Need some CPU advice

[stech1]

Okay, it's time for an upgrade. I'm still working with a Socket 939 Athlon 64 3200+ that I built over 5 years ago. For what I use the computer for, the system is still fairly adequate. It is showing a little wear though, and I've definitely gotten my money's worth out of it.

Since I've been contemplating building another box, I've been mind boggled at all the changes that have taken place in the last 5 years! Makes me want to kick myself for not at least keeping up with it all a little. I think it does, however, lend some credence to how well this AMD system as served me over the years. I know Intel is beating the hell of AMD right now, but I can't help but have some a little nostalgia attached to them.

So, I am trying to decide what CPU to use in my new system. System is mainly used for Internet and Email, office related programs, allot school work, and stuff like that. My wife plays games like Frontierville and stuff, but nothing too CPU intensive. I usually will have quite a few programs running at once.. do a little photo editing and ripping cd's and stuff. I do want to be able to OC some.. haven't done it since the very first computer I ever built.. a 300A OC'd to 450... incidentally, that's the only intel based system I've ever owned.

Anyways, I am thinking about either an AMD Phenom 2 945/955 BE or an Intel i3 2100 SB (not sure about OC'ing on this)... and of course, I am not against getting an 2500K, if necessary. I know that I can get one for just 100 dollars or so more, but do I need too? I'd rather spend that money on an SSD or something if I could. And even though something is 50% faster in bench marks, doesn't mean I will ever see any real world benefit, right? Internet, email, school work, light internet based gaiming... ect ect... I'd like to get a couple of years out it.. never expected to get 5 out of this one... but really haven't seen a need to upgrade until now.

Also, could you suggest a motherboard and graphics card to go along? I could have posted this in General, but it really is the CPU that I am most confused about. I just need a practical real world needs based suggestion. I am not against any other CPU.. the one's I listed are just some I had looked at. Anything relatively new should beat the pants off of what I got, right?

While money is not a huge issue, I want the best system I need for the best price, period.

Thanks in advance for any help!

PS: I usually run Linux. Not sure that's much of a big deal or not. I'm not against getting W7 if necessary.

 

[cubeless]

do you have a microcenter local? get one of the amd x4 combo deals http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ndlePROMO.html and the xfx 6870 in the hot deals forum... slam in a 64gb ssd (microcenter sells a reasonably priced one) and a couple sticks of cheap ddr3 and you'll be rockin' for peanuts... reuse your existing hd (if the board you pick has ide) for big junk...

i've done a couple with the 880GM-E35 and x2 and got lucky with opening other 2 cores, but it's always ymmv... the 880GM-E35 and x4 965 would be a better choice for less experienced folk... you can oc it a bit if you want, but it has great price/performance as is...

i don't do linux on pc's so i can't say how it would run that...

 

[dma0991]

I suggest choosing between an A8-3850 based rig or a Core i5 2500K based rig. Based on your requirements, I don't think a discrete GPU is necessary and the onboard IGP AMD HD6550D and Intel HD3000 is sufficient.

The A8-3850 overclocking is somewhat limited but you could almost get a 60GB SSD bundled with the A8-3850 which would cost slightly more than a Core i5 2500K alone. The Core i5 2500K has great overclocking potential compared to the A8-3850. The minimum SB CPU that is overclockable is the Core i5 2500K and the Core i3 2100 is not overclockable.

 

[sangyup81]

What are you doing with the old motherboard? You could always get an Athlon 64 x2 processor from ebay for $30-$40 and keep it going a little longer.

But for yourself, I recommend a Core i5-2500k. It's a pretty nice sized jump over Intel's previous generation and it should last you another 5 years easily.

 

[tweakboy]

If hes not goign to OC get the non K version.

 

[nyker96]

I think 955BE will be slightly better fit for you than i3 will be. plus OC ability is build into 955BE. Another choice is going intel and get 2500K. maybe slightly more but when overclocked, it is quite a bit faster. since you know how to OC, I'd probably go with 2500k.

 

[stech1]

Thanks for the replies!

I hadn't thought about the A8-3850. That's not a bad idea, and I am sure the graphics would do just fine for what I use it for. I will definitely look into it further.

cubeless, unfortunately, there isn't a Microcenter any where close to where I am at. I looked and there isn't one anywhere in the state of NC.

sangyup81, I'll probably pass this whole system down to the kids. I think it might have another year or so left in it for them.

the 2500k is a good deal, regardless. I'm just having a hard time letting go of AMD... I've always had great service from them and I just not sure that the performance gain would translate into any real world gains for what I use it for. Obviously, if I were a gamer in any sort of way, I would probably lean towards it, but I'm not. And, if I go with a less expensive cpu, I could sink the savings into a 128GB SSD.. or put the money towards a better display, something I am going upgrade as well. Monitors have sure gotten allot more complicated as well!

