Dual-core over quad-core right now for gaming but how about the future?

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apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: tallman45
Originally posted by: solog
Future-proofing your computer is a waste of money. If you like spending money on your computer you are like many others here. If you needed a quad core you would already know it and wouldn't be asking us to cosign your purchase

Agreed, one year ago a Q6600 was selling in the $500 range, today $179.00. The vast majority of those early adopters could have easily went with a $150 E4500 and just popped in a Q6600 today (if the needed it) and been $$ ahead, and still been "Future Proof"

actually i did that just over 18 months ago and got a e4300 for $114 that OCs to 3.25Ghz on stock voltage.

Of course, now i am going to try for my max OC out of it since i have a HD4870 and i just ordered a HD4870x2 for a CrossfireX-3 solution

i am guessing i need ~4Ghz :p

Now ... what is best bang for buck for a Quad Core that will get me near my goal of 4Ghz? i do plan to get a x38/x48 MB for 16x + 16x PCIe Crossfire but will keep my 4GB PC6400 for now

EDIT: .. as near as possible .. i guess 4Ghz is a little optimistic for QC
.. i guess Q9450 will get me 3.7G, right?
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Want a 4ghz quad? Get a Q9650.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115130

$559
:brokenheart:

sure .. but i asked for best bang for buck that will get me close to 4Ghz by O/C'ing .. let's say Sub $400 for the CPU [as sub as possible :p] and over 3.7Ghz so i experience a substantial boost over my current e4300@3.25Ghz

QC's best bang for buck on the cheap as possible
rose.gif


why? you may ask the guy running HD4870x3?
:confused:

because i overspent my budget in the graphics department and i still need a x38/x48 MB

i would get them today - or wait a week or two till i get back from Nvision - since my [$469] 4870x2 is backordered from BestBuy [and we know how that turns out sometimes ... :(]

EDIT:

will Q9450 get close? ... $325 :)
- the older 65nm Q6600/Q6700 won't even get close will they?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115042

Forgive me ..but i am up to date in graphics and i now have to catch up in CPU and MB

i am also guessing x38 is more bang for buck MB than x48 especially if i am still using DDR2 . . . i do need PCIe 2.0 for crossfire enabled 16x+16x max performance, however

How about Q9550 compared to Q9450 at almost the same price?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...E16819115041&Tpk=q9550

$329 and free ship

Shall i go for it or are we expecting any price drops in the next 2-3 weeks?

LAST friggin' edit :|

:eek:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813157136

is this for real, a x38 MB for $169?

Asrock makes "ok" mbs ... but from their product page, what does this mean?

- 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (green @ x16 mode)
Do i need x48 for 16x+16x in Crossfire?
:confused:
 

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
28,830
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My Q9400 runs at 3.7, though getting close to 4GHz with a quad is quite a task. Trust me!
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: Gillbot
My Q9400 runs at 3.7, though getting close to 4GHz with a quad is quite a task. Trust me!

i trust you .. as long as you are not selling me one of your old QCs :p

i saw your many threads and it looks like you may have a karmic debt regarding Overclocking and QC
:Q

i am thinking q9550 is probably the best chance to get close to 4Ghz for relatively cheap

yes, no?

maybe so?

rose.gif


order it?

are there any QC intel price drops scheduled?
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
We just had a price drop on the Q9550, no more price drops immediately scheduled.

OK .. that is why i am seeing at NewEgg for $329 ... about the same as Q9450

is 9550 the best bang for buck if i want to get over 3.7Ghz to run Crossfire-X3 HD4870s?

i really don't want to pay over $500 for my CPU now .. especially that i need an X38/x48 MB :p

i see the 9550's 8.5 multi is locked and i would need 450mhz FSB to get over 3.8Ghz

do able?
:confused:

 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
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470FSB on a quadcore is not something easy to hold.

450FSB is even pushing it but doable.


I can think of only a hand few of people on this forum that could keep a quadcore stable @ 470fsb.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: aigomorla
470FSB on a quadcore is not something easy to hold.

450FSB is even pushing it but doable.


I can think of only a hand few of people on this forum that could keep a quadcore stable @ 470fsb.

so what do you think?

Q9550? .. 3.7 is below 450Mhz
- i would *settle* :p

MSI's looks OK [except for DDR3 support; i am using DDR2] for $199 after $30 MiR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813130157
MSI X48C Platinum LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Support DDR2/DDR3, ATI CrossfireX, efficient PWM design


more suggestions ... please!


 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: Gillbot
I know nothing about xfire, I'm too cheap to buy 2 vid cards. :p

all i need is 2 - 16x 2.0 PCIe slots that are 16x each when Crossfire is enabled. i have a HD4870 i am going to crossfire with HD4870x2 for a graphics monster

so i figure an O/C'd Q9550 will give me a minimum of 3.6Ghz and allow me to run without such a bad CPU bottleneck because i run at only 19x12.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?Item=N82E16813128336R

Open Box: GIGABYTE GA-X48-DS4 LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard .. $170 shipped

is it complete?

