Question relating to 754 Socket and the 939 socket

[Midnight Moocher]

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new PC with a AMD processor. I will be buying in the next 6 days and need a little advice on the processor
type I should get. So I have three questions.

I've narrowed down my options to a socket 754 and the 939 (Winchester, I believe).
My main concern is upgrade options in the future (whilst on a tight budget).

1. Would I be correct in saying that the 754 socket won't be around for long, and therefore it would better buying the slowest 939 I
can get my hands on (such as the 3000+ or possibly the 3200+)?

2. Would I also be correct in saying the 939 socket should be around long enough to see around double the speed the 3000+ is capable
of?

3. If I went with 754 socket, I would have to buy a new motherboard as well as new processor to upgrade in the future to the 939
right?

Thanks.

 

[Peter van der Goes]

See answers (as best I can) in context...

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new PC with a AMD processor. I will be buying in
the next 6 days and need a little advice on the processor type I should
get. So I have three questions.

I've narrowed down my options to a socket 754 and the 939 (Winchester, I
believe).
My main concern is upgrade options in the future (whilst on a tight
budget).

1. Would I be correct in saying that the 754 socket won't be around for
long, and therefore it would better buying the slowest 939 I can get my
hands on (such as the 3000+ or possibly the 3200+)?

Socket 754 will be around for a while, as the budget platform with Sempron
CPU's. We've likely already seen the fastest Socket 754 A64 (3700+, IIRC).
BTW, the Socket 939 3200+ CPU is no slouch. Not knowing what you have now,
it's hard to predict your reaction.
Socket 939 is the present and future for A64. Check all the CPU's available
at:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProdu...maxprice=&mfrcode=0&DEPA=1&page=2&listStyle=2

Socket 939 has the 4000+ and the FX 55 available.

2. Would I also be correct in saying the 939 socket should be around long
enough to see around double the speed the 3000+ is capable of?

Double? I have my doubts there.

 

[John Weiss]

I've narrowed down my options to a socket 754 and the 939 (Winchester, I
believe).
My main concern is upgrade options in the future (whilst on a tight budget).

1. Would I be correct in saying that the 754 socket won't be around for long,
and therefore it would better buying the slowest 939 I can get my hands on
(such as the 3000+ or possibly the 3200+)?

If you plan on upgrading without upgrading the MoBo, yes. However, you might
check to see if the MoBo will support all versions of the S939 A64, including
the FX series. If you're going upward from a 3000+ or 3200+, there's probably
little to be gained without going to an FX.

2. Would I also be correct in saying the 939 socket should be around long
enough to see around double the speed the 3000+ is capable of?

Not necessarily... Currently AMD is working on dual-core CPUs and smaller
circuit traces. While it is entirely possible they will use S939, they may not
work in a current MoBo.

3. If I went with 754 socket, I would have to buy a new motherboard as well as
new processor to upgrade in the future to the 939 right?

Yes.

 

[General Schvantzkoph]

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new PC with a AMD processor. I will be buying in the next 6 days and need a little advice on the processor
type I should get. So I have three questions.

I've narrowed down my options to a socket 754 and the 939 (Winchester, I believe).
My main concern is upgrade options in the future (whilst on a tight budget).

1. Would I be correct in saying that the 754 socket won't be around for long, and therefore it would better buying the slowest 939 I
can get my hands on (such as the 3000+ or possibly the 3200+)?

2. Would I also be correct in saying the 939 socket should be around long enough to see around double the speed the 3000+ is capable
of?

3. If I went with 754 socket, I would have to buy a new motherboard as well as new processor to upgrade in the future to the 939
right?

Thanks.

939 is the better choice because it can support more memory, twice as much
at PC3200. The 754 can support three DIMMs at PC2700 but only two at
PC3200. The 939 pin part has two data channels, each with two DIMMs so you
can have four at PC3200. The one thing that you are sure to upgrade in the
future is the amount of RAM in your system.

Don't worry about the ability to upgrade the CPU. By the time that you can
buy a 2X speed CPU the motherboard will be obsolete. The dual core Athlon
64s are going to use DDR-2 rather than DDR memory so you will need a new
motherboard and new RAM anyway.

 

[jacoby]

Below is a link to an AMD roadmap. Although everything is not cast in
stone, it offers users an opportunity to make current decisions based on
what is likely to occur later.
http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2303

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new PC with a AMD processor. I will be buying in

the next 6 days and need a little advice on the processor

type I should get. So I have three questions.

I've narrowed down my options to a socket 754 and the 939 (Winchester, I believe).
My main concern is upgrade options in the future (whilst on a tight budget).

1. Would I be correct in saying that the 754 socket won't be around for

long, and therefore it would better buying the slowest 939 I

can get my hands on (such as the 3000+ or possibly the 3200+)?

2. Would I also be correct in saying the 939 socket should be around long

enough to see around double the speed the 3000+ is capable

of?

3. If I went with 754 socket, I would have to buy a new motherboard as

well as new processor to upgrade in the future to the 939

 

[Wes Newell]

1. Would I be correct in saying that the 754 socket won't be around for
long, and therefore it would better buying the slowest 939 I can get my
hands on (such as the 3000+ or possibly the 3200+)?

No. Socket 754 will be around for at least a couple more years, probably
longer. It does have limited upgrade capabilities but provides the best
bang for the buck along with an A64 3400+ at this time

2. Would I also be correct in saying the 939 socket should be around
long enough to see around double the speed the 3000+ is capable of?

I doubt it. And if AMD deicides to go with a DDR2 or DDR3 memory
controller with the next year or 2, it's be dead at that time, as they
will require a new MB.

3. If I went with 754 socket, I would have to buy a new motherboard as
well as new processor to upgrade in the future to the 939 right?

Unless you buy the Asrock combo board which supports both 754 and 939. And
it's pretty cheap too..

http://www.asrockamerica.com/Products/K8combo.htm

But you might want to consider that MB's are going to drastically change
over the next year or so with PCI Express. That's makes any pretty much
obsolete already unlees you get one of the ones available now.

My best advice. Buy the speed adn price you want today, and don't waorry
about upgrading the cpu only.. When you upgrade, upgrade both cpu and mb.

 

[Alan Walpool]

I would concur with the above statement completely. Unless you plan to
get a low end 754 or 939 cpu and upgrade in within the next 12 months
it is really difficult to upgrade a cpu only. I think that folks
really put to much emphasis on the cpu but the motherboard chipset,
memory, etc. (complete system) are important parts. So once the latest
and greatest stuff comes out it will need hardware support on a new
motherboard that won't be compatible with your old chip. Maybe that is
by design and not necessity but that is the way it is.

Alan