 

[happy medium]

cubeless, unfortunately, there isn't a Microcenter any where to where I am at. I looked and there isn't one anywhere in the state of NC.

That sucks because they are runninga special on the 2100. You can grab a 2100 cpu and basic motherboard for 116$ , just add some 4gb ddr1333 for 30$ and your set with a nice setup for 150$ and that includes tax..

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

2500K + Z68mb would be a great deal. You can use the integrated graphics on the cpu... just make sure the mobo supports the output connectors.. and when you decide to sell it yrs from now, it will still have some resale value, imo.

 

[Ken g6]

If hes not goign to OC and not using the onboard graphics and doesn't care about resale value get the non K version.

FTFY. The K-series onboard graphics is much better than the non-K series graphics.

If you don't care about overclocking at all or resale value, you could get an H-series motherboard much cheaper. The really nice thing about Linux is it doesn't require a new license if you switch motherboards.

 

[stech1]

YEah, Happy, it really does suck. That is a great price.

The 2500K is looking better. Now I just need to actually make a decision on which on of these ideas I am going to implement. It will probably be this coming week when I order the parts. Excited about upgrading after all these years.

Ken, that is one of the great things about Linux. There are allot of others too.. and Wine has gotten allot better at running Windows programs. I will probably run a VM with windows on it. Only thing I will miss will be utility programs that come with these newer cpu's. Not sure there are any Linux alternatives, but then again, I haven't looked yet either.

 

[sm625]

I 2nd the ebay notion. Of all the stuff you listed, it is most likely the flash games that are the biggest noticable bottleneck on the system. Those games will push a 2GHz dual core to near 100%. (An athlon X2 240 at 3GHz shows about 75% in task manager).

http://cgi.ebay.com/Athlon-64-4200-...QQK-/200637482943?pt=CPUs&hash=item2eb6ed07bf

You could probably get another couple years out of your machine with this cpu. Even if you hand it down to the kids, in its current state they will not be happy with it since most flash games actually do use more than one core.

 

[Jacky60]

If you don't game or do video encoding I wouldn't bother with a 2500K. Sure I'd definitely get one if I did game but an SSD and a phenom2/thuban 6 core would be fine for what you need and paired with even a moderate discrete card give you all you need. While 2500K is THE best choice overall of cpu right now in terms of value I can't see you using it to anything like its full potential. I like most people here do game (at least I assume they do as that's what 2500K excels in) but if you go AMD you'll save quite a bit and the ssd/better monitor will make you a lot happier than a huge amount of unused gaming potential under your desk.

 

[bryanW1995]

I disagree, the 2500k/z68 is so much faster than a comparable amd rig + cheap discreet gpu that you will get a LOT more life out of it. I'm scared to write this, but with your limited usage pattern I could see you getting 10 years out of that system, and probably only half as much life out of an amd rig. It was very difficult for me to switch back to intel a few years ago, but I've been happy with the results thus far.

Having said all of that, if you do still prefer AMD then I'd recommend that you wait until sept 19 to see what BD is like. Maybe you'll be able to stay with AMD and get a great system at the same time!

 

[wuliheron]

Sometimes I swear this website gets kickbacks from Intel. An i5 for surfing the web and playing farmville? Get real people.

Considering how long you've kept your current setup and the fact that overclocking doesn't bother you I'd go for the 955. Overclocked that puppy can already play any game on the market with decent frames per second which means it will breeze through anything you intend to do with it in the near future. A simple 970 AM3+ mobo will do the trick and I'd recommend a gigabyte like this one simply because they are built to last forever.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128521

Add 4 gb of ram or 8 if you care to spend the extra (ram is cheap right now) and a 500-600w psu by a name brand manufacturer like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028

For the video card I'd get a radeon 5850 if you can find one just because they're cheap right now and a tremendous bang for your buck. If you can't find one, a gtx460 1g or any video card with a 256 bit bus.

The advantage is that the system will last forever and is cheap to upgrade. The power supply is rated for ten years continuous use and is more then enough that you'll never have to worry about adding new things to the rig. The cpu can be replaced with an 8 core bulldozer in a few years when the price comes down which is much faster and twice the cores of the 955. If you upgrade your monitor, add another monitor, or want to do more serious graphics the video card should be able to keep up and can be replaced eventually if necessary.

 

[RussianSensation]

If you keep your system for 5 years+, your best bet on the AMD side is to wait for Bulldozer and get their 6- or 8-core offerings (assuming they are good). On the Intel side, I recommend a 2500k system + Z68 chipset (nothing on the AMD side touches this today).

