So..I like games-- Which AMD processor...

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calikool

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
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I use to follow the CPUs and GPUs pretty well but work gets crazy and I've been out of it for awhile. I like games qutie a bit! Which AMD processor is geared more towards the game fans? There are the AMD 64s and the AMD FX porcessors. I assume the FX. Some guidance needed.

Thanks
 
In my opinion, there isn't enough performance gain to justify buying an Athlon FX processor over the standard Athlon 64 chips. What is your budget?
 
I hate to say it in this forum.. not trying to thread crap (I do have a X2 4800+ waiting for my video card to arrive before I get it in a system ;)).. I think it might be better to go with an Intel Core 2 Duo, the current generation of AMD Processors just can't keep up in the high end, and I've seen some huge overclocks on the C2D.

Now if you're set on AMD, you might want to look at the AM2 5000+, or maybe 5200+.. 4800+/4600+ if you're going S939. FX's from what I've seen in price just aren't worth the substantial amount of money for the small amount of performance gain.
 
Well depends on if he has a 939 MB and DDR Ram :D If not its not a bad upgrade to go Conroe, but if he allready has most of the stuff to build without spending a ton of cash. Why not buy the AMD 64 or FX.

I say make use of what you have allready and maybe wait until after the first of the year when the MB's mature abit more ;) For Conroe.

But either way you will be happy with either build.
 
You have a few options...I'd suggest getting a midrange X2 if your keen on AMD (which you should be :p). Get a X4200-4600+ and buy some good ram then overclock it to FX speeds. The only reason FX is good is because the multiplier is unlocked (which is sexy but not worth the burn in the pocket).
 
I've read some of the other posts and it looks like the Conroe is the new pimped out processor to play around with.

I built my machine back in 2000 so I have a AMD XP 1800 right now with 1 gig of DDR1 memory on a old Abit Nforce 1 chipset. My vidcard is a ATI 9600xt My box is pretty outdated. 4 ata133 hard drives.

So I'm looking for a big boost from what I have. I have to get RAM, Proc, new SATA HDs, GPU, either a sound blaster or use onboard sound. Not sure what would be the best investment to get ahead with $2,000.

If I went for the intel core due proc what would you all suggest?
 
calikool said:
I've read some of the other posts and it looks like the Conroe is the new pimped out processor to play around with.

I built my machine back in 2000 so I have a AMD XP 1800 right now with 1 gig of DDR1 memory on a old Abit Nforce 1 chipset. My vidcard is a ATI 9600xt My box is pretty outdated. 4 ata133 hard drives.

So I'm looking for a big boost from what I have. I have to get RAM, Proc, new SATA HDs, GPU, either a sound blaster or use onboard sound. Not sure what would be the best investment to get ahead with $2,000.

If I went for the intel core due proc what would you all suggest?
Click to expand...

I would head over to the Intel forum and start a new thread.
 
My advice is to go single processor, you get amazing returns for your money right now with the Athlon 64 series and though a few games are optimized for dual processing it's extremely, extremely difficult to do dual processing on games for a variety of reasons that a professional programmer is going to be able to explain to you better than I can. Yes, dual processing is nice but if you're not going to use it why buy it? You will always have to upgrade again at some point and trust me, you feel a lot better moving on to a new system when your older system was a bargain to begin with.

You say you're using DDR right now? Is it PC3200? Because to me that's all the more reason to stay cheap with AMD because you'll be able to hold onto your RAM. My advice is to get the ASROCK 939Dual-VSTA and the Athlon 64 3200+.

Look up how cheap that is. It's going to be a gigantic improvement from what you're using now. After you buy that save your money and wait for the hardware out there to mature.
 
pZ|fox said:
You say you're using DDR right now? Is it PC3200? Because to me that's all the more reason to stay cheap with AMD because you'll be able to hold onto your RAM. My advice is to get the ASROCK 939Dual-VSTA and the Athlon 64 3200+.
Click to expand...

My memory is really old too. It's Crucial Non-parity DDR PC2100
 
calikool said:
My member is really old too. It's Crucial Non-parity DDR PC2100
Click to expand...

LOL, that's [H]ardcore [O]ldskool RAM d00d! :eek: Not much use in this day and age I'm afraid. No chance of reusing that on a current rig.

Anyhow, what kind of budget are you looking at? Core 2 Duos are currently the best gaming CPUs, but if you can't afford $200 for a CPU then the low end X2s or single core A64s are still quite decent.
 
PZlfox had a good suggestion. I went over to Newegg to check out some prices.

ASRock 939Dual-VSTA Socket 939 ULi M1695 ATX AMD Motherboard - $66.99
CORSAIR XMS 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model CMX1024-3200C2PT - $119
I could possibly get 2 modules

and for the Proc...

AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2.2GHz Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3700BNBOX - Retail $102

I decided on this on because I figured it was a bit aster that the 3200+ and it had 1MB of L2 cache.

This would be a pretty cheap upgrade. I can ditch my old sound blaster audiolgy and use the onboard sound. I don't have a gigabit LAN so no worries there. Plus it will still work with my old school hard drives.
 
intel setup

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115005 $189
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128012 $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185116 $29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822152025 $69 (amazing drive for 69)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227124 $184 After MIR (great deal)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103512 $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150160 $559 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817711001 $99 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381 $329

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822136012 $199 after $20 MIR

$2,174.20 shipped to my house :) tax included.

but that is not including Mail in Rebates.... about $200 in MIR :)

it is amazing what you can do with $2000... no case but i assumed you had one if you dont get a 74 gb raptor not a 150 and get a $100-200 case Lian Lis are my favorite..

that was fun... all intel in an AMD thread but hey it was still fun


oh and includes new RAM 2xgb DDR2 800 and a 21" or 20.1" cant remember viewsonic LCD if you dont need it get something else with the money.. :)
 
Adidas4275 said:
intel setup

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115005 $189
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128012 $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185116 $29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822152025 $69 (amazing drive for 69)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227124 $184 After MIR (great deal)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103512 $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150160 $559 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817711001 $99 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381 $329

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822136012 $199 after $20 MIR

$2,174.20 shipped to my house :) tax included.

but that is not including Mail in Rebates.... about $200 in MIR :)

it is amazing what you can do with $2000... no case but i assumed you had one if you dont get a 74 gb raptor not a 150 and get a $100-200 case Lian Lis are my favorite..

that was fun... all intel in an AMD thread but hey it was still fun


oh and includes new RAM 2xgb DDR2 800 and a 21" or 20.1" cant remember viewsonic LCD if you dont need it get something else with the money.. :)
Click to expand...

I agree to go with some good stuff like what is recommended above. I don't agree with all the choices (I wouldn't touch Samsung if my life depeneded on it, too many bad experiences with them), but a good C2D processor and good mobo is where you should start. Personally, I like the Asus P5B Deluxe Wireless board. It was $250 or more just a couple weeks ago, now you can find it as low as $206:

http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4802815

It's out of stock right now, but if you click on the notify me button, you'll know when it comes back in. I've been watching and they get a shipment about once a week it seems, though they sell out pretty quickly. If you don't mind paying a bit more, ZipZoomFly had the board for $225, which is still a good price. The Gig DS3 above is a good board, but the Asus has more features from what I've read. Either way, no matter what board you get, research what RAM works best on that board. If you can afford it, build the system from scratch and you'll get the most out of it... ;)
 
Unless you use your PC as a gaming console, I would disregard what the other guy said and go with a dual core processor. Having that extra processor speeds up the computer any time it's trying more than one thread at a time, and since every XP install I've ever seen has more than one running process, this is a good thing. Not everyone who has dual core decides to encode video while playing counter-strike: source, but then on the other hand it's nice to not have your game slow to a crawl if your anti-virus automatically starts scanning in the background.

Besides, from how long your current rig has lasted you, you seem to be of the "buy large, upgrade every 2-4 years" school of thought. In December quad-core will be out, at least for Intel, and eighteen months after that 8-core machines will either be out or just around the corner. Like it or not, multi-core is here to stay, and if you want your rig to last you're better off getting it.

I'd get either a nice Core 2 Duo or AM2 rig. The Core 2 rig is probably the better buy, but either system will serve you well and provide a wealth of upgrade opportunities (Core 2 Duo -> Kentsfield, AM2 -> K8L).
 
Adidas4275 said:
intel setup

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115005 $189
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128012 $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185116 $29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822152025 $69 (amazing drive for 69)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227124 $184 After MIR (great deal)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103512 $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150160 $559 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817711001 $99 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381 $329

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822136012 $199 after $20 MIR

$2,174.20 shipped to my house :) tax included.

but that is not including Mail in Rebates.... about $200 in MIR :)

it is amazing what you can do with $2000... no case but i assumed you had one if you dont get a 74 gb raptor not a 150 and get a $100-200 case Lian Lis are my favorite..

that was fun... all intel in an AMD thread but hey it was still fun


oh and includes new RAM 2xgb DDR2 800 and a 21" or 20.1" cant remember viewsonic LCD if you dont need it get something else with the money.. :)
Click to expand...

not to thread crap.. but the title is which AMD processor not intel.
I think any AM2 X2 Series or Fx series are great, depends on how much you want to spend
 
That may be what he titled the thread, but later he said this:

calikool said:
I've read some of the other posts and it looks like the Conroe is the new pimped out processor to play around with.
<snip>
If I went for the intel core due proc what would you all suggest?
Click to expand...
 
