Quad-core or Dual-core ? Which one do I pick ?

[toyota]

I'm leaning towards AMD Tri-Cores or Intel Dual-Cores with Hyper-Threading (2 cores, 4 threads) for gaming

This way, clock speeds can be high enough without temps and voltages getting too high.

that's silly. Sandy Bridge quads only use about 50-60 watts under full load while providing the best performance. thats less wattage than you will use with the much slower AMD tri core and only a few watts more than an i3.

 

[sangyup81]

that's silly. Sandy Bridge quads only use about 50-60 watts under full load while providing the best performance. thats less wattage than you will use with the much slower AMD tri core and only a few watts more than an i3.

I should have clarified that I meant for portable laptop applications. The desktop applications should be obvious as long as you aren't on a tight budget. Also, it wasn't meant to be a comparison of AMD with any Intel product.

I'd go with a Phenom II X3 over an X4 for laptop purposes given what's available.

Sandy Bridge quads are the way to go on desktops where you can put on high end cooling and overclock it but not sure if I like the clock speeds on the laptop quads.

 

[skipsneeky2]

For games im gonna have to say quads two games i love playing are ut3 and bc2 both benefit from quad cores bc2 being the most obvious one and well ut3 is older then dirt but still fun

 

[toyota]

For games im gonna have to say quads two games i love playing are ut3 and bc2 both benefit from quad cores bc2 being the most obvious one and well ut3 is older then dirt but still fun

UT 3 does not need a quad in the least. any modern dual core cpu will deliver close to 100fps in that game.

 

[skipsneeky2]

UT 3 does not need a quad in the least. any modern dual core cpu will deliver close to 100fps in that game.

It might not need a quad like BC2 does but it does benefit usually the map loads faster the minimum frame rate did improve and the average too.

I used to play it using a e6750 and a 8800gts and i decided to go q6600 and even at stock i saw a improvement frame wise.

Launch and run the game on any dual core and you will notice cpu usage is usually about maxed out.

Game is old sure and can be played on about anything now adays minus a craptastic 8400gs lol

 

[Bman123]

The dual vs quad pricing is crazy now tho. You can get a good dual for $100 but a good quad is twice that much

 

[toyota]

The dual vs quad pricing is crazy now tho. You can get a good dual for $100 but a good quad is twice that much

what cpus are you comparing? an i3 is $125 and an i5 quad is $185 so how is that twice as much? a Phenom 2 X2 starts at $90 but you can get the Phenom X4 for $120 so again how is that twice as much? heck you can actually get a Phenom X4 without L3 cache for $105. to me that's more of an Athlon 2 X4 though.

 

[jaguare]

I've seen a lot of people convince themselves AMD is a good buy. I'm not seeing it at all.

 

[sangyup81]

I've seen a lot of people convince themselves AMD is a good buy. I'm not seeing it at all.

some people don't find $300 for a motherboard and CPU worth it when the money can go to the GPU

i just can't choose a stock only i3 over an overclocked and core-unlocked Phenom II

 

[toyota]

some people don't find $300 for a motherboard and CPU worth it when the money can go to the GPU

i just can't choose a stock only i3 over an overclocked and core-unlocked Phenom II

$300 for a mobo? you can get mobos for about the same price on either platform. and you will have to use way more power ocing a Phenom X4 just to match or barely beat an i3.

 

[sangyup81]

$300 for a mobo? you can get mobos for about the same price on either platform. and you will have to use way more power ocing a Phenom X4 just to match or barely beat an i3.

some people don't find $300 for a motherboard and CPU worth it when the money can go to the GPU

With the Core i5-2500K going for $180 at Microcenter and $220 on Newegg, good luck keeping the combined cost of the CPU and motherboard under $300

 

[toyota]

With the Core i5-2500K going for $180 at Microcenter and $220 on Newegg, good luck keeping the combined cost of the CPU and motherboard under $300

so now its combined costs? and what does AMD have to compete with the 2500k? the fastest they have is the 1100t which is 190 bucks and still gets beaten by the $150 2120 i3 in most cases all while using way way more power. the 2500k easily beats the crap out of the 1100t for around the same price. please come back when you have something logical to say.

