Skt 939 or 754?
 

Hi,
I am going to build a new AMD64 system and I need some advice.

Which chip set would you go with and why?

My thoughts are:
754 - more mature motherboards, almost as fast as 939 systems, about $150.00 less cost, more experienced users on-line for assistance if needed, and little or no future.

939 - better future upgrade possibilities, faster system, dual channel RAM, costs more and very few motherboards.

Processors that I am considering are AMD64 3200+ or the AMD64 3500+.

Do you think that future proofing is worth an additional $150.00+/-?

I was in the same delimma as you, the 3200+ or the 3500+. If I HAD to upgrade right now, it would be a 754 for the simple fact that 939 hasn't got a single board out that's worth a $hit and for the money there sure isn't the performance. From the info I was able to gather, the 754's oc very well and as you said, the platform is much more mature. Plus, word is there's a bas a$$ DFI board comming real soon for the 754's, and from what I've seen of it, that matched with a 3700/3400+ would be the system to have. As for me, well I've said the heck with both of them for the time being. I really don't see a performance gain over my nice little barton @ 2.6GHz to merrit a $500 investment. No, I think I'll give it a few more months and wait for the 939's to mature, get some decent boards, maybe a few new processor steppings, and go from there.

That is my problem as well. I have a crappy Sony VIAO 1.5 Ghz 512 RAM system with a ATI 9600 Pro in it (I like the card). It works fine, except the RAM is at max and runs 85% full when running games (Generals). Games start to run choppy. Due to the fact that I can't increase the RAM, I think that I should upgrade.

Just can't decide if I should go 754 or 939. It's driving me nuts!! I looked at Intel Skt478 on a IC7G motherboard. I almost went this route. But, I thought, just another "Dead End". Same for the Athlon boards.

So, I am still stuck in digital hell.

socket 754, it owns in price/performance ratio. The dual channel makes only a very small difference, the onboard memory controller give the CPU all the memory bandwidth it needs.

personal opinon i wouldnt upgrade till socket 939 goes pcix.

Well I'd definitely say it's about time for an upgrade there. If I were you, I'd grab a 754 3000/3200+ with the K8N NEO board, or give it a week or so and see if the DFI board emerges. Either way, I'd forget about the 939's, since it will be probably be a while still before the platform matures, and it looks like you could use something in the immediate future. Even if boards do start coming out for the 939's in the next few weeks, I can almost guarantee you they'll be buggy as hell and go through 2 or 3 revisions before they get it right (just look at the Abit 939 boards, what a mess). Anyways, that's my .02, hope it helps.

764... HUGE PRICEDROPS!!! I have seen through benchmarks that the 754 A64 3400+ does just about as well as the fx-51! And also that chip just had some huge pricedrops...

Go for it, now is the time... :D

which a64 3400 are you referring to bobsaget? The newcastle or the clawhammer?

socket 754, since the price drops it owns in price/performance ratio. Plus it would take a while before a good MB comes out for the 939. Might was well wait on MB with PCI-Express. I would just go with the 754, and make the 939 my upgrade in a year or more...

3000+ is down to $175. thats nearly impossible for me to pass up at this point :eek:

[QUOTE=Filter]personal opinon i wouldnt upgrade till socket 939 goes pcix.[/QUOTE]


agreed

Hmmm.... I was on the verge of getting the 3500+
Anyone have a link or two on reviews or boards talking about the problems with the 939 board? Anyone have any personal experience with them?

BIOS updates are easy, and the 939 has a better upgrade path than a 754 would. PCI express? I think it's gonna be a while for that. Just get a 9800 and you're good for a while yet. I don't think AGP is going to be "dead" for a a while.

WOW! Good discussion. Thanks for your thoughts on this subject.

Although the 754 motherboards offer almost as good performance as 939 right now, the 939 will be able to have a lot more speed in the future (higher scalable and dual core).

If I [I]had[/I] to upgrade right now, I'd go 754.

Personally on the otherhand, I'm waiting for PCI-e to be released for the 939 platform since this will ensure the greatest upgradability down the road. Unless you're a person who upgrades every 6 months or so, I'd say hold off for now and get the platform that will last you longer.

There's no reason to buy a computer now, and when it's time to upgrade again, you're forced to buy a new video card, motherboard, and cpu.

Last roadmaps place PCI-e for the 939 socket in 4th quarter this year.

OK, I too debated this until last night. I had been holding out for a 939 w/ a 3500+...but that would cost about $530. I then realized that the 939 MoBos are way too new and that I would want a 90nm 939 when I go to use the 939 platform that has PCI-Express.

For $267 shipped, I have a 3000+ 754 and an Epox nforce3 250GB board coming from Mwave. The price is half and the performance of the 3500+ will not be double the 3000+. If I had gotten the 939 3500+, I would have done so in theory so that all I would have to change next time would be a MoBo and a new videocard and I would keep the 3500+. But as I thought about that, I came to the conclusion that I would also want something faster than a 3500+ and something that used the 90nm core. So, by this time next year (or about) I imagine I will jump to a 4ghz something in the 939 and new video card...maybe even DDR2. I'll have to wait and see. There are just too many changes coming to waste alot of money on something that will not be used for too long by me.

Make sense? It does to me ;)

It makes sense.

You could get a 939 board now and just upgrade the CPU to a 90nm A64 when they come out, but as you said, if you get a 939 board now, you still have AGP. While AGP cards will be made for probably a year more (max), eventually you'll have to upgrade to a PCI-e board to get the new video cards.

That is why I'm still waiting to upgrade.

so when is the eta for the 939 boards with pci capabilities?

4th Quarter this year.

taht sux balls ,4th quarters starts in september right?

Divide 12 by 4 (quarters) to get 3, so 3 months before the end of the year, so October is 4th quarter.

Some companies do quarters based upon fiscal quarters...these are basically dependent on the company...but it's a good bet that October will be the beginning of the 4th quarter in terms of what AMD is saying.