Which processor is a "valformance" processor

[addmaster]

My stupid friend who spend nearly all his money on the Opertons told me to come here for some help. I am a gamer, but not an extreme gamer. I am looking for a processor with the best value and performance mixed together. I am curently looking at six processors.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+, AMD Athlon 64 3200+, AMD Athlon 64 3400+

OR

Operton 140, Operton 142, Operton 144

Can anyone tell me in which of these processors will be have the best value and performance.

Thank you.

 

[MDE]

If any overclocking will be involved then go for a Socket 939 Athlon 64 3000+ or 3200+.

 

[addmaster]

I don't plan to overclock since overclocking destroyed my Thunderbird 1.2. I don't know what went wrong. My computer just caught on fire. I plan to use the processors "as is"

 

[dguy6789]

Get a cheap socket 754 nforce 3 board and an athlon 64 2800. The athlon 64 2800 is the best value cpu out there.

 

[Chosonman]

If you're deciding between a socket 754 or 939 read this:
754 vs 939

For budget/performance depending on how much you want to spend, a AMD 64 (754) 3000, 3200, 3400 or 2800 are your best bets.

Here are some game/video/audio bench results for you to compare.
CPU Charts

The best bang for the buck right now is the (754) 3400 check out the benches below. It even beats the (939) 3500
3400 Benchmarks

 

[mpmdpz]

So you finally did post Tony. I thought you were going Operton?

just know that the name does not always reflect the performance.

An Athlon 64 FX-53 will out perform those Opertons.

 

[Sqube]

An FX-53 might outperform all of those, but he did say value vs. performance. The FX-53 will run you quite a bit more than any of those chips.

And as a general FYI, since the FX-55 is out, I believe AMD has technically stopped making the FX-53. It's now known as the 4000+.

If I were you, and I were choosing between those (which I am, incidentally), I would go with the 3200+.

 

[mpmdpz]

Sqube's right. The FX-53 is now the 4000+. I know my friend won't spend more than $200 on a processor. Let's see where we can go on from that.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: addmaster
I don't plan to overclock since overclocking destroyed my Thunderbird 1.2. I don't know what went wrong. My computer just caught on fire. I plan to use the processors "as is"

It depends on your budget, but if you have about $300 you can get the reigning heavyweight champion of budget cpu/mobo pairings:

AMD 3400+ socket 754 NewCastle core/ DFI LANparty UT mobo

 

[Chosonman]

Originally posted by: Pr0d1gy

Originally posted by: addmaster
I don't plan to overclock since overclocking destroyed my Thunderbird 1.2. I don't know what went wrong. My computer just caught on fire. I plan to use the processors "as is"

It depends on your budget, but if you have about $300 you can get the reigning heavyweight champion of budget cpu/mobo pairings:

AMD 3400+ socket 754 NewCastle core/ DFI LANparty UT mobo

Thats a very good combo.

 

[ts3433]

Originally posted by: addmaster
I don't plan to overclock since overclocking destroyed my Thunderbird 1.2. I don't know what went wrong. My computer just caught on fire. I plan to use the processors "as is"

There are new safeguards like integrated heatspreaders nowadays that prevent you from frying stuff by an overclock, in case you change your mind and want to play around with it later.

The 3400+/DFI combo is very good for $300, but any of the lower ones would be good too (probably with the 3000+ or 3200+ in the middle sweet spot).

 

[ribbon13]

This is what I reccomended to a friend of mine for gaming rig. Remember, dual core will never see socket 754.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-501&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-487&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-440&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=22-148-066&depa=0
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=14-127-147&depa=0

 

[ts3433]

If getting dual core really soon is a big issue for you (I'd probably hold off for quite a while, especially since the A64s are already more than powerful enough for most things as they are), maybe pick one of the Opterons, because they'll come to Socket 940 before 939.

 

[addmaster]

i wanted more performance than the pentium 4 570J, so i want maybe a 3200+. is a low class (100 series) Operton better than a low class Athlon 64?

 

[ribbon13]

I made a point of that in mpmdpz's post about a workstation.

 

[3chordcharlie]

Originally posted by: addmaster
i wanted more performance than the pentium 4 570J, so i want maybe a 3200+. is a low class (100 series) Operton better than a low class Athlon 64?

100 series opterons are 'single-cpu' not 'low class'. The second two digits tell you the performance of the processor. In general, you can can get better performance, cheaper, with an A64 than with an Opteron.

 

[Blitz KriegeR]

Originally posted by: addmaster
i wanted more performance than the pentium 4 570J, so i want maybe a 3200+. is a low class (100 series) Operton better than a low class Athlon 64?

Operton is technically a "workstation" processor, and therefore in gaming a good AMD64 will beat it out by far. I recently put together a comp for a friend with a 90nm 3000+ (939) that is running cool and stable @ 2.2Ghz with no increase in voltage on a MSI K8N Neo2 PT motherboard. Got the processor for $157, so great value for it's performance.

P.S. Your 1.2 Thunderbird probably died due to low tolerance for high voltage levels when over-clocked, but a 90nm AMD 64 can overclock like heaven with practically no voltage increase. Another friend is running his 90nm 3000+ (939) @ 2.6Ghz with only an 8% increase in voltage on another MSI K8N Neo2 PT.

 

[ribbon13]

Actually, an Opteron will beat an Athlon64 clock for clock in performance by about %5 because of the larger cache.

However, it's not worth it because of the far greater expense of the workstation boards and registered dimms, and little or no overclocking options.

The processor point is rather moot for games, as the performance in fps will be determined mostly by the video card, and loading times by the speed of the hard drive.

 

[imported_SoulCatcher]

the 4000+ and fx 53 are NOT the same, the fx 53 is totally unlocked, where the 4000+ can multiply down, but not up.

The fx 53 will probably be discontinued at some time, but as of right now, it is still being made afik

 

[RegisteringSucks]

Originally posted by: addmaster
My stupid friend

He's not the one that said "valformance" lol

 

[Chosonman]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
This is what I reccomended to a friend of mine for gaming rig. Remember, dual core will never see socket 754.

And dual core will never see those 939 Winchesters either....

BTW, dual core is not meant for gamming.

 

[addmaster]

Well, I am a gamer, but like my friend, I work in his field (that's how i know him). I will do what he does to a much lesser extend (as shown by my mediocre pay). Will a A64 Handle that? I'm sure opeton can, but the cost is a bit high.

 

[addmaster]

I don't need a very good graphics card since my games will run on a 32MB.

 

[tribbles]

I don't want to seem like a troll, but all this talk of "Opertons" is annoying. For future reference, it's "Opteron".

 

[mechBgon]

Big picture: addmaster, do you have a decent-quality modern power supply to support the new goodies, or at least factored that into the plan? I'm asking since you mentioned a 1.2GHz Thunderbird, and maybe your PSU is from that era too?