939 vs AM2

[goudwijzevis]

I'm pretty sure there was a topic that already covered this, but I've just spent 10 minutes looking for it with no luck finding it.

So here's my version:

I have £500 ($850) to spend on a new gaming system, I currently have a 3000+ laptop with onboard gfx that just doesn't cut the mustard for obvious reasons.

Anyway, I have a dilemma . Do I skip down to my local components supplier and purchase a 3500+ 939 system or wait 5 whole months untill the new AM2 CPUs are released?

I'm unsure as to how long AMD will continue to manufacturer chips for; and support the 939 socket. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

How high are the prices likley to be for the newly released AM2s?

Also: Does DDR2 bring any noticeable performance gains for gaming?
I noticed whilst browsing through the CPU benchmarking tests, the 939 chips that were coupled with regular DDR wiped the floor with the 775s running along side DDR2.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Socket AM2 chips will likely be around 10% compared with a socket 939 chip at the same clock speed.

but when AM2 is released, motherboards / cpus will cost a premium - Price performance wise, I'd build now.

 

[drcroubie]

I'm unsure as to how long AMD will continue to manufacturer chips for; and support the 939 socket. Anyone got any thoughts on this?

whatever you can buy now, that's all you ever can for a 939, FX60 is the last release, AFAIK.

How high are the prices likley to be for the newly released AM2s?

if they're any higher than the current models, they just won't sell. AMD aren't stupid enough to price themselves out of a market, so my guess is about the same as 939s, for the same speed.

I noticed whilst browsing through the CPU benchmarking tests, the 939 chips that were coupled with regular DDR wiped the floor with the 775s running along side DDR2.

That's because 775 have to cram all RAM/Video/Harddisk data onto one FSB. 939s free up half of the HT/FSB by using a seperate memory controller. No question that the new AM2s with DDR2 will kick the asses of anything Intel or AMD has out NOW. No doubt Conroe will kick the ass of anything intel has out NOW. Conroe vs AM2? ask me in a year. Although, Intel can only go so far until they do something about the current FSB bottleneck, that doesn't involve simply speeding it up


Back to the original question. Me, i'm waiting until AM2.
For you, i'd suggest envisioning your next 4 months. Do you want to sit inside and play the latest and greatest games Now? If so, go buy a 939 Now.
Do you want to be able to play the latest and greatest games in 2 years with the same motherboard, but maybe with a faster processor? Wait for AM2.


my 2cents -> *beloved patriot*

 

[old_times]

build a s939 now

I wouldn't recommend that. You'll feel horrible when you see how their prices drop within a few weeks. On top of it you won't be able to use your DDR RAM in your future upgrades. I would buy a Presler. This way you'll hae an easier time upgrading to AM2 - Conroe . You can sell your Presler and mobo (better 975x) at a good price cuase they'll keep their value for the next year.

,,

 

[brainysmurf]

We're looking at a June date for the UNVEILING of AM2.
Parts won't be available at your local computer shop or online for weeks after that. First parts will be relatively scarce, high in demand = high prices -- just like when the latest video cards come out.
So if you decide to wait, you're really planning on buying a system in August or September, perhaps -- not June.
I'd go for 939 now. Prices have already dropped. If you don't mind waiting for awhile, 939 prices will drop more when AM2 comes out. You could buy Socket 939 in July or August and get some 939 parts at closeout prices.
Example:
My MSI Nforce 3 AGP board that I bought last March was $129.
The MSI Nforce 4 PCI-E board I bought in December (from the same store) was $89. That's higher technology for $40 less, due to the "maturity" of the platform and increased competition.
A good socket 939 board, with PCI-E for future upgradeability, with a decent processor (the 3700+ would be my choice) will play all the games out now and anything expected to come out in the next year to year and a half.
A 2.2 ghz or even 2.0 ghz Athlon 64 will adequately run any game out there right now. Game performance lately has been more constrained/determined by the video card, anyway.
Also remember, game designers don't plan for the very latest, highest-performing hardware. That's not what most people have. They design for somewhere in the middle, with the goal of selling as many games as possible.
When the hottest first-person shooter comes out, bragging rights will go to the guys who waited for AM2 -- they'll have the fastest frame rates, etc. But you'll still be able to play it, and enjoy it, on your 939 system -- just make sure you get a video card that's powerful enough to run the game.

 

[Ycon]

Oh, well, 500 big ones wont get you far, so Id say that you should save up some more until Conroe launches for a serious rig.
Otherwise you could also wait for the Pentium D price drop (the 950 for example will drop from 637$ to 316$) and get a X800 GTO² and unlock it, 4x512 MB NON-highend RAM (it wont kill you if it has CAS 5 instead of 4). Then I would look for a mobo with some nice integrated sound to save money and to finish it, get some 80GB HDD or something else thats priced reasonably (not some 500GB stuff or the Raptor X Series).

