Choosing between P4/Athlon64 based PC

[tphss]

Hi all,

Tomorrow i'm ordering all the parts to build a new PC.

My options are:

1) Athlon64 3500+/3800+ [939] with the best socket 939 mobo with NF3ultra, problem with this is that it does not have PCI-X
2) P4 prescott (the highest rate i'll find) I think it will be 3.4ghz or upcoming 3.8ghz, with a 925X chipset mobo (don't worry about heating problems I got it solved)


other specs: 6800ULTRA / X800XT, 1024RAM...
If graphic card is PCI-X then the best I can find.

the only PCI-X mobo for Athlon64 is for dual Opetron, but I think a dual CPU computer will be too expensive...

I will be overclocking.

I will be mostly gaming with this PC, and later on it will be used for audio recording, and maybe some graphic design.

What do you say? to build a P4 base system with PCI-X? or to go with Athlon64 and much later on upgrade the MOBO+Graphic card?

If you have any suggestions I will be happy to hear them!

[Kezzer]

PCI-X is not PCI-Express!

PCI-X is a 64-bit version of the PCI bus used in servers.

PCI-Express is your shiny new bus which is going to be used for the use with graphics cards. If you want to say a cut down version of it call it PCI-E.

[Rave]

My suggestion is to wait for the NForce4 boards to turn up around Christmas time. They'll have dual PCI-E and hence will be compatible with SLI. Cheaper socket 939 processors should have turned up by then too. Now is a bad time to buy really.

Rich :¬)

[SixFeetUnder]

I'm also about to buy a new PC.

All 6 of my previous PC's have had Intel CPU's 386SX-25 / 486DX-33 / P-90 / PII-266 / P3-1GHZ / P4-2.8GHZ. However this time I am 95% sure that I am going to switch to AMD and go for Athlon 64 FX53 or 3800+ S939 CPU.

I'm not too concerned about the lack of PCI-E mobo options available for the AMD S939 chips, my main objective with my new PC is to get as powerful a CPU as possible which will last 18 - 24 months. With the beta version of Windows XP 64bit now available and AMD being the only manufacturer with a proven 64bit CPU it would seem foolish to go with Intel once again. Besides if I did want to go down the PCI-E road (which I'm sure I will at some point) I can always buy another mobo later this year and ebay my old one.

Which mobo(s) were you considering for your AMD system? Right now my choice would be the Asus AV8 Deluxe.

SixFeetUnder

[jarvo]

epox 9NDA3+
or
dfi xxxxx

Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939 is the only oen readily available.

both have new s939 boards out in the near future, both are nforce3 boards with nice features and overclocking.

[tphss]

epox 9NDA3+
or
dfi xxxxx

Gigabyte GA-K8NSNXP-939 is the only oen readily available.

both have new s939 boards out in the near future, both are nforce3 boards with nice features and overclocking.

I actually thought about the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum... or the Gigabyte.
You think the K8NSNXP-939 worth the extra 60$US?

[jarvo]

msi arent to good.

id wait and go for the dfi or epox.

if you have to get one now the definately get the gigabyte.

worth the extra ££$$