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View Full Version : AMD 64 3000 - Gigabyte Mboard - 512MB Crucial Ram....£227. Comments Please

Tempest
28-07-2004, 16:38
Your thoughts on this combination please:

1: AMD (Newcastle) Athlon 64 bit 3000 Retail - £110.04 inc

2: Gigabyte GA-K8N / Nforce3 / Sound / Lan / FSB800 / ATA133 - £56.63

3: 512MB Crucial DDR400 PC3200 CL=3 - £60.24

Would welcome your comments on the above items to upgrade my system.
Seems very resonable as it all adds up to just under £227 inc

Is the Mboard OK (or a few £ on a better one a good idea?)

Memory is CL=3 would lower be better?
Whats this about matched pairs of memory?
(I may get two sticks of 512MB anyway)

Any comments please / suggestions / improvments.

Cheers.

==== Edit ====

I wish to use my current (6 months old) VERY VERY VERY quiet power supply.
350 watts: http://www.qtechnology.net/qt02350g/feat.html
Should that be ok ?
Tempest
28-07-2004, 20:13
no-one? :thinking:
LouBarlow
28-07-2004, 20:53
Dual memory doesn't apply to AMD boards (so I believe) but you are going to need at least 1GB with that set-up to make the most of it.

Apart from that, looks pretty sweet.
Tempest
28-07-2004, 22:10
Dual memory doesn't apply to AMD boards (so I believe) but you are going to need at least 1GB with that set-up to make the most of it.

Apart from that, looks pretty sweet.

Thanks for the posting....

I'm not sure about this memory stuff, but I'm sure I read in one review somewhere on a AMD64 system about matched memory for some sort of special (fast) mode.....

Perhaps someone else can clarify this, what you need to make it work (if it does) and if it's worth it.
john316
29-07-2004, 07:19
Dual Channel is not available on that board so you won't be able to utilise that here. Still looks a good deal though!
LouBarlow
29-07-2004, 07:29
Thanks for the posting....

I'm not sure about this memory stuff, but I'm sure I read in one review somewhere on a AMD64 system about matched memory for some sort of special (fast) mode.....

Perhaps someone else can clarify this, what you need to make it work (if it does) and if it's worth it.

Im pretty sure that the current AMD64 boards son't support dual-channel...my MSI doesn't, and neither does your Gigabyte - and there's not many more after that! :p

I think it just involves buying two sticks of identical RAM and running them together - so buy 2x512mb instead of just one stick of 1GB...
cjb110
29-07-2004, 07:42
Dual channel wont apply to AMD64 till the new socket 9xx or something (I dont think its the 939 that exists already)

Having said that a 1gb twinx pack is probly cheaper than a 1gb single stick, and more robust, as if it ever did die you still have 512mb:)

CL2 is better, but as you'll find out 1Gb (2x512) of Corsairs 3200 Low Latency is the most expensive memory you can buy right now.
mcallisterian
29-07-2004, 08:15
also you may want to consider the 64 bit version of windows xp to see the full potential of the pc. otherwise running normal win xp will totally be pointless, as it will be like running the components at half speed all the time
jwoolley
29-07-2004, 09:07
Dual channel wont apply to AMD64 till the new socket 9xx or something (I dont think its the 939 that exists already)]

The Shuttle SN95G5 uses an Athlon 64 S939 motherboard, which supports dual channel memory, so I'm pretty sure it is as of socket 939 that dual channel is support with A64s. Besides, S939 is the socket that AMD are settling on for their 64bit processors, so it makes sense that it would be that one they support dual channel with.
gothmog
29-07-2004, 10:10
Yes it is, I've just taken delivery of my S939 GA-K8NSNXP, and it very much supports dual channel :)

Tempest, for £230 you are not making a mistake, bargain entry into the 64-bit world ;)

mcallisterian, ignore the 64-bitness, the Athlon 64 is the fastest gaming processor on a 32-bit platform, if it ran at 'half speed' all the time this would not be true ;)

-- Jon
Tempest
29-07-2004, 11:28
also you may want to consider the 64 bit version of windows xp to see the full potential of the pc. otherwise running normal win xp will totally be pointless, as it will be like running the components at half speed all the time

Yeah, but if it runs as fast as it does NOW on old? 32-bit windows and apps.
When 64-bit windows and apps start to appear your system can only get faster, so why not get 64-bit now ?
Tempest
29-07-2004, 16:15
So (in real terms) will there be any difference between CL2 and CL3 ram when you are at DDR400 PC3200 speeds?

I know I upgraded from CL3 to CL2 PC133 ram on my old system and it was only a benchmark that really noticed any difference and that was running slow compaired to this DDR400 memory ??
Tempest
29-07-2004, 16:25
Yes it is, I've just taken delivery of my S939 GA-K8NSNXP, and it very much supports dual channel :)

Tempest, for £230 you are not making a mistake, bargain entry into the 64-bit world ;)

mcallisterian, ignore the 64-bitness, the Athlon 64 is the fastest gaming processor on a 32-bit platform, if it ran at 'half speed' all the time this would not be true ;)

-- Jon

Just reading a review of the "S939 GA-K8NSNXP" and it's sounding superb!
I have 1 BIG worry though and perhaps you can offer some answers when you are up and running.
Just this Motherboard itself has 2 fans (oh dear!) Whilst I'm sure it's a good idea for the motherboard what's it like noise wise ?

I'm trying to keep noise right down to the point of a special CPU fan probably, but what about those 2 already there?

This is one reason I'd been looking for Mboards which have no fans just heatsinks for their own chips?

So, what's it like? Are the Mboard fans really quiet/silent or what ?

Please
cjb110
30-07-2004, 07:45
yea, thats a problem...god knows if their dps really makes difference:)

try another board, the gigabyte is good, but its not the best.
Tempest
30-07-2004, 09:50
yea, thats a problem...god knows if their dps really makes difference:)

try another board, the gigabyte is good, but its not the best.

Do you have any thoughts about AMD 64 boards?

reasons why etc?