Socket 939: Update or Move on?

[dylanamus]

I have a 3 year old system that I am just starting to feel a real need to upgrade to handle present applications and games.

Off the top of my head, I have:

AMD 64 3200+
DFI Lanparty NF4 Ultra
2gb OCZ CL4
x800 XL 256mb
Antec NeoHE 550w (new - had a PSU failure)
Antec P180 case

The question is, has 939 reached the end of its viable lifespan? Retailers in my area (Australia) don't seem to sell any 939 goodies anymore and Core Duo seems to be leading the modern market, but the only major difference in terms of compatibility (other than CPU) is that the RAM is DDR2.

Is my DDR1 Ram and single core CPU going to start feeling slow now that software has had plenty of time to adjust to new technology?

Are there any CPUs that would bring my PC back up to speed that are worthy of purchasing? All I would really upgrade is CPU and Video.

Thanks in advance.

 

[alcattle]

Depends on?
Is the graphic card still usable? AGP?
If you go to a new board, most will only take PCI-ex16 now. You can get others but they are not as good.
I think I would upgrade one more time with an x2 like this
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Manchester 2.0GHz

 

[runswindows95]

Time to move on overall.

 

[Dahak]

I believe you can still get a X2 4600+ for S-939.Add to that a X1950pro AGP,and you have breathed new life into your system.AMD's integrated memory controller still performs very well.One reason why AMD didn't bother to support DDR2 is because their integrated controller boosted system performance significantly.AMD finally moved to DDR2 for the AM2 platform because it was necessary to keep up with current technology and C2D.At least not get left in the dust too badly.So ya upgrade to a faster cpu and video card,you should still be good for another year before you need to build a whole new system.By then prices should be down even more.Goodluck.P.S.I still run S-939.

Dahak

AMD X2-4400+@2.6 TOLEDO
EVGA NF4 SLI MB
2X EVGA 7950GT KO IN SLI
4X 512MB CRUCIAL BALLISTIX DDR500
WD300GIG HD/SAMSUNG 250GIG HD
ACER 22IN WIDESCREEN LCD 1600X1200
THERMALTAKE TOUGHPOWER 850WATT PSU
COOLERMASTER MINI R120
3DMARK05 13,471

 

[NaDa]

You can always but an x2 939 and overclock cos you got an overclockers mobo. You also have PCI-E for all future graphic cards.

A good upgrade is an x2 (which you should overclock) or try and get an opteron 165. And buy an 8800GTS or wait on the graphic card.

You should get an x2 or opty cos AMD stoped their production and it's just a matter of time when you wont be able to get them.

My Opty 165 runs at 2.85GHz (stock voltage) no problem.

 

[croc]

statice.com.au is a decent search engine here in AUS. itestate.com.au lists several opty's, but don't give stock levels.

Another upgrade that would help would be a good pci-e graphics card, that (at least) would be re-usable on your next build.

Hope this helps some.

 

[fred_likes_fish]

Seeing as how your pc is PCI Ex you should be able to upgrade your gpu no probs. The cpu is upgradable but you will pay a premium in aus. i was looking some up and the mark up was huge.
I found that eBay has some good bargains on x2 3800+ 939, but they are from the states. So do a search for "939", including overseas sellers, and they should pop up. There are also some of the higher models on eBay as well, at much better prices. Most still ship overseas.

My comp is a bit worse than yours, and i am starting to notice performance is lacking, however, due to all the new products coming out very soon i'm holding off upgrading for a year or so for a full upgrade.

 

[chilli]

as you currently have a 3200 and you can still upgrade your gfx to the latest stuff shoudl you so wish, i would recommend investing in an x2 s939 and then you can give your system at least another ocuple of years of life, unless you are really looking to have the ultimate top end machine which you coudl orgasm over....

with my system (I have an x2 4200 on a 939 and my 7900gtx) I have just breathed some more life into it by upgrading my cooling fans so that I can overclock it quite abit. I have taken it to 2.5GHz but I currently keep it at 2.35GHz as the only times I have cranked it up have been when I have been wanting to actually do something which will need my system to be up for an extended period. I am also currently only using the gigabyte overclocking utility rather then the bios due to laziness....

(just a quickie while im posting: once I have a stable slock that i am happy with, shall i set up the OC in bios or just carry on using the utility?)

You would be amazed and what seems like just a small upgrade can achieve. Even upgrading to an x2 3800 will be like giving your computer wings. Just keep an eye out around for anyone who is selling their X2's or if anywhere has old stock they want to flog.

 

[JonnyDough]

It isn't worth it, considering that a high end card would be limited by your CPU probably and vice versa. Your system is fairly well matched for itself, so a new platform might be in order. If you're really concerned with getting the most bang for the buck, wait until Penryn and K10 are both out and buy the most sensible solution then. PCI-E and DDR3 for instance.