Socket 754 vs. 939 - What say You?

[robertsmcn]

I'm a few months away from a full blown A64 upgrade. I'll spend between $1,000 - $1,500. I'm primarily a gamer and what I'd like to know is whether there are any real benefits to choosing a socket 939 system over socket 754. With the latest price drops in A64 cpus and emerging 939 hardware, a new socket 754 upgrade is looking better and better. I'll likely go with an A64 3400+ and an MSI K8N Neo Platinum mobo.

My research shows that the performance gains from a 939 CPU and mobo are not worth the extra $$$.

Any thoughts?

 

[kristjanm]

Well, the socket 939 processors run a little faster than the socket 754 ones due to the new dual-channel integrated memory controller. If you purchased a socket 939 mobo/cpu it would make future upgrades easier.

But if you're still a few months away from the upgrade, I recommend waiting for a Socket 939 platform with PCI-Express. I hear that nForce4 should be out before christmas and will support PCI-Express and DDR2. You don't really gain much performance by waiting, but future upgrades will be easier as AGP/DDR won't be around much longer.

 

[Algere]

Not DDR2 (coming late next year) but close enough

@ this time DDR2 is slower than regular DDR so there's no need for the A64 platform to support it yet.

 

[Adn4n]

I don't know about you, but when I upgrade I want to have the newest mobo available. Which is why I would go with 754 for now. I don't care about the minimal performance boost of the 939, it's simply not worth it to me, since I'd have to upgrade to a new mobo due to PCI and ddr 2 in the future anyway. Go with the 754, it'll last you for a while.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Wait for Nforce 4. Just wait you should be happy you did if all the rumors and articles are correct.

-Kevin

 

[Jhatfie]

This is what I did. I got myself a A64 3200+ and Chaintech VNF3-250 for cheap and overclocked it (2.6ghz and rising). A better choice might be a 3000+ and VNF3 since they OC about the same and you save $40 over the 3200+. For now the performance is awesome and in about a year when nForce4 has worked out the bugs and AMD starts getting good yeilds from it's 90nm chips, then I'll upgrade again. nforce4 will offer some key upgrades with favorites being soundstorm2 and SLI.

 

[PhoenixOrion]

depends on your current setup and current use:

nf3/s939 if you can't wait and want it NOW.

nf4/s939 early next year.

 

[RadioHead84]

well if you get a nf3/939 then you can upgrade to a nf4 939 later.....the 754..you cant.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Yes you can Nforce 4 is coming out for 754,939, and 940.

-Kevin

 

[robertsmcn]

Here's the thing - I seem to be the type of person who upgrades everything all at once -not component by component. Maybe that's why I don't feel like I'm limiting myself by going with a 754 system because I figure that the upgrade I'm contemplating will last me for about 3 or more years - same as what I have now, which is:

Athlon XP1800+
Abit KR7A-133R
2x256 OCZ PC2400
80GB Maxtor IDE HD
Sapphire 9600Pro
Plextor CD player/burner
Hitachi 19-inch monitor
Enlight case
Windows XP Pro


After that, I'll do it all over again. I just don't see any major performance advantages from choosing 939 over 754 right now, especially when you compare the overall costs.

 

[lchyi]

If you really have the mentality of a "one upgrade every few years" instead of component by component, then I think you should set your sights on a certain kind of technology and wait for it. NF4 should be very, very promising and it'd be a shame if you upgrade now and you have to live with 30+ months with the older technology, when you could have waited a few months more and have something you can potentially tweak, a year or so down the line.

Just for example, I waited a few months for the 800FSB line of mobos to come out and since then, have kept up with the times by just doing a some minor processor upgrades (2.4 to 2.8 and can go to a 2.8E). If I would have went with the top of the line mobo that only supported 400FSB P4 then I would have been stuck with that still.

 

[DragonFire]

Something to keep in mind is come next year socket 754 will the the duron of today and 939 will be what the current XP's are. I recall reading somewhere that dualcore cpus were only going to be for 939/940? Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

I would wait intill Jan-Aprl.

 

[Soulkeeper]

yeah i think 939 is the way to go
more lifespan
unless money is of higher importance

 

[alent1234]

I think that unless you buy into PCI-e and the next gen RAM, 939 is useless now. Today's 939 boards will only enable you to upgrade the CPU. Anything else and you will need to buy a new mobo, vid card and RAM and just transfer the CPU to the new system.

 

[SynthDude2001]

I'm waiting for Nforce4 on Socket 939 myself.

90nm A64 + two 6800GT's in SLI = :heart:

Edit: But I'd been planning on waiting until next Spring to upgrade anyway, so it works out well for me.