I am looking for some recommendations on which proc to go with for mine and my wifes new machines.

AMD 64
AMD 64X2
Intel 3.2

Etc.

I plan on running XP or 2k3 server on the boxes, and plan on playing Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and FEAR on it.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Rev.

AMD 64 dual core~! At least thats what I would get out of that list.

If money were no object I agree with Ibudin. I like how the mboards for AMD arch are cheap but damn their processors are pricey :(

There are some decently priced older techs/archs out there that still perform quite well. What's your price range?

I am planning on spending about 1k on the motherboard, proc, ram and a case. I have all the other pieces I need. I could even get away without the ram and case, but my server is in serious need of an upgrade. My only concern with the X2 is that most programs I have seen cant take advantage of it due to OS limitations.

Rev

Even though not many single programs take advantage of dual core, it's still really nice to have. If you're running a single task, that means you can devote 100% of one CPU to it and all of the various background processes on your machine will be balanced onto the other core.

When you get to doing a couple things at once, the advantage is even more pronounced.

If you're buying right now, I'd get the x2. Performance is comparable, but they run cooler. If you can wait, I'd get one of the new Intel Conroe chips. Initial samples of them blow AMD chips away in every possible metric you can compare.

Any idea how much those new Intel chips are going to run price wise? I noticed Dell is coming out with some new Extreme gaming system and are featuring those procs and the new nVidia cards with the multiple GPUs on them. God, if I didn't have a family and a new mortgage....../shudder

I'd be all over it :(

Hehe, Computer Store person time!

To be honest, when you balance mobo and processor cost, AMD tends to be the better performer.

This is coming from a recently converted Intel freak too. ;)

It really depends on the system you're looking to build.

I was originally going to go with an Athlong 64 X2 3800+, however I sat down and thought about all the things I'd be doing with that second processor, which ended up being very little. Right now there are not a whole lot of programs that truly utilize Dual Core CPU's. Granted this is going to change within the next 6 months to a year, but by that time AMD and Intel have promised us the new Quad Core CPU's, so I wouldn't really sweat getting an X2 unless you plan on encoding DVD's with DVD Shrink while playing games or doing graphics work.

I ended up going with an AMD Athlon 3500+ Socket 939. For what I use my computer for (Games, Email, Games, Internet, Games, Games and more Games), it's all I really need.

I put that on the ASUS A8N-E motherboard (SLI is nice but a second vid card in the house would have signed my divorce papers ^_^).

I went with a Sapphire X800 GTO Fireblade Edition graphics card. Yes, I know, NVidia is better, but the cost vs performance was too good to resist.

I went with 2 X Geil 1 GB RAM kits (2 X 512 per kit). With a 2.5 Cache latency, it gives me plenty to work with.

For a hard drive I went with a 250 GB SATA II Western Digital. It's not a Raptor, but it's not bad either with 3GB/S transfer rates.

For a case and power supply, I spent a little extra and went with an Antec NeoPower 480W and an Antec P180. The power supply is probably one of the best ever made, has a steady rate of power and really responds well to full load. Maximum PC gave it a 10 (Kick Ass) rating.

The P180 is my favorite because it's functional. It's not bad looking either, but mainly because of how it's laid out. I won't get into details, but feel free to check it out at www.antec.com (http://www.antec.com/) and prepare to be amazed. (*Edit* Case is laid out great, but takes a little work to put together, but is WELL worth the effort) I was so terrified of overheating (old stories of AMD's die hard, now the Intel LGA775 socket processors run hotter than AMD) that I made sure I had enough cooling. In addition to the cases 3 X 120mm fans, I added another 120mm fan and an 80mm fan.

For an optical drive I put in a 16X DVD-RW Dual Layer Lite On Burner. To be honest, unless you're looking at Plextor or Pioneer, they're all pretty much the same quality wise, it just happened to be in the shop at the time.

Hope this helps some.

Any idea how much those new Intel chips are going to run price wise? I noticed Dell is coming out with some new Extreme gaming system and are featuring those procs and the new nVidia cards with the multiple GPUs on them. God, if I didn't have a family and a new mortgage....../shudder

I'd be all over it :(
I didn't see any info about the pricing. I don't think they're being released in bulk for another few months, so it may not be firm yet.

The way they rocked the AMD chips was unreal though. The 2.66ghz one beat an overclocked FX-60 by a large margin on media encoding and synthetic benchmarks. Will be interesting to see if thorough testing shows the same thing.

I'd go with the AMD64 x2

I have one, used to have a 3400+ not huge difference in your average stuff, but if youre using server on it, I'd definitely suggest it cause I can play WoW, or BF2, and rip DVDs at the same time without a big performance hit. (for back up only .. *cough*)

shit elemak I just spit up Oatmeal on my keyboard when I read the (cough for backups) statement. Right now I am leaning towards the X2 4000 +, I have had both AMDs and Intel and have seen better performance from my AMD. Of course my wife burned hers up but I dont think it was the chip I think it was the spot she put her case in (IE no air flow). On the upside I am able to run FEAR right now, its a bit sluggish but I havent overclocked my current intel chip yet. So I think I am going to wait and see what the new Intel and AMD chips look like. Does anyone know the release date for Vanguard? And thanks for all the advice, I do like that case, but I am going to get a 500 watt PS for my new system.


Rev

The big thing to remember with Power Supply's is to not to take the face value of the wattage as gospel.

Look at how it handles under full load and what wattage it'll put out then. Keep in mind, if you buy a cheaper power supply and it fries your board, it'll fry your warranty too (take it from someone that deals with it on a daily basis LMAO).

450 to 500 is pretty standard these days, though there are people still getting away with 350W, but their power supply tend to not last as long as they generally put too much load on them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153031

I'd suggest it, or something similar, being able to plug in only the power dongle you need/want is so much nicer keeps case clutter to a minimum and increases air flow.

Those are nice to have. I use one like it by Antec, and I love it.

I like that Power supply, being able to only plug in the few items you need, no messy case. thats damn nice.

Rev

That's another reason why I recommended the Antec Neo Power 480W :D

You can get it in a 550W as well.