Adidas4275 said:
intel setup

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115005 $189
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813128012 $139
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185116 $29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822152025 $69 (amazing drive for 69)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227124 $184 After MIR (great deal)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817103512 $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150160 $559 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817711001 $99 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824116381 $329

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822136012 $199 after $20 MIR

$2,174.20 shipped to my house :) tax included.

but that is not including Mail in Rebates.... about $200 in MIR :)

it is amazing what you can do with $2000... no case but i assumed you had one if you dont get a 74 gb raptor not a 150 and get a $100-200 case Lian Lis are my favorite..

that was fun... all intel in an AMD thread but hey it was still fun


oh and includes new RAM 2xgb DDR2 800 and a 21" or 20.1" cant remember viewsonic LCD if you dont need it get something else with the money.. :)
Click to expand...

You want a X1900XT/XTX, don't waste $300.
 
wtburnette said:
Believe it or not, some people prefer NVIDIA... ;)
Click to expand...

Very true, personally I use ATI, but alot of it depends on what game you play, or what software you run.
 
If you are on eof those who builds a new box every 3-4 years or so, I would wait a few months, then build a screamin' Kentsfield, DX-10, DDR3?, etc. rig that'll last you a few years.

If you really need to build now, I would go Core2Duo, even though I have really always been an AMD guy. The new chips are just too fast to deny.
 
Just thought I'd through in my opinion as well.

First off, when it comes to Games, I think any Dual Core processor, regardless of AMD or Intel will perform well for you. While it's true that the C2D is faster, you'll really only garner the extra performance in non-game types of use such as Multi-media encoding for DVD production, video ripping and other mult-media oriented tasks. Again, you mention "I like games", so from a gaming aspect the idea of purchasing the lowest price dual core is entirely valid.

As for games, and while HardOCP got flak for it (see their article http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTEwOCwxLCxobmV3cw==), you'll find that all current titles are really not going to perform that much different when used on the different cores. Of course external benchies that game at 640x480 or 800x600 to remove the GPU limitation does show that the C2D has faster performance. But are you going to game at those resolutions or higher.

Saving money on the CPU will allow you to invest in a higher performance GPU.

So for less than $153.00 now, I'd recommend a X2 3800+ that you can put the overclock on and then invest more heavily into the graphics solution.

IF you simply want the bragging rights of faster PCmark04 scores, or gaming results at 640x480 then by all means go for the highest performing CPU, which is "currently" the C2D EX6800.
 
With the dual core, I suppose I can lower the volume on DOD and run around while watching a movie playing without a huge performance impact.

The dual cores do look nice but I figure I can upgrade big in a little while. My current machine would make a great linux box, or just a multi purpose storage media box for all of that "media" on the internet.

Setup the D-link 4300 router and download pretty heavy without impact the the new system or it's internet connection too much.

Theh AMD chip 3700 has a 1MB L2 cache and the 3800+ with 512KB L2 cache. I figure bigger is better.
Is getting an AMD processor such as the Opteron. I think that is more server side. I think it's the only one that newegg.com says it has "Virtualization Technology Support:"

Is "Virtualization Technology Support:" important or only if you're running VMware and multi servers on one computer?
 
Incase you guys didn't realize from the gaming benchmarks [H] did a while back with the Conroe vs AMD, it all comes down to the graphics card unless you game at 1024x768. There is no denying clock for clock the conroe's are faster at integer calcs and media encoding though.
 
w1retap said:
Incase you guys didn't realize from the gaming benchmarks [H] did a while back with the Conroe vs AMD, it all comes down to the graphics card unless you game at 1024x768. There is no denying clock for clock the conroe's are faster at integer calcs and media encoding though.
Click to expand...

Definitely, but if you're building a system from scratch nowadays, the Conroe chips make sense. Esp. if you're gonna pair it up with a good video card... ;)
 
wtburnette said:
Definitely, but if you're building a system from scratch nowadays, the Conroe chips make sense. Esp. if you're gonna pair it up with a good video card... ;)
Click to expand...
or in the case of video card(s) in SLI, amd would still be the better choice as much as I like the quickness of the conroe. ;)
 
w1retap said:
or in the case of video card(s) in SLI, amd would still be the better choice as much as I like the quickness of the conroe. ;)
Click to expand...

Very true. SLI should be supported sometime soon on the intel chipsets, but aren't at this time. I've heard that NVIDIA has a 590(?) chipset that does SLI, but the chipset has some problems from what I've read. At this time, if you want SLI, AMD is definitely the way to go. That's one of the reasons I'm keeping my main system in my specs. I'm ordering my second 7900GT this week and that'll make my system faster then having a Conroe upgrade and cost a hell of a lot less. My LAN party box, which has a P4 3.2Ghz processor is another matter though... ;)
 
You seem like you don't know how to overclock, which is fine. If you decide you want to learn more, you can squeeze a lot more out a good system, but it takes PATIENCE and a willingness to LEARN.

