CPU upgrade?

[Tc3er]

I am currently looking to upgrade the to socket 939 AMD processor line.

In my system right now I have a socket 754 Athlon 64 3400+, and I am looking to purchase the socket 939 Athlon 64 Venice 3200+.

My question concerns the core clock speeds. While the 3400+ has a clock speed of 2.4 Ghz, the 3200+ only has a core clock of 2.0 Ghz. Would I notice a significan difference in performance if I were to purchase the 3200+?

With this question I could like to imagine all other things in the comp would be level, so the playing field would be even, under these circumstances, would there be a noticeable performance difference, thanks.

[ski]

If your current CPU is the New Castle, then it runs at 2.4 MHz, and it's a better performer than the proposed Venice CPU, all else remaining equal.
Check benchmark results here:
http://www.tomshardware.com/2004/12/21/the_mother_of_all_cpu_charts_part_2/page14.html

EDIT- Just noticed that the Venice is not included in these benchmarks. Gotta do some more research.

[ski]

I could not find a direct benchmark comparison between your current and proposed CPU's.
However, the link in my 1st post shows that your current AMD 3400+ slot 754 'New Castle' CPU outperforms the AMD 3200+ slot 939 'Winchester' CPU across the board, and the only difference between the 3200+ Winchester and the 3200+ Venice, that you propose for your upgrade, is the Venice has SSE3 instructions, and the Winchester does not:
http://images.tomshardware.com/2006/01/10/amd_athlon_fx_60_dual_core_assault/cpu_table_amd_big.gif

So the question is -> Does SSE3 matter that much in performance?
Several articles that I've read say that SSE3 does not improve gaming performance that much, but can increase workstation application speed.
IMHO, if you're looking to improve gaming speed, then suggest that you go for a faster CPU. If you do mostly business applications, video and audio editing, and basic stuff, then you may see some performance improvement with the Venice, but the increase may not be worth the time, effort, and $.

[saphalline]

Right now, I would question the wisdom of moving to Socket 939. In just a few more weeks, AMD's new socket (AM2) will be released. With this new socket comes a new platform generation for AMD. I would suggest waiting for Socket AM2.

[Tc3er]

The only reason I am considering the 939 and not the AM2 is price.

[azzey]

Consider this: when AM2 is released, the prices for 939 processors and boards will plummet. Wait a couple weeks and you'll save yourself some money, even if you aren't planning on changing platforms.

[saphalline]

The only reason I am considering the 939 and not the AM2 is price.The price of AM2 once it's released is going to be very close to what 939 is now. Maybe up to 10% more money for the mobo's, for the novelty of it, but otherwise the price won't be astronomical. Remember, Intel and AMD want everyone to upgrade, not just the uber-rich.