Socket M2 Lifespan?

So here's the deal, I'm wanting to upgrade in Q1 2007 from my current system:

P4 2.6 @ 3.0 ....and 400mhz FSB
1-2gb (possibly getting some more) PC-2700
Jetway 9800xt

As you can see from the few things I can remember the specs of (I'm at work), I don't upgrade all too often. I got this PC several years ago and then upgraded as time went on.

Now I'm planning on getting a 4400 X2 on the M2 socket in the spring of 07. I keep hearing people talk about the switch over to DDR-III in around Q4 '07 and how that will probably be a new socket. I'm wondering if this means that the M2 socket will be like the middle child in a family, and is just there to fill in the space until the real stuff comes out. I wouldn't mind things being the way it seems they are going, but my only worry is that there won't be much room for upgrades down the road from my planned setup due to the switch to DDR-III.

I know I won't be getting hard facts, but just speculation, and I don't mind that at all. Just wondering what other people are feeling about all of this, and if they plan to hold out to see what will come next. Unfortunately I don't think I'll make it that long as my PC is becoming more and more out dated as time goes on.

Also I would like to add I wouldn't mind upgrading again from M2 about 3 years after, so that would be around 2010. Tho I'll probably not be able to spend much on PC's at that point (marriage hopefully by then).

I look forward to your input and thoughts. It will be interesting to see what people are feeling about this.

Burdman

Burdman27911 said:

Tho I'll probably not be able to spend much on PC's at that point (marriage hopefully by then).

Click to expand...

Sorry, can't help on the topic, but it's good to see you understand what kind of effect marriage has to buying computer parts!

Hehe, yeah my probable future wife already knows that I'm deeply into PCs, but at some point I am probably going to have to sit her down and explain why I "need" to buy a new PC. For now I'll expect the worst and maybe I'll get lucky and not have to worry about lack of PC upgrades.

DDR2 has been out a while and now pretty much matches DDR for latency, but current socket 939 systems still beat or equal intels DDR2 machines in pretty much every real world computing task. Also even socket 754 chips ran from 130nm 1.8Ghz parts with 512kb cache to 2.4Ghz parts with 1MB cache (and the highest tech 754 chip the 90nm SOI 2.0Ghz with 256k cache). I should think that there will be enough M2 chips to keep an infrequent upgrader happy, there should be some pretty meaty 65nm semprons avaliable toward the end of M2's lifespan. One possible option would be to wait and see if Asrock release an next gen dual processor board like the one everybody is raving about at the moment, then you would be good for M2's successor as well.
I have just bought a medium end 939 system based around the Asrock board, my plan was to put an M2 chip and DDR2 in it at some point, then to buy a similar next gen board after a while and transfer the RAM and processor.

Also consider the new opteron socket F, 940 was introduced before 754 (lasted from 1.8Ghz single core to 2.8Ghz single core and 2.4Ghz dual core), but outlasted it, and I should think socket F would stay around for a while as well.

That's what I was feeling, but I wasn't sure if people thought that the M2 (or F) would be a short lived thing that was only ment to bridge the gap until the one with DDR-III comes around.

I'll probably be happy with what I can get, and most likely I'll upgrade about a year or 2 after the switch to DDR-III when the latency has come down to a reasonable level, and prices aren't killer either .

Hmm, an upgrade to M2 & DDR3 in 07.....

Look at how the past sockets & memory have come out. -Late.

For a good M2 & DDR3, it'll be more like middle of 08. and this is 05/06 now.

Find a reasonable A64 setup to upgrade to now ($300 ish)
to hold you over until a good Solid M2 platform comes out supporting DDR3.

You won't want to be a 1st buyer & spend mega bucks, so it'll be more like late 08 or 09 even.

Hey WarriorII, It's not that I'm thinking of going to DDR-III in 07. I'm planning on sticking with the M2 (or I'll look into F at that time) with some good DDR-II that I will build in spring of 07. I really don't want to build until then because I have an old friend who has been living out of state/country and will be back then, and it will be a duo build kind of thing (to remember the good ol' days of building PCs). Anyway, my real concern was that the M2 wouldn't be around for a while because of the move to better memory and possible new socket.

I'll be fine with my current system for one more year, but any longer than that will make me go crazy. And btw, I like how you don't recogmend to look into DDR-III until '09, that's what I was thinking myself. I hate to be on the bleeding edge of tech, because it usually means my checking acount will do some bleeding too. A nice solid (semi-highend) system has never done me wrong

The thing is, if you are planning on upgrading in a year, and keeping that rig for another 3 years, it does'nt really matter what you get. At the time, have a look at what's hot (like opterons on socket 939 now), and get that.

It won't matter if it's ddr2 or 3, since you will keep the rig for 3 years. Performance at the time is sure to be better then now, and in 2010 it will have again moved onwards so far that you won't be able to re-use any of your current parts.

As you mentioned, people can only guess. My guess is that you will find something good in a years time, and if you are patient (unlike most people here) you will manage 3 years with it. The way to go will probably be dual-core, as by 2010 just about all applications will be threaded.