CPU Value??

[collins8]

I am looking for some advice from you guys.
Budgeted $230 for a CPU and with present pricing what is the best Performing CPU available in this price range. I do not care if it is AMD or Intel. This computer will be used primarily for multitasking, some video and an occasional game.

Thanks
Rob

 

[lostandwandering]

AMD: AM2 X2 6000+ $239

Intel:Core2 E6400 $218

Out of the two, the 6000+ is the better perfromer by a little or by a greater margin depending on the application/game. Courtesy of Tom's CPU charts

 

[collins8]

When should I be able to get the E6420 at the proposed $183??

Rob

 

[lostandwandering]

Don't hold me to this, but I believe the date is April 22. It will definitely be within the next month.

 

[m25]

When should I be able to get the E6420 at the proposed $183??

Rob

If can afford the $240 X2 6000+, just go for it because it will still kill the E6420 (unless you are overclocking).

 

[Guest]

Unless you wanna overclock, get the 6000+. Better upgrade path, the next 2 generations will support the mobo.

 

[dsidious]

Good advice. Plus, AMD motherboards tend to be cheaper than Intel's.

What kind of memory do you have or want to buy? I think you need DDR2-800 for best results with the AMD 6000+.

 

[xsamitt]

curious.......Is there a low wattage version of the 6000 From Amd?125 Watts I believe they are.Little hot for my taste........If if was lower I would go for the AMD I think.

 

[jaguarskx]

The current Athlon X2 6000+ is using 90nm technology. Last I heard the 65nm version is due out in Q3 (July - Sept), but that depends if AMD can keep it's timetable.

 

[r0ck]

http://www.techreport.com/reviews/2007q2/core2-qx6800/index.x?pg=13
Don't get the 6000+. It's even more of an oven than a quad

 

[xsamitt]

THANKS ROCK 8)

It realy is a hot mother.5600 is as high as I would go after reading that if I went with AMD.I have seen the intel 6600 for $309.00 on newegg and as high as 399.99 on ncix.
But your very right....the thing is way to hot...the 6000 I mean.
Im not an overclocker so I need the power up front.
No doubt were all watching the CPU wars very closely.

 

[m25]

The X2 6000+ goes head to head with the E6600 and at today's prices, the 6000+ is a better buy for stock operation.

 

[xsamitt]

My only gripe is the heat.

 

[ajfink]

http://www.techreport.com/reviews/2007q2/core2-qx6800/index.x?pg=13
Don't get the 6000+. It's even more of an oven than a quad

Not that I'm calling their info totally bad, but I fail to see how the QX6700 and the E6300 use more power than the QX6800 and E6400, respectively.

 

[r0ck]

Lower voltage/better bins.

 

[ajfink]

Lower voltage/better bins.

Better bins would explain a little bit of it (most likely in the case of the E6300 and E6400), but it makes less sense in the case of the QX6700 and QX6800. Oh well.

 

[m25]

My only gripe is the heat.

Whether it is a high end X2 or Core2, you will always need an aftermarket cooler so what are you worrying about; you will be OK with it. At the end, the X2 6000+ is not an overclocking chip and you're not going to increase it's 125W heat output that much and 125W is not that terrible for a 3.0GHz 90nm K8, if you think that it's the same TDP of the 2.6GHz FX-60. So all this said, a FX-60 stock cooler should be just fine, not to mention the great $20 AF64Pro.

 

[rammedstein]

125W is max stock spec, i doubt you'll ever reach that though as they compensate in that also for really badly binned processors that are crud and make a lot of heat, i think , at max, in real world it will be 110

 

[epsilon84]

125W is max stock spec, i doubt you'll ever reach that though as they compensate in that also for really badly binned processors that are crud and make a lot of heat, i think , at max, in real world it will be 110

Ahh, not this TDP argument again. I read recently that AMD has changed it's TDP calculations and is now quoting the 'typical' usage figure, not the max figure. Why? Probably because if they quoted max they'll have 150W CPUs on their hands which wouldn't look very good.

The fact that the '125W' X2 6000+ uses more power than a '130W' QX6800 says something...

Anyway, to the OP, currently, the best stock processor IMO is the X2 5600+ for ~$190. 95% the performance of the X2 6000+ at 75% the price.

If you can wait another week or two for the Intel pricecuts, then the E6420 and E6600 are compelling buys. The E6420 will be ~$180 and will perform at the same levels as an X2 5600+. The E6600 will drop to ~$220 and is slightly faster than the X2 6000+. The C2D's also run cooler and overclock better, obviously.

 

[m25]

That's true; from X2 5000+ to X2 5600+ prices are simply overkill for the performance.

 

[xsamitt]

I've waited almost 2 years now.....I can wait for a while longer.