AMD retail packs are good value. The fan is quiet and more than capable of keeping the processor cool. Not forgetting that the retail pack comes with a long warranty.
Couple that with AMD's recent announcement of up to 19% price decreases for its processor line and you've got yourself a bargain.
Whether you go for dual-core is up to you and can only be decided by assessing the likely applications you'll be using. If you want all-round great performance, and you can afford it, the X2 4400 is probably the best (you get 1M of cache, not found on slower X2's). If you play the odd game and spend the rest of your time coding, just get the fastest Athlon64 you can afford.
As previously mentioned, only AMD's chips are true 64-bit (capable of running 64 bit OS's). Intel's 64-bit comprises a few extensions that allow you to use more than 4GB of RAM.
Windows XP x64 is all well and good, if you can find compatible drivers for it. Owners of Canon printers need not apply (in most cases). Most other modern hardware has 64-bit drivers. Most, if not all, Creative soundcards, Nvidia and ATI graphics cards and a good selection of network adapters have the appropriate drivers available. More importantly, 64-bit motherboard drivers are also readily available.
Should you run a 64-bit OS? Maybe. I could, but I don't. When Vista hits the shelves, I will.
Couple that with AMD's recent announcement of up to 19% price decreases for its processor line and you've got yourself a bargain.
Whether you go for dual-core is up to you and can only be decided by assessing the likely applications you'll be using. If you want all-round great performance, and you can afford it, the X2 4400 is probably the best (you get 1M of cache, not found on slower X2's). If you play the odd game and spend the rest of your time coding, just get the fastest Athlon64 you can afford.
As previously mentioned, only AMD's chips are true 64-bit (capable of running 64 bit OS's). Intel's 64-bit comprises a few extensions that allow you to use more than 4GB of RAM.
Windows XP x64 is all well and good, if you can find compatible drivers for it. Owners of Canon printers need not apply (in most cases). Most other modern hardware has 64-bit drivers. Most, if not all, Creative soundcards, Nvidia and ATI graphics cards and a good selection of network adapters have the appropriate drivers available. More importantly, 64-bit motherboard drivers are also readily available.
Should you run a 64-bit OS? Maybe. I could, but I don't. When Vista hits the shelves, I will.