Any upgrading path with Athlon ?

[micha33]

Hi guys,

is there any future upgrading path using an Athlon based Mobo ?

I am considering building a P4 478 pin based computer because it will give me a long upgrading path in the future.

thanks

Mic

 

[Boonesmi]

current socketA board support the current cpu's (tbirds) they also support the athlon/durons (palomino/morgan) which are just coming out and from what i hear the current boards might also support even the next generation of amd chips (but thats a long time away)

 

[o1die]

The athlon is still the best bang for the buck. A 1.4 athlon is about $100, while it's pentium socket 478 1.7 equivalent is almost $200. I wouldn't buy any cpu based on future upgradability. It's mostly speculation, and I usually change motherboards anyway.

 

[anandfan]

<< I wouldn't buy any cpu based on future upgradability. It's mostly speculation, and I usually change motherboards anyway. >>



I agree. Unless you are into the cpu of the month club, by the time you are are ready to upgrade your P4, there will be a P5 or later that (since it's Intel) will require a new mb, new power supply, and new case. Seriously, it seems like in the last 2 or 3 years, Intel (and to some extent AMD) have done everything possible to make CPU-only upgrades nearly impossible.

 

[Duvie]

You think now you will hold onto it for a long upgrade path, but then new features will be wanted...

1) What happens when the p4 bumps up the fsb to 133 for 533fsb?

2) What happens when rdram gets bumped to pc1060?

3) What happens when you want to get the newer ata133 onboard controller?

4) What happens when you want to git the higher spec'd pci cards?

All things I guarantee will make that mobo less then attractive....

So...I say spend as little as possible now cause technology is changing so rapidly you will want to upgrade quicker to not fall behind...

AMD is that route...

I upgrade about every 4 months and i usually get 2 chips per mobo, so I look at mobo a bit more then most. My ecs mobo is capably of running athlon xp so I may upgrade to a 1600mhz model when it becomes available and affordable...However pc2700 and ddr333 may be available and for more attractive....I paid 150 for my 750tbird in december 2000, I paid 148 for my 1.1ghz tbird in april, and I paid 99 for my 1.4ghz tbird just 1 week ago....