i'm getting ready to build a new audio machine. i've allowed myself $300 for a new cpu and motherboard, so i've got to choose something in the 'yesteryear' range. (pentium 3.4, amd 3200, etc.) I don't know nearly as much about processors as some of you probably do, so help a bro out if you have a minute.

I'll make my question simple: If you had to spend +-300 bucks on a cpu/mobo, what would you buy? naturally, im looking for the most power.

thanks.

Since no one has responded..... you may try going to geek.com and checking the prices/reviews on there. It should help you considerably.

been reading geek.com for months. newegg.com as well. thanks though.

there are nuances about processors that only teh geekiest of us understand. that's why i was wanting opinions. fortunately, i've got someone 'in the biz' looking for me a killer deal.

I deal in video games, not so much computers. I like that site a great deal though.

http://www.edealinfo.com
http://www.pricewatch.com

zipzoomfly.com

tigerdirect.com


you can usually back order hardware from them, and sometimes catch them on sale. only thing is, it would probably have to be a special oder it being obsolete, and if you're going with the highest rated Pentium III, you will probaby save the time and effort by forking a few dollars more for a pentium IV. the only major thing that you have to watch out for is making sure that it fits the socket on the mother board. different processors have a different socket, and therefore wont fit any motherboard. you can easily see the type of socket by simply looking on the socket on the motherboard where you would put the processor. the most common socket for a P-IV is socket 498 i think. there are several different types of motherboards and sockets esp. when dealing in the P-III type.

now on buying, try looking in the trader, you can usually find a decent computer with a P-III chip for around $150-200, if you wanted to go with a P-III, but i seriously wouldnt recommend it, because regardless, you can find a motherboard cheap, but the processor, unless extremely obsolete, is gonna cost out the butt.

Just got a great deal on an athlon 64 4000. I'm totally happy. I've never used an amd chip before, and I'm sorry I waited this long. (I upgraded from two pc's both with a p4 2.8 northwood.) This amd cpu kicks a g5's ass.

thanks for the advice OneCent, but I'd have to argue that a p4 or equivalent amd would be a much better buy than a p3 these days. The price of p4 2.8 prescott's and so forth have dropped dramatically the passed couple months, due to the advent of dual core processors. Now is a great time to buy a p4. And amd's are even better in price and quality, as I've recently discovered. I'm now an amd convert!

and to boot, I'm now somewhat read up on the differences between all the different processors, thank goodness. I hate being ignorant about that stuff.

o, thats what i was trying to get across. sorry.....lack of sleep, brain isnt working right. my honest opinion as a pc tech would be to go with what you got.......the amd 64 4000. its a great cpu, and amd doesnt get the credit they deserve with it. i mean, #1 and foremost is that it is a 64 bit processor, which is what will be required for window's new operating system "Vista" not to mention that some of the newer games (i.e. Fear) requires a 64 bit processor to run efficiently. i was just stating to be careful that the sockets match up. i wouldnt personally recommend anything lower than a 32 bit processor......a pentium IV or equivelent atleast. sorry if it came across wrong.

nah...my bad. i misunderstood what you were saying about p3's.