Just can't decide on which CPU... what's wrong with me?

[bupkus]

Let me first describe my current inventory.

Memory:
-DDR2
2 x 2GB(PC2 6400) - currently in P35 mobo w/ e6300 conroe OC'd to 2.8Ghz
2 X 1GB(PC2 6400) - currently in Biostar M2 mobo w/ Sempron LE-1100, OC'd to who cares
6 x 512MB(PC2 6400) - still sealed in unopened container

Video cards:
ATI 4850
Nvidia 8800 GT

So I'm thinking of a combo @ Newegg with a mobo I've built for others and liked:
GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H
It offers 4 mem slots so I may put the 2x2GB in here, the 2x1GB plus 2x.5GB into the P35.
The Biostar M2 has only 2 slots so it only gets 1GB and maybe donated to a friend or sold cheap or put 2x1 in the Biostar leaving 4x.5 for the P35 and stuffing the last 2x.5 into the Gigabyte giving that 5GB DDR2 all together. Would that be more of a penalty than aid for the Gigabyte?

If I gotta buy more memory I would go with a AM3 mobo. I'm just trying to stretch the current resources without paying out unnecessarily. (Just spent $550 on auto repair)

Ok, lastly which CPU?
What I do on a pc...
80% of time an anandtech.com
10% internet browsing, etc
10% Bioshock

Phenom II 555 BE (attracted by C3 stepping w/ OC potential)
Phenom II X3 720 BE (oem) (attracted by history of unlock success w/ small OC)
(not convinced I would need more than 3 cores unless an unlock occurred)
Would I pay a price in gaming if went on the cheap with an Athlon II X3 440 or would my 4850 which plays fine on my Conroe dual carry the weight anyways?
In truth I can't play Bioshock at full native res (2048x1152) with the Conroe although I would like to. <<<KEY POINT

 

[TurtleCrusher]

You cant play Bioshock at that res is because your video card is holding you back. I'm certain a Core2 at 2.8ghz is more than fast enough. A 4850 is fast, but you're above 1080P resolutions. It's been tested here that in most games a fast dual core doesn't really hold games back very much at high resolutions. It's all on the video card.

 

[BD231]

You cant play Bioshock at that res is because your video card is holding you back. I'm certain a Core2 at 2.8ghz is more than fast enough. A 4850 is fast, but you're above 1080P resolutions. It's been tested here that in most games a fast dual core doesn't really hold games back very much at high resolutions. It's all on the video card.

Doublely true if you're working with a 4850 that only has a 512 mb frame buffer.

 

[happy medium]

SAve the money on rebuild .
Sell your 4850.
Buy a 5770 1gb.

 

[richierich1212]

SAve the money on rebuild .
Sell your 4850.
Buy a 5770 1gb.

5770 + your choice of mobo + 555 overclocked (and maybe unlocked) should do well for the price.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

X3 720 >>>>> X2 555. Clocks can't make up for that extra core. The 720 overclocks nearly as good anyway. That third core will keep you from upgrading a lot longer.

 

[Markfw]

5770 + your choice of mobo + 555 overclocked (and maybe unlocked) should do well for the price.

The 720 is $5 more than the 555. Its a nobrainer. Also of note: my 550 did not unlock. Many don't.

Get the 720 + the 5770.

 

[Spikesoldier]

buy the 720.

pii x3 720
gigabyte board
2gb pc2-6400
2gb pc2-6400

e6300 (give more vmch if your oc is not good with 4dimm)
p35
512mb pc2-6400
512mb pc2-6400
512mb pc2-6400
512mb pc2-6400


le-1100
biostar mb
1gb pc2-6400
1gb pc2-6400

 

[heyheybooboo]

Athlon II X3 440 Rana/MSI 790XT-G45 and a Sapphire HD 4850 1GB


Around $2-Fiddy




--

 

[crazylocha]

Grabbed a 5770 Open Box XFX (got warranty after registering at XFX) for around $110 at Egg. Left me spare cash for DDR3 upgrade. With 955be and newly acquired ASRock 890FX am pretty solid until after Bulldozer goes live. You can get bang out of buck and still have fun at gaming, etc.

5770-$110
890FX-$150
955BE-$125
8gb(4x2) 1600DDR3-$195**

Spread out over a 9 month set of upgrades, and watching major sales, very worth it over next year and a half. Parts can migrate to wifeys as newer comes out.
Most CPU's aren't used to full capacity during gaming. Start at video (5770 has DX11 btw) to improve the most. Then go where the sales are once you have mapped out what you want.

