3.0 Prescott or 3.4 Northwood?

[zippea]

Ok guys, I know i should be buying a duo core, but thats financially out of the option. Right now, I own a 3.0GHz 1Mb L2 cache Prescott (SSE3). My friend is offering me a 3.4Ghz 512kb L2 cache (SSE2)for 30 bucks. Although his proc is 1/2 yr older, I positive I racked up more hours on mine (left mine on overnight, he never did). Is it worth it? Or will I be buying a worse processor and losing 30 dollars?
thanks in advance!

 

[the_vorlon]

Buy the Northwood.

Clock for clock the prescotts versus Northwoods are essentially a dead heat, and the northwood runs a lot cooler.

 

[zippea]

Thanks for your response! (I was hoping you would say the Northwood was better ) Does cache size or SSE make a huge difference?

 

[the411]

northwood is faster clock for clock but i dont think the difference is worth $30 bucks(just my opinion, ask for a lower price if u can). try overclocking, my preshot is doing fine for now at 4.1ghz.

here's a good northwood vs prescott review to help u decide:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/prescott-tests.html

 

[yipsl]

Though our two main PCs are dual core Athlon X2's we still have a P4 630 @ 3 gigahertz with hyperthreading and a P4 Northwood @ 2.8 gigahertz without hyperthreading up and running. The Northwood is equal to the 630 in single threaded games, the Prescott in anything that takes advantage of hyperthreading.

The 3.4 Northwood is worth $30 for you. It has hyperthreading just like your Prescott. Clock for clock, a Northwood runs cooler than a Prescott, but there's enough of a difference in clock between the two choices you have that temps might remain the same. Make sure your board's socket 478 and not LGA 775, as the Northwood's were all socket 478.

If you have the right socket, just make sure your bios supports the faster processor. For example, my i865PERL socket 478 board supports up to a 3.4 Northwood, but some boards might only support up to 3.0 or 3.2 in clockspeed. Check your board's CPU list online to make sure you have the right bios and board revision for that Northwood.

 

[maverick7]

dont buy it... save ur money... a conroe processor is like what $100?? even if u make $8 per hour at a job u could afford that easily in 2 shifts

 

[dragonsprayer]

dont matter

northwood is cooler

the 3.4northwood used to be worth alot of money the presccot is not

 

[jt001]

The northwood will be slightly faster. However, if you have a 775 board, no Northwood will fit in that, however you can buy a Conroe-L for like $45 and that will be cooler and likely faster anyway.

If you're that tight on money though, no point in blowing your cash on such a negligible upgrade. Just save up some more and get a cheap dual core.

 

[amnotanoobie]

The northwood would be cooler. That's about it. The northwood would be marginally faster, according to Tom's 2005 CPU charts. Though I think the improvement is not worth $30. Maybe 10?

 

[Zorg]

Yeah, the Northwood is a better chip, but barely enough to even go through the hassle of changing, let alone pay money for. Save your dimes and get a cheap dual core in 6 mo to a year.

 

[sprucebr1]

I agree, wait for a while untill you have the funds. I'm sure you could afford a E2160 or something in the next while. The problem with P4's is the power/heat ratio, P4's use too much power to be effective. running at 3.0Ghz is one thing, but the amount of heat that is generated is not worth it. The P4's are no whare near as efficent as a Core 2.

 

[Ycon]

Northwood

 

[prolfe]

Save the cake and buy a cheap C2D in a few months. Or, put the screws to your friend and get it for 10 bucks! Also, in reply to your inference that your processor has more hours logged than his, and may have less life in it: that's a non-issue for you. There isn't enough of a difference to matter. Be sure you factor in the cost of thermal paste, and the time required to install it and burn it in, when coming to your final decision. (incidentally, the thermal paste argument is a good starting point in getting your friend to reduce the price LOL)

 

[babybudha]

I didn't even know northwoods came that high clocked? Offer him $20. Honestly the performance difference will not be much at all. But I really hated prescotts!

If he doesn't bit for $20, screw it. Go buy a some pot and a Ledzepplin album.