Originally posted by: Mingon
Originally posted by: Zebo
Umm by the time your done spend $200 on MSI K7D Master and $200 on chips and $200 on registerd low speed 2700 mem your better off with P4. This is a price performance matrix Intel wins.
And it's not like you can just throw a barton/moblie barton in and expect it to work in a MP setup. They require extensive modification which simply is'nt worth it IMO and beefy PSU and two noise maker HSF instead of one.
Extensive? your talking out of where the sun doesnt shine

they require the third lv5 bridge to be cut (remove mobile cpuid), then you just mod the pins to get the desired multiplier. I use a conductive pen rather than wire to join the pins, its easier (less fiddly) and is much safer.
The cpu's are then fully recognised as being SMP capable, whereas barton modded are capablle but not recognised by the mobo. I have built 2 rigs, with my current running 2 x 2500+'s at 2.4ghz (2.5 capable).
They are a comparable to a top end p4 unit, I dont know where you get your costs from;
A decent intel cpu will be equivalent in cost to 2 x mobile chips,
memory will be cheaper for the AMD as you only need pc2100 (normal is fine upto 512 I use cheapo 3200)
A 420 watt psu is Ok, I have used a 350watt psu with no issue's
A decent Intel motherboard is slightly cheaper tham the AMD
Then you need 2 x decent cpu cooler, zalman would be good.
So for the same amount you will have a machine that will be as quick as an intel in most application with the benefit of proper SMP not intels fake SMP whihc frankly is nowhere near as good (I have a 2.4c@3.0 setup also).