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.