Pretty Plz and help me decide. This is kinda long so bear with me.

[tvfreakazoid]

Here's my situations. I want to build a new pc or have someone build it for me in the next month or so because I dont know how. I'm not all that computer savvy. I been reading a lot lately and I was going to go with x2 4400, then I kinda want to go to Operton 175 which I beleive it's similiar as the x2 4400. Also I been hearing about M2 socket ddr2, conroe and what not. Wait or dont'? So which is better out of the x2 4400 or Operton dual core 175??? I want to use it for gaming, video editing, like using final cut pro and what not, editing music, encoding, Muti-threading, multi-tasking and among other stuff. So it's not just for gaming . So pretty much what i'm trying to say is I want to do all the good stuff like play the really good games and then some. I read that the operton is more for servers so they are put more into harder tests and stuff. So since opertons are more for servers, how is it compatible with games, mobos, and software like windows XP pro and other type of software? I plan on buying A new CPU, PSU, 2gb memory, vid and sound card, uv reactive stuff so my case will look all nice purty lol, mobo, HD(sata2, raptor, and be able to raid), and I think that's it.
Between the 2 CPU's I mentioned, how much can you OC between the 2 before it's unsafe? And I guess Operton is better for OCing so how good is x2 4400 in OCing between the 2? I don't plan on OCing right away but later down the line. Also think I read that the Operton is socket 940??? I'm pretty sure i'm wrong but that's what I thought I read.

Plus i'm getting tired of reading all these forums becasue I can't decide and I just want to decide on something and get my stuff ASAP. So I will be putting the samething that I wrote here in other forums so I can get as much as feedback as I can and decide from there. My bugdet is between $1500 to $2000.

So pretty please with cherry on top and help me decide because If I keep reading then I will want to wait for the new stuff and before you know it, I will never get one lol. Sorry for being so long I just want to be thurough as possible so I can decide quickly. And I know this topic is been up before but again I'm new and have been under a rock for the last 4 yrs or so. I never read so much about computer stuff in my life. :brokenheart:

 

[stevty2889]

If you are overclocking get the opteron 165 or 170, they have socket 939 versions, thats what you want to get.. They tend to OC slightly better than teh X2's, not that the X2's are bad either. I have my 4200+ at 2.618ghz.

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
If you are overclocking get the opteron 165 or 170, they have socket 939 versions, thats what you want to get.. They tend to OC slightly better than teh X2's, not that the X2's are bad either. I have my 4200+ at 2.618ghz.

How about Operton 175?

 

[stevty2889]

The 175 is fine too, just that they will all max out about the same, so why spend more? I'd go with the 170 personaly, for the 10x multi.

 

[DrMrLordX]

If you're overclocking, the goal is to get the cheapest chip from a specific series of processors that use the same core and then overclock it.

For example, the dual-core s939 Opterons all have the same core, and are available in different speeds, ranging from 1.8 ghz(165) to 2.4 ghz(180), So, your goal as an overclocker is to get the cheap chip, namely the Opteron 165, and make it perform as well as, if not better than, an Opteron 180 at stock speeds. The theory is that the Opteron 170, 175, and 180 should OC about as well as the 165, so if you pick the 165, you save money. The only reason I'd pick the Opteron 170 would be for the 10x multiplier(165 has a 9x multiplier, so high OCs will require a massive boost in HTT). There is no real reason to get the 175 or 180 if you plan to overclock unlss your motherboard lacks in overclocking features. You can avoid that by getting a good motherboard with nice overclocking features.

 

[keichan82]

Originally posted by: stevty2889
The 175 is fine too, just that they will all max out about the same, so why spend more? I'd go with the 170 personaly, for the 10x multi.

Yeah go with the 170. I was also deciding between 175 and 170. Bought 175 and it was a mistake. CPU OC is random and from what I've seen 170 oc better than 175. 165 does as well at 170.
I just bought 170 and that definantly OC better. 2.7 @ 1.48v Stock HSF and for 175 it was 2.6 @ 1.55v.
Not saying you will get a dud like me but save some money and buy a 170 or 165.
People are getting 170 0530 from Monarch OEM. Buy from them.

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
If you're overclocking, the goal is to get the cheapest chip from a specific series of processors that use the same core and then overclock it.