 

Gillbot

Lifer
Jan 11, 2001
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Always assume open box is mobo only. It can be hit or miss as to what is included with open box.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
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alienbabeltech.com
it looks like a pretty good deal

i don't think i need much - i have spare *everything* :p

what do you think .. the DS4 and a Q9550 for about $500 ..

a solid step up over my e4300@3.25Ghz and my p35 MB?

do you think at least 3.6Ghz is doable?

hit order?

:confused:

or forget it and go out and party tonight?
:wine:

i will do that anyway ;)
 

Tempered81

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2007
6,374
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quad complete waste of money. Unless you're building folding/encoding machine. 4.3ghz dual rapes < 4.0g QC in games.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,229
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I say go for the Q9550 and mobo. I picked up two new dfi x48 lp lt tr2 mobos to CF my 4850s with my Q6600s. I wish i had the money for a pair of Q9650s.
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
58
91
Originally posted by: jaredpace
quad complete waste of money. Unless you're building folding/encoding machine. 4.3ghz dual rapes < 4.0g QC in games.

I've never owned a dual-core but is there really enough performance gap from that 300MHz to cause one to CPU to commit non-consensual sex acts on the other processor?

I've never bothered to look at the data that closely in the reviews, always assumed you are splitting hairs once your CPU is >3GHz and the GPU mattered more at that point.

No question the lower initial cost combined with the lower power consumption makes a dual-core CPU a no-brainer for gaming unless you into the few games that support quad-cores and you are running at such insanely high resolutions and eye candy that the extra 2 cores actually improve the playability of the game.

(I don't count increasing FPS from 150 to 180 as a compelling argument to buy hardware that enables 180 FPS over cheaper hardware that gives me 150FPS)
 

StinkyPinky

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2002
6,761
777
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Originally posted by: jaredpace
quad complete waste of money. Unless you're building folding/encoding machine. 4.3ghz dual rapes < 4.0g QC in games.

At those speeds it's the video card making the difference.
 

Tempered81

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2007
6,374
1
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Originally posted by: Idontcare
Originally posted by: jaredpace
quad complete waste of money. Unless you're building folding/encoding machine. 4.3ghz dual rapes < 4.0g QC in games.
I've never owned a dual-core but is there really enough performance gap from that 300MHz to cause one to CPU to commit non-consensual sex acts on the other processor?
I've never bothered to look at the data that closely in the reviews, always assumed you are splitting hairs once your CPU is >3GHz and the GPU mattered more at that point.
hahahahaha:laugh:
okay I should explain this a bit. Currently, It all has to do with cpu bottlenecks & limitations in games. And it's applicable only to super high-end gpu solutions, cf, & sli.

a graph of cod4 showing various graphics cards limited above ~80FPS by a 3.0ghz cpu:

http://techreport.com/r.x/rade...-4870-x2/cod4-1680.gif

In this situation, a single HD4870 is performing almost identical to a R700 CFX & GTX 280 TRI-SLI rig because of a ~3ghz cpu.
GTX280: 72
HD4870: 79
R700 CFX: 89
280 TRISLI: 87


Now, take a game where there is no difficult tasks for the cpu & 3.0g is sufficient(same review):

http://techreport.com/r.x/rade...d-4870-x2/hl2-2560.gif

Notice the nice generalized slope of gpu performance in this graph. It is clearly letting each gpu solution stretch it's legs and therefore showing a nice comparison & the true power behind each individual setup. A single HD4870 clearly trails the CFX & TRI-SLI rigs now.
GTX280: 65
HD4870: 50
R700 CFX: 128
280 TRISLI: 108


Does anyone want to risk a cpu's speed limiting the performance of their $500 - $1300 SLI/CF rig? crysis, WIC, Assassin's creed, COJ, & any newer games on the horizon?

3Ghz is fine for quake4, doomIII, & HL2. But as the programming becomes more complex, the need for speed becomes quite prevalent. For example: 4.25Ghz cpu in chiphell's R700 review in cod4:

http://www7.babidou.com/pic/20...4870x2/4870x2-cod4.jpg

Edit: Notice the difference here. There is a lot to be said about a 4.2ghz cpu vs. a 3.0ghz cpu. In the first techreport review, the SS of Cod4 1680x1050 4xAA, the R700 got about 89FPS on a 3ghz quad. However, when you look at the last SS from the chiphell review, they are using a 4.25ghz quad and running Cod4 at 2560x1600 8xAA. Amazingly the R700 is getting 94FPS. You basically doubled resolution, doubled AA, and got more performance when going to the overclocked cpu.

You might say, "Well above 50 FPS, none of this matters anyway. Who cares if I'm getting 60 FPS, or 160 FPS?" Well it matters when you get into hairy situations where all cards are getting 35 FPS. A boost of 4-6 FPS is noticeable.
 

