Phenom II = X3 720 black vs X4 945 non black

Phenom II = X3 720 black vs X4 945 non black

Which do you guys think will be faster in rendering? 3dsmax, povray, cinebench

1. X3 720 black and overclock (easily)

2. X4 945 nonblack (use at stock speed, will not overclock this)

Any thoughts?

the thing is though, the 720 can unlock the 4th core if your mobo allows it, so technically that is a quad aswell, im stuck between the choice of a tri core and dual core at the minute

Personally I would go with the 720be due to the fact that @ 3.2Ghz or higher you should be able to render a tad faster than the 945 regardless if it has an extra core... The 945 would be a smart choice if you decide to overclock later on but at stock speeds IMO the 945 is a waste of cash.... You have more headroom with the 720be, and it is less stressfull to achieve higher clocks vs. the 945....

My suggestion is due to the fact that he will not overclock the 945.....

Well, maybe you are a fan of the non-be's but I have used many AMD chips and IMO the 945 is not easier to overclock due to the fact that not all AMD boards are bus-friendy..... I know of more than 15 AMD (AM2+ / AM3) boards that hit a wall if you raise the bus to anything over 220Mhz....

Not trying to be sarcastic here but it is a fact that the BE's (550,720, 940,955 and 965 are the best and most effective overclockers out of the whole AMD lineup.....