Socket 754 NOW! or Socket 939 Later?

[NokiaDude]

I really want to sell my current mobo + cpu + RAM to buy a new mobo/cpu combo. Right now the A64 CPU's look awesome, but I've heard Socket 754 is the "new" Socket A? Is Socket 754 going to stay or should I buy a Socket 939 combo for the best future upgrades? All I need is something that will hardly limit an X800-XT-PE.

 

[Sonix7]

If i Recal correctly, AMD plans is to conserve both Sockets alive, the main difference is that A64 socket 754 will more become the mainstream choice, as they only have 1 single channel memory controller are cheaper.
Socket 939 it's a more powerful proc. since it has DualDDR. so, if you want the best, go with the A64 939.

 

[50]

Whatever you do, don't buy socket 940 unless you can get a really good deal. Socket 940 will be opteron only. At this point Socket 754 is your best bet, since s939 is really expensive and not worth it at the moment.

 

[caz67]

Whatever you do, don't buy socket 940 unless you can get a really good deal. Socket 940 will be opteron only. At this point Socket 754 is your best bet, since s939 is really expensive and not worth it at the moment.

I have to agree.

 

[blackpool9]

If price is no object, then go with S939. If you are operating on a budget, with current applications a S754 3200+ will get you almost the same performance as a S939 3500+ and save you several hundred dollars. Plus, waiting on the S939 will allow you to go for a second or third generation S939 mobo (maybe even with PCI-Express) if/when you upgrade again.

 

[LED]

Socket 939 is the beginning of the end for socket 940 & 754..I bet many people that bought socket 754 based on processors are wishing that they would have waited as the 939 will be upgradeable into 2006.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: LED
Socket 939 is the beginning of the end for socket 940 & 754..I bet many people that bought socket 754 based on processors are wishing that they would have waited as the 939 will be upgradeable into 2006.

Not at all. I have been on skt754 for over 6 months already, and most of that time@3700+ speed. By the time 3700+ is unable to adequately satisfy my needs, I'll be able to make it my 2nd 64bit capable boxen and get into a 939 set-up for less, and with far more variety of hardware to choose from 😉

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: LED
Socket 939 is the beginning of the end for socket 940 & 754..I bet many people that bought socket 754 based on processors are wishing that they would have waited as the 939 will be upgradeable into 2006.

Not at all. I have been on skt754 for over 6 months already, and most of that time@3700+ speed. By the time 3700+ is unable to adequately satisfy my needs, I'll be able to make it my 2nd 64bit capable boxen and get into a 939 set-up for less, and with far more variety of hardware to choose from 😉

Agreed. I just ordered a S754 mobo/ram combo...I never 'upgrade' my processor and mobo seperately, so why would I really care? I like to reuse the combos in other 'second line' boxes that I keep around. When I'm ready to upgrade, I won't be crippled by an old CPU/Mobo/Slow RAM.

 

[LED]

LOL... DAPUNISHER, Not everyone is like you (or me for that matter) and is willing to upgrade annually. I guess my point was in reference to NokiaDude's question of:

Is Socket 754 going to stay or should I buy a Socket 939 combo for the best future upgrades?

😉

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: LED
LOL... DAPUNISHER, Not everyone is like you (or me for that matter) and is willing to upgrade annually. I guess my point was in reference to NokiaDude's question of:

Is Socket 754 going to stay or should I buy a Socket 939 combo for the best future upgrades?

😉

I see your perspective now, looking out for his wallet :beer: I'm with So on this though, by the time he would upgrade CPUs he'd be after a new $100-$150 board I should think too. Maybe nF4 with Soundstorm2?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I only went for a 754 board because a complete MB+CPU upgrade was possible with that $198 deal. The next upgrade I'm going to do is probably going to be near complete (definately a MB+CPU+RAM+Vidcard) and this holds off me needing to for a bit longer.

 

[minofifa]

I am also interested in buying an AMD based computer in the near future. One thing that i'm not sure about is, what does it mean to have 1 RAM controller insted of 2? Does this mean that i can only use one stick of DDR ram insted of two? i definately want 1024 meg of ram and i would rather pay less for two 512's insted of one 1024. Would this be possible with the 754 socket or whould i have to go with the 939?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: minofifa
I am also interested in buying an AMD based computer in the near future. One thing that i'm not sure about is, what does it mean to have 1 RAM controller insted of 2? Does this mean that i can only use one stick of DDR ram insted of two? i definately want 1024 meg of ram and i would rather pay less for two 512's insted of one 1024. Would this be possible with the 754 socket or whould i have to go with the 939?

The difference in one or two controllers is just single or dual channel. You can still put 2x512mb DDR400 in 754 but that's the limit. Otherwise you drop down to DDR333.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: LED
Socket 939 is the beginning of the end for socket 940 & 754..I bet many people that bought socket 754 based on processors are wishing that they would have waited as the 939 will be upgradeable into 2006.

Not one bit of regret 😀, maybe a little but nothing I wouldn't do again. I tend to upgrade the CPU, motherboard, & memory @ the same time so the socket change doesn't affect me to that extent. What does affect my upgrading path is that I have to change over to PCI-E but it's not a big hurdle.

