amd 64 x2 3800+ really better than single core 3200+ venice ???

[ahmadka]

i was comparing the amd 64 3200+ venice and the X2 3800+, and noticed that there was hardly any difference !! in fact, games ran at higher FPSs for the 3200+ ?!?!? so is it worth getting a dual core ???

 

[kmmatney]

If all you do is play games, then no. Hardly any games benefit from dual core, and most games are bottlenecked by the video card. If you like to do lots of things at once in your system, like encode movies, while playing games, then a dual core can be worth it.

I went ultra-cheap. Bought a $75 Sempron and overclocked it to Athlon 3500+ performance.

 

[ahmadka]

cant choose between them....
i do all kinds of stuff on PCs

games, programming, graphics designing, dvd ripping, video editing, presentations, file operations....u name it i do it.....so which one is suited for me ??

also, apparently, I didnt realize before that the opteron dual cores is preferred more that x2 dual cores.....which one is overally better for the above mentioned uses ??? and can anyone point me to any reviews of opteron dual cores, and its comparisons with other dual cores ??? toms hardware claims that x2 and single core run side by side, even a little slower than the single cores...but the people at forums.amd.com claims that this is false, and that those games utilize only a single core, not both, and soon dual core games will start to come out...

HELP....

 

[Screech]

Sounds like you will be happier with dual core, especially if you do a few of those things at the same time.

 

[ahmadka]

but what about the choice between opteron and the x2 ????

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: ahmadka
but what about the choice between opteron and the x2 ????

Read this.

 

[grahamh]

there is a huge difference especially when decoding video.

 

[ahmadka]

some questions about the opteron 165....

all i have heard till now is compliments about the opty 165....OCs better.....better stability..etc....so, if the opteron is better in every way than the X2's y do people still go for X2's ??

the opterons must have some disadvantages right ???

and secondly, its obvious opteron OCs better,...but i heard that it generates much more heat, and burns like hell.....this true ?? cuz i am just relying on the heatsink and fan that comes with the processer, and the 2 120mm fans in my chosen casing ??? is this enough for achieving 3Ghz on the opteron 165 ???

 

[stevty2889]

Originally posted by: ahmadka
some questions about the opteron 165....

all i have heard till now is compliments about the opty 165....OCs better.....better stability..etc....so, if the opteron is better in every way than the X2's y do people still go for X2's ??

the opterons must have some disadvantages right ???

and secondly, its obvious opteron OCs better,...but i heard that it generates much more heat, and burns like hell.....this true ?? cuz i am just relying on the heatsink and fan that comes with the processer, and the 2 120mm fans in my chosen casing ??? is this enough for achieving 3Ghz on the opteron 165 ???

The opterons are just less available, and when I got my X2 the socket 939 opertons weren't out. The opteron 165 and 170 are the best bang for the buck for dual core overclocking, but not everyone overclocks.

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: ahmadka
some questions about the opteron 165....

all i have heard till now is compliments about the opty 165....OCs better.....better stability..etc....so, if the opteron is better in every way than the X2's y do people still go for X2's ??

the opterons must have some disadvantages right ???

It's mainly an availability issue.

and secondly, its obvious opteron OCs better,...but i heard that it generates much more heat, and burns like hell.....this true ??

The Opterons generate more heat because of the added L2 cache (more transistors = more heat). They generate the same amount as the 4400 and 4800 X2s.

cuz i am just relying on the heatsink and fan that comes with the processer, and the 2 120mm fans in my chosen casing ??? is this enough for achieving 3Ghz on the opteron 165 ???

First of all, it's quite rare for DC CPUs to hit 3 GHz and I personally think it's unrealistic without at least good water cooling (if that). Also, you won't be able to OC very much with stock cooling. You can however get an XP-90 and a good fan for $40.

 

[ahmadka]

ok this is just in....amd is replacing 939 with AM2.....should i wait for the am2 version of opteron/fx or not ??? and will the am2 version be more expensive ?? and about when will they start to arrive in the market ???

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: ahmadka
ok this is just in....amd is replacing 939 with AM2.....should i wait for the am2 version of opteron/fx or not ??? and will the am2 version be more expensive ?? and about when will they start to arrive in the market ???

It depends. If you already have a good 939 mobo, then you're better off buying now while it's still good. If not, I would wait for AM2 as they won't be more expensive.

 

[cpacini]

Originally posted by: ahmadka
ok this is just in....amd is replacing 939 with AM2.....should i wait for the am2 version of opteron/fx or not ??? and will the am2 version be more expensive ?? and about when will they start to arrive in the market ???

i would go ahead and buy now if you need a system. There will not be any immidiate performance gains with AM2. If you dont need your system right away though, it couldnt hurt to hold off a bit.

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: cpacini
i would go ahead and buy now if you need a system. There will not be any immidiate performance gains with AM2. If you dont need your system right away though, it couldnt hurt to hold off a bit.

If he buys a 939 system now, he won't be able to upgrade the CPU again without having to get a new mobo and new RAM as well though.

 

[ahmadka]

hm....good point......since i want maximum future upgrade options....maybe its better to wait....although i was just about to order my system any day now...had enough crap in researching for the last 7 months.....but it looks like i might have to wait for this AM2....

how long wud i have to wait for this thing to come out ??? any guesses ??

 

[mrkun]

Originally posted by: ahmadka
hm....good point......since i want maximum future upgrade options....maybe its better to wait....although i was just about to order my system any day now...had enough crap in researching for the last 7 months.....but it looks like i might have to wait for this AM2....

how long wud i have to wait for this thing to come out ??? any guesses ??

March/April I think.