My X4 980

[CDC Mail Guy]

I am VERY HAPPY with my new quad 980. While running Prime95 for AND installing video drivers at same time and overclocked to 4.2 on air with my newly installed Noctua NH-D14

See!!!

Battlefield 3...here I come!!!

BTW, the 5850 I have does just fine with BF3 (for now)

 

[skipsneeky2]

If i spent $170 on a amd processor it would have been the x6 1090t its the same price as the x4 980 well if i shopped at fry's or newegg anyways.

Thinking of a x6 1090t myself cause where iv'e gotten my parts for years decided to raise the price of intel's premium chips about $30 above msrp causing a $240 2500k to eat into my new gpu budget next month.

But let me know how that x4 980 does interested to know its potential in BF3 .

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

6 cores, I not see use for at the moment. 4 is plenty for me.

Um...after running Prime95 for almost 2 hours straight, the 3rd core stopped working....I don't know what that means, or how to fix it, so I just stopped Prime95.

BF3 (single player) I have been getting frames between 40 and 50 running 1920 X 1080 with high settings.

I can barely hear my computer (case fans ONLY) with this Noctura

Now...off to see how to fix the 3rd core stopping....however, it has NOT affected/effected the overall use of this.

 

[BD231]

I'd drop your volts to around 1.4 and be happy with 4ghz, AMD says 1.5v is safe but they're wrong, I degraded an x4 at 1.45v in just under two years.

 

[skipsneeky2]

6 cores, I not see use for at the moment. 4 is plenty for me.

Um...after running Prime95 for almost 2 hours straight, the 3rd core stopped working....I don't know what that means, or how to fix it, so I just stopped Prime95.

BF3 (single player) I have been getting frames between 40 and 50 running 1920 X 1080 with high settings.

I can barely hear my computer (case fans ONLY) with this Noctura

Now...off to see how to fix the 3rd core stopping....however, it has NOT affected/effected the overall use of this.

Nice with the performance in BF3 and the x6 might not be needed but heck at the same price i'll pick the 1090t every time but the x4 980 is beast with its high stock speed but wish they would drop its price a tad bit cause its sitting next to a 6 core....

Hard to clock it to 4ghz? Hope you got a good cpu sorry to hear about that third core i had a x2 555 that ran fine for a while with a 3rd core unlock then it gave me a fit out of the blue .

 

[Puppies04]

Um...after running Prime95 for almost 2 hours straight, the 3rd core stopped working....I don't know what that means, or how to fix it, so I just stopped Prime95.

If you mean the third worker stops working in prime 95 that means your overclock is unstable.

 

[SlowSpyder]

I'd drop your volts to around 1.4 and be happy with 4ghz, AMD says 1.5v is safe but they're wrong, I degraded an x4 at 1.45v in just under two years.

For whatever it's worth, I bought a 940 right after launch and ran it at just over 1.5v since that time. YMMV

 

[WT]

6 cores, I not see use for at the moment. 4 is plenty for me.

Bolded for emphasis. Never think of today when dealing with PC hardware, think of next year or the year after. To say 4 cores is plenty for your PC in 2 years time is not a good idea, especially if you fancy the newest games or games on the horizon. Skyrim or Metro 2033 will use as much as you can throw at it.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

I'd drop your volts to around 1.4 and be happy with 4ghz, AMD says 1.5v is safe but they're wrong, I degraded an x4 at 1.45v in just under two years.

I will drop VC to 1.4...I shouldn't mess with the multiplier? Just raise FSB to 220 (would make it 4070) and leave multiplier at 18.5 (stock, i THINK)?

Edit: Meant to say raise FSB to 220

 

[Arkaign]

A somewhat weird choice unless you already had an AM3 mobo. Still, a decent product that should serve you well.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Bolded for emphasis. Never think of today when dealing with PC hardware, think of next year or the year after. To say 4 cores is plenty for your PC in 2 years time is not a good idea, especially if you fancy the newest games or games on the horizon. Skyrim or Metro 2033 will use as much as you can throw at it.

I don't know that I would buy for what tomorrow might use best if price isn't the same, but in this case I think the 1090T would have been a no-brainer. Going by Newegg prices, the 980 is actually the same price as teh 1090T. I could see the argument for more clockspeed if left at stock clocks, but since the OP is overclocking, and both will likely top out very near each other, I would have went with the six core part.

Just my $.02

edit - There is a promo code, so the 980 is actually more money.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

A somewhat weird choice unless you already had an AM3 mobo. Still, a decent product that should serve you well.

I have an AM3(+) motherboard...the one in my sig.

 

[bryanW1995]

Bolded for emphasis. Never think of today when dealing with PC hardware, think of next year or the year after. To say 4 cores is plenty for your PC in 2 years time is not a good idea, especially if you fancy the newest games or games on the horizon. Skyrim or Metro 2033 will use as much as you can throw at it.

Huh? I ONLY worry about today. I keep a CPU for a year or 2 then pass it down to the kids. I'll worry when they need MOAR CORES for nick jr games.

