CPU-bound Game: Recommend me a CPU to OC to 4GHz

[amombour]

I play EverQuest 2, an older game that is CPU-bound. It uses mostly 1 core, with a little off-loading onto a 2nd core.

I'd like recommendations on a CPU + Mobo that will OC to 4Ghz with the least effort. Keeping Price & Heat down are also a plus.

From initial CPU research I'm looking at :

Phenom II X4 965 BE 3.4 GHz
-or-
Core i5-750
-or-
Core i7-920

I don't want an extreme OC, so the lower base clocks on the Intel chips is a little intimidating. Also I don't want to have to get very expensive RAM to complete the OC.

Can anyone give me suggestions on what direction to go, and a good Mobo to complete the OC.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[khicharkumar]

Core i5 750 could be OCed to the Level's of even Core i7 975 so go for it and you can save some bucks if u buy this insted of Core i7 920 and invest in premium DDR 3 solutions.....but if u are going for more than 2 GPU'S Core i5's platform is not the way since only P45 has the capacity to split PCI-e x16 lanes in 8x/8x so u can use two GPU's, other 1156 chipsets are not opt for gamers......... So if you wish more than 2-way SLI/Crossfire than should buy i7-920 1366 platform.Core i7 is a nice overclocker too i have seen people OCing it very easily..

 

[khicharkumar]

Forgot to tell about AMD its AM3 platfrom can also be the way u want but they are not so nice overclocker if u want to go above 4Ghz..........till 3.5-3.8 its somewhat OK.
There are unlocked multipyer varients of Core i5 and Core i7 that are Core i5 655-K and Core i7 875-K but they are bit expensive so buying these will leave no headroom for Premium Memory but if u have high budget the K series is the BEST for Beyond 4Ghz operations.......

 

[amombour]

Thanks for the reply khicharkumar. I am only using 1 GPU to start (likely a Radeon 5850).

I don't play on going over 4GHz, anywhere from 3.8 to 4.0 Ghz should suit my needs.

Looking for a recommendation in the form of:

which will OC 'easiest', meaning:
- least hassle for an OC noob.
- less heat / voltage manip would be a plus.
- keeping cost down.
- a good Mobo to pair with the CPU suggestion.
- perhaps what kind/speed of RAM to complete the OC

 

[saint19]

Hi.

For price/performance the best option for u is the X4 955 or X4 965 since the i5-750 is more cheap but a very good mobo for that CPU is more expensive, don't think in the i7-920 since is more expensive and the components that u need for a very good performance are more expensive too.

I suggest to u this components:

1- CPU: Phenom II X4 955
2- Mobo: Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5
3- RAM: G.Skill Ripjwas 1600

 

[amombour]

Hi Saint19,

That's exactly the type of reply I was looking for. I'll read up on those parts and also see if I get any 2nd opinions before making a desicion.

Thanks.

 

[saint19]

U can drop the price a little with a mobo around $130 or $150. ASUS M4A79XTD EVO

Intel option:

1- CPU: i5-750
2- Mobo: ASUS P7P55D-E Pro
3- RAM: G.Skill Ripjwas 1600

 

[khicharkumar]

Saint 19's recommendation's good but i suggested Core i5 750 since its dang faster than Phenom II x4 955 and can be OCD to Core i7 975's levels
CPU:Core i5 750 around 200$
Search at Newegg or any other site..
RAM:Use which saint 19 mentioned...
Mobo:MSI P55-GD65 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard around 160$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130239
Though its cost may be 50$-100$ high but u will feel the power of money u spent cause i5 750 beats Phenom x4 in all aspects......and the mobo is Very nice OC friendly and supports two GPU's in SLI/Crossfire
U can buy single GPU like 5850/5870 and add a same later if u need more 3D output from PC
Its 10:20 PM in India and i am going to hit the bed, read the reviews think deeply and make a decision good luck ...
Some lines of review of this MSI board
Featuring DrMOS, SuperPipe and OC Genie, this mainboard's overclocking capabilities are truly amazing. The Taiwan overclocker, Coolaler, was able to overclock the Intel Core i7 860 CPU (2.8GHz)to 5.39 GHz with MSI’s P55-GD80 mainboard, breaking the world record and pushing the processor 92% past its set frequency. This performance surpasses the competition, and beautifully demonstrates MSI's P55 series overclocking prowess.

The MSI P55-GD65 owes much of its outstanding overclocking ability to its equipped MSI-exclusive technologies, such as the one second auto-overclocking feature OC Genie, the SuperPipe cooling system that effectively drops the operating temperature by 50°C, and 1>4 phase total DrMOS power supply design. Other features include the real-time overclocking function Direct OC, BIOS update and backup feature M-Flash, Power eSATA that acts as both a power source and an eSATA port, etc. These features coupled with the mainboard's spec set and performance make the MSI P55-GD65 the hottest P55 product around