Unsure upgrade to AMD X2 or Intel

drkumar72 · 8 Mar 2007 at 16:52

HI folks, thinking of upgrading my Athlon 64 3500+ Winchester to a Dual core 4400 or 4600, former can get for around £145 and latter £160. Wondering which would provide the better performance all round considering the latter is faster but with less cache.
Presently running Vista Ultimate and running smoothly but not as fast when multi-tasking. (Vista score of around 4.6)
I could change the whole rig to a Intel Duo with mobo and new card but certainly would cost me more than just upgrading my chip; would also have to get a new OS installed also as Vista will only allow me to change CPU and not mobo with my registered copy.
Advice appreciated
Taa
Config:Asus A8N SLi Deluxe, Athlon 3500+, 2GB RAM, 256MB ATI Radeon 9600XT

pegasus1 · 8 Mar 2007 at 16:55

Less than £350 for the Mem/Cpu/Mobo in my sig, You can sell your old stuff ofr a few quid so the upgrade may be cheeper in the long run that spending £160 on a new Cpu, oh and the C2D system is miles faster in my opinion (i went from a 3700sd at 2.6)

Will_3rd · 8 Mar 2007 at 16:57

Would get a 3800x2 s939 cheap upgrade plus it can be overclocked to 4400/4600 speeds

FoxEye · 8 Mar 2007 at 17:02

drkumar72 said:
HI folks, thinking of upgrading my Athlon 64 3500+ Winchester to a Dual core 4400 or 4600, former can get for around £145 and latter £160. Wondering which would provide the better performance all round considering the latter is faster but with less cache.
Presently running Vista Ultimate and running smoothly but not as fast when multi-tasking. (Vista score of around 4.6)
I could change the whole rig to a Intel Duo with mobo and new card but certainly would cost me more than just upgrading my chip; would also have to get a new OS installed also as Vista will only allow me to change CPU and not mobo with my registered copy.
Advice appreciated
Taa
Config:Asus A8N SLi Deluxe, Athlon 3500+, 2GB RAM, 256MB ATI Radeon 9600XT

I'm not sure what people's ideas are about this, or whether I'll be summarily banned for saying this, but here goes:

Once you've bought an OS, and assuming you've actually bought it and not just got it with a new PC, then I feel you should be entitled to use it pretty much forever. I can live with the one-copy-per-PC thing too.

But requiring you to buy a new copy if you upgrade your PC too many times is nuts. I certainly would not buy an OS twice just because I'd changed some components. I'd buy it once, then, satisfied that I'd done the legal thing, I'd use a hack/patch/whatever to keep it working no matter how many times I changed my CPU or mobo or whatever.

Making us buy more than one copy of their OS for use on one computer is just plain greedy.

bfar · 8 Mar 2007 at 19:17

FoxEye said:
I'm not sure what people's ideas are about this, or whether I'll be summarily banned for saying this, but here goes:

Once you've bought an OS, and assuming you've actually bought it and not just got it with a new PC, then I feel you should be entitled to use it pretty much forever. I can live with the one-copy-per-PC thing too.

But requiring you to buy a new copy if you upgrade your PC too many times is nuts. I certainly would not buy an OS twice just because I'd changed some components. I'd buy it once, then, satisfied that I'd done the legal thing, I'd use a hack/patch/whatever to keep it working no matter how many times I changed my CPU or mobo or whatever.

Making us buy more than one copy of their OS for use on one computer is just plain greedy.

If you have OEM Windows then you have to buy a new licence if you change your motherboard. It is illegal if you use patches/cracks in any shape or form. We don't have to like the system, but we have to live with it

why don't you get a Retail copy of windows? You can legally migrate that licence as much as you like

And yes, most of us agree that MS are greedy. Most corporatrions are.

gt_junkie · 8 Mar 2007 at 19:20

Will_3rd said:
Would get a 3800x2 s939 cheap upgrade plus it can be overclocked to 4400/4600 speeds

Easy! A lot are going to FX60 speeds with very few problems! Just make sure to upgrade the cooler!

