How are the AMD Athlon's working out? Which AMD is the best?

[btearp]

I am thinking about going back to AMD and trying to build a fast AMD Athlon DDR computer. What MB, cpu, memory would be the best? I started out using AMD a long time ago and had a K6-2 300 and 400. Both gave me the blues. I had FIC boards then with Via chipsets. Seemed everything was incompatible, no matter what I bought. Flashed the bios, did everything. When I got them running, I could count on once a month reinstalling windows on them, if not more. I love playing online games with my wife. I built her an Intel P2 400mhz pc and she never had a problem. So I switch over all my machines to Intels. Now we both are using Intel 800mhz with 133 FSB on Asus CUSL2 MB's and things couldn't be better. But I still dream of having a 1.4ghz machine running on DDR memory. Do the AMD's still have those same problems of yore? Or did they go beyond those troubles? I still have a bad taste in my mouth from those first VIA chipsets I had on my FIC boards. Post some suggestions on tried and true systems you have put together and some general info such as memory type & brand, MB type & Brand, Cpu type & speed. I'd really like to know if I should recommend the Athlon to my friends. I build most of their game computers now and it might give them better machines for the buck. But I don't want them coming back every month wanting me to reinstall windows and drivers or figure out what new compatibility issue they have. Thanks.

Ben Earp

 

[eLiu]

Hmm...1.2ghz tbird (266 fsb) or a 1ghz 266, Epox 8K7A (using AMD 761 chipset/Via 686B southbridge), 256MB Cruical PC2100. About 110 for the CPU...125 for that motheraboard...45 or so for the memory. That's basically the "sweet spot" of the market right now...great stuff I just built a system based on the same stuff myself...and many others here have also

AMD no longer has massive incompatibility issues. However, the AMD 761 does not work with sone Netgear NIC cards...and the SB Live! soundcards often have issues with VIA products.

Oh...and I know you're new, but it needs to be said: use the search feature

-eric

 

[Modus]

AMD platforms are as stable and reliable as anything Intel has to offer. They're also faster and cheaper in most cases. With the experts on this forum to guide you, you have nothing worry about.

Modus

 

[AthlonMan]

my 1.4 ghz kicks over the intels p4's execpt in quake 3, well whoopie quake 3 is not that great anyways.

 

[VBboy]

AMD Athlon is slow and very expensive. The memory and motherboard it uses is also very expensive. It's not a good buy.

Wait, that's P4

 

[damocles]

AMD is great in terms of price, performance and compatibility.

If you want to go DDR i'd probably suggest the AMD 761 motherboards- they are the most mature DDR solution.

my 1.4 ghz kicks over the intels p4's execpt in quake 3, well whoopie quake 3 is not that great anyways.

It's not quite that simple unless you are talking about price. There are other games/progs where the P4 is superior and you have to remember that Intel has a more optimistic roadmap for the next few months

 

[Athlon4all]

Well yes, AMD is still crippled somewhat because of VIA, but if you get a AMD 760 board it is a very stable chipset. I agree, Epox 8K7A+ is the best option, with Cruical 256MB PC2100, and yeah 1.2GHz is da best at only $100. And yeah, I have to 2nd. that P4 has a very good looking next few months.

 

[m2super]

"my 1.4 ghz kicks over the intels p4's execpt in quake 3, well whoopie quake 3 is not that great anyways."
hmmm on my 1.33@1.5 tbird I was getting sick playing Q3A yesterday it was going so damn fast! 1280x1024x32 everything maxxed and 2x fsaa enabled! Im sure the vidcard had somethin to do with that =]

Go with the AMD system you will be happy with it!
From what I have been reading the Epox sounds stable, crucial or mushkin for the ddr ram and a 1.33 or 1.4(better deal on the 1.33 try and get an axia mine hit 1.5 some are going higher!)

 

[millsy]

How high could I overclock the Athlon 1.4 266mhz processor on the Epox 8K7A board?
I would be using Crucial PC2100
Swiftech heatsink
good case - lots of cooling

 

[jaggrey]

You could probably take it quite a ways....I haven't done it with that processor. I have a Duron 800 that I took all the way up to 1.1 GHz. My best overclock