Athlon 64

[pfkaok]

I'm looking to get a new CPU/motherboard that will be able to run 8+ games with PT and PV without slowing down too much. How good is the 64, and what model number and/or motherboard should I look to get with it??

I'm looking at the 3200 with these specs on it now:

Ecs NFORCE4-A939 SC939 NVIDIA nFORCE4 Chipset DDR400 PCI-Ex16 SATA RAID GIGABIT Lan Audio ATX Retail Box - Athlon 64 3200 939pin with cpu fan & heatsink

anyone who know about this, and if its any good??

any advice appreciated. or links to sites that have helpful reviews of it and such.

[BradleyT]

Newegg had a sale for a A64 and mobo for $220 shipped back around christmas time. I'd check there to see if they have any deals going on.

As for the performance - you won't be disappointed. However if you wait a year every processor out today will be obsolete.


IBM, Sony, Toshiba give details of new Cell chip technology
, 02.08.05, 11:38 AM ET

AFX News Limited

TOKYO, Feb 08, 2005 (AFX-UK via COMTEX) -- IBM Corp, Sony Corp and Toshiba Corp have disclosed details of a new chip technology, which delivers more than 10 times the performance of the latest PC processors.

The Cell microprocessor has been under development since March 2001 by a team put together by the three companies.

The Cell will "deliver vastly improved, real-time response for entertainment and rich media applications," said the companies in a joint statement.

Another advantage of the Cell is that it can simultaneously support multiple operating systems, such as conventional operating systems, real-time operating systems for computer entertainment and consumer electronics applications as well as guest operating systems for specific applications.

The prototype chip measures 221 square millimeters, integrates 234 mln transistors, and is fabricated with 90-nanometer silicon-on-insulator technology.

Initial production of Cell microprocessors is expected to begin at IBM's 300 millimeter wafer fabrication facility in East Fishkill, New York, followed by Sony Group's Nagasaki plant this year.

Consumers are likely to get their first experience of the Cell next year when Sony uses it in its PlayStation 3 game console. However, the chip is expected to be marketed for use in other high-end consumer electronics such as televisions and home entertainment systems, as well as in business-level supercomputers.

The Cell's release is seen by some industry watchers as a potential threat to Intel Corp's dominance of the desktop microprocessor market. For its part, Intel is expected to show off a new version of its Itanium chip, which contains more than 1.7 bln transistors in a dual-core design meant to boost overall processing performance.

[pfkaok]

hmm... thats interesting. I hadn't heard of that new technology yet. thansk for the tip though. I just found this one on newegg :

AMD Athlon 64 3500+, 512K, L2 Cache, Socket 939 Windows Compatible 64-bit Processor - Retail

Model# ADA3500AWBOX
Item # N82E16819103463

Specification
Model: AMD Athlon 64
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 2.2GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64+64KB; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13Micron
Socket: Socket 939
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail


It's $289, but seems like it has good reviews, so i might get it. ALso comes with a free shirt too /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

also, what do i need to do to make sure that it'll fit into my case? or if i need to buy one, how will i tell if its the right size and power supply?

[eejit]

These chips come in 2 versions, the newer 959 socket vrs the older 754. Stick with the newer. For $100 less, the 3200 is a better value than the 3500 for a small performance hit, especially for how your going to be using it. Save the money and put it towards two sticks of 512 ram.
I just built a system with this chip and a MSI NEO platinum 2 motherboard and I'm happy. I also bought an antec sonata super quiet case. The noise difference compared to my old system is amazing, not something you notice until you have it.
Heres's some links I found helpful.

http://www.motherboards.org/forums/
check out the recommendations forum

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=2324

http://www.sharkyextreme.com/guides/MVGSBG/article.php/3462291

good luck

[AncientPC]

I think you meant socket 939, not 959.

I agree with going with the 3200 or even a 3000. The performance difference is minimal for $100+.

[eejit]

Sorry, you're right, 939.

[NoTalent]

You won't be disappointed. Support an Austin company /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[NoTalent]

hahaha the cell

[pfkaok]

thanks. there's alot of info on those sites.

I already have a 1Gig, and a 512 of ram on my current computer, so i think i'm okay with that. I just need the mobo/cpu and a case. do you like the antec sonata case?

[pfkaok]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree with going with the 3200 or even a 3000. The performance difference is minimal for $100+

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, so the 3200 for $190 is a pretty good price then??

[AncientPC]

[ QUOTE ]
You won't be disappointed. Support an Austin company /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I do, I've never bought a Pentium before (AMD K6-2 200Mhz was my first machine).

If you're referring to the PS3 developed in Austin, well I'm going to have to wait it out. /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[ QUOTE ]
thanks. there's alot of info on those sites.

I already have a 1Gig, and a 512 of ram on my current computer, so i think i'm okay with that. I just need the mobo/cpu and a case. do you like the antec sonata case?

[/ QUOTE ]

I like it, I've built 4 systems for family / friends in it and highly recommend it.

However I would not use one myself. The biggest annoyance factor is how the hdd trays are set up, it's a bit cramped if you don't use rounded IDE cables.

I took this picture just now to show you what I mean. The case behind it is an older Antec SX1040.

http://temp.ancientpc.net/22/mediabox3.jpg

It's quiet, looks nice (although you can get crap smeared on the finish really easily), and is quite affordable. However it's a bit too small for my tastes and I don't like the front panel (it's cheapo plastic and has ricey blue LEDs). I opted for the CoolerMaster WaveMaster for my own case:
http://images10.newegg.com/productimage/11-119-023-12.JPG

[eejit]

$190 seems like a good deal.
I gave the least amount of thought to the case, but I really like it. The sound difference is very noticeable. The included power supply is high quality as well.

http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=277

[AncientPC]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I agree with going with the 3200 or even a 3000. The performance difference is minimal for $100+

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, so the 3200 for $190 is a pretty good price then??

[/ QUOTE ]

That's what Newegg has listed for the retail processor. It's a decent price but keep in mind you're basically paying $18 more than the OEM for packing and the retail heatsink fan.

Normally I would suggest getting the HSF seperate, but the 939's run so damn cool that the retail fan is completely fine. If you plan on overclocking you might want to spend a little bit more for a better HSF, but if you were you probably wouldn't be asking these questions.

[NoTalent]

I still don't get this forum, I think its odd that you reply to each individual post. I was trying to tell the OP that the A64 is a great product and he wouldn't be disappointed with any choice that s/he makes.

Nice a historical AMDer! /images/graemlins/grin.gif