Which is Better?

[RoboPanda]

AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz or Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz? I will be using this in a gaming PC.

 

[enzo matrix]

CPU power per core the core2 architecture is better than the phenom II. might equal a phenom IIx2 at 3.2-3.4GHz. However the phenom II in your case has three cores. So this really depends on if the game you intend to play can utilize more cores better. What games do you intend to play?

 

[RoboPanda]

I plan on playing games like Mass Effect 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Assassin's Creed 2. For current games right now, I play Left 4 Dead 2, Modern Warfare 2, Dragon Age Orgins, etc.

 

[enzo matrix]

I would think that the 3 cores would be more beneficial in modern games and definitely in future games. What is the rest of your system though? Especially the graphics card setup? And what resolutions and quality are you hoping for?

 

[RoboPanda]

I have Nvidia 8800 GT, 2 gigs of RAM and a Pentium D 3.2 GHz processor.


Edit: I want to play at 1680x1050 res settings and i'm hoping for high quality settings.

 

[hell_storm2004]

If you can stretch your budget a little a Phenom II X4 955 is a good buy. But that would be stretching your budget a lot, coz 720BE cost $119 and 955BE costs $165. 720BE is a good option in my book too.

 

[RoboPanda]

If I do get the Phenom II X4 955, will I for sure be able to play most games on High settings at 1680x1050 settings?

 

[hell_storm2004]

Yes of course. Its a very potent CPU. It comes in the top line of AMD CPU's. Plus if you overclock, this would be wonderful thing coz of that unlimited multiplier thing!!! But that is only if you do stretch your budget that much.

 

[hell_storm2004]

But also it all depends on the kind of GPU you have or go for in the future. When it comes to gaming, GPU matters more than your CPU. Only thing you should look at is that your CPU should not bottleneck your GPU.

 

[RoboPanda]

sweet, i'm for sure going to get that one then. could you suggest a motherboard, cus i'm not sure my current one will support that processor

 

[hell_storm2004]

If you want to go for an AM3 board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138141&cm_re=biostar_ta790gx_a3%2b-_-13-138-141-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378

If you want to go for an AM2+ board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138152
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387

 

[_GTech]

The Intel i5 with a decent graphics card would be my suggestion!

The i5 can overclock to a stable 3.7 GHz on a Fan Cooler!
The i5 beats ALL AMD Chips to date!!

$160-200 depending upon where your shopping.

If money is the issue, then go with whatever is cheapest!

If Performance is what you want, the i5 has it all! (For the price)

I think you can build a rock solid good i5 system for around $700! With Windows 7 64 Bit and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM!

 

[andy5174]

The Intel i5 with a decent graphics card would be my suggestion!

The i5 can overclock to a stable 3.7 GHz on a Fan Cooler!
The i5 beats ALL AMD Chips to date!!

$160-200 depending upon where your shopping.

If money is the issue, then go with whatever is cheapest!

If Performance is what you want, the i5 has it all! (For the price)

I think you can build a rock solid good i5 system for around $700! With Windows 7 64 Bit and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM!

Agree

 

[warmon6]

The Intel i5 with a decent graphics card would be my suggestion!

The i5 can overclock to a stable 3.7 GHz on a Fan Cooler!
The i5 beats ALL AMD Chips to date!!

$160-200 depending upon where your shopping.

If money is the issue, then go with whatever is cheapest!

If Performance is what you want, the i5 has it all! (For the price)

I think you can build a rock solid good i5 system for around $700! With Windows 7 64 Bit and 4 GB of DDR3 RAM!

If he just mainly gaming, An AMD phenom II x3 720 will be more than enough for most modern and future games. If OP was doing anything else like video encoding on a daily bases, then the core i5 power and price will be justified.

 

[enzo matrix]

If he just mainly gaming, An AMD phenom II x3 720 will be more than enough for most modern and future games. If OP was doing anything else like video encoding on a daily bases, then the core i5 power and price will be justified.

agree