Athlon XP staying power

I was looking originally at getting a P4 because it seems to have more staying power. If I get a Socket 478 (or even 423) P4, I can easily upgrade a year or two down the line and increase my speed by at least 50%. The problem is, the Socket 478 P4 motherboard and processor will be pricey.

However, if I go with an Athlon XP, it is cheaper. But I'm worried about something happening like with the Athlon Classic processors. Those things are IMPOSSIBLE to find, and if you do find em, they are expensive as hell. Will the Athlon XP stick around for a few years, and what will the Athlon XP max out at. Right now, they have the Athlon 1800+. If it maxes out at 2000+, no sense in buying it.

Bottom line, what is the best direction to go in to "future-proof" myself. And what motherboard provides the most bang for it's buck?

Thanks,
noplay

One thing that you didn't mention is that there is still the risk of needing a new motherboard. Look all the people who had to change motherboards for their P3/Celeron systems at the switchover to Coppermine, and then again with Tualatin. Same thing with AMD, many SocketA motherboards based on the KT133A chipset, and none based on the KT133 chipset will run the Athlon XP. For example, my KT7A-Raid will not run the XP since I have board revision 1.2. Only Rev. 1.3 will run the XP. Don't you have a KT7A-Raid as well? Just out of curiosity... what revision do you have?

Moral of the story: even though the future may use the same socket, you stand a good chance of needing a new motherboard with a newer chipset to support it.


<font color=red>"I'm not gonna launch a $2 million missile at a $10 tent and hit a camel's butt." -Bush</font color=red>

It's very conveniently located on the far side of the last PCI slot. Therefore, if you have a tower case as 90% of us do, you have to take the motherboard out to look at it since the sticker would be on the bottom side of the slot closest to the bottom of your case.

Either that, or you can get one of those little dentist mirrors...


<font color=red>"I'm not gonna launch a $2 million missile at a $10 tent and hit a camel's butt." -Bush</font color=red>

I had a suspicion that might be the case.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

Don't you mean more than a year ago?

Nice <b><font color=green>Lizards</b></font color=green> <b>crunch</b> Trolls cookies....... Yummy!!

>"Moral of the story: even though the future may use the same socket, you stand a good chance of needing a new motherboard with a newer chipset to support it."

Also agree. For me it looks like waste of money when you are trying to stick with an old motherboard, sort of an investment into the continuation of obsolete hardware support.

From my experience: 1/2 - 1 year old motherboard = old everything (memory, AGP, ATA, probably old PCI if we look into nearest future). And there's always something else that old mobo lacks or doesn't support and you have to buy another piece of obsolete hardware in order to upgrade your existing mobo.
The manufacturers and resellers do smart politics, so the power supply and audio are also concern.

I prefer to take as much as I can from old system, then make it as another networked box, and I see the next CPU + motherboard + memory + video upgrade as the cost/performance efficient solution.

Probably I'm partially or absolutely wrong, especially after somebody provides a link to that mentioned above the "1.2 GHz PIII or Celeron tualatin" support for a 440BX motherboard. :} Anybody?

This option has just recently become avaible to owners of BX motherboards. <A HREF="http://www.powerleap.com/Products/iP3T.htm" target="_new">The PL-iP3/T adapter from PowerLeap</A> supports Tualatin CPU's on Slot 1 BX motherboards.

dude I can see socket423 Northwoods coming out of Intel just to shut your fatass!

"<b>AMD/VIA!</b>...you are <i>still</i> the weakest link, good bye!"

Because (I thought) we were talking about socket longevity, not platform longevity. See what I mean? Maybe I'm wrong.

AndMeltdown, if you don't have something worthwhile to say, don't bother. I'm still waiting for your response to the sound system I work with that you begged me to tell you about.
Hmm...you said (paraphrase) "Liar. The only sound system I've seen at a church (wedding) was a Carvin. And that was donated."
So if the only Intel system I'd ever seen had the CPU overheat, then you say that that doesn't happen every time, that makes you a liar? Think before you post.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>

Then you must count all users. Not all can/know how to use a slocket or other third-party device. Intel changed platforms knowing that they would be buying new boards, not thinking "Well, most people will just use a third-party adapter!"
Make sense?
I see what you're saying, I'm just coming at it from a different angle.

<font color=green>I post so you don't have to!
9/11 - RIP</font color=green>