**Edit Forgot had promo codes on Egg for that Adata 1600 Gaming back in March. Pulled invioce back up and glad spent less!! The ASRock normally lists for $180, was on "special" at Egg. Never pay retail!!

 

[bupkus]

crazy, you'd take the 890fx for $150 over the 785G mentioned above for $70?

 

[bupkus]

Just where the heck can I get a Phenom II X3 BE with C3 stepping, oem?

Hey, AMD! How's 'bout it? I got about $89 wink, wink, nudge, nudge.+

Oh, I suppose you want more $$ than for the 555 at $99. Just one more core, that's all.? I'll go to $110 and you can keep the hsf... well? Whada ya say?

Ok, $115, but that's my last offer, unless you really do offer that at $120.

Where the heck is AMD putting those C3s with one bad core? Maybe they're afraid they'd be too popular? I would love an Phenom II X3 BE c3. I don't even want that 4th core, at least not if I can save some bank.

 

[ModestGamer]

crazy, you'd take the 890fx for $150 over the 785G mentioned above for $70?

I would. the 890fx chipset has alot more support and tech going forward.It is a chip set wiating for a CPU

 

[bupkus]

crazylocha,
where can you find a 955BE for $125???

 

[Markfw]

crazylocha,
where can you find a 955BE for $125???

You can get the 720 for $104 at newegg, the 555be is $99

 

[toyota]

You cant play Bioshock at that res is because your video card is holding you back. I'm certain a Core2 at 2.8ghz is more than fast enough. A 4850 is fast, but you're above 1080P resolutions. It's been tested here that in most games a fast dual core doesn't really hold games back very much at high resolutions. It's all on the video card.

a 4850 gpu itself is way more than enough for Bioshock at 2048x1152. the problem is that it is likely a 512mb model which isnt enough vram for highest settings at that res even without AA. I just checked at 1920x1080 and I was at 555mb for Bioshock and a whopping 730mb for Bioshock 2.

 

[bupkus]

I would. the 890fx chipset has alot more support and tech going forward.It is a chip set wiating for a CPU

I'm sorry, but I don't know what all that means.
Alot more support and more tech?
A chipset waiting for a cpu?
Is the 785G a chipset waiting for my cat "fuzzy" to shoot his mutant one million volt static electricity hairball?
Seriously, it's over twice the greenbacks. Am I the only one keeping that BP lid on the national debt?

 

[crazylocha]

crazylocha,
where can you find a 955BE for $125???

Paid attention to my deals. Bought a Biostar Mobo combo deal that dropped the price of the 955be to $125 (New Years special). Was buying the Mobo (a ddr2 790GXE) anyway, combo deal gave me the $40 off both. I count it towards the CPU because that was part I could NOT pass up overall price. Would you? Dug out my credit card I had just paid off to make the cash room for it and paid it off before interest hit, and still got points for the buy. Score all the way around when you look at it. Key is the research and know what want in future. Watch how prices move around, when sales come and go, cycles of rebates(expiration date) can tell you when price reductions are going next round. Manufacturers rotate sales from one retailer to another, bigger volumes first. Then when newer latest greatest hit, like recent shows --> fall/back to school--> black friday-->christmas-->new year, all cycles again. Black Friday (thanksgiving) is el numero uno feeding frenzy for upgrade deals. Get your comparisons done and watch out for rebates that don't like to pay out. When the myriad of sites post the ads ahead of time, loose sleep and pray they don't reject your purchase and stock up like mad. 2 weeks later, watch for the open box deals from heaven(week after New Years almost as good, credits from manufacturers for dumping inventory hit). Every year cyber monday gets better and better, but nothing beats 3 a.m. EST Black Friday when all the west coast deals hit. Have seen outrageously sick half price deals fly in 15 minutes or less (Fry's online, Zip Zoom Fly, and "The Egg"). Power shopping is addictive enough for several very good sites to have thousands of members help each other find deals, http://slickdeals.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9 Slickdeals is one of the best. Read and read more until you get the flow, and you can find GREAT deals if your patient.

