General User Looking to Upgrade CPU

[xaeniac]

Ok I do not game, but would like to utilize the current cpu into a HTPC. Is there any AMD chip (Bang for buck out there that would give me a good performance boost over an Intel i3-2100? Not looking to break the bank, but looking for value.

 

[Ampersand38]

If you switch from Intel to AMD, you will need a new motherboard as well.

 

[polyzp]

If you can find a 2500k for cheap thats your best option. Same socket These overclock well.

 

[polyzp]

An FX 8320 + AM3+ motherboard would be another option! ~230 bucks

 

[Arkaign]

Just get an SSD instead. The i3 is a GREAT HTPC CPU. If you're not gaming, not encoding, then it's just a waste of $ upgrading that.

You could spend $1500+ getting a S2011 4960x CPU and Mobo, but not have any better an HTPC experience if you have a spinning HDD.

 

[AtenRa]

Ok I do not game, but would like to utilize the current cpu into a HTPC. Is there any AMD chip (Bang for buck out there that would give me a good performance boost over an Intel i3-2100? Not looking to break the bank, but looking for value.

Tell us more of your current setup, mobo, hdd, ram etc.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Just get an SSD instead. The i3 is a GREAT HTPC CPU. If you're not gaming, not encoding, then it's just a waste of $ upgrading that.

You could spend $1500+ getting a S2011 4960x CPU and Mobo, but not have any better an HTPC experience if you have a spinning HDD.

this.

 

[sm625]

Ok I do not game, but would like to utilize the current cpu into a HTPC. Is there any AMD chip (Bang for buck out there that would give me a good performance boost over an Intel i3-2100? Not looking to break the bank, but looking for value.

What sort of performance boost do you need? Where is this i3-2100 falling short? An i3-2100 generally already outperforms most AMD parts, especially when you're not looking at gaming.

 

[pauldun170]

My i3-2100 based htpc handles everything I throw at it.
Gaming (paired with a HD7770), XBMC, Netflix, BD rips...

Some might say that i3-2100 is overkill for an HTPC

 

[FalseChristian]

The AMD FX 8350 blows that i3 out of the water. It basically matches an i5 2500K but doesn't overclock well. So I'd say a used i5 2500K and overclock it to 4.5GHz or an FX 8350 and overclock it to 4.4-4.6GHz. The I5 2500K has 4 cores whilst the FX 8350 has 8.

 

[NTMBK]

You're putting the CPU into the HTPC; are you using the same motherboard for the HTPC as well, or will you have a spare socket LGA1155 motherboard?

If the old motherboard will be going spare, then I recommend picking up a Sandy Bridge i5 on the cheap. The non-overclocking ones (i5-2400, i5-2320) don't tend to be terribly expensive on eBay and they are a very good upgrade over the i3. And it saves you the cost of buying a new motherboard.

 

[ShintaiDK]

Either upgrade your current setup with a cheap 2500K/3570K(Or other i5 models) or go Haswell with a new.

 

[Arkaign]

We need some clarification from the OP as to whether he's talking about one system or two. And he's :

(1)- Not a gamer.
(2)- Not looking to "break the bank".

He could mean converting the system into an HTPC and building a replacement system.
He could mean converting the system into an HTPC because he already has a tablet/laptop/whatever that is going to replace his current system's usage functionality.
He could mean converting the system into an HTPC and not replacing it with anything whatsoever.

OP, if you read this, please clarify the intended use, and how many systems you are trying to end up with in total. Additionally it would be very useful to know the list of components you have on hand (mobo, video card, case, power supply, ram, drives) in regards to what you're starting with, and any extra/spare/old components you might have. What OS do you have, do you have the discs/box if retail, if OEM does the current case(s) have the license key on the case? And finally, the budget you have.

Without that information, we truly cannot give a truly great set of suggestions and possibilities for you. All I know is that if you are going to use for an HTPC, a 2100 is already more than enough. Even for general usage, a 2100 with an SSD is gold. It's in serious multitasking, gaming, encoding that you start to see benefits from going higher (Intel or AMD both offer faster more capable options beyond the 2100 of course). Those options would be a waste of money unless you can give us the complete picture.

