Second thoughts about Socket AM2

Cybie1111 said:

I was considering getting an AM2 by next month but it dosen't seem like it is worth the money im paying for. I am willing to scratch more money off for DDR2 but from all the reviews I have seen, it dosent seem to be much of a significant change except for extra memory bandwidth. If I might go for either AM2 or 939, it will still guarantee me another 2 years of good and fast gaming just like my 2 year old P4 heater. I am currently have my side with 939 because I can save about 200 bucks on the RAM I would get from an AM2 system and focus more on a more quality motherboard and CPU since my ram currently is almost a year old now. But im also worried that people have problems using 4 Ram sticks in a 939 setup. Suggestions are highly appreciated for deciding if I should go for 939 or AM2.

Edit: My bad, I posted in the wrong section, please move this to general hardware, Thanks.

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If history's ANY indicator, I would hold off...

See, I did a LOT of research on these & other forums regarding the AM2 socket cpu releases, & for GOOD reason - A month or so ago, I had laid out out quite a sum for an AMD system using the Socket 939 4800+ cpu & then this new family of mobo/cpu/memory (DDR to DDR2) has come out.

I had to see what I may have "missed out" on!

I wanted to see how much more was gained by the new AM2 systems that utilize the higher bandwidth DDR2 memory (as opposed to the DDR/Pc-3200 SDRAM I use here now)... & the gains are NOT there (yet), in any tests I had seen online & I went to most ALL of them the day the init. reviews were posted on AM2 here & elsewhere online.

See, why I mention history is, I don't know how many of you can/will remember this, because it's happened before & quite a while ago (more than a decade now):

E.G.-> It's just like how the gen #1 Pentiums (60mhz ones) were not any faster initially than high-end 486 systems on most things!

I.E.-> A 486 Dx/4 133mhz could run right with Pentium 60's no problem on most tests (provided all things bus wise were the same, e.g.-> both systems had say, Vesa Local Bus slots for video &/or disks, & same amounts & types of RAM on them).

Then, later?

I saw Pentium I 66mhz & up begin to start taking SIZEABLE leads on high-end 486's... & then eventually "retire" them from the field because of the gains being demonstrated.



* I think the same thing WILL eventually happen here, but it is NOT here yet... The AM2 slot will be most effective in another "generation" of cpu's by AMD, but the time isn't now, @ least not for MOST things!

APK

P.S.=> Do I think an AM2 socketed/DDR2 utilizing system would get the better of say, the system I have now, on certain apps? Yes. On something that is HIGH memory bandwidth intensive, they should... but, apparently, from all the tests I read about online? Only memory benchmark programs demo this, but nobody demonstrated anything that is used in practice out there for any kind of production work! apk

Well, basically, I went for the AM2, and yes, the ram is ung-dly expensive, but other than that, I think the good trumps the bad. Think of it this way, the 939 is going to go out of existance before the AM2, and the extra money spent on ram will now be not spent on a new comp in the next 1.5 years vs. 2 years for the AM2.

A lot of people have been bashing it like "OMG WTF NEW GEN OF STUFF SUCKZZOR"

Its not a generation upgrade, just a memory change... but in this case requires a different socket...

But its futureproof...

but these days it seems like all we do is futureproof, futureproof, futureproof....

Either socket will be blazingly fast.

Get whatever is the easiest now. DDR2 prices will drop soonl, and be around....

its not really future^^
take a conroe cpu or a 939 everything else is lost of money for nothing
and like you can see in the last news amd is willing to produce some more cpus on 939

go for the am2.. at least u will have the "latest" even if there is no sigificant performance gain to be had from it..

assuming it dosnt work out that much more expensive just cos its the "latest" otherwise on a purely bang for buck basis.. the extra money would be better spend on a higher range cpu or grfx card and staying with the 939 system..

i have rarely upgraded a cpu without at least a new mobo at the same time so nothing is future proof ever..

in simple terms if the same money will buy a faster 939 cpu or faster grfx card.. dont go for am2.. if the money aint much different go for it..

of course there is the bragging rights thing.. most folks will think the latest is best even if it isnt.. that fact is worth something.. not much thow.. he he

trog

The memory isn't too expensive though. Tiger Direct and NewEgg have the cheapest memory.