AMD 64 3000 or 3200

[Josh M.]

I'm debating over which one to get, I'm kind of on a budget, and I would like to hear which you guys think is a better deal. Do you guys think the 3200 is worth the extra 60 dollars? Also...which mobo is better...Asus K8v Deluxe or the MSI K8t Neo-Fis2r?

[cHeEsY327]

AnandTech

[wayout44]

Another thing to consider is that the 64-bit Athlons will in the next 2 months be changing to the new 939pin sockets so if you buy a 754pin mainboard then you'll be stuck with only 32-bit versions of those CPU's as an upgrade path in the future.

[Yawgm0th]

Umm.... There aren't 32-bit versions of Athlon 64s....
I think what you're trying to say is that he'll be stuck with non-FX Athlon 64s...

And while there is little benchmark difference between the 3000 and the 3200, I bet the extra L2 cache would show up more if the processor were overclocked. Maybe it's not worth the extra $60, but if you can afford it, why not?

[cHeEsY327]

Well, he did mention that he was on a budget....However, he failed to mention exactly what sort of budget he was on. Personally, I think the $60 could be better spent towards a better video card (if you're a gamer) or more overclockable RAM (if that's your forte).

[wayout44]

Umm.... There aren't 32-bit versions of Athlon 64s....
I think what you're trying to say is that he'll be stuck with non-FX Athlon 64s...

No there arn't any 32-bit versions yet (late this year they're due) but they are coming and they are on AMD's roadmap for socket 754 plus they're labeled as "Athlon XP". More details here.

[Yawgm0th]

I see what you were saying before, but...

There is no such thing as an 32-bit Athlon 64. An Athlon XP on scoket 754 is still an Athlon XP.

You still make a good point now that I see this. You are really limiting your upgrade options by going with a socket 754 motherboard and processor. Getting a socket 939 processor when they come out would really be much better. That or getting a socket 940 now. Not as upgradable (unless you want to dump Windows and grab an Opteron...), but an FX on a socket 940 motherbaord would last more than a few years.

[wayout44]

I see what you were saying before, but...

There is no such thing as an 32-bit Athlon 64. An Athlon XP on scoket 754 is still an Athlon XP.

You still make a good point now that I see this. You are really limiting your upgrade options by going with a socket 754 motherboard and processor. Getting a socket 939 processor when they come out would really be much better. That or getting a socket 940 now. Not as upgradable (unless you want to dump Windows and grab an Opteron...), but an FX on a socket 940 motherbaord would last more than a few years.

Obviously you missed this part, "The last thing to note are the two Socket-754 Athlon XPs on the chart; although clock speeds have yet to be determined, you can expect these two processors to feature an on-die memory controller just like their Athlon 64 brothers but have their 64-bit support disabled. The reduction in cache size to 256KB will decrease 32-bit performance by a noticeable amount, but they will make a good successor to the current Socket-A Athlon XPs."

[Yawgm0th]

That's obvious because? :confused:
:roll:
They aren't Athlon 64s. Whether it's because AMD simply disabled 64-bit mode (which I see no reason to believe), or because they don't have 64-bit support in the first place. Actually, both of those points are irrelevant, because they are called Athlon XPs, not Athlon 64s.

And if you're going to bring it up again, your first point was irrelevant. If this person get an Athlon 64 3000 or 3200, there are still 64-bit upgrade possibilities. And I doubt that upgrading to any AMD 32-bit processor would really be an upgrade even if they make really fast Athlon XPs.

[Josh M.]

So are you guys suggesting I wait for summer or would a 64 3200 be a good investment?

[wayout44]

In fact it shouldn't be hard for AMD to disable the 64-bit extentions on die but if he were to want to upgrade again say at the end of next year, then he'll either have to hunt down a 2nd hand 64-bit CPU or go with the 32-bit version or get a new socket 939 mainboard.

BTW Yawgm0th are your brains in your ass or do you just like to be a dickhead on purpose?

Josh M. just wait untill the socket 939 mainboards are out is my suggestion to you.

[ath50]

Depends on what you want to do with the system and how long until you plan on upgrading.

That said when the new Athlon 64s come out this summer the price of the older ones should come down...which may make it worth the wait if you are on a budget.

If you don't plan on upgrading for a while you should be ok with a 3000 or 3200, by the time you want a new processor you'd get a new motherboard with PCI Express anyway.

Then again if you wait until PCI Express motherboards hopefully come out at a reasonable time/price this summer you could hold off needing to get a new motherboard for even longer, but you'd need to buy a newer Athlon 64 which would be more expensive.

As I said, mostly depends on if you plan on using the system for gaming, dealing with video and other operations where the processor makes a big difference (although with gaming the video card is becoming what makes the difference at higher resolutions), or if you just want it for general use, and can live without a little bit better performance.

[Yawgm0th]

BTW Yawgm0th are your brains in your ass or do you just like to be a dickhead on purpose?

At least I have brains....
I'm not being a dickhead. If you're going to go around referring Athlon XPs to as Athlon 64s (even if AMD just disabled 64-bit on them, which wouldn't suprise me, but for all I know that's just made up), then don't expect people to ignore you and let you spread erroneous information.

[quote=wayout44]In fact it shouldn't be hard for AMD to disable the 64-bit extentions on die but if he were to want to upgrade again say at the end of next year, then he'll either have to hunt down a 2nd hand 64-bit CPU or go with the 32-bit version or get a new socket 939 mainboard.

Is that a fact? Every single Athlon 64 higher than 3200 for socket 754 will be sold out? That sure does make sense... Except they'll probably just be cheaper since most would rather have the socket 939 ones. Even if AMD stops making them...
Of course, if someone has an Athlon 64 that he/she is going to upgrade by the end of this year, which is another way of saying replace, then good for hom/her for being stupid. If that person is willing to throw away $200+, then he/she would probably be willing to just buy a new motherboard... Hell, you can get good ones for under $100, and great ones for under $150. It makes sense to wait for upgrade purposes, but if someone is planning on upgrading an A64 within a year of purchase, then it's just stupid...

Josh M. just wait untill the socket 939 mainboards are out is my suggestion to you.

I'll agree with that. A 3200 would still be a good investment, it's just that the motherboard won't have a lot of upgrade options. A new socket 939 motherboard and processor are the best for future, but there's no other reason not to buy now. If you're really impatient, then there's no problem. It just means another $100 or so spent on a new motherboard next time you want to upgrade, which just wouldn't be prudent before 64 FXs get cheaper or regular A 64s get better, anyway.
My advice: For long-term thinking, wait. If you want the computer right now and don't want to end up waiting a while (could be months, it's never a sure thing), just get the damn thing. You won't burn and die if any major performance increase processor-wise requires a new motherboard.
:2cents:

[Josh M.]

Thank you sirs! I appreciate your advice, and will certainly take your guys' arguments into consideration.