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Building a new computer... cpu advice

A

ajbuchan

n00b
Joined
Jan 5, 2004
Messages
10
Ok, here is the deal. I need some help making a choice. I am building a new comp for my family that is going to be used for basic applications, web browsing, etc and occasional gaming (like Sims 2 or Wow, not HL2). I am going to use the XFX GeForce FX 5700LE, and 1GB of Mushkin DDR 400Mhz PC3200 that is dual channel capable. The HD will be a 200GB Maxtor. The motherboard will be the K8 Neo Platinum. Now the choice is with the processor.

I am definitely going with the AMD 64 3000+. I am trying to decide between the newer socket 939 Winchester 90nm and the socket 754 Newcastle 130nm. Price is not a factor as the difference with the 754 mobo+cpu and the 939 mobo+cpu is <$50. Neither is the fact that the Socket 939 board will be more upgradable, as I won't upgrade for a while
after this (well, it's a factor, just not much of one)

I want to OC the cpu to around 2.2Ghz-2.4Ghz. I heard that the Newcastle can give better performance once OC'd even with the 800Mhz HT bus, since it is just a crippled Clawhammer. But the socket 939 Winchester offers dual channel memory and a 1000Mhz HT bus and runs cooler. It also takes 128bit DDR SDRAM, but I only have 64bit anyway. Plus the mobo for the 939 is a bit nicer.

My question is, which will give me better overall performance (both OC'd and stock)?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
That all sounds like a good plan to me.

IMHO, the dual-channel memory paths don't give you much of a performance upgrade over the single-channel Socket 754 processors in terms of actual performance. Synthetic benchmarks will show the difference, of course.

Course if you're going to get one now, might as well go 939 if you have the extra $$.
 
As has already been stated, the dual-channel memory isn't really a big deal in real world situations. And considering the usage you state, I don't think you'll have to worry about anything except the video card bottlenecking your system so the OC potential should be a non-issue as well.

That said, I'd go with the 939 platform and the cheapest Athlon 64 you can track down. Don't bother with the OC since you are bottlenecked by the graphics in those situations where the OC would make a difference. Since everything else is going to be able to keep up no problem, just aim for the quietest coolest system you can manage.
 
Go socket 939 because the Winchesters have shown good overclocking potentional, and regardless of what some say, Dual Channel memory WILL give you at least a 5-10% increase in memory performance, and personally I think every little bit counts.

In any case the Neo 2 is just a generally excellent motherboard compared to anything socket 754.

Also consider that 754 is on the way out, and updates and support will be focused on socket 939, not socket 754.

Buy for the future.
 
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