Some questionz about Mobo ..

[yy3d]

I wanna upgrade my AMD 1.2G to A64 3000+ so I have few questions want to ask about motherboard:

1. What is SLi ? for what?
2. How to use this feature: FSB 1000MHz Hyper Transport (2000 MT/s) ?
3. what is PCI Express x1? for what?
4. Why most ppl use 1G memory now? ( I dont notice any big different btw 256M and 512M)
5. Does any two the same brand and feature ddr memory can be used for dual channel?
6. Does my old antec power supply (it is using in my Athlon 1.2G Mainboard) can be used for socket 939 motherboard?
7. Any under $100 Mobo is good for A64 3000+ ?

Thanks!!

 

[evilharp]

Originally posted by: yy3d
I wanna upgrade my AMD 1.2G to A64 3000+ so I have few questions want to ask about motherboard:

1. What is SLi ? for what?
2. How to use this feature: FSB 1000MHz Hyper Transport (2000 MT/s) ?
3. what is PCI Express x1? for what?
4. Why most ppl use 1G memory now? ( I dont notice any big different btw 256M and 512M)
5. Does any two the same brand and feature ddr memory can be used for dual channel?
6. Does my old antec power supply (it is using in my Athlon 1.2G Mainboard) can be used for socket 939 motherboard?
7. Any under $100 Mobo is good for A64 3000+ ?

Thanks!!

1) Sli is nVidias dual-gpu solution. 2 graphics cards (pci-e) for double (sometimes) the performance
2) HyperTransport is used by default. It is how the CPU communicates with the ram and the system.
3) PCI-E 1x is used for nothing. No cards support it yet. So far it makes a nice dust trap.
4) 1gb of ram offers the best performance/price ratio in games/applications at the moment -but- with 2gb kit prices falling (and apps getting memory hungry) this willl change
5) dual channel needs ram of the same speed (ie PC3200) and timings (ie 2-2-2-10) to work. Unsure about mixing brands, but it is probably possible with relaxed settings.
6) What wattage is your old PSU (important as most systems need more power now than before)? Does it sport the P4 12v connector? If not, you may want to upgrade.
7) Sure, lots of value boards (939) under $100 are good for the A64 3000+. Just don't expect sli or firewire or other "goodies" Just query newegg or monarch for a list. Ask about the specific board you are interested in, and read reviews. Don't buy a turkey.

 

[yy3d]

Well ! A64 3000+ 's 1G FSB is a perfect match with mobo's 1000MHz Hyper Transport (2000 MT/s) feature right ? So how about the memory speed? it can reach (pc3200)400mhz only. Is it the bottle neck of fsb ? Is higher FSB good for using those PCI-E Video card w HyperMemory feature (Ex. MSI RX300HM-TD128E Radeon X300SE )?

I have another extra question:
If I wanna spend $150 to upgrade a part for a low end AMD PC, which is the best choice to upgrade to make it running faster obviously for app user and game user?
1.cpu?
2.memory?
3.HD?
4.MoBo?
5.OC?
6. or ....

Thanks.

 

[evilharp]

Originally posted by: yy3d
Well ! A64 3000+ 's 1G FSB is a perfect match with mobo's 1000MHz Hyper Transport (2000 MT/s) feature right ? So how about the memory speed? it can reach (pc3200)400mhz only. Is it the bottle neck of fsb ? Is higher FSB good for using those PCI-E Video card w HyperMemory feature (Ex. MSI RX300HM-TD128E Radeon X300SE )?

I have another extra question:
If I wanna spend $150 to upgrade a part for a low end AMD PC, which is the best choice to upgrade to make it running faster obviously for app user and game user?
1.cpu?
2.memory?
3.HD?
4.MoBo?
5.OC?
6. or ....

Thanks.

Ok, get ready to be confused...

With Athlon 64 based chips.

Socket 939 = Hyper Transport 2000MT/s
Socket 754 = Hyper Transport 2000MT/s

Socket 939 = Dual Channel Ram
Socket 754 = Single Channel Ram

Socket 939 = A64, FX, X2, Opteron (soon), Sempron (soon)
Socket 754 = A64 and Sempron
Socket 940 = Opteron and FX-51

Memory

DDR3200 is officially supported. However with dividers, lower speeds are also supported.
BUT!!! With the new A64 E Steppings, higher ram speeds are also supported with dividers.

So, if you get an A64 3000+ Venice (E stepping) you will need a socket 939 board with the current Bios to support the chip.

If you get the venice chip, you can run most any ddr dual channel ram you want (or limited single channel combinations). Is ram the bottleneck? No, the A64 has an outstanding on-chip memory controller. Memory is not a bottleneck.

FSB is largely irrelevant to PCI/AGP/PCI-E devices. Most boards allow you to fix the speed that these devices interface at (ie. 66mhz). The FSB is not a bottleneck, and you can adjust up or down.

So, what is the best upgrade (for $150?)

First, what do you have? If you have a socket A system (your first post), chances are you need a lot of stuff.