I'm not trying to pick on you, but it's slightly frustrating to be given such limited info and then not expound on it.

 

[pauldun170]

We need some clarification from the OP as to whether he's talking about one system or two. And he's :

(1)- Not a gamer.
(2)- Not looking to "break the bank".

He could mean converting the system into an HTPC and building a replacement system.
He could mean converting the system into an HTPC because he already has a tablet/laptop/whatever that is going to replace his current system's usage functionality.
He could mean converting the system into an HTPC and not replacing it with anything whatsoever.

OP, if you read this, please clarify the intended use, and how many systems you are trying to end up with in total. Additionally it would be very useful to know the list of components you have on hand (mobo, video card, case, power supply, ram, drives) in regards to what you're starting with, and any extra/spare/old components you might have. What OS do you have, do you have the discs/box if retail, if OEM does the current case(s) have the license key on the case? And finally, the budget you have.

Without that information, we truly cannot give a truly great set of suggestions and possibilities for you. All I know is that if you are going to use for an HTPC, a 2100 is already more than enough. Even for general usage, a 2100 with an SSD is gold. It's in serious multitasking, gaming, encoding that you start to see benefits from going higher (Intel or AMD both offer faster more capable options beyond the 2100 of course). Those options would be a waste of money unless you can give us the complete picture.

I'm not trying to pick on you, but it's slightly frustrating to be given such limited info and then not expound on it.

bingo

 

[xaeniac]

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond and if I was not clear.

Was going to take my current CPU and processor and put it into a HTPC. Thus leaving me without a desktop. Was then going to purchase another processor/cpu/ram to rebuild my desktop.

I am looking to purchase a new pc. I do have an older Patriot Torqxz 2 SSD drive. The mobo is a Biostar micro atx. 8 GB of Ram. Looking to purchase a new SSD, but waiting on a deal. SSD reuse will more than likely go in an aging Thinkpad T61 laptop

Thought that AMD was going to provide the best bang for buck. Should I look at putting a lower tiered in the HTPC and keeping the desktop as is? Or just go with a newer i3 in the desktop? The last system was bought in beginnings of 2012.

Have (3) 250 GB drives, 1 SSD drive, 1 1TB drive in desktop. Was going to reapportion a 250GB drive in HTPC. New case and powersupply purchase for HTPC. Cheers and Merry Christmas.

 

[Madpacket]

I would toss your existing 2100 and mobo into the HTPC as that would make for an excellent system.
Pick up a new CPU/mobo for your desktop PC, perhaps get something with more cores as this is now becoming more important. The FX-6300 or 8320 are good choices for budget gaming builds, else go Intel if you can afford it.

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond and if I was not clear.

Was going to take my current CPU and processor and put it into a HTPC. Thus leaving me without a desktop. Was then going to purchase another processor/cpu/ram to rebuild my desktop.

I am looking to purchase a new pc. I do have an older Patriot Torqxz 2 SSD drive. The mobo is a Biostar micro atx. 8 GB of Ram. Looking to purchase a new SSD, but waiting on a deal. SSD reuse will more than likely go in an aging Thinkpad T61 laptop

Thought that AMD was going to provide the best bang for buck. Should I look at putting a lower tiered in the HTPC and keeping the desktop as is? Or just go with a newer i3 in the desktop? The last system was bought in beginnings of 2012.

Have (3) 250 GB drives, 1 SSD drive, 1 1TB drive in desktop. Was going to reapportion a 250GB drive in HTPC. New case and powersupply purchase for HTPC. Cheers and Merry Christmas.

 

[2is]

Problem is most "general use" tasks are single threaded, in which case even an i3 will match or even beat AMD's more expensive offerings and completely destroy anything that's cheaper or equivalent in price.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I agree with the suggestions to put the i3 into the HTPC.

What is the intended use for your new desktop. If you do not plan to game or do encoding or other heavily multithreaded tasks, the FX series makes no sense since you will have to buy a discrete card as well. For general use a pentium or i3 is sufficient, or an AMD apu.

