Advice Requested re: new MoBo ( 1 Views )

1. Forgive the typical thread title. I'm an enthusiast looking to build my first power rig and I'm literally overwhelmed by the options currently availalbe. Seems there are alot of new chipsets, graphics ports (pci e).
   
   What I'm looking for is a mobo that will provide me with the top of the line performance now, and give me a good 3 years of upgradeability. That means at least one signifigant CPU upgrade.
   
   I've done some research and it seems that AMD and Intel are going to dual core soon (mid 2005). Any suggestions as to what I might do? Money is no object, I've decided to spend about 2.5 grand w/o monitor.
   edit - AMD or Intel...I'm not married to either one.
   Thanks in advance!
   
   
   (Þeyma, Kuwait)


2. I would haveyou jump on the A64/nForce3 250 bandwagon.
   
   I'd say its the fastest platform available today, and likely to be the most upgradeable- but it is very difficult to predict upgrade paths beyond a year or so. There is a good chance that the current chipsets out there for the A64 will support dual cores when they are released- this is something that AMD has alluded to for their Opteron platform w/ their advertising to enterprise markets... which tells me this will probably trickle down to the enthusiest side with the same amount of ease.
   
   As for Intel's upgrade path, it is rather uncertain what they will do to transition to their dual core setup- note that it is a different processor family that will take over, which makes it less likely to use the same socket, etc... (Pentium IV --> Pentium M (dual core)). Given chipzilla's quest for selling a pissload of chipsets, i would bet that there will be a mobo change required for this step even though the fsb's are compatable (note their track record too.... want to run a prescott in that springdale board you bought the day they were launched? too bad. want to run an 800fsb processor in your i845PE motherboard? too bad. want to buy a faster processor that will work with your i845PE motherboard? too bad they were discontinued)
   
   The other thing... don't get terribly wrapped up in CPU- generally you can build a faster computer by using faster components and a mid-grade cpu..
   
   
   (irem, Mauritania)


3. Schro,
   
   thanks for the informative reply. After reading up a little more I agree that the A64 is the best way to go. I am curious about the 939 chip set and the move to the 90nm process. Am I correct in understanding that the 90nm process chips will be compatiable with the 939 chipset?
   
   
   (þeyma, Cook Islands)


4. Quote:

   Originally Posted by EdDoctor Schro, thanks for the informative reply. After reading up a little more I agree that the A64 is the best way to go. I am curious about the 939 chip set and the move to the 90nm process. Am I correct in understanding that the 90nm process chips will be compatiable with the 939 chipset?

   There's never any guarentees- recall when the Springdale boards came out, manufacturers claimed prescott support, and the had to stick their foot intheir mouth because it required FMB 1.5? (when the first rev boards were built to FMB1.0...)...
   
   The same sort of thing _could_ happen with AMD if their die shrink goes as poorly as Intels, but word on the street is that its looking good. I beleive the die shrink won't involve any architechure changes, which means it'll probably work just fine.
   
   
   (bahar, Micronesia, Federated States of)

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