amd 64 versus 32 bit boards

[asinsh]

I'm in the market for a new MB and I'm thinking about whether to go for a 64 bit board. When I last looked at this (well over a year ago) I think people were saying that since Windows is not a 64 bit o/s there was no advantage to buying a 64 bit mb and cpu. Is that correct? And if that is not correct, what kinds of apps work better with windows XP on a 64 bit mb?

 

[mrscintilla]

not better, just futureproof. not many 64-bit programs out anyway.
I say that you buy a cheap 32-bit board now and upgrade in 2-3 or even more years when 64-bit computing is expected to be common.

 

[ChineseDemocracyGNR]

The Athlon 64 is a wonderful processor even if you don't consider the 64-bit extensions support, in addition to 32-bit.

 

[asinsh]

Thanks for the replies. Let me narrow this down a bit. Suppose I do not care about future proofing at all (since I am sure I will upgrade again before I end up switching to a 64 bit o/s). Will I see a substantial improvement on 32 bit windows XP running photoshop and games if I spring for a 64 bit board and 64 bit cpu?

Or should I just stick with a nice (and presumably much cheaper) 32 bit board and cpu? Why would a 64 bit processor and cpu be any faster than a 32 bit board and cpu running windows 32 bit o/s?

If I choose a 32 bit board, I will have still another question: should I hang onto my current 1 gb of 266 DDR or spring for all new 400 DDR. How substantial is the improvement from 266 to 400 (again for photoshop and games).

Thanks again for your help.

 

[Trizzay]

If you're going to buy a new system right now, then get an Athlon 64. They're not really more expensive than their intel counterparts, and the performance is much better....even in 32 bit apps.

 

[hafa]

Originally posted by: asinsh
...Will I see a substantial improvement on 32 bit windows XP running photoshop and games if I spring for a 64 bit board and 64 bit cpu?

You will see a noticable improvement over your current setup

...Why would a 64 bit processor and cpu be any faster than a 32 bit board and cpu running windows 32 bit o/s?)....
.

The 64 bit extensions aren't the issue as much as the overall architecture. With an on-die memory controller, massive memory bandwidth and a much more efficient overall design, the A64 processor is able to seriously outperform the AXP in 32-bit applications. The plethora of exhaustive professional reviews available on the net plus millions of apocryphal testimonies (mine included) clearly demonstrate the performance improvement.

...should I hang onto my current 1 gb of 266 DDR or spring for all new 400 DDR. How substantial is the improvement from 266 to 400 (again for photoshop and games).
.

You'll see a significant performance increase by moving up to an A64/PC3200 (or better) system. Not only will you nearly double your efective memory speed, but you'll be realizing a tremendous bandwidth and efficiency improvement. Photoshop will particularly benefit from this.

I'd say that you have many compelling reasons to upgrade.

One final note, if you're upgrading, don't skimp if you can. Go whole hog and get an NF4.pci-e system. The only thing you may wish to wait for would be widespread availability of the ultra chipset (that should be within a month or so). Also, consider moving up to a Raptor 10,000 RPM HDD if it's in your budget. It will make a very noticable difference in overall system performance.

 

[asinsh]

Thanks. Seems like there's a real consensus that I should go for a 64 bit mb. I've been reading here and in sharkyforums that the MSI K8N Neo2 Platinum is a good bet...any reaction to that?

 

[hafa]

The neo plat is a good NF3 board, but I still maintain that you should go for an NF4. You'll get a much richer feaure set plus support for pci-e. Unless you've recently upgraded your video card, this will provide an opportunity (or excuse if you prefer) to make the transition from AGP.

 

[asinsh]

OK, hafa, I'll bite. I found the neo plat by looking at the last anandtech review I could find for amd64 boards (the neo plat took top honors). I don't see any comparison reviews of the top NF4 boards. Any suggestions about where I cna find a review like that (or, for that matter, what board I should be considering)?

Thanks again for your input.

 

[bloodline]

I just upgraded to a Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 nForce4 motherboard and an Athlon64 3200... the system is stunning and dirt cheap.

I use Photoshop on my Pentium4 3.06Ghz and my new Althon64... the Athlon64 is between 25% and 50% faster at applying effects on large images and cost me a lot less than the P4.

 

[asinsh]

Thanks for the suggestion.

When hafa originally mentioned a richer feature set, what was he talking about? Is the focus on pci-e or something else?

I assume that the focus is NOT on sli, and that for most people it doesn't make sense to go sli, correct?

 

[asm0deus]

PCI express is a great feature, but he was more talking about how the A64 handles memory. the XP line has its memory controller on the mobo, the a64 has it in the CPU. The performance difference is awesome. they usually overclock really well too. Once 64bit windows and its drivers are all go for launch then you'll notice even more performance probably. but if you get the nf4 setup you'll be ready for anything.

 

[Solema]

Originally posted by: asinsh
Thanks for the suggestion.

When hafa originally mentioned a richer feature set, what was he talking about? Is the focus on pci-e or something else?

I assume that the focus is NOT on sli, and that for most people it doesn't make sense to go sli, correct?

The richer feature set he is talking about regards several factors.
The NForce4 provides:
PCI-Express
Serial ATA-II
Onboard firewall
Enhanced RAID

Those are most of the main additions NForce4 provides. By all means you should look at an NForce4-based board, SLI or not.

 

[hundesau]

the ONLY advantage of nforce4 is the pcie feature.
more or less the only advantage of socket 939 is dualchannel and winchester compatibility-
wouldnt suggest the Raptor for the normal user. I know its the fastest hdd but its also twice expensive then a normal drive and having half size, means its really 4 times more expensive then a standard hdd (150$ for the 74GB Raptor). If u got the money, why not, but if u dont wanna burn ur money go for a cheap nforce3 or nforce4 system, like ECS V2 Extreme as Socket 939 nforce3 solution + 3000+WInchester. Has all the features and speeds for a nice price, both together for i think 240,-$....not familiar with american prizes on these hardwares.

 

[hafa]

Originally posted by: hundesau
the ONLY advantage of nforce4 is the pcie feature....

Not quite true. There are several other features as well including 10USB 2.0 ports. Most of the features, such as SATA II are "future proofing" but given the relatively small cost difference between NF3 and NF4 boards, I would consider the NF4 the better value.

Originally posted by: hundesau
...wouldnt suggest the Raptor for the normal user....

Insufficient emphasis is placed on the role of the hard drive in day-to-day desktop applications. The primary issue here is not transfer rate or throughput, but access speed. By decreasing the access lag time by nearly 50%, you acheive a perceptable real-world performance improvement of nearly 30% in terms of application start times, file access in all applications and much, much speedier menu performance. Is this worth an extra $70-$80 in a $1000.00+ system? I'd say yes. If you need lots of room, couple it with a 120MB PATA 7200 8 MB for $70+- and you're all set for a very modest cost increase.

Originally posted by: hundesau
...go for a cheap nforce3 or nforce4 system, like ECS V2 Extreme....

Skimping on the motherboard does not make good economic sense (not to fault the ECS here). Buying a motherboard with a great featureset does not cost that much more than buying one with a poor featureset. Once again, we're talking about $30-$50 more for a >$1000.00 system.