Crossfire 3200 vs. 200

[Virtra]

Ok, so I'm building my first computer (finally) and I've even ordered most of the parts. I've already decided that I want to go with a crossfire set up, but I'm having a real hard time deciding which Mobo chipset to go with, the 3200 or 200. I've a bunch of the 3200 reviews, and certainly it seems that it is theoretically better in almost every way... but when you look at the framerate comparisons and benchmark test results, its doesn't exactly blow the 200 out of the water. In fact, they are neck and neck in all but a few of the tests.

I have never overclocked anything, which seems to be one of the biggest advantages... although I have good aptitude and I'd be willing to learn if it was worth it. So, is it really worth spending the extra $80-$100 on a 3200 crossfire board? Will there be a big difference in performance 2 years from now?

Anyway, I'd greatly appreciate some good advice. And here's the rest of the build that I'm putting together in case that helps ya'll understand what I'm going for:

• COOLER MASTER Centurion 532 RC-532-SKN1 Black Aluminum bezel, SECC chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

• NEC 16X DVD±R DVD Burner

• SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series SP2504C 250GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

• Patriot Signature Series 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory

• Rosewill RV500S ATX 2.01 500W Power Supply

• AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 1GHz HT 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 E4 Processor

• ATI Radeon X1800 CrossFrire Edition PCI Express 512MB DDR3 Video Card w/Dual DVI & VIVO

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: Virtra
Will there be a big difference in performance 2 years from now?

In 2 years we'll all be using different CPU's on different sockets, in different mobos ...

You might want to checkout how that PSU will fare with your proposed setup - afaik (not available in Europe) they are a house brand "value" product.

 

[Virtra]

Originally posted by: Heidfirst

Originally posted by: Virtra
Will there be a big difference in performance 2 years from now?

In 2 years we'll all be using different CPU's on different sockets, in different mobos ...

Perhaps you'll be, but I don't plan to replace half my computer every other year, I just can't afford it. And that leads me back to my question. Is it worth throwing down the extra $90 now for the ASUS A8R32-MVP or the ABIT AT8 32X, or should I just go with the ABIT AT8 since it currently has very similar real world results. Or am I going to find myself needing (not wanting... needing) to replace my mobo in two years.

You might want to checkout how that PSU will fare with your proposed setup - afaik (not available in Europe) they are a house brand "value" product.

Yeah I was thinking about that... but since I don't plan to do anything very power intensive with my computer other than adding another video card, I think I should be alright.

 

[cupajava]

Virtra, I too was in the same dilemma. This is my second build and all I have left for my htpc setup is the mobo and I have decided on either getting the AT8 or AT8-32X. Your right, the AT8-32X is getting good reviews but the performance improvements are marginal at best so the premium may not be warranted. Well, today I broke and ordered the AT8. Here are my reasons:

1. The board is for an HTPC case I am building and once I get it overclocked to an acceptable level, I don't plan on tinkering with it again. The AT8 is proven to be a good overclocker on its own. If you don't care to overclock, this board is good enough for your purposes.

2. Both boards share the same great onboard audio. Why should I pay more for the same?

3. The AT8 has been around longer and has shed some of its growing pains with a new bios release. I hope this will lead to a less stressful build than a board that was just released.

4. Since Nvidia now owns Uli (the makers of the northbridge on this board) I am a little worried they are going to dump support of this chipset as soon as they can. If for any reason their lack of support should lead to the demise of my board, I will be glad I didn't pay the premium for it.

5. Crossfire performance isn't a factor for me as I will only be running one video card.

Trust me, I would love to buy the AT8-32X but my current setup just wouldn't take advantage of all its added features. Also, with AM2 around the corner and ati's new SB600 northbridge, I am sure I will be asking myself the same question a few months from now. Once you've got the bug, it's hard to get rid of and once you've completed your first build, 2 years will feel like a very long time for you to wait to upgrade.

 

[Virtra]

Thanks cupajava, that was actually really helpful. I didn't know that part about Nvidia owning the makers of the north bridge. And although crossfire performance does matter to me, I think I'll be going with the AT8 anyway. Again, thanks for the input.