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HELP ON CPU CHOICE

EL_JOCK

EL_JOCK

EL_JOCK

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Hi Everyone,

Been out the game for such a long time need some help,

It's been 2 years since my last upgrade (feels like i'm in chruch)

I have about £250 to spend on a CPU not sure if single core with more cache would be better than dual with less cache.

So it's a single core
AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego 90nm (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA4000BNBOX) (CP-120-AM)

or

AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200+ (Socket 939) - Retail (ADA4200BVBOX) (CP-126-AM)

Thanks in advance for any help you can give

Nice one
 
what do you use your computer for - games mainly, or office mainly, or both etc?

How long do you intend to keep your new cpu for before you upgrade again?
 
Im in the same boat as this chap...Dual core looks lovely n all, but a 4400+ seems to get less in games than a single core 4000+ lol, i know people will say games will utilise both cores...But when? Not going to be mainstream standard for a lengthy time yet i dont think :S
 
The X2 4400+ is two 3700+ cores so it'll be slower in single threaded applications than a single core 4000+ (this is because only one core is used)

The chip will easily overclock to 4800+ speeds making it the same speed in single threaded apps as the 4000+ so you're not loosing there. If you are using multi threaded apps then the dual core will give a big boost, as with some games like Quake 4 (after the patch)
 
Exactly..but i dont even play quake 4 or even intend on playing it...So im wondering if i should just wait on the X2 cpu's and just get like a 3700+ or 4000+ single core cpu, then hopefully once Amd 2 is out then the X2's "mite" come down in price a bit...

I pretty much only play games, sometimes i go onto 3dsmax and make my model im doing, but VERY rarely...So is there any point in me converting to dual core yet? Cause i dont see many game publishers pushing for dual core patches...
 
I would purchase the best single core you can afford if games is your main pursuit.

Dual-core whilst very good and certainly a distinct advantage if running many apps or rednering etc is not necessary for gamers.

However if you don't intend to upgrade for 2 or so years it may be worth picking up the dual core now, for a bit of 'future-proofing' - whatever that means in this industry :D
 
Well yea, im hoping i wont have to upgrade in 2 years time, unless i wouldnt be spening this much money etc on components...Just i duno, theres hardly any dual core patches out (yes there are some iknow that...) And i have no idea when its all going to be a bit more mainstream...

Only reason i can see myself getting a dual core now is if 1.) theres definate proof of games using it as standard to boost fps etc, 2.) the prices drop, still hunting for cheaper prices and hoping they will drop if Am2 hurries up, not likely tho :)...

but i dont want to buy a single core cpu, then go, oh, this sucks...:P
 
...not to mention that a dual core can handle background tasks that will not interfere while playing a game. Ever had a game freeze or lag coz of a unannounced virus scan etc...this dosn't happen with dual core.
 
on the subject of dual cores, in general discussion some people have suggested AMD Opteron UP 170 Dual Core San Diego 2.0GHz 2MB Cache what would the benefits of this be over 64 x2 dual cores?

Been concentrating so much on my networking havent paid much attenion to hardware scene recently
 
Delvis said:
Exactly..but i dont even play quake 4 or even intend on playing it...So im wondering if i should just wait on the X2 cpu's and just get like a 3700+ or 4000+ single core cpu, then hopefully once Amd 2 is out then the X2's "mite" come down in price a bit...

I pretty much only play games, sometimes i go onto 3dsmax and make my model im doing, but VERY rarely...So is there any point in me converting to dual core yet? Cause i dont see many game publishers pushing for dual core patches...
Click to expand...

If you're using rendering apps at all then I'd strongly recommend a dual core chip as these are multi-threaded so you'll see a large boost
 
CKOZUK said:
on the subject of dual cores, in general discussion some people have suggested AMD Opteron UP 170 Dual Core San Diego 2.0GHz 2MB Cache what would the benefits of this be over 64 x2 dual cores?

Been concentrating so much on my networking havent paid much attenion to hardware scene recently
Click to expand...

This is a nice CPU and a great overclocker. This particular Opteron is not directly equivalent to an X2 CPU but you can expect it to perform like an X2 4200+ - slighly slower clock speed but more cache

There is no real difference between a 2.2GHz Opteron 175 and a 2.2GHz X2 4400+ - both run at the same speed and have 1MB of cace per core

It is set that the Opterons are stress tested to a higher standard as they are intended for use in servers where reliability is paramount
 
Quote***You'll want a DC. All the graphics drivers are multithreaded now and this gives a 15% performance increase over single core CPU's.***

Interesting, i do want to get an X2 cpu, just merely for the extra core and the hope that patches come out for existing games...So are there graphics card drivers that are intended for dual core systems? Or did i miss read that...
 
Delvis said:
Quote***You'll want a DC. All the graphics drivers are multithreaded now and this gives a 15% performance increase over single core CPU's.***

Interesting, i do want to get an X2 cpu, just merely for the extra core and the hope that patches come out for existing games...So are there graphics card drivers that are intended for dual core systems? Or did i miss read that...
Click to expand...
All graphics drivers by both ATi and nVidia are now multithreaded. There was a review done on the drivers when they were released in Nov? '05 and it showed massive gains in performance. These are not seen in single core CPU's and I would think this means about 15% better performance clock for clock against a single core. Also, games like CoD2 have a multithread patch which works great on my computer as do all games.
 
I was wondering the same thing...

Should I upgrade to a slower clocked with less cache DC CPU or a better spec SC CPU.

I managed to pick up an AMD64 4000 for £160. So that made up my mind.

My thinking is this: Thats pretty cheap.
Its better at stock than many DC units for half the price.
At the moment it will perform better for what i will use it for.
DCs will get better and drop in price.
When I finally get round to upgrading my GPU, I will need a new MOBO and by this time the new AMDs will hopefully be out so I would rather get a mobo that will support the new socket and ddr2... and by this time DCs will be common place and supported by vista and games etc etc


probably doesnt really help you much, but just another opinion.
 
i wish i knew how to OC... i didnt have much luck on my last attempt with my 3200 64.

when i get 2gb ram (gskill on deal of week probably) i may give it another go.

so yeah, the 4000 is ideal for me as i will be running it stock.
 
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