What cpu for a new budget system?

[FrankieNyc123]

Im finally ready to upgrade my old socket 939 system. It was a pretty decent setup a few years ago but its finally starting to show its age a bit. This is what i have

Amd 4200x2 w Arctic cooling Freezer64
DFI LP NF4 Ultra-D
2x1g OCZ gold DDR500
8600gt 512mb
74g WD Raptor(system/programs)
80g WD storage(storage)
300g WD storage(storage)
Silverstone ST65zf psu
CoolerMaster Centurion 5


Id really like to keep the drives, psu and case and upgrade the motherboard, cpu and ram. i don't game, I use the computer for mostly basic stuff like music, movies, web browsing, photos, A/V encoding, but I do run some CAD/CAM software and i do tend to multitask alot which i think is why my current system is showing its age. My budget is $300. So any ideas on a cpu/mobo/ram combo thats a good bang for the buck?? Should i go 2, 3, or 4 cores?? DDR2 or DDR3?? Onboard video or stick with my 8600gt?? Any ideas and opinions would be greatly appreciated. Id like to stick with AMD but if Intel has something better in my price range I dont mind switching.

Thanks

 

[RadnorHarkonnen]

Nowadays your 8600Gt isn't that good, don't know if it is worth to keep.

My guess is a Nvidia 9400 Chipset or AMD 780G would top that and would give you HDMI output.

An E5200 or 7850/X2 550 would give you enough CPU power. You can always head X3 710. An intel Quad core would might be tight for you budget. All th cpus i mention here are not hard to have a decent (and easy) overclock with stock cooling. Check if your cooler is compatible with any of the plataforms.

There are great boards for both chipsets (9400/780G). Stick with DDR2 for now, it is dirty cheap. You can get 4GB-8Gb. Getting DDR3 gets a more expensive solution, not only because of cost of RAM, but the motherboards are also more expensive.

I'm riding a 4800x2 OCed to 3Ghz atm, im upgrading now also. Think about OCing, even if mild. I'm not talking about your 4200x2, but about your choices. Even a mild OC on a budget CPUs is noticable.

 

[NXIL]

Yo Frank,

you have a decent dual core, and you want a big more "snappiness" it sounds like. And, you like to multitask, so, a quad core sounds like what you need.

Non-gamer, so, your 8600GT is fine, and is going to be way better than even the newer IGPs (on board video) that is available--and, a discrete video card preserves your RAM and its bandwidth.

So, in answer to your questions: sounds like you need 4 cores.

DDR2: cheaper, readily available, it's the budget choice, and, at this point, it's essentially just about as fast as DDR3.

AMD: budget leader right now anyway, and you are in the extreme budget category.

RAM: 4 GB of decent DDr2 800 @ 1.8V, Jedec standard:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...tiveSearchResult=False

I prefer Kingston or Micron, since you plug them in, and they work, since they are standard standard.

About $50; leaves $250.

Quad core AMD CPU:

$190 for this brand new top of line quad 3.0 x 4:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103471

2.8 ghz for $170:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103472

Here's the whole triple/quad core lineup, but, the above two are extra sweet.

Leaves you about 60-70$$ for a mobo: kind of tight, but:

Ok, $110, but, great board; consider selling a family member?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

$70: would be fine:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128387

$80: sweet: but: DDR3! Careful:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128392

DDR3 @ 1333 for $60:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231189

70$:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227324

Kingston ddr3 for $70 or so:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820134792

$60:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820134786

Back to mobos: $86:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813130172

Anyway, to summarize: $50 plus $190 gets you an ultra sweet quad with 4G of memory.

You don't game, therefore don't OC, so a decent mobo in the 60$ range, or very close, is doable.

Jack your budget up to $350, get a 790X board with the 750SB, and you are good to go for a long time.

HTH

NX

 

[Stoneburner]

You missed out on some excellent gigabyte combos at newegg. I think tigerdirect still has the combo i used for my HTPC

biostar ta790gx 128 plus phenom II 710 (x3) for 218. I got an unlockable 4th core so i have a quad core plus an excellent board for $218. Add in $40-50 for memory and you are a bit underbudget.