 

[sangyup81]

so now its combined costs? and what does AMD have to compete with the 2500k? the fastest they have is the 1100t which is 190 bucks and still gets beaten by the $150 2120 i3 in most cases all while using way way more power. the 2500k easily beats the crap out of the 1100t for around the same price. please come back when you have something logical to say.

How about reading what I posted and just reposted? It was always combined cost of motherboard and CPU. "$300 for a motherboard and CPU." You do know what the word and means right? If you want to spend $300+ on the motherboard and CPU then the 2500k is an obvious choice. If you don't, then a Phenom II X2 unlocked and overclocked (CPU as well as CPU-NB) with a good motherboard competes well. The logic is there if you can read it.... and understand what the word "and" means.

Also, you're comparing a stock 2120 vs a stock 1100t. Since the 2120 can't be overclocked, you're setting the rules in its favor? This board is called CPUs and Overclocking yet you are disallowing overclocking to make a product look better

And way to bring out the 1100t vs. 2500k price comparison. Any idiot that does 2 minutes of research will see that they should go Intel if they want to spend that much money on that 1 particular component. Show me one instance where I recommend any Phenom II X6 at current price points. In fact, I don't even recommend X4s

 

[toyota]

How about reading what I posted and just reposted? It was always combined cost of motherboard and CPU. If you want to spend $300+ on the motherboard and CPU then the 2500k is an obvious choice. If you don't, then a Phenom II X2 unlocked and overclocked (CPU as well as CPU-NB) with a good motherboard competes well. The logic is there if you can read it. Can't help you if you like to look at words and see something other than what's there.

Also, you're comparing a stock 2120 vs a stock 1100t. Since the 2120 can't be overclocked, you're setting the rules in its favor? What are you doing posting on a board called CPUs and Overclocking if you have to disallow overclocking to make a product look better?

And way to bring out the 1100t vs. 2500k price comparison. Any idiot that does 2 minutes of research will see that they should go Intel if they want to spend that much money on that 1 particular component.

this is the cpu AND overclocking forum. that does not mean you have to talk about only cpus that can be oced.

YOU brought up the 2500k so I compared to the best that AMD has. and you are the one acting like an idiot by choosing to look at only the positives of what you want to compare. not all X2 cpus will unlock so why use that for your example? and even if it did unlock and you oced it, it would still only match and some cases still lose to an i3 all while using over 100 watts more power. plus the additional cost of cooler to oc it would need to be factored in.

so again stop trying to come up with silly scenarios just to justify only buying an AMD platform. you can build similarly performing systems from either company for about the same price if you want a more budget build. and of course spending a little bit more on the 2500 or better will get you a much much better performing cpu than anything from AMD.

 

[sangyup81]

this is the cpu AND overclocking forum. that does not mean you have to talk about only cpus that can be oced.

YOU brought up the 2500k so I compared to the best that AMD has. and you are the one acting like an idiot by choosing to look at only the positives what you want to compare. not all X2 cpus will unlock so why use that for your example? and even if it did unlock and you oced it, it would still only match and some cases still lose to an i3 all while using over 100 watts more power. plus the additional cost of cooler to oc it would need to be factored in.

so again stop trying to come up with silly scenarios just to justify only buying an AMD platform. you can build similarly performing systems from either company for about the same price.

A Phenom II X2 can be had for $88 and a Sandy Bridge i3 can be had for $125. For a 42% price premium, same performance doesn't cut it. Also, it's quite rare for a Phenom II X2 to not unlock to an X4 unless you are talking about the old AM2+ versions or using a board that doesn't allow you to change the voltages. You can unlock and do some overclocking with the stock cooler but there's nothing wrong with those who want to use better coolers even for stock settings on either CPU.

Many review sites make benchmarks that use DDR3-1600 with an overclocked CPU speed but stock CPU-NB on their Phenom IIs to make you believe that an i3 can beat "overclocked" Phenom IIs. Even for DDR-1333, a higher CPU-NB does more more for frame rates or benchmark scores than 1 GHz of extra CPU speed.

