CPU Choices

[Crackerjack71]

Looking into building a new computer and need some help with CPU choice. I'm wanting to build something nice, but I definitely can't afford all of the high end stuff. I will be running a Radeon 9800 PRO with 512MB PC3200 RAM starting out.

With a budget of $100 for the CPU, give or take a little, I did a quick search on PriceWatch and came up with the following possible choices:

Athlon 64 3000 - $127 - http://www.pcmicrostore.com///PartDetail.aspx?q=p:10502241

Athlon XP 3000 400FSB Barton Core - $101 - http://www.acortech.com/.sc/ms/dd/1114462325011063/9/nc/CPU - AMD--AMD XP CPU/3345/AMD Athlon XP 3000+ (2.167GHz) 400FSB Barton Core 512K OEM

Athlon XP 2800 333FSB - $86 - http://www.pcprogress.com/product.asp?m1=pw&pid=AMDXP2800333OEM


Any suggestions other than these would also be welcomed. Thanks for any help!

 

[tweebel]

Do you already have the RAM? Cause if you don't, make sure you get 2 256 sticks for dual channel. DDR is very cheap btw, so maybe you want 1 gig.
And like Wusy said, take the A64.

 

[Crackerjack71]

Is there that big of difference between the Athlon 64 2800 and the 3000?

 

[dunklegend]

Unless I'm mistaken, the 2800+ only comes in socket 754 and the 3000+ in both s754 and s939.

<font color=blue>If everything seems to be going well, you obviously don't know what the hell is going on</font color=blue>

 

[NT78stonewobble]

Well im still happy with this system:

nforce2
athlon xp oc'ed to 2400 mhz
1024 mb ram
9800 pro

Runs doom3, halflife2 and farcry fine (allbeit not the prettiest).

I don't know how long the different sockets will last but heres my suggestions:

If it's an emergency (need pc NOW) and you know you will upgrade again later. Buy socket A and go cheapo. (athlon xp's are still fast enough).

If you can't see when youll be able to afford to upgrade in the future and wants this new investment to last as long as possible: Buy amd64, and as new a socket as you can afford. (there will be processors for socket 754 and 939 in 2 years im sure but not for socket A )

 

[HansGruber]

Dump the XP models, get A64.
Difference is HUGE even if rating is same.

<font color=red>"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."
- Albert Einstein</font color=red>

 

[NT78stonewobble]

wusy what programs you running ?

PS: Today i'll be backing up some dvd's for the first time so perhaps i'll conclude otherwise about the athlon xp