Al Dykes wrote:

In article , JK wrote:


Damo784 wrote:

Well 64 bit is out of the question.

Why is a 64 bit system out of the question? An Athlon 64 system
might be cheaper than a high end P4 system.


Dell are the cheapest for what i want by a long shot and they only do
intel.

Are they? What would the system you propose cost? Imo I could
probably show you a few better alternatives for the price.


Also i agree with the fact that there is no 64 bit software out

One doesn't need 64 bit software to benefit from the Athlon 64. First
of all, the Athlon 64 has an on chip memory controller, which is a great
benefit and increases performance greatly in some instances. Using
a 64 bit OS even when the applications are 32 bit provides great
benefits. It can allow up to 4 gig of memory space for the application
itself. A 64 bit OS will also probably be much more efficient than a 32
bit one.


yet.however it should be mainstream in 3 years time

It is mainstream now, and will be even more so before the end
of '04. 64 bit Windows XP for the Athlon 64 will probably be released
before the end of '04.

when im upgrading
again so i can go for a 64 bit processor then......

So back to my original question more ram or more cpu power?

The best way to handle ram is to buy a standard amount, then add
if you need more. For a lower end system, 512 meg is a good start,
while for a higher end system, a gig is a good start.



I agreed with buying memory as you've proven you need it,
but the first chip you buy should be large enough that
you won't have to discard it later to make room
for a larger simm if you need to max-out the memory.

Obviously. That is why I recommend starting with one 512 meg stick,
or perhaps one 1 gig stick.



Buy a name brand memory module and write down the
model number, so if you want order another module
you don't have to guess to match the chip.
memory chips should match.

--
Al Dykes
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adykes at p a n i x . c o m