Phenom X4 9550 - Worst choice?

[Miti1st]

Hello guys, I live in Brazil and in Jan 2009 I buy a new PC with:
AMD Athlon X2 5200+ 2.6 GHz 2 MB
Foxconn AMD VS A6VMX
2 GB DDR2-667
My HD its the same the previous PC
XFX nVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 512 MB GDDR2 128 Bits

2 mouths latter I buy an AMD Phenom X4 9550 4 MB (and since I bought the Phenom so far I think its good) and add more 2 GB (now I am selling one, because I want 2 memories with the same mark).

My objectiv is buy a good platform for games, I will buy an ATI Radeon HD4870.

In you opinion, I have to change my processor again or its a good processor? In forums of Brazil, they say Phenom of the previous generation are really trashes -.-. Its true Phenons are very very very bad and its a jerk option? In you opinion its a good platform:

AMD Phenom X4 9550 2.2 GHz 4 MB
Foxconn AMD VS A6VMX
Markvision 2 GB DDR2-667
HDD Samsung 80 GB
ATI Radeon HD4870 512 MB GDDR5 256 Bits
C3 Tech DSA-5060V 500W

?


I don't have very money and in Brazil the things are very expensive than USA. If I buy the HD4870 and keep my Phenom X4 9550, will be a good PC for gaming?

 

[Rhoxed]

If you can Overclock that CPU to say 2.5-2.6ghz it will be fine for a HD4870

if you cannot overclock i would suggest picking up a cheap 720BE or 550BE

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: Miti1st
Hello guys, I live in Brazil and in Jan 2009 I buy a new PC with:
AMD Athlon X2 5200+ 2.6 GHz 2 MB
Foxconn AMD VS A6VMX
2 GB DDR2-667
My HD its the same the previous PC
XFX nVIDIA GeForce 8600GT 512 MB GDDR2 128 Bits

2 mouths latter I buy an AMD Phenom X4 9550 4 MB (and since I bought the Phenom so far I think its good) and add more 2 GB (now I am selling one, because I want 2 memories with the same mark).

My objectiv is buy a good platform for games, I will buy an ATI Radeon HD4870.

In you opinion, I have to change my processor again or its a good processor? In forums of Brazil, they say Phenom of the previous generation are really trashes -.-. Its true Phenons are very very very bad and its a jerk option? In you opinion its a good platform:

AMD Phenom X4 9550 2.2 GHz 4 MB
Foxconn AMD VS A6VMX
Markvision 2 GB DDR2-667
HDD Samsung 80 GB
ATI Radeon HD4870 512 MB GDDR5 256 Bits
C3 Tech DSA-5060V 500W

?


I don't have very money and in Brazil the things are very expensive than USA. If I buy the HD4870 and keep my Phenom X4 9550, will be a good PC for gaming?

Hi Miti1st! Welcome to the AT forums :thumbsup:

Your Phenom X4 9550 coupled with that HD4870 will do quite well for games. Sure there are more powerful cpu's (and gpu's and ssd's for that matter) but the hardware is more than good enough to play today's games at good fps and resolution.

When people say things like "Phenom 9550 is trash" they are usually meaning in comparison to another cpu that is much higher in performance. Pentium cpus were trash compared to the Pentium II's that came out later, so sure a Phenom 9550 could be called trash compared to a much higher performing cpu but the Phenom 9550 isn't a bad performing cpu itself, it does just fine.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuch...howdoc.aspx?i=3619&p=7

http://www.tomshardware.com/re...om-ii-940,2114-19.html

I say use the Phenom X4 9550 until it becomes obvious that it is too slow (your minimum framerates will result in noticeable gameplay impact) and then worry about replacing it since you say money is a concern.

 

[Miti1st]

But when they compare, the Phenom II can be good, but not 100% than Phenom, like 60%. I am angry, because I am thinking I made a jerk choose, my CPU is a trash and is bad for actual games . I don't put a X2 550, because I don't want to lose cores and I will have money only for a HD4870. So my 9550 compared to a Core 2 Duo, is a relly trash? Is a little worst or a trash?

