YACPURT

[nobodyknows]

I'm still running a motherboard with a 4x AGP slot and yesterday I ran across a deal on a mobo/DDR3 combo to good to pass on. An Intel® Desktop Board DX48BT2 with 2 x 2GB Corsair DDR3 1333 ram. I need everything , a CPU, a new PSU, and a video card but money is really tight right now so I'm trying to do it on the cheap.

I have the PC P&C 610 PSU in my shopping cart and I just happen to have a BFG 6800GT AGP video card that I can trade in to BFG for a free 9600GT or upgrade it to a 9800GT for $50.

So I need a CPU and a cooler. My options for a CPU is a used but brand new 2140 ($45) that is still sealed in the box, a E5200 ($82), or a E7200/7300 ($120).

I want to get a quad core in the future (when prices come down) but I need a CPU now so I'm thinking of taking a chance on the 2140 and hoping to OC it to 2.8 or 3GHZ.

For another $40 I could get the E5200 and for an additional $40 more I could have the E7200. Besides the cache difference what's the difference between the dual core 45 nm E5200 and the Core2Duo 45 NM E7200?

I personally am leaning towards the E5200 but wanted some advice before I pull the trigger on it.

Any reccomendations on a good cheap CPU coller would be aprreciated also.

Thanks

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

How good of a deal is the motherboard/ram combo? Just seems like you could do with a less expensive mobo & DDR2 for much less $$ and get similar performance.

What is a "used but brand new 2140... that is still sealed in the box"?

Newegg has the ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro on sale for $19 + shipping, and also as open box for $13 + shipping.

 

[Arkaign]

Read this on the mobo : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...int/intel-dx48bt2.html

I think it would be a safer bet to just spring for the E5200, the extra cache and higher starting clock speed will be big boons.

 

[nobodyknows]

It was a very good deal I thought, bought them for just a little more then New Egg gets for the ram alone.... and that's after rebate and free shipping. basically i paid 1/3 of new price.


Huh, how did I type "used but brand new"? LOL!! It's brand new and the newer stepping Intel 2140 dual core. I don't remember if they call them E2140's or what. The person received it after RMA'ing another chip to Intel. I think I decided against this chip.

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: Arkaign
Read this on the mobo : http://www.xbitlabs.com/articl...int/intel-dx48bt2.html

I think it would be a safer bet to just spring for the E5200, the extra cache and higher starting clock speed will be big boons.

Interesting review, that reviewer didn't like the board too much.

I read a couple of other reviews and it said this board was only overclockable to 470 fsb I thought? The xbit reviewer was talking 370 fsb? I'll see if I can dig up that review.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

That review is 6 months old... possibly a BIOS update has improved overclocking capabilities.

 

[nobodyknows]

I'm either going for the E5200 or a E7200/7300 since there the same price.

I read on here someplace that the E5200 didn't have the latest SSE instructions on it (SSE4.1??), can anybody confirm or deny that?

Do the SSE instructions matter if you run Vista and DirectX10?

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: Flipped Gazelle
That review is 6 months old... possibly a BIOS update has improved overclocking capabilities.

Yeah, they have a new bios out but people still can't overclock their E8XXX cpu's much (if any) over the 400fsb mark.

Maybe i can get a E7200 or 7300 and just run it at 400 fsb and keep the memory at 1333?

 

[nobodyknows]

OK, on the sse instructions. As near as i can tell the E5200 and E7200 are both wolfdale cores so they should have the exact same SSE instructions. The E7200 just has 3mb cache instead of 2. I think the E5200 is the one for me.

 

[Concillian]

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

For another $40 I could get the E5200 and for an additional $40 more I could have the E7200. Besides the cache difference what's the difference between the dual core 45 nm E5200 and the Core2Duo 45 NM E7200?

I personally am leaning towards the E5200 but wanted some advice before I pull the trigger on it.

The Cache & FSB is the difference between the e5200 and e7200. e5200 has an SSE instruction set disabled.

e5200 needs 100-200MHz higher to get similar performance in most applications according to the benchmarks I've seen.

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: Concillian

Originally posted by: nobodyknows

For another $40 I could get the E5200 and for an additional $40 more I could have the E7200. Besides the cache difference what's the difference between the dual core 45 nm E5200 and the Core2Duo 45 NM E7200?

I personally am leaning towards the E5200 but wanted some advice before I pull the trigger on it.

