New computer time! help me decide on parts to buy...

[PC-Engine]

Are you asking about the motherboard? The motherboard is this one.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-468&depa=1

newegg doesn't carry the retail A64 939 3000+ only the OEM version, but you can always get the retail version from somewhere else it's not that big of a deal. Or you can get the OEM and get an aftermarket HSF. I think the 939 motherboard and the 939 A64 would be better because it will last you longer while only costing like $50 more overall.

 

[Swordfish]

do you know where I can get that 3000+ socket 939? cant seem to find the retail version. Ill get the 3200+ socket 939 if its not that much more expensive.

 

[PC-Engine]

I can only find the 3000+ and 3200+ OEMs which is kinda strange.

 

[Swordfish]

gimme a link if you could (the retail 3000+), ive searched and cant seem to find it.

 

[PC-Engine]

Did you want the retail version because of the 3 year warranty? Otherwise just get the OEM version and a 3rd party HSF.

 

[Swordfish]

yes, gotta have those 3 years of warranty. Plus I dont know anything about hsf, so itll make things easier to just get that stuff with the cpu.

 

[PC-Engine]

Well in that case the cheapest retail 939 A64 at newegg is the 3500+ which is $320 but it's 3500 vs 3200 so you're getting an increase in speed too. If that's more than you want to spend on a cpu then you should either wait until the price comes down or just go with your original 754 board and cpu since you only want retail cpus.

 

[Swordfish]

Well what would I need to get with the 3200+ oem version? like whats a good cheap heatsink fan or whatever it is you get?

 

[PC-Engine]

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=35-109-119&depa=1

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-106-045&depa=1

These do not come with a fan. You have to get it separately. Both require a 80 or 90mm fan. You don't have to buy the thermal paste because it comes with both HS.

Here's a cheap quality fan from Panasonic.

http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=35-180-014&depa=1

 

[Swordfish]

oh, just one of those.

well shit. you got your 3200+ socket 939 for $235

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-500&depa=1

and a heatsink for $40

Yeah that is still $45 cheaper then the $320 3500+. Dunno if thats worth it though. I mean I might just want to spend that extra $45 and get a 3500+.

Im wondering if all this is worth it though. I mean mabye a lower end cpu and mobo and then a higher end video card would be better. But then again I do have my 9800 pro. Plus cards drop in price so fast its almost pointless to spend $400 on a video card. But then I could just sell my current machine with the 9800 pro, and then buy a lower end system with a 6800 gt oc.

 

[PC-Engine]

Or you can go with the 3000+ which is only $190.

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

This is the best HSF for the price at newegg.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=35-124-004&depa=1
Its mad by Kingwin and its all copper for under $15. Im using one and my idle is 36C and load is 47C with a 3000+ S754 at 2.45gig.

 

[Swordfish]

this one right?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-499&depa=1

So are you sure this has a 2mb cache and hyperthreading? Also is this windows xp compatible? It doesn't say if it is.

plus id get the $15 heatsink

so that would be $205. thats alot better price.

 

[digitalwanderer]

this one right?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-499&depa=1

So are you sure this has a 2mb cache and hyperthreading? Also is this windows xp compatible? It doesn't say if it is.

That chip has a 512Mb cache and I thought hyperthreading was an intel only thing? :|

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

this one right?

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-499&depa=1

So are you sure this has a 2mb cache and hyperthreading? Also is this windows xp compatible? It doesn't say if it is.

plus id get the $15 heatsink

so that would be $205. thats alot better price.

NO, the P4E has 2mb cache and hyperthreading.
The S939 3000+ A64 has 512mb L2 cache and Hyper Transport Tunnel or (HTT).

 

[PC-Engine]

Found a retail one for you. Looks like the price dropped bigtime.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-463&depa=1

Retail Athlon 64 3500+ S939 $297. 8)

 

[Swordfish]

wow that went down fast.

so all 939 pin athalon processors or motherboards have the so called "2GHz HT bus" that makes it better then 734, correct? This is actually beneficial stuff right? not just extra epenis?

and all these processors are backwards compatible to windows xp 32 bit, right?

 

[{Sniping}Waste]

wow that went down fast.

so all 939 pin athalon processors or motherboards have the so called "2GHz HT bus" that makes it better then 734, correct? This is actually beneficial stuff right? not just extra epenis?

and all these processors are backwards compatible to windows xp 32 bit, right?

The S939 have duel channal mem and 2Ghz HTT. This gives the S939 about 10% boost over the S754.

The A64 are both 64 bit and 32 bit so it works great with Windows XP 32 bit.

 

[Swordfish]

OMG! That means 4 slots plus that will work with my current RAM which will save me money. Awesome.

So what do you guys think?

CPU:
$297

AMD Athlon 64 3500+, 512K, L2 Cache, Windows Compatible 64-bit Processor 939 Pin - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-483&depa=1

MOBO
$131

MSI "K8N Neo2 Platinum" NVIDIA nForce3 ULTRA Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-457&depa=1

HD
$100

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/West.../sem/rpsm/oid/80169/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

PSU

550watt@$103 or 450watt@$62 --- WHICH ONE?

CASE:
$105.50

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-112-024&depa=1


One last thing though. Im going to need a new copy of Windows XP. Anyone know the cheapest place to get XP? Is OEM Xp as good as normal XP?

 

[Swordfish]

So, should I get the 3500+ with a 939 pin and a 939 pin mobo that has 2Ghz htt and dual channel memory?

Or should I go with the 3400+ that has 1mb L2 cache (3500+ only has 512) but is 734 pin.

whats better?