What route should i go? AMD or Core 2 Quad.

[LW07]

Alright, thinking of whether to get an AMD Phenom II build or to get a Core 2 Quad build. I don't plan to OC. I want this build to last a few years so an E8400 is out of the question, and i mainly use this for gaming and basic usage.

I only need CPU/mobo/ram, I plan to use windows XP for a little longer until i can get some more $$ to upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out

Core 2 Quad upgrade:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820104060
4 gigs of DDR2 1066 ram - $50

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128372
Mobo- $100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115041
Q9550- $280

Total: $440 shipped

Phenom II build:

Will use the same ram posted above - $50

http://www.newegg.com/Shopping...emList=N82E16813128360
Mobo- $70

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103471
Phenom II 940- $235

might get a 920 phenom and save $40.

Total: $375 shipped($335 if i get the 920).

Which one should i get? the Q9550, the 940, or the 920 build?

 

[Soulkeeper]

i'd go the AMD route, it's cheaper and performance is similar so why not

 

[LW07]

guess i will go for the AMD, now should i get a 920 or the 940? I might OC the 940 with the multiplier if its possible to do that with stock cooler and not raising the voltage.

 

[Soulkeeper]

either one would be good, i'd read the anandtech article on the PhenomII, if you havn't already, to get an idea about what you'll get

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: LW07
guess i will go for the AMD, now should i get a 920 or the 940? I might OC the 940 with the multiplier if its possible to do that with stock cooler and not raising the voltage.

With the money you save going with AMD you could get a nice cooler and overclock more--> last you longer.

 

[essai2008]

i would wait until the bulldozer comes out just stock up on some money at the moment

 

[LW07]

on second thought, would getting an E8400 be a good idea?

 

[o1die]

If you don't plan on overclocking, an e8400 with basic g31 board will work fine. You don't have to spend alot of money on the motherboard unless you need specific features. I got my g33 for $19.99 closeout at Fry's. Socket 775 cpus and boards will be available for years; core i7 will change to something else before long. Intel is a smart company, hooking fools like us who want the latest tech.

 

[Viditor]

Keep in mind that we are (supposedly) due for another batch of releases from AMD this next month.
The AM3 chips will probably be coming next month...
That means another price drop and more benches on new stuff very soon.

 

[LW07]

BTW i'm thinking of adding a western digital velociraptor 150GB to the upgrade, should i do it?

 

[polarbear6]

i personally feel that this might not be the right time to invest in some upgrade *sneeze* sentence open for reconsideration, just trying to help , correct me, if i am wrong ;p

 

[zenguy]

Here are Two LGA775 options from Gigabyte that are $20 Less (One with Rebate.) ($80)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128347
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128345

These lack CF like the AMD board you selected and is a better comparison and both should work. The P45 should OC better and has the rebate, which makes it a better deal. While I realize you do not intend to OC now, if you plan to keep the machine for a long time, it may be something you want to do during the final days of your system to stretch its life span at the end.

The Q9400 ($230)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115131

The Q9400 won two of the four gaming tests listed in Anand Techs article.
This Intel setup is only $5 different than the AMD Build and more in line performance-wise and make the decision more of a toss up.

 

[zenguy]

No on the Raptor.

You will see more performance gain out of spending more on RAM, GPU, or CPU than HDD in most cases.

 

[Denithor]

G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2-1066 CAS6 2.0V $45 shipped

Just stick with a WD6400AAKS/WD6401AALS drive. For gaming the only difference will be level load times. And you get 4 times the capacity for 1/2 the price.

EDIT: And I'll second the "wait for AM3 quads" idea - lower power consumption, potentially higher performance should make these a more viable option.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Originally posted by: LW07
on second thought, would getting an E8400 be a good idea?

It'd be fine for right now, and possibly the future... it's really a guessing game. You said you want this to last a few years, so I think a quad would be the safe route.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: Viditor
Keep in mind that we are (supposedly) due for another batch of releases from AMD this next month.
The AM3 chips will probably be coming next month...
That means another price drop and more benches on new stuff very soon.

+1

Even if you still stick to your plan and buy an original 920 or 940 they are bound to be another $30-$40 cheaper.