 

[Idontcare]

Yes to be sure there are higher-performing cpu's that you could have bought instead of purchasing the X4 9550. But presumably those other cpu's would have also been higher priced as well.

Don't feel bad about making a poor cpu purchase, we all make upgrade mistakes at some point.

It seems to me that you really have two questions you want to answer:

1. Will my X4 9550 play games well enough for me to use it?

2. Are there other low-cost cpu's I could buy right now to replace my X4 and have a better gaming experience?

The X4 9550 will enable you to play games, mostly because you have an HD4870 and most games at today's screen resolutions are more GPU limited and less CPU limited.

But yes, there are other low-cost cpus you could buy that would improve your gaming experience.

To help you have a useful answer to this question though we need you to answer two questions for us - (1) what is your budget? and (2) is overclocking an option for you?

There are lots of good and cheap dual-core cpu's like the X2 550 and the E6850 that are cheap because they are dual-core and with low clockspeed but if you overclock them to higher clockspeeds then they perform in games really well.

(AT forums - please chime in here with your recommends, I am not much of a gamer so Miti1st will be well served if some of you dual-core gamers and X4 9x50 owners can chime in here with some advices for them it would be great)

 

[drizek]

I was able to play many modern games with a single core 2ghz pentium m in my laptop while still being very GPU bound(7800gtx). I think the 9550 should be enough to handle just about any game out today. Even in games where you are CPU limited, if you are getting playable framerates then it doesn't matter either way.

I think it should be fine.

 

[Miti1st]

But comparated to a C2D my Phenom X4 9550, is a trash, a shit processor, sucks a lot, or it is a little worst (I hope it is a little worst, if you confirme its a little or +/- I will be happy :S).
1- I am still a teenager, I and my mum are waiting for a sell, if it is Ok, we can purchase R$1000,00 = $500.
2- I don't like overclock, I don't like to force something to operate in a frequence that this doesn't was produced.

In Brazil, a HD4870 costs like R$499,00 (512 MB GDDR5 256 Bits) and my mum asks me if I will spend more money in my PC or if it will be suficient. In fact, I like very muich my 9550, but he is a trash .]

I don't will buy Intel never more, I don't like this mark, I don't like Intel, I am a fanboy of AMD , my preference for gaming experience is exclusive open for AMD.

 

[Rhoxed]

I should have been more specific in my last post as I have a 9550

I used a 9550 + HD4850 for a few months last year in my S/O's rig. At stock 90% of games were very enjoyable and playable, but when i was able to overclock the CPU from 2.2ghz to ~2.6ghz it made the other 10% of games playable at high resolutions, and made minimum frames increase considerably (final clock of the 9550 for me was 2.8Ghz using a 30$ ECS 780G motherboard, YMMV if you decide to try overclock before you buy a new processor)

I would say buy the 4870 and be happy, it will play anything you want, maybe just not with all the candy, then down the road when you will NEED the processor power, buy a new chip, hell it might even last long enough for a new system overhaul if you can squeeze a bit out of it.


Can you please tell us what games you are looking to play?

Also please tell us if you have ever overclocked or would like to.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

That is a good enough processor to run a 4870 just fine. Who cares what other people think about it? Gaming really doesn't even stress processors that much. I would say its a little worse than a C2D but isn't bad.

 

[Miti1st]

GTA IV <- I play that with a HD4870 owe my actual 8600GT, requiring even more CPU, can I with HD4870 play it on High and 8600GT in Medium? Or just CPU is for this game? I want very very very very much play it good.
Crysis <- I want try.
Far Cry 2 <- I want see this game
Call of Duty 4 <- This game for me is one my favourites
Lost Planet Colonies <- I love this game, if I can play it in maximum settings with AA etc .

