Price Check: AM2 Parts

[FInalD]

I'm thinking about going the route of C2D as I feel that my AM2 system is very underpowered and have read up on tghe new AMD 65nm chips which are performing worse than the current AM2 90nm ones, so I'm wondering how much I could get for my AM2 bits.

I have;
AMD Athlon 4600+ Dualcore, it's a 2.4Ghz chip (if I remember correctly), I have full packaging for it.
Also I have a Zalman CNPS9500 AM2 cooler, again all packaging.
Asus M2N32-SLI Deluxe/Wireless Edition motherboard, all packaging.

New the parts cost about £40 less than the C2D bits I'd want, so I know it'll work out less than I'd need, but obviously it'd be a start.

Cheers all.

FinalD

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Unless you are ACTUALLY feeling a lack of CPU power in your applications why upgrade?? The X2 4600 is still a fast chip!

[FInalD]

I'm sure I am seeing a lacking of power, but also going C2D means it'll easily be overclockable which is something I like to do and it'll be future proof for a while with it's processing power, unlike the 4600+.

Part of my problems may lay with my X1800XT graphics, but I do plan on getting an R600 ATi DX10 card when they come out, so that will not be an issue. Also a lot of my noticing of it being slow is in Windows XP, not that much in gaming - which shows it's CPU bottlenecking/running rather slow.

FinalD

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

How much RAM do you have?? If it is at least 1gb I suspect it is a software issue!! Have you done a spyware and virus scan?? Maybe you will need to clean up your registry a bit also!!?? An X2 4600 should NOT be running slow in windows anyway!!

A E4300 can be clocked from 1.8ghz to 3ghz easily with only 667mhz and hence it is the best value for money overclocking choice of the Core2 processors until the E4400 comes along.The E6300 is supposed to be able to be clocked higher but it needs much more expensive memory due to the consequence of having a 1066mhz FSB as opposed to the 800mhz FSB of the E4300 and E4400!!

[s_kinton]

Also a lot of my noticing of it being slow is in Windows XP, not that much in gaming - which shows it's CPU bottlenecking/running rather slow.

FinalD

That doesnt make sense. I CPU like that should be very quick around windows and in games with a bit of an overclock. Are you sure you've got the windows and amd dual core patches installed?

[FInalD]

The 'My System' tab thing shows what memory I have. I'm running 2GB Corsair XMS2.

I have the dualcore patch installed.

If I was to sell the parts I have I'd get an E6300 and clock the proverbial tits off of it.

I love AMD and have been and AMD fanboy since my first one (which was something like 333Mhz CPU), but I realise that now AMD is really losing it's ability to create the faster and cooler chips, and that Intel is the way forwards.

I could have gone C2D when I bought my system 6 months ago, but I thought that AMD would release a decent 65nm chip that would compensate for Intel's takeover of the market, but they haven't and aren't going to be so I figure that I should go for the better one currently.

My AM2 system runs VERY hot and it doesn't seem that much of an improvement on my old Skt 754 Athlon 64 that I clocked from 2.0Ghz to 2.5Ghz (mobo maxed out the clocking).

I'm mostly after an idea as to how much I could get for the parts I have, so I can know how much I'd have to spend if I was to change to Intel at some point soon.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Hi

Have a look on Ebay under completed listings for the item you are hoping to sell. This will give you a rough indication of the going rate for your componemts.

[BlindMelon7]

How "clean" is your computer? I never have more than about 25 processes running. My PC is much faster than my mates Core2 Alienware when in windows because I have good HDs.

[FInalD]

That's 'cause his is Alienware.

I normally have about 40 running (loads I know), the problem with them is that most of them seem to be system processes. I've run registry cleaners etc. and I still can't get it to run cleaner or faster. When I built the system it ran OK, but not as fat as I'd have thought it would (I thought it would run faster than my old Skt754 2.0Ghz system with something like 1.5GB cheapo ram.).

Cheers for the ebay idea, never actually thought of that (even though it's where I'd probably be selling it all)

FinalD

[menthel]

Why not give it a fresh install and be careful about what you install? May give you that extra edge. I have just gone from a a64 3200+ to an x2 4200+ and the difference is quite noticable.

[BlindMelon7]

I wiped the alienware and it only runs 30 processes. I could swear its the hard drive.

[FInalD]

Well I have finally (in the last couple of weeks) got the PC set up just how I want it with the programs I want etc. so I don't fancy starting afresh if I'm not changing the internals.

The fact that the system was 'slow' from the start says to me that the processor is not what it should be. It doesn't max out ever (unless running tourture tests) and it does encode video much faster than my old system, but compared to the likes of my brother's 939 system (4400+), and laptops my friends have, aswell as their PCs it seems rather under powered, and I'm sure that the X1800XT can't be limiting it's Windows loadup and running capabilities. My PC is 'speshul'!

Quick check on thebay came up with this;

CPU - £130
Mobo - £135
Cooler - £34


So I could sell it for just short of £300 in theory...but anything I put on there never seems to sell

FinalD

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Use buy-it-now and "advertise" your items by adding links to positive reviews and shops still selling them in your listings!

[Supershanks]

Quick check on thebay came up with this;

CPU - £130
Mobo - £135
Cooler - £34

aren't they new not used £ am2 4600 on scan is only £123

[menthel]

I personally think you will get about £250 max for that lot.

[FInalD]

aren't they new not used £ am2 4600 on scan is only £123

Yeh, I didn't bother to look back on scan whilst I was checking up on ebay, seems a bit stupid really, ebay charging more than most etailers.

I doubt I would get £250 for the lot to be honest, it's 6 months old and used, people don't like spending lots on stuff like that. With C2D around it'd be hard to justify the price as well really.

I think on Scan the total of the parts is something like £240-£250 and that's brand new.

I'll hold out with this system as it is, maybe do a re-install in a few weeks, but being at uni I need my system to be running and a reinstall is too much hastle really, so is selling it as I'd be without it for a while.

No loan till later in the year so I can't just get C2D and sell off the AMD parts either

FinalD