Is Phenom X4 9950 a good processor?

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: Wakashizuma
I do have a question
Some of these AM2+ boards need Bios update in order to run AM3 CPUs. I was wondering, if I get the board and the AM3 CPU how can I update the BIOS if the board doesn't recognize the processor?
I mean, how can I boot and and run the update with the upcoming AM3 processor?

Any AM2/AM2+ cpu can be used to update. You have one already don't you?

And sometimes all the BIOS update does is enable some features of a new CPU so it might still boot into BIOS allowing you to update.

 

[Wakashizuma]

Originally posted by: thilan29

Originally posted by: Wakashizuma
I do have a question
Some of these AM2+ boards need Bios update in order to run AM3 CPUs. I was wondering, if I get the board and the AM3 CPU how can I update the BIOS if the board doesn't recognize the processor?
I mean, how can I boot and and run the update with the upcoming AM3 processor?

Any AM2/AM2+ cpu can be used to update. You have one already don't you?

And sometimes all the BIOS update does is enable some features of a new CPU so it might still boot into BIOS allowing you to update.

I dont have any AM2/AM2+ CPU so I'm afraid that installing an AM3 CPU on the mainboard might kill them both. Is it something I should be afraid of?

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: Wakashizuma
I dont have any AM2/AM2+ CPU so I'm afraid that installing an AM3 CPU on the mainboard might kill them both. Is it something I should be afraid of?

I don't think it'll kill the motherboard...worst that could happen is it won't boot. You're gonna have to either get another cheap CPU, get someone else's CPU, or hope that when you buy the motherboard (when are you buying it?) that it comes with the latest BIOS.

I thought you were going to buy the 9950?

 

[Wakashizuma]

Originally posted by: thilan29

Originally posted by: Wakashizuma
I dont have any AM2/AM2+ CPU so I'm afraid that installing an AM3 CPU on the mainboard might kill them both. Is it something I should be afraid of?

I don't think it'll kill the motherboard...worst that could happen is it won't boot. You're gonna have to either get another cheap CPU, get someone else's CPU, or hope that when you buy the motherboard (when are you buying it?) that it comes with the latest BIOS.

I thought you were going to buy the 9950?

I was
But then other folks mentioned Phenom II coming out so I read a bit about the upcoming processor
I figured out waiting for the Phenom II which gives me SSE4, extra cache, higher clock speed, less water consumption and higher performance is well worth it and the price will be close (if a little higher).
I'm going to but the case, power, memory, mainboard and other parts now so I can use all savings I can get during the shopping season and I'll get the AM3 processor when it comes out in February

I might get a cheap Athlon X2 3200 processor to have the system up and running
Reasonable plan?

 

[thilanliyan]

Originally posted by: Wakashizuma
I was
But then other folks mentioned Phenom II coming out so I read a bit about the upcoming processor
I figured out waiting for the Phenom II which gives me SSE4, extra cache, higher clock speed, less water consumption and higher performance is well worth it and the price will be close (if a little higher).
I'm going to but the case, power, memory, mainboard and other parts now so I can use all savings I can get during the shopping season and I'll get the AM3 processor when it comes out in February

I might get a cheap Athlon X2 3200 processor to have the system up and running
Reasonable plan?

If you're gonna buy all the other parts now then yeah just get the cheapest AM2 CPU you can find (I think you can get one for like $50-60) and then get the AM3 CPU when it comes out.

EDIT:
Here's a cheap one http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103299

Actually you can even get a cheap single core CPU for like $20-30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...0996&name=Socket%20AM2

 

[heyheybooboo]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Combo Deal: $189

Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-DS4H AMD 790GX HDMI
and
Athlon X2 4850e 2.5GHz AM2 45W


The Gigabyte 790gx is loaded up with goodies (no eSATA, however) and last week Gigabyte announced Phenom II support for the mobo. By Spring the initial 'price rush' should be over on the 45nm Phenom IIs ...

You just missed the Foxconn A79A-S AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX for $95 AR - They sold out this morning.

Yeah. And? Which do you think is money better spent?
ASUS P5Q SE
E7200
Combo price: 196.98 less 15.00 MIR. 181.98

Kinda hard to put a 45nm Phenom II on that motherboard, Keys ...

Originally posted by: thilan29

No AM3 Cpus have both memory controllers. There will be AM2+ Denebs (I don't know if AM2+ Denebs will be compatible with AM3 motherboards) and AM3 Denebs but both will be compatible with a lot of AM2+ motherboards. ~~~~

And there will be more added it says. Other companies have given lists as well.

Good to know ... I hope you are right :thumbsup:

 

[atari030]

Originally posted by: Idontcare

Originally posted by: atari030
Regardless, no matter how many times I see it, I still find it amusing that any thread started here that involves someone purchasing an AMD CPU results in at least one mandatory reply questioning the person's decision-making ability and/or competence as a rational being.

Maybe they just don't want to buy an Intel processor? Really, it's not that unheard of. I know a couple people that actually own AMD processors. Really, I'm not making that up.