 

[Rhoxed]

Originally posted by: Miti1st
But comparated to a C2D my Phenom X4 9550, is a trash, a shit processor, sucks a lot, or it is a little worst (I hope it is a little worst, if you confirme its a little or +/- I will be happy :S).
1- I am still a teenager, I and my mum are waiting for a sell, if it is Ok, we can purchase R$1000,00 = $500.
2- I don't like overclock, I don't like to force something to operate in a frequence that this doesn't was produced.

In Brazil, a HD4870 costs like R$499,00 (512 MB GDDR5 256 Bits) and my mum asks me if I will spend more money in my PC or if it will be suficient. In fact, I like very muich my 9550, but he is a trash .]

I don't will buy Intel never more, I don't like this mark, I don't like Intel, I am a fanboy of AMD , my preference for gaming experience is exclusive open for AMD.

The 9550 is by no means trash, and is very competitive with any E1xxx, E2xxx, E4xxx, E5xxx, E6xxx, E7xxx processor at comparable clocks

dont be so quick to believe what everyone says. Most intel i7 owners would say a 720BE sucks, but i beg to differ on my 720BE x4 @ 3.9, its mostly in personal opinion, the AMD 9550 is good.

Originally posted by: Miti1st
GTA IV <- I play that with a HD4870 owe my actual 8600GT, requiring even more CPU, can I with HD4870 play it on High and 8600GT in Medium? Or just CPU is for this game? I want very very very very much play it good.
Crysis <- I want try.
Far Cry 2 <- I want see this game
Call of Duty 4 <- This game for me is one my favourites
Lost Planet Colonies <- I love this game, if I can play it in maximum settings with AA etc .

Your 9550 will actually be better in GTA IV compared to core2duo at 2.2ghz due to the extra cores

with that game list i say get the 4870 and be happy for a year or 2 untill you want more processor speed

 

[Idontcare]

Thanks for answering the questions. Budget is <$500 and overclocking is not an option.

(by the way you should never feel like you have to justify your decision regarding overclocking, its your decision and we respect that, we just need to know as it changes the recommendations we'd give you based on your budget is all)

Speaking of the X4 9550 are you unhappy with the actual performance of the computer when that cpu is installed?

Or are you unhappy that the performance of the cpu compared to what it could be if you had a different cpu?

For $500 USD you could buy practically any cpu (except the i7 965/975) available on the market right now.

Your motherboard is PhenomII compatible but going by the approved/compatible list it looks like your mobo won't handle the high TDP (125W/140W) processors so that is something to keep in mind and adhere to.

http://www.foxconnsupport.com/...b&model=A6VMX&cputype=

That said, if all you want to upgrade is just the CPU then basically anything 45nm is going to do well for you in games, be it an X2 and X3 or an X4. More cores and higher clocks will always give you better performance of course, so you need to look at benchmark reviews (I gave a couple links above, but just due your homework and look at Anandtech reviews, Tech Report, LegitReviews, LostCircuits, etc) and you'll have all the data you need in terms of performance versus price tradeoffs when it comes to gaming.

Only you can decide if an extra $100 spent on a cpu to improve fps by 10 or 15 is a worthwhile purchase, no on here can tell you that. We can only tell you whether we'd make such a purchase for ourselves, and each of us are going to value our time and money differently that you. That is why we generally try and help by pointing to review data so you can form your own opinion and judgement on it.

9550 is not a "shit" processor, there are better processors but I think you'd be surprised by just how much gaming you can do with a Phenom X4 clocked at 2.2GHz.

 

[Miti1st]

So I can use it (9550) for more one or two years happy? In geral, Internet, works, editions, games, etc or I will have to buy a new processor like 720BE? So my 9550 is good? My choose for the 9550 isn't jerk, idiot, etc?
No, I am unrapphy in the people say it sucks and I thinking I made a very idiot choose . I am unhappy because I think the processor I buy is very bad and I like it, but the people says all Phenons sucks .
My Intel fanboy friend, says my processor is very bad, a trash, a trash for overclocking, a trash for games .

