Conroe is hype

[w3bbo]

Conroe is all hype? Gaming wise there is little difference? You cannot tell the difference between 25fps and 100fps?...all false statements tbh.

I was in denial for a while finding it a waste to upgrade from an already very fast system and I too didn't want to believe that there was a noticable difference but I soon got caught up in the hype.

I went from an Opty [email protected] to a conroe e6600 at 3.7. The noticable difference was prevailent in most if not all applications. Encoding had dramatically been reduced, windows seemed 'snappier', games were even faster,smoother and gave greater fps than before...and all this was backed up by benchmarks. The human eye may not be able to notice the difference in anything over 25fps but the human brain certainly can! Games will FEEL more fluid and do not have that 'walking in glue' feel the higher the fps you get. Obviously the higher the fps, the less noticable it is but I beg to differ regarding the 25fps comment. I will however concede that the GPU makes the bigger difference in gaming but the CPU certainly helps and ensures that the graphics card(s) is/are not throttled by the cpu.

This is my first intel system and I'm thoroughly impressed. Whether you game, encode or whatever you WILL notice a difference in upgrading to a conroe/core2duo system - even if you have a top of the line AMD setup. How much of a difference depends on what expectations you have and what you do with your PC. I wouldn't claim that conroe "destroys AMD", far from it, but it certainly puts it in the shadows and anyone wishing to eek the most performance out of their applications would do well to consider the blue side of processing ability.

 

[Jabbs]

If you have a fast cpu that unlocks the gpu and gives you even more performance so bit of a daft statement the cpu makes no difference, funny how somone can say conroe is hype and not actually own one to see

 

[FatRakoon]

I have been mainly an AMD Person.

I got hold of a Prescott 660 3.6Ghz / HT Etc ) and was absolutely shocked by one contradiction on it...

CPU-Wise it had serious potential, showing various benchmark scores with it being seriously meaty bugger, however, for absolutely everything, it quite honestly stunk!

It was my first jump into dual core, and ok, I know its not real dual core, but it was my first step anyway.

I did a few tests and found that it was roughly on par ( CPU-Wise ) with my Newcastle 3000 or Winchester 3200 if they were clocked down to 2.4 ( Down? - yeah I know - both are great clockers )

Anyway, at the time, the Newcastle was next to the P4, so I ran various tests with that, and in every single test, apart from CPU, the newcastle was infinitely quicker.

The biggest shock, was that the newcastle was able to load up over half a dozen large apps ( office, Doom3, Quake 4 etc etc ) all at the sime time, and then they were all up and running perfectly well, ages before the P4 had even started to display the first app... In fact, I pressed the power button, shut the Newcastle down, and then started it fully back up and re-loaded the same apps all over again, and shut them all down again, and it was only then that Doom3 started to rear its ugly head.

I was able to use the Newcastle fully as soon as it shut them down, in fact before it had really, and the P4 I was waiting and waiting and waiting...

Now, this to me shows that benchmarks are all absolutely useless to do any real fair tests, I never give them the time of day anymore. havent done for some time either.

Even SuperPI gives rotten results... WHY? Becaise it writes files to the HD... How can even SuperPI give a fair benchmark of the CPU if its writing to the HD?

You might have the fastest CPU on the planet, but if your HD isnt too hot, then some git with a Celeron is going to beat you cos his ( or her ) HD is a super-quickie.

Try it... Copy your SuperPI folder to a flash disk or somethign and run a test.

Now run the same test from your HD

Now, if you have access to a RAMDisk, copy the files there and re-run them.

So, even SuperPI is a bloody liar too!

Now, about 2 months ago, I finally got myelf a conroe... I had to!

I still have not got it a good Motherboard, the Asus that I do have is a dog I know that, but for now its all I have got.

I ran the conroe in that for a while and what did I get once again?

Its a real poor waste of time and money and I am seriously loathe to waste money on a Mobo for it.

