Final upgrade on socket 939

[SoiledBottom]

Hi all
I have a 3500+ venice core , I would like to go duelcore
I am looking at either a fx 60 or a 185 opty
which is the better choice and I will be overclocking.
thanx in advance to your input

 

[mesarectifier]

Opteron for sure. Athlon FX is a total waste of money on socket 939. Actually, come to think of it, it's a total waste of money on socket AM2 as well!

Opteron FTW (in this case)

 

[HA_ZEE]

I have a Sandy 4000 and just picked up the Opty 185 from Tigerdirect as an upgrade for $350 USD. The 185 and FX60 chips will overclock to the same overall speed but the FX60 comes with unlocked multipliers so you will not need high quality RAM modules to overclock. If you have the high quality RAM modules then I would purchase whichever chip is cheaper. Both chips top out a little over 3.00 GHz on air. Good luck.

 

[Noya]

With overclocked $181 E6300's destroying all AMD CPUs, spending $350+ on ANY AMD proccessor is ludicrous right now as they're an inferior product.

I think you should save a bunch and go with a Opteron 165 for $153 and overclock it, so maybe add a $30 fan/heatsink. I just purchase one after Christmas and received CCBBE 0615, which is known for hitting 2.8ghz on air cooling. The worst achieve "only" 2.4ghz on air (and you could always RMA if you weren't happy with the stepping). All Opterons have the same 2x1mb L2 cache, so why spend over twice the amount for a few hundred MHz of clock speed?

But hey, it's your dollar.

 

[speedemon]

8O And U have the benchies to prove this I presume

 

[mesarectifier]

Well to be fair I think we've all seen the 'baby' Core 2 CPUs pwning up the Athlon FX series in benchmarks, even if Noya's wording was perhaps a little...errr....sychophantic toward Intel?

 

[weskurtz81]

Since you said you would be OC'ing I would definately go with a 165. Some of the stepping CCBBE and CCB1E hit 2.8ghz all day long on air cooling as the other guy said. I had my CCBBE up to 3.1ghz, but ran it at around 2.9ghz on stock voltage. For $153 it is hard to beat that deal.

wes

 

[Noya]

8O And U have the benchies to prove this I presume

I haven't overclocked yet, but here are some interesting links:

http://techreport.com/reviews/2006q1/opteron-165-180/index.x?pg=15

http://wiki.extremeoverclocking.com/wiki/Opteron

Threads:

http://wiki.extremeoverclocking.com/wiki/Opteron

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=427461

This member has one of the worst steppings if you look at the Opteron wiki above, but still has it stable at 2.5ghz:
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/Opteron-165-Overclocking-ftopict177075.html

Well to be fair I think we've all seen the 'baby' Core 2 CPUs pwning up the Athlon FX series in benchmarks, even if Noya's wording was perhaps a little...errr....sychophantic toward Intel?

Do representatives of Intel browse the boards? :roll:

I was making a point; a great one at that.

 

[gm0n3y]

Hey, you stole my sig!

 

[weskurtz81]

I am about to refresh mine with some others. I have had them on there for about a month now. Good stuff though.

wes

 

[gm0n3y]

Fair enough.

 

[speedemon]

Yeah I know what your sayin, but this guy is gonna start a fire!!! 3800x2 and E6300 clocked @3GHZ are not far apart

 

[HA_ZEE]

You cannot upgrade 939 to Core 2 without spending a whole bunch more than the $350 I spent on the OPTY. The 185 should hit 3 GHz without too much difficulty plus I can keep the ram timings very tight (the ram I use is corsair and currently will hit 225 FSB at 2-2-2-6) since AMD is sensitive to the RAM latencies I will benefit in overall performance (timings would have to be relaxed to get a 170 or 175 to 3.0 GHz). My upgrade was well thougth out and your door to door sales of the INTEL chips should be kept to your self. If I build a whole new system (next year) then Core 2 will probably be my choice (I am not sure that AMD will yet have a competing product).

 

[nilepez]

You cannot upgrade 939 to Core 2 without spending a whole bunch more than the $350 I spent on the OPTY. The 185 should hit 3 GHz without too much difficulty plus I can keep the ram timings very tight (the ram I use is corsair and currently will hit 225 FSB at 2-2-2-6) since AMD is sensitive to the RAM latencies I will benefit in overall performance (timings would have to be relaxed to get a 170 or 175 to 3.0 GHz). My upgrade was well thougth out and your door to door sales of the INTEL chips should be kept to your self. If I build a whole new system (next year) then Core 2 will probably be my choice (I am not sure that AMD will yet have a competing product).

