AM2 or conroe-ready?

[Rhaegal]

I'm looking to do my first build here within the next few weeks, and I need to make a decision: Should I go with AM2 with maybe a 4400 and hope that AMD doesn't abandon it for the K8L, or should I go LGA 775 with a Pentium D 805 & OC that to hold me over until conroe is out and stable?

I haven't done much OC'ing before, but I plan to put a lot of time reading about it if that's the route I should take.

I have about a $2k budget on this machine, but I don't want to go AM2 and regret it when conroe and k8l hit the market.

 

[jaguarskx]

Good luck getting a 975XBX rev. 304 motherboard before Conroe is released.

 

[Rhaegal]

Ok, I guess what I am essentially asking is if AM2 will a good investment if I want to be able to upgrade later.

 

[sandmannight]

yea AMD is coming with a 65mn processor later so you can upgrade.

 

[The_Rev]

Good luck getting a 975XBX rev. 304 motherboard before Conroe is released.

I just walked into my local Fry's Electronics today and found 3 i975XBX rev. 304 mobos on display and was told there were more in stock. Woulda bought one if it didn't cost $40+tax more than it does on Newegg.

As you can tell, I'm in a similar situation as you, Rhaegal. I'd like to build now, but I sure don't want to miss out on Conroe at the end of July. D805 will hold me over til then.

 

[ak47is1337]

yea AMD is coming with a 65mn processor later so you can upgrade.

Later being really, really late 2006. Even with that, it's not certain whether it will defeat the record setting Conroe. Intel 975x boards supposedly work with Conroe out of the box or with a BIOS change, so I should think that's your best bet. Also, AM2's current price to performance ratio is atrotious. An Intel 930 C1 stepping and a good mobo should serve you well with overclocking in concern, and you might need really need to upgrade to Conroe with that.

 

[Rhaegal]

I don't know if it's worth it to risk being able to run conroe's just because 975x's are *supposed* to be able to run them...

 

[The_Rev]

I don't know if it's worth it to risk being able to run conroe's just because 975x's are *supposed* to be able to run them...

I wouldn't worry about whether the i975X rev. 304 supports Conroe...

 

[Rhaegal]

Since I don't know of any B&M retailers near me that would sell motherboards, a D975XBX might be out of the question...however there are other 975x based boards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=2010200280+1070509908+1071719337&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=280

I don't know if it is worth it to risk buying one of those in the hopes that it will support conroe. Who knows we may see some more tests with those+conroe in the next few days.

 

[shadowduck]

yea AMD is coming with a 65mn processor later so you can upgrade.

Different Socket, so AM2 is rather pointless.

 

[gudodayn]

yea AMD is coming with a 65mn processor later so you can upgrade.

Different Socket, so AM2 is rather pointless.

The 65nm Brisbane core (revision G) will be available in AM2 socket but is scheduled for release in the 1st quarter of 2007.
A CPU upgrade from the current AM2 boards will be possible (at least AMD has had a good track record of staying with the same socket providing users with upgradability).
The 65nm will also be available in their socket F lineup.

But how big a performance boost from 90nm to 65nm will provide remains to be seen. Guess there is no doubt that it should in theory but how much boost is what everyone wants to know!

So looking at what people can buy off the shelves......Intel's Conroe will the performance King in a few weeks. If you can hold on a while longer, we should begin to see engineering samples towards the end of the year on Brisbane core AMDs and hopefully, Conroe prices would level out a bit by then as well if you do decide to buy a Intel Conroe.

 

[jaguarskx]

Ok, I guess what I am essentially asking is if AM2 will a good investment if I want to be able to upgrade later.

The next generation AMD CPU, the K8L, will be socket AM2 and is the answer to Intel's Conroe. But I read recently that it has been pushed back to 2008.

 

[Rhaegal]

Ok, I think I am just going to go with the X2 4000+ on AM2 now that I know that K8L will be an option for upgrading. Now to find a decent motherboard as newegg is currently only offering 5, and the only one that looks decent is this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130050

The red color won't fit in with my black/green theme though...the next one up (MSI Plat) would cost me $30 more and at least it would be black.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813130049

One question about the more expensive model though: What does this mean? PCI Express x16: 2 (16x + 1x)