Core 2 Duo or AMD X2

[Garfield_]

I'm in the middle of a possible PC upgrade because my X800XL is sent back under warranty so I might have a chance to get my money back and afford a X1800XT or X1900XT. Therefor I'll be upgrading the CPU aswell but my budget kinda sucks. I'm a pure gamer but I also work alot with different applications, such as 3D, video editing and webdesign. But this PC is mainly ment for gaming.

So if the choice was between Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 and AMD X2 4200+ which should I buy? What are the differences between these two and E6400 and 4600+?

I know the E6600 would be the ideal gaming CPU for a good price but I just can't afford it atm. Or I can but I don't want to waste much more money anymore. Spent $650 on this Viewsonic VX2025wm last friday :/

E6300 seems to be as good and even better than the X2 4200+ but then I'd have to buy DDR2 sticks and those are expensive :I

 

[The Brick]

Best choice by far is the E6300. Along with that the Gigabyte S775 GA-965P-S3 is the best choice for a motherboard. You will be able to OC the thing to about 3ghz with stock cooling (stock speed is 1.8ghz). DDR2 memory is indeed expensive. Can't do anything about it. Although it does seem that pc4200, pc5300 and pc6400 are almost the same price. There's no need to get something faster than pc6400 (800mhz).

 

[DrDevin]

The E6300 and E6400 can easily overclock to E6700 and Core 2 Extreme X6800 levels, though the smaller cache does limit performance a bit. That being said, our overclocked E6300 was able to equal and in all cases but one outperform AMD's Athlon 64 FX-62. In fact, in quite a few benchmarks, the overclocked E6300 is essentially out of reach of anything AMD can offer with their current K8 designs. At $183, the value here is tremendous, and if you're willing to overclock the benefits don't get any clearer than that.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2802&p=12

Agreed, the E6300 is definately worth it if you have the money. With a little bit of overclocking it is incredibly fast, especially for the price.

 

[Barney Fife]

IMHO, X2 4400+ is one of the best very few OC-able dual-core CPUs out there. 2.8GHz on stock cooling.

Good Luck.

 

[The Brick]

You are clearly uninformed. The conroe tops amd in every way, especially overclocking. 100% OC of the e6300 is pretty easy (means from 1.86ghz to 3.7ghz).

This is a guess.


Edit: I have no ****ing idea why the img tags don't work sometimes.

 

[Garfield_]

Hmm so an E6300 overclocked to 3Ghz, what is it comparable to and would it run stable in games?

The E6300 and 4200+ have the same price over here But the Gigabyte S775 GA-965P-S3 is way over my budget for motherboards but If you can get it up to 3Ghz it might be worth it. Anyway, If I decide to go with the E6300, what DDR2 sticks should I buy?

Not the best and most expensive ones, I'd rather take some mediocre, as it is easy to change later on. Ohh and how long would an E6300 take me in games? would it be able to run Crysis and Unreal Tournament 2007 on maximum settings with the right graphics card?

 

[The Brick]

Hmm so an E6300 overclocked to 3Ghz, what is it comparable to and would it run stable in games?

It's as fast as a X6800. It will run stable on stock cooling + Vcore on a good motherboard (the gigabyte one).

The E6300 and 4200+ have the same price over here But the Gigabyte S775 GA-965P-S3 is way over my budget for motherboards but If you can get it up to 3Ghz it might be worth it.

You can get it over 3ghz with a good aircooler. It will require some tweaking and know-how, but it's not too difficult.

Anyway, If I decide to go with the E6300, what DDR2 sticks should I buy? Not the best and most expensive ones, I'd rather take some mediocre, as it is easy to change later on.

OCZ is a good brand, they overclock well. If it's not too expensive, pc6400 (800mhz) is the best buy. You wouldn't need to replace them any time soon.

Ohh and how long would an E6300 take me in games? would it be able to run Crysis and Unreal Tournament 2007 on maximum settings with the right graphics card?

Yes.

 

[Asus]

If you are going to be spending the about the same amount then go with the Core 2 Duo. Lower power, very high OCing on most of the chips and it performs very well.

