Amd 64

[Panda On Smack]

can someone explain this cpu please as im clueless

its new but its not gonna be as powerful so its more for budget users - is that right?

the reason i ask is im gonna get a new pc and was wondering if its worth waiting for. spose i gotta jump in somewhere and just buy something

ta and stuff!

 

[Will]

Not really. Its a replacement for the Athlon line, and it works with both 32bit applications and 64bit applications. There will be a budget replacement for the Duron, probably called the Athlon FX.

 

[Jonty]

Hi Panda

The Athlon64 (A64) will be AMD's first consumer-orientated 64bit CPU (there are already 64bit business CPUs by both Intel and AMD, but none designed for Joe Public). All of today's consumer CPUs are 32bit.

The Athlon64 will initially be clocked fairly low by today's standards (the Athlon64 3100+ will have a clock speed of 1.8GHz with 1Mb of Level 2 cache). However, performance should just about outstrip all of today's AMD AthlonXP chips because of the way in which it is designed. However, just because today's chips are 32bit and these are 64bit, don't expect twice the speed

To really get the best from the Athlon64, you will need an operating system and programs designed for 64bit processors. At the moment, very few of these programs exist for the home user market. However, as time progresses more will be made. In the meantime, however, the Athlon64 will work with all of your 32bit programs without any problems (or so we're told ).

The Athlon64 CPUs and compatible motherboards should be available to buy by September 2003, but expect prices to be high around the launch.

There will also be a new budget CPU by AMD, codenamed Thornton, but which will probably be marketed as the AthlonFX. This is a hybrid of today's Thunderbird and Barton AMD CPUs (two types of the AthlonXP) and will be aimed at the budget market. The AthlonFX is a very different product from the AthlonXP, let alone the Athlon64, so I wouldn't worry too much about it, as it's strictly a budget affair.

Kind Regards

Jonty

P.S. Intel will also release a new CPU codenamed Prescott later this year. This will be a 32bit CPU, but with enough raw power to (probably) outperform the Athlon64. After the Prescott launch around September/October, Intel will then release their own 64bit processor.

 

[Panda On Smack]

Thanks chaps, muchos helpos.

Hmm, im not sure what to get.

any recommendations?

 

[.Cask]

What are you using atm?

 

[Panda On Smack]

AMD 1900XP
512 ram

basically

 

[Jonty]

Hi Panda

Personally I, and from previous discussions many other forum regulars, would wait. Your setup is far from antiquated, and should happily run Half-Life 2 and, perhaps depending more on your graphics card, Doom³ and other such titles without too much trouble.

If you were to wait until the Athlon64 launch, then you would be paying extremely high prices for the latest, greatest technology. However, given the premature state of 64bit applications, you'd then be waiting even longer to have something to really show off your processor, by which time your inital investment has been outdated by more powerful CPUs and more stable and feature rich motherboard solutions.

That said, the decision, of course, is yours. If you the money is burning a whole in your pocket, then you might want to buy a cheap(ish) stop-gap solution, such as a Barton CPU (providing your motherboard could handle it), or some more RAM, or a mainstream graphics card. All of these should provide you with some added benefit, albeit not a lot, but would at least see you through Half-Life 2 and othe new releases until the Athlon64 product line has a) come down in price and b) matured in terms of features and support.

No doubt other people will give you their thoughts too, so listen to everyone and then sit back and have a think about what would be best for you.

Kind Regards

 

[Scooba Da Bass]

Originally posted by Panda On Smack
AMD 1900XP
512 ram

basically

Wait at least a year on getting a 64 PC CPU. I'd wait till launch and grab a mid to high end AMD solution which will hopefully be down in price due to the 'new' 64 bit tech.

 

[(Shovel)]

I said this elsewhere, but just to get it clear as often as possible:

Regarding the 64-bit OS issue. Linux will support it on day of release, or at least, there will be distros for it (naturally), but Windows will have to wait.

Currently there is a 64-bit version of Windows XP, but it is for Intels IA-64 (Itanium) architecture, not AMD A64.
Don't get confused over this, the two are different and incompatible.
The Athlon 64 version of XP is rumured to be due in early 2004, so I would certainly hold off until then at the very earliest.

EDIT:// That is not to say that 32-bit Windows XP wont run on an A64, the whole point of the A64 design is that it is backward compatible. My point is just that you wont realise the performance potential without a 64-bit OS.

 

[Embattle]

Originally posted by (Shovel)

EDIT:// That is not to say that 32-bit Windows XP wont run on an A64, the whole point of the A64 design is that it is backward compatible. My point is just that you wont realise the performance potential without a 64-bit OS.

Or apps that can take advantage of 64bit processing