Which of these combos is best?

[angminas]

So, I've been thinking of buying a new 1155 setup sometime when I can afford one, but I haven't seen anything in my budget yet. Then I run across this promo:

http://promotions.newegg.com/Combo/13-0875/index.html

And I think, hmm, I might swap back to AMD. Which of the cheap combos is best? I'm looking at the one that's $104.97 and the two that are $109.97. I have all the other parts...psu, case, etc. My current video card is a 250 GTS (will keep) and I'd be upgrading my CPU from an e2200. I'd like to improve my gaming and video performance.

I note that I would have to choose between AM3 and FM1. I don't know anything about AMD sockets. My main goal is to get the best durability and performance now, but if one seems much more future-proof in CPU upgrades, that would be useful. I may get a newer video card in the future, so I'm not bound by my current one if these CPUs are way ahead of it.

I think my current motherboard might have been damaged by a power surge, which is the main reason I'm looking at upgrading. There's too much stuttering and such, so even a mild upgrade to new parts might be worth it.

Whatcha think, AT? Thanks for your help!

 

[Durvelle27]

This is the best combo


AMD FX 6300+ 970 MOBO+ RAM $229.99 = $209 AR

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...&SID=u00000687


just buy one more 4GB stick

 

[lehtv]

Durvelle, that's a pretty awesome combo but perhaps not in his price range.

 

[Sleepingforest]

I'd look at an AM3+ board, preferably with the newest chipset possible since it will give the best forward compatibility. Look for AM3+ 880, or if you can, 970. The Biostar 880 board comes with an extra stick of RAM and is only $130 ($110 after a rebate, and if you don't need the RAM, you can sell that for around $20-25 here).

You can later upgrade to a 8350/8320 for $170-200 for a better CPU.

 

[superccs]

In all reality you should gravitate towards a FX6300 and a 800 or 900 series mATX AM3+ board.

 

[frozentundra123456]

In all reality you should gravitate towards a FX6300 and a 800 or 900 series mATX AM3+ board.

Yea, those combos are either dual core or single module, neither of which is really good for gaming.

I think the FX 6300 is the best choice. Of those combo deals, the i3 is a much better choice than the cheaper combos.


Edit: Can you overclock the E2200? Actually your video card could be holding you back in some games as well.

 

[Sleepingforest]

I think it'll help if you answer the questions in the sticky (or at least tell us your budget, usage case, and existing parts). After all, you may only need to replace your motherboard.

 

[mfenn]

Your E2200 is a 2.2Ghz Conroe, so that's a baseline. The two Llano deals are for 2.7GHz dual-cores with lower IPC than your Conroe. They are very likely downgrades or sidegrades so you should ignore them. The X2 270 in the third combo isn't any better architecturally than the Llanos, but it has a substantial advantage in raw clock speed which makes it a mild upgrade.

 

[angminas]

Ok, take a look at this one instead. I've updated this, and I think it would be a much better deal overall. I like that it's able to support newer Intel CPUs and has more expansion slots. Far better than those AMD combos, even on a very tight budget?

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=21742652

 

[mfenn]

We can't view your Newegg private wishlists.

 

[xXdragonbatXX]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1239537

 

[max347]

You could go with a newer 1155 board now, paired with a celeron chip. This would let you upgrade all the way up to an i7 later, if you needed.

$55- http://www.amazon.com/ECS-Elitegroup...ywords=ecs+b75

$43- http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Celeron-...keywords=g1610

You'll need some DDR3 as well, unfortunately prices are going up right now. You'd need ddr3 for any upgrade, so start looking now to snag a deal on 4/8gb of ddr3 1600 1.5v ram. I say 1600, in case you go with an FM1/2 build.

 

[sm625]

llano A4 is a total dog. Do not buy. At least the regor core is clocked higher. Can you not get an ivy bridge combo for $110?

 

[mfenn]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1239537

That's over twice as much as what the OP was looking at.