Though it sounds like you might be in a similar position that I was in, having to buy new memory with the Core 2 Duo or stick with DDR and AMD. Personally I didn't have it in my budget to go Core 2 Duo because I'd have to buy new memory ($200 extra). And I wasn't thinking of OCing since I was going to be doing stuff than needed a stable machine and not risk corrupting data. So the only plus would be lower power.

But if my budget was a little bigger I could have afforded to buy more memory and I would have gone Core 2 Duo hands down.

 

[Garfield_]

Well I'm not really confident with overclocking as It might go wrong really easily. And I really want to be able to run games completley stable if I'm going to OC anything. Lets say you overclock your E6300 to 2,8-3Ghz and the temperature is below 60 degrees celcius on full load. Is there anything else that can make the system go instable, using the Gigabyte S775 GA-965P-S3 and good DDR2 sticks?

If something would go wrong, will it go under warranty aslong as I don't tell anyone I overclocked it? If so, no worries

I saw there were few other versions of the Gigabyte S775 GA-965P-S3, whats the difference with the S3 model and the DS3,4 models?

As for the DDR2, the S3 motherboard supports PC2-4300, PC2-6400, PC2-5300. Are there any huge differences between these?
Due to my budget I'd have to go with a cheap 512mb stick and buy some more later on.

EDIT: Are there any websites where they show overclocked E6300's and that Gigabyte motherboard?

EDIT2: Would I have to buy a new PSU for OC'ed E6300 and X1900XTX? Using Antec TruePower 480W atm.

 

[Asus]

Not sure about the Gigabyte board but this review shows the E6300 and E6400 at stock and OCed with the ASUS P5W DH Deluxe.

 

[Fliko]

Best choice by far is the E6300. Along with that the Gigabyte S775 GA-965P-S3 is the best choice for a motherboard. You will be able to OC the thing to about 3ghz with stock cooling (stock speed is 1.8ghz). DDR2 memory is indeed expensive. Can't do anything about it. Although it does seem that pc4200, pc5300 and pc6400 are almost the same price. There's no need to get something faster than pc6400 (800mhz).

I thought the E6300 was an Allendale... basically stripping away the features that make the CONROE rule out past the AMD X2 Athlons

 

[Garfield_]

Not sure about the Gigabyte board but this review shows the E6300 and E6400 at stock and OCed with the ASUS P5W DH Deluxe.

They only reach around 2,5Ghz with the ASUS P5W and 2.9Ghz on Xbit-Labs.
However on a Swedish site they reach 2.9Ghz with the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3

http://www.sweclockers.com/articles_show.php?id=578&page=5

Wonder if the S3 has the same potential. The DS3 is like $10-15 more expensive so I'll go with it :>

 

[Barney Fife]

You are clearly uninformed. The conroe tops amd in every way, especially overclocking. 100% OC of the e6300 is pretty easy (means from 1.86ghz to 3.7ghz).

This is a guess.


Edit: I have no ****ing idea why the img tags don't work sometimes.

OK.

BTW, Please read the link Asus provided to get the broader picture.......
But rumor has it "OCing will always depend from board to board, and person to person". And word has it "3.0GHz has been reached many times by many inferior chips before Conroe a6300" And also rumor has it "That, No Ocing procedure is ever easy" But they're all rumors.
Mind as well that I said

"IMHO, X2 4400+ is one of the best very few OC-able dual-core CPUs out there. 2.8GHz on stock cooling.

Your confirmation is never needed here, http://www.behardware.com/articles/571-1/dual-core-athlon-64-x2-4800-and-4400.html

So Good Luck.

 

[Garfield_]

Is there any performance difference with 2MB or 4MB cache?

 

[Asus]

Is there any performance difference with 2MB or 4MB cache?

It can have a lot or not much at all. Depends what you do.

 

[Warbie]

Bear in mind that a chip is never guaranteed to overclock well. I know someone who has a 6300 and the Gigabyte mobo and can't get above 2.8. Then again - a Conroe at 2.8 is very, very fast, and still quicker than any AMD chip. Even a 'poor' 6300 is a great cpu.

