Is it worth it to upgrade to a X2 4400+

[njswift10141980]

Hey guys right now I have a 3700+ would it be worth it for me to upgrade to the X2 4400+ ?


Thanks

 

[akshayt]

For gaming:
No. Get 1900XT class instead. If you have already got one then forget about it.

Keep in mind that for many of the current games x2 4400 might be slighly slower than amd 64 3700. I advise you to oc it to the maximum possible and get the fastest x2 you can get, but not now, after 3-4 months.

If you think that you cpu is a serious bottleneck at the moment, then upgrade.

 

[Nightmare225]

I agree.

 

[njswift10141980]

And what about the X2 4800+

 

[avi85]

Originally posted by: akshayt
Keep in mind that for many of the current games x2 4400 might be slighly slower than amd 64 3700.

what kind of bullshit is that?
3700+ = 2.2GHz 1MB cache
x2-4400+ = 2*2.2GHz 2*1MB cache

it's 2 3700's
it's just like dropping in a second 3700+

even if his games don't take advantage of the second core it can take the load of background apps off the one he is gaming on

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: avi85
even if his games don't take advantage of the second core it can take the load of background apps off the one he is gaming on

... which will do exactly squat for performance in games (unless that background app he's running is video/ausio encoding). Seriously, use your own system as an example. Keep all your background apps running (such as outlook, browser, IM, virus protection, firewall, etc), and run a game. Record the fps or benchmark. Now, shut down all those apps and rerun. You're not going to notice a difference.

Since the OP games on an LCD with a native 1280x1024, he's in the iffy spot where many games start to become GPU-limited, though some do show a good increase at that res with a faster CPU (the dual-core enabled Quake4 being the absolute best example). His x850xt is aging and he would get the BEST performance increase by upgrading the GPU instead of his CPU.

I'm not too sure how much an X2 4400+ would cost after you sold off your 3700+, but I would definitely think that your money would be better spent on a faster video solution. If it's a $200 upgrade to get to a 4400+, sell that x850xt add $200 and get the x1900xt.

The other option is to just upgrade to an x2 3800+. You should be able to find plenty of used ones for sale shortly with the intro of C2D. While I still think the GPU should be upgraded, if you're dead-set on X2, the 3800+ is the better buy.

 

[avi85]

i said that it was total BS that "x2 4400 might be slighly slower than amd 64 3700"

 

[teiresias]

Kind of along these same lines, I'm wondering how the OS determines how to assign processes to cores?

For example, what if my soundcard has to use some CPU cycles for some decoding or something while I'm gaming. Is it guaranteed that the OS would assign this processing to the core that is not running the game's code, so as not to eat into each other? I'm not quite clear on how processes/threads get assigned to the different cores, can it be done manually in some cases, etc.?

 

[Gatecrasher3]

im running a 64 3000 venice
is it worth it for me to upgrade?

sorry njswift10141980 i don?t mean to steal your thread or anything

 

[lopri]

On a relatively clean machine, single-core CPUs often run games faster than same frequency dual-core CPUs. (There are many evidences to this. I won't do the search for ya! ) Could be because of cache-thrashing.

 

[flexy]

i am running an OOOLD A64 winchester 3500+ at 2607 on air and i really dont see a reason to upgrade, i also dont care about dual core etc.......but Intel Core 2 looks VERY tempting to me, too bad i am broke right now..

 

[MadScientist]

The CPU chart at TH may be helpful. Link

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: MadScientist
The CPU chart at TH may be helpful. Link

What does Div6 video encoding have to do with gaming?


OP, if gaming is the primary purpose No it won't make a difference. And if you overclock the 3700+ will likely be faster than a 4400+, my 3700+ overclocks to 2.85 not many 4400's can do that on air

 

[MadScientist]

Check the chart again. You can choose other benchmarks, e.g., Doom III, Farcry.

 

[njswift10141980]

Well my thoughts of any upgrading just went down the tubes, we got the quarterly taxes this week and lets just say no upgrading until late this or sometime next year.

 

[RollWave]

Originally posted by: flexy
i am running an OOOLD A64 winchester 3500+ at 2607 on air and i really dont see a reason to upgrade, i also dont care about dual core etc.......but Intel Core 2 looks VERY tempting to me, too bad i am broke right now..

Your post doesnt make any sense.

 

[TheInternal]

I'm thinking about going from the single core AMD 64 3500+ to the 4400+... so, similar boat. I do a CRAPLOAD of multitasking though... second life, illustrator, and photoshop often run at the same time... whilst recording two TV shows at the same time. my current proc can do it, but I like gaming, so I figured to get a proc with at least as fast of a core speed rating.

 

[Pens1566]

Originally posted by: akshayt
For gaming:
No. Get 1900XT class instead. If you have already got one then forget about it.

Keep in mind that for many of the current games x2 4400 might be slighly slower than amd 64 3700. I advise you to oc it to the maximum possible and get the fastest x2 you can get, but not now, after 3-4 months.

If you think that you cpu is a serious bottleneck at the moment, then upgrade.

Is "get an x1900XT" your answer to every question?

 

[SolMiester]

A X1900Xt for a LCD native bound 1280x1024, i dont think so!!!....LOL

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: SolMiester
A X1900Xt for a LCD native bound 1280x1024, i dont think so!!!....LOL

Why not? Yes, it's a fast card and performs best at higher resolutions, but it will still outperform other cards at 1280x1024 by a good margin:

BF2 1280x1024 4xAA........... 35% increase over 7900gt
FEAR 1280x1024 4xAA......... 28% increase over 7900gt
HL2 ep1 1280x1024 4xAA... 27% increase over 7900gt
Q4 1280x1024 4xAA............ 25% increase over 7900gt

Granted, his x850xt wasn't on those charts, but you could likely double those increases. Either way, like the OP said a few posts up, he won't have the money to upgrade now anyway.

 

[shady28]

The short answer to your question is yes, unless you just have loads of money to burn.

Looks like you have 2GB of DDR400, an AGP graphics card, and an a64 3700+. I'm in a similar situation and I plan to get either a 4400+ or a 4600+.

To go to core 2 duo right now, get a new graphics card, new mobo, and new ram would cost me in the 800-1000 range. Compared to getting a $200-$250 cpu, it's really a no brainer. I'm betting this box will last another 2-3 years just fine with an x2 cpu (getting close to 2 years on the 3500+).

My current setup :
A64 3500+
2GB DDR400
ATI Radeon X800XT All in wonder (AGP)
2x320 GB SATA drives 7200rpm
1x80GB PATA drive 7200rpm
SB X-Fi Sound card
DVD-R/RW

Going to Core 2 duo would require upgrading the most expensive components in my box, and would probably only give me another 20% or so in performance - primarily in games, which I play less and less of.

 

[Griswold]

Originally posted by: lopri
On a relatively clean machine, single-core CPUs often run games faster than same frequency dual-core CPUs. (There are many evidences to this. I won't do the search for ya! ) Could be because of cache-thrashing.

Thats some nice humbug.

 

[Geomagick]

If the only thing you do is game then stay with the 3700+, if you do other processor intensive stuff as well, the most likely to affect many people in the next year is going to be high def video watching then go dual core.

A single core CPU will struggle with 1080p video decoding.