For example, the dual-core s939 Opterons all have the same core, and are available in different speeds, ranging from 1.8 ghz(165) to 2.4 ghz(180), So, your goal as an overclocker is to get the cheap chip, namely the Opteron 165, and make it perform as well as, if not better than, an Opteron 180 at stock speeds. The theory is that the Opteron 170, 175, and 180 should OC about as well as the 165, so if you pick the 165, you save money. The only reason I'd pick the Opteron 170 would be for the 10x multiplier(165 has a 9x multiplier, so high OCs will require a massive boost in HTT). There is no real reason to get the 175 or 180 if you plan to overclock unlss your motherboard lacks in overclocking features. You can avoid that by getting a good motherboard with nice overclocking features.

Hey man thanks for the tip. I do plan on OCing but not right away. Later down the line. Since I really don't about comps internals and what not, I'm a nub, so i would have to find someon that knows a thing or 2. What is your take on the x2 4400? Like i said, I plan on playing games but do other things like Encode, edit movies and music, you know run multi-apps and what not. Not just for gameing.

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
If you're overclocking, the goal is to get the cheapest chip from a specific series of processors that use the same core and then overclock it.

For example, the dual-core s939 Opterons all have the same core, and are available in different speeds, ranging from 1.8 ghz(165) to 2.4 ghz(180), So, your goal as an overclocker is to get the cheap chip, namely the Opteron 165, and make it perform as well as, if not better than, an Opteron 180 at stock speeds. The theory is that the Opteron 170, 175, and 180 should OC about as well as the 165, so if you pick the 165, you save money. The only reason I'd pick the Opteron 170 would be for the 10x multiplier(165 has a 9x multiplier, so high OCs will require a massive boost in HTT). There is no real reason to get the 175 or 180 if you plan to overclock unlss your motherboard lacks in overclocking features. You can avoid that by getting a good motherboard with nice overclocking features.

What does the "mulitplier" do? And how does it help? between 9 or 10.

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Originally posted by: keichan82

Originally posted by: stevty2889
The 175 is fine too, just that they will all max out about the same, so why spend more? I'd go with the 170 personaly, for the 10x multi.

Yeah go with the 170. I was also deciding between 175 and 170. Bought 175 and it was a mistake. CPU OC is random and from what I've seen 170 oc better than 175. 165 does as well at 170.
I just bought 170 and that definantly OC better. 2.7 @ 1.48v Stock HSF and for 175 it was 2.6 @ 1.55v.
Not saying you will get a dud like me but save some money and buy a 170 or 165.
People are getting 170 0530 from Monarch OEM. Buy from them.

Nice set up i like it:shocked:. So what kind of mobo do you suggest and psu among other things. I do game but I want to use it for for encoding, edit movies, music, and other Multi-tasking and threading stuff. I mean I want a good mobo but not an extemely expensive one. Good all around I guess. Also I would need a mobo that will be compatible with a regular ata/100 HD. And I do want to go with SATA 2, and Raptor for my main drive. I'm really looking into get a new pc but can't decide. That's why I'm asking everyone and everybody. lol.

What is the difference between the OEM Operton 170 and Retail. Other than being cheaper? how about warrenty? Still the same as retail (3yrs)?

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Hey fellas thanks for the reply and anyone else that does the same and anwering my long a@@ questions. Sorry for being so dam long. Just want to make sure i'm happy with my new PC set up.

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
If you're overclocking, the goal is to get the cheapest chip from a specific series of processors that use the same core and then overclock it.

For example, the dual-core s939 Opterons all have the same core, and are available in different speeds, ranging from 1.8 ghz(165) to 2.4 ghz(180), So, your goal as an overclocker is to get the cheap chip, namely the Opteron 165, and make it perform as well as, if not better than, an Opteron 180 at stock speeds. The theory is that the Opteron 170, 175, and 180 should OC about as well as the 165, so if you pick the 165, you save money. The only reason I'd pick the Opteron 170 would be for the 10x multiplier(165 has a 9x multiplier, so high OCs will require a massive boost in HTT). There is no real reason to get the 175 or 180 if you plan to overclock unlss your motherboard lacks in overclocking features. You can avoid that by getting a good motherboard with nice overclocking features.

Just wondering does the Operton 170 dual core have any problems with compatiblity with softwares or hardwares because its more of a server cpu and not for the home???

