well I was set on a x2 3800 a8n premium based system but now I'm thinking... hmmm gonnna blatently need 2GB ram which I'll have to wait and buy next month anyway so considering I'd be buying new ram and DDR/2 are pratically identical I should consider if its worth it to use Core2 instead otherwise I'll be cheating myself if i half arse it and rush out with the money I'll have next friday and go x2... so what I'm really asking is say 500quid what can i get thats really nice for gaming I know either 7900GS/GT/GTO but what motherboard and cpu? is a 6300 really worth it at 1.86GHz (apart from overclocking but also what will be the success rate when I buy them as as they keep manufacturing them usually the later ones are crapper tighter to overclock?) would a 6300 beat a x2 3800? should I get even more and go 6400? WHAT DDR2??? really comfused here. oh and would it par the system I would be choosing at the moment. asus a8n premium sli. leadtek 7900gto amd a64 s939 x2 3800 currently would have 2x512mb ram but would need 2x1gb i reckon considering how I'd like to take advantage of dual core... so is it worth it bar overclocking and also on the overclocking side? which system would be better (the ones you reccomend for me for conroe!) so what to get where to get and why.UK please... suggests for what motherboard and cpu please OH and CAN I use my brand new artic cooling freezer 64 cause I've bloody just bought it and using it on my 754 otherwise will be a waste... cheers
Have you by any chance heard of capitalisation, punctuation, etc? I'm finding it quite hard to read through that block of text you have thrown up. And without actually being able to go through the whole post, if you can squeeze a Core2 Duo processor into your budget, then definitely get that. They overclock very well too. Personally I am looking to upgrade to a Core2 Duo system in the near future. Was previously considering an AMD X2 system, but the performance and overclocking potential of the Core2 Duo is much better.
the e6300 at stock will blast the 3800 at stock...go with the core 2...and look at my sig, thats no voltage bumps and only have a aircooling and it runs 27-30c idle and 35-37c load...and im in a hot room in my house...and btw, ignore posts like the one above...if i wanted to worry about all that crap id have been an english teacher...
There's no guarantee when o/c'ing but then that stands for the X2_3800+ just as much as the C2D 6300. If you get a CPU that won't o/c much you can simply sell it on eBay (or similar) and go buy another one. It would still be cheaper than buying a higher-end CPU and the chances are incredibly slim of finding 2 duff clockers (whether you went X2 or C2D). The C2D are the performance kings, if you need a new mobo and RAM and can afford any C2D then it's a no brainer. The lower speed A64-X2 do offer great value for money though, if you have a decent mobo and DDR(1) then there's little point in forking out for C2D IMHO (DDR3 next year etc). Of course on a severe budget the single core A64 represent great value too. The best thing about the AMD route is the mature and o/c'able mobos, esp if you want nVidia SLI. Freezer 64 seems to be AMD only (754, 939 & 940) so it seems not AM2 (as usual) and certainly not an Intel inc C2D. Still there will be plenty of takers I'm sure.
cd2>any x2 processor imo, i work next to a lan center and seein these people bring their computers in is cool but seeing their benchmark and superpi scores just puts a smile on my face, even w/o overclocking a 6300 can hang with an x2 thats double the price. simply said go with a conroe, and btw dont go by speeds anymore, as said by many its not about speed anymore because a conroe runs 65nm and most others are all 90nm. just look for benchmarks bro you should find all your anwsers
ok probably sold but What Mobo and Ram for the C2D then? UK suppliers please people as i have no idea what motherboard let alone what ram... say 160 for ram? 130ish for mobo? what you guys have who run C2D and whats your experiences been like with your parts...
