Basic Gaming PC Processor

[Farore]

Guys, looking to keep costs low and fix up my mums PC so I can game on it when I come home.

At the moment, its a socket 939 Opteron 146 processor with 1GB of ram. Thinking of going for http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-007-OB but is it worth going for this rather than a Core2 Quad bundle?

Other option is to move my Q6600 system guts (mem, ram, processor) into my mothers PC and buy core i7 for myself.

On another note, should I buy a core i7 now, because I hear the best core i5 wont be as good as the worst core i7?

Thanks

Farore

 

[cmndr_andi]

That AMD bundle is a good deal, but i'd say transfer your old system. Means you get a system you know plays games well at home, and a sweet new i7 monster with you.

Getting an i7 now makes sense, they aren't going to get any cheaper and i'm certain intel will want the i7 920s price slot filled up by a top-end i5. so I would not expect the 920 to remain available at the end of the year.

 

[Big.Wayne]

Guys, looking to keep costs low and fix up my mums PC so I can game on it when I come home.

Personally I think the LGA775 platform is the one to beat for value atm. That AMD combo is pretty good though but If buying new on a budget then I would be recommending the Intel E5200 overclocked bundle @ £199.98

If your a really shrewd enthusiast then there are really nice bargains to be had on the 2nd hand market for the LGA775 platform, £200 could bag you a used Wolfdale E8400, a used ASUS P45 Express motherboard and 4GB of Ram, that would totally own any game if combined with a decent GPU!

Getting an i7 now makes sense, they aren't going to get any cheaper

I guess it makes sense to you but I'm not seeing the benefits myself for the premium. I know the Core i7 seems like the most amazing thing ever but its just another release of hardware in a long line of great hardware and soon enough it will be outmoded by a new release and the 920 will price crash!

Anyway its generally accepted that Core i7 isn't a primary gaming CPU and it certainly should be mentioned in a thread seeking "Basic Gaming PC Processor"

Used LGA775 for the Win, if buying new I still prefere the overclocked E5200 bundle but AMD need some sales too so its six of one and half a dozen of the other!

I'm still trying to work out why there are a few people calling LGA775 "Dead Tech" when its still a faster platform that anything AMD have out

An overclocked E5200 is really hard to beat for bang-for-buck and down the line you can always pop in a 12MB Yorkfield quad-core when they are selling fairly cheap!. If AMD released an AM3 cpu that owns any LGA775 chip then I will be recommending there products and also jumping on the AM3 bandwagon, until that time Wolfdale reigns supreme as an all-round PC and gaming platform!

 

[cmndr_andi]

I take your points, the i7 is not the best value processor for gaming.

However, it happily overclocks to 4GHz and runs 8 threads, so it is definitely a super fast processor with staying power (running multithreaded games). Considering Phenom 2s top out at 3.8GHz and are slower clock-for-clock, you would be hard pushed to find a faster processor for games.

I agree that s775 is definitely not "dead tech", they are as fast as phenom 2 and run pretty cool.

Also, most games PCs are not limited by CPU but by graphics in games, so spending extra money on a good GPU would likely be a wiser investment.

In conclusion, i7/X58 is not essential for gaming, however the massive power and extensive X58 features makes it the best option if you have the money. Regardless, spend the money on the graphics card first if you want the computer for games.

P.S. This is the cheapest i7 920 and this is the cheapest X58 mobo. Not exactly pennies, but a bargain for the power you get.

 

[Big.Wayne]

Good post cmndr_andi!

I'm not against Core i7 but it really doesn't offer that much more than Core 2 for most people, I wouldn't mind so much if it was cheaper but Intel are throwing up a mixed marketing message about their new product in an attempt to get people to part with their wonga and it bugs me heh!

This is the cheapest i7 920 and this is the cheapest X58 mobo. Not exactly pennies, but a bargain for the power you get.

 

[gamesaregood]

I would go with the AMD Bundle, there is every chance it might unlock into a quad as well

I don't see the point in going for an E5200 based PC when the AMD Phenom II X2 550 is such better value.

 

[Phatzy]

in my opinion i'd go with the AMD option cheap and future proof and possible to unlock them extra 2 cores with that motherboard

 

[Big.Wayne]

I don't see the point in going for an E5200 based PC when the AMD Phenom II X2 550 is such better value.

You don't see the point?

The point is it's £30 cheaper and overclocks like a champ!

Anyway if your comparing CPU's at the same pricepoint as a AMD Phenom II X2 550 then we are talking about a new Intel E7300 or a used Intel E8400 which are just better!

As far as I know every LGA775 chip is better than anything served up in AM3 at this time, Dual-core or Quad-core then Wolfdale and Yorkfield are still ruling the roost!

If you guys know something I don't know then please enlighten me!

p.s I am actually a big AMD fan but I'm not gonna recommend or use their products if they are slower and more expensive then what INTEL offer?

 

[Phatzy]

for an extra £30+ i say AMD option is better as the 550 is around E8400 performance