 

[DrMrLordX]

A few points for you imanub

1). Please try to contain all your questions directed to a particular individual(example: me) in one post at any given time. Replying 4-5 times to the same post is uh, silly.
2). The 4400+ used to be a good buy if you wanted 1 meg of l2 cache per core on an AMD dual-core chip. Then the s939 Opterons came out. There's no real reason to get a 4400+ nowadays unless you're having problems finding s939 Opterons and insist on having lots of l2 cache.
3). The multiplier is a mechanism on the chip that determines overall clock speed for the chip. Clock speed is determined as follows:

HTT speed x multiplier = CPU speed

The stock settings on s939 dual-core Opterons are:

Opteron 165: 200 HTT x 9 = 1.8 ghz
Opteron 170: 200 HTT x 10 = 2.0 ghz
Opteron 175: 200 HTT x 11 = 2.2 ghz
Opteorn 180: 200 HTT x 12 = 2.4 ghz

See what I mean? These multiplers are hard-coded on Athlon 64s, X2s, and Opterons, so you can't raise them, meaning the only way to overclock an AMD chip these days is to raise your HTT speed(or buy an FX processor, but those are overpriced). You can lower the multiplier if you want.

4). No, s939 Opterons do not have any compatibility problems as compared to X2 processors. They're pretty much the same thing, the only difference being that all s939 Opterons have 1 meg of l2 cache per core. That, and the s939 Opterons have good quality silicon in them which makes for nice overclocking. There are no significant architectural differences.

5). OEM chips come with no HSF(heatsink + fan) and have limited warranty. Retail chips come with a stock HSF supplied by AMD and have a more robust warranty, though overclocking can void this warranty. Many who want to use an aftermarket HSF on their chip while overclocking avoid the retail chips and save money(usually $20-$30) by buying OEM, seeing as how they know they will be voiding the warranty and wont' be using the stock HSF.

 

[tvfreakazoid]

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
A few points for you imanub

1). Please try to contain all your questions directed to a particular individual(example: me) in one post at any given time. Replying 4-5 times to the same post is uh, silly.
2). The 4400+ used to be a good buy if you wanted 1 meg of l2 cache per core on an AMD dual-core chip. Then the s939 Opterons came out. There's no real reason to get a 4400+ nowadays unless you're having problems finding s939 Opterons and insist on having lots of l2 cache.
3). The multiplier is a mechanism on the chip that determines overall clock speed for the chip. Clock speed is determined as follows:

HTT speed x multiplier = CPU speed

The stock settings on s939 dual-core Opterons are:

Opteron 165: 200 HTT x 9 = 1.8 ghz
Opteron 170: 200 HTT x 10 = 2.0 ghz
Opteron 175: 200 HTT x 11 = 2.2 ghz
Opteorn 180: 200 HTT x 12 = 2.4 ghz

See what I mean? These multiplers are hard-coded on Athlon 64s, X2s, and Opterons, so you can't raise them, meaning the only way to overclock an AMD chip these days is to raise your HTT speed(or buy an FX processor, but those are overpriced). You can lower the multiplier if you want.

4). No, s939 Opterons do not have any compatibility problems as compared to X2 processors. They're pretty much the same thing, the only difference being that all s939 Opterons have 1 meg of l2 cache per core. That, and the s939 Opterons have good quality silicon in them which makes for nice overclocking. There are no significant architectural differences.

5). OEM chips come with no HSF(heatsink + fan) and have limited warranty. Retail chips come with a stock HSF supplied by AMD and have a more robust warranty, though overclocking can void this warranty. Many who want to use an aftermarket HSF on their chip while overclocking avoid the retail chips and save money(usually $20-$30) by buying OEM, seeing as how they know they will be voiding the warranty and wont' be using the stock HSF.

Ah. thanks. I guess i'm heading more toward Operton now. Well Operton 170 from what I read it's better bang for the buck.

 

[DetroitSportsFan]

Ah. thanks. I guess i'm heading more toward Operton now. Well Operton 170 from what I read it's better bang for the buck.

Actually, the best "bang" for the buck would probably be the Opteron 165 at around $310.00 boxed. The value in the Opteron 170 is the x10 multiplier for overclocks. It simplifies ram dividers using the x10. However, the 170s are running right at $400. If you consider spending $90-$100 more for easier math and a slightly higher overclock potential, then buy the 170. If you're like me though, you'd buy the Opteron 165 and put the $90.00 - $100.00 saved toward good quality overclocking ram. The whole idea in building a screaming system is to eliminate bottlenecks. If the extra hundred dollars isn't going to cause you to skimp elsewhere, then I would buy the 170. Otherwise, the Opteron 165 might be the better value because it would allow you to put the extra cash toward eliminating bottlenecks elsewhere in your system. Since you're a gamer, I'd be more concerned about the quality of your vid card than I would be over the 200 mhz stock gain from the 170. Just my two cents worth ....