newbie on amd athlons and numbers

[JoeFaheyx]

hi, i was planing on purchasing a amd athlon 2700, but have seen many people with 3000's, also, i am planing to have the x800 video card and know that it is pretty good, so is the amd athlon 2700 processor not be up to the level of an x800? THANKS

 

[SneakyStuff]

If you're getting an Athlon XP you want one based on the Barton core. Look into the Athlon XP 2800+. But in all honesty, if you want to get the most out of an x800, you'll need an Athlon 64.

 

[JoeFaheyx]

this is what i was planning on getting, AMD Athlon XP 2700+, 333MHz FSB, 256K Cache Processor - Retail

is this what your saying i should get? AMD Athlon 64 2800+, 512KB L2 Cache, 64-bit Processor - Retail

 

[AFB]

I think he was saying more of an 3000+ or 3200+ 64bit.

 

[JoeFaheyx]

so not just a 3000 or 3200, but a 64 3000? and is it really worth it for an x800?

 

[JoeFaheyx]

i am starting to think now about even getting the x800...... so, what do you think is one of the best video cards out there that could play HL2 or D3, or any other large game, yet isn't that much?

because im starting to think that the x800 is just too much money wise and specs wise....... mabye it will be good later on when games get larger THANKS

 

[peonyu]

9800 PRO would be a good option, so would a Geforce 5900.

An exellent alternative to the A64 would be a Mobile Barton 2400+ or 2500+, since they usually overclock to obscene levels like 2.6 ghz and at those speeds can keep pace with any A64.

 

[JoeFaheyx]

im not sure how to overclock, and am not sure if i should, so with out over clocking in mind............any recomendations?

for the video card, could you send me a link at newegg.com ? and does OEM make it bad???

 

[NelsonMuntz]

Originally posted by: JoeFahey
im not sure how to overclock, and am not sure if i should, so with out over clocking in mind............any recomendations?

I probably wouldn't suggest you start worrying about overclocking right now.
The suggestions made here are good ones, and unless you've got money to burn, they are much more reasonable.
The suggestions I'm talking about are a Athlon XP 2800+ (Barton core) with a 9800 Pro video card.
This level of hardware should allow you to play games to your heart's content.
You could get an Athlon 64 3000+ and an X800, but they will cost you much more.

 

[JoeFaheyx]

when i look up 9800 Pro video card, so many video cards come up....it there a certain model? THANKS

 

[SneakyStuff]

haha I was talking about the Athlon XP 2800+, not the Athlon 64. Combine an Athlon XP 2800+, and a 9800 Pro (by sapphire, which you'll see is a very popular model on newegg.com) and you'll have a really nice gaming machine, and yiu'll save a LOT of money.

 

[JoeFaheyx]

what does tv out on a video card do? and also, what should i get for a mb size? 126 or 256?

 

[JoeFaheyx]

on some of the video cards, there are cords coming off of them, where woulld you plug them into, and what are they for?

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: JoeFahey
what does tv out on a video card do? and also, what should i get for a mb size? 126 or 256?

Considering this is a long-term investment, 256 would be ideal, but at a $100 price premium, I'm not entirely sure if it's worth it. As for the cords, the 9800Pro has to be plugged in to your power supply, so that's what the cord is for(some provide you with the cord, some make you provide your own, it varies). Oh, and for TV-out, it simply means there's an S-Video port on the video card to let you directly output to a TV; if you're asking this question however, I doubt you're needing a card like that, so I wouldn't worry about it(most cards feature TV-out in the first place, anyhow).

PS Whatever configuration you decide on for a video card, get the cheapest one. 9800Pros are all basically built the same