Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > CPUs > Quad Core or Dual core for my uses?

Quad Core or Dual core for my uses?

Forum CPU & Components : CPUs - Quad Core or Dual core for my uses?

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!
Ask the community Add a reply
Word :    Username :           
 
wakeen   04-23-2009 at 06:26:45 AM

I am about to build a budget rig. ($600-700) I am wondering if I should get a quad core processor like a Q6600, or a Dualy like a E7400 and save some cash?

I will mostly be using this for an okay gaming rig.
What I'm going to most likely getting are

A Q6600 or a E7400 (Other suggestions?)
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
9800GTX+
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-UD3LR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Mobo

Thanks for any help

Message quoted 1 times
Add a reply
Sponsored Links
Register or log in to remove.
gkay09   04-23-2009 at 06:51:37 AM
- 0 +

Well actually you could save money going with a DDR2 memory...the core 2 dont take advantage of the DDR3 speeds...
And if your are planning on a pure gaming rig , then get the Core2 ...and a powerful graphics card...

Reply to gkay09
gkay09   04-23-2009 at 07:00:41 AM
- 1 +

Another alternative...Will be more powerful on than the E7400 and is more future proof...
CPU+mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.182106

RAM -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231189

Graphics Card -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102801

Reply to gkay09
mi1ez   04-23-2009 at 11:58:35 AM
- 0 +

As stated, go DDR2 for a budget build. You can save some more money going dual and put that into a faster GPU.

Reply to mi1ez
hefox   04-23-2009 at 12:24:48 PM
- 0 +

I think this is the best option for you.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.182239
Regards the ram memory, you should stay with DDR 2 and you need at least a decent video card like Ati 4870 or Nvidia 260gtx 216.

Reply to hefox
mindless728   04-23-2009 at 04:56:30 PM
- 0 +

+1 hefox
go with the Ati 4870 for crossfire later

Reply to mindless728
redzoneos   04-24-2009 at 08:17:14 AM
- 0 +

my opinion, for an "ok" gaming rig around 500-700 gaming rig (assumed USD)

 

Gigabyte - EP45-UD3P - 115.00 USD
Intel E8400 - 165.00 USD
ATI HD 4850 - 120.00 USD
G-Skill "Pi" DDR2 800 2Gb x 2 4-4-4-12 timing - 50.00 USD
Case (your choice) - guessing around 100.00 USD
PSU (your choice, but i recommend corsair 750HX) - guessing around 70.00 USD
HDD, CD/DVD drive, keyboard/mouse, etc. etc. - no more then 150.00 USD

 

grand total = 770.00... but i overestimated the cost of the HDD/CD, Case, and PSu... depending on what you get...

 

if you wanna save more money, get an Intel 7xxx series processor.

 

****If you don't need case/psu, hdd cd, etc. etc... then consider upgrading the E8400 to a Q9550 for 100 more.


Message edited by redzoneos on 04-24-2009 at 08:19:21 AM
Reply to redzoneos
hefox   04-24-2009 at 10:21:23 AM
- 0 +

1. AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz
2. GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X - both $275
3. HIS Hightech H487FN512P Radeon HD 4870 512MB - $155
4. OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 2GB DDR2 800 4-4-4-15 - $34
5. Antec Three Hundred - $60
6. HIPER Type M II HPU-5M730 730W - $100
7. SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD752LJ 750GB - $ 75
8. SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - $ 24
9. Noctua NH-U12P 120mm or Thermalright Ultra 120 - $ 60
Total $783
It's much better than E7400 and you can OC very well.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by hefox on 04-24-2009 at 10:22:52 AM
Reply to hefox
croc   04-24-2009 at 10:39:59 AM
- 0 +

wakeen wrote :

I am about to build a budget rig. ($600-700) I am wondering if I should get a quad core processor like a Q6600, or a Dualy like a E7400 and save some cash?

I will mostly be using this for an okay gaming rig.
What I'm going to most likely getting are

A Q6600 or a E7400 (Other suggestions?)
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
9800GTX+
GIGABYTE GA-EP45T-UD3LR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Mobo

Thanks for any help



You don't mention your monitor's specs...

