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i3 a decent buy for the right user?

Arthalen

Arthalen

Arthalen

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Joined
20 Apr 2006
Posts
2,037
Location
Leeds, UK
Misses' system is currently experiencing the odd blue-screen and lock-up, and needs a hardware overhaul in all honesty.

As she's currently studying her degree, she needs a reliable system she can depend on, and having all her hardware back in warranty would be a big bonus too. She backs up all her work onto a RAID1 NAS and also makes a hardcopy onto writable DVD once a week.

Usage is mainly Office type apps, Internet, film and music playing and one proper game: D&D Online (3D MMO).

Current system: Intel E5200@ 3.0Ghz, 4GB OCZ DDR2 800, EVGA Nvidia 650i Ultra motherboard, Nvidia 8800GS 384MB Video card, dual Maxtor 80GB SATA2 Hard drives, Lian-Li PC-60 Case with a Silverstone ST60-F 600watt psu.

However, the motherboard was bought 2nd hand as was the PSU, so I'm extremely keen to replace these.

So, I was looking to a do a 'core' system upgrade of CPU/Mobo/RAM, pair it with a new PSU and video card, and as more cost effective solution was seriously considering a Core i3 based setup. she doesn't need oodles of power from the CPU, and a half decent video card will handle the occasional bit of gaming she does.

Are i3's still worthwhile value? Is there something better to consider? I'm struggling to find an AMD alternative that can match a E5200 @ 3.0Ghz and still be cost effective, while the i3 540 seems to be an ideal choice from benchmarks I've reviewed...
 
Definatly, the Core i3 540 is the bets bang for buck CPU available at this moment in time. And especially so if you overclock it, now I know it isn't suitable to overclock it in your situation but it wasworth a mention.

The best thing with them is the onboard graphics, as they are quite capable.
 
I've just put together a system using an i3 540 and it really is a powerful chip, you wouldn't need to add a dedicated graphics card as the gpu on the cpu itself is more than capable of most things, even light gaming.

I coupled it with a H55M-UD2H and 4GB of 1600Mhz. Flies along.

The other alternative would be the Athlon Quad, similar price... however for what she would be using it for the i3 offers more power per core and i'd say is more suited to office applications etc.
 
You can get an Athlon II X3 445 and a 770 based motherboard for under £115:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-269-AM

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-034-AK

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-147-MS

The SB710 southbridge on the 770 based motherboards listed means you have a chance to unlock the Athlon II X3 to an Athlon II X4 or Phenom II X4. I had a mate who unlocked an Athlon II X3 435 to a Phenom II X4.

Here is a review comparing the slower Athlon II X3 440 to processors such as the E6300 and the E7500:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/2923/1

The E7500 has more L2 cache than an E5200 making it faster.

The E6500 is nearest Core2 processor to the X3 445. It has the same clockspeed as the E7500 but has less L2 cache.

It is around £62 on OcUK:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CP-321-IN
 
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Thanks for the responses guys, much appreciated! :D

It looks like the i3 is the choice for me. This is the misses' PC, and reliability is paramount - no unlocking, no overclocking.

In addition, the bonus on-board GPU means I can save cost now and rebuild her PC without a new GPU and see how it handles - I can add the 460 later if she needs more grunt for her weekly gaming fix :D
 
just gotten a core i3 myself today and its an awesome little cpu for the cash very nippy specially when overclocked ( i managed 4ghz on stock cpu volts just had to tinker with qpi/vtt) , why dont you consider a pre overclocked i3 bundle ? that way you know its all working the overclock is stable etc etc less stress for you and more speed for the missus :)
 
dont underestimate that i3, at 4ghz 4.2ghz it will waste anything you throw at it, considering a lot of stuff still cant use the i7 properly if you want to save a lot of notes and still have a kick ass cpu get that.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

I'm a little wary of overclocking the her PC tbh. The E5200 she currently has was overclocked and 12 hour prime stable at 3.4Ghz, that will now only prime stable at 3.0Ghz, and I think its on the way out. She's had the PC for around 2 years.

I'm thinking long term here, where overclocking may very well come into play in shortening life expectancy of the components - I'd hate to cause an issue after another 2 years when the PC could potentially last 4 years or more without issue with no overclocking.

As tempting as the OcUK pre-overclocked bundles are, they're not going to give me support/warranty after the first 12 months. I want to give the Pc the best chance of living for as long as possible.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for overclocking and have done a massive amount of clocking on my own PCs - but there my own PCs, there for playing games and fiddling about with, nothing serious atm.

As to the 8800GS being faster, well yep I totally agree there - may just get a Vortex Neo or some such to quieten the thing down then in the short term.

Or buy myself a 6950, and put my current 4850 into her machine with a Vortex Neo on :D

Hmmm plans plans plans... :D
 
I wouldn't even bother overclocking. My i3 is at stock and I haven't seen it struggle with anything. The wife is a designer/illustrator and often has Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator (and various other things) open at the same time, throwing large files around, and it doesn't slow up for a second. It's miles better than my old AMD X2 dual core.

As others have said, the i3 is amazing bang-for-you-buck. It may be classed as "entry level" but don't let that fool you!
 
Excellent stuff. So nice to get some positive experiences/feedback!

Can anyone recommend the stock cooler for quietness if not overclocking?

Or a very quiet 3rd party solution if its a bit pap?
 
I'm finding my dual core rig still fairly comfortable for gaming, especially at medium settings (which I prefer to use anyway). Is it possible that rather than upgrading the chip that you just upgrade the parts you feel are giving trouble (board and PSU) and save the rest of the cash.

I mean, if you're only using the PC for basic office/research it should be more than fine, especially if the CPU is overclocked to 3.0+.

What were your settings for your overclocks in the past. I've managed to keep mine on stock volts. While it's not an i7 it's more than enough for me, and I've got a very well balanced system for a great price, especially with an SSD in here.
 
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