Need Help on Processor Platform!!

[juiceman]

I have a real dilemma. They say information is key but in my case it's a cause for annoyance.

Building a new system right?! I have two choices for micro-budget build. Athlon64 3700+ at $100 or Pentium D805 at $107. Do I go socket939 or LGA775? I was leaning towards the Pentium D805 but the heat problems, life-shortening but mandatory OCing of the PD805 wasn't encouraging. I keep PCs for 5-6 years before changing. But still it seemed better than the dead-end socket939 and I'm coming to terms with not OCing, at least not past 3.3Ghz.


Still, I was confused at that time, but I just found out that some socket939 Athlon64s have been redone for socketAM2, only problem is that the 3700+ with it's 1Mb cache - which was the deciding factor isnt one of them! Now that SocketAM2 is an option again, I am really confused.

775 and AM2 allow for DDR2 which is even cheaper than DDR and performs better. But it's hard for me to not get the 1MB 3700+. Is an OCed @3.3Ghz Pentium D805 better than the Athlon64 3700?


I have about $400+- to buy:

-- mobo /w 7-chn Audio/Lan/SATA-2+IDE/4 Dual-Channel RAM Slots/3 PCI/1 PCI-exp16/ etc.
-- Geforce 7600GT
-- 1GB Dual-channel DDR?
-- CPU?

I have everything else I need, on this machine I have now, including approx 500W PSU which I'll change if I need to later on. What do you suggest I do? Thanks in advance, knowledge is power.

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

I have a real dilemma. They say information is key but in my case it's a cause for annoyance.

Building a new system right?! I have two choices for micro-budget build. Athlon64 3700+ at $100 or Pentium D805 at $107. Do I go socket939 or LGA775? I was leaning towards the Pentium D805 but the heat problems, life-shortening but mandatory OCing of the PD805 wasn't encouraging. I keep PCs for 5-6 years before changing. But still it seemed better than the dead-end socket939 and I'm coming to terms with not OCing, at least not past 3.3Ghz.


Still, I was confused at that time, but I just found out that some socket939 Athlon64s have been redone for socketAM2, only problem is that the 3700+ with it's 1Mb cache - which was the deciding factor isnt one of them! Now that SocketAM2 is an option again, I am really confused.

775 and AM2 allow for DDR2 which is even cheaper than DDR and performs better. But it's hard for me to not get the 1MB 3700+. Is an OCed @3.3Ghz Pentium D805 better than the Athlon64 3700?


I have about $400+- to buy:

-- mobo /w 7-chn Audio/Lan/SATA-2+IDE/4 Dual-Channel RAM Slots/3 PCI/1 PCI-exp16/ etc.
-- Geforce 7600GT
-- 1GB Dual-channel DDR?
-- CPU?

I have everything else I need, on this machine I have now, including approx 500W PSU which I'll change if I need to later on. What do you suggest I do? Thanks in advance, knowledge is power.

Without a doubt I would advise against the Pentium D 805 Processor. It's slow & inneffciant. At the same time I would advise against a single core Athlon64 socket 939 or AM2 at this time. Especially considering you're wanting to keep your system for 4-5years.

Athlon64 X2 3800+ AM2 would be my recommendation. It's about $50USD more then the 3700+ but is a Dual Core processor. Seeing as applications and games are all moving towards Multicore processors it wouldn't make sense to purchase a single core processor at this time with the mentality of keeping it for 4-5years.

My 2 cents.

 

[juiceman]

If the PentiumD is slow why do so many sites recomment it? I can't spend $152 dollors on the CPU, I have to get a GPU and the cheapest - good one - is $150.

If I bought those two I'd run out of money. Thanks anyway. Anyone else have a suggestion? Please make recommendations based on my $420 budget, thanx.

 

[shinigamiX]

Mostly because Pentium Ds are cheap, and some of the faster models - the 940+ - offer good raw performance, especially when compared to similarly priced counterparts. Still, the X2 is what you want, they generally perform better and run cooler.

 

[ElMoIsEviL]

If the PentiumD is slow why do so many sites recomment it? I can't spend $152 dollors on the CPU, I have to get a GPU and the cheapest - good one - is $150.

If I bought those two I'd run out of money. Thanks anyway. Anyone else have a suggestion? Please make recommendations based on my $420 budget, thanx.

Well in that case then the Athlon64 3700+ would be best. But saving up another $50 would be best instead of pulling the trigger on a new system now.

 

[o1die]

I'd go with am2 and ddr2 for future upgradability. Am2 is virtually the same price as socket 939, and ddr2 is now cheaper than ddr. Unless you live near a Fry's. They have the retail boxed 3500 socket 939 with Ecs kt890-a board for $99.99 for the next 2 days.