Will Quad be utilized for Gaming?

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: eryx24
Okay would 4MB be enough, is it too small? I really don't know these answers, or does it not matter?

It depends - some apps are cache hungry, others less so. Generally speaking, the law of diminishing returns applies to CPU cache - 2 mb cache/core is a bit better than 1mb, 3mb is a little better than 2, 4mb is slightly better than 3.

You can't really use cache size as a predictor of performance. You simply have to read reviews and stare at comparison graphs.

 

[edplayer]

does COD4 use quad cores?

and eryx24, if you have a Microcenter near you, the Q9400 is $180.

 

[eryx24]

No there isn't one near me, but on the website I saw they have q9300 for 180, are those better than the q8300s?

 

[edplayer]

Yes, they are

both run at 2.5GHz. The Q9400 has 6MB of L2 cache vs 4MB in the Q8300. Both are 45nm cpus

 

[poohbear]

dude, just buy a cheap dual core now, and a year's time when quad core is a little more mainstream instead of 2-3 games out of 50, then upgrade the cpu to a quad core. The dual core will last u atleast 2 years. u wont have to buy a new mobo since most mobos that support intel C2D also support C2Q. Quad cores will be much cheaper by then anyways.

 

[Zenoth]

In my humble opinion (and may as well be technically true) the best Quad-Core gaming example on the PC right now is Unreal Tournament III. You can have for example a E8400 @ 3.0Ghz and a Q9650 also @ 3.0Ghz, and you'll always notice a 20% or so of performance improvements on the Q9650, always, no matter which map or in-game settings. And I would bet that even if the E8400 is OC'ed to 3.6Ghz or so it would still get beaten by the Q9650 still set at 3.0Ghz due to the two extra physical Cores which are constantly being used even just by 30% or less.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

If you like to keep your PC turned on 24/7, the 45nm quad core chips will save you money in the long run (1-2 years) since they consume much less power than the Q6600/Q6700. The Q8300, at stock speeds, is slightly faster but pretty much equal to the Q6600 in performance, and since it is basically the same price I consider the Q8300 a very good deal. The Q9400 is also a great deal.