advice on build...Wait?

[jp550]

ur fine help, and this forum is helping me out a lot.

do you think that the conroe is going to be better than an opteron?
the reason im looking into the conroe now is because i really would like to have my comp be upgradeable for a while, i know that the athlon should be good, but im about to spend some money and want to make sure its a good time investment

thanks

 

[pat]

ur fine help, and this forum is helping me out a lot.

do you think that the conroe is going to be better than an opteron?
the reason im looking into the conroe now is because i really would like to have my comp be upgradeable for a while, i know that the athlon should be good, but im about to spend some money and want to make sure its a good time investment

thanks

What if the Athlon you get now is good enough even after Conroe? When peoples ask me for a computer, I just get them one. I don't say:" Wait 5-6-7 month.. there will be something better.." I just get them one nice.. and they start to use it now.. and are happy now. and have fun now. and don't care about tomorrow. and when it won't be enough, then I'll get them something better. With what's available at the moment.

Computer built today, with performing parts will be good for some time for sure.. The Athlon 64 3000+ is now some years old, and still adequate for most of the task. In game, video card matter. And unless PCI-e standard quit next week, I doubt you'll be stuck without anyway to upgrade soon.

Maybe Conroe will be good. but that don't means that anything else will be bad. I'm sure my 3000+ will still be good enough. My x1600xt could be outdated thou. with the newergame yest to be released.. I don't care.. I could even be dead by then.. and so you.. without having got the time to play with performance system before.. What a shame!

 

[jp550]

what hardware do you suggest for the intel build? im still debating if i should get an opteron or if i should build an intel comp, and later upgrade the processor.

any ideas?

also how is the opteron build i posted?

 

[SteveO]

That setup is more than enough for editing video and playing games. Besides a graphics card upgrade is the best way to get a preformance increase thats really noticeable.

 

[ak47is1337]

for the intel one, what kind of rig do you suggest?

does anyone else agree that it would be wise to get an intel and wait for the newer intel processors?

thank you for yoour help and patience

I think so because AM2 release will be a joke, and because Conroe is the next big thing coming along. If you want to go that route, an Intel 955/975 chipset on an ASUS board is the best way to go, with maybe a P'D 805 or Cedar Mill for the time being.
975: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131589
955: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131547
If you want to save even more money, getting a Celeron and overclocking isn't a bad idea either.
Here's some DDR2 memory worth looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820121018
Good cheap DDR2-667, Tomshardware tested it and said it would overclock and perform nicely on a budget.

 

[jp550]

hi, ive got some parts that i picked off newegg for an intel to upgrade. right now i have no problem to wait untill june to build a system, but i don't really want to wait much more after that. but still, the sooner the better. i like the opteron rig configured but i do not want it to get blown away by intels new release in a few months. if the opteron was upgradable to the new socket am2 then i wouldnt be worried. (someone in another forum mentioned something aboout a socket adapter for 939 that would allow am2 processors? this seems false..is it?)

anyways here is the intel one i have, it seems a high price and if i choose the intel route i want to try and pay only about 1 grand for this one, and have the extra 3-400 dollars for a conroe. at this rig right now, it seems too high. open to advice, also how good of a system is this actually? can it play games and edit video fairly well? thanks

(the motherboard is expensive but it looks like it has some very nice features, is this still overkill though)


ASPIRE X-CRUISE -BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -

$69.00

ASUS P5WD2-E Premium Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$220.99

eVGA 256-P2-N563-AX Geforce 7900GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express

$319.00
(this card is too expensive if i want to stay within my budget to get a conroe, is a 7600 still a good card? the games i want to play arn't that many but i like age of empires 3, call of duty 2, battle for middle earth... will the 7300 be able to play these at high graphics? do you recommend a didfferent card?)

Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550 EPS12V ATX12V 550W Power Supply -

$89.99

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 533MHz FSB LGA 775 Dual Core,EM64T Processor Model BX80551PE2666FN - Retail

$134.00
(is this a decent processor, i know i will upgrade to conroe, but in the time being will it be able to play games well and edit video ok? is it overclockable?)

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Unbuffered System Memory Model TWIN2X2048-5400c4 - Retail

$238.00
(seeems pretty expensive, i can get it, but one gig is alot cheaper what do you suggest?)

Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
$86.00

LITE-ON 16X DVD±R DVD Burner W/ LightScribe and 5X DVD-RAM

$45.99

ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Blue LED Light Cooling Fan with Heatsink - Retail
$63.99
(if i go with the intel route, and overclock the cheap processor i have now, do i need this fan? i chose this one cause it came with a deal with something is there a better one for the same price?)

