AMD 64 and sockets

[PLightstar]

I've decided to buy an AMD 64 3200, and I was wondering which socket I should buy, I will be mainly be using it to play games, so I need something that is more or less future proof, I have heard rumors that the 754 socket is only for the buget range and people should get the 939, can anyone help me?

 

[SheepCow]

The socket AMD will be using in future is the 939. All other sockets are not for desktop use (ie. they're multi-processor processors). If you want to be as future-proof as possible get a 939.

 

[Xavier]

All other sockets are not for desktop use

exsqueeze me?? S939 is the version successor to socket 754, 754 has only ever been used for desktops and was/is/never will be used for the server market.

Socket 940 isnt' a dedicated server socket either. It's simply the current socket for Opteron (and thus certain Athlon64 FX CPUs) which is aimed at the workstation and server markets. Yes it's used in multi CPU configurations, it's also used in single CPU boards and we've seen dual socket 939 boards too - dual CPU has nothing to do with it. If you want to hook dual or even quad Athlon64's up, it's just a matter of having a board with the hypertransport pins correctly wired between sockes of the motherboard and having certain feature gates open on the die, it only depends on what's enabled within the CPU and not the core logic you sit it on.

If you do want to know what the other 186 pins are for then use your noodle and try to remember what the differences between the Athlon64 / Athlon64 FX are... Under the new K8 architecture the CPU now holds the memory controller, not the northbridge and the A64FX/Opteron CPUs are dual channel. A large proportion of them are for the additional memory channel - giving dual channel and registered DDR support, oh and when you squeeze a few more transistors onto the die you need a teeny tiny extra power too

To answer the original question - go for the 939. AMD are phasing out 754 from the performance/gaming area. They will put more cpus out on 754 before it dies totally but a newcastle cored Athlon64 is the new 'celeron' of CPUs, not something you're going to want in a gaming PC. You could buy a 940 pin if you want something now which you're likely to keep and replace completely 2-3 years down the line, but the requirement for registered DDR is going to make it as pricey as a 939-pin cpu, board and normal DDR RAM.

Xav

 

[SheepCow]

Wow that's a lot of writing there I'm not actually going to read all of it

Socket 939 is the only socket (possibly a few socket As just to keep people silent) that AMD are creating new chips for that are for desktop use.

newcastle cored Athlon64 is the new 'celeron' of CPUs, not something you're going to want in a gaming PC

What? The Newcastle is a 939 Athlon64 that supports dual channel, doesn't need registered RAM etc. - why are you comparing it to a celeron ?

 

[Xavier]

Wow that's a lot of writing there I'm not actually going to read all of it

Socket 939 is the only socket (possibly a few socket As just to keep people silent) that AMD are creating new chips for that are for desktop use.



What? The Newcastle is a 939 Athlon64 that supports dual channel, doesn't need registered RAM etc. - why are you comparing it to a celeron ?

There are also 754 pin newcastle chips out there, more are being released over the next quarter. Newcastle is a cut-down athlon64 with half the L2 cache, and thus slower clock for clock. AMD are also producing 1Mb cored Athlon64's and 1Mb cored Athlon64FX's.

Slightly worried that you don't know the difference between the basic Athlon64 and the Athlon64 FX CPUs...

The performance delta? Simple maths dear boy

 

[PLightstar]

Thanks for the info.

Im gonna go for the 939 I thinks

 

[Xavier]

In which case, check out the nForce3 250 boards, teh win

 

[SheepCow]

I'm aware of the difference between A64 and the A64 FX, I was not aware that there were Newcastle's with 1MB caches. I thought the Newcastle was just a 512KB Athlon64

 

[smurkin]

Theres definitely sound logic in going for the 939s. However, assuming future upgradability is a bit weak. Personally, I've never upgraded a cpu. By the time a change is worthwhile, either they dont make the cpu for your mobo anymore, or the available cpus are disapointing (I mean, you dont want to upgrade to something shit unless your really desperate).

 

[Xavier]

I'm aware of the difference between A64 and the A64 FX, I was not aware that there were Newcastle's with 1MB caches. I thought the Newcastle was just a 512KB Athlon64

Ack I've said it two? Three times now? Newcastle ONLY has 512Kb but is being used in both 754 and 939 pin chips. It's only single channel, yes that means contrary to your post doesn't, I repeat DOESN'T support dual channel!

AMD are however using more than one core in the Athlon64 at present. Just as there are 512Kb and 1Mb L2 cached S478 P4's AMD have a 1Mb cache Athlon64 core available in the channel.

Just out of curiousity, did you start on the special brew early tonight, I mean, you're drunk, right?

My reference to cache? Take all the L2 away from the PIII and what did it make? Halve the cache on a Northwood P4, what do you get? A Celeron!

 

[SheepCow]

The Newcastle Athlon64 does support dual channel RAM, I've got one sitting here ...