best retail processor under $100?

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

I, my cousin and a friend of mine all want to build new systems in the next 3 to 4 months. I've been slowly buying the parts that aren't likely to change much, and will buy the cases next.

However, eventually we'll come down to the processor and motherboard. I've been holding off on those, because I know that each month that goes by means we can afford a faster processor. We haven't really been in a hurry, because our current systems work fine, but we'd like to get working systems by March at the latest.

Of course, this makes me wonder - what is the best processor we can afford right now, and what is likely to be the best processor we can afford if we wait until March?

Is there likely to be any difference? I'm not talking about OEM, but the retail boxed version with heatsink and warranty.

We usually go with AMD, but I've heard some folks mention that their current generation of dual core processors underperforms a bit, and that maybe Intel would be a better choice this time.

We tend to play some games, though often older ones. We also do a lot of TV recording and video compression.

My current system is based on a PcChips V21G board with VIA Epia 1.5 GHz processor. It has onboard video, and the board only cost me $80 with the onboard CPU. It can't handle my HDTV tuner card, though, so I need to upgrade.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

 

[21stHermit]

E2180

 

[Thund3rb1rd]

Originally posted by: 21stHermit
E2180

+1

 

[clickynext]

What's the point of buying parts in advance? Might as well save up the money and buy them all at once since prices in general only go down with time.

To answer your question, E2180 would be the choice right now, but by next March, who knows? It's quite possible that there could be something better for under $100 by then.

 

[jjmIII]

Originally posted by: clickynext
To answer your question, E2180 would be the choice right now, but by next March, who knows? It's quite possible that there could be something better for under $100 by then.

true.

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: clickynext
What's the point of buying parts in advance? Might as well save up the money and buy them all at once since prices in general only go down with time.

 

[justly]

There really isn't enough information in your original post to give you a complete answer.

I would consider it a mistake setting a price limit on the processor without a corresponding motherboard. Motherboards can vary in price by over $100 (the limit you have set for just the processor). Equivalent AMD and Intel boards may not have a similar price, and a enthusiast oriented board will always cost more.

You mentioned getting a retail box with heat sink & warranty, since you mentioned a warranty I don't know if you intend to overclock?

To answer your question as best I can with the information you provided.

At stock speeds you would be looking at either the

AMD Athlon X2 4800+ for $99.99 or the
Intel dual-core E2180 for $89.99

The Athlon defiantly has the advantage at stock speed.

Now if you plan to overclock it gets a bit more complicated because you need to decide if you are willing to go all out and change voltages, spend more on after market cooling, and high performance memory/motherboard, or just mild overclocking that the stock heatsink and budget RAM will allow.

Either way you will probably want to go with a lower budget processor but since there really isn't much lower on the Intel side you will still probably end up with the E2180. However on the AMD side this means you could drop down to the Athlon X2 4000+ for $65.99.

There is no way to be certain how high either of these chips can overclock (to many variables) but it is reasonable to expect both to reach or exceed 2.8GHz fairly easy (with stock and/or moderately priced enthusiast components).

The Intel is likely to overclock higher in the end, and be overall faster once overclocked.

The big question is will you be able to tell a difference without a benchmark test? I wish I had these systems so I could tell you, but I don't, and I would be skeptical of anyone that emphatically says one is better than another without owning both.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

>What's the point of buying parts in advance? Might as well save up the money and buy them >all at once since prices in general only go down with time.

The point is that the parts I buy have usually leveled off, and someone is having a free shipping deal or something on them which makes them a really good deal. I doubt that the price of a DVD burner, for example, is going down all that much in the next few months.


As for overclocking, I'm about as interested in that as I am in getting syphilis. I have UNDERCLOCKED my systems a few times for power/temperature/stability reasons. The few times I've tried to overclock, I only got a few extra percentage points, and the system became unstable.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Originally posted by: GunsMadeAmericaFree
As for overclocking, I'm about as interested in that as I am in getting syphilis. I have UNDERCLOCKED my systems a few times for power/temperature/stability reasons. The few times I've tried to overclock, I only got a few extra percentage points, and the system became unstable.

That's too bad. Your experiences with overclocking may not apply to the C2D generation though, most of them will *effortlessly* OC a significant amount. Most do 3Ghz without even upping vcore, on a stock heatsink.

 

[amenx]

^ I agree. OC'ing C2Ds is unlike anything else. Little fiddling around is necessary, a modest OC at stock voltage can give you a huge wallop. The C2D scales very well at higher speeds, meaning a 30% will give you about a 30% increase in performance (in synth benches at least). My 2.13ghz chip is OC'd to 3ghz at stock volts, stock cooler, completely stable and is the rough equivalent of an e6850, thats their main attraction.

 

[Emission]

Originally posted by: justly
There really isn't enough information in your original post to give you a complete answer.

I would consider it a mistake setting a price limit on the processor without a corresponding motherboard. Motherboards can vary in price by over $100 (the limit you have set for just the processor). Equivalent AMD and Intel boards may not have a similar price, and a enthusiast oriented board will always cost more.

You mentioned getting a retail box with heat sink & warranty, since you mentioned a warranty I don't know if you intend to overclock?

To answer your question as best I can with the information you provided.

At stock speeds you would be looking at either the

AMD Athlon X2 4800+ for $99.99 or the
Intel dual-core E2180 for $89.99

The Athlon defiantly has the advantage at stock speed.

Now if you plan to overclock it gets a bit more complicated because you need to decide if you are willing to go all out and change voltages, spend more on after market cooling, and high performance memory/motherboard, or just mild overclocking that the stock heatsink and budget RAM will allow.

Either way you will probably want to go with a lower budget processor but since there really isn't much lower on the Intel side you will still probably end up with the E2180. However on the AMD side this means you could drop down to the Athlon X2 4000+ for $65.99.

There is no way to be certain how high either of these chips can overclock (to many variables) but it is reasonable to expect both to reach or exceed 2.8GHz fairly easy (with stock and/or moderately priced enthusiast components).

The Intel is likely to overclock higher in the end, and be overall faster once overclocked.

The big question is will you be able to tell a difference without a benchmark test? I wish I had these systems so I could tell you, but I don't, and I would be skeptical of anyone that emphatically says one is better than another without owning both.

I had a 4800+, it's a disappointing overclocker and the E2180 would far surpass it with a mild overclock that can be done on stock voltage and cooler. The E2180 will scream at 3 GHz, which it will most likely be able to reach with either no volt bump, or a small volt bump.

 

[jjmIII]

Get the Intel chip. S775 has a better future, and you can throw a quad-core in it down the road.