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 - OEM
$89.95 $89.95
Subtotal: $1,356.91
(without a cheaper card it would go down alot, i really don't want to pay much more than around a grand for this. however, i doubt that this comp is gonna be very good until i upgrade to conroe right? if it is still pretty good before conroe then i would look into raising the budget.


thankyou alot im open to alot of suggestions thanks for helping

 

[ak47is1337]

hi, ive got some parts that i picked off newegg for an intel to upgrade. right now i have no problem to wait untill june to build a system, but i don't really want to wait much more after that. but still, the sooner the better. i like the opteron rig configured but i do not want it to get blown away by intels new release in a few months. if the opteron was upgradable to the new socket am2 then i wouldnt be worried. (someone in another forum mentioned something aboout a socket adapter for 939 that would allow am2 processors? this seems false..is it?)

anyways here is the intel one i have, it seems a high price and if i choose the intel route i want to try and pay only about 1 grand for this one, and have the extra 3-400 dollars for a conroe. at this rig right now, it seems too high. open to advice, also how good of a system is this actually? can it play games and edit video fairly well? thanks

(the motherboard is expensive but it looks like it has some very nice features, is this still overkill though)


ASPIRE X-CRUISE -BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -

$69.00

ASUS P5WD2-E Premium Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 975X ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$220.99

eVGA 256-P2-N563-AX Geforce 7900GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express

$319.00
(this card is too expensive if i want to stay within my budget to get a conroe, is a 7600 still a good card? the games i want to play arn't that many but i like age of empires 3, call of duty 2, battle for middle earth... will the 7300 be able to play these at high graphics? do you recommend a didfferent card?)

Antec TruePower 2.0 TP2-550 EPS12V ATX12V 550W Power Supply -

$89.99

Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 533MHz FSB LGA 775 Dual Core,EM64T Processor Model BX80551PE2666FN - Retail

$134.00
(is this a decent processor, i know i will upgrade to conroe, but in the time being will it be able to play games well and edit video ok? is it overclockable?)

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Unbuffered System Memory Model TWIN2X2048-5400c4 - Retail

$238.00
(seeems pretty expensive, i can get it, but one gig is alot cheaper what do you suggest?)

Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
$86.00

LITE-ON 16X DVD±R DVD Burner W/ LightScribe and 5X DVD-RAM

$45.99

ZALMAN CNPS9500 LED 92mm 2 Ball Blue LED Light Cooling Fan with Heatsink - Retail
$63.99
(if i go with the intel route, and overclock the cheap processor i have now, do i need this fan? i chose this one cause it came with a deal with something is there a better one for the same price?)

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2 - OEM
$89.95 $89.95
Subtotal: $1,356.91
(without a cheaper card it would go down alot, i really don't want to pay much more than around a grand for this. however, i doubt that this comp is gonna be very good until i upgrade to conroe right? if it is still pretty good before conroe then i would look into raising the budget.


thankyou alot im open to alot of suggestions thanks for helping

My recommendations are: go down in mobo to 955, and get a Cedar Mill 631, which overclocks like crazy. Look into a better CPU cooler or just keep stock. The Zalman isn't a fantastic performer, actually. The Intel 805 is good for the money, but only if you overclock it to get at least 3.4. A 2.66 Netburst product? Come on Intel, nobody would keep that thing at stock. One gig might be good to get till you can upgrade; there is essentially no penalty to upgrading to 4 dimm's in Intel system, unlike AMD. Corsair ram is overrated, get some DDR2-667 Aeneon. Believe it or not, it is pretty nice according to Tomshardware. The video card is worth it. I'd try to hold onto that.

 

[jp550]

ok i downgraded it with your suggestions and got one gig of the ram you suggested. how good of a system is this right now? can it play games well at good graphics? it probably doesnt compete with the opteron but, how is it compared to it? also is the amd socket adapter thing a lie?

thanks

 

[ak47is1337]

ok i downgraded it with your suggestions and got one gig of the ram you suggested. how good of a system is this right now? can it play games well at good graphics? it probably doesnt compete with the opteron but, how is it compared to it? also is the amd socket adapter thing a lie?

thanks

The socket adapter is the biggest bunch of BS I've heard today.
Depending on how much you overclock that system, it could be faster than the Opty (considering most games are single threaded)
A 7900gt will run almost any game at fantastic levels, also.

 

[bilbo3660]

If you want an AMD system and an upgrade path then wait till next month for AM2. When you are ready to upgrade (multicore?) all you will need is the AM2 chip. If you build a socket 939 system and want to upgrade, you will need an AM2 chip...and a new mobo...and DDR2. The AM2 chips are only going to be ~$5 more than the 939 equivalent.

