ah ha! found it! http://tech-report.com/reviews/2004q1/athlonxp-m-2500/index.x?pg=1 they tested it with a 200mhz bus and it still did really well
edit: it being Athalon XP-M +2500
I have one 2…just read your posts. Matter of fact not to long ago slapped on the gt40 heads and intake…ooohhh the sound of dual chambered flows…
Update:
So far I basically went with what Voets, Teet and K said. I dont have all the pieces yet, but I have my mobo, cpu…the rest will come as money comes. So far I believe I just eclipsed 350 bucks.
i have a '66 Fastback:to:
but anyway, if you’re serious about top o’ the line garbage, go talk to the owner of your local LAN place…there’s one near me called The Battlegrounds
and the guy who owns it build each PC in there, plus his master one (ooh how good)
oh, and DO NOT buy a case with a build in power supply…its like buying a mobo w/ a built in video and sound card
go for the best one you can - mine is 500w
the last thing u want is ur processor gone after playing games for hours on end :thumb:
You mean your dad has a '66 Fastback… anyway, whether it’s your or not, what kind of condition is it in? Hopefully it’s nice and restored :ne:
And 3D, good to hear that there’s another Mustang owner in here … GT40 heads and intake? Very nice, but have you done anything with the exhaust?
yeah
but unfortunately, its sitting in our garage…
my dad’s friend is supposed to be restoring it, but he’s been busy rebuilding a '67 stang
Whoa! I had some hardware questions, and since opinions are so DIVERGENT, (though I tend to listen more to matrix0 cause he answers a lot of technical questions on these forums) I’m still having problems deciding!
I’m going for AMD 3200+ (going to 3600/3800 is like thousands of dollars more in canada just for a puny 400/600mhz boost, TOTALLY unworthy!). I had a SATA hard drive recommended, because it had 10k rpms for like 3% more in price compared to western digital(@120 gigs). Does “SATA” mean a seagate ATA? I think so, but I’m not sure…
What type of ram should i get? Two 512’s? And what is it with dual ram? Does it work the same way as hyperthreading? Are 64bit AMD processors / motherboards “hyperthreading capable”?
On videocards, I COULD afford a 600$ (canadian) one like the 800XT, but am I still good with a regular 300$ one (like the 9800 ati or the 5800 nvidia) if I want to play doom3, farcry and HL2?
Oh, to sum up: I REALLY don’t intend to overcloack. Ever, never. Whatsoever. Never. I’m like, a complete noob. Don’t ask me to modify pins 'n ****…Even if I did so two years ago in a hardware course, it was on test-computers–486’s!–and NOT a 2000$ worth one! So I’m more the type to spend 80$ more just to get a good “bump” and not ever open the case again…
Lastly…If I’m no sound freak, if I don’t need super-surround sound, does an on-board sound card suffice for my needs? Should I still get a 5.1-=compatible sound card in case I’d suddenly want surround sound? How much should this cost? etc…
SATA = Serial ATA, basically ATA but faster.
Hyperthreading has nothing really to do with ram. Hyperthreading makes it so a processor has two logical cores - basically letting it do two things at once. The performance gains are disputed, but are certainly less than having two processors.
Hyperthreading is only on P4s, not AMD64.
In terms of videocards, I’d get a 9800 XT if you want a last-gen card - the 6800’s from nVidia are awesome but pricey.
An onboard sound card should be fine for your needs.
Yeah, hyperthreading simulates two CPU’s. With a double CPU setup, threads can be handled simultaneously because both the CPU’s can handle one at the same time, resulting in a speed boost up to 30%.
An onboard sound card’s quality is, such as onboard video, 99% of the times crap. If you want good sound, invest in a nice soundcard.
The reason why I prefer ATi over nVidia is that the latest nVidia cards can get extremely hot. In fact, I’ve read in a magazine that tested both an new-gen nVidia card and a new-gen ATi card, that after a day of testing work the nVidia card was too hot to take out by hand, and that they had to use oven mittens to take it out.
This isn’t the case with the latest ATi cards, that’s why I prefer them.
So if I don’t want my video card to fry I’d better take an ati?
If I am a hardcore gamer should I spend 400$ more (canadian) just to get hyperthreading? Is it really THA THANG? Or am I safe enough with the 3200+ /64bit amd combo?
You’re safe enough with amd64.
Thanks NJS 
Help is very very much appreciated when it’s on the matter of hundreds and thousands of dollars 
Well, I’m now aiming towards a “ASUS K8V SE DX K8T800” (this long thing, and I haven’t even typed its full name! whew!) with a Athlon 64 bit 3200+. 1024mb kvr40064c3a (400) in terms of RAM, and a 120gig Seagate SATA 8mb Hard Drive. I’m buying a generic sound card…Less than 20$ if I can, really(“Sound PCI 5.1”, I guess it’ll be compatible with small surround speakers, aye?).
[center]What’s left? The most pricey! The most important for the games I play!! [/center]
[center]The graphics card!![/center]
9800XT? Hmm, either I’m blind or the place where I shop doesn’t have it…There’s only X800 or 9600XT 
Check out the price list I provided with this post(prices on the right are when paid cash, to the left is credit). Which video card should I choose if I intend to play HL2, doom3, and farcry with MOST of the details upwards --> i.e. no need to max every slider out, but really, what I’d need is ABOVE AVERAGE --“high”-- performance and quality. I’m thinking either someone recommends a 289$ or a 640$ or so worth-of-a-card (bear in mind these are canadian prices). I’m still weighting the options…
I’m fine with games at 1024768 and no anti aliasing. Bear that in mind, I’m no graphic freak but I don’t want my game to be choppy. I like lighting effects, explosions, debris, decals, shadows, sprites, whatever you got. I like transparency too, with cool water effects. I don’t need something out-of-this world such as anti aliasing on a 20481536 resolution…And if needs be I’d play games at 800*600 if it means better effects and whatnot.
[color=red]Voets and NJS[/color], you both seem to vouch for the ATI option. Plus, I hear Half-Life 2 is supposed to be BUNDLED with ati cards, which means it’s the officially supported platform. So, now it narrows down to ATI cards. A regular 9800 pro@ ±280$? Or a more pricey one at ±620$? Is double the price REALLY double the performance?
So yeah…Graphic card’s all that’s left for me to look at. Thanks for your input.
[size=1]If anyones knows them offhand, what’s the advantage of buying windows XP PRO instead of HOME?[/size]
If you’re playing networked games such as LAN, Pro is easier to setup and handle, otherwise, Pro and Home run on the same platform.
That’s interesting… I’d go with the 9800 Pro then. But it’s only the XT models that get HL2 free 
I’ve got a 9800 XT (basically overclocked 9800 Pro 256mb) and I can play the new beta of CS: S (based on the HL2 engine) with settings on high at 1280x1024 with 2x Anti-Aliasing and still get 30-45FPS 
If anyones knows them offhand, what’s the advantage of buying windows XP PRO instead of HOME?
I would’nt go with anything but Pro personally. There are several differences. For one Home will not authenticate to a network, if that’s an issue. Plusmany tweaks are not supported and other features are turned off like IIS (the webserver). I f you like tweaking you computer and enjoy the benifits of Win2k, go Pro. Here is a link (top off google 
) http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp
Hah! Only 300$ more to get HL2 free! (When it’s not even available)!
Okay, heading for the 9800pro. Thanks guys!
