Name your favorite desktop x86 cpus

[cbn]

Here is my top ten list of desktop processors starting from 2005:


1. Opteron 165: The enthusiasts socket 939 choice in the Pre-Conroe era. ( 1.8 Ghz base clock, but it was known to overclock close to 3 Ghz IIRC).

2. Intel E6600 : The Mainstream Core 2 duo that started it all---> http://www.anandtech.com/show/2045/

3. Intel Xeon E5440: A surplus LGA 771 quad core processor that can also be used for LGA 775 desktops. This thanks to the recent introduction of an adapter, more info here ---> http://www.overclock.net/t/1431723/mod-lga775-support-for-lga771-xeon-cpus , http://www.delidded.com/lga-771-to-775-adapter/ , my experience with LGA 771 to LGA 775 here ---> http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?p=36915739#post36915739

4. Core i5 750: The first Intel processor with integrated memory controller. Also the first time all four cores were on the same die. A great value and performance Intel quad core released back in Q3 2009.

5. AMD Zacate E350: Introduced in 2011, it was a great low cost competitor to Intel's atom.

6. Celeron 847: Intel's response to AMD Zacate and their replacement for atom in some scenarios. A great comparison article (with E-350, atom D2700 and Celeron G1610) can be found here ---> http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/celeron-847.html

7. Sandy Bridge i5-2500K: The first quad core capable of 5 Ghz (on air) that also came with a nice IPC boost.

8. AMD FX-8310: eight piledriver cores on the cheap.

9. Pentium G3258: Inexpensive single thread performance when overclocked. (One of the best computer hardware purchases I have ever made when I bought it as combo with MSI Z97 U3 Plus for $100 at Newegg.)

10. Intel i7-5820K; The first Intel hexcore under $400.

 

[VirtualLarry]

No Q6600, or Thuban 1100T (or 1045T, if 95W is more your style)?

 

[AtenRa]

4. Core i5 750: The first Intel processor with integrated memory controller. Also the first time all four cores were on the same die.

Nehalem Core i7 9xx (socket 1366) was the first Intel with integrated Memory controller.

Also, Phenom was the first x86 CPU Quad core in a single die (2007), Nehalem was also a quad core in a single die earlier than Core i5 750.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Nehalem Core i7 9xx (socket 1366) was the first Intel with integrated Memory controller.

Actually, there was an embedded Intel 386 CPU with an IMC. Supposedly. I never owned one. (Had an AMD 386DX-40 for a while. Loved teaching myself 32-bit ASM programming on it.)

 

[ShintaiDK]

The PPro is still my favourite, else I say the E6600(Any Conroe) that revolutionized price, performance and wattage to a whole new era.

 

[cbn]

No Q6600, or Thuban 1100T (or 1045T, if 95W is more your style)?

I thought about putting a Phenom II on the list,

But I ended up going for i5 750 because I remember it being the quintessential value performance cpu of that era.

Nehalem Core i7 9xx (socket 1366) was the first Intel with integrated Memory controller.

Also, Phenom was the first x86 CPU Quad core in a single die (2007), Nehalem was also a quad core in a single die earlier than Core i5 750.

Thanks for reminding me of LGA 1366,

 

[ShintaiDK]

Core i5 750: The first Intel processor with integrated memory controller.

Nehalem Core i7 9xx (socket 1366) was the first Intel with integrated Memory controller.

Wrong. Plenty of Intel x86 CPUs before with IMC. The latest before was 386SL and 486SL.

 

[positivedoppler]

Cyrix 200mx

 

[NTMBK]

That Pentium III they put in the XBox.

 

[cbn]

Honorable mention goes to Xeon X3323. A cheap $16 LGA 771 CPU that with 2GB RAM and an ASUS GT630 has allowed me to play the Valve Complete Pack @ 1080p low (in Linux using Nvidia proprietary drivers with Mint 17.1 MATE as the OS).

 

[PottedMeat]

<3 486dx2 66

 

[Arachnotronic]

Core i7 980X. I was able to get a ridiculously good deal on it on these very forums (thank you, AdamK47) when Sandy Bridge-E came out and that thing was a beast.

 

[witeken]

Bay Trail

 

[frozentundra123456]

My favorite was probably an Athlon XP 2600+ that I moved up to from one of the awful early P4 models. After that I went to a core 2 duo and Sandy i5, and I was very happy with both, but the Athlon was the first cpu that I had that made me feel like I was not being held back by the cpu.

Actually, the only cpus that I have been disappointed with were an 800mhz or so celeron with Win ME and the aforementioned early P4. We have a lot of computers in our house, but if they all died and I had no money, I think I could still live with the Athlon for everything I do except gaming.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Bay Trail

You cant be serious. We are talking about desktop, not tablets. Baytrail and Kabini in desktops are an abomination.

 

[Maximilian]

This beast:

Own several, never actually used one though.

Got a soft spot for these as well:

I remember playing RA2 on a 333mhz pentium II. My buddy was on a 1.4ghz thunderbird at the time, I didnt even know how far behind the times my comp was, managed RA2 just fine

 

[rancherlee]

Slot A Athlon 1ghz, the first and only processor I ever spent over 300$ on, fastest professor at that time. Still have this Chip on display! Also the Celeron 366 stood out as a great "cheap" chip at the time since it overclocked past 550mhz pretty easy, had one of these as well.

 

[AtenRa]

Intel celeron A300
AMD Athlon Tbird
AMD Athlon X2
Intel Core 2 Duo E6400
Intel Core i7 920

Those where excelent CPUs in their time

 

[witeken]

We are talking about desktop, not tablets.

Intel has Bay Trail-D, FYI.

 

[Charlie98]

7. Sandy Bridge i5-2500K: The first quad core capable of 5 Ghz (on air) that also came with a nice IPC boost.


9. Pentium G3258: Inexpensive single thread performance when overclocked. (One of the best computer hardware purchases I have ever made when I bought it as combo with MSI Z97 U3 Plus for $100 at Newegg.)

#7 is about where I came in at... talk about luck. First PC I ever built has one of the best chips ever released. I call it the Chevy 350 V-8 of the CPU world.

I agree with #9 as well... for the true bargain hunter it will be pretty hard to beat that, but I will say the only thing that makes that chip stand out from the rest of the recent Pentiums (and I think the modern Pentiums are all very good chips for general PC use) is the fact the motherboard manufacturers went along and opened the non-Z chipsets up to OC.... otherwise the G3258 would be a good chip, not a great one.

 

[Arachnotronic]

Intel has Bay Trail-D, FYI.

I'm curious, what about Bay Trail-D makes it your favorite desktop CPU?

 

[CoPhotoGuy]

The Celeron 300A was a nice chip. Overclocked like crazy. Had one and made a celery sandwich out of it for those who remember what that is.

I also had a Tualatin P3 in a slot adapter that I was rather fond of.

I remember around this time where the exposed dies started dying horrible deaths because of idiots not knowing how to install heatsinks. I mostly saw this with the AMD's for some reason.

I also used to have a Tyan dual socket motherboard and I had two Swiftech MC370's...man those were heavy heatsinks. Back when getting another 50MHz out of an OC was pretty good.

 

[jhu]

8086

 

[bob32768]

My Celeron 300A was still running (at 450 Mhz) as of a couple weeks ago. Amazing chip for its day.

 

[dainthomas]

T-bird for life! Those chips were beasts back in the day. Had so much fun oc-ing those. I had the most enormous copper cooler, I was legitimately concerned it would rip the socket off the board. Got my 3200+ up to 3.3-3.4 if I remember correctly.