Also the INQ has up an article mentioning tomshardware had up some preliminary AM3/DDR3 tests on their website, although I cannot find the originals so who know. Here's the inquirer link:

http://www.theinquirer.net/inq...1050648/ddr3-phenom-ii

 

[RaptureMe]

+2

Go for Phenom II 940BE all the way!!
Has Unlocked Multi's,Matches or Bests C2Q Clock for Clock,Its Cheaper,and leads to upgrade path for Am3 cpu's like 945 and 950BE ect..
Most people are getting overclocks from 3.6Ghz - 4.2Ghz with just a multi bump.
About 90% of the reviews I have read are running 3.8-4.0Ghz for 24/7 use with an after maket air cooler.

 

[Idontcare]

Originally posted by: RaptureMe
+2

Go for Phenom II 940BE all the way!!
Has Unlocked Multi's,Matches or Bests C2Q Clock for Clock,Its Cheaper,and leads to upgrade path for Am3 cpu's like 945 and 950BE ect..
Most people are getting overclocks from 3.6Ghz - 4.2Ghz with just a multi bump.
About 90% of the reviews I have read are running 3.8-4.0Ghz for 24/7 use with an after maket air cooler.

Uh...is this a joke?

PhII matches or bests C2Q's IPC? I missed that in all the reviews I read.

3.6-4.2GHz? Duvie has a thread on this and the best he's found is a 4GHz OC on water and 3.8 on air. Not 4Ghz, and not "just" a multi bump, these all have serious Vcore bumps too.

If it was a joke then my apologies for taking it the wrong way. If it isn't a joke then why are bothering to embellish the truth so much when we all have seen the same reviews you have and we know what you are saying is BS? Who do you think you are fooling around here? Time to sell another 500W TDP i7 920 I guess...

 

[Cogman]

Originally posted by: RaptureMe
+2

Go for Phenom II 940BE all the way!!
Has Unlocked Multi's,Matches or Bests C2Q Clock for Clock,Its Cheaper,and leads to upgrade path for Am3 cpu's like 945 and 950BE ect..
Most people are getting overclocks from 3.6Ghz - 4.2Ghz with just a multi bump.
About 90% of the reviews I have read are running 3.8-4.0Ghz for 24/7 use with an after maket air cooler.

In all the reviews I've seen, Phenom II AT BEST matches a C2Q clock per clock. However, fairly often it is somewhat slower clock for clock.

Price wise, it is perfectly positioned. It performs very well for the price it is released at.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: LW07
BTW i'm thinking of adding a western digital velociraptor 150GB to the upgrade, should i do it?

The 150gb Velociraptor isn't worth it. The 300gb version might be, if the price is right.

I think that we've finally reached the point where quad-core CPU's are coming into their own. <insert "coming into their own..." joke here> We are starting to see apps and games take advantage of 4 cores, and since you want this PC to "last a few years", quad is really the only way to go, imo.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: RaptureMe
+2

Go for Phenom II 940BE all the way!!
Has Unlocked Multi's,Matches or Bests C2Q Clock for Clock,Its Cheaper,and leads to upgrade path for Am3 cpu's like 945 and 950BE ect..
Most people are getting overclocks from 3.6Ghz - 4.2Ghz with just a multi bump.
About 90% of the reviews I have read are running 3.8-4.0Ghz for 24/7 use with an after maket air cooler.

It's reckless, deceiving posts like this that give AMD enthusiasts a bad name. Stick to the truth and the facts - PhII is good enough to stand on it's own merits, these "embellishments" (as IDC refers to them) simply cause harm.

 

[zenguy]

Originally posted by: RaptureMe
+2

Go for Phenom II 940BE all the way!!
Has Unlocked Multi's,Matches or Bests C2Q Clock for Clock,Its Cheaper,and leads to upgrade path for Am3 cpu's like 945 and 950BE ect..
Most people are getting overclocks from 3.6Ghz - 4.2Ghz with just a multi bump.
About 90% of the reviews I have read are running 3.8-4.0Ghz for 24/7 use with an after maket air cooler.

Do you have some Links?
That does not seem to match what AnandTech, XBit, or Toms found in their reviews.

The Significantly slower clocked C2Qs were easily a match for high default clocked PIIs.
Depending on Price Points, one may be a better deal than the other at default rates.

Since they C2Qs and Phenoms come close to the same speed when OC'd, the will perform much faster due to the higher IPC.

Now, when Idling, the PII drops to a much lower speed and will use less power.
This could be ideal for a 24x7 system that is not churning hard most of the time.

The PII has finally placed AMD in the position where it can be intelligently discussed as an option again by folks who are not a Fanboy of either side. However, we need to be careful to not make claims that are out of whack with what is being reported on mainstream sites.