 

[Rhoxed]

Look at my signature, Phenom does not suck, it is just the more affordable buy most of the time recently.

Your choice for the 9550 was good, don't listen to people who say Phenom suck, most of them have probably never used one.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: Miti1st
So I can use it (9550) for more one or two years happy? In geral, Internet, works, editions, games, etc or I will have to buy a new processor like 720BE? So my 9550 is good? My choose for the 9550 isn't jerk, idiot, etc?

If you were spending your own money then I think you'd be quite happy to keep the 9550 and delay spending any more money on cpu's for two years.

Then in 2 yrs spend money and upgrade and for the same money you would spend today to upgrade you'll be able to spend in 2yrs and buy performance that doesn't even exist today.

Don't feel like your choice for 9550 was bad or idiotic.

Originally posted by: Miti1st
No, I am unrapphy in the people say it sucks and I thinking I made a very idiot choose . I am unhappy because I think the processor I buy is very bad and I like it, but the people says all Phenons sucks .
My Intel fanboy friend, says my processor is very bad, a trash, a trash for overclocking, a trash for games .

People will always have something negative to say, it is human nature to do that, so just ignore them. Its not worth your time and effort to argue with them. Tell them they are right, then they will shut up and leave you alone at least.

But don't believe them, trust yourself, if your computer is fast enough for you then you made a good purchase and didn't waste money buying a more expensive cpu that would not have improved your computing experience.

 

[taltamir]

look, i wouldn't buy a phenom based system because I could get more for my money elsewhere... but it isn't

But comparated to a C2D my Phenom X4 9550, is a trash, a shit processor, sucks a lot, or it is a little worst (I hope it is a little worst, if you confirme its a little or +/- I will be happy :S).

And honestly, it is not worth the money to SWITCH from a phenom to a C2D. by buying a phenom you "wasted" 50$ or LESS. By swapping the entire system you will be wasting hundreds of dollars.
If you need more performance, maybe do a CPU swap to a phenom 2.

Or replace the whole platform with an i5 when they come out if you need a LOT more (that would be a valid but small upgrade from an intel Core 2 system as well)

people who tell you it is a trash chip don't know what they are talking about.
Honestly I think you are just looking to get some "professionals" to "confirm" it for your mom so as to justify throwing away perfectly good hardware and buying a new computer with her money.

 

[betasub]

Phenom X4 9550 - Worst choice?

In forums of Brazil, they say Phenom of the previous generation are really trashes -.-. Its true Phenons are very very very bad and its a jerk option?

My Intel fanboy friend, says my processor is very bad, a trash, a trash for overclocking, a trash for games

All this trash talk makes me laugh, but I'm concerned that OP takes it seriously when it sounds like nothing more than kiddies putting each other down.

As for the original thread title - how could it possibly be the worst choice when there are sooo many far worse?!

 

[LoneNinja]

Yes is it true the original Phenom is slower than C2Q and Phenom II, but for most tasks the difference isn't that great. Phenom II is roughly 10-15% faster than Phenom at the same clock speed, yet every one says the Phenom is trash, I honestly don't think it's trash just because its a little slower.

Personally I would rather have a Phenom any day to a C2D, especially since you get a quad core for around the cost of an entry level E7XXX series C2D.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

No, it isn't trash. You could have done a lot worse. And to even get a better processor you would have had to spend more money, anyway, as the 9550 should be fairly cheap in most places.

Originally posted by: Miti1st
GTA IV <- I play that with a HD4870 owe my actual 8600GT, requiring even more CPU, can I with HD4870 play it on High and 8600GT in Medium? Or just CPU is for this game? I want very very very very much play it good.
Crysis <- I want try.
Far Cry 2 <- I want see this game
Call of Duty 4 <- This game for me is one my favourites
Lost Planet Colonies <- I love this game, if I can play it in maximum settings with AA etc .