You could get a 6300 and motherboard for 350. Memory would add to the cost, but you can sell DDR ram for about as much as replacement ram costs.

Regardless, teh guy was shilling for Intel, he was arguing against spending 350 on the CPU. As I read his post, he bought an Opty 165 last month. That's hardly a sign of an shill for intel.

 

[HA_ZEE]

His suggestion to get an Intel for my price point was off base. There is NO motherboard for a crossfire set-up (I have a x1900 crossfire set-up) and a 6300. This would leave me with an inferior set-up. If I were to build new I think Intel has the goods but to upgrade from my current position he missed the mark with his comments completely as did you. The DDR2 would cost me $300 (I use 2 gig on my machine) on top of the $350 you both claimed for the 6300 and motherboard and it is still slower by not accommodating my 2 videocards. All of this on top of the fact the original question was directed specifically at an 939 pin upgrade. I have no idea why people are so quick to criiticize someones decision especially when they do not have all the details. If there was a helpful suggestion I would welcome it. When he used the word "Ludicrous" it was not taken as helpful.

 

[nilepez]

His suggestion to get an Intel for my price point was off base. There is NO motherboard for a crossfire set-up (I have a x1900 crossfire set-up) and a 6300. This would leave me with an inferior set-up. If I were to build new I think Intel has the goods but to upgrade from my current position he missed the mark with his comments completely as did you. The DDR2 would cost me $300 (I use 2 gig on my machine) on top of the $350 you both claimed for the 6300 and motherboard and it is still slower by not accommodating my 2 videocards. All of this on top of the fact the original question was directed specifically at an 939 pin upgrade. I have no idea why people are so quick to criiticize someones decision especially when they do not have all the details. If there was a helpful suggestion I would welcome it. When he used the word "Ludicrous" it was not taken as helpful.

1. I wasn't criticizing you.
2. I said in my post that you'd sell your current ram.
3. this is the first time you've mentioned that you have an ATI crossfire setup.

I have no idea what your ram would sell for, but ram I bought last year for less than 150 now sells on Ebay for over $200 (about what I could buy comparable DDR2 ram for).

As for the rest, I have no idea. I would if one chose, they could sell the ATIs for roughly what it'd cost to get 2 comparable Nvidia cards, BUT, it's probably more hassle than it's worth.

I go back and forth on the upgrading myself. The biggest obstacle for me is the price of motherboards, but my budget for upgrading right now is not 350 and I'm not convinced I'd get enough for my Lanparty Ultra-D and CPU (3000+ winnie) to get in the ballpark.

And of course there's that nagging thought that says you never go wrong by putting things off when it comes to PCs

 

[bridonca]

Hi all
I have a 3500+ venice core , I would like to go duelcore
I am looking at either a fx 60 or a 185 opty
which is the better choice and I will be overclocking.
thanx in advance to your input

Because of the price and performance of the core 2 duo, even if you factor in the price of a new motherboard, you will get a faster, cheaper machine than any AMD upgrade right now.

Consider this, the ASRock 775Dual-VSTA LGA 775 VIA PT880 PRO ATX Intel Motherboard.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813157092 It goes for $58. I picked this motherboard specificly because it can run DDR and DDR2 memory, plus it can use AGP and PCIe video cards. It is in the lower end of the pack as far as core2duo motherboards out there, yet it will still trounce pretty much anything AMD has. And it is dirt cheap.

For a CPU, as everyone is saying, look at the $189 Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115005

This is the slowest Conroe Intel has, and it is more or less neck and neck with the best AMD has right now.

You add that up and you are paying $247. Bear in mind, this combo is the worst Intel has, yet it will beat the best you can get if you upgrade using AMD chips. You do not even have to get rid of your memory or video card. This combo OC's to 3 ghz with no voltage tweaks, which is nice considering this board is not the best over clocker. Still I am guessing price/performance is a much higher priority instead of pure performance in this case.

You cannot upgrade 939 to Core 2 without spending a whole bunch more than the $350 I spent on the OPTY. The 185 should hit 3 GHz without too much difficulty plus I can keep the ram timings very tight (the ram I use is corsair and currently will hit 225 FSB at 2-2-2-6) since AMD is sensitive to the RAM latencies I will benefit in overall performance (timings would have to be relaxed to get a 170 or 175 to 3.0 GHz). My upgrade was well thougth out and your door to door sales of the INTEL chips should be kept to your self. If I build a whole new system (next year) then Core 2 will probably be my choice (I am not sure that AMD will yet have a competing product).

