Best Value: Phenom II X4 BE, i5-750, or Phenom II X6 1055T

[Slayer697]

I'm building a new gaming rig/ work pc (mainly need photoshop right now, but may need support for video editing later). I've been doing a lot of research and recently settled on a Asus DirectCu 5850 as my GPU. Now I'm trying to come up with the right motherboard/cpu combination but I'm finding a lot of mixed reviews about which processor to go with. I've read the THG review from a couple days ago that compared the i5-750 to the 1090T but the results really didn't seem all that conclusive and I'm not sure I found the article all that helpful. Especially since I wanted to know more about the 1055T. Checking around other websites has led me to similar confusion so I've decided to turn to these fine forums which have so far been invaluable in helping me become better informed about my upcoming purchase.

Which processor overall is recommended for my usage? Which offers the best value for my dollar? HD is important to me which is why I chose the card I did. Will any of these processors bottleneck my GPU?

Edit: I think it's important to note I'm not afraid to overclock and the potential to pull extra out of my components is something I'm interested in since it adds value to my dollar. I'm trying to keep the system relatively quiet on air which is why my case is a CoolerMaster HAF 922: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=haf_922-_-11-119-197-_-Product

 

[amk09]

i5 750 HANDS DOWN.

 

[warmon6]

I'm building a new gaming rig/ work pc (mainly need photoshop right now, but may need support for video editing later). I've been doing a lot of research and recently settled on a Asus DirectCu 5850 as my GPU. Now I'm trying to come up with the right motherboard/cpu combination but I'm finding a lot of mixed reviews about which processor to go with. I've read the THG review from a couple days ago that compared the i5-750 to the 1090T but the results really didn't seem all that conclusive and I'm not sure I found the article all that helpful. Especially since I wanted to know more about the 1055T. Checking around other websites has led me to similar confusion so I've decided to turn to these fine forums which have so far been invaluable in helping me become better informed about my upcoming purchase.

Which processor overall is recommended for my usage? Which offers the best value for my dollar? HD is important to me which is why I chose the card I did. Will any of these processors bottleneck my GPU?

Edit: I think it's important to note I'm not afraid to overclock and the potential to pull extra out of my components is something I'm interested in since it adds value to my dollar. I'm trying to keep the system relatively quiet on air which is why my case is a CoolerMaster HAF 922: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=haf_922-_-11-119-197-_-Product

Well for gaming, the core i5 750 and the Phenom II x4 955 are virtually the same in terms of overall performance.

Photoshop, i would have to say the same thing.

Video editing, debatable. depending on the program, if it can use the 6 cores of the Phenom II x6, this will be the best cpu. If not, it will be up to you.


Now when you factor in overclocking, i would give it to the core i5 750 (2.66) as it starts at a lower GHz than phenom II x4 955 (3.2), and it reaches to the same GHz speed at around 3.8 to 4.

Overall though, i think you'll be fine with any of the setups.

 

[amk09]

First off do NOT get the x6 because if gaming is primary and you will only be doing a little video editing than it will be a bad buy.

The i5 750 is superior to the 965 in gaming as well as other tasks. The only catch is that its $20-40 more.

Also warmon, he specifically said he would not be overclocking.

 

[randomkid]

i5 750 HANDS DOWN.

+1. As long as OP is aware that it is end of the road for the 1156 Intel socket and he have no future plans to do 5850 in crossfire due to x8x8 limitation of the 1156.

 

[arterius2]

with 965 is out of the picture. 1055T overclocked is a beast unleashed, not to say that the i5 isnt, but x6 is going to be a more futureproof solution. besides, you should be more concerned with GPU than CPU for a gaming rig, the difference in frame rates with these CPU's are negligible compared to performance gain by upgrading to a better GPU. with that said, you'r CPU will not likely become bottleneck for your GPU at this point.

 

[Slayer697]

First off do NOT get the x6 because if gaming is primary and you will only be doing a little video editing than it will be a bad buy.

The i5 750 is superior to the 965 in gaming as well as other tasks. The only catch is that its $20-40 more.

Also warmon, he specifically said he would not be overclocking.

I actually said "I'm not afraid to overclock," so quite the opposite. That being said, the i5-750 was one of two chips first recommended but I've been trying to figure out if it's better than the 1055T because I can buy both for the same price at a local tiger direct.

Warmon: which setup do you recommend though? Being able to upgrade in the future is something I'm keeping in mind, although I'm trying to weigh out its true benefit since it seems like the AM3 socket is nearing the end as well.

Randomkid: I want to keep the option for 5850 crossfire open. It's my understanding that the x8x8 limitation of the 1156 isn't a particularly big issue. I wasn't able to find a lot of useful information about x8x8 vs x16x16, but what was I was able to find all seemed to say that for my 5850s x8x8 shouldn't result in much of a dip in performance if any at all. THG graphics card forum posters have echoed similar sentiments. Do you have any insight you can share?