 

[old_times]

:idea: Don't underestimate the power of Intel fanboys waiting out there for under priced hardware. I know that 939s won't keep their value as much because of difficulties in upgrades. Even you may be able to maintain your 975x mobo for Conroe at no-little cost

,,

 

[theboomboomcars]

If you want the computer now get it now, if you want to wait, wait. Computer prices fall faster than anything, so when you do buy the next week it'll be cheaper.

 

[bront]

If you can build what you want now, then go for it. You'll probably get more bang for your buck now, since DDR memory is cheaper than DDR2, the current high end 939 boards are cheep and fast, and a PCI-E Video card upgrade will help you more in gaming than a CPU upgrade anyway.

I was pondering this same question, and decided I wanted the new system now, and am quite happy with that thought.

I would guess AM2 prices are going to about as cost efective as the 929 stuff in 2007, simply because of demand and platform maturity. Plus, you're often better waiting for the maturity performance and stability wise than getting the extreme cutting edge platform. Just look at the Nforce 4 over the Nforce 3, or back in history to initial vs future chipset releases.

 

[jrnyfan]

CAS OF 5? ARE YOU NUTS? you can buy the cheap stuff with a cas of 2.5, 3 if you are really pinching pennies

go with 939, its going to take a year and more AFTER the launch before the performance is there and the stability and the hardware is there to support M2. just get a pci-e board, sli if you can afford it and get a nvidia card that you can run in sli later on. cpu wont make nearly as much difference as adding another video card and ddr2 isnt going to be that exciting anyway for awhile, hell the software people can't come up with stuff to take advantage of the bandwidth you have now.

im going with a pci-e sli board later in the year to replace my current nforce3 board, to hell with m2. maybe i will consider it christmas of '07

 

[Ycon]

CAS OF 5? ARE YOU NUTS? you can buy the cheap stuff with a cas of 2.5, 3 if you are really pinching pennies

:lol: :lol: No, DDR2 is nuts

 

[o1die]

I waited a whole year to buy a 939 setup at Fry's. It took that long for prices to drop. I expect about the same for the new m2. Besides, Amd must continue to make a profit to keep up with Intel. Intel can lose money on some cpus, Amd can't afford to.

 

[old_times]

Forget about Fry's , no good any more. Buy it online.

 

[parlee]

wait until am2 is announced/relseased then buy a badass 939, by then u should have a decent budget, with ur 800 i think it was budget, u wont get very far, probably a 3200+ 7800gt 1 gb memory... not blowing anyone away with that system, but it will run games well for at least another half year... so if u wanna play games now with decent frames, get the setup i just meantioned, if not, save for a couple months until u have say, 1200-1500, then buy a 939 system, like everyone said am2 will be rare and sorta on the expensive side, and it will have its share of bugs (kinda like xbox360 did) so to avoid all that get 939, its going to be supported for at least another full year, plus pci express isnt going to be replaced anytime soon, so u could get say an x2 4800 which will be good for at least 2-3 years, and upgrade the video card as ur heart desires... id say save, get enough for a x2 4800 and a sub 300 video card with 2 gb memory and ull be good for at least a year, then upgrade video, be set for another year or so and do a complete upgrade to am2... anyone else find that idea to be good besides me? 😛

 

[dvdpiddy]

ycon i know you are an intel plant but seriuosly enuf this is between us amd fanboy's! to the op(thats original poster for you noobs) save up for socket m2

 

[Dresden]

here's an idea. save up for either the 939 or the AM2, cause $800 isn't sh1t! Also, while your saving up, learn how to find out how to gain access to tech reviews. read multiple reviews of an existing technology, take what you want from the info, and decide on your next buy then.

You might think you are better off asking people that proclaim they are "experts" on tech subjects, but they might not be. They might just be in love with speculative BSing. Don't get caught up. The most knowledgeable peeps here are the ones that don't listen to others most of the time because they are determined to find out the truth themselves, and will not participate as cattle on forums.

Do yourself a favor, don't listen to someone's assumption on the future. Don't pull the trigger if you don't have a shot. Just wait for the AM2 platform to come out, and then you can look at reviews that will give you real benchmarks vs. the old platform. Then you can decide YOURSELF.

RAWR.

 

[Fox_granit]

Just remember what it is you want your machine to do. If your playing games, invest in a 939 and through the bulk of your money in a great video card. If its multitasking, i'd wait for the M2, you'll get better preformance out of the ddr2 and be getting a longer lasting machine in the meantime. But overall remember that the slowest part of any machine is the harddrive, so make sure you've either got a raptor or a 16mb buffer on your sata just to make sure.