I read a few reports that suggest the Asus board is better for higher clocks than the Gigabyte. How accurate these are I don't know, but more than a few people have replaced the Gigabyte with a P5W Deluxe and had better results when going above 3.5 gig. One guy on a forum I frequent has gone through quite a few Conroe chips (6300 to 6700s) and a variety of mobos and recommends the Gigabyte for the slower Core 2 Duos (6300 and 6400) and the Asus board for the rest. Again, this is just the findings of one guy, but he seems to know what he's doing, and has the cash to experiment with different setups.

I'm going for the 6600 and the p5W sometime in the next few months.

 

[The Brick]

E6300 @ 3.7Ghz

http://images.anandtech.com/reviews/motherboards/asus/asusp5b-core2unlocked/6300-525x7.jpg

That is on an Asus P5B Deluxe (quite a bit more expensive), but I'm getting that one.

http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2822



These are a few results of overclocking the E6300 on the Gigabyte GA-965P-S3.
http://home.comcast.net/~bernie.ott/CORE2OC.html


Edit: Warbie, for now the P5B is better, and cheaper. The P5W has the i975p chipset, the P5B has the superior i965p. So I think you'd do better by getting a P5B Deluxe. Read this too
http://www.anandtech.com/mb/showdoc.aspx?i=2822, it shows that the E6300 reaches higher speeds than the E6600.


Edit2: I just found this article about different memory types for Core 2 Duo. http://www.madshrimps.be/?action=getarticle&number=1&artpage=1962&articID=472

 

[Garfield_]

The Asus P5B Deluxe a while bit more expensive, can't afford that one. The Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 is expensive but I can afford it. Now only bad thing is that if you OC your CPU it'll OC the memory and graphicscard too right?
So I need to get good cooling for that, which will cost me even more

 

[destrukt]

E6300 ftw ! I have it + GA-965P-S3 (Costs $119 on Newegg for you Americans).

I've OC my CPU a fair bit and my RAM/GPU have been left alone.

Wonder if the S3 has the same potential. The DS3 is like $10-15 more expensive so I'll go with it :>

I've hit around 2.7 with no problems on my S3. The DS3 is another $80 for us Aussies compared to the S3.

 

[Asus]

Just set the memory ratio to either OC with your CPU 1:1 ratio (gives you better performance with the sub system and memory) or set it lower so it doesn't limit your CPU OCing.

Most system these days allow you to lock the AGP/PCI bus. If you didn't lock it then it would limit your OCing a lot and could cause data corruption along the IDE bus.

 

[Barney Fife]

Now only bad thing is that if you OC your CPU it'll OC the memory and graphicscard too right?

It depends on the MB, even though the CPU is the component that’s actually being OC-ed, The MB and her BIOS is what makes possible to keep system stable. Like I said: All motherboards aren't created equal, and all Ocing stability various from MB to MB, in regard to BIOS layout and the ability of the BIOS to control all components and their respective buses in order, and in good manner.
The solidness of the motherboard to take the OCing side-effect and to withstand the abuse, during the long and tedious battle to becoming stable, will show the quality of MB. Some MBs will simply die at the first or the second OCing procedure.
MB, CPU, RAM and AGP/PCIe will have the system crashing in countless times.
OS will start to corrupt and drivers will be damaged beyond recognition.
Some MBs are more stable (In OCing situation) than others. Some are very complex and all components in the BIOS's settings will have to be set accordingly to get stable (Auto will not work in OCing).
These complex MBs are matter of fact the ones that do 24hrs Prime95, and over 3000 points at 3DMark, if the settings are right and components cooperate in a firm fashion.
Best way to OC is the hard-way, mostly trial and error basis.
Once you OC CPU’s FSB everything else that’s associated with will also be (Positively or negatively) effected. They also must be adjusted accordingly to either keep up or fallback in-line with FSB and her multiplier.
AGP, PCIe Buses must be adjusted.
RAMS must be adjusted and timed.
Volts of every component will also have to be adjusted accordingly.
A little bit of over-volting will result frying, a little bit of under-volting will also result bottle-necking and BSOD. A good MB combined with an up-to-date BIOS, prevents this from happening, and will play as peacekeeper between you and components.
Also you must know and understand that once you OC, Warranties could be void. (Use at your own risk and expenses)
PSU will also play a major role when OCing to provide stable flaw of currents and must provide over-charge protection. So PSU shouldn't be overlooked.