Idontcare

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
21,118
58
91
Originally posted by: jaredpace
Does anyone want to risk a cpu's speed limiting the performance of their $500 - $1300 SLI/CF rig? crysis, WIC, Assassin's creed, COJ, & any newer games on the horizon?
.
.
.
3Ghz is fine for quake4, doomIII, & HL2. But as the programming becomes more complex, the need for speed becomes quite prevalent. For example: 4.25Ghz cpu in chiphell's R700 review in cod4:
.
.
.
You might say, "Well above 50 FPS, none of this matters anyway. Who cares if I'm getting 60 FPS, or 160 FPS?" Well it matters when you get into hairy situations where all cards are getting 35 FPS. A boost of 4-6 FPS is noticeable.

I see, I see. Yes it makes good sense to me too now. I hadn't realized the CPU still made a practical difference, but obviously it does.

And you are right to bring up that a boost of 4-6fps in these real-world situations is going to make a difference to the end-user. I bet that extra CPU really helps increase the minimum fps when things get a tad crazy in a scene here or there.

You've convinced me, yet again, thanks for providing such a clear position with the data and analysis. :thumbsup:
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
I say go for the Q9550 and mobo. I picked up two new dfi x48 lp lt tr2 mobos to CF my 4850s with my Q6600s. I wish i had the money for a pair of Q9650s.

well it looks like i am getting q9550 for $329

i am guessing that either of these MBs will work ok and you guys here in OC'ing say to get the [first one] - ASUS P5E Deluxe LGA 775 Intel X48 - which can be flashed into their Rampage; i assume it is a better OCer and it is DDR2 only; the MSI board is DDR2 or 3 but only 2 slots.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131317

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813130157

it appears that IF i can get the speed of my 9550 to over 3.7Ghz, then bottlenecking HD4870x3 will not be an issue at 19x12.

logical?

 

aigomorla

CPU, Cases&Cooling Mod PC Gaming Mod Elite Member
Super Moderator
Sep 28, 2005
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Originally posted by: jaredpace

quad complete waste of money. Unless you're building folding/encoding machine. 4.3ghz dual rapes < 4.0g QC in games.

Currently, It all has to do with cpu bottlenecks & limitations in games. And it's applicable only to super high-end gpu solutions, cf, & sli.

i think i should keep quiet since i fall in your second statement. :T

but 4.3ghz dualcore vs a 4.0ghz quadcore, you wont see jack difference. Only difference tho is the 4.0ghz quadcore most likely costed you 2x the price of that dualcore.

oh you fail to note a 4.0ghz dualcore will get overtaken by a 4ghz quadcore thanks to the larger cache. <-- bet you didnt see that coming.

When we get into some other games tho, which are more cpu dependant, theres no competition then on a dual vs quad. I couldnt possibly dream of playing supreme commander on the settings i play on any dualcore.

And yes ive tried.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: aigomorla
Originally posted by: jaredpace

quad complete waste of money. Unless you're building folding/encoding machine. 4.3ghz dual rapes < 4.0g QC in games.

Currently, It all has to do with cpu bottlenecks & limitations in games. And it's applicable only to super high-end gpu solutions, cf, & sli.

i think i should keep quiet since i fall in your second statement. :T

but 4.3ghz dualcore vs a 4.0ghz quadcore, you wont see jack difference. Only difference tho is the 4.0ghz quadcore most likely costed you 2x the price of that dualcore.

oh you fail to note a 4.0ghz dualcore will get overtaken by a 4ghz quadcore thanks to the larger cache. <-- bet you didnt see that coming.

When we get into some other games tho, which are more cpu dependant, theres no competition then on a dual vs quad. I couldnt possibly dream of playing supreme commander on the settings i play on any dualcore.

And yes ive tried.

what did it take to get your Q9650 to 4.25Ghz?

do i have much of a chance to get q9550 to 3.8G or better?
- i will be running Crossfirex3 hd4870 and 4870x2

. . . and it looks like the Asus P5E deluxe x48 MB is the one to get, right?

i am ordering right now

confirmation would be cool
:)
 

n7

Elite Member
Jan 4, 2004
21,303
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8.5 x 450 = 3825 GHz.

So basically, with a solid mobo, good knowledge of OCing, a solid cooler, & some luck, i'd say you can get 3.8 GHz, yes.

But YMMV.
 

apoppin

Lifer
Mar 9, 2000
34,890
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alienbabeltech.com
Originally posted by: n7
8.5 x 450 = 3825 GHz.

So basically, with a solid mobo, good knowledge of OCing, a solid cooler, & some luck, i'd say you can get 3.8 GHz, yes.

But YMMV.

OK, i decided on the Asus P5e deluxe and a q9550; it is what fits my budget. Thanks to all of you for the suggestions!

wish me luck .. although i am a successful O/C'er since ... since ...
.. Celeron 300A :p

- luck on the O/C'ing
... My credit is still good at NewEgg
:D