I think I'm going to get this http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...578173&CatId=0
combo to build another box.

All of the distros I have are not 64 versions.Will they still run ok?
If they will whats the advantage of running a 64 bit os/cpu combo.

Thanks

you'll still be able to run 32bit versions of any distro as well as the X86_64 versions

64-bit has a minimum of 2 advantages:
address more memory
faster processing of number-crunching apps---eg photos--IF the SW is optimized for 64-bit processing.
For most things, you may not see a difference.

PipeDreams,

Hopefully, you have satisfied yourself that the newish ULi chipset and 64-bit Mandriva (your preferred distro?) will cooperate. New chipsets have been more challenging for me than older varieties.

Confirming pixellany's comments, my impression is that the typical advantage of running 64-bit over 32-bit is five to ten percent. It's like having a 3200+ instead of a 3000+. Except, there are reports that some aps, such as audio encoding, run over 30% faster on 64-bit. YMMV

The disadvantage to 64-bit versions is that there are a few more problems. For example, M. Zimmerman reported difficulty installing 64-bit Ubuntu on a PC with a Chaintech ULi M1689 MB, but no problem with the 32-bit version (per ubuntu kernel-team archive, 10/9/05).

Good Luck!

Actually no.I am not much on trying the "latest and greatest".
I have built a few boxes in the last 5 or 6 years and have had really good results with AMD processors and MSI boards w/Nvidia chipsets so that is what I stuck with.

Last night I ordered an MSI k8n neo4 here http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...289&CatId=1569
I was trying to stay on a budget but I decided by the time my wife sees the bill I will have it assembled and running.

Next week I'm planning to order the athlon 64 3700+ here http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...?EdpNo=1366616

I think maybe I've made a mistake tho.
The processor has a FSB of 2000Mhz and the board only supports 1000Mhz.Is this bad?Will this "waste" half of the cpu speed?

Thanks

Don't worry about the processor, they match up. Some people quote the hypertransport as 1000Mhz and some quote it as 2000Mhz. Really it is a 1000Mhz (depending on your multipliers) and it is duplexed and that is where they are getting the 2000Mhz from. I am new to linux and have also just ordered a MSI board with Nvidia chipset with an Athlon64. Hope it all goes well without any kernel panics that many people talk of with some of the newer hardware. I guess I will find out soon, its going to be a monster machine!

On my computer tower I'm using MSI K8M800-CE + VT8237R Chipset K8MM-V AMD 64 Processors, the AMD Chipset is a 1.6 with a 40 GB HDD Western Digital and a 512 DDR RAM 400, i've got my bosis set to 32 bit with no problems what so ever. it seams to be working fine atm, have not installed xp yet but that where i mite counter some problems. because of the cpu been so weak for its speed. i think it comes down to you cpu speed if i'm rite.

The specs to my machine are below. I whoop my bro in laws 3.0 P4HT with ease. I have no problems from my sytem. He even has a sata drive and me with and IDE one. lol, I find it funny.

An MSI K8N Neo4?! I have one a them! With a 3500+.

Works OK, mostly. Actually, I have barely looked at installed OSes - rather concentrating on live distros. At the moment the MSI is running Knoppix from a flash pen.

You might not want to skimp on the video card. I have a generic unbranded 6200. Some live CD distros (e.g. Knoppix & Kanotix) give me 60hz refresh, even though "resize and rotate" says it's 101. Yuk! (I have a CRT). Adios gives me a dark gray screen. Don't know what it is for sure, but read in another forum that nVidia made some changes with PCI-Express video that might cause trouble with setting refresh rate in some versions of Linux.

Stock PCLinuxOS/nVidia live CD defaults to 70hz. Installed PCLOS allows permanent setting of refresh.

Wolvix has perfect video.

PCLOS has an issue with SATA on this MB, at least with "delivered" bios settings - hmm, mine may not actually be default (but Knoppix & Kanotix are fine with SATA). If you have an ATA drive sitting around, you might stick with it pending research. Have read about solutions in a forum, but... that is another long story.

Anyway, this is probably too much info. Just take note of the video and SATA.

Ack! Time to boogie.

Good Luck!

Dose any body know with the 32 bit in the bosis can i chage that to a 64 bit would it hert the mechine if i change it... from a 32 to a 64 bit... just check it then