Looking for a CPU recommendation

[upsciLLion]

I'm thinking an A64 3000+ or 3200+. I doubt I'll overclock, but I want enough power to game. I just want a nice quiet (doesn't need to be silent) computer. Will the stock HSF be quiet enough, or should I buy something else?

I feel very ashamed that I'm not up on things like this. This is why I'm happy you guys are here.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Furen]

If you dont plan on overclocking the 3200+ would probably be the better choice if the price fits your budget. About the fan: it depends on how silent you really want to go. If your power supply is going to be quiet, your case fans will be quiet and your video card will be quiet then you will most likely need something better than the stock fan (I dont believe the stock fan can get to less than 25dB SPL, which is slightly noisier than most ambients). If your dont plan on going extreme on your PC silencing then the stock fan might do well enough, especially because lots of video card/north bridge/power supply fans are much louder than it.

 

[o1die]

Use the retail boxed heatsink with a zalman fan mate 2 rpm adjuster. I have mine at the lowest setting. With cool and quiet enabled, it runs most of the time at 0 rpm. It rarely starts moving, and tops out at 1500 rpm. Almost completely silent.

 

[forumposter32]

Search pricegrabber for 3400+ or 3700+. Even 3200+ might not be enough next year.

 

[Viditor]

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
I'm thinking an A64 3000+ or 3200+. I doubt I'll overclock, but I want enough power to game. I just want a nice quiet (doesn't need to be silent) computer. Will the stock HSF be quiet enough, or should I buy something else?

I feel very ashamed that I'm not up on things like this. This is why I'm happy you guys are here.

Thanks in advance.

The stock HSF will be more than sufficient. One of my systems is a 3200+ with stock HSF and no case fans...the max temp I've hit under stress on the 3200 is 36C...

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: Viditor

Originally posted by: upsciLLion
I'm thinking an A64 3000+ or 3200+. I doubt I'll overclock, but I want enough power to game. I just want a nice quiet (doesn't need to be silent) computer. Will the stock HSF be quiet enough, or should I buy something else?

I feel very ashamed that I'm not up on things like this. This is why I'm happy you guys are here.

Thanks in advance.

The stock HSF will be more than sufficient. One of my systems is a 3200+ with stock HSF and no case fans...the max temp I've hit under stress on the 3200 is 36C...

Will it be quiet though? My x2 3800 stock fan is kinda loud, though i suppose it's because it's basically 2 3000+s on one chip, but it is loud.

 

[Viditor]

Originally posted by: sandorski

Will it be quiet though? My x2 3800 stock fan is kinda loud, though i suppose it's because it's basically 2 3000+s on one chip, but it is loud.

Quiet, yes...silent, no...IIRC, the X2s use a different stock HSF than the 3200 (though I'm not sure as I haven't set up my own X2 system yet, and the ones I've worked on are in a fairly noisy server room)

 

[biostud]

If you want quiet then buy a seperate HSF instead of using stock.