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Fastest AM2+/AM2 CPU?

See, with the way things are going, I'd get a 450W PSU in the 40 quid region.
I bought a 450W for a friends PC ; Phenom II X4 with 5850, we were pushing it close, but it's been solid for 2 years.

Come 2012? He can upgrade to a 7850 and i3 3220 both improving his performance by a fair margin while lowering his power consumption.
 
Martini1991 said:
See, with the way things are going, I'd get a 450W PSU in the 40 quid region.
I bought a 450W for a friends PC ; Phenom II X4 with 5850, we were pushing it close, but it's been solid for 2 years.

Come 2012? He can upgrade to a 7850 and i3 3220 both improving his performance by a fair margin while lowering his power consumption.
Click to expand...

A 450W PSU would still work (if it's a decent one), but the efficiency wouldn't be as good under load... I say play it safe and spend a bit extra for better efficiency and extra 'oomph' when it's needed :cool:
 
peps1 said:
See there are two 7850, a 1024MB, and a 2048MB.....much difference?
Click to expand...

Go for the 2GB version as 1GB seems a bit insufficient these days (unless you're gaming at a res lower than 1080p). Games such as BF3 and Skyrim (possibly more) can already consume well over 1GB VRAM @ 1080p.
 
guys lets be honest, Q6600 was and is a chip that just keeps on giving, everytime I turn my q6600 PC, I drop a manly tear... When it dies I will give it a a spartan burial.

On topic, new gpu would bottle neck you.

for 350 quid

YOUR BASKET
1 x Sapphire HD 7850 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card w/ Nexuiz & Sleeping Dogs PC Games £167.99
1 x Intel Core i3-2120 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - Retail £87.59
1 x MSI Z77A-G43 Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £79.99
1 x Patriot Viper "Black Mamba" Generation 3 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (PV38G160C9K) £23.99
Total : £359.56 (includes shipping : FREE).



Good mobo for future upgrades.

If you`d like b grade

YOUR BASKET
1 x **B Grade** Sapphire HD 7870 GHz Edition 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card w/ Nexuiz, Sleeping Dogs & Dirt Showdown PC Games £161.99
1 x Intel Core i3-3220 3.30GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £99.95
1 x **B Grade** Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £60
1 x Patriot Viper "Black Mamba" Generation 3 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (PV38G160C9K) £23.99
Total : £345.92 (includes shipping : FREE).




Better CPU/Video card... but obviously warranty is affected.

I mean ideally to make this all good, you`d stick 2500k or 3570K in this... but its over budget.
 
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you know, I think I want a 7950 as everyone seems to love them.......worth the £100 extra over the 7850/7870 ?

Will it balance out with a Intel Core i3-3220 3.30GHz still or will I have to push the CPU budget higher?
 
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My friend runs an i3 2120 with a 7950 and he's happy with its performance, his frames are higher than his Phenom II X4 955 (Stock) were.

The 3220 would add a little more on, that said the most I'd ever put with an i3 3220 in a PC would be 7850/7870.

I'd be looking at no cheaper than an i5 3330 if your budget will allow.

For the record, you'd likely be happy with i3 3220 and 7950, but they'll be situations it will bottleneck, the lack of overclocking is a bummer today, I'd want the investment of an i5.
 
7950's AMD's second fastest single GPU.
I3 3220 is Intels Ivy bridge i3 (Dual core with HT) while it's a capable processor for gaming, I'd take the I5 3330 (Quad core without HT)
 
OK think I can stretch to a 3330, how do they OC, as on the I saw this on the wiki?

"Ivy Bridge's temperatures are reportedly 10°C higher compared to Sandy Bridge when overclocked, even at default voltage setting."
 
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