Core 2 Duo E6300 vs. Pentium D 945

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DennyCraneBL

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I know that the Core 2 Duo will generally trump the D 945 in every way, but as I'm on a budget which I can just stretch to get the E6300 despite the 945, which will offer more bang for my money?

I only use the PC for browsing the internet, downloading movies, watching movies, I don't play many games at all and the ones I do are so old they could probably play on a Commodore 64.

I am definatley getting a Dual Core as the performance benefit to me should be huge, as I usually having movies playing/downloading in the background while browsing and it can make my Pentium 4 hang, and I do like the idea of being able to do Virus-Scans and not have to leave the computer.

But for my modest needs, is the Core 2 Duo really worth the extra money and will it make much difference for what I do with my machine?

I also worry as its for Christmas and I'm on a budget, I have already bought an Arctic Freezer 7 Pro and can't afford to let it go to waste ... will it work with this CPU?
 

shinigamiX

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If that's all you use your computer for you won't really be able to notice the performance increase brought on by an E6300... if you're on a budget, there's nothing wrong with the D945 IMO.
 

NotAPimecone

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If you can afford it, get the core2. You might not need the performance now, but it's nice to have it around if you ever do.

However, you'll probably do fine with the Pentium D. If you're on a tight budget, and want to save a few $, there's nothing wrong with this option.

What is your budget for the upgrade, out of curiosity, and what parts are you planning to replace (or is it just the CPU?), and what are you planning to reuse? Just want to make sure we know what kind of advice to give.

edit Just saw your post - I don't know a lot about that dual-vsta board. From what I've heard, though, it's probably not a great overclocker, but is basically the only option if you want to use your DDR RAM instead of buying DDR2.
 

DennyCraneBL

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I'm replacing everything except drives ... I might use my current DDR memory and maybe put the money towards a better processor.

My budget is around £280, I've spent £60 on case/cooling.
 

1Tanker

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I'm replacing everything except drives ... I might use my current DDR memory and maybe put the money towards a better processor.

My budget is around £280, I've spent £60 on case/cooling.
The 775Dual-VSTA is actually, not that bad of a board. You will lose ~10% performance compared to an enthusiast-oriented motherboard, but it's very versatile and extremely cheap(price). It has a few downfalls, such as...only 2 DIMM's for either RAM type, only 4xPCIe(not as bad as you'd think), and poor overclocking ability(due to lack of proper voltage adjustments in the BIOS). ~300 FSB +/- 10MHz is the typical limit with Core2Duo. GL :)
 

DennyCraneBL

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OK, thats good to know.

Can anybody reccomend a Motherboard? I am trying to muster up some more money, as I hear the C2D has good overclocking potential and I'd like a motherboard which can overclock - unless it comes at an incredible cost.

The trouble I am having is the need for ATA connectors, most seem to have only 1 which would support 2 devices ... but I have 2 disk drives and 2 optical drives on IDE.

How is the Asus P5VD2-MX?
 

ibpalle

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I am currently running an e6300 on a P5VD2-MX and it's solid. Not a good overclocker though, or rather, not an overclocker at all.

Nice cheap MB though and it has the "normal" number of IDE connectors.

Only flipside is that the VIA Sata ports are SATA 1 and the JMicron SATA controller, which is SATA 2, have one internal and one external. So using the JMicron SATA for a RAID setup is only doable by routing a SATA cable back into the case. The JMicron is hotpluggable though, which is good. Have a SATA caddy and the ability to insert SATA drives without booting is nice.

I am looking to upgrade to a board that will OC, but no mATX for C2D currently have good OC abilities. I am holding out for January/February where the nVidia based boards should start arriving and hopefully that will mean mATX boards with better OC ability.
 

smelly_feet

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if you just want to watch movies and browse the web, then get yourself a cheap semp am2. I bet you can't tell the difference in performance if thats all you want to use it for.

Unless you want to eventually watch hdtv then you will need something a little more beefy.


just my two sense
 

smelly_feet

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for the price of a dual core system,

you can buy two cheaper single core systems. Connect one to you tv and use the other one in your office.
 

skyguy

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Gigabyte S3 is probably THE best OC'ing mobo at the cheapest price. Excellent reviews everywhere, and ALOT of people are hitting 3.0 ghz on stock cooling on the E6300. With your aftermarket HSF you would be able to overclock the snot out of a 6300 on an S3 board, assuming decent RAM.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128017

Do you need a 6300 for the uses you're proposing? No. A Sempron would do fine. But when you look at the performance return (ie-investment return) on some extra $$, the 6300 is unmatched.

