AMD stepping question?

[jb15426]

Can someone explain what stepping is on AMD processors and how it affects performance, if any. I'm trying to decide between the AMD ATHLON 64 3200+ AND 3700+, both with the 939 socket. Is the price difference worth the performance? I'm not using it for gaming, just high end business & picture editing. I plan on using 2G ram so I can have quite a few apps running. Am I on the right track? I value your opinions.

[MDS]

A bigger question would be, is the software fully compatible to fully use the 64bit system or will it just run in 32bit mode. Do you plan on using winXP 64 or 64bit ver of Linux? You are only looking at .2 gig differences and the L2 cache is doubled on the 3700+. If you don't plan to over clock or game on the system the $45 difference in price you would just have to decide if it's worth it or not. I have built systems with both for a company using them for high-end CAD programs such as Alibre Design Professional CAD and you really cannot tell the difference on daily usage.