Do the reading. Visit places like Extreme Overclocking here http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/ register with them and ask them whatever you wish, They're pretty cool people over there.

Read reviews of the motherboard you intent to buy, AnandTech is your best bet http://www.anandtech.com/ or read the reviews of the people who bought the MB at retailer's feedback.

DO NOT (Under any circumstance) OC system through OS. You will ruin system.

Good Luck.

 

[Majestic XII]

I'd say Intel too. I was a AMD nut before they released the Conroe but I have to say... They overclock like a dream. I started my E6600 up on 3Ghz (stock 2.4Ghz) directly without any problems. It's not a massive overclock, but it's great that you can expect a 600Mhz (minimum!) overclock right out of the box. I will overclock it more tonight if I have the time.

 

[Black_Wolf]

I will stay with AMD,I dont support Israeli products anymore

 

[Reaktor4]

Have to say amd x2, because i am against giving money to intel.

 

[Spoonoop]

I'm going with AMD because I'm afraid of change. I believe it when I hear that the Intel processors are better and faster, but I just can't do it

 

[The Brick]

I believe it when I hear that the Intel processors are better and faster

They are, by far. There are TONS of reviews to point that out.

This is just one of them. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2duo-shootout.html

 

[Barney Fife]

There are AMD born fans and then, there are Intel born fans. We'll see who comes up on top.
PC technology is still speeding faster than light, so I would suggest the AMD guys stick around and see what's coming around the corner. Intel is just matching up what AMD has been enjoying all these years. unlocking the FSB multiplier is one of them, while AMD already went to the bank and cashed the check.

I'm an AMD fan, and most of AMD fans enjoy what they got, while Intel fans now celebrate for this "Intel Breakthrough" we have been ruling.

AMD is back on the drawing board and coming up with yet another brilliant idea. So Let's not over react and let these poor Intel guys enjoy the celebration they very much deserve. :afro:

 

[The Brick]

I don't do fanboyism. AMD won all the time for the past few years. Now Intel clearly won this round, so if you're upgrading or buying a new system any time soon, Intel is the best choice. These things happen all the time. It would surprise me if AMD don't come up with something equal or better. But for the moment, Intel is the leader.

People should be judging the products, not the brands.

 

[Barney Fife]

I don't do fanboyism.

Oh Yeah? So what's that in your Sig? That thing about the F!@#$% Hero?

Intel is been selling just a name for "God knows how long" and AMD is been the underdog.
To beat AMD products now is to buy an over a thousand dollar Conroe. I'm a fan-boy because that's how much I hate Intel and her products. And like I said 60-70 percent of PC-Gamers use AMD and love what they have.
I'm suggesting to people not to buy an over priced chips from Intel and wait and see what AMD is got under the sleeves, then you can compare.

See you are comparing something that is been in existence for the last two years to something that just came out, and over priced. And also keep in mind that socket 939 is out and will no longer ship from AMD and is discontinued. also most top of the line AMD chips have their prices unbelievable slashed, which tells you something new is coming out of AMD.

Hang tight and don't rush.


Trust me I do this for living.

good Luck.

 

[Majestic XII]

Oh Yeah? So what's that in your Sig? That thing about the F!@#$% Hero?

Intel is been selling just a name for "God knows how long" and AMD is been the underdog.
To beat AMD products now is to buy an over a thousand dollar Conroe. I'm a fan-boy because that's how much I hate Intel and her products. And like I said 60-70 percent of PC-Gamers use AMD and love what they have.
I'm suggesting to people not to buy an over priced chips from Intel and wait and see what AMD is got under the sleeves, then you can compare.

