AM2 or 939?

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Firecrotch

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
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My friend is looking to build a computer and was wondering if he should go with an AM2 or 939. And since I've been out of the loop for a while i thought i'd ask you guys. so what do you guys think?
 
I would rather get an AM2 system with DDR2 memory. It runs cooler and will probably be ever so slightly faster than s939 with DDR. Also, K8L, AMD's next core will be supported on AM2 and not on s939. For that reason alone, I would rather buy AM2.
 
AM2 would give him a better upgrade path.

939 is getting pretty cheap though, if on a budget you might look this way
 
visaris said:
I would rather get an AM2 system with DDR2 memory. It runs cooler and will probably be ever so slightly faster than s939 with DDR. Also, K8L, AMD's next core will be supported on AM2 and not on s939. For that reason alone, I would rather buy AM2.
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By the time K8L comes out, you wouldn't want to use the current generation of AM2 motherboards with that CPU.
 
Though I love AMD, at this point, any money spent should be on the intel's conroe...AM2 is the next gen for AMD but based on some early previews, the conroes are beating AM2 offerings. However, if you are dead set on AMD, then AM2 with DDR2 is the way to go.
 
I don't see any reason why you woudn't use current mobos with K8L. Sure they don't have 3-4 PCI slot for video cards, no support for DDR3, or support for multiple CPUs, but for most of us, those extra "features" are just a waste of money. I think current mobos will do fine once K8L comes out.

Yes conroe will perform better than AMD when it comes out, but depending on what ur using ur computer for u won't see the difference.

But yes a Conroe system will pwn my AM2 setup when it comes out, but I don't care b/c it does what I want, it does it well, and it was available when I was ready to buy. :D

Wait til August if you're thinking about Conroe (yes I know it comes out on the 24th, but think how long it'll be before a nice high-end mobo will be widely available), if not get AM2 when the price drops later this month.
 
maverick777 said:
Wait til August if you're thinking about Conroe (yes I know it comes out on the 24th, but think how long it'll be before a nice high-end mobo will be widely available), if not get AM2 when the price drops later this month.
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Make that July 13th , a week from now and high end mobos are here.
 
robberbaron said:
Why is that?
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Cause K8L isn't coming for maybe another year, and 12 months is nearly 2 full product cycles(read: around 2 generations of new chipsets). Putting a K8L into a current AM2 motherboard is equivalent to putting a Geforce 4 into a current AM2 motherboard(ok you can't, and maybe that's pushing it too), but you see where I'm going? Even a top of the line motherboard today will get beaten in terms of performance by pretty much any new motherboard in a year's time, that's just how the computer industry works.
 
maverick777 said:
Yes conroe will perform better than AMD when it comes out, but depending on what ur using ur computer for u won't see the difference.
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I tend to disagree, have you ran a Conroe-based system yourself?
Just about any intensive application/game, you WILL see better performance with a Conroe compared to even a top of the line AM2. And btw, I base my opinion on first hand experience, not just what some benchmarks on some review site.
 
ER34 said:
Cause K8L isn't coming for maybe another year, and 12 months is nearly 2 full product cycles(read: around 2 generations of new chipsets). Putting a K8L into a current AM2 motherboard is equivalent to putting a Geforce 4 into a current AM2 motherboard(ok you can't, and maybe that's pushing it too), but you see where I'm going? Even a top of the line motherboard today will get beaten in terms of performance by pretty much any new motherboard in a year's time, that's just how the computer industry works.
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I disagree a little bit specifically because the memory controller is on-die with A64's. Video cards and motherboards are two totally different animals. All things being equal, a K8L CPU in a current tech motherboard will still be a good solution. Nowhere near the GF4 scenario described above. At least IMHO.
 
kirbyrj said:
I disagree a little bit specifically because the memory controller is on-die with A64's. Video cards and motherboards are two totally different animals. All things being equal, a K8L CPU in a current tech motherboard will still be a good solution. Nowhere near the GF4 scenario described above. At least IMHO.
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Right. Maybe my example wasn't so relevant to motherboards. But how about new features? HDMI? DDR3? Wireless USB? These might not seem like much right now, but when every new motherboard comes with these features, you might just begin to see where I'm going with this.
 
ER34 said:
Right. Maybe my example wasn't so relevant to motherboards. But how about new features? HDMI? DDR3? Wireless USB? These might not seem like much right now, but when every new motherboard comes with these features, you might just begin to see where I'm going with this.
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The only problem I see is DDR3. You can buy a video card for HDMI.
 
So, buying a new 939 setup right now, say with an Opteron 165, would be a bad choice in comparison with a new AM2 running a X2 4000+?

TIA
 
I would get an AM2 mobo simply because they will be upgradeable, and also because DDR2 generally comes with larger sized DIMMs. (1GB or 2GB DIMMS are much easier to find for DDR2.)

You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by going AM2.

Then again, I agree with several previous posters - check out Conroe before you buy.
 
riciggs said:
So, buying a new 939 setup right now, say with an Opteron 165, would be a bad choice in comparison with a new AM2 running a X2 4000+?

TIA
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I think this would be a bad choice unless you can get the same components for more than $100 less than an AM2 setup and don't mind having a dead-end system.
 
I really wanna know thy everyone's so hyped up about AM3/DDR3 when DDR2 REALLY hasn't helped the A64 cpus. They're not bandwidth starved like intel's Northwood/Prescott core was. Besides memmory benchmarks, all the extran bandwith dosen't relate to faster real world apps.

As for my system, I'm FINE with it, and it's running in single channel mode ATM. Everything I throw at it it practially screams through... Oblivion, PREY, FEAR, WoW, BF2.

IF the AM3 chips srop into this board, GREAT!!! If it dosen't, fine by me. I seriousally doubt DDR2 will have trouble feading the the BEST cpu's that come out within the next 3 years.
 
TomsHardware is a joke...if they said that the sky was blue, I'd look out my window to double-check.
 
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