However, a good mate of mine has the very same CPU and he is loving it... I have not seen it yet, but I am going over there soon and check it out. He has just moved from a Venice 3500 and he says the Conroe is twice the speed... I have no doubt it may be faster or just feel faster, but not twice.

Is that any way though to judge a CPU?

While my own tests have proven the Conroe to be cruddy compared to even my stock systems, the tests I have done, are with naff motherboards. Had I been using a better board, then the benchtests I done would be a totally different story.

 

[Richdog]

Googness grief FatRakoon that post was an absolute nightmare to read... but I just about managed it.

Sounds like you're basing your opinions on Conroe on a very bad (ie: not in ideal circumstances) experience with the CPU.

 

[VeNT]

to be honest, if your running seti, folding etc, your better of wire conroe, its not hype if the performance is better.

 

[AndyOcUK]

The point being made here is that modern games are far less dependant on cpu power than gpu power.

I don't own a conroe yet because I simply do not need/ want one. My machine plays everything I throw at at £100FPS+ and I have better things to spend my money on than impressing people on benchmark results.

AndyOcUK

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Petrol powered cars are hype. I'm sticking with steam.

 

[AndyOcUK]

Petrol powered cars are hype. I'm sticking with steam.

LMAO!!!

AndyOcUK

 

[Richdog]

The point being made here is that modern games are far less dependant on cpu power than gpu power.

I don't own a conroe yet because I simply do not need/ want one. My machine plays everything I throw at at £100FPS+ and I have better things to spend my money on than impressing people on benchmark results.

AndyOcUK

CPU power still matters a lot, a Core2 gves a performance increase of up to ~60% in Oblivion over an A64. The minimum frame-rates of just about all modern games are improved noticeably. Some people play at higher resolutions at high detail, the extra power comes in very useful. There is a big difference in RTS games too when you plough in more CPU power.

 

[AndyOcUK]

CPU power still matters a lot, a Core2 gves a performance increase of up to ~60% in Oblivion over an A64. The minimum frame-rates of just about all modern games are improved noticeably. Some people play at higher resolutions at high detail, the extra power comes in very useful. There is a big difference in RTS games too when you plough in more CPU power.

Yes, the frame rates are "Improved" but not as improved as they'd be stuffing 2 X bleeding edge graphics cards in crossfire/ Sli.

RTS games are renowned for using more CPU power due to the size of the maps, the number of players and the amount of positional data.

This improvement wouldn't be as pronounced in Far Cry or doom3.

 

[Big.Wayne]

H Y P E

Hello Guys,

just to make clear my involvement in this thread, it's to make clear what the meaning of the word *HYPE* is, anyone who doesn't think a lot of PC hardware is hyped needs to look again lol

Definition:

"Largely synonymous with exaggeration and overstatement, hyperbole is a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated or extravagant. It may be used due to strong feelings or is used to create a strong impression and is not meant to be taken literally. It gives greater emphasis. It is often used in poetry and is a literary device."

"I nearly died laughing."
"He is as big as a house!"
"I heard that a million times."
"I will die if no one asks me to dance."
"I'm so hungry I could eat a horse."
"She has a brain the size of a pinhead."
"My new Conroe flattens any AMD processor in Benchmarks."

 

[Richdog]

Yes, the frame rates are "Improved" but not as improved as they'd be stuffing 2 X bleeding edge graphics cards in crossfire/ Sli.

RTS games are renowned for using more CPU power due to the size of the maps, the number of players and the amount of positional data.

This improvement wouldn't be as pronounced in Far Cry or doom3.

Actually Far Cry can be boosted by up to 1/3 or more. No one is saying a Core2 will be faster than an upgrade to two "bleeding edge" graphics cards in all games, but it gives a much more balanced all-round speed boost to everyday computing life, whereas another GPU for SLI/crossfire would really only help in games and would age far quicker.

 

[FatRakoon]

Googness grief FatRakoon that post was an absolute nightmare to read... but I just about managed it.

Sounds like you're basing your opinions on Conroe on a very bad (ie: not in ideal circumstances) experience with the CPU.