If you want an Intel system wait till July when Conroe is launched. Is that $1200-$1500 burning a hole in your pocket that you can't wait 1 - 3 months.

 

[jaguarskx]

for the intel one, what kind of rig do you suggest?

does anyone else agree that it would be wise to get an intel and wait for the newer intel processors?

thank you for yoour help and patience

I think so because AM2 release will be a joke, and because Conroe is the next big thing coming along. If you want to go that route, an Intel 955/975 chipset on an ASUS board is the best way to go, with maybe a P'D 805 or Cedar Mill for the time being.


The only chipsets that will support Conroe are the i975 and i965 (which will be released the same time as Conroe).

 

[ak47is1337]

for the intel one, what kind of rig do you suggest?

does anyone else agree that it would be wise to get an intel and wait for the newer intel processors?

thank you for yoour help and patience

I think so because AM2 release will be a joke, and because Conroe is the next big thing coming along. If you want to go that route, an Intel 955/975 chipset on an ASUS board is the best way to go, with maybe a P'D 805 or Cedar Mill for the time being.


The only chipsets that will support Conroe are the i975 and i965 (which will be released the same time as Conroe).
Actually, I'm pretty sure all of the dual-core supporting chipsets will support it. This includes the 955's and the 945's. And why shouldn't they? All that Conroe needs is less voltage to run normally; and since overvolting isn't going to hurt it anyway, what difference does it make?

 

[jp550]

i heard a rumor that the conroe may be moved up to sometime around june or july to be released. what is the estimated time for the release of the conroe? if it is in june then i would wait but not much longer than that. also when conroe is "released" does this mean it will be avaliable on newegg or a site like taht? or not for at least a few months after that?

thanks

 

[ak47is1337]

i heard a rumor that the conroe may be moved up to sometime around june or july to be released. what is the estimated time for the release of the conroe? if it is in june then i would wait but not much longer than that. also when conroe is "released" does this mean it will be avaliable on newegg or a site like taht? or not for at least a few months after that?

thanks

I keep hearing July. Considering Intel's huge mass-production capabilities, I would be willing to bet that the chips will be widely available on release.

 

[jaguarskx]

Actually, I'm pretty sure all of the dual-core supporting chipsets will support it. This includes the 955's and the 945's. And why shouldn't they? All that Conroe needs is less voltage to run normally; and since overvolting isn't going to hurt it anyway, what difference does it make?

Why would Intel want older chipsets to support Conroe if they will be releasing the 965 when Conroe debut? While it is technically possible for older chipsets to support Conroe, they will need a BIOS update.

A BIOS update will hurt sales of the 965 and 975 chipset. At the very least it does not make business sense. There maybe technical reasons why older chipsets may not be able to support Conroe beyond a mere BIOS update.

 

[ak47is1337]

Actually, I'm pretty sure all of the dual-core supporting chipsets will support it. This includes the 955's and the 945's. And why shouldn't they? All that Conroe needs is less voltage to run normally; and since overvolting isn't going to hurt it anyway, what difference does it make?

Why would Intel want older chipsets to support Conroe if they will be releasing the 965 when Conroe debut? While it is technically possible for older chipsets to support Conroe, they will need a BIOS update.

A BIOS update will hurt sales of the 965 and 975 chipset. At the very least it does not make business sense. There maybe technical reasons why older chipsets may not be able to support Conroe beyond a mere BIOS update.
965 is going to be one of Intel's mainstream chipsets, meaning it will be built for low-cost. Besides, Intel wants to take back the CPU sector and regain lost ground from AMD. They make all their money in that area too.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/03/10/bridge_creek_conroe/
If that article is correct, who's to say 955's or 945's won't be any different?
Intel's chipsets are hardly different. For example, the 975's are simply 955's specially selected for the high-end market. 955's are just speically selected 945's with added support for dual PCI express slots.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/mainboards/display/20060407234312.html
Then again, though, some modding to the motherboard itself may be necessary since Conroe will use low voltage.

 

[jaguarskx]

I say it's really too early to speculate on what chipset will support Conroe or not. Kinda like those Conroe teaser benchmarks. While it seems reasonable that Conroe can beat an overclocked Athlon 64 FX-60 because it can execute 4 instructions per cycle, 1 more than Athlon, I rather wait for reviews from trusted hardware sites. I cannot find an article that explicitly states that Conroe will only run on the 975 and 965 chipset.