Or you could get an Opty! Has twice the cache of the 3800 X2 and overclock excellently! Mine's @ 2.8ghz @ 1.375v!

gt

geeza · 8 Mar 2007 at 19:57

gt_junkie said:
Easy! A lot are going to FX60 speeds with very few problems! Just make sure to upgrade the cooler! Or you could get an Opty! Has twice the cache of the 3800 X2 and overclock excellently! Mine's @ 2.8ghz @ 1.375v!

gt

i. My 3800 X2 clocked at 2.85ghz beats an FX62 in sandra. Quite good as i sold my opteron 146 for £40 and bought the 3800 for £65

easyrider · 8 Mar 2007 at 20:06

Go C2D and destroy every AMD cpu in production.

The money you get for the s939 stuff could nearly cover the cost

6300
DS3

that will cost 175 quid and grab some nice 6400 DDR2 for around 100 with current DDR2 pricing.

skanky · 8 Mar 2007 at 20:10

i was on a a64 3000+ @2ghz, 1gb ram and was umming and arring about going for a X2 as a cheap upgrade path.

when i could find a cheap X2 i decided to go the C2D route and wow its fast when overclocked with the stock intel fan.

just a quick numbers comparison using the vista score thingy:
a64 @ stock got 3.9 for cpu
a64 @ 2ghz got 4.1 for cpu
c2d @ 2.7ghz gets 5.5ish for cpu

drkumar72 · 8 Mar 2007 at 20:48

any recommendations for which C2D chip and mobo then, alog with mem? will have to get another OS on it, may as well jsut get one custom made from a good online company, save me the hassle! Thinkit may be good to change to Intel.
Cheers

geeza · 8 Mar 2007 at 21:46

skanky said:
i was on a a64 3000+ @2ghz, 1gb ram and was umming and arring about going for a X2 as a cheap upgrade path.

when i could find a cheap X2 i decided to go the C2D route and wow its fast when overclocked with the stock intel fan.

just a quick numbers comparison using the vista score thingy:
a64 @ stock got 3.9 for cpu
a64 @ 2ghz got 4.1 for cpu
c2d @ 2.7ghz gets 5.5ish for cpu

what are these scores? I know you say vista score but what would thescore for a duel core athlon be @2.8ghz?

gt_junkie · 8 Mar 2007 at 21:49

geeza said:
what are these scores? I know you say vista score but what would thescore for a duel core athlon be @2.8ghz?

I'd be interested in that too!

And before any conroe fans burn geeza or me at the stake - yes we both know c2d's are better than our ageing dual cores!

gt

FoxEye · 8 Mar 2007 at 22:35

gt_junkie said:
I'd be interested in that too!

And before any conroe fans burn geeza or me at the stake - yes we both know c2d's are better than our ageing dual cores!

gt

oops, post removed.

decto · 8 Mar 2007 at 23:32

Hi,

I recently upgraded from an opty 170 @ 2.8Ghz to conroe. Mainly because I got a great price for my PC4000 DDR

so in selling the mainboard and the CPU I had enough for a E4300, P5N-E (which the BIOS screwed up on) and 2GB DDR2 6400 with change. My idea was to jump platform at little cost so that I could upgrade to one of the new CPU's due in summer.

I overclocked the C2D CPU to 3.0Ghz on an Abit FP-IN9 (replaces the ASUS) with no effort and only a small bump in volts.

In windows there is little obvious difference.... but

DVDshrink now processes a DVD in <12mins vs >20 for the 170.

Doom 3 time demo with a 7800 GTX 256MB , Max CPU and High graphics @ 1280
Opty first run 30ish FPS, second run 70ish FPS
C2D first run 100 FPS, second run 137 FPS

Fear system test is now min 44 average 70ish max > 100 wheras with the opty I got a couple in the < 20fps, a good percentage in the 20-40fps and the remainder in the >40fps

Now my GPU lives for another day, well maybe six months.

After owning a string of AMDs for the past few years, with the single exception of a northwood P4 in a SFF I have to admit these new C2D's are a leap in performance for someone like me with an older GFX card.

After having been through the S939 upgrade, I bought a second 165 and a 170 to get a high clocking CPU I can say it really wasn't worth it for me. Much as I backed AMD I wouldn't spend £150 on a dual core AMD CPU right now.

Although I have to confess there is a new AM2 X2 3800 65w in the media centre I assembled last month.