 

[daveybrat]

Nice cpu, but i'll be buying a 1090T Hex-Core myself. Should be the last cpu upgrade i do for a while.

I'll look into a new GPU one the ATI 7000 series comes out.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

You can also shoot for 4.3GHz and perhaps 4.4GHz. Most samples get to 4.3GHz and some get to 4.4GHz.

Most Phenom II X6 1090Ts get to 4GHz, and some get to 4.2GHz. There's some difference in OCing headroom.

 

[Stuka87]

I have my 965 running at 4Ghz with my VC set to 1.42. You shouldn't need 1.5 unless you are going much higher than 4.2 (well, in my experience anyway)

 

[BD231]

I will drop VC to 1.4...I shouldn't mess with the multiplier? Just raise FSB to 220 (would make it 4070) and leave multiplier at 18.5 (stock, i THINK)?

Edit: Meant to say raise FSB to 220

Nope, take the northbridge/front side bus to 240 (it'll feed your cores better) and get your cores to 4ghz via lower muli. That way your Cool and Quiet speeds/voltage's will be as low as possible. Anywhere from 1.2 to 1.3 v on the NB is safe, you'll have to play around and find a stable setting for yourself.

If stability is biting you in the a** leave your FSB/cache at 200mhz and leave your NB at 240.

 

[amenx]

If i spent $170 on a amd processor it would have been the x6 1090t its the same price as the x4 980 well if i shopped at fry's or newegg anyways.

Thinking of a x6 1090t myself cause where iv'e gotten my parts for years decided to raise the price of intel's premium chips about $30 above msrp causing a $240 2500k to eat into my new gpu budget next month.

But let me know how that x4 980 does interested to know its potential in BF3 .

Depends what you do. If for gaming, the 980 eats the 1090. For other tasks, the 1090 is slightly ahead. The 3.7ghz clock of the 980 sort of compensates for the 2 less cores.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=146

 

[fourdegrees11]

Depends what you do. If for gaming, the 980 eats the 1090. For other tasks, the 1090 is slightly ahead. The 3.7ghz clock of the 980 sort of compensates for the 2 less cores.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=146

How much difference is there if both are oc'd to 4-4.2 GHz?

 

[skipsneeky2]

Depends what you do. If for gaming, the 980 eats the 1090. For other tasks, the 1090 is slightly ahead. The 3.7ghz clock of the 980 sort of compensates for the 2 less cores.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=146

I would hope anyone buying a 2500k or a 990x aren't only buying them to simply game with.

People do more then game today on their machines with a $170 piece of silicon i'm sure and in heavy multithreaded environments more cores are king and at the same price well the choice is simple but yes if he only games he mind as well get a x4 980 and oc that...anything highly threaded 1090t .

Better to have the cores and not need them to need the cores and not have them and when you need more cores one day the extra headroom overclock won't save you.:biggrin:

 

[LoneNinja]

How much difference is there if both are oc'd to 4-4.2 GHz?

Is no difference if both are clocked at 4.0Ghz, except any program that can use more than 4 cores will perform better on the X6. The X6 will also multi task better.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

Yes...this is MAINLY used for gaming, and some video editing/burning. Believe it or not, I am actually GOOD at Black Ops Multi-Player now because I don't seem to lag as much as I did with my former C2D 8400 running at 3.8GHz. I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but it's true...I now consistently have higher kill/death ratio. I know someone will call shens on this, but like I said...it's TRUE!!!!

 

[LoneNinja]

Yes...this is MAINLY used for gaming, and some video editing/burning. Believe it or not, I am actually GOOD at Black Ops Multi-Player now because I don't seem to lag as much as I did with my former C2D 8400 running at 3.8GHz. I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but it's true...I now consistently have higher kill/death ratio. I know someone will call shens on this, but like I said...it's TRUE!!!!

I believe it, lag in a fast paced shooter can cause a lot of unwanted deaths. If your running and gunning you don't want to experience lag.

 

[fourdegrees11]

Is no difference if both are clocked at 4.0Ghz, except any program that can use more than 4 cores will perform better on the X6. The X6 will also multi task better.

So that goes back to the original point people were making about if you're going to OC anyways, the 1090t is a better option. I just ordered a 1090t with an Antec H20 620 (had a bunch of amazon rewards, so I only paid
$140 for both) yesterday after updating my 790 MB to the latest F8 bios.

 

[apoppin]

Bolded for emphasis. Never think of today when dealing with PC hardware, think of next year or the year after. To say 4 cores is plenty for your PC in 2 years time is not a good idea, especially if you fancy the newest games or games on the horizon. Skyrim or Metro 2033 will use as much as you can throw at it.

2 cores is plenty for most games. There are almost no games using 6 and it will be like that for a couple of more years. Do you see this i3 with 2 cores - and even with HT turned off - at much of a disadvantage to the Phenom II X4? And you can see Metro 2033 results for yourself in the chart; Skyrim only uses 2 cores effectively.