"you are the one acting like an idiot by choosing to look at only the positives what you want to compare"

You brought up the 1100t vs. the 2500k for the purpose of a favorable comparison in a price range I never said AMD should compete it. "and what does AMD have to compete with the 2500k?" That's called a Red Herring. I was talking about mid low to low end value and you brought in performance crowns.

You compared the stock 1100t vs. a Core i3-2120. Even $125 is much for a non-OCable Dual Core CPU but you had to ramp it up to the $150 version.

Calling my scenarios silly and then coming up with silly stock-only scenarios of your own as if I would ever recommend a stock AMD over a stock Intel. I suppose any scenario that isn't approved by the poster "toyota" of anandtech forums is silly.

 

[toyota]

A Phenom II X2 can be had for $88 and a Sandy Bridge i3 can be had for $125. For a 42% price premium, same performance doesn't cut it. Also, it's quite rare for a Phenom II X2 to not unlock to an X4 unless you are talking about the old AM2+ versions or using a board that doesn't allow you to change the voltages. You can unlock and do some overclocking with the stock cooler but there's nothing wrong with those who want to use better coolers even for stock settings on either CPU.

Many review sites make benchmarks that use DDR3-1600 with an overclocked CPU speed but stock CPU-NB on their Phenom IIs to make you believe that an i3 can beat "overclocked" Phenom IIs. Even for DDR-1333, a higher CPU-NB does more more for frame rates or benchmark scores than 1 GHz of extra CPU speed.

"you are the one acting like an idiot by choosing to look at only the positives what you want to compare"

You brought up the 1100t vs. the 2500k for the purpose of a favorable comparison in a price range I never said AMD should compete it. "and what does AMD have to compete with the 2500k?" That's called a Red Herring. I was talking about mid low to low end value and you brought in performance crowns.

You compared the stock 1100t vs. a Core i3-2120. Even $125 is much for a non-OCable Dual Core CPU but you had to ramp it up to the $150 version.

Calling my scenarios silly and then coming up with silly stock-only scenarios of your own as if I would ever recommend a stock AMD over a stock Intel. I suppose any scenario that isn't approved by the poster "toyota" of anandtech forums is silly.

again you mentioned the 2500k first so I replied to that. so yes you can save 35-40 bucks and get the X2 and hope it unlocks. then if it does you can oc it a bit and use over 100 watts more than i3 only to barely match it. and from what I have read the stock AMD cooler is fairly loud and not very sufficient for any decent overclocking. but in your world the stock cooler that comes with the X2 will be sufficient for unlocking to an X4 and overclocking it? lol

 

[sangyup81]

again you mentioned the 2500k first so I replied to that. so yes you can save 35-40 bucks and get the X2 and hope it unlocks. then if it does you can oc it a bit and use over 100 watts more than i3 only to barely match it. and from what I have read the stock AMD cooler is fairly loud and not very sufficient for any decent overclocking. but in your world the stock cooler that comes with the X2 will be sufficient for unlocking to an X4 and overclocking it? lol

And I was replying to someone other than you about how AMDs could be worth getting. Maybe now it makes sense why I posted what I did?

You can read whatever you want about AMD processors which you now seem to be implying you don't personally use. I use a Phenom II x2 and I've overclocked both the CPU speed and the CPU-NB using the stock cooler and using a Corsair H50 with 2 fans. You won't get 4GHz on a stock cooler but you will definitely get a nice boost especially if you prioritize CPU-NB overclocking over the CPU speed.

Also, you are claiming my CPU is using over 165 watts since the i3 uses 65w. Nice try.

 

[toyota]

And I was replying to someone other than you about how AMDs could be worth getting. Maybe now it makes sense why I posted what I did?

You can read whatever you want about AMD processors which you now seem to be implying you don't personally use. I use a Phenom II x2 and I've overclocked both the CPU speed and the CPU-NB using the stock cooler and using a Corsair H50 with 2 fans. You won't get 4GHz on a stock cooler but you will definitely get a nice boost especially if you prioritize CPU-NB overclocking over the CPU speed.

