I used to keep up with all this back in HS but ive been so out of it for so long I have lost touch with all the new hardware. I am currently running a core 2 32bit laptop with 2 gig ram and I am thinking its time for an upgrade to a desktop. I am thinkin about building it myself but I am having trouble figuring out what processors to look at.
What is a decent processor for a reasonable amount of money? The last I heard the i7's were at the top. Is this still true? Any tips?
Thanks
The i7s havent really taken off yet. For extreme gaming, hardcore CAD etc...
Core2 is still popular for gaming (with the core quad for high end, but IMHO a high end Core2Duo is very similar in most games to a low end quad-core and about the same price.
I was looking at the core 2 quads and I was liking their price points. Thanks for the help that put me more at ease.
Best bang for the $ imo atm are the AMD processors. Jump over to the dark side :D
I prefer the core2 though compared to the X2. You can overclock them with ease too. But yeah, they are cheaper. So for a home user, definately, but virtually every gamer i know thouh uses Core2 now (the exact opposite of a few years ago).
I'm on the core2, had a Q9550 for a while now and it hasn't let me down.
If I were buying now I'd look at the i7 920 but since that needs an X58 board it's not exactly a budget option.
I do hear good things about AMD's new processors, but couldn't bring myself to go there just yet.
Enjoy reading the mountains of reviews ;)
I prefer the core2 though compared to the X2. You can overclock them with ease too. But yeah, they are cheaper. So for a home user, definately, but virtually every gamer i know thouh uses Core2 now (the exact opposite of a few years ago).
A lot of the X2's can have the disabled cores unloacked and you get a very cheap quad core :).
Piece of cake to overclock too. My 940Black Edition can go from 3GHz to 3.6GHz with no problem just by upping the multi. Only a 0.025vcore bump too.
Runs a lot cooler too than an Intel.
Chap on another forum is chuffed that his i7 920 runs at 75C full load under water at 3.6GHz. Mine at the same frequency hits about 45C.
I do hear good things about AMD's new processors, but couldn't bring myself to go there just yet.Enjoy reading the mountains of reviews ;)
Admittedly, AMD chips are not on par with the high end Intel chips, but they are making great inroads, especially for a company that is walking a financial razor blade.
Well if you want gaming on the budget, go for AMD Phenom II x3 720 Black Edition. This one costs around 110$ and is extremely nice for gaming. It beats all the core 2 duo's and some intel Quad cores out there which cost over 180$.
I recently build a PC with this processor + 9800GT and I am running Crysis, MW2, and every other game at High settings with extremely smooth playable frame-rate.
Plus this little processor is capable of extreme overclocking. But if you are looking at Quad core's, do keep in mind AMD's Phenom II x4. The black editions will beat the crap out of most Intel Quad's except the i7's.
So basically if you are on Budget AMD is the way to go, but if you got money to spend go for the i7's, you wont be disappointed.
PS: IMHO i7's are bit of a stretch for just gaming right now. I would go for the phenom II x4 black edition if i was to spend about 200$ for a processor.
Im gonna go old school for this one, but ive had extremely good reliability with the Pentium class and Celeron class processors. Ive got a gaming rig at home with a Pentium 4 2.4ghz and ive over clocked it to 2.85 GHz. it gives my Core 2 Duo Vista machine a run for its money.
Its all about what your building it for. If your building a gaming machine, then i would suggest the Core 2 class of processors. If your not a frequent gamer then i would suggest the dual core pentium class processors.
Also make sure you get a good graphics card. I would suggest an ATI Radeon HD 4850
Im gonna go old school for this one, but ive had extremely good reliability with the Pentium class and Celeron class processors. Ive got a gaming rig at home with a Pentium 4 2.4ghz and ive over clocked it to 2.85 GHz. it gives my Core 2 Duo Vista machine a run for its money.
Its all about what your building it for. If your building a gaming machine, then i would suggest the Core 2 class of processors. If your not a frequent gamer then i would suggest the dual core pentium class processors.
Also make sure you get a good graphics card. I would suggest an ATI Radeon HD 4850
HD 4850 is an overkill for pentium class processors....You SHOULD get AL LEAST a Core 2 Duo if you want to utilize the full potential of HD 4850!
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