Best CPU for under $200?

[archcommus]

I'll be upgrading soon and don't want to spend more than $200 on the CPU. Would my best bet be an Athlon 64 3200+? Is the extra $50 for the 3200+ over the 3000+ worth it?

 

[exar333]

3200 (venice) if you dont plan to OC

3000 or 3200 (venice) if you like to OC (3200 probably will get a better OC, but you never know)

 

[Lithan]

3000/3200 venice for 939/nf4/PCI-e
Sempron Palermo/2800+ retail/3000+ mobile for 754/nf3/agp


Both assume you are overclocking. Not overclocking? 3400+ 754 newcastle is best.

 

[archcommus]

I'm not overclocking, but I'm pretty sure I want a socket 939 chip. Socket 754 just seems like investing in tired technology.

 

[bREwIn dOdgEr dUDe]

venice 3200 for oc or not... socket 939 is moving forward with dually possibilities (just in case) cuz ya never know...

 

[Aenslead]

Originally posted by: archcommus
I'll be upgrading soon and don't want to spend more than $200 on the CPU. Would my best bet be an Athlon 64 3200+? Is the extra $50 for the 3200+ over the 3000+ worth it?

Nah... not really. Get a nice 80Gb S-ATA HDD with those $50.

If you overclock the FSB to 220Mhz (easy as it gets, just lower your LDT multiplier to 4x and increase FSB de 220Mhz), you are on 3200+ territory free.

 

[archcommus]

I would like to stray from OCing 100%, though. I want it cool without having to speed up my fans or get bigger ones, and since I know I'll be broke come this fall, I want my warranty to stay intact!

 

[Leper Messiah]

I run a 800+mhz oc on stock hsfu. 220x9 is going to be no sweat for one of those.

 

[archcommus]

Man, I was 100% sure I did not want to do any OCing this time around, and you guys say all this and make me reconsider. Damn you!!

I don't know, I just like it cool, I like it stable, I don't like to have to worry about testing the stability, and I want my warranty, JIC the thing ever dies.

 

[imported_g33k]

Skt 754 3400+ is your fastest chip at stock for $200. Unless you want to upgrade to dual within a year, it will be your best choice.

If it were me, I would get a Venice and OC that bad boy.

 

[Promethply]

Your best bet would be the Venice cored Athlon64 3200+, whether you plan to OC or not,

paired with a decent NF4 Ultra mobo.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: Promethply
Your best bet would be the Venice cored Athlon64 3200+, whether you plan to OC or not,

paired with a decent NF4 Ultra mobo.

I think that's what I'll be doing.

I can't believe there's THREE different cores currently out for the 3200+, Winchester, Newcastle, and Venice. What is better about Venice? Just OCing ability? Or temps, too, perhaps?

 

[Promethply]

The Venice has several enhancements added to it, including:

added support for unequal memory in a single channel

addition of decoupling capacitors to clean up signals, power and ground planes

SSE3 instructions

Hence it'll run cooler than the Winchesters, and OC higher as well.

 

[archcommus]

But is the 3200+ worth the $50 or so price difference over the 3000+? Would it be that much of a performance gain? It's only running 200 MHz faster, is it not?

 

[SrGuapo]

Originally posted by: archcommus
But is the 3200+ worth the $50 or so price difference over the 3000+? Would it be that much of a performance gain? It's only running 200 MHz faster, is it not?

Depending on what you are doing, you may not notice a difference. If you do Hard drive or GPU centered apps (games), there will not be a very big difference. If you do video encoding, other CPU intensive apps, there will be a larger difference.

Personally I would get the 3000+ and OC it 200 MHz. The temps will be fine and stability is not an issue. I have seen many people reporting OCing up to 2500 MHz with touching the vcore.

 

[archcommus]

You mean without touchinig the Vcore?

Perhaps I would do that then. I originally didn't want to OC at all, though, simply because I wanted it to stay cool, quiet, and stable, and didn't want to have to worry about stability testing and stuff like that. Maybe 200 MHz wouldn't be that big of a deal, though.