$217 is less than $350. You can upgrade to a 4 meg cached E6600 if you really wanted to spend $350

You could get a 6300 and motherboard for 350. Memory would add to the cost, but you can sell DDR ram for about as much as replacement ram costs.

Or for $247, you would not have to spend any money on new ram. just get the ASRock board.

 

[weskurtz81]

The Intel fanboy's in hear are still in the closet. You obviously want to keep the socket, and even though I might have gone with a 165, the tight timings is a good point for going with the 185. But, for a cpu upgrade, and not a new system, the 185 is a good choice. Alot of people in here though think the only choice is Intel, and they are very quick to say it now that Intel can compete in the performance area. Don't listen, not a bad choice, not as fast as a new core 2 system, but, still blazing fast and you probably wouldn't NOTICE the performance difference between a what you have and a core2 based system in most cases.

wes

Edit: To keep from starting a flame war, we all know a Core 2 system would be faster, but, for the question you asked, the 185 or any dual opteron for that matter, is a good choice.

 

[CompuTronix]

There is NO motherboard for a crossfire set-up (I have a x1900 crossfire set-up) and a 6300.

The Asus P5W DH Deluxe is a crossfire motherboard.

 

[HA_ZEE]

Yes but at $220 USD that is one expensive board and I felt it was way past the original posters guidelines. Nice board though.

 

[nilepez]

Yes but at $220 USD that is one expensive board and I felt it was way past the original posters guidelines. Nice board though.

The OP said either an FX60 or the opty. The lowest price on an FX60 is about 440.00, so given that budget, an e6300 isn't beyond his reach and since he didn't specify a video card, much less if he's using 2, he may be able to buy a cheaper board. The wild card is what memory does he currently have and how much can he sell it for.

If his budget is 450, he should at the very least consider switching to Intel.

Edit: I didn't notice his sig. He should either go with a 165 or go Core2. Given his setup, he can get a 6300 and MB for no more than the 185.

He'd be nuts to go for the 185, IMNSHO.

 

[Noya]

Ha_Zee,

When did this thread become about you and your $300 memory and CrossFire setup?

I still think SoiledBottom should still go for an Opteron 165, OR yank his 7950GT and sell his system for $350 +/- and add the $350 that was suggested he spend for an Opteron 185 and buy an entry level Core 2 setup.

Yeah I know what your sayin, but this guy is gonna start a fire!!! 3800x2 and E6300 clocked @3GHZ are not far apart

Maybe a socket AM2 x2 utilizing higher bandwidth DDR2 memory and water cooling :roll:

 

[NaDa]

The FX and the Opty185 are way too expencive chips.
Look for an Opty165 or 170 at best.

For the money the FX or the 185 costs you can buy a conroe system and oc it to outrun a 3GHz Opty.

The Asrock mobo cant hit 3GHz with an 6300. It's limits are about 290 FSB from the reviews I have read.
It uses an AGP Express so it's not good.
If you want AGP then go with the Asrock 865PE mobo that supports conroe and get a higher multiplayer one. It would be best to wait for E4300 it should be around any time now.

 

[HA_ZEE]

You are a real ding bat, it aint about me. I was trying to explain why the opty was justified after someone called the decision ludicrious. In order to go to a core 2 duo (which the original poster didn't ask about and doesn't want) you have to spend way more than the simple upgrade to an opty processor. There are some people in here with very thick heads. Price it out yourself. Make sure you dont forget to accomadate the crossfire set-up I have and the 2 gig of high quality ram. If the original poster requested info on AMD the INTEL fanboys should pack it.

 

[nilepez]

You are a real ding bat, it aint about me. I was trying to explain why the opty was justified after someone called the decision ludicrious. In order to go to a core 2 duo (which the original poster didn't ask about and doesn't want) you have to spend way more than the simple upgrade to an opty processor. There are some people in here with very thick heads. Price it out yourself. Make sure you dont forget to accomadate the crossfire set-up I have and the 2 gig of high quality ram. If the original poster requested info on AMD the INTEL fanboys should pack it.

Look at the OP's sig. It is not more expensive to go to Core2 vs an FX60. It's 50 bucks more than going with an Opt185.

Given the information that we have, it would be ludicrous to go with a 185 or a FX60. He should go with the 165 or switch to Intel (which is well within the budget of someone considering an FX60).

And I don't get your intel fan boy comments. AFAIK, both Noya is running AMD rig. I know I am.