That's one area where AMD still have the lead. My old Opty @ idle was 110w, this core 2 is 150w. All that has changes is the mobo, cpu and ram. As soon as you up the voltage on the intel, all powersaving is disabled.

AD

geeza · 8 Mar 2007 at 23:47

decto said:
Fear system test is now min 44 average 70ish max > 100 wheras with the opty I got a couple in the < 20fps, a good percentage in the 20-40fps and the remainder in the >40fps

What res and settings. 1280x1024 and max everything, including aa/af and soft shadows?

decto · 9 Mar 2007 at 00:27

geeza said:
What res and settings. 1280x1024 and max everything, including aa/af and soft shadows?

Just ran it again... I don't use soft shadows or FSAA as it gives a big hit with the GTX, is an early card at stock with 256MB. Game looks good without, everything else on max

1280x960, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 44 / 76 / 162

1280x1024, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 43 / 72 / 155

1280x1024, 4x aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 25 / 47 / 100

1280x1024, no aa, soft shadows on Ansio 4x = 28 / 44 / 76

AD

gt_junkie · 9 Mar 2007 at 08:52

decto said:
Just ran it again... I don't use soft shadows or FSAA as it gives a big hit with the GTX, is an early card at stock with 256MB. Game looks good without, everything else on max

1280x960, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 44 / 76 / 162

1280x1024, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 43 / 72 / 155

1280x1024, 4x aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 25 / 47 / 100

1280x1024, no aa, soft shadows on Ansio 4x = 28 / 44 / 76

AD

That's an impressive boost from the Opty. Must say i've been very tempted as the prices are good but as i got my opty and dfi for £130 and play games at 1680x1050 where it's a little more gpu limited and the GX2 takes over i'll just stick with it for a little while longer!

It really is down to personal preference and how the kit's used!

If i was happy to swap everything out then C2D is obviously the route to take!

gt

geeza · 9 Mar 2007 at 11:08

decto said:
Just ran it again... I don't use soft shadows or FSAA as it gives a big hit with the GTX, is an early card at stock with 256MB. Game looks good without, everything else on max

1280x960, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 44 / 76 / 162

1280x1024, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 43 / 72 / 155

1280x1024, 4x aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 25 / 47 / 100

1280x1024, no aa, soft shadows on Ansio 4x = 28 / 44 / 76

AD

The 7800GTX is in about the same league as my X1800XT really. Ive just ran the test an dgot the following on a 3800 [email protected]

1440x900, no aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 48 / 84 / 190

1440x900, 4x aa, soft shadows off Ansio 4x = 33 / 64 / 148

1440x900, no aa, soft shadows on Ansio 4x = 28 / 48 / 86

Feel the wrath of AMD Duel Core and ATI! (put on nuke proof coat!)

drkumar72 · 9 Mar 2007 at 11:21

Useful info, i have this urge now to go for a new rig with C2D. Been looking at the 6600 Conroe and i think i will either get a custom made pc or sell my bits and gather the cash to build a new one. Anyone recommend a GFX card and mobo for this 6600? An online retailer is doing a 6600, EVGA PCIe Mainboard-nForce 680i SLI, 1024MB DDR2 Memory,320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive,256MB nVIDIA Geforce, 7600GS Graphics,Sony 18x Super Format DVD Writer and Vista Home premium. All for £730. Not sure i can be assed with the hassle of building another one!

geeza · 9 Mar 2007 at 11:28

drkumar72 said:
Useful info, i have this urge now to go for a new rig with C2D. Been looking at the 6600 Conroe and i think i will either get a custom made pc or sell my bits and gather the cash to build a new one. Anyone recommend a GFX card and mobo for this 6600? An online retailer is doing a 6600, EVGA PCIe Mainboard-nForce 680i SLI, 1024MB DDR2 Memory,320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive,256MB nVIDIA Geforce, 7600GS Graphics,Sony 18x Super Format DVD Writer and Vista Home premium. All for £730. Not sure i can be assed with the hassle of building another one!

the graphics card is rubbish and memory is only a gig. dont bother. Companies usually catch people out on memory -wow, a 1gb upgrade from 512mb. I had 512mb ram about 4 years ago! and on a poor graphics card