I have $350 BUCKS....X2, 4000, Opteron???!!!!!

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No. If you dont OC, the 165 will deliver framerates about on par with what you are getting now. So would the X2 3800.
Really, the only chip that offers any kind of improvement (in that price range) is the A64 4000+
 
k2000k - The x2 price was dropped b/c the opteron was by far the better deal (for oc-ers) than it when they are around the same price. Even at this price, I would seriously hesitate to buy the 3800+, since I could pay about $30 more for a chip that would give me a significant boost over what the 3800 can do. (I do media processing, so I appreciate the extra speed/time saved. Others may not.)

I understand that, and I agree with you. I am coming from the position that I dont want to have to drop more dough to get the RAM that you would need for a great overclock. However as I have said I am new to overclocking so when it comes to OC'ing my opinion is worth about as much as 32 Meg graphics card.
 
Honestly, you'll get a bit of an improvement cause of the on board memory controller, but any A64 based rig will do that. The biggest difference is RAM and RAM speeds. Nice 2.3.2.5 2Gig (1Gig x 2) is the sweetest high end option, with 1Gig 2.2.2.5 for a lower end setup. Thats the key to load times, along with a decent HDD. Raptors are of course the fastest but a nice 7200 RPM 8MB buffer drive is good enough if ya got a good CPU and RAM too. Its a combo of it all. The 3.4 NW is a hella Proc though. I sold 2 OEMs earlier this year on ebay for $300 and they sold sooo fast.

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I'm definitely feeling the Opteron 165. It seems like the best bet so far. Is my RAM good enough for overclocking or will i have to screw around with the timings? I have Corsair XMS 2225 1GB.
 
yes, the 165, 170, 175, 180 are dual core (1.8ghz 1MB l2 per core, 2.0, 2.2, etc) There are single core versions like this though. The 144 is a single 1.8 with 1MB, 146 is 2.0, etc. They clock like bandits too. 3.0ghz on air isnt hard at all. 3.2 on H2O. ive heard the 170 clocks a bit higher overall than the 165 but wont fit your budget. the 165 is gonna give ya tons of bang for the buck overall though.

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