AMD or Intel for cheaper CPU?

[PotatoSandWitch]

Which would be the better buy for $120 (X2 4600+ or E4300)?

Any other recommendations for something around this price range (don't want to go over $150)?

And, any links to up-to-date and good budget gaming PC guides would be appreciated.

 

[MarcVenice]

If you are going to OC, the e4300, which will quite easily OC to 2.4ghz on stock cooling and some budget ddr 667 ram. If not, I'd say for for the x2 4600+

 

[Arkaign]

If you're in the area of a Fry's, they're running a special :

Retail E6320 (2.13Ghz/4MB L2/1066FSB) + Mobo $169

It's about $20 more than your budget, but with ram so cheap, you should be able to justify it 😉 The E6320 is a lot faster than the stock 4300, and can overclock to 3+Ghz with a midrange mobo and decent ram. Double the cache, and a 1066FSB vs 800. Of course, you can also pinmod the 4300 to 1066FSB, if you're brave/experienced.

That X2-4600 is a fine chip as well.

 

[f4phantom2500]

arkaign:

once you overclock, the fsb difference is a moot point. the extra cache isn't very significant either. of course, it depends on the motherboard; that mobo probably isn't very good for overclocking.

op:

you should take into consideration the fact that good am2 mobo's are cheaper than good 775 mobo's. i got a brisbane 3600 ($60 shipped), freezer 64 pro ($15 shipped), tforce 550 ($70 I think), and 2GB Corsair XMS DDR2 675 ($70). Using a FAR PSU (Ultra X-finity 600w), I have this thing running fine at 2.6~2.7GHz without much tweaking (haven't had enough time yet).

 

[Arkaign]

Aye, understood about the FSB, but the point of pinmodding the chip from 800 to 1066 is that the memory runs at stock until you start o/cing from there. So you don't need exotic ram to hit 3ghz w/4300. There are some decent threads on it 🙂

 

[PotatoSandWitch]

Howbout if I wanted to overclock but just a little to be sure I didn't screw anything up (I've never even built my own computer before; I just kind of "helped" my cousin build his)?

 

[myocardia]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Aye, understood about the FSB, but the point of pinmodding the chip from 800 to 1066 is that the memory runs at stock until you start o/cing from there. So you don't need exotic ram to hit 3ghz w/4300.

I guess you need to buy a new calculator, too, since 9x333=3.0 Ghz. And I wouldn't call RAM that will run @ 333 Mhz "exotic", by any stretch: it can be had for less than $33/GB.

Originally posted by: PotatoSandWitch
Howbout if I wanted to overclock but just a little to be sure I didn't screw anything up

Overclocking doesn't screw things up, except for cheap power supplies. Only massively overvolting screws things up.

 

[bryanW1995]

Originally posted by: myocardia

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Aye, understood about the FSB, but the point of pinmodding the chip from 800 to 1066 is that the memory runs at stock until you start o/cing from there. So you don't need exotic ram to hit 3ghz w/4300.

I guess you need to buy a new calculator, too, since 9x333=3.0 Ghz. And I wouldn't call RAM that will run @ 333 Mhz "exotic", by any stretch: it can be had for less than $33/GB.

Originally posted by: PotatoSandWitch
Howbout if I wanted to overclock but just a little to be sure I didn't screw anything up

Overclocking doesn't screw things up, except for cheap power supplies. Only massively overvolting screws things up.

ooooooooooohhhh, so that's why my 480w, $25 power supply died on me....

 

[daveybrat]

My 4600+ X2 seems very snappy to me. Those are both great cpu's, you won't be dissapointed with either of them.