 

[Algere]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER

Originally posted by: minofifa
I am also interested in buying an AMD based computer in the near future. One thing that i'm not sure about is, what does it mean to have 1 RAM controller insted of 2? Does this mean that i can only use one stick of DDR ram insted of two? i definately want 1024 meg of ram and i would rather pay less for two 512's insted of one 1024. Would this be possible with the 754 socket or whould i have to go with the 939?

The difference in one or two controllers is just single or dual channel. You can still put 2x512mb DDR400 in 754 but that's the limit. Otherwise you drop down to DDR333.

I forgot

Is that a CPU/mem. controller or mobo/chipset limitation? or a combination of both?

 

[sao123]

on AMD cpu's the memory hub is on the cpu (intels its in the northbridge) so this is a cpu limitation.

 

[Markfw]

Socket 939/940 is dual memory controllers, not dual channel. The dual controllers are on the CPU, and the extra pins are so the other memory controller can have its own path to its own memory. That not the same thing as dual channel for nforce2/P4.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Socket 939/940 is dual memory controllers, not dual channel. The dual controllers are on the CPU, and the extra pins are so the other memory controller can have its own path to its own memory. That not the same thing as dual channel for nforce2/P4.

I'd like one of our members to expound on that. If it's not dual channel on 939 why Does Derek repeatedly call it that?
It's just another 64bit controller that serves the same purpose as the 2nd 64bit controller on nF2 I thought?

 

[Markfw]

Well, I guess its a matter of symantics. The socket 754 has a 64-bit data path to memory, and 128 bit for socket 939/940. There are two memory controllers on the 939/940 chips vs one for socket 754. The dual channel for XP/P4 is different, and on the motherboard.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Well, I guess its a matter of symantics. The socket 754 has a 64-bit data path to memory, and 128 bit for socket 939/940. There are two memory controllers on the 939/940 chips vs one for socket 754. The dual channel for XP/P4 is different, and on the motherboard.

This is a bit like differentiating between "all wheel drive" and "four wheel drive". The Socket939/940 A64s have two memory controllers on the die, which they can use to access two different banks of RAM in parallel. While the implementation differs from the AXP/P4 "dual channel memory" (I believe these use a single 'double' controller on the northbridge), the end result is the same. It's certainly not much of a stretch to call them both "dual channel" memory configurations.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Well, I guess its a matter of symantics. The socket 754 has a 64-bit data path to memory, and 128 bit for socket 939/940. There are two memory controllers on the 939/940 chips vs one for socket 754. The dual channel for XP/P4 is different, and on the motherboard.

This is a bit like differentiating between "all wheel drive" and "four wheel drive". The Socket939/940 A64s have two memory controllers on the die, which they can use to access two different banks of RAM in parallel. While the implementation differs from the AXP/P4 "dual channel memory" (I believe these use a single 'double' controller on the northbridge), the end result is the same. It's certainly not much of a stretch to call them both "dual channel" memory configurations.

^--- agreed.

Oh, and for some reason, I thought at the K8T800 chipset implimented its own non-amd memory controller w/ dual channel. Am I crazy, or did I hear that somewhere?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Well, I guess its a matter of symantics. The socket 754 has a 64-bit data path to memory, and 128 bit for socket 939/940. There are two memory controllers on the 939/940 chips vs one for socket 754. The dual channel for XP/P4 is different, and on the motherboard.

This is a bit like differentiating between "all wheel drive" and "four wheel drive". The Socket939/940 A64s have two memory controllers on the die, which they can use to access two different banks of RAM in parallel. While the implementation differs from the AXP/P4 "dual channel memory" (I believe these use a single 'double' controller on the northbridge), the end result is the same. It's certainly not much of a stretch to call them both "dual channel" memory configurations.

^--- agreed.

Oh, and for some reason, I thought at the K8T800 chipset implimented its own non-amd memory controller w/ dual channel. Am I crazy, or did I hear that somewhere?

You're crazy AFAIK.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: ViRGE

Originally posted by: So

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: Markfw900
Well, I guess its a matter of symantics. The socket 754 has a 64-bit data path to memory, and 128 bit for socket 939/940. There are two memory controllers on the 939/940 chips vs one for socket 754. The dual channel for XP/P4 is different, and on the motherboard.

This is a bit like differentiating between "all wheel drive" and "four wheel drive". The Socket939/940 A64s have two memory controllers on the die, which they can use to access two different banks of RAM in parallel. While the implementation differs from the AXP/P4 "dual channel memory" (I believe these use a single 'double' controller on the northbridge), the end result is the same. It's certainly not much of a stretch to call them both "dual channel" memory configurations.

^--- agreed.

Oh, and for some reason, I thought at the K8T800 chipset implimented its own non-amd memory controller w/ dual channel. Am I crazy, or did I hear that somewhere?

You're crazy AFAIK.

Well, alright then.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Hey So, I think what you are remembering, is that articles have mentioned AMD has left the ability to disable the memory controller so they can use their own on-board, but only a lunatic would do that given it's cheaper and faster this way.

 

[So]

Originally posted by: DAPUNISHER
Hey So, I think what you are remembering, is that articles have mentioned AMD has left the ability to disable the memory controller so they can use their own on-board, but only a lunatic would do that given it's cheaper and faster this way.

Ah! Yes, okay, that is definitely what I was thinking of. Cool, thanks.

Guess I'm not crazy, yet. :evil: