What do you think about this combo?

[Hermskii]

I learned about the ASROCK 939DUAL-SATA2 a long time ago and just wanted the BIOS bugs worked out before I got one. Now it's time to pick the chip to run in it. Here is what I'm looking at:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Windsor 2.0GHz Socket AM2 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4000CSBOX - Retail

64 bit Support: Yes
HT: 2000MHz
Hyper-Transport Support: Yes
L1 Cache: 128KB+128KB
L2 Cache: 2 x 1MB
Multi-Core: Dual-Core
Process Type: 90 nm
Series: Athlon 64 X2
Virtualization Technology Support: Yes
Vista Ready: Yes

The description is pretty much the same between most of the chips at NewEgg but this one has 2 x 1MB of L2 Cache and all of the rest have 2 x 512kb. Another difference is this one says it has support for Virtualization Technology. Many of the others didn't have any support. This one is a Windsor Core. Many of the others are Toledo, Brisbane or Manchester. This one I'm looking at will cost $230.

So lets make a comparison against another one but one that is slightly faster. This one I'm about to show only cost $17 more than the first. Here are the specs for it:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2.4GHz Socket AM2 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4600CUBOX - Retail

64 bit Support: Yes
HT: 2000MHz
Hyper-Transport Support: Yes
L1 Cache: 128KB+128KB
L2 Cache: 2 x 512KB
Multi-Core: Dual-Core
Process Type: 90 nm
Series: Athlon 64 X2
Virtualization Technology Support: Yes
Vista Ready: Yes

The difference between these two is the second one has:

1200mhz more being 600 more on each core.
1mb less of L2 Cache

So the question here is whether it is worth $17 more to get a total of 1200 more mhz (which I know it is not actual mhz but rather just a number they use to try to show what the speed would be compared to a intel model I guess) being 600 more per core with the second processor I listed but losing half of the cache from 2000 on the first processor down to 1000 on the second.

The AM2 socket version is supported with the mobo right?
This board supports DDR2 right?
What is Virtualization Technology Support?
What's better? More mhz or more L2 Cache?
Is this mobo Vista ready and what does that mean?
If I'm more of a gamer than a multitasker should I get a AMD FX chip instead or go dual core?

Thanks!

 

[Kougar]

The second AMD CPU would be much faster than just having more cache. It's an obvious "yes" upgrade

Windsor is a Socket AM2 processor, socket AM2 only uses DDR2.

That motherboard does support AM2 processors, but only if you buy what appears to be a separate expansion card.

 

[TanisHalfElven]

i would recommend getting a real AM2 mobo.
why are you going for the sata 2 anyway

 

[Hermskii]

Thanks for the answer. I wanted the board because it was scalable being I still have an AGP vid card and this board has it plus the new video PCIe slot. It supports both DDR and DDR2 and 939 or AM2 chips. I'm still listening to you though! How about your DFI?

 

[myocardia]

Hermskii, all of the gamers that I've heard from so far with that motherboard were never happy with it, while using an AGP card. The only people I've seen so far that were happy with it had put a PCI-E video card in it.