See you are comparing something that is been in existence for the last two years to something that just came out, and over priced. And also keep in mind that socket 939 is out and will no longer ship from AMD and is discontinued. also most top of the line AMD chips have their prices unbelievable slashed, which tells you something new is coming out of AMD.

Hang tight and don't rush.


Trust me I do this for living.

good Luck.

What would you get if youre getting a new cpu? A E6600 for £225 or a AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 for £540? The E6600 is a bit faster than the AMD chip and a LOT cheaper. It's not a hard decision to do.

I know what you mean though, but theres no point in waiting for Q1 - Q2 of 2007 just to get a AMD chip if you can get a good conroe now. You shouldnt wait for computer parts, there will always be better ones down the road.

Fanboyism isnt a good thing. Just look at the idiots going at it at the console threads... people laugh at them.

 

[The Brick]

Oh Yeah? So what's that in your Sig? That thing about the F!@#$% Hero?`

Ehm, that's more of a joke about something most of you don't know, and if I would post what it was about I'd get banned.

Intel is been selling just a name for "God knows how long" and AMD is been the underdog.

Intel was AMD's superior before AMD came up with the athlon XP cpu's. Intel tried to regain market share by introducing the pentium D, which wasn't as good as AMD's. They failed and AMD took the lead for quite a while. Up till now since Intel introduced the Core 2 Duo cpus. They were faster, cheaper, cooler, more energy effecient and overclock really, really well. AMD responded by cutting the prices bigtime. Now if you look at the standard stock speeds, AMD and Intel have about the same price/performance ratio. So they are not overpriced. But the Core 2 Duo chips overclock really far and easy, without the need for supercooling. That is exactly what makes Intel a better choice. You can get way more performance out of a cheap cpu.

To beat AMD products now is to buy an over a thousand dollar Conroe.

The E6300 (€180) can run at a 60% overclock (combined with a proper motherboard), on stock voltage and cooling, outperforming the AMD's FX-62.

I'm a fan-boy because that's how much I hate Intel and her products.

Biased, not a good thing.

And like I said 60-70 percent of PC-Gamers use AMD and love what they have.

True. But the new Intel cpus are a better choice if you buy a new computer around this time.

I'm suggesting to people not to buy an over priced chips from Intel and wait and see what AMD is got under the sleeves, then you can compare.

You can always wait for the upcoming hardware. It's a good choice to go for Intel now, if you planned to buy a new pc around this time. If you have a good enough pc and can last longer, then ofcourse it's better to wait what the next generation brings. But that's the next round, not this one.

See you are comparing something that is been in existence for the last two years to something that just came out, and over priced.

I'm comparing current technology. It's not overpriced, at all.

And also keep in mind that socket 939 is out and will no longer ship from AMD and is discontinued.

AM2 is the new platform.

also most top of the line AMD chips have their prices unbelievable slashed, which tells you something new is coming out of AMD.

AMD cut their prices in a response to the new Intel chips. The newest thing from AMD is the AM2 platform and it doesn't seem it's gonna change in the next few months.

Hang tight and don't rush.

Trust me I do this for living.

good Luck.

Rush? There's no rushing here. Intel introduced and released their chips, AMD responded, now the round is over and Intel won. Next round is somewhere Q1 2007.

 

[Icarusintel]

Rush? There's no rushing here. Intel introduced and released their chips, AMD responded, now the round is over and Intel won. Next round is somewhere Q1 2007.

Mmmmm... Kentsfield and 4x4.... I can;t wait.

 

[Barney Fife]

Ehm, that's more of a joke about something most of you don't know, and if I would post what it was about I'd get banned.

Ehm! Let’s not get into that then.

Intel was AMD's superior before AMD came up with the athlon XP cpu's. Intel tried to regain market share by introducing the pentium D, which wasn't as good as AMD's. They failed and AMD took the lead for quite a while. Up till now since Intel introduced the Core 2 Duo cpus. They were faster, cheaper, cooler, more energy effecient and overclock really, really well. AMD responded by cutting the prices bigtime. Now if you look at the standard stock speeds, AMD and Intel have about the same price/performance ratio. So they are not overpriced. But the Core 2 Duo chips overclock really far and easy, without the need for supercooling. That is exactly what makes Intel a better choice. You can get way more performance out of a cheap cpu.

