable the latch so it only makes a circuit when depressed and solder two wires to it with a small 2 pin plug on the end.

[MerePeer]

Once again thx PCZ.

The deeper I dig, the more I uncover. Guess I'd need a new ATX case as well. Maybe I should just throw the darn thing out.

[MerePeer]

fyi ordered from newegg today. I hope inserting a CPU and putting grease on it is something I can do!