as u can see, im still a fairly new poster ( a.k.a |_|83r n008 )
my predicament is this: im on a 700$ budget and i want a fairly graphic-based system

here are some of the things that ive settled on getting already

Samsung Black 52X32X52X16 DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive, $34.99
Seagate 80GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive OEM $69.00
Chenming Black Entry level server case with side arcylic window, Model "CMUI-601AEB-W" -RETAIL $57.00
LOGISYS 12" UV COLD CATHODE KIT, Model "CLK12UV" -RETAIL $4.99
LOGISYS 12" UV COLD CATHODE KIT, Model "CLK12UV" -RETAIL $4.99
A-Top 350W ATX Power Supply, Model "ATP350-P4" -OEM $19.50


( ya they are directly cut and pasted so dont yell at me about formating )

the real problem is im not sure if I should go with prescott or barton. from what i hear, socket a is going out of style, so there is probably little chance for upgradeability (as far as i know). my original idea was taking a athlon xp-mobile and oc it too 2.8ghz from 2.0ghz (using a tehrmalright si97 and 92mm panaflow). at teh same time, i could bust a nut and go with a prescott system (lga775 or wtv) which would definetly upper the price, limiting other components. so it comes down to this:


stick with amd, or bust a nut and go intel.....


thx

How about Athlon 64? The 3000+ is only around $140. With a $700 budget, you could go with a 3200+ and a 6800 at least. You might even be able to squeeze in a 6800GT depending on the RAM and mobo you choose.

Quote: Originally Posted by gorked How about Athlon 64? The 3000+ is only around $140. With a $700 budget, you could go with a 3200+ and a 6800 at least. You might even be able to squeeze in a 6800GT depending on the RAM and mobo you choose.

well the thing is im not quite sure what 64bit tehc is all about. from what ive read about it it seems that 64bit applications, or any program for that matter, arent gonna come out for another 3-4 years, and the clock speeds dont look very high. maybe im completely wrong, but any help with this subject is great too

If your looking for future upgrading............I'd probably go with an AMD 64 754 mobo setup from New Egg. A 939 would definitely be optimal, but out of your price range.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProduc...ion=13-128-259
This combo sells for $203 and has the following:
AMD Athlon 64 2800+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - OEM
GIGABYTE "GA-K8NS" NVIDIA nForce3 250 Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL

This would get you on the right track...........

64 bit programs are already coming out. Far Cry is a recent example. Also, you aren't getting the Athlon 64's just for their 64 bit capabilities. 32 bit app's are proven to perform better on the 64's than their Barton counterparts (unless you overclock them like mad). Getting a 64 bit processor would provide room future expansion. AMD plans on making future processors for the 754 and 939 sockets (more specifically 939). That's one less thing you have to worry about when getting a new proc in the future.

You could get a NICE Nforce4 SLi mobo for $200, a decent PCIe Video card for $200, and then like an AMD 64 3500 for about $250. That brings you to $650 and is really kick ass plus will be easily upgradeable for future stuff (better CPU like FX-55 and a 6800 if you win the Lottery.

wow, thanx guys, this puts me in a completely different situation

anyway, ill try to optimise a 64 system and ill post it for your critisism

Question; When is a P4 a P3 a P2 or a Pentium Pro? Well, since they all have the same core, with exception of clock speed it doesn't matter. They're all 6th generation CPUs. The ONLY reason the P4 can get high clock speeds is deep scalar pipes, which slow execution. Their 64 bit 7th generation Itanium, or Itanic, was a total failure. In contrast, the 7th generation AMD offerings have simply rocked, regardless what the "Intel-Heads" say. And, the 8th generation Athlon 64s, well, 8th generation just says it all.

I suggest the Athlon 64 family of processors, unlike the Intel "Itanic" (Itanium), they run 32 bit OSs natively. And, the next generation OSs are 64 bit, the P4 is only 32 with no 64 bit upgrade path. That would be known as a "dead-end".

The choice, as I said, is clear.

Wait, the AMD 64's run on 32bit natively? Wouldn't that be bad as you are upgrading for 64-bit?