Need Recommendation for new MB/CPU

[rsmigel]

Hello to All,

I'm getting involved in some video transfer to DVD and my Athlon XP 1600+ and ASUS A7V8X don't seem to be up to the task. I'd like to upgrade to a Athlon 64 3200+ with a decent ASUS motherboard (I've always had good luck with them). I hope to continue to use my Crucial 2x512Mb PC3200 184pin DIMM memory chips and retain my ATI 9800 Pro video card and SB Audigy 2 ZS sound card.

Can you please recommend a solid ASUS motherboard and anything else I might consider to upgrade? I hope to keep this MB for 2-3 years. I am a casual gamer, but do a moderate amount of photo editing.

Thanks in advance.

 

[imported_miahallen]

Welcome to Anandtech!

I think I can speak for most of us, for your purposes, you should consider going dual-core, instead of with the 64 3200+. If you're only a casual game, you probably don't need an SLI mobo, so this one should work fine. It's a solid choice, and all your current hardware (including RAM) is compatible. The processor of choice right now is the Opteron 165, and it has solid overclocking potential.

Good luck!

 

[imported_rod]

Welcome to AT!

If you want to upgrade to a socket 939 motherboard you will probably need to replace that video card unfortunately (I presume it's AGP). Can you just replace the CPU in your system? I'm fairly sure there are socket754 athlon64's.

RoD

 

[imported_rod]

Originally posted by: miahallen
Welcome to Anandtech!

I think I can speak for most of us, for your purposes, you should consider going dual-core, instead of with the 64 3200+. If you're only a casual game, you probably don't need an SLI mobo, so this one should work fine. It's a solid choice, and all your current hardware (including RAM) is compatible. The processor of choice right now is the Opteron 165, and it has solid overclocking potential.

Good luck!

Unless he is doing ALOT of this, and encoding one file while ripping another, then dual-core is just a very costly option for not alot of extra performance.

Also, the A8N-E is a PCI Express Motherboard. He would have to replace his 9800 Pro, which is going to up the price some more.

EDIT: The opteron 165 is becoming harder to find and more costly than the 3800+ X2. AMD was getting p1ssed off with overclockers using their server-class CPU's.

RoD

 

[thecoolnessrune]

If you do video encoding and are going dual core, the Intel 9xx series actually beats AMD. (prepares flame suit)

 

[imported_miahallen]

Originally posted by: rod

Originally posted by: miahallen
Welcome to Anandtech!

I think I can speak for most of us, for your purposes, you should consider going dual-core, instead of with the 64 3200+. If you're only a casual game, you probably don't need an SLI mobo, so this one should work fine. It's a solid choice, and all your current hardware (including RAM) is compatible. The processor of choice right now is the Opteron 165, and it has solid overclocking potential.

Good luck!

Unless he is doing ALOT of this, and encoding one file while ripping another, then dual-core is just a very costly option for not alot of extra performance.

Also, the A8N-E is a PCI Express Motherboard. He would have to replace his 9800 Pro, which is going to up the price some more.

EDIT: The opteron 165 is becoming harder to find and more costly than the 3800+ X2. AMD was getting p1ssed off with overclockers using their server-class CPU's.

RoD

You're right about the video card. So I should have recommended a different mobo, like this one. But, I'd stick to my dual-core recommendation, the types of things he said he is using the computer for does see a benefit (especially because these types of things are usually done in the background while user is working on other stuff). Plus, he said he uses photo-shop, which loves dual-core. The 3800 X2 is another great choice, but if you can get ahold of an opteron, I'd say it's worth a small premium. BTW, this mobo is great for future upgrades, it supports both AGP graphics like yours, and PCIe (the more recent type). ASRock is owned by ASUS.

 

[imported_miahallen]

Originally posted by: rod
Welcome to AT!

If you want to upgrade to a socket 939 motherboard you will probably need to replace that video card unfortunately (I presume it's AGP). Can you just replace the CPU in your system? I'm fairly sure there are socket754 athlon64's.

RoD

If he is to replace JUST the CPU in his system, he'll need a socket A, not a socket 754.

 

[imported_rod]

Originally posted by: thecoolnessrune
If you do video encoding and are going dual core, the Intel 9xx series actually beats AMD. (prepares flame suit)

Intel > AMD!!! Arg. FLAME FLAME FLAME.

Actually, you're probably right. Intel seem to be better with the video encoding than AMD. Maybe the OP should look at going Intel. But that means new RAM and new VC.

RoD

 

[rsmigel]

Thanks for all the input so far!

Got a big fat tax check coming, so let's throw a new video card into the mix. I don't want to do this half-as(h), then do it again next year.

... so that is a new MB, a new processor, and a new video card (almost a new system). I'll keep my big case, memory, power supply, sound card, CD/DVD drive, and two hard drives.

I like the AMD/ASUS mix; what's a fair priced video card to throw in? I'd like to be able to game w/o getting a new card for a few years.

 

[secretanchitman]

amd-

cpu: X2 3800+/opteron 165 or higher.
mobo: Asus A8N-E or the asus with the ati chipset - i forget what its called.
video: nvidia geforce 7800GT

296+98+299= 693.

you could also go SLI if you wanted to in the near future. just get the a8n-sli deluxe and pick up another 7800gt whenever you want.

hope that helps somewhat. good luck!