MoBo and CPU Recommendation

[mytomshardwarename]

I am building a rig for my mom (and later for myself), and I have bought all of the parts except for the mobo and the cpu.

Will the "new" 65nm/45nm chips fit on a 90nm mobo if I buy now? Or will I have to upgrade again for each process?

Will the current AM2 mobo take the "new" DDR3 ram when it is available, as well as the current DDR2? I read an Anandtech article that said the new socket F series will support both formats and I was wondering if the AM2 will support both as well. I've already bought DDR2 and just crossed my fingers that the future DDR3 will go in when its time to upgrade.

I hope I didn't jump the gun. Her current systems needs to be updated ASAP, but she was willing to wait to get the most future-proof items...ie, mobo, proc., and RAM.

I'm trying to future proof as much as possible....she wants me to go "all out" so she won't "need" an upgrade for awhile. I can't get the "best" of everything...but I can get close.

So......should I wait for 65nm or DDR3......or just buy now?

So far got:
PSU: OCZ 700GXSSLI 700W RT
Speakers: LOGITECH X-530 BLK 5.1
Graphics: VGA XFX 7600GT 256MB PV-T73G-UDE3 (I don't need SLI, she is mainly doing photoshop work, but it looks like the best boards will only be SLI)
Floppy: FD 1.44MB|MITSUMI FA404M BLK
DVD Burner: PIONEER|DVR-111D BLACK
BackUp Power: UPS CYBERPOW|OP1250 RT
Case: COOLER MASTER STACKER CM|STC-T01-UW BLK/SIL RT
Memory 1GB (x2) OCZ OCZ28002048ELDCGE Matched
Hard Drives: HD 250G|WD 7200 SATA2 16MB WD2500KS (x2)
Monitor: BENQ|LCD 20" 8MS DVI FP202W (x2)

Looking at:

MSI K9N Platinum for MoBo
AMD X2 AM2 4000+ for CPU

Any CONSTRUCTIVE input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Danny

 

[shadowduck]

No, No, No, and ummm No for all your questions about newer CPUs working on new boards or DDR3 working on DDR2 motherboards. Most often such changes require a new socket which always requires a new motherboard. For AMD DDR-3 is coming with Socket 1237 (i think thats it, its the one after AM2).

If the computer needs a serious upgrade go ahead and buy now. AM2 is not going to really impress you and Conroe won't be out until end of the summer in volume. Plus S939/Pentium solutions are out now, throughly tested, and not a Rev A release prone to weird bugs and other oddball behavior.

Future proofing your system is an unrealistic dream. The minute you buy your computer something better that will last longer is already available, or coming within the next 6 weeks. You should buy based on need. If her system and slow and not usable for what she wants to do, buy now. You can wait and get the best deal ever, but won't get too much work done waiting "for the next best thing to future-proof me."

As far as what you selected a few suggestions, there are 2 choices:

1) You feel comfortable overclocking:
a) DFI Lanparty Ultra D motherboard ($122 USD)
b) Opteron 165 ($327)

2) You don't want to overclock
a) Asus A8N-E ($93)
b) Athlon X2 4200+ ($350ish)

Option A is the best choice, as the Opteron 165 will overclock VERY nicely and DFI boards are made to overclock.

 

[sailer]

I would go with the AM2 chip. It might not be all that faster at the moment, but with some developement time, it should pick up speed. It may also allow more room in the overclocking, if that is something you do. As to the motherboard, I would go for either a DFI or an ASUS board. DFI is very good for overclockers, while ASUS allows for some overclocking and gives a lot of features that may come in handy.

DDR3 will not work on DDR2 boards. The 65nm/45nm chips probably won't work either. Both are major changes in architecture and require new boards to use them.

Though future proofing in computers isn't completely possible, I think the AM2 board will at least give you a few years if service while new and faster chips are brought out for it. Planning for the future is impossible. After all, originally we were supposed to have VISTA a couple years ago. Then it got delayed, and delayed and is now sometime in the future, or the far future. Who really knows? Besides that, Microworst constantly changes the specs on it, so equipment that was supposed to be VISTA ready is now not VISTA ready. When it comes to the future, all we can do is wait and see.

 

[mytomshardwarename]

Whilst waiting for a reply, I decided that future proofing was prolly not possible and mom's computer needs help now, so I went ahead and bought the AM2 components.....giving her at least a better upgrade path than the 939 socket. The pricing was the same for 939 or AM2...so why stay antiquated?

According to this article, upgrading to the smaller process cpu's may be a possibility.

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/05/23/amd_intros_am2_processors/

DDR3 may have the same pin configuration as DDR2 (thats only rumor though).

I went with an MSI K9N Platinum Mobo, and AM2 4000+ x2 CPU w/1MB cache. The 4000+ was almost half the price of the 4400+....and I can always overclock. I wanted the 1MB cache though, better for photoshop.

According to this article....the MSI was a pretty nice board (its also what I'm currently using). DFI doesn't have enough PCI-E slots. I wanted room for add ons. DFI and ASUS didn't have anything with more than 2 slots (that I saw anyway). And Monarch had the items in stock this morning.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/01/26/msi_k8n_diamond_plus/
(939 version of AM2 board)

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=M&Category_Code=AM2MB

 

[1Tanker]

DDR3 may have the same pin configuration as DDR2 (thats only rumor though).

I'm not 100% on DDR3, but if history is any indication.

Sdram - 168 pin

DDR - 184 pin

DDR2 - 240 pin

DDR3 - The industry’s first 512MB and 1GB DIMMs that utilize next-generation DDR3 memory chips has a 240-pin form-factor, which is different to the 240-pin memory modules used today along with the DDR2 memory. The module carries memory chips with 1.2ns access time, is rated to operate at 1066MHz with 1.5V voltage settings.

Copied from http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/memory/display/20051115061312.html


It seems, that in order to reach higher and higher speeds, they need to

incorporate more and more pins. :?

 

[The_Prophecy]

I've actually heard that DDR3 DIMM's would incorporate less pins than both DDR2 and DDR (somewhere around 75) however AFAIK this has never been confirmed.