Intel guy looking to change

Ok I have always used Intels processors. I did use an Athlon 1800+ but not for long. I am looking at ethier an Athlon 2900+ or Sempron 3000+. I can not afford a 64-bit. What processor is better? and how much better will it be than my Pentium 4 2.0Ghz?

Sure You can go 64

Dont expect a whole new world. For general applications there will not be much of a differance. But in games the Athlon 2900 will out perform the P4 2.0 as will the sempron 3000+ but the sempron will be lacking do to a limited L2 cache of 256k vs. 512k of the athlon.

By how much would the 2900 out perform the P-4? Cuz I need a good reason to spend the money :angel: as anyone can agree. I do some moderate gaming like Halo UT 2004 and a few other small titles. I just need a good bit more performance. As for this Mobo i am ready to get rid of it...

Here you go.
http://www23.tomshardware.com/index.html?modelx=33&model1=35&model2=73&chart=27
A sempron 3000+ is almost 2x as fast as a p4 2.0ghz in UT 04.

WOAH! I can't believe how terrible this P-4 is! So I would see a great increase in Fps if I get a good AMD processor... Hmm... Ok. Can you help me find the best AMD mobo and processor for under $250? Thanks

Cant afford 64-bit ? Foowie

$250 buget ? No problem

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz, 512KB L2 Cache 939-Pin 64-bit Processor - Retail $146.00 - Free shipping

http://www.newegg.com/OldVersion/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-537&depa=1

GIGABYTE "GA-K8NSC-939" NVIDIA nForce3 250Gb motherboard $75.00 - $2.50 s&h


$146.00
+$ 75.00
$ 2.50 s&h
_____________
$223.50

$26 under your buget to go 64....Your existing memory and graphics card will work fine !!!!!! Newegg.com is the sh--

I was looking at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103464 and this mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813188001 it is a bit out of my budget but that LCD monitor can wait another month or so with that and my 9600xt what kind of performance would i be looking at? and hell since i am waiting to buy that monitor I should go ahead and get a new PSU and another stick of RAM.

Why did you choose a socket 754? A 939 cpu/mobo would be better. Jimshady23's suggestion seems alright to me, maybe get a faster cpu if you want.

Um

WTF happened to "I cant afford to go 64-bit" And "Find me a cpu and mobo under $250" ?

Now your looking at a CPU alone for $270 ?
Get lucky on a scratch off ticket or sum ? LoL

Id stongly suggest against 754. Yes they are trying to keep it viable by releasing a few faster CPU's but it is a dead socket. Production of said CPU's will eventually be phased out soon. Definatly go 939, it is the new Socket A. You will be seeing it around for atleast another 2 years. Not saying that AMD will not have another socket before then but 75% of all athlon 64 systems in the end users hands are 939. That is enough to keep this line going for a LONG time.

Plus you will not be able to upgrade to a PCI-E motherboard after your aging 9600XT AGP Becomes lets say extinct (Isnt that sad ? I remember that card release like it was yesterday.) without also buying a new CPU also.

Thats were I kinda messed up. When I went 64, PCI-Express was still new. Only a few Nforce4 motherboards had been release and I was like hell I aint gonna be no ones beta tester so I baught the best AGP motherboard there was out there MSI KN8 Neo2 Platinum and the best AGP video card ( I could afford) the 6800 gt.

Needless to say if I knew then what I know now I would have purchased a PCI-Express motherboard and video card. But the good news is that when I do see the need to upgrade my video card Im only out $130 for the motherboard not $385 for my A64-3800

My Advise to you is this.

Dont get all crazy and spend your wad from that scratch off ticket on the best CPU and and motheboard it will allow.

Buy the 3000+ 64 for $146 (or a little better if you desire, hell you were looking at a fricken socket a sempron 3000 a couple posts ago, a A64 3000 would be a night and day difference.)

A decent PCI-E mobo for around $100

And spend that extra money on a deccent PCI-E video card. X600pro or 6600 gt they go for about $150 or so I think ? (Not bashing you video card or anytihing, but with one of the 2 cards mentioned alone your gonna notice the differnence in UT04 over your 9600XT.

Hell sell your P4 2.0 and 9600XT on e-bay. There's atleast $150 right there.

Dont get caught up in having to buy a new CPu and motherboard just to upgrade your Video Card. Saying to yourself "They will still make AGP video cards" Nope they are outta here. Try finding anything after a 6800 Ultra or X800 whatever in AGP. It aint gonna happen.

Dont make my mistake.

I agree with Jimshady. A socket 939 might cost a few dollars more, but it will help with upgradeability. BUt getting a 3700 is like putting a V8 engine on a 4cylinder transsmisson. Yoiur 9600 would become a bottle neck, and all that power in the CPU would go to waste.

My suggestions is to go with a nice 939 3200, and take that extra money and invest in a decent video card, so that you can get a balance in your rig.

Best of Luck

Sean

Ya I am going with a 3000+ 64 bit CPU, PCX5900 and a new mobo that supports a PCI-X card. I know the 5900 isn't all that great of a car but its good enough for a while.

Ok

Could we all convince you on spending $50 more and getting a 6600 GT ?

Jimshady23 is giving you some very good advice here (plus he did the leg work LOL) I'd advise you to take it. The difference in performance will water your eyes. 6600GT is a very nice mid-range card.

ya but i am only spending $50 on this card. newegg refurb. I have had nothing but good items from their refurb. I only do lite gaming remember? I have no need for a 6600gt for now. I will probly get one in about 10 months. Thats about when i will upgrade agian. yet when I do all this i will have a system that looks like this.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (Maybe 3200+)
1GB 3200 RAM
PCX5900 128MB
80GB hd

this is more than good for lite gaming. Here are the games I play UT2004, Vice City, Half-Life(not 2), BF Vietnam, BF 2(I can already play it at med settings with 40 fps), and just a few other small titles.

i advise you get the msi k8n neo2 board, using a socket 939 platform. slide on down to your local pc shop and you could pick up any a64. stay away from newcastles, you'd be served well by the solid winchester core.

and you mentioned unreal tournament 2004. your video card is going to be laggy unless you cut back a lot on the eye candy, as said game is very demanding.

ok here are 2 things.

1. local comp stores are no match for newegg.
2. UT2004 is not very demanding. As my system stands now I can play it at higest everything, good res., and 4x AA and 12x AF.

I have been reading around and I have heard that a mobile processor in a desktop can give the same and sometimes better performance with a good overclock and a higher voltage given to them. is this true? If so I have found a nice little Athlon 64 3000+ Mobile 754 for about $120. 800Mhz Fsb, but the selling point for this is the 1MB of cache it has on it. All other in that price range have 512KB. Would this be a good choice? And remember I have no desire to switch to 939.

If it is the same core, at the same clock speed with the same cache and FSB, it is essentially the exact same processor. The only difference is that it was tested to be stable at that clock speed with a much lower voltage.

I haven't had any experience using mobile64s in a desktop board though, only mobile bartons and mobile p-m. As far as overclockability goes you definately do have more headroom, but Venice-core and other earlier Athlon64s hit a clockspeed limit fairly soon.

$120 for 1mb l2 cache mobile A64 is not bad at all.

Um

I thought you decided to go with the 939 so you could have a PCI-E video card. ? PCI-E is not avaliable on 754 chipsets.

As for the 1meg cache the 3800 939 with 512k out performs the
3700 754 1mb cache
But they still operate at the same speed of 2.4

Same will hold true on any of the others. It is just SMART SMART SMART to go with a 939 over the 754.

I stand corrected.....

They do make nforce4 motherboards in 754 so PCI-E is supported on a hand full of models