What should I do!

[Hellraizer]

My actual PC:

Motherboard: ASUS A7N8X-X
Processor: Athlon XP 1700+
Memory: 512 DDR-400
Video card: MSI G4Ti4200 128 MB DDR

Should I change my PC or upgrade that piece of ****??? Should I go whit Intel or AMD ot anything else for the processor. What is the difference between an AGP or a PCI video card?

[SALvation]

Do what I did:

http://www.gamemecca.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74942

You can get an AMD64 3200 and motherboard combo for just over $200 American. The motherboard has AGP and PCIe so you can use your current vid card and upgrade when you want, and you memory will work in the mobo also.

[Hellraizer]

Do what I did:

http://www.gamemecca.net/forums/showthread.php?t=74942

You can get an AMD64 3200 and motherboard combo for just over $200 American. The motherboard has AGP and PCIe so you can use your current vid card and upgrade when you want, and you memory will work in the mobo also.

Is there a difference between AGP and PCIe?

[SALvation]

Someone else would have to answer, but I think that performance wise they are pretty close, but all the new video cards are mostly PCIe instead of AGP.

[BobtheCkroach]

Yes, there is a difference.

We'll answer both of your questions. (PCI vs. AGP and AGP vs. PCI-e)

A PCI card communicates to the motherboard @ a certain speed (we'll call it 1x)

An AGP cards talks to the motherboard faster (4x or 8x, depending on the card and mobo)

A PCI-e runs @ 16x.

So the difference between a modern AGP card and a PCI-e card: the PCI-e will communicate to the motherboard 2x as fast as an AGP will.

One other difference: if you ever want to put 2 graphics cards on a mobo in SLI (which just means 2 NVidia cards linked together to process graphics on 1 computer), you have to buy a board w/ 2 PCI-e slots - AGP doesn't work for SLI. But unless you've got a lot of cash running around, that's not a factor for you...

[Hellraizer]

Yes, there is a difference.

We'll answer both of your questions. (PCI vs. AGP and AGP vs. PCI-e)

A PCI card communicates to the motherboard @ a certain speed (we'll call it 1x)

An AGP cards talks to the motherboard faster (4x or 8x, depending on the card and mobo)

A PCI-e runs @ 16x.

So the difference between a modern AGP card and a PCI-e card: the PCI-e will communicate to the motherboard 2x as fast as an AGP will.

One other difference: if you ever want to put 2 graphics cards on a mobo in SLI (which just means 2 NVidia cards linked together to process graphics on 1 computer), you have to buy a board w/ 2 PCI-e slots - AGP doesn't work for SLI. But unless you've got a lot of cash running around, that's not a factor for you...


Thanks....what about AMD vs Intel?

[T I K]

I have had 2 Intel comps and 3 Amd comps, I have had less probs wit my Amd comps. They (the amd comps) have ran better and been more stable imo!

Some say that AMD is better at gaming and that the Intel cpu's are better at running apps. But I have no noticeable degredation running any of my apps!

Amd processors have hyperthreading, which Intel i believe does not, not like Amd's.

Amd would definitely be my cpu of choice ! :thumbs:

[MassacreAL]

Amd processors have hyperthreading, which Intel i believe does not, not like Amd's.

Amd would definitely be my cpu of choice ! :thumbs:
im not be very sure, but one of my friends has p4 3.2ghz and i believe he has also HT.


one question: i still cant figure why is HT useful. only impact i can see is that one apllication can take max. 50% of cpu. pretty useless...

[BobtheCkroach]

I have had 2 Intel comps and 3 Amd comps, I have had less probs wit my Amd comps. They (the amd comps) have ran better and been more stable imo!

Some say that AMD is better at gaming and that the Intel cpu's are better at running apps. But I have no noticeable degredation running any of my apps!

Amd processors have hyperthreading, which Intel i believe does not, not like Amd's.

Amd would definitely be my cpu of choice ! :thumbs:

You said it backwards, TIK. Pentiums have HyperThreading - AMD's have HyperTransport. Similar names, very different as to what they are. Hyperthreading is a way of dividing and schedule tasks on the cpu in essense, I believe. HyperTransport refers to a new technology that AMD has where the RAM does not use the same Northbridge as the other peripherals and thus the RAM is less bottlenecked.

AMDs are supposed to be better @ gaming, like TIK said, and Intels better @ apps, due to one running integer math better and one running floating point math better (i can't remember which does which better).

In any case, AMD vs. Intel is more of a preference choice than other things, like AGP vs. PCIe. I personally prefer AMD. I've never been disappointed w/ my chip, and it's a decent bit cheaper than equivalent Intels. Also, the AMD 64 bit architecture has been around a bit, so I trust it more than Intels (i'm not even sure Intel has a home line of 64 bit chips yet).

64bit is what everything will be done in eventually, probably 2-3 years, so buying another 32 bit chip is just aging your cpu/mobo right off the bat.

To answer your question, Mass - I believe that HyperThreading (the P4 one) is much more important when you start looking @ dual core / dual CPU systems. Or I could be wrong, but I believe so.

[Caged Anger]

amd, all the way man :thumbs:

[He Is Legend]

Ask bigs or anyone that knows loads about computers and how they work with games,progs,apps and such

any gamer knows AMD is their best friend

any programmer knows Intel is their best friend

[BobtheCkroach]

Ask bigs or anyone that knows loads about computers and how they work with games,progs,apps and such

any gamer knows AMD is their best friend

any programmer knows Intel is their best friend

I program for a living, and I wouldn't choose an Intel for anything.