Jump to AMD64

[igalan]

I'm going to jump to AMD64 . This morning I got the parts I need to upgrade my current computer so I bought:

• Asus A8N Sli Deluxe (Premium not available yet ),
• AMD 3200+ Socket 939 (I prefer to save on the processor now, I can upgrade any time without reinstalling OS or anything),
• MSI GeForce 6600 GT DDR3 (my GeForce FX 5900XT is AGP so I need a PCIe card)

I will use everything else from my current computer: case, PSU (Thermaltake TruPower 480W), RAM (1 GB), Hard drive (80 GB), DVD-ROM and DVD-Burner...) All those components are good already and need no upgrade, and also this way I'm saving money in the process .

So I'm updating my unattended XP SP2 CD-ROM with built-in nforce 4 drivers and utilities so installation of the OS requires no attention from my side and all drivers will be already up to date . I will do it during the weekend, I don't want to start this evening and having to hurry to get everything up and working.

[greffov]

nice!

better install Linux, as it can handle the 64 bits :p

[igalan]

Right now I think Linux will not be very useful for me. Maybe on my HTPC, but not for this computer. Problem is will it handle HL2? FarCry? DooM3? Not to mention all the programs that I use daily like MS Outlook .

[greffov]

*sigh*

for the games I can imagine a bit, but for MS Spam Virus Outlook... no.

A dual boot is also an option.

[igalan]

I must use Outlook, it's the only way to sync my PocketPCs but anyway I like it.

Anyway I know I can dual boot, I've used Linux since its infancy when distros came on floppies . I think I will try first on the HTPC and if I find a good reason I will install it on my main PC as well . I use Linux at work on one PC (Mandrake 9, to run the FarCry server LOL ) and it's nice.

[igalan]

Haha just noticed your coment about vi and Emacs. I use Emacs often, but vi was a real pain. However at the early days you had nothing else

[greffov]

edline

But I'm a Vim freak, so I found it a pretty funny quote, because I do nothing more than just writing thousants of lines of code in just vim. And I wouldn't want to do it with anything else

[Fister]

Oye!

Sweet rig!

[FrYGuY]

Originally Posted by greffov

edline

Eww. Eww eww eww eww eww.

I still have nightmares about ed...

[igalan]

Well, my new computer is up and ready . I had to spend some extra time because the two DIMMs that I wanted to use didn't work at all, the computer would not POST with them (no video signal or anything). When I figured out where was the problem, everything else was easy and quick . At first I thought that I could have problems with the PSU because this board is for a 24 pint EATX PSU (EATX v2 or something), but the 20 pins PSU (standard ATX) that I have works well anyway. There' s only one thing that I still have to fix, in the System Manager there is some hardware that Windows XP is unable to find a driver, and I have no clue what that could be; it's nothing that the nforce 6.53 installs

I didn't have time to install games to benchmark it , I shall install them during this week. Right now I have almost all applications and utilities, as well as all data (thanks to Norton Ghost ). BTW the program that Windows XP has to transfer configuration and data to a new computer was very useful to transfer my Outlook data and desktop configuration (as well as my wife account); in no time I could sync my Pocket PC again .

[greffov]

Originally Posted by igalan

BTW the program that Windows XP has to transfer configuration and data to a new computer was very useful to transfer my Outlook data and desktop configuration (as well as my wife account); in no time I could sync my Pocket PC again .

We call it 'rsync' and it syncs everything.

congrats by the way!

[igalan]

In fact I also set it to store my Internet settings, and now I have my cookies back, so I didn't have to log in to each website again .

Also I have installed Half Life 2, and it seems very fast, although it was already fast in my "old" computer . I still have to see how far can I push the GeForce 6600 GT, the 5900XT was already excellent . Next will be DooM 3, FarCry, NFSU2... I have installed almost all applications so it's time for games .

[igalan]

Yesterday I benchmarked with Aquamark 3. This is what I got.

Before:

• AMD XP2500+
• Asus A7N8X Deluxe
• 1 GB RAM DDR 333 dual channel configuration
• Aopen GeForce FX-5900XT

Score: 30500 points

Now:

• AMD64 3200+ 939
• Asus A8N Sli Deluxe
• 512 MB RAM DDR 400 single channel configuration
• MSI GeForce 6600 GT with 128 MB GDDR3

Score: 50300 points

Thats quite an improvement! I've tested all my games at 1280x1024 with details set at high and I get excellent fps (2xAA, 4xAF): DooM 3, FarCry, HalfLife 2... I'm am very happy with the upgrade, it has been a seamless transition from AMD XP to AMD64. Everything is working perfectly . One of the things that need special mention is PCIe: No more PCI (and AGP) lantecy issues, bandwidth problems, etc!

So if anyone is considering the upgrade, IMO it's worth every cent. I now have room for improvement in months to come: more RAM that can run in dual channel, faster processors, another video card to run in SLI, Windows XP 64 bits... New options are available

[Wobbel]

That's quite an impressive improvement, i still got my old set up, have it for 3 years now, thinking bout upgrading, but first there have to be some things to be replaced in the house

ps, video card is a cheap one, my old one died on me, needed replacement fast.

[igalan]

I wanted to do this upgrade right now because I have spare time. If everything is alright in two weeks our baby will born, so I won't have much free time anymore!

It wasn't that much expensive, I purchased mobo, CPU and videocard. Everything else is the same that I had: RAM, disk drive, DVD-ROM, DVD burner, housing, PSU... I've been saving for some time, and it helped that my computer lasted for many months with the same configuration (the only upgrade was the video card).