AM2+ (AM3?) or S775

[xylem]

I'm itching to do a hardware upgrade; Somehow, i'm still running a 2.8 GHz Prescott. I have a video card (8800GTX), a good 700 watt PSU, a case, and a hard drive. The rest needs upgrading (mobo, cpu, ram). I'd appreciate some opinions about an upgrade path for someone who doesn't necessarily upgrade very often. I do overclock.

I've been eyeing the Foxconn 790GX/750 (AM2+) + Phenom II 920 combo for $233 at Newegg, but i also see a Q9550 deal at newegg for $232... meaning i could go with the slightly-higher speed of that processor for about $100 more... but i know that S775 is pretty much EOL (ie, any future upgrade will be more or less systemically comprehensive). I'd like to support AMD, and i'm curious about the future of the AM2+ (possibly AM3) socket. Is AMD likely to release anything that will edge out or lay waste to an overclocked Q9550 as a drop-in for either or both of those sockets?

I'd *might* also consider Nehalem if logic supports it, but with the added cost, and probably-limited future of that socket(?), i don't know if it's cost-effective.

This is a bit of a "general hardware" question, but it hangs mostly on cpu/socket futures, so i hope it's appropriate in this category.

Any opinions?

 

[nismotigerwvu]

Technically speaking, AM3 CPU's should function on AM2+ mobos.
The question is more, will the mobos themselves get the BIOS updates to support them.
There are AM2 boards that don't support the AM2 PII's.
I would concern myself more with the performance you are getting at the money you are willing to spend today instead of trying to look ahead.
If you could hold out a little longer you'd be better off long term, as DDR3 prices will fall and AM3/S1156 will become mainstream.
I was in a situation like yours a few years ago and sprung for a S939 X2 and definitely wish I had held out for AM2 or a C2D.

 

[richierich1212]

Originally posted by: nismotigerwvu
Technically speaking, AM3 CPU's should function on AM2+ mobos.
The question is more, will the mobos themselves get the BIOS updates to support them.
There are AM2 boards that don't support the AM2 PII's.
I would concern myself more with the performance you are getting at the money you are willing to spend today instead of trying to look ahead.
If you could hold out a little longer you'd be better off long term, as DDR3 prices will fall and AM3/S1156 will become mainstream.
I was in a situation like yours a few years ago and sprung for a S939 X2 and definitely wish I had held out for AM2 or a C2D.

Most AM2+ mobos today already have updated BIOS' to support AM3 processors.

 

[xylem]

Thanks for the input.

I am curious, though, about the comparative long-term viability of AM2+ vs AM3. Thus far, from what i've seen, there is an almost-negligible difference between DDR2 and DDR3 when used with Deneb-based cpus... and DDR2 is already pretty affordable. Also, it seems like AMD is planning to keep AM3 cpus compatible with AM2+ motherboards (granted the appropriate bios updates are made available by manufacturers); Maybe i am mistaken? Since i do think drop-in cpu upgrades are worthy of consideration, do any informed persons who wouldn't mind chiming in foresee a significant difference between the continuing viability of a well-supported AM2+ board and an AM3 board?

Socket 1156 is looking pretty nice, though, if it proves to be affordable. If i'm going to be waiting, that seems to be more worth waiting for than for AM3... unless i'm overlooking something.

 

[Hacp]

Well, there's also the biostar 790GX that comes out to 200 bucks, plus you get a 10 dollar MIR.

If you're really looking for a quad core, there's the Phenom II 920 at newegg for 130-140 bucks after coupon code. But it doesn't have the multiplier unlocked so you might have more trouble overclocking it.