 

[AtenRa]

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond and if I was not clear.

Was going to take my current CPU and processor and put it into a HTPC. Thus leaving me without a desktop. Was then going to purchase another processor/cpu/ram to rebuild my desktop.

I am looking to purchase a new pc. I do have an older Patriot Torqxz 2 SSD drive. The mobo is a Biostar micro atx. 8 GB of Ram. Looking to purchase a new SSD, but waiting on a deal. SSD reuse will more than likely go in an aging Thinkpad T61 laptop

Thought that AMD was going to provide the best bang for buck. Should I look at putting a lower tiered in the HTPC and keeping the desktop as is? Or just go with a newer i3 in the desktop? The last system was bought in beginnings of 2012.

Have (3) 250 GB drives, 1 SSD drive, 1 1TB drive in desktop. Was going to reapportion a 250GB drive in HTPC. New case and powersupply purchase for HTPC. Cheers and Merry Christmas.

What use for the Desktop ??? do you have a discrete GPU ??? Do you game ?

 

[Arkaign]

Given that you don't sound like you have a spare OS around, it actually makes sense for you to buy an off-the-shelf system for the HTPC, then just keep your current system as-is.

As HTPCs inherently don't take much power to operate well, you can get away with a fairly entry-level slim system. To build such a thing yourself and buy the OS, you generally can't match the pricing to those that are prebuilt and on sale.

Go to Techbargains.com

Then near the top select category, then select desktop computer.

You will see an Acer AXC600 with the following :

i3 3240
4GB Ram
1TB HDD
HDMI Output (!!)
Windows 8.1 64-Bit
Slimline case (you can have it upright or flat, the picture on Techbargains is wrong, it's actually a SFF case)
$332.99 free shipping

Bingo, done. It's relatively hard to build that unit without the windows license for that price, but with Windows already ready to go, you're gold. Just uninstall the crapware on it, install Classic Shell if you want it to behave more like Windows 7 (your choice), and you have a great HTPC. You could always swap the stock 1TB out for an SSD if you decide you want it more responsive. You can also get a Bluray drive for it for around $30 down the line should that be something you want.

 

[Arkaign]

What use for the Desktop ??? do you have a discrete GPU ??? Do you game ?

OP specifies that he's not a gamer in the OP.

 

[AtenRa]

I know it will cost more but it is a SSF format with the ability to upgrade to Kaveri if needed to transform it in to a HTPC/Gaming.

Price from newegg.

ASRock FM2A88X-ITX+ FM2+ = $99,99
SILVERSTONE Milo series ML05B = $39,99
FSP Group FSP300-60GHS-R 300W SFX12V 80 PLUS = 39,99
AMD A6-6400K Richland 3.9GHz Socket FM2 65W Dual-Core = $74,99
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 = $39,99
TOSHIBA PH2050U-1I54 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 2.5" = $54,99

Total = $349,94

 

[ShintaiDK]

He can just as well buy a Celeron/Pentium Haswell and be done with it. Cheaper, lower power consumption, better performance.

AMDs 1M/2T CPUs are simply a disaster.

 

[AtenRa]

He can just as well buy a Celeron/Pentium Haswell and be done with it. Cheaper, lower power consumption, better performance.

AMDs 1M/2T CPUs are simply a disaster.

You havent even used one to call it a disaster.
And for HTPC use, AMD Trinity is way better than Intel Celeron/Pentium.

 

[ShintaiDK]

You havent even used one to call it a disaster.
And for HTPC use, AMD Trinity is way better than Intel Celeron/Pentium.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-a10-a8-a6_2.html#sect0

And thats not even including Haswell Celeron or Pentium.

As i said, AMD "dualcores" aka 1M/2T is an utter disaster. And barely even worth half their price.

Not to mention he could also save money on the board. Your AMD setup is anything but cheap and with appaling performance to go with it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116950
70$ Haswell.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157451
65$ MiniITX board.

Hell, he could almost get an i3 for the same price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116946
120$