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Which CPU?

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

[TW]Fox

Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
160,207
Wondering if it might be time for a new CPU.

I've currently got a Core2Duo E4300 @ 3Ghz in an Abit IP35-Pro with 4Gb of OCZ Platinum. I've just ordered a GeForce GTX280 and am wondering if a CPU upgrade would be prudent so I can max out all my games for the next year.

Don't really want to spend a lot. Say 100 quidish? Dont mind a used CPU. What are my options? Is it worth spending more? I'm out of touch with the CPU market.

My PC is used for arguing on the internet and playing games.
 
What sort of money do they fetch, what could I expect out of it and what sort of performance increase would I see? :)

Thanks!

I'm using an Arctic 7 Freezer Pro thingybob whatsamajig.
 
Things haven't moved on a huge amount, however the latest C2D chips like the E8400/8500 mentioned above have 3 benefits over your E4300 -

a) Faster FSB - 1333 vs 800 - although the real world benefit is minimal
b) More cache - 6MB vs 2MB - does help in demanding apps/games but again not ground breaking
c) Smaller die/manufacturing process - 45nm vs 65nm - runs cooler, uses less power etc.

Plus they will be quicker out the box. The E8400 is 3GHz, which is what I'd recommend. I've got one with a Noctua cooler and it sits happy at 3.6GHz, although I'm sure the newer versions will do 3.8-4.0GHz depending on cooling.

So in short, go for a E8xxx chip otherwise its not worth the change. You'll need to check that your mobo supports these 1333 FSB chips though (most likely it will with BIOS update).
 
You won't notice a lick of difference in everyday tasks. Do anything exotic that demands a lot of cpu power? if not then you're fine for a good while.
 
No, I literally browse the web and play games. I game at 1680x1050 with max details and high AA and AF hence the choice of graphics card, but gaming is the most exotic thing I do.
 
If you clock a new wolfdale chip to 3.6 and beyond you'll get a boost in some games, but nothing earth shattering.

Most games you wont even be able to tell the FPS increase with your naked eyes without something telling you anyway.

I'd see if you can squeeze some more out of that E4300 and get some extra performance for free.
 
[TW]Fox;12884680 said:
Wondering if it might be time for a new CPU.

I've currently got a Core2Duo E4300 @ 3Ghz in an Abit IP35-Pro with 4Gb of OCZ Platinum. I've just ordered a GeForce GTX280 and am wondering if a CPU upgrade would be prudent so I can max out all my games for the next year.

Don't really want to spend a lot. Say 100 quidish? Dont mind a used CPU. What are my options? Is it worth spending more? I'm out of touch with the CPU market.

My PC is used for arguing on the internet and playing games.
Click to expand...

Save your money, in my opinion. For gaming, any generation of Core 2 Duo at 3ghz is going to be more than enough for nearly all games (notable exceptions are Supreme Commander and FS-X). Modern games start becoming GPU limited at 1650x 1050 with high detail and AA levels, so with a GTX280 you will have a nicely balanced system.

For internet surfing, even a 10 year old celeron would be more than sufficient for winding people up on the Motors forum ;)
 
If you want to upgrade then E8400 at 4Ghz (mine's been doing that without issues since Feb) but, tbh, I doub't you'd notice the difference in most things.
 
[TW]Fox;12884680 said:
Wondering if it might be time for a new CPU.

I've currently got a Core2Duo E4300 @ 3Ghz in an Abit IP35-Pro with 4Gb of OCZ Platinum. I've just ordered a GeForce GTX280 and am wondering if a CPU upgrade would be prudent so I can max out all my games for the next year.

Don't really want to spend a lot. Say 100 quidish? Dont mind a used CPU. What are my options? Is it worth spending more? I'm out of touch with the CPU market.

My PC is used for arguing on the internet and playing games.
Click to expand...

If I were you I wouldn't bother, once you get the 280 installed you'll get the gains you'll be looking for from that. A CPU upgrade wouldn't be much of an upgrade. Have you tried taking your CPU further? you can probably squeeze it a little bit more juice from that.
 
An E8400 is an awesome processor and you would see an increase of performance out of the box. Not enough however to make it worth upgrading from an E4300, especially one clocked @3Ghz.
 
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