New CPU - What to Look For?
Submitted by Mintz on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 7:27pm.
I'm looking to buy this new processor.
I like that it's 2.7GHz (might still try to overclock it .1 or .2GHz, but I'm happy with 2.7). I see that one of the user reviews claims he's not getting the CPU's full potential because his motherboard is a bottleneck. Because of this, I'm not sure if the CPU I linked to is right for me.
Basically, I want to know what to look for when I'm buying a CPU. Is my motherboard good enough to take advantage of it? Is there any generic information I need to know about before I buy a CPU?
I like how it comes with a game, and free shipping, but it's not a deal breaker if it's not the right CPU for me.
What should I look for compatibility-wise when I'm buying a new CPU?
* matching chipset/sockets
* making sure the bus speed of the mobo and the CPU are close
* making sure the cooler for the CPU will fit in your case and on the CPU
Thanks, rap.
I've decided that if I'm gonna get a new processor, and I'm already looking to spend around 60 bucks, I might as well shell out a bit more and buy an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3.0GHz.
The only thing that sucks compared to my old processor is that it's 90nm tech compared to my current 65nm tech. No big deal, right? It's only 60W more, and I have a 500W PSU. Is there a way to find out how many watts the rest of my rig is taking up? Or does it even matter?
*switching to AMD some day, that price is redonculous*
You might want to give SiSandra a try to look at the power draw on your components.
500W is probably enough. Kind of depends on the video card you are running and how many hdds and other drives you have installed. You may or may not be able to do much overclocking. 500W probably wouldn't be enough to run 2 video cards and a CPU. However, I don't expect the power draw to be that much more than your current system if you are only going to change out the CPU.
Before you buy the processor, you might want to look at the price/performance charts at http://tomshardware.com
And, I encourage everyone to go with Intel CPUs, nVidia GPUs, with a 680i or later chipset. Of course, this will basically require you to build a brand new system. I used to be a hardcore ATi guy, but nVidia dominated them on the DX10 world. Also, AMD bought ATi for more money than the entire AMD company is now worth.
@ Mintz, if you're sticking to dual-core CPUs, (which I am, btw), w/ that mobo, I'd go w/ the Athlon 64x2 5000+ BE. It is 65nm, instead of 90, and can easily OC to 3.0GHz, with very low temps.
I know this, b/c I have one. The "BE" means black edition, which has an unlocked multiplier. It makes OC'ing quick and simple. Bump the multi to 14x or 15x, (which your mobo is capable of doing, b/c I used to have that same model), and you're running at 3.0GHz. Temps will be lower than the 6000+, power draw will be lower, and you'll get the same speed. Not to mention, price is lower, too...
Even w/ the 400 MHz OC, my CPU is running at 14C. Given, my case is probably the best case possible for air cooling (Antec 900), and my house is at 65F right now, but even in the summer at 72F to 75F, it never heats up more than 24C idle. Under heavy loads, it never goes above 40C. And that's w/ both cores at 100% load for hours while doing video editing.
I spoke too soon. Newegg doesn't have the 5000+ BE anymore. They've got the 5400+ BE, but that's only $1 cheaper than the 6000+. Get the 6000+. Might as well spend an extra buck and get 2MB L2 cache. It draws more power (125W vs. 45W), but your PSU should be able to handle it.
Now that I think of it, you might want to take rapture's thoughts to heart. You may want to hold off until Quad-cores become the norm. Or, perhaps switch to Intel/nVidia. No time is a good time to build a new PC, b/c as soon as you get the parts, they're obsolete. But now may prove to be a particularly precarious time. Quad-cores are surely the way of the future, but how quick is it going to get here? I haven't had my ear to the ground enough lately to really know, but I know it's eventually going to happen. Is there a game(s) that is making you want better performance from your CPU? Is your CPU the bottle-neck right now? What about your video card? Upgrading from a 4200+ to a 6000+ will help, but it won't be a huge difference.
I'm in the same boat, in a way. I've got a mobo w/ an AMD chipset, an AMD cpu, and an ATI gpu (spyder platform). Granted, I get great performance for now, and my mobo socket will support AM2+ (what AMDs quad-cores use), as well as cross-fire with as many as 3 video cards, but if Intel and nVidia dominate anymore than they already do, if AMD doesn't get it's act together, then I may as well throw that mobo, cpu, and gpu in an old, spare case, and give it away to someone. Or, at least use it as an HTPC, and build an Intel system for my primary machine...
I'm not looking to be on the cutting edge of any kind of technology with my rig, and I'm willing to drop ~$80 on a fast dual-core. It should allow me to run games for at least the next year, and I can always drop another ~$50 getting an nVidia 8600GT and having a 512MB video card setup.
My CPU right now is OCed to 2.2GHz, and that's fine, but if I want to spend the least amount of money for the most longevity, I'm thinking what I explained above will work just fine for me. That way I keep my setup for the most part, and when it comes time to REALLY upgrade, I'll just start fresh.
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