Also, you are claiming my CPU is using over 165 watts since the i3 uses 65w. Nice try.

a stock 3.2 X4 uses about 60-65 watts more than a stock i3 so yeah with some overclocking to 3.8 the difference would be about 100 watts. the AMD power usage goes through the roof when overclocking. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core-i3-2120-2100_8.html#sect0

 

[jaguare]

The i5-2500k vs some lesser AMD part that you will get on a budget can give you a pretty damn sizeable FPS boost.

And as someone mentioned in the quad core / dual core thread CPU upgrades can help significantly with things like responsiveness, minimum frame rates.

Let's say you buy a graphics card with the money you save from the AMD part. You might save 50 bucks? What good is that unless you are planning to make an ultra low budget $500 build? If you try to save any more than 50 bucks from the $180 price of the i5 2500k you are getting into the territory where you are compromising the performance of your build with an overly crappy CPU.

I really wish AMD was competitive because then we would see Ivy Bridge Q4 2011 and Haswell next year and all that, but as a consumer I'm obligated to make the best decision in my own interests and not that of competition in the x86 processor industry.

 

[sangyup81]

Let's say you buy a graphics card with the money you save from the AMD part. You might save 50 bucks?

More like $150+ if you're willing to do the work for it. If the person buying the AMD part doesn't want to go through the trouble of unlocking and overclocking then you're right, there is no point

And I agree, I wish AMD would hurry up and replace these K10s

 

[Kingkazma]

With the Core i5-2500K going for $180 at Microcenter and $220 on Newegg, good luck keeping the combined cost of the CPU and motherboard under $300

okay, fine i will make it under 300

go to microcenter.

2500k+ GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX Intel Motherboard

is a total of exactly $299.98 (thats with the 40 dollar off deal they do all the time ._.)

i really dont think you can say anything now. that's a Z chipset, not those useless Q models.


really just admit amd cant compete in CPUs as of now... but they sure can in GPU

 

[sangyup81]

okay, fine i will make it under 300

go to microcenter.

2500k+ GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 LGA 1155 Z68 ATX Intel Motherboard

is a total of exactly $299.98 (thats with the 40 dollar off deal they do all the time ._.)

i really dont think you can say anything now. that's a Z chipset, not those useless Q models.


really just admit amd cant compete in CPUs as of now... but they sure can in GPU

if we're going to bring Microcenter in to this then let's talk about their AMD bundles http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ndlePROMO.html

you can put together a phenom ii x2 which has a good chance of being unlocked to an x4 for the price of a modern intel celeron cpu/motherboard combo if you have access to a Micro Center

(Just to bring it all back, this all started because I wanted to respond to the poster that said he couldn't see how AMD could be a good buy)

 

[Kingkazma]

if we're going to bring Microcenter in to this then let's talk about their AMD bundles http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ndlePROMO.html

you can put together a phenom ii x2 which has a good chance of being unlocked to an x4 for the price of a modern intel celeron cpu/motherboard combo if you have access to a Micro Center

(Just to bring it all back, this all started because I wanted to respond to the poster that said he couldn't see how AMD could be a good buy)

amd can be a good buy , but not when you're looking at cpus.

obviously if you're gaming i do think it's reasonable, but not everyone is a gamer..

 

[Gillbot]

AMD is the value king, Intel is the performance king. PERIOD.

YOU have to decide what you prefer, lower cost or best performance. NEITHER is the better of the two. Comparing cost vs. performance is like comparing a chair to jello, It's just stupid. Buy what you want for what you are willing to pay. It's really simple people.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I agree that AMD does offer some good value. However, the 2500K is so superior that I cant see an enthusiast not being willing to pay the extra money for such a superior processor. Maybe some people just enjoy trying to beat the system and unlock AMD cores, and this is fine if that is your thing.

Considering the cost of the rest of the system, games, and all the other things we spend money on, 100 or even 200 dollars extra seems like a very minimal cost, especially considering the Intel system will use less power and be viable for a longer period of time.

On the other hand, my son does not use his computer for anything except facebook and surfing the web, and he just bought an off the shelf system with an Athlon 2 x4 and is amazed at how "fast" it is.