Athlon 64 3400 + new system

[SPEEDingMoNK]

hello everyone,

dont mind me if i make a dumb error since its my 1st post here. so i have a box i used to use to play all my games on (AMD XP 1800+/A7v333/512 DDR 2100/GForce4 TI 4200) and its due for replacement, I was gonig to ask which platform i should go w/ for my next processor, but since i need to RMA my A7V333 anyway staying w/ a 32bit XP processor doesnt seem like a good idea.

I cant drop $800 on a FX-53 (nor do i realy wanna) so i wasa looking over a link someone posted in a different thread and between that link and this one AMD CPU pricing i figure the 64 3400 seems a good place to start id like to pair it w/ the Nforce3 250 and the 6800. Before i do tho id like yto know what your oppionions are i know its the socket 754 but i dont have the $$$ for a 939 (as far as i know) and considering the fact im coming from a 1800+... im sure ill get the boost in performance im looking for.

So what doing you guys think ? and big mistakes id be making? advice / comments? also about how far can i push that cpu, the multipluer isnt locked or anything right? thanks for the help i 'pricate it

 

[darXoul]

3400+ is fine. You can get one of two steppings: Clawhammer (2.2 GHz, 1MB L2 cache) or Newcastle (2.4 Ghz, 512 kB L2 cache). It's a tied game between them, Clawhammer wins some benches (e.g. Doom 3), Newcastle wins some. Both are decent but not breathtaking overclockers. You can probably go up to 2.35-2.6 GHz with good air cooling, depending on stepping.

This CPU is a good choice IMO. The "bang for the buck" king is the 3000+ which isn't significantly slower than 3400+ and costs clearly less than $200 but 3400+ offers a bit more punch for a still reasonable price. If you want to upgrade your CPU/mobo often, you might want to go for socket 939 so that you can keep your CPU if you e.g. want to get nForce4 and SLI in a few months or mobo if you want to get let's say a 4200+ processor in the not-so-distant future. It will cost you more but provide a more reliable basis for frequent upgrades. However, if you (like me) want a good comp for 2 years or so, socket 939 doesn't really make any sense. Its upgradeability is advertised and preached but the truth is that at current pace of PC market and tech, it's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to do anything reasonable with your 939 mobo in 2 years (DDR[?], SATA [?], PCI-E, etc.). That's why I think that socket 754 is a very good choice if you want a solid comp for a longer time. For many people, socket 939's "future-proofness" is an illusion.

 

[robertsmcn]

SpeedingMonk, welcome to the forums.

You and I are in the same boat. I have an aging Athlon XP1800+ system that I've had for 2.5 years and am just about ready for a full upgrade. I've been struggling with the same issues - 939 v. 754. Being that I usually replace all my components at once, I am not convinced that socket 939 has any real benefits for me. I just want to build a kickass system now that will last me a couple of years and then do another full upgrade when that system starts getting outdated. I agree with darXoul's last two sentences. Save yourself some $$ and go with 754. Check out some of the reviews and comparisons - the entry level 939 3500+ is not even as fast as the 754 3400+ in some of the gaming benchmarks. Definitely not worth the $$ in my opinion. I would personally opt for the 3400+ with 1mb of cache and not 512kb. Also, with the recent price drops in 754 cpus and mobo prices coming down as well, its' hard to pass up on a nice 754 system.

I might wait another few months for my upgrade but I will also likely go with the A64 3400+ and the MSI K8N Neo Platinum mobo and also a 6800GT vid card. This will keep me going for another 3 years.

Good luck.

 

[darXoul]

Unless AMD makes a spectacular pricing counterattack this week following Intel's cut (which I doubt because of AMD's recent drop in July), I'll be in the same boat, too I also want to get A64 3400+ (preferably Clawhammer but if I get Newcastle, that's OK as well), MSI K8N Neo Platinum, Leadtek 6800 GT and 1 GB Kingston HyperX DDR434. This rig should provide 2 years of great gaming / working.

 

[DoobieOnline]

From everything I've read, and recent personal experience with a Clawhammer CG 3200+ 1MB and a Newcastle CG 3000+, I'd have to say go for the Newcastles even if they only have 512K cache. I was able to get the 3000+ up to 2.5GHz air-cooled, with 1.525V, 10 x 250, and 4X HT. The 3200+ would only hit 2.25GHz using 1.55V, 10 x 225 or 9 x 250, and 4X HT. The only reasons I recommend the 3000+ over the 3200+ 1MB is price and much better overclocking with lower voltage. They both perform about the same at max overclocks, but I love the fact that the 3000+ pulls out a 25% overclock and is $50 cheaper. It's hard to go wrong with either of these chips.

doobie

 

[kamranziadar]

Well i will recommend Athlon 64 3200+ Clawhammer because you get great results in the doom 3. And it is wrong that you could not do more overclock as compare to Newcastle, i have been able to top at about 2.32 but because of my cooling system which came with CPU i cannot hold long enough but at 2.25 i am getting bechmarks which tops 64 3500+ and Opetron 2.4 1MB Cache in Sandra 2004.

 

[SPEEDingMoNK]

Wow, thanks for the help. Im pretty suprised to see such a good comunity (not to common). And im just as happy to know im on the right track for my next system. Thank you guys VERY much i realy apricate it. Now its just a matter of time. Thanks again - MoNK

 

[DoobieOnline]

Hey Monk, let us know what you decide to go with and how it works out for you. Get the SLK948U heatsink and a good 92MM fan if you go with a 754 setup. It keeps the cpu nice and cool even under load. I have yet to see my die temps get above 47C even when stress-testing.

kamranziadar, after doing some more tweaking I was able to run several benchmarks with the Clawhammer 3200+ 1MB maxed out at 2.3GHz, 10 x 230, 1:1, with memory at 2.5-3-3-10 and I can tell you it scores just about exactly the same as the Newcastle 3000+ at 2.5GHz, 10 x 250, 6:5 (roughly), with memory at 2-2-2-10. If you have a 3200+ 1MB that will run stable at more than 230MHz then you've got a special chip on your hands, but most people can easily get the newer 3000+ chips to 2.4 or even 2.5GHz on air with near-default Vcore.

doobie

 

[kamranziadar]

Hey it is good to hear from you Doobie i appreciate your reply and thanxs for putting some light on it. Well you might be right but i think with equal speed. Clawhammer should score more because of its 1MB cache Memory. What do you think?
Because i saw few other benchmarks from different websites. 1MB Cach Memory always have an advantage over 512kb. So i am not saying you are not right, i am just giving my point of view.

 

[DoobieOnline]

Didn't want you to think I was harping on you. You're right that the 1MB chips will score higher in benchmarks if they are run at the same speed as the 512K chips, but it's hard to find a 3200+ 1MB chip that will run 10 x 250 on air with near-default Vcore. Even with the extra 200~250MHz headroom the 512K chips have over the 1MB chips, the game benchmarks are almost identical (except 3DMark01, where the 1MB chip pulls out an extra few hundred points).

doobie

 

[SPEEDingMoNK]

will do. thanx for the heatsink recomendation I was looking for one +D