There is no reason at all to buy Phenom II X4/X6 processors if you intend to keep your system for so long (the price savings will become immaterial over so many years, but the performance gap is huge). I know you have attachment to AMD but these processors are not worth spending $ on, esp. once you consider overclocking.

If you ever need to play games, just an an onboard graphics card later on. HD3000 in 2500k is sufficient for your needs.

Since you are an AMD fan, I would wait another 1-2 months to see how Bulldozer plays out.

 

[bryanW1995]

Sometimes I swear this website gets kickbacks from Intel. An i5 for surfing the web and playing farmville? Get real people.

Considering how long you've kept your current setup and the fact that overclocking doesn't bother you I'd go for the 955. Overclocked that puppy can already play any game on the market with decent frames per second which means it will breeze through anything you intend to do with it in the near future. A simple 970 AM3+ mobo will do the trick and I'd recommend a gigabyte like this one simply because they are built to last forever.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128521

Add 4 gb of ram or 8 if you care to spend the extra (ram is cheap right now) and a 500-600w psu by a name brand manufacturer like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028

For the video card I'd get a radeon 5850 if you can find one just because they're cheap right now and a tremendous bang for your buck. If you can't find one, a gtx460 1g or any video card with a 256 bit bus.

The advantage is that the system will last forever and is cheap to upgrade. The power supply is rated for ten years continuous use and is more then enough that you'll never have to worry about adding new things to the rig. The cpu can be replaced with an 8 core bulldozer in a few years when the price comes down which is much faster and twice the cores of the 955. If you upgrade your monitor, add another monitor, or want to do more serious graphics the video card should be able to keep up and can be replaced eventually if necessary.

How many AMD rigs have you owned over the years? I've had a tbird, tbred, two different athlon xp's, an fx 60 and an opteron 180. Oh, plus the work rig I build earlier this year just because I figured a 1055t would be pretty good for DC while I'm "working". I have mostly intel rigs now not because I prefer intel but because intel is a LOT better in absolute performance, perforance/watt, overclocking, value, and just about any other measure that matters to me in the mid/high segment. Is intel the value leader in all situations right now? No, but in games and absolute performance at the $200 - $300 price (which is my sweet spot) point intel has just plain dominated since conroe came out in aug 06.

There is a possibility that BD will change that, and I will almost certainly get a BD rig if AMD executes this time. That's also why I recommended that the OP delay his decision for 45 days. But AMD's recent cpu track record is abysmal, and BD has thus far done nothing to show me that it will be any better.

 

[stech1]

Regardless, I am going to pick up that cpu on Ebay. Thank you SM625! That's an excellent call. And, I didn't know that flash games like Frontierville use more than one core. So, yeah, that would give this old system a good boost. It's rock stable, built on an Asrock board. Over the years, the on-board sound has gone out and the on-board networking.. but I just threw a Chaintech AV710 sound card in it and network card I had lying around, so neither issue was a big deal. It runs 24/7 with no hiccups, and with that cpu, it should take care of my kids for a few more years.

I do agree that I would be happier with a larger SSD and better monitor than with cpu power that I am likely never going to use. In spite of all the good reasons, I just doubt that I will use the power of a 2500k.. even come close to it. So, any deficiencies in a less expensive AMD chip would never really affect me... it's not so much a money issue, but I do plan to be very practical with this build. That's what I've done over the years and it has served me well.

Thank again, however, for all the information!

 

[wuliheron]

How many AMD rigs have you owned over the years? I've had a tbird, tbred, two different athlon xp's, an fx 60 and an opteron 180. Oh, plus the work rig I build earlier this year just because I figured a 1055t would be pretty good for DC while I'm "working". I have mostly intel rigs now not because I prefer intel but because intel is a LOT better in absolute performance, perforance/watt, overclocking, value, and just about any other measure that matters to me in the mid/high segment. Is intel the value leader in all situations right now? No, but in games and absolute performance at the $200 - $300 price (which is my sweet spot) point intel has just plain dominated since conroe came out in aug 06.

There is a possibility that BD will change that, and I will almost certainly get a BD rig if AMD executes this time. That's also why I recommended that the OP delay his decision for 45 days. But AMD's recent cpu track record is abysmal, and BD has thus far done nothing to show me that it will be any better.

My first computer was a TI 99 with 16k ram and I've owned countless Intel and AMD PCs over the years. Again, the OP was asking about a computer for surfing the web, typing letters, and playing Farmville for Christ's sake. All this nonsense with people speculating wildly about bulldozer or raving about sandy bridge is just sad as far as I'm concerned. They might as well be arguing over which new brand of toilet paper is better.

Makes me long for the day when most people don't even know the names AMD and Intel and just buy a cheap generic computer from Walmart based on what features it has.