coolerguy1984

I'm currently using an agp, and recently purchase a x700 pro. But after about a week of testing I ended up returning it because it wasn't fast enough for me. Now i'm thinking about upgrading to pci express, mabey a 7800 GT. But before I do this i'll need to purchase a new motherboard and cpu since i'm running a socket 754 at the moment. But i was also thinking about keeping the same setup and just getting a x850 XT agp. Now i'm puzzled and really don't know what do to, should I go ahead and upgrade to PCI Express, or stick with AGP?

j-dogg

Quote: Originally Posted by coolerguy1984 I'm currently using an agp, and recently purchase a x700 pro. But after about a week of testing I ended up returning it because it wasn't fast enough for me. Now i'm thinking about upgrading to pci express, mabey a 7800 GT. But before I do this i'll need to purchase a new motherboard and cpu since i'm running a socket 754 at the moment. But i was also thinking about keeping the same setup and just getting a x850 XT agp. Now i'm puzzled and really don't know what do to, should I go ahead and upgrade to PCI Express, or stick with AGP?

PCIe is the way to go if you plan on keeping your computer for anything longer than a few months....

sandalfon

Well, to be frank you should probably scrap s754, because it will not last you until Socket M2 comes along. Your only option would be to find a 6800 Ultra type card and hope it would last you until socket M2, but that is unlikely.

Getting a socket 939 mobo for PCI-E will last you a while yet. Sucks you have to buy a processor though, because unless you buy a relatively good dualcore one you might have to upgrade again before M2.

Hope this gives you some perspective.

Dex

Its a no brainer. If you can afford to go with a budget PCI-E system, then do it. You'll be more than happy with the peformance gains a 7800GT will bring you.

The Dragon Reborn

I agree, AGP is a dead-end... If you buy a PCI-E card now you will know it will probably fit the
mainboards coming out the next few years... both AMD & Intel will change their sockets soon...
And will continue to do so.. every year or so...

PCI-E will stay for us for a few years to come....

TDR

coolerguy1984

yeah upgrading to a pci-e means new mobo, cpu, memory etc. So I need to find a cheap s939 system, like a ecs board w/ cpu combo. But then again I want my setup to run stable, so I may just have to wait till I have enough money for a good setup.

ranger1033

Quote: Originally Posted by coolerguy1984 yeah upgrading to a pci-e means new mobo, cpu, memory etc. So I need to find a cheap s939 system, like a ecs board w/ cpu combo. But then again I want my setup to run stable, so I may just have to wait till I have enough money for a good setup.

Have you seen this thread check it out and see what everyone is saying about a 3GHZ Socket 939 AMD 64's
http://forums.pcapex.com/showthread.php?t=57113

Ator

If you are looking for a cheap, fast, and stable, check out the ASRock 939Dual:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157081

It uses ULI's excellent M1695/M1567 chipset.

It's got AGP AND PCI-Express graphics! You can't use SLI (obviously), but still this board is sweet, especially for the price! It's currently going for $65 on the Egg.

Here is a review that Anandtech did on it:

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2524

Quote: The ASRock is clearly a value board, designed to sell for a low price, but even so, it provides all the features, including SATA2 with NCQ, that you would expect on an up-to-date A64 motherboard. The ASRock is by no means perfect. The layout will be a pain for some, the cold boot issues are annoying, LAN is 10/100 and not Gigabit, and there are no Firewire ports. But the ASRock does so much, so well that it is easy to forgive the warts when you consider the selling price. We sincerely hope that ASRock will invest a bit more time in refining the 939Dual-SATA2. With a refined BIOS and expanded memory voltage adjustments, this board could be a monster hit for ASRock. It will likely sell very well regardless, as many will also notice the slot for a future M2 expansion board.

ncgchlct

Some of us youngn's can't afford a 939 and for that matter a 754. I am stuck w/agp although I have never known any different.

coolerguy1984

I found a 754 mobo that uses pci-e but don't know if it's that good.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131533

Hibiki

754 has certain limitations that were rectified in the 939 design. Dual channel RAM is one of them, effciency (power, heat output, and energy consumption) is another. You would do well to steer clear of 754 and hold out for 939 or M2.

coolerguy1984

Quote: Originally Posted by Hibiki 754 has certain limitations that were rectified in the 939 design. Dual channel RAM is one of them, effciency (power, heat output, and energy consumption) is another. You would do well to steer clear of 754 and hold out for 939 or M2.

Yah, i'm really considering dumping my 754 and getting a s939, but will I be able to use my single channel ram on a s939 or just dual channel only? j/w because i'm not gonna be upgrading to dual channel for a while.

Dex

You'll be able to use your single channel RAM fine in a 939 based system. Dual channel isn't a requirement, its an added bonus thats there if you want to use it (which most people do).

coolerguy1984

anybody know of a program that'll let me check the speeds on my 6600 gt?

t3chb0yg3n13

Quote: Originally Posted by Hibiki 754 has certain limitations that were rectified in the 939 design. Dual channel RAM is one of them, effciency (power, heat output, and energy consumption) is another. You would do well to steer clear of 754 and hold out for 939 or M2.

why not use AMD Turion 64 ..Most people should expect it to overclock a lot since it is a mobile processor....

but then again...go for PCI-E ....AGP is quickly dying out as each new graphic card chipset is manufactured

AlkalineOmen

Quote: Originally Posted by coolerguy1984 anybody know of a program that'll let me check the speeds on my 6600 gt?

Any overclocking utility for the 6600GT should show the speeds of the video card.

BigAkita

Upgrade to 939 now. That way you have about a year before the socket changes again. The move to a 939 board will mean a $120 mobo, minimum $200 processor, and another $200 for the vid card. You can probably find better deals elsewhere but trust me, the upgrade is worth it.

chef7734