As far as the 890FX over the 785, Future is what that was all about. DDR3 vs DDR2 (890fx vs. 785), 850 southbridge vs 710, USB/Sata3 vs USB/Sata2. The list goes on and on. Also 2 PCIex16 slots plus++. Your talking about 3 generations difference between Mobo's(generically speaking before the Guru's here eat me alive:sneaky:. The 890FX can go to wifeys comp next, then see a longer life in Gram's comp after that. Getting a good 3-5 years out of it for $75 difference, heck yeah. Comparable, but slightly better 890's started at $200. Similar priced ones did not have the "power phases" that the ASRock did. Biostar for example, only had 4(main cpu)+1(memory) while the ASRock had 8+1. Difference is in its ability to OverClock to a finer level of stability, to put it very simply. The long term usability plus better power distribution along with other features sold me over some of the competitors. Can you tell I spent a FEW hours getting up to speed on the specs? Lots of time spent in these forums and others like it has helped me understand tremendous amounts of information once you figure out the terminology. Reading some pays off in long run, if you target it right, and it has only enhanced my enjoyment of games, etc.

 

[crazylocha]

a 4850 gpu itself is way more than enough for Bioshock at 2048x1152<---Resolution on monitor( more finely displayed)
. the problem is that it is likely a 512mb model which isnt enough vram<---Video Ram on the video card itself
for highest settings at that res even without AA<----Anti Aliasing(a way of fine rendering shadows, lines like fuzzy or like blocks as examples
. I just checked at 1920x1080 and I was at 555mb<---in this case memory used in video card memory banks to render(draw) the game for Bioshock and a whopping 730mb for Bioshock 2.<---the 730mb is a whole lot more than you video card can handle, hence would give VERY poor performance, choppy like, and be very difficult to play, if can at all

Hope some of this translation will help see where knowing at least a minimum of terminology will help in making solid decisions on parts etc. The newer games can eat up older hardware in a hurry. Some of the games used in the comparison charts when they review Vid cards can give you ideas where and how good stuff is in comparison to what you have and were planning to get. For example my 7 month old 5770 will still hold own against a non OverClocked (OC'd) gtx465, at almost half the price.

 

[bupkus]

Thanks, enjoyed reading your long post.
My only reason for the 785G was the use of some DDR2 I have on the shelf. Yes, I would like the USB3 and I'm hoping to snag an SSD, perhaps a pci-e unit like the one Anand reviewed recently.

 

[ModestGamer]

Thanks, enjoyed reading your long post.
My only reason for the 785G was the use of some DDR2 I have on the shelf. Yes, I would like the USB3 and I'm hoping to snag an SSD, perhaps a pci-e unit like the one Anand reviewed recently.

I am waiting for the ddr4 shoe to drop so we all have to upgrade yet again. There are very reasonable 890fx chipset boards out there. Biostar has one its like $119

 

[ModestGamer]

I'm sorry, but I don't know what all that means.
Alot more support and more tech?
A chipset waiting for a cpu?
Is the 785G a chipset waiting for my cat "fuzzy" to shoot his mutant one million volt static electricity hairball?
Seriously, it's over twice the greenbacks. Am I the only one keeping that BP lid on the national debt?

Yes but the AMD processors are cheaper per dollar of performance.a 6 core with a tiny bit of overclocking is a nice piece for the money.

The 890fx chiptset has more power saving features then the out going 785. also the better the chipset the easier it is to get performance out of a CPU.

You could build a 5000hp nitro top fuel dragster but it s going no where on a dirt road.

 

[bupkus]

I built 2 computers recently with a Phenom II X3 720 BE on a 785G Gigabyte, successfully unlocked the 4th core in both and overclocked to 3.4GHz. I got the 720 for $89.99 and the GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H for $64.99 after promo code at Newegg.
Used up some DDR2 I wanted to unload as well.

Dirt cheap maybe but I wouldn't say dirt road.

Actually, I'm thinking of eBaying the rest of my sealed DDR2 for whatever I can get.

 

[bupkus]

??

 

[ModestGamer]

I build 2 computers recently with a Phenom II X3 720 BE on a 785G Gigabyte, successfully unlocked the 4th core in both and overclocked to 3.4GHz. I got the 720 for $89.99 and the GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H for $64.99 after promo code at Newegg.
Used up some DDR2 I wanted to unload as well.

Dirt cheap maybe but I wouldn't say dirt road.

Actually, I'm thinking of eBaying the rest of my sealed DDR2 for whatever I can get.

Like I siad. I am waiting for the ddr 4 shoe to drop and the 9 series chipsets to show up.

check tiger direct they had some good deals on the biostar board recently.