Cant seem to decide which cpu to get

[evildoc614]

Hello all,
i getting ready to build a new computer but iam torn between which cpu to get. I am not sure if i should go with a Amd 2600+ or 2500+ or get a Intel 2.6C. I play alot of games and rip music and movies but i cant decide. Hyper threading sound really appealing but the price of the 2600+ is not bad either. When it comes to overclocking iam not to intrested in it, which ever cpu i get i will more then likely just increase the multiplyer a bit. Any Help would be greatly appreciate.

[Korky]

between the athlons id go for the 2500+ especially from cpucity which do a gd overclockers where u should go far from "just increasing the fsb a bit"

[Trash Man]

Deffo the XP2500+

[Ant]

I was asking the same question a couple of months ago, and i went for the 2500+ Quite happy, able to clock mine to 3200+ without breaking into a sweat.

[Swafe]

2500 hands down

more cache

more clocking

[evildoc614]

i guess i am just being hard headed... i am leaning so much toward the Intel 2.6C. I know its over a hundred buck more but with luck i can o/c it to 3Ghz. if i get the 2500+ i wont get very close to that. with the money i save getting the 2500+ i could get a lian-li pc60 case. But i think the 2.6C will just be a better choice for sheer gaming power... Question if you were to get 2500+ what other componets would you get to make it perform as good/better then the 2.6C

[Anders]

Intel chips are much better for MP3/DVD encoding because this type of app benefits from hyperthreading. AMD is better than Intel for 3-D gaming. If gaming is what you want then why pay about a hundred pounds more for roughly the same performance? If you buy the AMD you have a hundred pounds extra to spend, so if you don’t all ready have a good graphics card, add the hundred pounds to the graphics card fund and get the best.

In your original post you said you were not to interested in overclocking, but the 2500+ come with a top quality overclocking rep. (If you go AMD, then the Abit NF7-S is a great mobo to get.)

[BUFF]

Originally posted by evildoc614
Hello all,
which ever cpu i get i will more then likely just increase the multiplyer a bit.

You can't change the multiplier on a P4 (unless you have an engineering sample) - you are stuck with FSB only.

An XP2500+ won't do 3GHz (apart from for the extreme overclocking fraternity & their mega -rigs) but it doesn't have to in order to perform like a 3GHz P4 as it does more per clock cycle.
If you read the Hexus article on overclocking n XP2500+ you will see that you can readily expect to get over 3200+.
It almost goes without saying that if you go AMD get an NF7-S V2.0

If you have the budget go Intel - if you want the same performance for less go AMD

[drunkenmaster]

A 2500+ at 2.2Ghz, which, ignoring the very stupid shop that is CPU city, i have all the first 3 steppings of barton, all 2500+ hit 2.4Ghz with slk's, the latest stepping is no different, basically no different. If you buy from a shop like dabs or ebuyer, with high turn over, the % chance that you get an old stepping is probo less than 1%, which in this case wouldn't matter anyway.

Back to what i started off saying, a 2500+ at 2.2Ghz, 200Mhz fsb, will equal roughly, a 3.2Ghz P4, hence the name. Thats why both my 2.4C at 270mhz and about 3.2Ghz, scores slightly under my 2500+ at 2.25Ghz 200mhz, in 3dmark, and most game benchmarks. Just because the 2.6C overclocks well, doesn't mean its faster than another chip.

Either way, don't get a 2.4C as most people suggest, i've maxed mobo out at 279mhz, so chip won't really go further, 2.4DC, 3.33Ghz or so. a 2.6C would probo be at around 3.5Ghz, maybe slightly less fsb, but look at benchmarks, the added fsb isn't making that big a diff in most benchmarks, IE a 2.4C at 250Mhz and a 3C score almost identically. Not hugely better cos of fsb at 250mhz. check reviews, in games you will see better with 250mhz at same speed, encoding, very little indeed.

You want a gaming rig though, wait till late october, mid november, get a Athlon 64 for £200, that will kill either chips, considerably.

[micovwar]

ide say definately go with the xp2500 as there a bargain at £70,these little puppys will happily run @ 2.2ghz (and more) saving u a whopping £300 extra on the xp3200 @ the same speed,and imho ule get the best bang for buck from the xp2500 than u will from a p4 (but thats just my opinion)

[Swafe]

2500xp will do 2.2 ghz pretty easy

equivalent to xp3000

wont whoop a 3ghz p4, but itll get very close, for a lot less

[St3v3]

I can get my 2500 to do 3200 speeds with stock coolers. Raising the FSB a bit never hurt anyone afaik

Either the Abit NF7-S or the Asus A7N8X Deluxe should make your new PC fly, personally I'd get the Asus but thats from my personal standpoint as my m8s Abit NF7-M has just packed in.