Asus M4A785TD upgrade. 4, 6 or 8 cores?

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
A

Andydog

Reputable
Feb 28, 2017
12
0
4,510
I have an Asus M4A785TD used as the typical gaming rig. Im planning an upgrade on the whole system soon and am researching where the sweet spot of where my money would be best spent.
For now, I'm looking at CPUs, namely the fx8350, Phenom ii x4, and the Phenom ii x6.
Currently I have a 2 core Phenom.
Now people say cores over 4 are not that noticeable. Is this true and should I just find an x4 Phenom chip? Or is it worth it to spend the money for the fx 8 core. I guess if cores over 4 really make a difference, I would just get the fx 8350. But would my old mobo get the potential out of that CPU?
I would even consider springing for the fx8350 and using it until I upgrade later again. That time to a newer mobo.
It gets a bit daunting for someone with limited experience/knowledge like myself. Any recommendations are greatly appreciated.

 
Solution
MrN1ce9uy
Sort by date Sort by votes
A

Andydog

Reputable
Feb 28, 2017
12
0
4,510
I have an R7 260x and Im using 8g ddr3 1600.
I may also consider adding another gpu along side with my 260, but that would be way down the line, if at all.
I play Diablo 3 a lot and some WoW and Crysis.
What would I be missing if I did stick with my mobo. And are 4 cores adequate for gaming?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MrN1ce9uy

MrN1ce9uy

Judicious
Aug 20, 2009
6,957
640
35,890


Depending on your budget, you would be missing a great deal of performance from a newer processor. 4 cores are enough for moderate gaming, but the Phenom and FX are older processors

I just checked and your mobo is AM3 socket, not AM3+. So you cannot use an FX series CPU. If you mus stick with your motherboard, I would go with either the Phenom II X4 965 or X6 1090T, preferably the X6 1090T.

Just as a reference, the much newer $61 dual-core (w/ Hyper-Threading) Pentium G4560 is still faster than either of the Phenoms. http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Pentium-G4560-vs-AMD-Phenom-II-X4-965/3892vs606
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
A

Andydog

Reputable
Feb 28, 2017
12
0
4,510
The m4a785td that I have does support the fx 8350 CPU with a bios update.
I read up on hyper threading, very little.
It sounds like HT is providing an efficient way to send twice the info to each core, thereby doubling the workload for each core in the CPU. Is that right?
I also read that the fx 8350 is Not an 8 core, but a 4 core with HT do it's efficient as an 8 core. ?
But if that's right, why does a 2 core with HT faster than a 6 core without HT?
Also is hyper threading based on the CPU and software? Or does the physical aspects of the chipset also play into consideration?
Sorry about all this guys. I am just learning about this. But it is quite fascinating and addicting. Thanks again for your patience and knowledge. I really appreciate it!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
MrN1ce9uy

MrN1ce9uy

Judicious
Aug 20, 2009
6,957
640
35,890


If your board can support the FX-8350 I would get that over either Phenom, unless budget/price dictates your choice.

The FX-8350 does not have HT, its architecture is slightly different in that it has 4 "modules" with 2 cores on each module. The concept of HT you have is mostly true, except that it isn't quite twice as much, it's slightly less than twice as much.

Say you have 1 core with 1 thread that processes 100 bits of info per cycle. Give that 1 core HT, it now has 2 threads that can process 75 bits of info per cycle. They aren't as fast by themselves, but together they process 150 bits of info on the 1 core.

The dual-core Pentium w/ HT is faster because it has a higher IPC (instruction per cycle) rate. The threads can process data much more quickly than the older FX. Different architecture CPUs have different IPC rates. AMD's CPUs (excluding their new Ryzen) have been far behind Intel in the past few years. Intel's new dual-cores w/HT outperform AMD's old 8-cores.

AMD hasn't had HT until Ryzen, but HT is Intel's proprietary name for their SMT (simultaneous multi-threading). So AMD calls theirs SMT, not HT.

Hyper-threading = Simultaneous Multi-Threading

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
A

Andydog

Reputable
Feb 28, 2017
12
0
4,510
Thanks!!!
Budget is a huge factor. So the most bang for the buck law will need to be followed for me.
I think I'll look around for an fx CPU for my old board. I think that small investment (relative to a replacement mobo and more expensive CPU) will put a smile on my face compared to what Im using now.
That should keep things rolling while I educate myself for a new build in the future... Distant future unfortunately.
Thanks again! !!!
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom