Need Advise building my new CPU

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

Ok fellas, I'm needing some help here.

I used to build computers all the time but that was a while ago. The last computer I built was the one I'm using right now, and I have it since2003.
I thought it was about time for a change and I decided to upgrade everything and leave this one to my kids while Dad gets a new toy

Well, I've been looking at the options (from scratch) and I can't find a better word than OVERWHELMED for it. God how I miss those days when Intel or AMD was the only tough choice to be made.

It's sad that most of my current hardware is incompatible with the new cutting-edge motherboards (IE: I have a nice 512MB Agp 8x Video card that won't fit in any new mobo), and I will have to re-purchase them.

Well, So far I have reduced my options to these parts:

Mobo: http://www.directron.com/m3a32mvpdeluxe.html Pic Here: http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/directron_1992_38271377

Processor: Undecided between:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400 3.2 Ghz Socket AM2
or
AMD Phenom X4 9500 Quad Core

RAM: Mushkin 2x2 GB DDR2 667

What do you think of these parts so far, any comments?.

What do you think about the processor?, which one is faster?. The Athlon lists as 3.2 (dual-core), but the Phenom lists as 2.2 (Quad core).

Thanks for the help in advance.

[yoda313]

I would probably imagine the quad core is better even though the per core speed is lower than the dual core. You have double the power of the dual core in the quad core.

Probably...

Also if you are getting a 32bit windows max out a 4gb ram otherwise you'll need a 64bit windows to take advantage of any additional ram.

And if you are looking to get VISTA I would recommend looking at VISTA PREMIUM as a start. You get Media Center included in Premium which is a nice bonus.

[redwudz]

I'm using a AMD Phenom 9500. If you look around, the 9600 is just a few dollars more. The CPU runs cool and I was impressed with the performance. AMD is a bit behind the curve with the Phenom series as the Intel Q6600 has a bit more performance. (And price. )

Here's the result of Graysky's benchmark: https://forum.videohelp.com/topic336716-60.html#1791081 The Phenom is not a great overclocker, but it's not hard to get it up equal to the Q6600 with a mild OC and the DDR2 1066 RAM. I would recommend a aftermarket cooler, mostly for reduced noise level as the stock cooler has sufficient cooling most times. A few quiet case fans and power supply and mine is near silent.

I would strongly recommend using DDR2 1066 RAM, as that is what the CPU/MB is designed to use. Check that the DDR2 voltage is compatible with the MB or adjustable on the MB for best performance. I run Vista Home Premium with no problems.

With SLI MBs, you want a hefty power supply. 500W - 600W is recommended. I'm also a fan of modular PS's as you can get rid of a few unnecessary cables taking up space. And I would also recommend SATA drives all around, including optical drives. Samsung SATA optical drives work great.

[MeDiCo_BrUjO]

Thanks for the advise to both of you. I had the Idea that the quad-core was going to be faster than the other one even though the clock speed on the dual core was set at a higher speed.
I intend to have 4GB of ram, more than than I think It would be overkill.
I didn't know about the 1066 Ram, I will check that out.
Right now I have two 500GB SATA Drives that will migrate to the new PC, they are supposed to be superfast, but I had to use a jumper and only use half of that bandwidth for my current computer to recognize them, Maybe in the new one they can be unleashed finally.
SATA Optical drives?.. didn't even knew they existed already.. lol. I will check that too. I have two lite-on IDE 16X burners but I could replace them, after all, they have burned a gazillion dvds; I think they served their purpose pretty well.

So, Redwudz, did you check the Motherboard I chose?, do you think it's fine?

Thanks again for all your help, it is really appreciated.

[jagabo]

I'd probably get the quad core at this point. But be careful on the dual vs quad issue. x264 (Graysky's benchmark) is one of the few programs that scales well with the number of cores. Most programs do not make very good use of more than 2 cores. Xvid for example hardly gains anything going from 2 to 4 cores -- and in your case will go slower because of the slower clock speed of the 4 core CPU:

http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu_2007.html?modelx=33&model1=1106&model2=1076&chart=429

Note that test was done with an older single threaded version of Xvid. The current version is multithreaded but doesn't get a lot out of more than 2 threads.

Look up the performance of programs you use and run with your usage patterns.

That particular motherboard rates fairly well at newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131224

[redwudz]

I'm not a big fan of Asus MBs, but that's just a personal opinion. That one looks fine. This is what Asus said about the AM2+ motherboards when they were first introduced:

ASUS has just launched its first motherboard compatible with the forthcoming AMD processors based on K10 architecture: M2A-VM. This is a socket AM2+ motherboard, which is a socket AM2 supporting HyperTransport 3.0 and separated power sources for the CPU and its memory controller (a.k.a. Dual Dynamic Power Management, DDPM, or “split-plane” technology). ASUS also announced a list with others motherboards that will be able to support next-generation AMD CPUs after applying BIOS updates.

The AM2 MB I'm using is not able to take advantage on the AM2+ improvements, but it still runs fast enough for my purposes. With the AM2+ MBs, DR2 1066 RAM is needed for the increased bandwidth and faster HT bus.

The biggest advantage to the SATA optical drives is not having the IDE PATA cables taking up space in the case. Used along with a modular power supply with minimal cabling, it keeps the interior much tidier and improves airflow. The Crossfire and SLI video cards put out a fair amount of heat, so you want good air circulation.

[budz]

Just some FYI!
Be careful if you wanna run SATA dvd burners because there are compatibility issues with some mobo's SATA controller chipsets. If that AMD ASUS mobo has NVIDIA you'll need to use the latest chipset controller drivers from the NVIDIA website. Also RAID has to be disabled on the mobo & set SATA to IDE as well to run SATA dvd burners correctly. Also AHCI in the mobo bios will need to be disabled as well.

SATA controllers that work with SATA dvd burners are INTEL ICH7/8/9 & NVIDIA (as long as you use the latest controller drivers). VIA chipsets don't work with SATA dvd burners, you'll have to buy a SATA PCI CONTROLLER card in order for it to work correctly. Chipsets with Jmicron may or may not work depending on the mobo. I know the SAMSUNG SATA S203B drives will not work correctly if using a sata port w/Jmicron chipset. I did read that either SAMSUNG's new 22x SATA dvd burner or PIONEER's 20x SATA dvd burner will work with Jmicron chipset. I can't remember which model could work with Jmicron chipset.