Well, yes, and no

The CPU from what I gather, is a great little CPU. As is the 660 Prescott.

My point in being really, that my experiences have been that the PCs that the Precott and the Conroe were poor, and so they also let the CPU down too!

Had I used a better board, the whole PC as it currently stands would be a serious machine, but as things are right now, both the Prescott and the conroe are not being used, but rather the PCs they are supposed to replace are being used... an old Newcastle 3000 and a Sempron 3100 in fact, as in both of these PCs, they run games much much better than the conroe and the P4 does.

Like I said, replace the board, then problem solved, but I dont want my kids to load up their next level on UT2004 and I have to wait for them all the time. I dont want to have to go down and make myself a cup of coffee while I am waiting between each re-load of a level in HalfLife2, and I definitely not have to wait 5 minutes for Outlook express to load up just because I am also using StarOffice... The CPUs are more than capable, but in the motherboards beign used now, they are a complete waste of my time to even bother with.

Thats what I am tryign to say, and also to knock the conroe as I have been doing is wrong too... I have seen others doing it ,and its possible that they too have based their views on such a poor system, and blamed the CPU.

I have seen many times where a Motherboard can make a difference.

Something with an ALI or SIS chipset for example is in my experience a far slower system, than the same hardware using a VIA or NForce based chipset.



Hmm...

Why are my posts so long?

 

[Richdog]

an old Newcastle 3000 and a Sempron 3100 in fact, as in both of these PCs, they run games much much better than the conroe and the P4 does.?

Impossible, they would be slower in any game, you must have been doing something seriously wrong.

 

[UKTopGun]

The point being made here is that modern games are far less dependant on cpu power than gpu power.

I don't own a conroe yet because I simply do not need/ want one. My machine plays everything I throw at at £100FPS+ and I have better things to spend my money on than impressing people on benchmark results.

AndyOcUK

When did you get your PC though? Because if you bought it say, 1 year ago it must have cost £1000+ right? If you spend that amount of money on an upgrade then theres no need but if your like me, I buy new bits once a year and flog of my old stuff for a reasonable price. So I probably spend around £400-£500 each year (depends though - i.e. if I already have a decent set of ddr1 etc.) buying new gear and get around 80%ish back from selling on the bay.

That's the reason why I got conroe anyway - plus it's always nice having a bigger e-penis

 

[Big.Wayne]

plus it's always nice having a bigger e-penis

lol you said it!

 

[AndyOcUK]

When did you get your PC though? Because if you bought it say, 1 year ago it must have cost £1000+ right? If you spend that amount of money on an upgrade then theres no need but if your like me, I buy new bits once a year and flog of my old stuff for a reasonable price. So I probably spend around £400-£500 each year (depends though - i.e. if I already have a decent set of ddr1 etc.) buying new gear and get around 80%ish back from selling on the bay.

That's the reason why I got conroe anyway - plus it's always nice having a bigger e-penis

Two words....

Beer

Women

 

[AndyOcUK]

plus it's always nice having a bigger e-penis

do your nuts get in your eyes? lol

 

[Big.Wayne]

Two words....

Beer

Women

No thats the wrong way round

Women

Beer

 

[easyrider]

Conroe is hype for the poeple that didn't upgrade when they should.
They are justifying their outdated AMD rigs saying they play games and do other stuff just as good.


I can tell you for one that they don't.

My opty doesn't come close when encoding mini DV in premier.

Not one bit.

This is not hype this is fact.

My conroe running at 3.8ghz is so quick by the time you have rendered your timelimes with your AMD rigs.

I'm watching the finished result on DVD with my mates having a few beers!



Of course all you people using AMD x2's etc will still see you PC as fast but once you use a conroe rig nicely clocked and running like it should it really makes you realise how slow the old x2's are in comparsion.

It takes me 3 mins to do something illegal

I can tell you my 2.8ghz 170 took about 15 mins.

I challange all of you AMD owners to upgrade to conroe and then say you notice no difference.

The difference is incredible!