Will a 6300 perform better? Hell yes, unquestionably. If you OC it, there will be a massive performance increase.

You may not require that extra peformance now, but you might in the future. It will open doors to do other things that a Sempron can only dream about. So it's not about today, any CPU will work today. It's about a year or 2 from now, whether it will handle future things. And the C2D is the best bet to prevent a quick trip to the "Obsolete Aisle" at your house. ;)
 

DennyCraneBL

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The GIGABYTE GA-965P-S3 looks great, sadly, it seems to be incredibly overpriced here in the UK.

Where it sells at $115 USD in the US, its selling at $170 ... most MBs don't see that much of a rise over here.
 

shinigamiX

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I'd advise against getting two single-core systems or getting a Sempron. Remember, a Dual-Core CPU is recommended for HD-DVD/Blu-Ray playback! I've got an Asus P5B Deluxe and it works great. In fact, most P5B derivatives are very good - the P5B, P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP, and the P5B-E. The P5B and P5B-E might suit your needs better, as they are both cheap and overclock quite nicely.
 

DennyCraneBL

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An Asus P5B Deluxe/WiFi-AP iP965, S775 is £128 - $250, without tax its around $200.

Most motherboards are about the same here, without tax, I mean we do earn more money than the average American so I can understand higher costs, and we get healthcare so I can understand higher taxes, but that motherboard seemed over priced still.

The Asus P5V-VM DH is floating my boat right now, the Digital Home features look very good, and thats costing around $100 with tax - I just wonder how it will overclock, the P5B costs a bit more than the P5V but it would be worth it to crank out some more power from the processor.
 

Tyhr

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Since you're on a very tight budget and is actually considering a Pentium D over a 6300, I have a few questions (rhetorical) and a different suggestion.

1. Do you already have DDR memory and/or an AGP video card (on the computer that is as old as a C64)?
If yes - definitely consider the Asrock 775Dual-VSTA. It can use your old memory and vcard, as well as let you slowing upgrade to PCI-E and DDR2. Works with pentium D and Core 2 Duo.

It does not overclock well, but I don't know why you'd even want to consider overclocking. It's not going to help you surf the net faster nor will it make any difference if your video games "run on a Commodore 64".

A stock 6300 should have zero problems watching a movie while running a virus scanner in the back - no need for an overclock there.

But here's a suggestion to consider - there are many cheap (very cheap, like a quarter of the cost of the ASUS boards - at least in Canada) standalone DVD players that support DivX/Xvid. Use this player for all your movie watching. Use your old computer to keep on DL'ing the movies, and burn them to DVD or re-recordable DVD.

This pretty much solves all your given requirements. I could never recommend someone upgrading their computer if all they do is surf the internet with it.

Seriously - that's what I'd do - just get the standalone player. If you're budget is really that tight, and your requirements really that low, if you really still feel the need to spend extra money for some reason, I highly recommend you wait until March to do it. RD600 motherboard should be out by then as well as more selection for 680i - and hopefully P965 and i975x prices will drop even more by then. There's also the "low-end" Core 2 Duo chips (E3400? ). They're supposed to be cheaper than the 6300, but rumored to overclock quite well, making them the best bang for the buck. They'll be released in 2007 I'm told.

March is typically one of best times to buy hardware (pricewise). Before Xmas is not. :) Keep saving until March, and I think you'll be able to buy a much better system for longterm use for the same budget you have right now.
 

zeapoorte

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Man
Where I am living D945 is 150 and Core 2 Duo E6300 is 185$.
I recommand you to get C2D unless with your purpose no need to spend
150 on a CPU.Any celeron will be enough for you.
 

skyguy

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But when spending $150.....for another meagre 22%, you can get a CPU that will destroy the 945. Seriously, what is another $25 on the total system cost? And mobo prices have come down, so the total cost to go with C2D is negligible when compared against the total cost of the system. Maybe 10-15% difference, tops? The performance payoff now, and in the future, will be far greater. So that, is what we call an excellent return on your investment ;)

The 6300 simply beats any other chip out there when you consider the price-performance. It draws little power, overclocks like a cheetah on steroids, and all for a negligible price increase. If it were stocks, I'll sell everything I own to scoop them up because the investment and return is unmatched, regardless if he wants to just surf the web.

By buying a clearly inferior chip and technology for approx 85% of the price of a C2D system, that money is a waste because he's stuck with it. Might as well not spend anything. That extra 15%, however, will make a world of difference as to what he can do now and in the future on his computer. Chaining himself to a boat anchor now, when he can get a speedboat for about a $100 extra.....now THAT'S a helluva deal that, quite simply, cannot be matched, bar none.
 
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