I need some help. Im about to build a new pc. I have a p2 running win 98. I am looking at the P4 3.2ghz 800 fsb or the AMD XP 3200. Also have just started reading about the AMD 64 3200. I guess I want to know what one will be better. Im worried that the AMD 64 wont work with my 32bit items.i also am worried that I will have problems with window. (I will be upgrading my windows). I guess I should just say I want a cpu that will have as little problems as possible. I know there are a lot of people that live and die by one cpu or the other. I just want one that will let me do my Games (tycoon, sims, Uru: Ages Beyond Myst), Video editing, and internet. I have the money for any of the 3 I do plan to buy 1 after the new year. Thanks for any help

P4 3.2 800 - slow for the MHz, and VERY hot AthXP 3200+ - fast for the MHz (it's really 2.2GHz), pretty hot Ath64 3200+ - absolutely dreadful for the MHz (2.2GHz - it should do that at 1.7GHz like a good Pentium M), not too hot, it WILL run your 32-bit apps, don't go for XP 64-bit for AMD64 yet, as drivers have to be 64-bit to work on that, but 32-bit drivers will work on regular XP or 2000. If you're just playing games like those, you should be shooting for a lower-end CPU (2GHz is fine). As for your video editing, you could get away with a 2.4GHz P4 or equivalent (1.3GHz Pentium M (but that's a laptop CPU - I'm trying to get a quote on the RadiSys LS855, a desktop Pentium M board), Athlon XP 2400+ (go for a Barton 2500+, it's a GREAT OCer from what I've heard)). Internet? You could get away with a older P3 there! Pretty much anything you could get now would be fine for internet.

Apparently your not limited by price, the Athlon 64 is probably your best bet. It outperforms all the above and beats the P4EE in just about everything except games.

where it comes to the AMD64 or AMD64 fx they are both backwards compatible to 32 bit software so disregard anyone who tells you otherwise.... out of the 3 price wise if you are not a gmer or hardcore enthusiast like myself the amd64 3200 is good price wise and a good future investment.

The AMD64 is one generation ahead of current P4 3.2. I agree with the above posts, my money is invested on newer tech.

If you can afford a amd 64 3200 go for it, but if not get the p4 because the athlon xp gets way to damn hot. The amd 64 3200 will run 32 bit apps because it supports 32 and 64

Ok these people are giving u some good advice but with horrible examples. The best choice is the p4 3.2 ghz unless u dont do encoding. The Athlon64 is ur second best choice. It performs plus 10%-15% in games, frames per second, but for example its way behind in encoding. So for example if u encode files your p4 3.2 will do it in about 3/4 the time. While in normal programs like microsoft word the athlon64 is about 5% faster then the 3.2p4. The AthlonXP 3200 is behind the p4 in everything by small margins beside again encoding. And the athlon64 is 2 ghz not 2.2ghz though it can be easily overclocked to 2.2 which is its limit pretty much unless u got a great cooling system. Stability wise, all 3 are extremely stable but the Athlon64 is the quietest of all 3, most stable and creates the least heat. The reason i recommand the p4 3.2 ghz is because if u were to do encoding, u said u will be doing video encoding. It matters if u sit around ur computer counting the seconds until a file is decoded or not. Otherwise the athlon64 3200+ is best, remember i compared the athlon64 in 32bit environment. In 64bit it behaves differently, in somethings its about 50% faster while in others its 50% slower. Thats drivers for you. Therefore Athlon64 is the most stable 32bit system not 64bit.