Upgrading System (Mobo Q/Your thoughts?)

[smurph]

Well to make a long story short, I am going to be taking the mobo/cpu/ram out of my current build and make my mom a computer. While upgrading mine in the meantime, I just can't decide on which motherboard to get. Or if this should be the right processor. I'm looking for a cheap upgrade that will be easily overclocked (I'm not worried about cooling, thats seperate). I want to goto the AM2 since it has DDR2, but am not ruling out the option to stay with Intel (just havent really done much researching).

My current specs are:
Intel P4 2.8E
ASUS P4P800-VM
1GB (2x512MB) Crucial DDR400
ATi AIW Radeon x800XT
500W PSU

My current thoughts to upgrade are:
AMD Athlon 64 3800+ Orleans 2000MHz HT 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103631)
ASUS M2N-SLI Deluxe (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131013)
-OR-
MSI K9N SLI Platinum (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813130048)

I'm also unsure what type of RAM to get because each board seems to have compatibility issues with certain brands.. so I have not picked that out yet. I am also debating on what video card I am going to purchase, so I haven't linked any incase your wondering how im going to get an AGP card into a PCI-E slot.

Any help or comments would be greatly apperciated, thanks!

[MeestarK]

Wait and see how Intel's Conroe launch goes. This will give you enough time to evaluate the new processors, as well as wait for the price drop that AMD said they'd do.

[smurph]

Nevermind, found out the price drop should be around July 24th. The X2 line looks like its going to recieve a 50% price drop. I really don't see the Conroe being in my price range. The lowest model for the Conroe is the E6300 (1.86GHz) and is expected to cost $210. Unless the Conroe is insanly better than the X2, I will dishout the extra money.

But if that is not the case, for about $150, I will most likely be purchasing the:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Windsor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103735)

Still curious about motherboard and options though...

[thrash_head]

If your going AMD, Look at the DFI boards, I also like the Asus A8N-E.

[MeestarK]

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2771

[Janus]

from the reports that I have seen, intel's Core2Duo is insanely better than AMD's offerings.

[Dave]

from the reports that I have seen, intel's Core2Duo is insanely better than AMD's offerings.
There is a wild rumor going around that AMD has a method of making games and apps see dual cores as one cpu, and in fact making the two cores work as one. And it's already built into AM2 cpu's, you'd just need a bios flash to turn it on. If true, an AM2 would destroy a conroe.
Most folks think it's a fanboy pipe dream, I don't know enough about it to even have an opinion, but it would be cool if such a thing could be done.

Btw, I've seen those same benchies Janus, and it makes me sad to see AMD get the smackdown from Intel yet again. You'd think they would have spent the last three years working on new cpu's instead of new sockets. I'm guessing pretty much everyone rides the short bus over there.

[MeestarK]

There is a wild rumor going around that AMD has a method of making games and apps see dual cores as one cpu, and in fact making the two cores work as one. And it's already built into AM2 cpu's, you'd just need a bios flash to turn it on. If true, an AM2 would destroy a conroe.
Most folks think it's a fanboy pipe dream, I don't know enough about it to even have an opinion, but it would be cool if such a thing could be done.


I've heard that too, which is yet another reason I think right now is the worst possible time to try to upgrade. Wait a few more months and then go for it. AMD is supposed to release new processors in Q1 2007 iirc anyways.

[Janus]

I don't think they really knew what Intel was cooking until the Engineering Samples were released and some benches from real-world users were popping up.

I have also heard something similar about the 2-as-1 core thing, but I find it difficult to believe and the algorithms for that sort of architecture would be flabbergasting. Because it would have to... not going to get into it. Let me put it simply. it would be very very difficult to get a processor do work correctly in that sort of way. If they can do it, that is a hell of a lot of power to them. I just don't understand that if they did have the ability that AMD would be flaunting it to not lose market share.

[Commander]

Not quite reverse hyperthreading yet, but might still be of interest to some: http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32790

[ass*assassin]

I've heard that too, which is yet another reason I think right now is the worst possible time to try to upgrade. Wait a few more months and then go for it. AMD is supposed to release new processors in Q1 2007 iirc anyways.

ah, the old, 'wait until they come out with something new' arguement..

well, my friend, they are always coming out with something new.. there is always something 'earth-shatteringly fantastic' coming out in a few months.. bottom line is if you are going to wait for everything, nothing will get done..

if you need to upgrade, then do so.. if you can wait a bit, then do so.. but, once things are really necessary (to upgrade), then you would be a fool to wait.. spend the cash, get some gratification.. :)

[MeestarK]

At this point I disagree with you. Price cuts around the corner, and a brand new processor coming out that may sway people from AMD back to Intel once again is a pretty good reason to wait.

[thrash_head]

AMD will come back at Intel, I mean shit they already are "saying" that they have a secret to the dual cores. Price Cuts happen all the time, this is just a big deal because intel finally made something decent. Buy when you need/want to, its your money.

[Dave]

AMD will come back at Intel, I mean shit they already are "saying" that they have a secret to the dual cores. Price Cuts happen all the time, this is just a big deal because intel finally made something decent. Buy when you need/want to, its your money.
Price cuts on high end cpu's don't happen all that often, 50% price cuts on high end cpu's have never happened that I know of.

[ass*assassin]

Price cuts on high end cpu's don't happen all that often, 50% price cuts on high end cpu's have never happened that I know of.

yes,they have before.. in the rocking 90's.. we never, ever stocked cpu's because the pricing was always doing something strange/wierd.. you would lose 30-40% on a cpu if you held on to it and didn't get it sold fast.. even happened some with the 486's when cyrix came out with theirs.. kicked intel in the nuts, and they slash/burned their pricing scheme to combat cyrix..