Looking to Upgrade from 32bit to 64bit - Please advise

[GodMac]

Hi, I've got the below spec (see sig) and I'm looking to upgrade to 64bit. I'm looking at the below CPU. I do a lot of gaming and my current CPU is struggling with the graphics on some so I want to upgrade my rig. So to start I want to get a decent CPU that will last for a couple of years at least without going overboard on price. Is the below CPU any good? If not, any other recommendations in the £150 retail price band?

Athlon 64 4600 Dual Core 2.4GHz 512kb L2 cache AM2 940 pin

 

[locutus12]

Hi, I've got the below spec (see sig) and I'm looking to upgrade to 64bit. I'm looking at the below CPU. I do a lot of gaming and my current CPU is struggling with the graphics on some so I want to upgrade my rig. So to start I want to get a decent CPU that will last for a couple of years at least without going overboard on price. Is the below CPU any good? If not, any other recommendations in the £150 retail price band?

Athlon 64 4600 Dual Core 2.4GHz 512kb L2 cache AM2 940 pin

the Athlon 64 4600 Dual Core cpu is an excellent CPU however i can already here the thundering of Intel Conroe lovers feet running towards this thread so unless your a lover of AMD and specifically wish to stay with them, im going to bow out of this one.

 

[Jokester]

Well, since that's a Socket A board, you will have to upgrade your motherboard regardless. Depending on how much you can spend may point you towards going Conroe, but if funds are tight you'll want to keep RAM and GPU leaving you with S939 or an older Intel board.

Jokester

 

[GodMac]

I do love the AMD CPU, purely for performance and price. I know the Conroe is as I heard a superior CPU, but AMD has worked well for me over the years. I'd rather invest the extra in a high performance Gfx card and RAM. There are peeps out there running very happily with XP2400's, I am also very please with my XP3200, but there is gong to need to be a time when I have to make the jump to 64bit, even if I just run my 32bit XP OS and upgrade the OS and apps later.

I know its not the forum for it but would you recommend a mobo? I really like ASUS components and i'd like to keep mobo and Gfx card the same. Any recommendations to go with the CPU? Thanks in Advance!

 

[locutus12]

I do love the AMD CPU, purely for performance and price. I know the Conroe is as I heard a superior CPU, but AMD has worked well for me over the years. I'd rather invest the extra in a high performance Gfx card and RAM. There are peeps out there running very happily with XP2400's, I am also very please with my XP3200, but there is gong to need to be a time when I have to make the jump to 64bit, even if I just run my 32bit XP OS and upgrade the OS and apps later.

I know its not the forum for it but would you recommend a mobo? I really like ASUS components and i'd like to keep mobo and Gfx card the same. Any recommendations to go with the CPU? Thanks in Advance!

if your looking for a cheap mid term AMD solution as your clearly an AMD fan like myself, try this:

opteron 165 from the USA via a certain auction site. £115 inc postage.
MSI K8N NEO4 £53 inc postage from an auction site.
use existing ram,

sell old board + CPU = £45 back.

total outlay = £123

clock opty 165 to 2.7Ghz on air.


p.s. all this is a lot easier than it sounds, i just got my opteron 170 from the USA for £109 and my DFi lanparty ULTRA-D board for £30. even managed to sell the opty cooler for £13

p.p.s. you will need a new graphics card... i can suggest a few but to be honest i dont have a clue what your old one is ???

 

[Tetras]

You may be better off reposting this question with a budget in the General Hardware forum, asking for an AM2 and a Core 2 Duo rig (CPU/Mobo/RAM/Graphics right?) so you can compare and choose.

Generally C2D has a better price/performance ratio but there isn't that big a difference if your not overclocking, especially at low end, motherboard wise there are decent enough options for every budget for either config.

Graphics wise I think you have an Asus 6800 vanilla atm, maybe a 6800 GT? If so an X1950 Pro/X1950 XT (£130/£170) would be a decent enough upgrade but that depends if you want DX10, in which case an 8800 GTS (£200 - £250 soon) could be what your after (a lot faster than X1950 Pro).

Upgrade wise AM2 and LGA775 should still have options for awhile, Quad cores on LGA775 already and quite a few new C2Ds to come (as well as 4MB low end chips and 1333 FSB) and AM2 has 65nm otw but I'm not sure how long they are gonna stick with the socket with AM2+, AM3, 4x4 etc..

 

[locutus12]

they are gonna stick with the socket with AM2+, AM3, 4x4 etc..

AM2+ and AM3 are AM2 compatible in led to believe.

 

[GodMac]

Thanks all. Appreciate your time.

 

[Corasik]

AM2+ and AM3 are AM2 compatible in led to believe.

Arnt there some limitations to that 'compatibility' though? For instance if AM3 motherboards are all fitted with DDR3, then the DDR2 controller on an AM2 chip will have issues. One site suggests that processors designed for AM3 would have a memory controller that could adapt to DDR2 or 3, but why upgrade cpu, just to have it bandwidth choked in an older design of motherboard etc.