There are legitimate reasons to request this information. Not every request of this nature falls into the seething villainous anti-AMD fanboi brigade category.

Some people are here to genuinely help others, and sometimes the best help can only come from having a few more additional bits of info regarding preferences and motivation of the OP.

I think it's the manner in which 'requesting the information' is done then. The wording of the original response was:

'Is there any reason for going AMD and not Intel if you're building a new rig?'

That would be in contrast to something like 'If you're building a new rig you should really consider an Intel processor as well. There are some definite advantages to it from a pure performance perspective.'

The way the original response is worded makes it sound like there would never be a reason someone would build a new AMD rig over an Intel rig, when in fact there are reasons people would. It's the slight 'coloring' of negativity that seems to go with any threads AMD-related around this particular forum that bothers me. Perhaps it's so commonplace that everyone's become blind to it, but it sticks out to me like a sore thumb whenever I read posts here.

A good analogy would be the auto industry....foreign vs. domestics. You'd find many with the opinion - 'All domestic cars suck, are unreliable, and why would anyone ever consider one?'

Um, no they don't suck. The domestic manufacturers make a damn fine product. Maybe one model has 98.5% reliability vs. the 99% reliability of a foreign model. That doesn't mean the domestic model is a piece of garbage.

So it goes with AMD many times around here. Not all the time, but a lot of the time from what I read. The Phenom may not be the greatest proc, but it's not a terrible one. It's a legitimate alternative, and a person's decision to go with one should not always be questioned by default.

Also, reading through the thread progression, the original poster simply asked if the Phenom in question was a good processor. That's it. So, yes, it's a good processor. He then laid out his tentative plan for purchase. He never asked for Intel platform or processor information if you follow the thread. If he had interest, I'm sure he would have brought it up. He didn't though.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: atari030

Originally posted by: Idontcare

Originally posted by: atari030
Regardless, no matter how many times I see it, I still find it amusing that any thread started here that involves someone purchasing an AMD CPU results in at least one mandatory reply questioning the person's decision-making ability and/or competence as a rational being.

Maybe they just don't want to buy an Intel processor? Really, it's not that unheard of. I know a couple people that actually own AMD processors. Really, I'm not making that up.

There are legitimate reasons to request this information. Not every request of this nature falls into the seething villainous anti-AMD fanboi brigade category.

Some people are here to genuinely help others, and sometimes the best help can only come from having a few more additional bits of info regarding preferences and motivation of the OP.

I think it's the manner in which 'requesting the information' is done then. The wording of the original response was:

'Is there any reason for going AMD and not Intel if you're building a new rig?'

That would be in contrast to something like 'If you're building a new rig you should really consider an Intel processor as well. There are some definite advantages to it from a pure performance perspective.'

The way the original response is worded makes it sound like there would never be a reason someone would build a new AMD rig over an Intel rig, when in fact there are reasons people would. It's the slight 'coloring' of negativity that seems to go with any threads AMD-related around this particular forum that bothers me. Perhaps it's so commonplace that everyone's become blind to it, but it sticks out to me like a sore thumb whenever I read posts here.

A good analogy would be the auto industry....foreign vs. domestics. You'd find many with the opinion - 'All domestic cars suck, are unreliable, and why would anyone ever consider one?'

Um, no they don't suck. The domestic manufacturers make a damn fine product. Maybe one model has 98.5% reliability vs. the 99% reliability of a foreign model. That doesn't mean the domestic model is a piece of garbage.

So it goes with AMD many times around here. Not all the time, but a lot of the time from what I read. The Phenom may not be the greatest proc, but it's not a terrible one. It's a legitimate alternative, and a person's decision to go with one should not always be questioned by default.

Also, reading through the thread progression, the original poster simply asked if the Phenom in question was a good processor. That's it. So, yes, it's a good processor. He then laid out his tentative plan for purchase. He never asked for Intel platform or processor information if you follow the thread. If he had interest, I'm sure he would have brought it up. He didn't though.

You make good points and your position is quite understandable and justified.

As for the portion of your post that I took the liberty of bolding above, I would argue that its not so much a blindness as perhaps an active effort to be courteous and give the benefit of the doubt that not all poster's here have english as their first language in addition to the observation that some people just have difficulty in expressing their opinions with the correct words and phrases.

Ever read a poster state "I could care less" when it was obvious in the greater context of the thread and post that the poster really meant "I could not care less"?

Alas some posters though do on occasion mean precisely what they say and it can be offensive to some to be exposed to the opinions written in their posts. There are legitimate trolls and thread-crappers out there and sometimes you do need to confront them to diffuse the situation. It is rarely helpful to anyone in the thread to confront a troll or thread-crapper in a manner that simply escalates the tensions in the thread.

I accept that it is a personal decision and I don't judge you for making that decision as you have. Just adding more personal opinion on alternative interpretations of the same thread is all. No harm in anything done here on all sides if you ask me.