You're right at the moment and I totally agree with you. What I’ve been saying in between the lines, is that: This Conroe is a very new chips, and so far there is only one MB and her (0507) BIOS supporting this "Conroe’s OC achievement" which is Asus’s P5B board. This was made possible by unlocking Conroe’s lower and higher multipliers, which makes it sound like Intel still doesn't get the big picture. So all I’m saying is that: There aren’t even lots of boards which supports this OCing fever, and waiting for few months till this Conroe gets mature and the rest of MBs catch up with it, isn’t a very bad idea. By waiting for few months can save you, lots of time, Money and headache. And then, who knows, AMD may announce something to match it up around the first or the second quarter of 2007 that AMD may introduce something new. We're almost in the last Quarter of 2006 so we're talking about 6 months from now. Any hardcore bargainer knows 6 months is really nothing.
The reason why AMD has discontinued and stop shipping 939 chips could tell us all, that something is definitely coming up from AMD, It could be faster much cooler AM2s or something totally new, But something is looming on the horizon.

The E6300 (€180) can run at a 60% overclock (combined with a proper motherboard), on stock voltage and cooling, outperforming the AMD's FX-62. Biased, not a good thing.

Well still this very early for anyone to upgrade to Conroe. I agree with you about the price and performance that these chips out perform AMD chips at the moments, but you can't even find a MB for these chips to support this crazy OCing. That’s how new they really are. You will either get an annoying sub-incompatible MBs which will crash in 10 minutes intervals, and will have you seeking support every day or RMA-ing every month or so.
Do you know that the only MB that fully supports Conroe’s OC (P5B) is hard to find now and probably overpriced? The factor of demand and supply?

True. But the new Intel cpus are a better choice if you buy a new computer around this time.

I can almost grantee you that anyone who buys Conroe now will have to upgrade MB in the coming few months. This is my real gut-feel talking.

Good Luck.

 

[The Brick]

True that by far not all mobo's can overclock well, but if you buy a good cpu with plans on OCing, you obviously look for a good mobo to do it on. There are a few mobos that have good OC results. They are:
-ASUS P5W DH series (975X)
-DFI Infinity or LANParty 975X/G
-ASUS P5B series (965P)
-Gigabyte 965P-DS3 or DS4 or DQ6

The Asus P5B is the currently the only one that supports unlocked multiplier with the newest bios update, making it by far the best choice for OCers. But the other ones will eventually be updated with support too, otherwise they will lose a great market share. The motherboards that support these giant OCs are for that sole reason not overpriced. For the avarage overclocker the Gigabyte DA-965P-S3 is the best choice, which is about $120.

Btw, 6 months is a long wait if you planned on buying a new pc now.

I can almost grantee you that anyone who buys Conroe now will have to upgrade MB in the coming few months.

Why?

 

[Barney Fife]

True that by far not all mobo's can overclock well, but if you buy a good cpu with plans on OCing, you obviously look for a good mobo to do it on. There are a few mobos that have good OC results. They are:
-ASUS P5W DH series (975X)
-DFI Infinity or LANParty 975X/G
-ASUS P5B series (965P)
-Gigabyte 965P-DS3 or DS4 or DQ6

The Asus P5B is the currently the only one that supports unlocked multiplier with the newest bios update, making it by far the best choice for OCers. But the other ones will eventually be updated with support too, otherwise they will lose a great market share.

