Looking to upgrade CPU

[EquaLiZr]

I feel im in between a rock and a hard place..

right now i have an XP1700+ oc'd to 1830mhz and a MSI KT3 ultra2 motherboard that will support up to an XP3000+


should i just upgrade the cpu to the XP3000+ or upgrade my motherboard to the new 64bit cpu's?

or...should i go Intel and go to the 2.8c or 3.2c? I can spend around $500

 

[SiDiuS]

Hmm, I'd say motherboard, you want something that can support the new athlon 64 cpu's. But then after getting that your going to want a 64 . So I'd save my money and wait a couple of months and see what happens with prices.

 

[Dark Assassin]

If price is your main concern without being too far behind in the technology race, I would say keep the motherboard and purchase the AthlonXP 2500+ with the Barton core.

Many a forumgoer here possesses one and praises its overclockability. Buying the 3000+ is just a waste of money.

Honestly, don't do anything drastic at this point in time. The 64 bit wave will be full hitting the masses in the few upcoming months.

Dark Assassin

 

[plot]

the motherboard, not the processor, is the key to any good system... and frankly, there arn't any really good 64 mobo's out there yet. they'll come, but right now all that's there is stuff thats like "yea... you can pop in a 64bit proc and it'll work" type of thing. -- also, nobody really knows much about the boards that are out right now, as few people have them and have tested them..

so, i'd get a 2500, the jump between that and a 3000 is like 80$. which kinda sucks... and cool it well, your speeds should improve. then wait about 6 months to see what the 64bit market churns out.


... i'm in the same place as you with a 1700xp, but my mobo wont support much more. to top it off i'm a poor college kid that needs a new car cause my transmission is about shot, and i have 60days to find a new place to live

 

[Stlr22]

Well seems like your in some what of a dilema here bud. I'm having alot of mixed reactions myself. The 1700+ still kicks ass and holds it's own even today. Dont forget, the 1700+ competes with the 2.0 P4a easily. Your 1700+ and 9700Pro combination is what I question. The 1700+ is a performance bottle-neck to the 9700Pro.

But anyhow, if ya *REALLY* wanna upgrade, go the easy route and buy a 2500+ or a 2700+. They all go for under $100 these days and then just stick it out for a while.....a good year or 2 maybe. XP-64 is not even available yet on top of many other technologies coming out so I wouldn't even bother thinking about jumping on the 64bit bandwagon just yet. Waiting a good year or so after XP-64 comes out seems like a good idea since there will be alot more actuall *64-bit* apps to enjoy in the 64-bit arena. There will also be faster and better 64-bit procs to choose from by that time aswell.

On the other hand, by waiting a good year or two, you wont be far off from the next release of Windows either........and from the rumors, that O/S is gonna need a PC with big balls in order to run *well* with out any compromises. If it's not one thing it's another.

All in all, just consider all options and know what's coming ahead in the industry and try to make the best and smartest decision you could make without feeling like you might have made a decision on buying something and turns out it was a complete waste. I hate that feeling.

 

[Carnival Forces]

if you have to upgrade now, go A64 3000+

if not, wait until 64's become more mainstream.

 

[BillLeeLee]

If you can get Barton class processors, do that instead of buying a whole new mobo/cpu combination. Ath64 is not a fully mature tech yet, even though it is pretty powerful, but the Newcastle core will be out in summer (dual channel capable) and better mobos should come out as some minor kinks or bugs get fixed.

Suggestion: Spend the $80 for a new Barton 2500+. Get a nice HSF for it if you plan on OCing it.

 

[TesTeeCuL]

Originally posted by Carnival Forces
if you have to upgrade now, go A64 3000+

if not, wait until 64's become more mainstream.

I agrees.

 

[mobiux]

Personally, i think you should wait another few months.
Wait until the new sockets come out and see how the prices drop.

If you buy now, i think you are locking yourself into a limited upgrade path.

AMD has been keeping upgraders in mind with sticking with the socket A platform for so long, so once the 64 bit socket setup gets sorted out, i think it will be around for a while.

 

[darktiger]

Well if you have 500 I would just get a Athlon64 3000+. Or you could wait a few months when the new stuff comes out.

 

[EquaLiZr]

arent all the new bartons multi locked though? my memory is only pc2700

im gunna have to upgrade my memory too arent i?

i got the money to do it now thats why im asking all this...
Damn..ive been out of the circuit for a while