Socket 939 or 940? - 3500+ or FX-53 Athlon?

[locobox]

I was wanting to get a new computer for my me with the following specs:

NEW SYSTEM

Processor: AMD 64x2 3500+ (dual Channel)

Memory: 2Gig memory: OCZ Performance (Heatsink included)

MSI Socket 939 ATI Radeon XPRESS 200

Intel Pro Gigabite NIC

2x 200GB SATA Maxtor

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX (add $110)

Case with double top fan (add $25)

Thermatake powersupply 450wat (add $50)

Processor Fan (Modded) (add $80)

DVD/CDRW Drive

Firewire

USB 2.0

Floppy

OR... this gamer buddie that I have wants to sell me the above for $1,250 (Which is all I got for a new computer - No monitors.. i have those)... here is what he offers:

USED SYSTEM The owner was a top gamer who now wants the best of the best and is selling his system.

AMD FX-53 Processor with Stock Heat Sink (Socket 940)

ASUS SK8N Motherboard Nforce3

2x 512mg PC3200 OCZ Performance Registered ECC Memory.

Intel Pro Gigabite NIC

2x 200GB SATA Maxtor

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum eX (add $110)

Case with double top fan (add $25)

Thermatake powersupply 450wat (add $50)

Processor Fan (Modded) (add $80)

DVD/CDRW Drive

Firewire

USB 2.0

Floppy

The second one is an used system from a TOP gamer who bought it when all the technology was just coming around (Basically got the best of the best at that time - He bought it around June2004. The first system the Athlon 64 35+ came July 2004... but it's not the top end of it's class).

I need to make a decision soon I hate presure...HELP HARDWARE GURUS!

Which one should I choose?

[Vitalix]

What will you be using the PC for? For gaming?

Check this link for some more current setups (FX-55 being lowest on this chart - for the FX53, assume about 15-20% less performance)

$1250 gets you some serious hardware! If I were you, I would go for one of the SLI motherboards. The problem with the FX is that it is legacy, cannt step up to PCI Express or SLI without selling all your hardware and buying from scratch!

My rig, which I got for a little under $1300 is:

NZXT Lexa Case (500W dual rail PSU is solid! - runs my system with under 2% flux on rails)

AMD Athlon64 3800+ X2 (running at 2.4GHz - stock hardware 25/45C idle/load)

EVGA NF-41 NForce4-SLI Mobo

1GB OCZ DDR3200 Platinum Rev 2 (TCCD~ 2-3-2-6 @ 240FSB)

EVGA 7800GT

NEC DVD-RW 16X

160GB Seagate SATAII

(Onboard sound - great unless you have like 12 speakers in your office)

I got the mobo free with the 7800GT promotion (at Newegg, not sure if they are still running that). An Asus A8N-SLI will do as well, or any flavor of the nForce4 SLIs.

No video cards in the lists? Careful with the ATI chipsets on the mobos unless you plan to go Crossfire (I've heard that it was rushed to keep up with SLI and not quite ready yet).

I'm assuming you overclock of course! If not, you could save a couple hundred bucks, probably.

[ripken204]

build one yourself, its not that hard. how much many can u spend?

[Aegis]

Since when was there an X2 3500+?

[ripken204]

there is no such cpu. the website is prolly unreliable and its prolly a venice 3500