See there you said it. Only P5B is the sole standing fully compatible MB out there for Conroe. $230-275.
I really hate to buy a MB or any hardware (For that matter) and then deal with Tech-Support and practically beg an update. Not me.
I wait and wait for new stuffs to mature, their drivers updated, their bugs and glitches are rooted out, and then I carefully buy.
This is the same thing I tell my multibillion-dollar customers “You sure wouldn't jump into a canoe, a man said he made, without putting stones in it, first, and then, see whether it floats, now, would ya? Because none of them have the patience and time to wait for an “Update” for something they just paid thousands of dollar for. And most of them will freaking sue.
As you can see my Sig I don’t really have to upgrade, as most of people, I believe. (IMHO) 90% of gamers, throughout the world do have same or better system than mine, and since hardware prices aren’t so expensive like couple of years ago, when the 6800 Ultra stayed and wouldn't move from $500-600 for a very long time until PCIe was introduced, is not like that anymore.
Most gamers do have a decent system and IMHO no one is desperate for Conroe, but we are all very, very curious about Conroe.

Me I have the time and I can spare it, until dust settles, and that goes out to AMD as well.
But I sure like to try it out and see what Conroe is able to do.
Maybe I will become Intel Fanboy. Who knows?

Why?

Like I said “All MB aren’t created equal”. There are more MBs to come for this Conroe. The MBs that does the Conroe magic is very Picky on RAMS and isn’t a SLI board, to begin with and very expensive at the moment.
I can find few other limitations on this but lets begin with them first.
Would you pay for something that doesn’t have the whole options for over $200.00? There are lots of limitations here, all the bells and whistles do tell me to wait. My LP UT 250G cost me around $120.00 and it does magic on my 3400+. Simple.

Then again this is my opinion and I rather stick by it.

Good Luck.

 

[-Psy-]

I don't see the problem.

It's not like Conroe has ended AMD or anything because DDR3 and a new HyperTransport model is coming along next year.

Maybe that will turn the tables but tbh, I couldn't give a crap as long as my pc can run all the latest games at a playable fps

 

[Barney Fife]

I don't see the problem.

It's not like Conroe has ended AMD or anything because DDR3 and a new HyperTransport model is coming along next year.

Maybe that will turn the tables but tbh, I couldn't give a crap as long as my pc can run all the latest games at a playable fps

Ditto

 

[Garfield_]

True that by far not all mobo's can overclock well, but if you buy a good cpu with plans on OCing, you obviously look for a good mobo to do it on. There are a few mobos that have good OC results. They are:
-ASUS P5W DH series (975X)
-DFI Infinity or LANParty 975X/G
-ASUS P5B series (965P)
-Gigabyte 965P-DS3 or DS4 or DQ6

The Asus P5B is the currently the only one that supports unlocked multiplier with the newest bios update, making it by far the best choice for OCers. But the other ones will eventually be updated with support too, otherwise they will lose a great market share. The motherboards that support these giant OCs are for that sole reason not overpriced. For the avarage overclocker the Gigabyte DA-965P-S3 is the best choice, which is about $120.

Btw, 6 months is a long wait if you planned on buying a new pc now.


Why?

Got interested in the Asus P5B as it is quite cheap. Is there a difference with the Deluxe and non-deluxe version of this?

So this is my setup I guess.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300

Asus - Socket 775 - ATX Intel P965 (P5B DELUXE) - SATA / DDR2 / Gblan

Corsair Value S. DDR2 512MB PC2-5300 667MHz CL5

For now I'll try finding a cheap/used PCI-E graphicscard until the X1900XT drop in price. Then I'll buy 3 more 512mb sticks before christmas. My plan is to use this as a gaming machine and overclock it, what do you think?

 

[The Brick]

Well whatever you do, it doesn't seem you need that overclock performance just yet. You'll have a great mobo with a great cpu with alot of potential, but not an opportunity to use it yet. When you get the 2gb ram and a new graphics card (the x1900xt already dropped in price), even then the cpu will unlikely be the bottleneck of the system for now. Untill next gen games come out and you need a new graphics card. For that you gotta have a faster cpu too and there's the thing, you already have it.

As long as it doesn't bottleneck the system, don't overclock it for the reasons Warbie posted right here.

 

[Garfield_]

I've always been an ATI fanboy and I really do love ATI cards, great performance. But now the XFX 7900GT 256mb has a great price so I was wondering If I should buy it now and buy another and use it in SLI more close to christmas.

7900GT should be able to run Crysis on maximum detail right? compared to one single X1900XT, wont last long.