i have the gigabyte p965 ds3...if u dont need sli or crossfire, probably ur best bet...not sure what it goes for over there...only issue i had was mine didnt want to update the bios, so i had to do a work around...runs great...you see my sig and that is with no voltage bumps and on air cooling...id go corsair as my research has turned up alot of probs with any other ram on the gigabyte board unless u go with 667 mhz or less...mine is 800 and runs beautifully...5268 on 3dmark06 and 20 seconds on 1m superpi
Memory for you: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/GSkill_Memory.html G.Skill 2GB DDR2 NR PC2-6400 (2x1GB) CAS5 Dual Channel Kit (F2-6400PHU2-2GBNR) (MY-014-GS) G.Skill, the well known extreme performance provider, today launches their new DDR2-800 CL5-5-5-15 memory, F2-6400PHU2-2GBNR, to fulfill the DDR2-800 segment. No matter you are using Intel or AMD latest DDR2 platform, GSkill F2-6400PHU2-2GBNR all can speed them up. - Package : 2048MB kit (2x1GB) dual channel pack - CAS Latency : 5-5-5-5-15 (PC2-6400) - Test Voltage : 1.9-2.0 V - Speed : DDR2 800MHz (PC2-6400) - Type : 240-pin DDR2 - Error Checking : Non-ECC - Registered/Unbuffered : Unbuffered - Quality Control : Comprehensive rigorously tested in pair at dual channel environment - Warranty : Lifetime Price: £139.99 (£164.49 Including VAT at 17.5%) As we dont know if you want to run an SLI system, im just pointing out a possible motherboard. Motherboard: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Asus_177.html Asus P5NSLI nForce 570 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (MB-179-AS) If you hesitate to upgrade your PC to NVIDIA® SLI™ platform because of high expenses, ASUS P5NSLI provides you another choice to still get extreme gaming performance but with less payment. ASUS P5NSLI, which supports two NVIDIA® SLI-ready graphic cards, is equipped with many outstanding features, including the exclusive two-slot thermal design, fanless design, O.C. Profile and Precision Tweaker for maximizing gaming and intensive 3D graphics performance. This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™2 processors in LGA775 package. With new Intel® Core™ microarchitecture technology and 1066 / 800 MHz FSB, Intel® Core™2 processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPU in the world. - Intel® LGA775 Platform - Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Duo Ready - Intel® Pentium® D / Pentium® 4 / Celeron® D Ready - Dual-channel DDR2 667/533 - NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology - ASUS Q-Connector - ASUS O.C. Profile Price: £69.99 (£82.24 Including VAT at 17.5%) Hope this helps Sam
There is a problem if you want SLI and C2D. nVidia's nF5 for Intel (570) is pretty poor (even by nVidia's slipping standards) and it's over due for an update (590 for Intel). Intel's P965 chipset has been allowed multi-GPU by ATi for Crossfire but nVidia are not permitting SLI, even so it's not the best candidate anyway due to having x16/x4 slots instead of x8/x8 or x16/x16. Despite lack of a compelling multi-GPU mobo chipset C2D still gives awesome performance so don't be put off.
so what would you recommend going single 7900gto and just getting the http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acata...e_Asus_177.html Asus P5NSLI nForce 570 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (MB-179-AS) ??? or should i got for the http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=443854 ASUS P5N32SLI SE Deluxe NF4 SLI, S775, PCI-E (x16), DDR2 533/667/800, SATA II, SATA RAID, ATX i mean is the sli one worth it then if its crap the 570 nf5 chipset? shall i just stick to the non sli one? will that give me nice preformance as or is it more of a budget board?whats its nforce chipset like?is it a expensive non sli board or more of a value one? if not what should i get as a single pci-e x16 card?cheers for the heads up btw. OR GigaByte GA-965P-DS3 Motherboard ?
C2D is awesome but for various reasons there aren't any compelling mobo choices IMHO. I'd avoid the current Intel nForce mobos unless you're sure you want SLI in the near future. I haven't looked heavily into C2D but that Intel P965 Gigabyte mobo should be good, check a few reviews to make sure it's good (esp note o/c'ing and RAM compatibility). I'm probably being a little pedantic; there aren't hideous mobo choices out there (that I'm aware of) and you're likely to be happy whatever one you end up with. Anyway as for the gfx card choice 7900GS (looking to o/c and/or SLI) or 7900GTO are the most compelling choices IMHO, although 7950GT with its fast RAM speed and o/c'ing headroom is pretty nice too. ATi have some good cards too, most noticably X1900GT but also X1900XT and X1950XT (X1900XT will need a better cooler added). If you don't need Linux and would like HDR+AA then ATi are certainly worth considering; there's always a possibility of Crossfire on the pretty solid P965 mobos too. Biggest probs being with the messy cabling and Master Card issues versus hit and miss performance of dongless-Crossfire. Of course on P965 you also have x16/x4 instead of x8/x8 which isn't ideal.
Avoid the 570 Chipset like the plague, it has numerous well documented problems, just google. There should be some new chipsets emerging for C2D so it may be best to get a cheap P965 board (for the overclock) and wait.
I have been reading this thread but haven't commented due to not having anything to say really but I was quite taken aback that people still recommend the AM2, from what everyone has said it sounds like its not in the same ballpark as the CD2, but the prices arent all that different, so why would you buy one?
The only things AM2 has going for it are marginally lower prices, AFAIK better mobo selection (esp nForce SLI) and most likely better longevity than 939 or C2D. Intel are reportedly upping FSB next year and knowing them new mobo logic and sockets will ensue. AMD are set to release truly native quad-core and enhanced CPUs (eg FPU) based on K8L and are likely to stick with AM2 for some time (AM3 CPUs will reportedly work in AM2 mobos). In my mind if budget permits C2D is the clear way to go but arguments can be made for AM2. For those who already have 1-2GB of DDR(1) 939 is a compelling option for sheer value, especially if they already own a 939 mobo.
The P5NSLI is a good board for just 'plugging in and running a system' - it's cheap too. However, I wouldn't recommend it for anything more than that. Overclocking sucks, performance isn't that great, and it gets damn hot when it is overclocked.
