Sempron 64 CPU for DOOM 3

[AMDrulZ]

I need to know which Sempron CPU would be the better choice for doom 3. It will not be the 3400 because it is so close in price to the venice 3000. i was thinking the 2800 but how well would it perform in doom 3.

AND what type of graphics Cards does doom 3 like better Nvidia or ATI?

Have to build a buget gaming system for a kid that will do gaming on it most of the time. So that put intel out of the question.....

And yes i will most likely overclock the little sempron to 2.2 / 2.4 ghz.

 

[josh609]

1. What socket are you looking at? Socket A or the socket 754? IF your looking at a socket 754 i would look at getting the 3100+, with the socket A i would look for a 3000+ semperon.

2. Nvidia is better for Doom 3. Look at getting a 6600GT. I have an athlon XP 3000+, 1.5GB of ram and a 6600GT. I can play it at 1024x768 on Ultra really well!

 

[Eureka]

6600GT is awesome for Doom 3...

Norm

 

[imported_Vanden]

Go for a sempron with 256 KB cache, like the 3100+. Should be better for gaming.

Nvidia is better in doom 3, then again i dont know how that holds up when involving price/performance. The x800GT/GTO seem nice midrange cards.

 

[Bull Dog]

I'd stick with 256kb L2 cache, you can find 256kb L2 cache in the 2500+, 2800+ 3100+ and 3400+(?)

 

[AMDrulZ]

Sorry for taking so long to type back but I have been helping some friends of mine fix there car. I will only go with the 754 Sempron-64?s no Socket-A or 32bit version?s of 754. I am looking hard at the 2800+ it is a very good value and a very cool running chip. I plan on over clocking if that is what the kid wants. I was thinking of clocking it to 2.4 GHz or so. So will be purchasing a Big Typhoon heat sink and Artic Silver-5 thermal compound to put on the little Sempron. This will most likely be a cheap little box that can play doom 3 halfway decent. I was looking at the Biostar Motherboard with the Nvidia 6100 Graphics on board that should be able to play doom 3?.

If not I am going with a Socket 939 3000 Venice. But they are so much more than the Sempron?s. Plus the cost of a good Graphics Card. The 939 system will cost about $150 to $200 more than the Sempron.

 

[Shenkoa]

You can get a decent Nforce 3 AGP board for $75, and you can get a 3000+ for $150. Thats not that bad, heck thats allready budjet?? how low do you want to go??

Nvidia for Doom3.

 

[Powermoloch]

I use sempron 3100 paris...it went well for doom3. 80 FPS on average with my x850xt agp on 1280x1024 high settings . Smooth as butter

 

[AMDrulZ]

I just want him to be able to play the game smoothly that is all it is going to be used for games like doom 3 and other games you can get at well wal-mart most likely... I think that the $ 75 Sempron 2800+ fits the use of the machine and fits in to the budget. I was thinking about the on board Nvidia 6100 that the new Biostar boards have will be enough but i don't own one of the Semprons or the Biostar board so I am SOL when it comes to visualizing the performance of the system.

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: AMDrulZ
I just want him to be able to play the game smoothly that is all it is going to be used for games like doom 3 and other games you can get at well wal-mart most likely... I think that the $ 75 Sempron 2800+ fits the use of the machine and fits in to the budget. I was thinking about the on board Nvidia 6100 that the new Biostar boards have will be enough but i don't own one of the Semprons or the Biostar board so I am SOL when it comes to visualizing the performance of the system.

If you plan on overclocking that 2800+, you're safest bet is not a Biostar board, but something from DFI. DFI's s754 Infinity w/PCI-Express should do the trick for you. Pair it with a 6600GT.

*Edit*
That Biostar board has integrated 6100 graphics. You're certainly not going to be using that for Doom 3. Naturally you're going to want a discreet chip, so having a board with integrated graphics won't help you there.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

This test shows that double the L2 outweighs a 200 MHz clock boost, if only slightly. Semprons' overclocking potentials, while very similar, are increased by stock clock, but not decreased by L2. This means that, for example, you should get a 3100+ if you can't afford a 3400+, or a 2800+ if you can't afford a 2800+. I'd stay away from the 3300+ or 3000+.

The big exception is the 2500+, which should never be purchased, due to 2.0-2.1 GHz tresholds.

 

[Avalon]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
This test shows that double the L2 outweighs a 200 MHz clock boost, if only slightly. Semprons' overclocking potentials, while very similar, are increased by stock clock, but not decreased by L2. This means that, for example, you should get a 3100+ if you can't afford a 3400+, or a 2800+ if you can't afford a 2800+. I'd stay away from the 3300+ or 3000+.

The big exception is the 2500+, which should never be purchased, due to 2.0-2.1 GHz tresholds.

That test only shows one graph where the 128kb 2ghz chip loses to the 256kb 1.8ghz chip. Everything else, the higher clocked chip is ahead. I do agree, though, that one should get a 256kb L2 variant of the Sempron, because they are typically only a few dollars more than their 128kb counterparts.

Also, I wouldn't say the 2500+ should never be purchased. With a DFI board (which is what you'd be using with a higher model Sempron, anyway), you should still be able to hit high overclocks. I've seen quite a few people do 2.4 before their motherboards began flaking out. However, I definitely do not recommend it for the casual buyer. IMO, the 2500+ is only for the adventurous.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: Avalon

That test only shows one graph where the 128kb 2ghz chip loses to the 256kb 1.8ghz chip. Everything else, the higher clocked chip is ahead.

You're forgetting that the "one graph" is Doom 3, which is what the threadstarter asked about.

Also, I wouldn't say the 2500+ should never be purchased. With a DFI board (which is what you'd be using with a higher model Sempron, anyway),

Why? The Epox 8KDA3I does just fine with high overclocking.

you should still be able to hit high overclocks. I've seen quite a few people do 2.4 before their motherboards began flaking out.

I've only seen one person get a 2500+ to beyond 2.2 GHz, and, if I remember correctly, he used water cooling.

 

[AMDrulZ]

i was thinking about buying a mother board that has the nforce 4 and pci express for the sempron but i figured that the intergrated graphics would do. May be i will get an Nvidia geforce 6600