The Cache & FSB is the difference between the e5200 and e7200. e5200 has an SSE instruction set disabled.

e5200 needs 100-200MHz higher to get similar performance in most applications according to the benchmarks I've seen.

Iread a thread where someone said he "thought" that the E5200 didn't have SSE 4.1 but I can't find any hard confirmation.

Must be true though.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

According to Intel's data sheet on the E5200, it's SSE support stops at SSE3.

 

[nobodyknows]

Thanks, i looked all over their site and couldn't find that info.

I was just looking for a CPU and see they have the E7400 out now, around $150 shipped at Ewiz. When did they show up??


I wonder if I could run an E7400 and just up the CPU fsb to 1333 with 1:1 ratio. I'm guessing that should give me around a 3.5 GHz clock on that CPU. I would only run that speed for gaming though, nothing else i do at this time requires anything over 2.8GHz.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

Originally posted by: nobodyknows
Thanks, i looked all over their site and couldn't find that info.

I was just looking for a CPU and see they have the E7400 out now, around $150 shipped at Ewiz. When did they show up??


I wonder if I could run an E7400 and just up the CPU fsb to 1333 with 1:1 ratio. I'm guessing that should give me around a 3.5 GHz clock on that CPU. I would only run that speed for gaming though, nothing else i do at this time requires anything over 2.8GHz.

If you're looking at spending $150 on a CPU, IMO there are a couple of better options.

At Newegg, for instance:

E7300, $120/shipped
E8400, $165/shipped

 

[nobodyknows]

I have both of those cpu's in my shopping cart at the Egg right now, along with that PC P&C 610 watt PSU. I just can't make up my mind on a CPU. That E8400 is a sweet deal and I'm talking with a AT'er right now who has a E8500 CO stepping he bought when they were the highest binned 8XXX series. I read a review over at Hard and it was linked to a thread to users experiences with this mobo. There are users over there who can't overclock their E8XXX's more then 402 or 403 fsb on this mobo.... and they have no problem overclocking them on other mobo's so......?

The only reason I overclock is because I like FPS games and they seem to like fast CPU's. I would thin that I would have no problems setting the E7400 to 1333fsb, but on the other hand a guaranteed 3.0 or 3.16 would work for me too.

BTW, those E7400's are even in a new style box.

I just can't make up my mind. I'm going to go ahead and order that PSU (free shipping) and then think about the cpu deal a bit.

 

[yh125d]

I wouldn't concern myself too much with being unable to push past 400fsb. That FSB gives you these speeds

e5200: 5gHz
e8400: 3.6gHz
e7200: 3.8gHz
e7400: 4.2gHz
e8500: 3.8gHz

 

[nobodyknows]

That e7400 looks better all the time. Buy.com has them for $155 shipped and there is a 5% off coupon good for up to $15 out there so $140 shipped. I think I just sold myself.

These new e7400's are R0 stepping. I thought the good e7300's were E0 stepping so this must be a new stepping? Anybody have one yet that wants to chime in?

http://www.pcgameshardware.com...400_and_lowers_prices/

I also read that they don't have the Trusted Execution Technology, what ever that is??

 

[Concillian]

you won't find e0 on e7xxx, only on e8xxx

I thought all e7xxx were same stepping, just some difference on VID. IMO not much reason to go e7400 if they're the same stepping. You might get a little lower VID, but even the good e7xxx chips top out around 3.8ish. You have to move to an e8xxx to really see a major difference. Especially since not only do you have a chance at an e0, which will OC much easier, but also the extra cache gives it another 100-200MHz advantage over e7xxx chips at the same clock speed.

Anyway, I tend to be very conservative anyway. My e7200 is only at 3.4GHz. It's fast enough that my games are all over 35 FPS @ minimum FPS for what I do. That's all that matters to me.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Make sure that that mobo supports R0 stepping if you go for the E7400. You might need a bios flash before that mobo will accept that chip.

 

[Comdrpopnfresh]

don't bother with the 7400.... either go the e7200 route or e8400. I'm confident all the e7xx chips are the same stepping. And the overclocking headroom seems to be the same from what I've read. The money from a 7200 to a 7400 would be better spent on a e8400.
I agree however, that getting a ddr3 board isn't exactly the 'budget' decision. The increased bandwidth isn't realized by s775 boards, and chances are that the 'sweet' combo was tossed on the web because the ddr3 kit exceeds the safe voltages for use on i7 board- if so, you'll have to upgrade that when going to a i7 system anyhow.

