> > >You could use Server 2003 Enterprise with PAE, but yeah, mostly for > x64 > >users. There are an ever-growing number of us, though. :) > > I wouldn't mind but it apparently can't support the stuff I need to > use. But maybe I should get a matching 4GB while it is still real > cheap.
Agree on the RAM purchase--I don't expect DDR2 ICs to remain this low for too much longer... Curious though, what is it you have that isn't supported? > >At the very least, while I know you're > >generally an EE CPU fan, I can absolutely say that the extra 170MHz > between > >it and the Q9550 is definitely not worth the $500 premium. > > yeah, I know that, but I want a 3.0 processor. Four years from now I > won't be thinking about I wish I had a 3.x. And something else I have > learned along the way is while in four years the Q99550 is likely to > be about a third of it's cost today, the Extreme will only go down > about 30 percent. I don't have a good reason for this other then I > can afford it, I won't miss the 500, and I want the 3.0 :) > I don't know how true that will be going forward. Intel's current trend seems to be to replace at least some of the EE chips with identical non-EE chips within one or two refreshes. Indeed, the QX9650 is set to be replaced in Q3 with a $500 Q9650, yes, at 3.0GHz. That being said, the 3.2GHz QX9770 may never see a non-EE version, but is it worth the $1500? Personally, I think I may just bypass the 45nm Core2 generation. Frankly, my Q6600 at 3.6GHz provides such incredible performance that there's not much the new generation can really offer me--even overclocked. Too bad SSE4.1 is worthless for x264 compression. As for stability, this is absolutely the most stable platform I've ever used. Running Vista x64 SP1, 8GB, and a QC overclocked by 1.2GHz, I typically average 35-40 days between reboots--and never caused by a crash. Four years from now, I don't expect (or want) any vestige of this platform to be within reach. I usually only keep a CPU for a year or so in my main machine, maybe another 12-18 months in another box (ie: HTPC), before I hawk it or delegate it to some other task where I usually don't even care about performance. :) Different strokes though...I like to stay current because I find it interesting, and I apply the knowledge obtained to hardware purchase decisions for work. Greg
