Need some opinions please...

[Phalinx]

Is it worth waiting another 6 months to a year to upgrade my current setup? I was almost ready to purchase 3.4e for the rig in the sig. However, I'm not so sure anymore.

I'm really contemplating AMD for the next go around although I was burned on the KK266-R mbs (bad capacitors). I do like the "HT" features of Intel. However, after looking at some reviews of the newer AMD cpu's, it seems that they can handle multitasking just as well as Intel can for a lot less money.

What I'm interested in is:

1. Price to performance. I do overclock for the added bonus of performance, not for the "thrill" of trying to have the highest oc out there. If it works great, if not..luck of the draw.

2. I'm interested in the low power consumption of the newer cpu's coming out from both AMD and Inel. Intel has always had stable chipsets. My old 850E (server) is still going. The only problem is that it's now "starting up" on it's own. Don't know if it's a power surge or bad PSU. My current system will be regulated to server duty in the near future or atleast parts of it will.

3. I'm going to keep the following components:

Nec Multisync FE2111sb
Thermaltake Xaser3 w/ Antec True 550 (psu may have to change due to evolving motherboards,..)
2 Sata WD 74gb raptors
Plextor 712A
eVGA 6800GT agp (eventually pci-e)
Cannon MP390
BlueTooth KB & mouse

Current 3.0HT cpu is having problems. It never worked at default settings. However, it worked like a monster @3.75ghz right off the bat. It can go to 3.8 but for only a small % gain in some apps. Electron migration is like arthritis....

Cheers

Phalinx

[Tr1cK]

Umm....if it runs 'like a monster' the way you have it now, then why upgrade?

Price/performance is AMD all the way. Intel cant compete.

I am very happy with the power of my rig, I would recommend it to anybody, maybe not the mobo, but definetly the cpu/ram/psu.

[jolle]

Stay with it, whatever upgrade you would do right now would cost a fortune and yield a pretty modest gain..
Well maybe slapping on a A64 FX and 6800U SLI would take it up a few notches, but it wouldnt come cheap and I cant imagine your current rig having any performance problems..

You got new generations of GPUs coming up within not too long and we are on the verge of Dual Core CPUs (well I guess the real wait here is for the software to pickup SMP support).

I always found it more satisfying to wait until I can get a real performance boost before I upgrade, opposed to do very expensive incremental upgrades often..

[Phalinx]

jolle

Yes you are correct. Maybe I should have stated it a different way. My current system is fantastic. I'm a little concerned about the imminent future of my current cpu. When I first bought it, it had problems and yes I should have RMA'd it. I didn't. Live and Learn I guess.

Just wondering if spending the money on a future upgrade (another 478 Intel cpu) would be money well spent? With my current system, I know I can make it last another 2 years. However, the 478 socket is going to be obsolete soon and Intel's prices are a bit steep.

I loaned out my 2.4c to my brother about a year ago. So, I'm debating whether or not to purchase another 478 cpu when the current one finally dies or look at a future alternative when the time comes. That can be either Intel or AMD. I'm still looking at performance/price ratio. Don't need to buy at top of the line. I bought all of my equipment when prices were middle of the road. Sometimes at the end of their life span like my 850e. I bought it just as it went obsolete.

Cheers

Phalinx