Also, you can use live (the hell is bing?) cashback on tigerdirect.

Look at newegg combos and see if they have anything good.

You may also want to look into a new Phenom x2 550 which is dual core but may be also unlockable to a quad core.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Keep what you have, its fine!

 

[NXIL]

Keep what you have, its fine!

BTRY does make a good point...though you did say your system is feeling a bit sluggish....quad core and more memory is going to help with that.

IGP vs. 8600GT: the 8600GT was a mid range $150 card in 2007:

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/486/16/

IGP has gotten better, but not that much better--except for HDMI, as someone pointed out.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1080734

2600 beats IGP by a bit, and, is comparable to 8600GT: man, video processing power has come a long way in two years...

http://www.tomshardware.com/ch.../compare,539.html?prod[1587]=on&prod[1609]=on&prod[1604]=on

http://www.tomshardware.com/re...ious_sam_2_and_ut_2004

I still think that discrete graphics is better, from a memory/bandwidth perspective....

HTH

NX

 

[FrankieNyc123]

Thanks for all the opinions. I haven't completely decided on what to get but this is what ive come up with so far

GIGABYTE GA-MA790GP-UD4H

AMD Phenom2 710

Corsair TWIN2X4096-6400C5


I decided onboard video with HDMI is the way to go since i don't game and i do use the PC for movies on my HDTV. Im just not sure if i should spend a little less on the mobo and get a better cpu. Will i even notice the difference between a quad and triple core in real world use?

Thanks

 

[wolfman11]

OK, so you don't game.... and the above parts are ~$295 or so.
How about this as an option:

This motherboard is AM3 with 1 PCI-16 slot: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128392
This RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231189
This CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103649

It's DDR3 + 200mhz faster processor (and unlocked multiplier) and comes in ~$20 cheaper than the option above...

WOOPS - didn't see your comment about onboard video with HDMI until after I posted, sorry... I was posting assuming you were using your existing video card...

 

[cparker]

Here's what I would do:

Pick up a cheap matx AMD system based on the recommendations of the latest "budget" guide at AT. Get the cheapest AMD system that's recommended with AMD integrated graphics (it will have hdmi). Get the ASrock board plus the fastest 45 watt X2 CPU (2.6 or 2.7 ghz). Total cost for both will be something like $110. Then get some ram for 20-40 bucks (2 to 4 gigs). Get a case/ps for 50 or so, and a decent 670 gb hard drive (wd blue or green) for another 60. Total cost will be, 250-270. Then, for starters, just put on windows 7 rc 64 bit OS. You now have a system that would handle all your needs plus the old one, which you could later modify as a windows home server box.

If you want to go even faster for the cpu you would pick up one of the new Athlon or Phenom X2 II models that just came out, but probably wouldn't matter for your usage factor and would cost another 40-50 dollars. Better to pick up a gigabit nic for the old system, some cat 6 cables, and a gigabit switch for that money. That way you could network the two computers as a decent speed and, should you ever get the home server OS, turn the old box into something very useful in conjunction with the new system you would be building.

 

[beaver]

I had been an AMD fun from my first home-built PC until my recent Intel E5200 PC.
AMD PC is at low cost but its PC case and power-bill cost more.
My new PC with Intel E5200 runs well since built two months ago. its rating power 65W so I could re-use my old antec case (300w). When I started to prepare the PC components, it's found most AMD CPU runs 95W or 125W, requesting a 400W or higher case. I changed my mind after so many years stuck with AMD.

BTW, box Intel CPU could be obtained quite cheap at Dell SB since 25% off even 35% Dell SB coupon are available often. Unfortunately, Dell doesn't sell AMD.
Cheap Intel CPU, that's one of reasons to use them to build a budget PC.

 

[heyheybooboo]

I'd buy something like the Asus M4A79T Deluxe AM3 790FX with a AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz 2 x 1MB L2.

Wait and see out the AMD 45's play out. A new 'FX' processor may be coming out this Summer. For a cheap quad look at the 810.

As far as the mobo - if you can hold out the new sb800 will be out in Sept. Probably take top place on the pyramid and drop the 790FX AM3 back a notch.