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Help Choosing CPU for Gaming Build

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - Help Choosing CPU for Gaming Build

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Brodie   08-09-2009 at 08:18:25 PM

Hey guys, I'm trying to decide on a CPU as the basis for my new gaming build. This box will be mainly used for MMORPG's and FPS's (WoW and TF2, as of right now anyway). My budget is around $800. I'm willing to overclock and I'd like to keep it as futureproof as possible as I only build a new box about once every 4 years or so. Here are what I have narrowed it down to.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor

I'm open to other CPU's. These just seem to be right around what I would like to spend. Any thoughts or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.


Message edited by Brodie on 08-09-2009 at 08:23:03 PM
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Silver Home Brew badge hunter315   08-09-2009 at 08:22:41 PM

The 955 performs on par with the Q9550 and costs the same as the Q6600 which is significantly weaker than the Q9550. I would definitely go with the 955, and hopefully AMD will ramp up production a bit so that newegg can keep it in stock long enough to get combos with it.

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Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-09-2009 at 08:29:00 PM

Well if it's a quads only list i'd have a look at these new 95W TDP Phenom 2 945 as well :P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103696
Else a 720BE and as much teeth you can afford for GPU makes a lot of sense in my book hehe


Message edited by batuchka on 08-09-2009 at 08:31:49 PM
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Brodie   08-09-2009 at 08:31:40 PM

Oh, that seems to be a good one too. One question, what exactly is the difference between a black edition and a normal AMD chip?

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Bronze Home Brew badge batuchka   08-09-2009 at 08:34:53 PM

The multiplier is locked in a non BE AMD chip

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Silver Home Brew badge hunter315   08-09-2009 at 08:41:39 PM

The BE's have unlocked multipliers and are the top of each product line. If all you are doing on that system is gaming then a 720 will work fine, just get an aftermarket cooler and OC it and it should perform as well or better than any in that list for games.

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Bronze Home Brew badge obsidian86   08-09-2009 at 08:42:49 PM

black editions overclock easier due to thhe unlocked multipliers to get to a certain speed eg to get to 3ghz will be 200mhz times 15 wich is 3ghz now to over clock you can increase the 200 if the multiplier is llocked an cant be changed eg from 200 to 220mhz times 15 wich is 3.3ghz now wth an unlocked multiplier like intels extreme edition an amd black editions eg 200 times 15 or 16 or whatever is stable like 200 times 20 will be 4ghz


Message edited by obsidian86 on 08-09-2009 at 08:43:51 PM
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