Reply to croc
rewindlabs   04-24-2009 at 11:06:38 AM
- 0 +

hefox wrote :

1. AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz
2. GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X - both $275
3. HIS Hightech H487FN512P Radeon HD 4870 512MB - $155
4. OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 2GB DDR2 800 4-4-4-15 - $34
5. Antec Three Hundred - $60
6. HIPER Type M II HPU-5M730 730W - $100
7. SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD752LJ 750GB - $ 75
8. SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - $ 24
9. Noctua NH-U12P 120mm or Thermalright Ultra 120 - $ 60
Total $783
It's much better than E7400 and you can OC very well.

 


Took long enough!

 


That is the cpu you want...it will rape GTA and any quadcore games to come...albeit you will want 4gbs of ram...

 

If your smart you will go with the quad core now instead of upgrading from the dual core


Message edited by rewindlabs on 04-24-2009 at 11:07:17 AM
------------------------------ http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s145/RSSRM/ay14s5-1.jpg
 Reply to rewindlabs
photonboy   04-24-2009 at 11:56:46 AM
- 0 +

three points:
1) get 4GB of RAM (2x2GB)
2) you should be able to download Windows 7 RC 64-bit on May 5th. So do that and use it until the OEM version is released.
3) Quad-core is a good idea. The X4 940 is a great deal and will future proof your computer a bit.

Reply to photonboy
jtt283   04-24-2009 at 03:44:13 PM
- 0 +

Hefox only missed a "+1" because of the questionable PSU. The other parts looked decent. Then get an 80+ certified PSU like an Antec Earthwatts. The 500W model would be enough, or get the 650 for more headroom.
Until you know [how much] you want to OC, skip the cooler to buy more RAM. It is a lot easier on an AMD board to replace the CPU cooler, so you can always get that later.

Reply to jtt283
hefox   04-24-2009 at 10:14:51 PM
- 0 +

Actually Hiper are pretty good PSU. For what you are paying, you receive a really good quality. Check for example this review:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/powe [...] 413-9.html
There are many reviews on this power supplies and the results are at least good and are better than Antec Eartwatts.

Reply to hefox
vgdarkstar   04-24-2009 at 10:25:52 PM
- 0 +

Also it depends on your computing habits, if you close everything before launching a game... go for a fast dual, if you like leaving everything running in the background, go quad. Certain games also benefit from quad, supcom for example.

Reply to vgdarkstar
wakeen   05-01-2009 at 07:38:44 PM
- 0 +

Thanks for all of these replies. Very helpful.
Seems that a lot of you are telling me to go AMD/ATI, instead of what I was going to go for, Intel/nVidia.
Any great reasons for AMD over Intel and ATI over Nvidia.
Like why an AMD Phenom would be better than a Core 2 quad from Intel

Also, is a q9400 any good?

@vgdarkstar: I will pretty much always be having music in the background and other things running most likely, but if it the game ran slow at all, I would end up closing everything

Thanks again!

Reply to wakeen
hefox   05-06-2009 at 03:26:42 PM
- 0 +

The reason is simple. Comparing the prices and performance, you will see that AMD is the best option for you.
Yes, Q9400 is good but P2 940 is cheaper and it's unlocked.
Almost the same thing is with the graphic cards. AMD/ATI always tries to be more compatitive from this perspective.
I like Intel, I always did but when it comes to spending money, is another story. For what you want to spend, the best option is AMD.

Reply to hefox
jtt283   06-24-2009 at 05:32:12 PM
- 0 +

The newer Hiper are better, but the one he linked was an older model. Anything that is 80%+ certified will have to have been tested at full load in order to pass, which means that at the very least it isn't grossly overrated.

Reply to jtt283
Ask the community Add a reply
Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > CPUs > Quad Core or Dual core for my uses?
Go to:

There are 1163 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Forum map
Bestofmedia Forum ©
2000-2009 Bestofmedia Group
Page generated in 2.444 seconds
Sponsored links
  • Ask the community now
  • Publish
Ad
They won a badge
Join us in greeting them