Upgrading to 64-bit and need advice!

[RufusKing]

Right, been trying to post this message for ages and it wouldnt go, so lets hope you get it all this time!

I'm getting a paid early january with my extra bit of money earnt over xmas, and I was planning to upgrade my MoBo and CPU to 64-bit (from an NF7-S and Barton 2400 OC'd to 3200 speed).

My budget will be about £200-250 for the MoBo and CPU (will be using my old DDR400 dual channel memory) and it needs to have SATA (2 ports at least) and SATA RAID, firewire, usb (of course, ideally 4 ports as my mouse and keys are USB).

Also is there any arguements for and against 64 bit processors that it would be worth knowing before I invest?

Thanks for you help

-Leonard Burton (aka RufusKing)

[alterion]

For: they are faster than intel for gaming ect.. you can overclock them well... socket 939 is the future Against: pci-expresss mobo's hard to get hold of... No stormsound

[Phalanx]

you can pick up an AMD 64 soc 939 3000 for £103 from www.scan.co.uk
then you can choose from a range of motherboards

[RufusKing]

I'll check it man, thanks.

Is there an MoBos that users reccomend, I remember when I was building this computer everyone agreed as NF7-S v2 being the best about, and such recommendations for 64bit?

[da_ging]

well im assuming that you wont be upgrading till after chrimbo in which case there should be a nice selection of the new nforce 4 and via kt8T890 boards about although that would obviously require getting a pci xpress video card

[RufusKing]

whats all this about pci-express.... are there no AGP 64-bit MoBos?

[Ravens Nest]

Well the best A64 (socket 939) motherboard at the moment is the "KN8 Neo2 Platinum" based on the Nforce 3 ultra motherboard it's the best for overclocking has RAID, a very good inbuilt sound card based on realtek ALC850 7.1 channel sound.

All the details are here so take a look.
http://www.msi.com.tw/program/produc...il.php?UID=607

I bought one for my brothers PC it runs like a dream and i used his 1GB of 166 FSB 2700 DDR ram with it and no problems at all

I got it from Lowestonweb for £75 compared to £95 everywhere else (You do have to buy a SATA to IDE power cable though about £1.99 from ebuyer)
http://www.lowestonweb.com/Products/...2-DB91BC21728E
£71.99 at the moment too

[Ravens Nest]

whats all this about pci-express.... are there no AGP 64-bit MoBos?

As Da_ging says as your looking till after christmas there will be new motherboards based on the Nforce4 chipset which is PCI express, but all the motherboards for A64 at the moment are AGP so no worrys.

Unless your buying a new videocard too, then i'd definetly buy PCI express and get whatever the best A64 motherboard with PCI express is available.

But at this very moment the ones available are AGP.

[Phalanx]

I'll check it man, thanks.

Is there an MoBos that users reccomend, I remember when I was building this computer everyone agreed as NF7-S v2 being the best about, and such recommendations for 64bit?

the ABIT AV8 3rd eye is a really good AGP soc 939 motherboard but if ur gonna get a PCI-E gfx card then you'd be best off waiting till the Nforce 4 chipset has made its debut, im getting the ASUS A8N mobo with SLi if that helps