Need help, what processor/Mobo????

OK, I know it's probibally been asked a ton of times, but I don't get here to often and now am temp. on dialup so don't have 3 weeks to search LOL. I think it's time to upgrade my Barton 2800+. the latest Mobo I got is tickin me off too. Has issues with my DVD burner and 9800AIW.

My question is what should I look at for gaming processor and MObo? There has been so much advancement in core's. I know it's a vauge question, being so many choices, but that's why I need to ask, cause there is so many choices.

Any help would be appreciated. I'm lookin to upgrade after Xmas. Think I'll have to do my vid card soon too.......


Thx in advance

Oh, BTW, it'll be watercooled and OC'd

If you want a great overclock, get a dfi ultra-d or sli and an opteron 144/146/148. Make sure the opteron you get is the socket 939 model. Keep in mind the dfi's are picky, and can be a task to get them running stable, but they are in fact the best 939 overclocker on the market. This combo with some TCCD memory and a little luck should get you the best speeds for the money.

J.

The Epox EP-9NPA+Ultra is what i'd recommend. THe DFI has more overclocking options, but the Epox is simpler to understand and use. It's also a bit cheaper.

Well my friend went with the DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D and the Opteron 146. If you don't want/need dual core this would probably be a good setup for you, also not too much $.

You gave us no budget to work with so I figure we can spend you into the poorhouse. By January the dual core CPU's may be more affordable and you might want to consider a3800 X2 or an Operon 165 (if you can find one). For someone new to A64's I think the Epox is a better board to start with. The DFI has a terrible manual and is very complex though it is a great overclocker. You may even want to consider 2gigs of ram as it doesn't sound like you upgrade that frequently and in a year or two you will need it. I'd suggest the GSkill ZX 2x1gig. They have low latency and are inexpensive. Ram will even be cheaper in January. Also, there is a new bargain GForce 6600 card from XFX with 256mb of DDR2 and a 400MHz ram clock all for $99! Good luck with whatever you pick.

Thx for the responses. Looks like Opteron is the fave. I do have a budget, Hopefully under $1k Canadian, if possible. That's including a Vid Card. I think I wil try Nvidia for my next card, I haven't had much luck with ATI cards (Thank god for Future Shop's warranty) I'll have to upgrade to PCI anyways, right?

Dual core, is that like dual processor's or what?

Sorry for the lame Q's, I used to be up on all this, but now with my Daughter and work arrangement's, it takes up most of my research time.

What is $1K in USA?


I'am really glad you asked this question cause I'am pretty much wanting to do the same thing. So I'am really looking forward to seeing what comes out of this thread. So far I have an Idea that the DFI and OpTy are going to be favored.

1K CAD is approx $830 USD

So far I have found a Opteron 146 on Ebay for $119 US and a Epox EP-9NPA+Ultra for $109 US

The Opteron has been OC'd and tested for 4 hrs

"32M SuperPI calculation at 3.01Ghz with 1.632v reported by CPU-Z.
Highest 1M SuperPI calculation possible was at 3.07Ghz"

Should I be leery of this??? or is that normal to expect for OC number's?
Also, he took the IHS off and the core looks pretty much like my Barton LOL WOuld make better Waterblock contact and thermal transfer with the IHS removed, right?

I would try to find a new Opty and not one from ebay. There are several canadian retailers carrying the 939 optys. there's an entire thread about canadian options for opty's in this section of the forums. A little patience should find you a NIB model from a reputable retailer for only a few bucks more.

J.

illbreakit said:

Thx for the responses. Looks like Opteron is the fave. I do have a budget, Hopefully under $1k Canadian, if possible. That's including a Vid Card. I think I wil try Nvidia for my next card, I haven't had much luck with ATI cards (Thank god for Future Shop's warranty) I'll have to upgrade to PCI anyways, right?

Dual core, is that like dual processor's or what?

Sorry for the lame Q's, I used to be up on all this, but now with my Daughter and work arrangement's, it takes up most of my research time.

Click to expand...

If you go to an NF4 board you will have to upgrade to a pci-e video card. The budget overclocker board is the ASRock SATAII with ULI-1695 chipset. It has an AGP and a PCI-E slot if you want to avoid upgrading your video for now. The board is available in Canada.

Dual core means 2 cores in one processor. It's a socket 939 and works in a regular 939 mobo. It's great for multitasking.