Athlon 64 3200+ for sure..BUT WHAT MOTHERBOARD??

[scorPs]

Hey guys, I really need some help here...Im buying a system that must be upto (to avoid upgrading without 18months).. I decided on the Athlon 64 3200+ as this will be purely for gaming.. heres what i have so far

1 AMD Athlon 64 3200+
1 ASUS K8V DELUXE/ WiFi - K8T800 3DD AGP8X 5P SA F SA
1 512MB - Something with some serious grunt
1 Asus AX800 PRO/TD 256MB
1 Seagate 80Gb 7200rpm 2MB Cache

I am so confused on what motherboard ... this is my first AMD system... i really need some opinions...as far as price wise goes for mobo im will to spend around $250AUD.
Asus have always attracted me, however someone pointed out

http://www.scorptec.com.au/index.php?prdid=00011260
was voted worlds best by anandtech (so i heard).

Also I really want 512k of FAST ram...spending upto $350AUD on a 512k stick..

Can anyone please help me build my dream PC games machine.

Regards
scorPs

 

[Spitfire_x86]

MSI K8N Neo Platinum is the mobo to buy.

And A64 3200+ (2.2 GHz, 512k L2 cache) is better performer than A64 3200+ (2.0 GHz, 1MB L2 cache).

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[dawurz]

i'm with spitfire in that you should be sure to get NEWCASTLE at the higher clock rate.

have you considered the ASUS K8N-E?
socket 754 nforce 3 250

http://www.asus.com/products/mb/socket754/k8n-e_d/overview.htm

 

[Crashman]

Ah, but I'm hearing both processors hit about the same clock speeds when overclocked, and that would give the overclocking advantage to the 2.0GHz version because it would still have the increased cache.

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[ltj311]

Yea, but you gotta remember as easy as it is to overclock, alot of people(including me) just don't feel confident/safe doing it.

So if you don't plan to OC, then I'd also suggest the 2.2ghz Newcastle. I have one and I love it. Of course I'm sure I would have loved the Clawhammer too, but since I don't plan to overclock, I'd much rather have the extra 200mhz.

I also strongly recommend the MSI K8N Neo Platinum. I haven't had any problems with it.

--
MSI K8N Neo Platinum
Athlon 64 3200+ Newcastle
512mb Apacer pc3200
ATI 9800np 256-bit 128mb

 

[Crashman]

Wow, people actually exist who know how to overclock and don't? That's frightening!

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[Spitfire_x86]

Overclocking is for extra clock speed. When you can have it without overclocking, then why bother?

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[dawurz]

"Ah, but I'm hearing both processors hit about the same clock speeds when overclocked, and that would give the overclocking advantage to the 2.0GHz version because it would still have the increased cache."

Won't matter unless user is running apps where the extra cache will help (video/music encoding). An overclocked newcastle at 2.5, 2.6 - whatever, is faster (where it counts..games!) than a overclocked clawhammer running at 2.4.

 

[Crashman]

Uh, did I mention the extra cache? How about this: Did I mention that if you're overclocking both to 2.4GHz, the clawhammer will still keep it's extra cache? It means that, assuming both have the same potential max speed, the clawhammer will end up with the highest performance. It will overtake the newer core, that makes it a better choice for people who overclock.

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[Crashman]

It doesn't count in games, you only need an XP1600+ and a super hot video card for games. Clockspeed really matters in things like compiling video. And an overclocked clawhammer at 2.5, 2.6 - whatever, will beat an overclocked newcastle at 2.5, 2.6 - whatever. Like I said, I've heard they have similar maximum clock speeds.

Of course the Clawhammer would have the lower multiplier, which means it would get another performance advantage by having higher memory throughput at those higher clock speeds. And still keeps its extra cache.

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