Best Socket 939 CPU

[elrasho]

I have an ASUS A8N-SLI mobo and want to upgrade to a Dual Core cpu.

I have an AMD Athlon 64 320o which is beginning to show its age. The AMD ATHLON 64 X2 4200+ looks like a winner to me with its 1MB cache.

Is there a point in getting a dual core CPU even though im running XP? Will it have any advantages?

Thanks

 

[Link]

Yes, windows can take advantage of dual cores. If you have a process that uses 100% cpu time, it will only use 100% of 1 core, meaning the system will still run properly. For example, you could encode a video and the system will still be good for other tasks.

Support for games is limited, but give it time.

 

[VirusType2]

I am constantly bumping my head with background apps that consume CPU.

If we only had another core, would all our troubles vanish?

For example, while I type this, I'm hovering between 25% and 65% CPU usage, and it is interupting my typing occasionally, pausing briefly and then coming back, and it occasionaly causes serious errors, since after it comes back, it completes all of the commands you gave it.


I don't know if a dual core will fix this problem or not, but I would hope so.

 

[elrasho]

What games are coming out that will suppoer dual core?

 

[Asus]

Can you find very many Socket 939 CPUs anymore?

An FYI. SMP (Symmetric multiprocessing), Multi-threaded, Dual Core support all mean the same thing.

It definitely helps. Even if the game does not support SMP you still get SOME benefit. Windows has background processes running, also hard drive access, networking and the sound card all use some CPU power and you may very well have programs minimized. Windows now has 2 cores to balance the load between the threads/processes. But on a single core those things will cut into the possible performance your game could have had.

Of course if another program you have running (while you game) decides to have heavy internet or hard drive activity then dual core won't help keep your game from stuttering then.

This thread lists a number of SMP supported games. An old thread (2002) but more games added on the 2nd page.
Here is a list of newer games.

I've heard Quake 4 was only partially optimized for SMP. But here is the performance difference.

 

[elrasho]

Episode 2 using DualCore!! thats brilliant. OK Im gonna invest into that dual core 4200, you can pick them for ?90 brand new.

Now that thats sorted, what about my graphics card? I have a 7600GT. Will that coupled with 1GB ram and the 4200 be enough to play it at 1024*768 with some AA/AF ?

 

[TCfromBN]

Should be.

 

[Barney Fife]

The X2 4400+ Toledo Does OC well at relatively low power consumption.

System will always benefit from dual-core chips and overall performance will increase, Games like Q4 FarCry and HL2 do use and benefit from dual-core if configured.
Latest Nvidia driver and hardware manager does also optimize dual-core for gaming.
If the 4400+ does not satisfy you, you can also look into the server chips.

Good Luck.