What CPU to get? Leaning torwards AMD.

Hey guys, first post here.

I currently have a Pentium 4 1.6Ghz, 1GB DDR400 Kingston memory, which I will move over to my new system.

I'm buying a new motherboard [I really like Asus], CPU and graphics card. I want this new computer for my personal computer, most of the time I'm just browsing the net, with icq, msn open with winamp. I also need Photoshop with very large files [20mb files] so I need it to run fast. Also I play some games [Counter Strike Source] and some new games, so I want it to be able to run those fast.

So I heard AMD is better. I have a budget of about $300 USD for the CPU. I can either get one of the best opteron single core's or the worst dual cores available for that price range. I read many messages saying dual cores don't run good with some older games, is that true?

so what do you guys suggest? thanks!!

- Tomer

Right now is the worst moment for upgrading EVER!
Wait until June 23rd

Can't wait for conroe, then go for a single core athlon 64. Right now, the socket 939 3000 is about $105, and it should overclock some. It's the best value for 939, but the new am2 3000 is the same price (at newegg) if you decide to change to ddr2.

sorry, i dont know what GPU is..

only problem, is that I live out of the USA, and I have a family member going to the states in 2 weeks, so that's a good time to have him bring me the goods...

in july, i wont have any way to bring it in, as buying it locally is very expensive...

so i need to buy something in the next 2 weeks... so high class single core, or low class dual core?

thx
- tomer

ok i see the cpu, it's the same one I was looking at before, only dual core amd in my budget [> $300]. i see that it's not good for some older games? anyone know anything about that?

thx
- tomer

Then a new AMD X2 3800+ is probably your best bet. They are generally considered the best DT CPU out there today (aside from the enthusiast variant) but for the money it is a darn good CPU.

A GPU is a grphics processing unit -- or simply your video card.

Jack

hey guys wot abt Pentium Ds they are also very cheap these dayz... and also perform gr8!

If price matters to you, it might be worth considering an Intel chip. They have recently drastically dropped their prices across the board, to clear old inventory before Conroe comes. I haven't heard that AMD has done anything to match those price drops, so the best performance for your dollar is probably Intel by a long shot. Check out:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/0 [...] ghz_cores/

@ Pat - Thanks so much for the advise, you really seem to know your way around. OK so I got the amd 64 x2 3800+, and the ASUS A8N5X, but the video card you suggested is out of my price budget [$400-$500], how's this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102505

Thanks so much again!
- Tomer

Pentium D don't perform great. They perform great for their price, which is not the same. Still slower than AMD comparable model, get hotter and consume more power.

And in his case, it would have meant to throw away its new ddr memory for slow DDR2. the price of the memory+the CPU wouldn't have done a good deal for a CPU to match the 3800+.

Right now, DDR2 memory is not really an option for an upgrade. Yes, the memory bandwidth is better, but the cost for that is too much.

It is just like a fast train, with efficient boarding and unloading time vs a very fast train which take hours to get the people in, but once in move it very fast but then again, take hours to take the people out.

1 hour boarding+1 hour travel+ 1 hour unboarding is still slower .25 hour boarding+ 2 hours travel +.25 hour getting the people out.

Faster memory is needed to make the newer CPU to shine. Just wasted money to throw away fast DDR memory for DDR2 one now..

But if you are the last one on that train, and the first one off, then you are the fastest still at only 1hr and 2min's!!!!

No, it is so unneficient that if you do that, the controller will be confused, put everybody back on board and start again wil the unloading procedure..If it fail again, then a third party group, call memtest86 will come to the rescue to see what's wrong ...

Well... if you only have enough money to upgrade every two or three years, and there's a big technological leap right around the corner, it would make sense to wait a bit more, wouldn't it?

But given that 2-week deadline, we have to go with whatever is better now.
That 3800 x2 is said to be a very good processor.
Also, that 850XT, though a bit older, but it is still a very strong card, and that's a great deal on it.
So yes, that so far is a very nice combination.

Looks nice.

You'll be ok for some time with 1G