Originally posted by: Jaredster
When is intel going to make a 64-bit processor? I'm not talking about Itanium 2, I'm talking about a real PC processor like AMDs.
They already have in the final generation of Pentium 4 Prescotts: EM64T.
Originally posted by: Ero-Fan
@Assertn: I know, I have a 64 bit processor, but when it comes to gaming, my computer doesn't run all that much better than a computer with a 32 bit processor, everything else being equal. The gc and memory make a bigger improvement to gaming than anything else. Unless your doing alot of 3d rendering and stuff, it doesn't matter all that much.
The video card will only get you so far before your processor starts to bottleneck. Example: you don't pair a X850XT with a Barton 2500+. Like me, since you're already running an Athlon 64, you don't realize this because most likely your processor is not the bottleneck. In your case, video card matters much much more. However, this doesn't mean one should get a low-end, discontinued processor because that CAN and WILL bottleneck if he decides to upgrade from the 9800 Pro.
Originally posted by: Ero-Fan
Btw, I can't remember what its called: What is that test that some games have called that tests your computers performance?
3DMark
Originally posted by: mage
you don't buy 64bit cpu's in order to run 64bit apps, they work just fine with a 32bit OS as well. if you get a athlon64 3000, it will be much faster than a barton 3000.
It won't just be much faster, its overall processing power absolutely rapes a Barton 3000. Like I said, it's all about the on-die memory controller that Athlon 64s and Semprons have. K8 processors isn't about 64-bit processing, it's about <u>substantial</u> upgrades to the K7 architecture. 64-bit processing is just an added bonus on the side. Even running 32-bit code, Athlon 64s destroy Pentium 4s in performance, due to the extreme shittiness of Pentium 4 and the superior overall design of the Athlon 64.

Myth: Athlon 64s are pointless unless you run 64-bit software.
Fact: Athlon 64s, or any K8 processor, wasn't designed to perform well only on 64-bit environments. They perform just as well on 32-bit environments, at least much better than Pentium 4 or Athlon XP.