GTA IV <- The Phenom 9550 is a really good processor for this game. It will be faster than most dual cores and most Core 2 Duos. The HD4870 will play the game on High. The 8600GT, though, can probably only handle the game on a mix of low+medium settings.

Crysis <- Crysis is very GPU-limited (by the video card), so the Phenom 9550 will provide good framerates. It's more important to get a better video card for this game.

Far Cry 2 <- This game also likes quad cores. It does favor Intel processors, but the 9550 will play the game nicely and better than most dual core processors. Again the video card is important if you want more performance.

Call of Duty 4 <- This isn't that demanding of a game. The Phenom 9550 will have no troubles running it. The video card is the most important aspect for more performance.

Lost Planet Colonies <- This game I'm not sure about, but I have no doubts the 9550 will provide good playability. The video card will be the most important aspect in performance.

Originally posted by: Miti1st
So I can use it (9550) for more one or two years happy? In geral, Internet, works, editions, games, etc or I will have to buy a new processor like 720BE? So my 9550 is good? My choose for the 9550 isn't jerk, idiot, etc?
No, I am unrapphy in the people say it sucks and I thinking I made a very idiot choose . I am unhappy because I think the processor I buy is very bad and I like it, but the people says all Phenons sucks .
My Intel fanboy friend, says my processor is very bad, a trash, a trash for overclocking, a trash for games .

Stop worrying about it. You'll want to spend as much money as you can on the video card. The Phenom 9550 is acceptable for gaming paired with most video cards out right now. It will definitely last you at least a year before you have to think about upgrading again.

Originally posted by: Rhoxed
The 9550 is by no means trash, and is very competitive with any E1xxx, E2xxx, E4xxx, E5xxx, E6xxx, E7xxx processor at comparable clocks

Just want to correct something: The E1xxx series IS complete trash, especially for gaming. It does not belong on that list. The E2xxx series is close to coming off the list, but it's acceptable for gaming once they are overclocked. The Phenom 9xxx series is definitely better than the E2xxx series, though.

 

[Mr Fox]

Originally posted by: taltamir
look, i wouldn't buy a phenom based system because I could get more for my money elsewhere... but it isn't

But comparated to a C2D my Phenom X4 9550, is a trash, a shit processor, sucks a lot, or it is a little worst (I hope it is a little worst, if you confirme its a little or +/- I will be happy :S).

And honestly, it is not worth the money to SWITCH from a phenom to a C2D. by buying a phenom you "wasted" 50$ or LESS. By swapping the entire system you will be wasting hundreds of dollars.
If you need more performance, maybe do a CPU swap to a phenom 2.

Or replace the whole platform with an i5 when they come out if you need a LOT more (that would be a valid but small upgrade from an intel Core 2 system as well)

people who tell you it is a trash chip don't know what they are talking about.
Honestly I think you are just looking to get some "professionals" to "confirm" it for your mom so as to justify throwing away perfectly good hardware and buying a new computer with her money.

Taltamir, and Idontcare and the others all make great points !!

I have been a Hard Core Gamer for years doing LAN's, Etc.

Rule #1 Don't bag on others rigs...

It is flat out rude to make those kind of comments in a gaming situation... everyone has different means, and they make due with what they have, and the quality of the computer does not make the quality of the character behind the Keyboard.

Be proud of what you have, and understand where to get the best bang for the buck. !!



Welcome to AT Forums !!

