i3-530 or Athlon X4 640

[cbn]

I understand that most games don't really need a quad core CPU at this point. However I can't see the justification in avoiding a quad core at this point. Really I think the i3 is not much of an option with the CPUs that AMD is offering at the same price point. If you want an upgrade path and good price/performance go AMD. That seems like the better choice to me given your post.

Take a look at gaming benchmarks.

I'm not sure how well i3 does against athlon II/phenom II x4 in BFBC2, but the 2009 Anandtech review had a 4GHz i3 could beating a 3.4 GHz Phenom II x4 in Dragon Age Origins.

Keep in mind that DA:0 was and quite possibly is still the only title that scales 75% better with 4 cores over 2 cores.

 

[RussianSensation]

for most games it makes no difference if you have quad or dual . sure some of the newer games, but even source engine and starcraft 2 it makes no difference.

The OP is probably going to keep his system for a while (say 2 years). Even if most games don't require a quad core processor, they sure do scale with extra cores (although not linear scaling). Games like GTA4, Resident Evil 5, BF:BC2, Dragon Age: Origins and even SC2 all scale with extra cores: http://www.legionhardware.com/articles_pages/starcraft_ii_wings_of_liberty_beta_performance,7.html

Not to mention that even if the game doesn't scale, the superior performance per core in the latest processors (esp. Core i5 750 and above) will provide better results today and down the line. As future generation of consoles get released, games will only become more multi-threaded. Even in many of today's games, dual core processors are too slow. Even at 1600x1200 (generally GPU limited), a dual core Athlon X2 255 cannot keep up with quad cores:

Dirt 2: http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/18448/7 and another Dirt 2 bench: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1297/11/
Resident Evil 5: http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1297/9/
Splinter Cell Conviction: http://www.gamespot.com/features/6261472/p-5.html

I could keep going all day. Recommending dual cores for gaming today is not really good advice; and claiming that quad cores do not make a difference in gaming is just ignorant.

LegitReviews: "I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed. It has nothing to do with the AMD Athlon II X4 640. It has more to do with the fact that I spent nearly $800.00 on my Intel Core I7 components and I could have built an AMD based system with the AMD Athlon II X4 640 for less than half of that cost. Granted, the Intel system did lead on all the tests, but the performance wasn't anywhere near double like the price is."

 

[AsusGuy]

Take a look at gaming benchmarks.

I'm not sure how well i3 does against athlon II/phenom II x4 in BFBC2, but the 2009 Anandtech review had a 4GHz i3 could beating a 3.4 GHz Phenom II x4 in Dragon Age Origins.

Keep in mind that DA:0 was and quite possibly is still the only title that scales 75% better with 4 cores over 2 cores.

Yeah I see your point for games. I use the dual core system in my sig to play games and have been running dragon age without any problems so its not essential to have a quad. However from a price/value standpoint with the Athlon II x4 and i3 I feel the AMD option gives you a better value. This is considering price/performance and upgrade path. But as you say applications use must also be considered.

 

[rseiler]

Also i3s should overclock beyond 4.0ghz.

And from all accounts that I've read so far, including Anand's, seem to hit 4GHz with only minimal voltage increase (v1.3 or so) and using the stock cooler. Some even claim to run the default voltage at this speed, though that seems a stretch.

Is there a thread around here collecting experiences with the 530? I haven't hit upon it yet if there is. I'm just looking to find what the cheapest go-to motherboard is to pair with a 530, and am also wondering if RAM faster than the nominal 1333MHz is needed when pushing the CPU up to 4GHz.

 

[kevinqian]

I tried pushing my i3 530 to 3.52ghz using stock cooler, but the core temps were hitting >80C so i stopped before any more OC. I'm not sure how these guys are able to hit 4Ghz using stock cooler at a safe temp.

 

[RussianSensation]

I'm just looking to find what the cheapest go-to motherboard is to pair with a 530, and am also wondering if RAM faster than the nominal 1333MHz is needed when pushing the CPU up to 4GHz.

Core i3 530 is 22 multi x 133 QPI ratio: http://ark.intel.com/Product.aspx?id=46472

Therefore, 22 multi x 181 QPI = 4.0ghz

The lowest ram ratio on my P55 Gigabyte Board is 6.0. This means QPI of 181 results in DDR3-1086 and QPI of 222 results in DDR3-1333.

In other words, DDR3-1333 is sufficient to max out the Core i3 530 processor as long as you use the lowest multiplier. Having said that, I would only buy DDR3-1600 ram at the moment since the price difference is pretty small and with Sandy Bridge, DDR3-1600 will be the standard.

I would recommend the ECO lines by G.Skill (1.35V!): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-321-_-Product

 

[rseiler]

@RussianSensation, thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't noticed the faster, 1.35V one and instead had penciled in this popular one, which runs at 1.5V:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231277

If I could confirm that the motherboard I've tentatively settled on (Gigabyte GA-H55M-UD2H) can actually go below 1.5V for RAM, then it would probably be worth the $10, but the manual doesn't say. I can probably find out with some more searching around.

 

[hathetran]

thanks for all the suggestions guys...i ended up kinda splurging and went with the 1055t/msi 890gxm-g65 combo at frys...i couldnt pass it up at that price

 

[Gikaseixas]

thanks for all the suggestions guys...i ended up kinda splurging and went with the 1055t/msi 890gxm-g65 combo at frys...i couldnt pass it up at that price

Great choice. Let us know what you think of your new setup once it's up and running.

 

[RussianSensation]

thanks for all the suggestions guys...i ended up kinda splurging and went with the 1055t/msi 890gxm-g65 combo at frys...i couldnt pass it up at that price

Great setup!! Enjoy.

 

[Phil1977]

Like some mentioned do not buy a dual core these days.

The way I see it, if you can afford a H55 board and a i5 750 then this is the combo to get.

Only if you want to spend less, would I consider the AMD Athlon II x4 cpus.

The way I see it i5 750 and above you buy intel. But anything cheaper than a i5 750 you should go for AMD and not even consider the i3 and i5 dual cores.

Unless you are doing a lot of video encoding and 3D Rendering then I would get a AMD six core.

 

[evolucion8]

I mounted a rig to my gf which had an Athlon II X4 635 and games runs great and is quite fast for Video Encoding and multi threading. I think that is not a good idea in the long run to buy a Dual Core these days. If you want to go Intel, just get a decent Quad Core processor like the i7 750, if wanna go AMD, buying a cheap Athlon II X4 630 or faster will give you more benefits now and in the future when more multi threaded software comes compared to any Intel Dual Core processor currently, AMD architecture may be slower in single threaded scenarios, but in multi threaded scenarios, a Dual Core faking a Quad Core will never beat a real Quad Core processor unless if we're talking about a Pentium 4 Quad Core edition loll. Even if HyperThreading could scale up to 50% more in which never happens, it would barely outperform the Athlon II X4

 

[RussianSensation]

I mounted a rig to my gf

You gotta keep those thoughts to yourself man!! :awe:

 

[evolucion8]

You gotta keep those thoughts to yourself man!! :awe:

LOLL, I think that I should say I assembled a computer for my gf loll, sorry , english isn't my primary language