Upgrading my cpu

[Noob#1]

This month i will be upgrading my processor, but i'm not sure which to get, i have read a few threads on here about the hex core chip, but i'm thinking of going with a quad.

I'm new to the computer building etc, so sorry if i sound stupid. Why is the voltage different on the chips? and what advantage do you have but having a more voltage?

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 840 "95W Edition" 3.20GHz

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 955 Black Edition "125W Edition" 3.20GHz

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad Core 970 Black Edition "140W Edition" 3.50GHz

Thanks
Ian

 

[Benh89]

Firstly, you could save £40 and rule out the 970. Sure it's 0.3 GHz faster, but it probably won't seem faster in the real world, only in benchmark tests. The 955 can be overclocked with ease to at least the same speed as the 970. Speeds well over 4 GHz are easily achievable.

If you are definitely not going to overclock, get the 840 as it has the same stock speeds as the 955, but consumes less power. Otherwise, get the 955. The black edition processors (955,970) make life easier when overclocking as you can start by just increasing their unlocked multipliers. AMD recommend using 0.85 - 1.4V for each processor. Use a voltage under 0.85V and the processor may not operate correctly and your computer could crash. A voltage over 1.4V will probably shorten the processor's life as higher voltage = higher core temperature. AMD also state the maximum safe core temperature for each processor is 71 degrees. Generally, to achieve a higher stable clock speed when overclocking, you will need to raise the voltage at some point. As raising the voltage will bring about higher core temperatures, you will need to make sure you have a decent cpu cooler to combat this side effect and preserve your processor.

This is my crude take on which processor to choose - the 955 (a bargain at under 100 notes). There are others on the forums who will be able to offer up a lot more info on voltages and correct me if I am wrong.

Cheers, Ben.

 

[R088ieS86]

955BE has my vote.
Unlocked multiplier + L3 cache. can hit 3.6/8 on stock volts.

 

[Noob#1]

Thanks for the info Ben, i'll probley get the 955.

 

[Hazkirby]

955 BE defo mate.

Are you on about the wattage?

In which case the lower the wattage the less power it uses, the cheaper your bills are and you'll have a cooler running processor.

Voltage comes into play when overclocking, EG if you wanted to overclock the 955BE to 4GHZ you'd need an aftermarket CPU cooler to keep it cool, and you'd need to increase the voltage to the 1.4v-1.5v mark to keep it stable.

If you're not going to overclock then the voltage doesn't matter. The wattage may matter but only if you're a green'ist

 

[Dea924]

all good enough chips. what will you be using it for? i.e games or video encoding or watching etc?

 

[Noob#1]

HazKirby - yes i was on about the wattage. Was just wondering what the advantage / dis-advantages were. Cheers.

Dea924 - Mainly use it for Picture editing and gaming really. Think i will stick with the 955, think its a good choice. Was thinking of Hex core but don't think i will use it.