SCI/TECH: Microsoft, Intel: The Time For 64-Bit is Now

Actually, the next upgrade I intend to make is in memory, by adding two 256MB modules, increasing the memory to 1 GB, the max my machine will accommodate. You're right, this is a very inexpensive proposition, especially if I do it myself, which I think I can do, even though I have never tried anything like it before.

I don't know what speed my RAM is, but my front side bus is 800 Mhz, which I think is pretty fast, or at least, is faster than a lot of feature bundles I see advertised.

Grady check out these sites, they are pretty informative

www.build-your-own-computer-tips.com...

www.directron.com...

www.windowsreinstall.com...

Upgrading your computer yourself is the first step to building one from scratch. Good Luck!

I was thinking of slapping a gig or 2 of ram in my present machine at some point. I love games, but right now my computer has been mostly for business, so going 64 bit isn't really important. Would I like to have it, sure, but it isn't important, no. When I bought my graphics card it was a refurb from newegg.com. A Gainward Nvidia TI 4800, AGP 8x, and 128 megs of ram. Cheap and faster than some of the new Nvidias at the time. This was an expensive card at one time, and it does the job. My computer is a cheap E-machines, and is every bit as good as my old $1600 1.2 Ghz Compaq. This one costed less than half, near twice as fast, with 4 times the drive space. And I use a CRT monitor for cost reduction. Yeah it's bigger, not a huge issue.

What do you guys think about DELL? I'd like to hear feedback, we use them at work. Has anyone noticed quality controll issues with these machines? Or would that be innacurate compared to other machines?


Troy

Video card is more important then ram but not by much. If you are going to get more ram you might as well max it if you are using DDR ram. Then get a 5950 FX card. They are pretty cheap now and are getting cheaper by the day. Nvidia's 6 Series line is pretty much complete. They even have some cheap ones for that generation, the 6200. I'm not sure how much it goes for but it is certainly cheaper then my 6800 which I paid 400 bucks cnd.

Dells suck for gaming, trying it out at work and my comp at home which was way cheaper performed way better.

64 Bit is the future. Upgrade at your leasure but make sure all your parts are compatible. Only thing you really need to worry about is bying the right type of RAM. DDR is the standard.

[edit on 6-3-2005 by sardion2000]

I've been following the newest developments very closely and my advice is to
save your money and wait to see what happens over the next few months.

Intel has just announced that they are taking their entire lineup to dual core processors
between now and the end of 2006.
AMD will be there too.

Those of you following IBM and Power PC architecture
will soon see a major revision to the Apple PowerMac lineup.
More than likely, this revision will involve either the dual core 970MP " Antares "
processor or an even faster Power 5 based dual core processor as well as improvements
in professional graphics capabilities. Apple will also be launching OSX TIGER in the very near future, well ahead of Microsoft's floundering attempts to bring a cut down version of Longhorn to market.

IBM is also working very closely with Apple, Sony and Toshiba on the new Power PC based CELL architecture.
It all may depend on how these new chips are implemented, but
some analysts are reporting a possibility that these new multi-core chips could be
up to 26 times faster than any existing processor.
They will also have multi OS capabilities.

So, if you can get by on what you already own, I would wait.

You may also want to keep in mind that a whole new world of 64 bit, dual core applications and games will follow these developments.

Linux is coming along nicely, but it's still not ready for prime time and there are
a vast multitude of security vulnerabilities that still need to be ironed out.

( See the vulnerability reports at www.us-cert.gov )

I would pay very close attention to Apple's release of TIGER this spring.

In the mean time, get ready for some unbelievable discounts on existing gear
across all platforms.

[edit on 6-3-2005 by FallenFromTheTree]

Curiously all the talk about speed Moore's law and all of that is interesting as many people look to the future. Nonetheless NASA still uses 486 laptops onboard the Shuttle! The reason is reliability, and perhaps familiarity. On these they are phasing out Windows 95, due to a lack of technical support from Microsoft.

The faster you go the more transistors on less processor terrain. So cosmic rays can interefere with the reliable operations of a P4, to a greater extent than upon a 486 at a higher micron density. Also Intel makes 486 processors with some greater shielding and other reliability components for such mission critical applications. When one considers the basics on the Space Shuttle, word processing and such, there is no reason for a Captain Proton Monster GigaHertz and Ultra Video card capacity.

In any event I look forward to upgrading, however my P4 Northwood 2.26 overclocked above 2.5 at 300MHZ is working just fine. I may set a record over four years as a main computer on this baby, by 2006 although it does seem a bit less than tops these days, it still does the job. Other conveyances such as an AIW 7500 are doing quite well for video capture, and a GB of Corsair 3200 Memory is handy enough. An interim step of P4 2.4 GHZ Prescott 533 overclocking might be fun. It can easily handle over 3.2 GHZ as I read it, however with dual cores on the horizon and other things, GHZ is no longer the most vital benchmark. In fact it can signify heat thresholding problems, as one should recognize the new approach of intel mirroring to some extent, longstanding designations from AMD.

I understand completely that familiarity and the degree of previous investments make
any transition to new gear a difficult choice.

There are so many priorities in professional applications, that choosing the right
system for your particular needs warrants careful consideration of all available options.

Sometimes, tried and true may not be the best choice for future needs.

Security and stability have now become THE major issues for most professional
applications as well as overall usable life costs and expectations.


These considerations include hardware, software. licensing and personnel budgets.

The cost to impliment and maintain any NEW Windows based system
will have to be weighed against the benefits of running Unix based systems.

One very important feature of dual core architecture, is that these processors
are capable of running multiple operating systems.

Good things will come to those who wait.