AM2+ Processor

[mediaboy]

I need a new processor... my old one copped it or something and my computer wouldn't work, so I got my refund and am now going to spend it

Have, in total, about £80-90 to spend. Maybe £100 if I'm lucky, but not much over that.

My mobo is a Gigabyte MA770 (there's a SA in there somewhere as well, but can't remember where)
2GB 4-4-4-12 RAM
HD3650 GPU
550W PSU (can't remember make)
Windows Vista Premium x32
Can't remember HSF, but it's not an overly expensive one, and no idea on quality of performance... as my CPU didn't work before I got HSF (I was using a spare HSF till then... and then it broke, something like a day before the new HSF came along )


I was considering something like the x3 8450 Phenom, but unsure of compatability with windows and so on...

So.. ideas please?

[staffsMike]

x3 will work fine with windows. Do you need to buy right now as the new low power phenom quads should be with us very shortly. They're supposed to be very cheap.

Nothing wrong with the X3's really, they just don't generate much appeal given their price/performance which can't match many of the intel duals.

Personally I would just get a X2 for about £50 you could have a 5000+ brisbane core which will clock nicely to 3.0Ghz.

[Zhaoman]

X3 8450 looks good for the money, and it looks like a good candidate for a little bit of overclocking too to get the most out of it. Compatibility is not a problem. Your mobo should take it fine, and yes Vista will run on it lol (Vista's not that bad)!

edit: and what staffsMike said

[amjedm]

Do you need to buy right now as the new low power phenom quads should be with us very shortly. They're supposed to be very cheap.

staffsMike - any idea when these new Phenoms will be available?

[staffsMike]

Well SPCR used them in a recent review so they can't be far away. Not seen any here yet though.

EDIT: http://www.google.co.uk/products?q=P...tf-8&scoring=p

Thought they would be cheaper but they may be when scan etc.. get them in.

[amjedm]

Well SPCR used them in a recent review so they can't be far away. Not seen any here yet though.

I'd better head off to SPCR then

[staffsMike]

It's on the Nvidia 8300 review ont he home page but they didn't really talk much about it.

Review here
http://icrontic.com/articles/phenom_9350e

[mediaboy]

Erm... seeing as my computer is kaput, dead, and has been like this for 3 months (varying problems caused me to be unable to get it to work, now replacing - hopefully for the last replacement - the CPU, as the one I sent off for repair via Royal Mail got lost...) I do sort of want a processor now.

However, that Energy Efficient one might force me to go find a big hole to dig myself into and borrow money off of the folks (again) so that I can spend that extra lil bit of money. They already owe me some

I suppose the question is.... Is the extra performance worth it for £30-40?


Sorry for late reply, my computer mucked up and managed to mark all topics as read somehow o.O!

[staffsMike]

I spose it's only worth the difference if you can find a use for the extra cores. The dual cores are plenty enough for games. Quad will be better at doing things in the background while you game, like video encoding which is becoming more popular and takes quite some time.

[mediaboy]

Extra things?

The most I do on my computer is play games

[staffsMike]

Just get a dual core then. Spend about £50 and save the rest for your next upgrade. Don't have to tap your parents (this time) either that way

[mediaboy]

Thanks

[dannybgoode]

The other option to the low power Phenoms is to get say a 9450 or 9550 and under-clock it (am I allowed to say that?! ). You get marginally better performance for the same power usage and its cheaper to boot as well.