Therein lies the issue. See, you can save money by getting a low end dual core AMD and overclocking it to a higher spec for free, and that can go into better video/ram. If you won't be overclocking, a Core 2 Duo makes more sense for the following reasons:

1. High power stock
2. can be overclocked well above an AMD, with good power/heatsink
3. Will hold as a powerful computer for a long time

Not to say AMD isn't powerful, it most certainly is. It really comes down to budget, and based on that you will be spending as much on an AMD rig as an Intel rig assuming all new parts. If you were into overclocking and had a tight budget, I would just recommend an X2 3800+ and 2GB DDR2 667 low latency.
 
calikool said:
CORSAIR XMS 1GB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model CMX1024-3200C2PT - $119.
Click to expand...

If you're going to have 1GB RAM get 2x512MB so you can run dual channel. If you're going to go with 2GB you can get 2x1024MB, but you might save money going with 4x512MB if you're on a budget.
 
Boltaction said:
If you were into overclocking and had a tight budget, I would just recommend an X2 3800+ and 2GB DDR2 667 low latency.
Click to expand...

Not sure why you'd say that. Depends on just how tight his budget is. The E6300 is just as fast or faster (by most benchmarks, it's faster) and is only around $35 more then the x2 3800+. If his budget was really tight, it would be better for him to get a non-AM2 3800+ so he could save money by buying DDR RAM instead of DDR2... ;)

I'd still recommend Conroe though if building from scratch. I just think it makes more sense. Upgrading could be a different story, but if I was building from scratch I'd definitely go Conroe.
 
wtburnette said:
Not sure why you'd say that. Depends on just how tight his budget is. The E6300 is just as fast or faster (by most benchmarks, it's faster) and is only around $35 more then the x2 3800+.
Click to expand...

A good motherboard for a conroe is rather expensive in comparison.
 
Boltaction said:
A good motherboard for a conroe is rather expensive in comparison.
Click to expand...

Good boards for conroe chips run around $150 or less, which isn't too bad. Like I said, it really depends on the budget. If he's trying to go as cheap as possible, then he might wanna buy a 3800+ X2 and less expensive nForce4 mobo. Definitely that road would cost $100 - $150 less. If he goes DDR instead of DDR2, he can save even more (I think the price difference is what, $50 or $100 now isn't it? Haven't looked lately). Either way, even if the conroe system is $200 more, I'd personally spend the extra money if it was in the budget. I think it would be worth it in the long run, but that's just MHO.
 
wtburnette said:
If his budget was really tight, it would be better for him to get a non-AM2 3800+ so he could save money by buying DDR RAM instead of DDR2... ;)
Click to expand...

Wouldn't you think that buying DDR2 memory would be better investment than DDR for a future rig??
 
calikool said:
Wouldn't you think that buying DDR2 memory would be better investment than DDR for a future rig??
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I meant that if your budget was that tight, that would save you around $50 or so. To future proof your system, you'd want DDR2, but then, you'd want Conroe too. Conroe is faster, at least in benchmarks, but due to current programs you really can't see a huge difference now. In the future, more apps should take advantage of that extra speed and I think Conroe will be more of a benefit then it is now.
 
It looks like the first of the year then would be a good time to start buying a new rig. The prices on processors should fall and maybe DDR2 will be a bit cheaper in January or Feb. Lets hope that there aren't any fires at the foundries.
 
Personally as a gamer, I picked up a very cheap Athlon 64 3000+ and threw extra money towards my graphics card. Stretched my GPU budget from $200 to $280 and got myself a nice x1900 xt.

I'm very happy with my rig, CPU bottlenecking (if its there) doesn't bother me. I do wish I could run some firefox windows, aim, etc, while I play some newer games though.

You can get a 3000+ or 3200+ for about $60-70; I got a 1.8 > 2.6 ghz OC on my 3000+ with stock cooling.

I wouldn't spend $100 on a 3700+ single core chip at this point, if I passed up the 3000/3200+ options, I'd jump up to at least the X2 3800+.

Heck, I haven't found a single game that prompted me to upgrade my CPU since Unreal Tournament 2004. The only thing that sucks is my 3dmark06 score.

You might be able to still use that memory though, with a 1:2 ratio you could get close to 280 HTT or beyond.
 
I would have to definitely get new memory because nobody is playing nice with DDR 2100 anymore. I did have a question though. Some motherboards say that the RAM slots are DDR 800 and yet the sell DDR 900 or 1000 version. They are premium priced and a lot faster but it doesn't mean that they wouldn't work in a DDR 800 slot right?
 
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