New CPU within 24 hours

[Zenoth]

My budget allows me to go up to AMD Athlon X2 4400+.

My main "target" would be X2 4200+.

I could always get a X2 3800+, which of course would help me save money.

Between the 4400+ and the 4200+, there is a 512KB Cache difference per Core (right ?) ... but I just don't know if that fact alone would be good enough to warrant a buy for gaming purposes.

Is the extra 512KB L2 Cache really helping performance ? Or is it only noticeable during other processes like Image/Video/Sound editing ?

I know how to get some stable, basic over-clock, too, which makes the 3800+ attractive as well. Getting that one would save me some bones, but I'd need to get a stable result, or else I'd stay at stock frequencies, at the cost perhaps of some frames-per-second, due to the now somewhat low 2.0 Ghz speed. I keep telling to myself that I could as well just over-clock a 4200+ instead, if that's my "main target".

But I still wonder about that extra Cache ...

Please, help me get a final decision.

I need to go to the store in a few hours only and make my reservation to get it tomorrow.

I'd be an important decision, since I do not plan to get a new CPU in at least one or two years after the upgrade I'm about to do.

Thanks for your time and help.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

The extra cache does makes a few FPS difference in gaming, if your going to overclock I would suggest an opty 165 or 170. That way you get the larger cache and a chip that overclocks very well, the 165 is 1.8ghz at stock but seems to easily o/c to 2.5-2.6 with some getting much higher.

 

[Zenoth]

I don't know much about Opterons. Is the Opteron 170 (for example) Dual-Core ? Just curious.

But I'm still focusing on an X2.

As for over-clocking, I do know how to do some, quite basic over-clocks with stability, but we're not talking about extreme 1 Ghz+ here. Only on the level of bringing the 3800+ to a 4200+/4800+ level here, which means from a mere 200 Mhz to maybe 300-400 Mhz push. Nothing more.

And technically I do not plan to do it unless necessary to gain some better performance if noticeable enough.

The "main dilemma" here would be 4200+ ? Or 4400+ ?

 

[GuitarDaddy]

The opteron 165,170,175,180 are all dual core chips and are basically identical to the X2 chips but they all have the larger cache and go through more extensive testing because they are marketed at the server market. They also tend to O/C a little better than X2's

I always go with the lower end chips and overclock, so I would get the 165 or the 3800+, either one of which will easily clock to 4800+ speeds or higher.

 

[Furen]

How confortable are you with overclocking? I know you say that you can do it but buying an Opteron and ultimately deciding that you dont care to do it is certainly not worth it. Personally I try to stay as close to stock as possible so I would buy either the X2 3800+ or the X2 4200+. The 4400+ is around 100 bucks more expensive than the 4200+, which I dont think is worth it. Also, overclocking the 4200+ to 2.6+ would certainly be worth it, too.

 

[Zenoth]

Well, I just verified at my local store's web-site, and right now the only Dual-Core Opteron he has within my budget (it actually exceeds it by $25) is the Opteron 270, and it looks like it's Socket 940, not 939.

So I'll stick with X2's.

I could possibly easily over-clock the 3800+ ... but I'm not planning to in the first place. Since I know I won't be over-clocking a lot anyway.

I guess I really want the 4400+, but I don't think saving four or five frames-per-second due to the extra Cache is really worth the extra money over the 4200+. Or is it ... ?

Is there any comparisons meant for gaming, showing the differences between 512KB and 1MB L2 Cache ?

 

[robertk2012]

why do you have to get it from yout local store? I would definately go with the Opty 165.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Yep the 2$$ opty's are for dual socket 940 boards

The 1$$ opty's are the single socket 939 models

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Socket 939 Opteron 165 ftw--if you can find one that's the same price or cheaper than an x2 3800. Each core also gets 1 MB of cache.

 

[Zenoth]

I'm back from the store guys.

The guy had a 4400+ in stock ...

So, we discussed for some time about gaming, and we even started on the "2 GB is now potentially better than 1 GB in more games than before" subject. At some point I was like "all right ... gimme the 2 GB sticks instead of a new CPU" (it was from OCZ, 2 x 1024 sticks, at 2-3-2-6 I think). And eventually he said "well let me show you the box in case you change your mind".

Ah ! such a seller move, it's so cliché ...

Gess what ?

It works like a charm :/

Well now that I got that new little beast, I'll be happy for the next two years at least.

I won't install it now though, it needs to warm up a little, since it's winter here (Montreal) and it was quite cold outside today. I had a 15 minutes walk outside with the box in a mere plastic bag ... so in about an hour or two I'll try that.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions guys ... but what can we do in such a consumer world, compulsive buyers shall burn in Hell I say. Well since I'm part of that group of people maybe not in Hell, let's stay on Earth, but we can still burn though.

 

[Zenoth]

Oh by the way guys ...

I remember about a Microsoft Dual-Core "fix" ... or something similar, for users with such CPU's while using Service Pack 2. Related to performance or somethin' ...

Can anyone confirm ? Is it still an effective/known fix ? If so, where can I get it ?

And, finally, anything I should be aware of before installing it ?

Thanks.

 

[One43637]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...&STARTPAGE=1&FTVAR_FORUMVIEWTMP=Linear

 

[F1shF4t]

Originally posted by: Zenoth
Oh by the way guys ...

I remember about a Microsoft Dual-Core "fix" ... or something similar, for users with such CPU's while using Service Pack 2. Related to performance or somethin' ...

Can anyone confirm ? Is it still an effective/known fix ? If so, where can I get it ?

And, finally, anything I should be aware of before installing it ?

Thanks.

I didn't use the microsoft fix for my set up, just instaled the X2 amd driver which fixed any issues it had which could not be fixed by setting afinity. But i dont use CnQ, and i think one of the things the microsoft hotfix fixes is CnQ on dualcores.

 

[robertk2012]

So what CPU do you have?

Originally posted by: Zenoth
I'm back from the store guys.

The guy had a 4400+ in stock ...

So, we discussed for some time about gaming, and we even started on the "2 GB is now potentially better than 1 GB in more games than before" subject. At some point I was like "all right ... gimme the 2 GB sticks instead of a new CPU" (it was from OCZ, 2 x 1024 sticks, at 2-3-2-6 I think). And eventually he said "well let me show you the box in case you change your mind".

Ah ! such a seller move, it's so cliché ...

Gess what ?

It works like a charm :/

Well now that I got that new little beast, I'll be happy for the next two years at least.

I won't install it now though, it needs to warm up a little, since it's winter here (Montreal) and it was quite cold outside today. I had a 15 minutes walk outside with the box in a mere plastic bag ... so in about an hour or two I'll try that.

Thanks for your comments and suggestions guys ... but what can we do in such a consumer world, compulsive buyers shall burn in Hell I say. Well since I'm part of that group of people maybe not in Hell, let's stay on Earth, but we can still burn though.

 

[Zenoth]

The 4400+

 

[robertk2012]

oh I thought you bought the ram instead.