Hi,

I am currently reviewing 3 Music PC specifications (see below), each with a different processor. I am currently considering buying the AMD 64 3700+ based machine.

All advice & experiences welcome

1. HQ Workstation @ £779.00 which uses an Intel PIV 3GHz CPU 800MHz FSB
2. AMD 64 Workstation @ £799.00 which uses an AMD 64 3700+ CPU
3. AMD Opteron Workstation @ £1,199.00 which uses an AMD Opteron 146 CPU 2.0GHz

Thanks in advance

The AMDs seem to become less hot, so less cooling is needed, than for a Intel-CPU... and cooling needs loud fans.

For a workstation (with only once CPU), I would take the AMD64, because it is far faster for the same price. Opteron is for servers.

ya, but aren't the new AMD opterons actually dual core?

or was that the AMD64 FX2 series?

I believe the Opteron processors are for different purposes, not just servers.
the number is 146, which I believe means only one can exist in the system, and the 6 and 4 add up to 10 or 1.0. Add another 1 and you get 2ghz.

a 246 can have 2 processors or 1 in the system at 2 ghz each
an 846 can have 8...

what the difference is between a 100 series and the 64, is beyond me.

Opterons are mainly for servers. Standard athlon 64 processors provide better value for money.

Are you kidding? For a Music PC? Are you speaking of a home multitrack recording studio with real-time sound processing here? If not, all three are way overkill if you ask me.

What I like to do is get a good motherboard with recent technology (PCIe, SATA) and then go for the lowest processor and wait and see if my needs warrant an upgrade in some time. Generally speaking I find many people believe too much in MHz and are prepared to pay a lot for not that much more performance (application level).

Recently had an P4 915 chipset board - boy, you can really turn off your appartment heating with those Pentiums... The latest ones are supposed to consume a bit less power. Was glad the motherboard died so I could switch to an 939 board with AMD 64 3000 Winchester. Cool and quiet indeed...

I would suggest that rest of what each system comprises is far more significant than simply which processor they're based on.

The processor speed is almost the least important component for a music PC, if you ask me. Soundcard, case (w/fans and power supplies), hard drives, optical drive, heck, even RAM are much more important, especially if you won't be doing any encoding on it, just playback.

Absolutely this.

The 3700+ will beat both of the others in everything you throw at it, even being socket-754. The only exceptions will be multiple CPU-heavy tasks at once (like say, multiple encoding jobs at once), or otherwise RAM/CPU-heavy activities. Check out Anandtech's recent dual-core review...the only issues are the extreme situations where the FX-55 was actually losing...and they were extreme, with the sole exception of the DVD-shrink test.

On Opterons: the Opterons have a full 1MB of L2 cache, not that it helps much outside of some heavy workloads, and require registered (but not ECC) RAM. The Opterons also come with heftier (and louder) heatsinks.
The Athlon64s cannot use registered RAM, most of them have 1/2MB of L2 cache, and are otherwise the same. Performance will be on par clock-per-clock (and the 3700+ is 2.4GHz).

Lastly, what else is the PC made of? While the memory of the A64s could probably help, I can't imagine anything other than compression that would need a 3700+. However, I can think of a lot of things that might need 2GB of RAM (2x1GB, not 4x512MB!!!), a new 'Cuda w/ NCQ (and motherboard that could use it, which would put you into Socket-939 territory), a good but quiet PSU, etc..

Music PC?
Wow, the configuration looks like a gamers' PC configuration.

anyway, out of the 3 , I would choose Athlon 64

1. Athlon64 is meant for personal and home use
2. Athlon is 64-bit while Intel is 32-bit, of course you must go for 64-bit as
Intel will one day switch to 64 and stop the 32 production. It won't be
too long
3. Opteron are meant for servers

As are the P4s.If you buy now and use Windows, they are both plain old x86. x86-64 will cost you (unless you go with Linux ).It has already happened, pretty much. Practically all the new non-Celerons have the extensions. Chances are good that all produced right now have them working, but Intel likely won't give full support until the x86-64 XP is ready to be sold. XP 64 might even come out this year, too. Might.

"Already have an x64 PC? Get a free upgrade to Windows Professional x64 Edition"
It is out already.

How unmicrosoftian! At least it will only last until July!

A Athlon 3700+ is Socket 754 chip. That Socket is dead in the water. In terms of future upgrades, your far better off going with a Socket 939 chip (i.e. 3500+, 3800+, 4000+)