Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Cigar_Guy]

So here's my situation.

I'm leaving Korea in about two months. I've built for myself a desktop that I won't be taking back home with me. I had planned on leaving it with my school, but one of our two office computers is more or less completely dead and we're looking at making a decision on a fix/new machine/upgrade basis right now. I'd like to just leave mine here for them to use, but going two months with only one computer is going to be a huge pain that no one here wants to deal with (plus, the current computer is fairly craptacular).

So now what I'm thinking is we semi-cannibalize my computer and use the parts in an upgrade of the old one. Here's what I'm running now:

AMD 3200+ chip
Chaintech VNF4 Ultra mobo
512MB x 2 sticks of DDR400 RAM
2 80 GB HD (currently a dual-boot with XP Pro and Win 64)
Asus 6600 Extreme Video Card
Sony DVD-R drive (I forget the name at the moment, but it's their high-end one that does dual-layer writing and all the rest)
LG DVD drive (set to Korean DVD region)
Antec Sonata II case w/450W PSU
Fan controller, Zalman CNPS9500 chip fan and another on the video card (can't remember the number at the moment).

As you can see, I've been playing around with it the past few months, and now have a nice quiet machine.

My idea is this: trade out my chip and possibly video card into the school's computer. We'd have to purchase an AMD motherboard (Chaintech has a pretty good-looking one for about 50k) and some new RAM (the now-dead one has--I kid you not--only 64 megs). At that point, we'll be able to install Korean Windows and have a good office/media computer that the school will be able to upgrade for a long time (939 pin config in the mobo). That's the idea, anyway.

The problem, of course, is that while it means I'll have something good to use while I'm at work, it will have completed gutted my home computer, forcing me to upgrade. My question for anyone out there is what should I use to replace the chip and motherboard? I'm thinking upgrading would be the way to go, but what do you think is a good target that will let me sell this thing in a few months and get a good price?

P.S. The fact that I just bought Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter has nothing to do with my desire to swap out my chip and video card for better stuff.

[Demophobe]

Well, it makes no sense to me to upgrade and then sell 2 months later. It's like buying a car....you lose as soon as it's out of the parking lot, so to speak.

I say that you keep your machine for 2 months and try to sell it as-is when you go. Let the school buy another PII machine for next to nothing. You must be used to a crap machine at school by now, so whatever on that front.

I hope I read your post correctly. That is what I would do anyways.

Why aren't you taking the comp with you? It's not a bad rig and will certainly give you more back by keep ing it than selling it.

The best idea is to take what you don't want to upgrade back home with you, then upgrade when you get back home. With a better VGA, that comp would be pretty cool. Small HDD space as well...

[Cigar_Guy]

I want the school to have the computer when I go. They're getting it either way--this way they can have it sooner and maybe I'd have something better to resell. The fact that it's got a quality case, PSU and fans (I didn't mention the case fans too) means I can hopefully move it to someone with an eye to such things (I also have a surround sound set of speakers that I doubt anyone in the office will want to take advantage of).

It doesn't make sense for them to buy/repair the old krep computer and then have me leave mine in a couple months, so I'm trying to find a balance where they can get "mine" now (smaller HD--office files are small, and less RAM) but maybe I can upgrade it a bit so it'll be attractive to someone a little harder into games. The video card is pretty good, but it's really a bit of a pain on Ghost Recon and I feel like a faster chip wouldn't be bad either.

Not taking it home for two reasons. First, it's massive and would involve either taking up a huge amount of room in my luggage or be expensive shipping. Second, the Zalman fan makes me nervous having the thing tossed around in luggage or in shipping, and so I'd have to (at least somewhat) disassemble the thing, which makes it even more of a pain. Third, I have a better machine at home.

I know this isn't the buy/sell forum, but I don't suppose anyone knows anyone interested in a pretty good gaming rig who will be coming here in the next few months?