what should i do?

[pbharris]

well folks - as someone else mentioned it is time to go a spending. i am expecting healthy tax refund, but don't wish to drop too much $$.
here are the options as i see them:

new MB, CPU, Vid card. (~ $450.00)

Or
New CPU (Fastest AthlonXP) New HD, DVD Burner, Audigy2 SB card (~ $350.00)

I currently have a Athlon XP 1800 -> 1528 MHz, would be getting a barton core CPU. THis would help with encoding cd's, and hopfully ripping DVD's. Would a 64 bit processor give a big boost there? I like my MB now (Tyan), and there are no Tyan boards I like with Athlon64 - socket 939.

Thoughts?

[binary_boy]

pbharris,

If you are going to upgrade, I'd go to the Athlon 64 now. You can get a 90nm socket 939 Athlon64 3000 for about $155 and you can overclock it to Athlon FX-53 speeds without difficulty.

I have a Barton 2500 running at 2.37Ghz with the front side bus at 430Mhz - I have an Abit NF7-S Ultra 400 mobo, and it is probably the best Socket A board out there for bartons.

I love my system, but I'd love to get an Athlon 64 - that's on next year's list.

Check out some of these links:

www.anandtech.com
www.hardforum.com
http://forums.pcper.com/

[Compunuts]

If I have some extra money to spare, it would be a new 64 system.

[Schotty]

I must agree with the others here -- Go 64!

I would grab a AMD64 CPU and run with that. Plus since I figure you may care, the new OSS video cards are going to be coming out in the next 4 months, so if you can hold off until then, you can get a nice card that happens to be FOR linux then.

[pbharris]

OSS Video card? Tell me more!!

[Schotty]

Here is the best link directly. http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/li.../open-graphics

Here is a good article on current progress. http://kerneltrap.org/node/4622

I have been paying attention, since if it cannot match up to nVIDIA, its still gotta be a great desktop card fine for OO.org/Firefox/Evolution. I have like 5 boxes that need better than 1996 VGA cards and 1MB ram ;D So I have been keeping an eye out for a great linux solution.

[pbharris]

well i opted to hold on on the athlon64 MB - I am going to be drooling after one of those athlon64 dual core processors - and i know if i buy now the MB will not support that CPU

[mojo jojo]

ohh ohhh dual core athlon64, your soo lucky

[pbharris]

[quote author=The Great Mojo Jojo link=board=3;threadid=10206;start=0#msg92650 date=1109452360]
ohh ohhh dual core athlon64, your soo lucky
[/quote]

i will be - i hope!