Hopefully the best way to build a 64-bit system

[Mr_Nuke]

Many people are crying after a 64-bit system, but simply do not have the money for it. After a night of checking all offers I came up with a way to have a 64-bit CPU, hopefully at a lower price.

For the first part you can buy:
-nForce 3 mobo w/ Socket 939 and PCI-E
-the cheapest S939 CPU
-the cheapest PCI-E video card
-resonable 512MB or 1GB RAM DDR400
-Rapor HDD

This is all for the first part, because after you will financially recover you will upgrade the system as following:
-change the CPU to a reasonable A64FX
-change the video card to a med to high end one
-add another mem module to take advantage Dual Channel(If you haven't allredy bought a 2*256MB or 2*512MB kit)

The overall price may be smaller then buying it @ upgrade performance, if you resell the components you change. I do not guarantee the full succes of this, mainly because I have no idea on how prices will be. I estimate the initial system at about $1000 and the upgrade at about $400-$500, or $200-$300 if you resell the changed components.

I hope this path will help many of those with limited cash in having a fast PC.
Any observation or improvemnt to this post is welcome.

 

[TheRod]

-nForce 3 mobo w/ Socket 939 and PCI-E
-the cheapest S939 CPU
-the cheapest PCI-E video card

The problem is that these are not yet available. The other problem is that the cheapest Socket939 CPU will not be that cheap, AMD will ask a premium for Socket939 chips, they know we really want it.

I actually think that Socket754 2800+ with a good nForce3 250 MB is not a bad choice, single channel AMD64 CPU's don't suffer much of lower memory bandwidth.

--
Lookin' to fill that <font color=blue>GOD</font color=blue> shape hole!

 

[Mr_Nuke]

I know they are not yet available, I just forgot to mention it, and I was also very tired when I wrote it. S939 prices will go down very fast, so you won't have to wait more then a few weeks to get a reasonable one.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

why did you write it?

<A HREF="http://www.tubgirl.com" target="_new">Don't Click This - Please! (NSFW)</A>

 

[Mr_Nuke]

So people can start saving money for when it comes out.

 

[Mr_Nuke]

I don't know when S939 will come out, but I heard rumours that it might be mid May.

Guess what! It's mid May.

 

[pitsi]

Actually there won't be such things as a "cheap" PCI-E video card or a "cheap" S939 CPU. And also, who said that S939 prices will go down very fast? I believe the exact opposite will happen. AMD will probably not ramp up production until they get to 90nm, so S939 will remain their high-end CPUs (=expensive) for quite a few months.

I don't know why but I really don't see a reason upgrading yet. I am still using a Tbred @ 2.2GHz and I don't believe that any money spend is worth the performance increase I am gonna get! I can deffinetely wait until 2005 for my next upgrade! After all, what's the point in upgrading if I don't get a <b>noticable</b> increase in performance?

 

[Mr_Nuke]

Actually there won't be such things as a "cheap" PCI-E video card or a "cheap" S939 CPU. And also, who said that S939 prices will go down very fast? I believe the exact opposite will happen. AMD will probably not ramp up production until they get to 90nm, so S939 will remain their high-end CPUs (=expensive) for quite a few months.

The prices will go down, slower or faster, and the cheapest PCI-E card might be Nvidia's low end PCI-E card. And as S939 CPU's are so expected among users, their prices will go down fast(2-4 weeks).Many users will buy them. And if I'm not mistaken, S939 will appear prior to PCI-E so when PCI-E cards come out, S939 will have mid-end CPU's wich will be obviously cheaper.

I don't know why but I really don't see a reason upgrading yet. I am still using a Tbred @ 2.2GHz and I don't believe that any money spend is worth the performance increase I am gonna get! I can deffinetely wait until 2005 for my next upgrade! After all, what's the point in upgrading if I don't get a noticable increase in performance?

Who says there's no <b>noticeable</b> performance increase, especially when you are using 333FSB and maybe single channel DDR, unless you overclock. The problem is not so much about increase(yes, the increase is worth the money, especially w/ your CPU, and you haven't mentioned the rest of your sys, it's also important),but also about compatibility. Programmers worldwide are now considering 64 bit computing, rather then 32bit. So if you want to stick to current applications, fine, but if thefuture ones interest you, 32bit is not the option anymore.