I bought my e7200 on clearance @ a 'micro center' near me (~$70). An iffy proposition of course, having been opened and returned, but I had 30 days to return it no questions asked, it overclocks well- in terms of headroom temps and voltage response, has a modest VID of 1.15V, and turned out to be a great buy. It'll do 3.4ghz on stock volts (mostly because it'll run stock speeds at .9V) after vdroop. So don't get a higher e7xxx variant for the higher stock speed.
I overclock, and prefer to buy my cpu's in a store; especially one that'll let me read the stamp on the chip- that way I can tell the manufacturing date and batch code to get a good sense of the stepping, as well as the number designating where the chip originated on the original wafer- cpus towards the center tend to find themselves binned higher; having lower VIDs, better thermals, and generally give better overclocks. The wafer position number isn't widely accepted to be useful info, but I use it, thinking if it does it'll help, and if not, no loss.

just get the free 9600gt. you'll think its the best card made when you see what it'll do compared to your agp 4x 6800. Plus, the $50 would be better spent towards a more current gfx card, given the 9600gt and 9800gt price difference for a new card is <<$50.

cooler: ac freezer pro is a good budget buy with very good performance/price ratio.

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Make sure that that mobo supports R0 stepping if you go for the E7400. You might need a bios flash before that mobo will accept that chip.

Good thin king, I'll have to check on that.

 

[nobodyknows]

Originally posted by: Comdrpopnfresh
don't bother with the 7400.... either go the e7200 route or e8400. I'm confident all the e7xx chips are the same stepping. And the overclocking headroom seems to be the same from what I've read. The money from a 7200 to a 7400 would be better spent on a e8400.
I agree however, that getting a ddr3 board isn't exactly the 'budget' decision. The increased bandwidth isn't realized by s775 boards, and chances are that the 'sweet' combo was tossed on the web because the ddr3 kit exceeds the safe voltages for use on i7 board- if so, you'll have to upgrade that when going to a i7 system anyhow.

I bought my e7200 on clearance @ a 'micro center' near me (~$70). An iffy proposition of course, having been opened and returned, but I had 30 days to return it no questions asked, it overclocks well- in terms of headroom temps and voltage response, has a modest VID of 1.15V, and turned out to be a great buy. It'll do 3.4ghz on stock volts (mostly because it'll run stock speeds at .9V) after vdroop. So don't get a higher e7xxx variant for the higher stock speed.
I overclock, and prefer to buy my cpu's in a store; especially one that'll let me read the stamp on the chip- that way I can tell the manufacturing date and batch code to get a good sense of the stepping, as well as the number designating where the chip originated on the original wafer- cpus towards the center tend to find themselves binned higher; having lower VIDs, better thermals, and generally give better overclocks. The wafer position number isn't widely accepted to be useful info, but I use it, thinking if it does it'll help, and if not, no loss.

just get the free 9600gt. you'll think its the best card made when you see what it'll do compared to your agp 4x 6800. Plus, the $50 would be better spent towards a more current gfx card, given the 9600gt and 9800gt price difference for a new card is <<$50.

cooler: ac freezer pro is a good budget buy with very good performance/price ratio.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145198

There's a link to the memory. It's 1.7v, I hope that will work for i7 cpu's?

And i decided to go for the free video card for now... that is if it doesn't take too long to get it!

I'm still grappling with what cpu to get though?

 

[nobodyknows]

Well, the 15% off via paying by paypal was too much to resist. I really wanted that e7400, but $136 shipped (after the 15% discount) for the e8400 was just too good to resist.

I also got the Corsair 650TX PSU and the Zerothem ZEN 120mm cpu cooler, everything (including the cpu) for $304 and I have $50 of rebates to send in and then $45 coming back from Paypal. YeeeHAAAAA!!

P45 express Mobo and 2 x 2gb DDR3 for $120, a e8400 cpu, a quality 650 watt psu, and good cpu cooler for $210, and then throw in a BFG 9600GT just for sending in my old 6800GT in to BFG. Now that's what I call a good budget build. If i can get that e8400 to run at just 3.2 GHz I'll be one very happy camper!!

Thanks to all for your help and advice, I appreciate it.