| Geeks.com Athlon 64 3000+ CPU/Motherboard Combo
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Conclusion:
If you are looking for bragging rights with a top of the line set up, the Biostar VIA K8M800/ AMD Athlon 64 3000+ from Geeks.com is probably not for you. However if you are looking for a reasonably priced 64-bit upgrade from an existing 32-bit system, this combination may be exactly what you are looking for.
The combination of the Biostar K8M800 motherboard with the AMD Athlon 64 3000+ processor should provide a substantial performance boost over an existing 32-bit system and save you plenty of money with onboard 6 channel audio, 10/100 LAN, and all be it very under powered video with the option of carrying over an AGP video card.
Granted, socket 754 may not be the wave of the future and the motherboard has some other limitations such as only three audio ports and limited BIOS options. This combination was meant to offer high performance on a budget, and in my opinion it has found a very comfortable middle ground. It may be lacking some bells and whistles, but it offers a substantial amount of 64-bit performance at a very reasonable price.
Geeks.com has this combination for a normal list price of $164.50, but they have it on sale regularly for $157.00.
Due to the outstanding overall performance and a price around $160 from the Geeks.com, I give the Biostar VIA K8M800 / AMD X64 3000+ combination a final score of 4 out of 5 stars. The bang for the buck this combo offers earns it the distinction of being a "Good Value".
Final Rating (4 out of 5 stars): 
Pros:
» Great value
» Runs cool with low speed, low noise fan
» Onboard sound, LAN, and video, with option to use AGP video card
Cons:
» No SATA cables included
» Would benefit from more audio ports
Special thanks to Geeks.com for providing the Athlon 64 3000+ CPU/Motherboard Combo to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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