 

[Miti1st]

1- I was thinking if the people are right, because of 2200 MHz of my Phenom, in you opinion what's the minimum frequency for a quad-core plays good anything?
2- I am wanting to buy only the HD4870, I like very much my 9550, but if I made a bad choice (you say I don't) I will be thinking I am very idiot, I want to wait very very very time, to buy a top processor of 32nm or less, and with more cores, am I correct?
3- I want try don't make overclocking, but if is necessary I do, but I prefer don't.
4- My processor has 4 MB of cache, the cache is very little or is good? What's the minimum cache to get a good performance, in games, editions etc?
5- I use my PC every day and it in idle heats maximum 38ºC and gaming 50ºC, I see my Phenom maximum temperature is 70ºC, 50ºC every day will reduce the life of my CPU in some mouths or one year? I want use it for at least 2 years.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Originally posted by: Miti1st
1- I was thinking if the people are right, because of 2200 MHz of my Phenom, in you opinion what's the minimum frequency for a quad-core plays good anything?
2- I am wanting to buy only the HD4870, I like very much my 9550, but if I made a bad choice (you say I don't) I will be thinking I am very idiot, I want to wait very very very time, to buy a top processor of 32nm or less, and with more cores, am I correct?
3- I want try don't make overclocking, but if is necessary I do, but I prefer don't.
4- My processor has 4 MB of cache, the cache is very little or is good? What's the minimum cache to get a good performance, in games, editions etc?
5- I use my PC every day and it in idle heats maximum 38ºC and gaming 50ºC, I see my Phenom maximum temperature is 70ºC, 50ºC every day will reduce the life of my CPU in some mouths or one year? I want use it for at least 2 years.

1. That 2200 MHz is about the minimum, although the more you get the better it will be. Like I said before, the Phenom 9550 can play any game out right now at acceptable levels of performance.

2. When you need or want to buy a new processor is really up to you. The 9550 will definitely last you 1 or 2 more years. 32nm and less processors will definitely be out at that time.

3. This is totally up to you. But if I were you, try overclocking to 2400 MHz. The 9550 should be able to do it with little fuss.

4. This amount of cache is good enough for the Phenom. Only in a few applications does the extra cache in the Phenom II processors make a significant difference. The reason Phenom II is considered much better than the first Phenoms is because they can run at higher clock speeds and don't need as much power to do so. Or in other words, at the same clock speeds a Phenom II uses less power than a Phenom.

5. 50 C is very good. No need to worry.

 

[VirtualLarry]

First off, a Phenom quad-core, even at 2.2Ghz, does NOT suck. Sure, Phenom II is faster, slightly, but that doesn't make the prior generation automatically "trash".

"Trash" would be a celeron, with less cache, less cores, less clockspeed.

It's surely a capable gaming system when paired up with a decent video card. 4870 is decent.

Let's put it this way, I'm on a C2D E2140 @ 2.8Ghz, with an X1950Pro video card right now. Your phenom rig is definately much faster for games. And I wouldn't even call my rig "trash". It's about the minimum for gaming these days, but it's not trash. So, neither is yours.

 

[Arkaign]

OP, while a Ph1 is not exactly awesome, it's a pretty good gaming cpu. It would be worth keeping your eyes open for a PhII Black Edition when the prices drop, perhaps you might find one at a really good deal in a year or so. GTA 4 is a nightmare on almost any system, so don't worry too much about that.

It's kind of funny, I have a PhII at 3.5ghz, and I'm sort of let down by it, we kind of have the same feeling. But in the end, gaming on Ph/PhII is not bad, so long as your video card is good, and a 4870 is a great card.

 

[Miti1st]

How the people say like my processor is worst than all C2D. But now thanks you all I know it's good for a gaming platform, thanks!
Arkaign, I don't think I will buy a Phenom II, I think I will wait more time for a new serie of CPUs with a new tecnology. Because if I buy Phenom II now, I woul can buy a 32nm tecnology CPU, and 45nm was released a while, the new will be 32nm soon, so I am waiting 32nm to buy that CPUs. People I have a question now, but it isn't about the CPU, it's about GPU. You recommend I buy HD4870 or wait some days to get an ATI Radeon HD5000 Series? DirectX for me is very important, and HD5000 Series or better will run DirectX 11 and the previous only 10.1 yes? I want to know if the first HD5000 Series GPU will costs the same as a HD4870, if it costs 2x more, I will buy HD4870