Part of me wants to keep this as an intel chipset in case macintosh decides to support 5xxx cards in future mac computers, but I'm starting to think it might just be better to custom build a hackintosh down the road than to hope my build gets lucky and just works. I would certainly go with an AMD board if its value was greater than an intel board. Reading what some people are saying about getting their 1055Ts up to 4.0 on just air and still running relatively cool, I'm interested to get more perspective on the AMD vs intel debate.

 

[amk09]

The difference between x8 x8 and x16 x16 is not really noticable unless your a numbers freak, maybe a few fps.

And sorry for misreading your initial post, but fyi the i5 750 is a great overclocker and can perform on par the the i7 930.

I really just don't think you need 6 cores, it won't really benefit you in any way.

 

[arterius2]

I really just don't think you need 6 cores, it won't really benefit you in any way.

I really don't understand the whole concept of "you don't need 6 cores so don't buy it".

if they have the money for it, I don't see why not. the OP does state he will be doing video editing later so a 6-core would be a great choice here. I not talking about gaming performance here, i'm talking about future-proofing your investment. sure, a lot of games right now do not utilize 6-core, thats not to say games will NEVER utilize 6-core in the future, people said the same-thing about dual cores years ago, and then they said the same-thing regarding quad-cores, but guess what? technology is an ever-evolving concept, get used to it. but to be honest, not everything revolves around games, people do mature and eventually grow out of it, and use their PC for things other than pure entertainment-- such as WORK, the OP obviously is going to be using his PC for cpu-intensive graphic/video work so to answer his question, YES 6-core if you can afford it!

 

[amk09]

I really don't understand the whole concept of "you don't need 6 cores so don't buy it".

if they have the money for it, I don't see why not. the OP does state he will be doing video editing later so a 6-core would be a great choice here. I not talking about gaming performance here, i'm talking about future-proofing your investment. sure, a lot of games right now do not utilize 6-core, thats not to say games will NEVER utilize 6-core in the future, people said the same-thing about dual cores years ago, and then they said the same-thing regarding quad-cores, but guess what? technology is an ever-evolving concept, get used to it. but to be honest, not everything revolves around games, people do mature and eventually grow out of it, and use their PC for things other than pure entertainment-- such as WORK, the OP obviously is going to be using his PC for cpu-intensive graphic/video work so to answer his question, YES 6-core if you can afford it!

Yes but he will get less gaming performance out of the x6 than he will from a x4 965 or a i5 750. That's all i'm trying to say. On top of that an OC'ed i5 750 will be more than adequate for any video editing he'll be doing.

 

[arterius2]

Yes but he will get less gaming performance out of the x6 than he will from a x4 965 or a i5 750. That's all i'm trying to say. On top of that an OC'ed i5 750 will be more than adequate for any video editing he'll be doing.

I want to make it clear on this thread, as most people may not be aware that the hex-core thubans are implemented with "turbo-cores", when setup correctly (via BIOS), it works a little differently than intel's. the 1050T can actually "turn-off"(low power state) the un-used cores and use the extra saved energy to boost the remaining cores. this actually gives the x6 CPU's a clear advantage over the X4's @ the same clock

for example: if all 6 cores are clocked at 3.2ghz, and the user is playing a game that only utilize 3 cores, the 3 idle cores will be ran in a low-power state (800mhz), while the other 3 cores will receive a boost to lets say 3.8ghz, thus improving performance.

 

[randomkid]

Randomkid: I want to keep the option for 5850 crossfire open. It's my understanding that the x8x8 limitation of the 1156 isn't a particularly big issue. I wasn't able to find a lot of useful information about x8x8 vs x16x16, but what was I was able to find all seemed to say that for my 5850s x8x8 shouldn't result in much of a dip in performance if any at all. THG graphics card forum posters have echoed similar sentiments. Do you have any insight you can share?

Part of me wants to keep this as an intel chipset in case macintosh decides to support 5xxx cards in future mac computers, but I'm starting to think it might just be better to custom build a hackintosh down the road than to hope my build gets lucky and just works. I would certainly go with an AMD board if its value was greater than an intel board. Reading what some people are saying about getting their 1055Ts up to 4.0 on just air and still running relatively cool, I'm interested to get more perspective on the AMD vs intel debate.

I also do not have good reference for the x8x8 vs x16x16 issue but I heard that the higher you go on the GPU scale, the more performance dip.
I think CPU wise, you can not go wrong with the i5 750 or the 1055T. The only issue is where you get the better platform. The 890 chipset for AMD apart from ensuring x16x16 for your crossfire also have the added benefit of USB3.0 and SATA 6GB. How important these are to you will probably tip the balance for your choice.

 

[Slayer697]

Well USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB are both things I want so the question then is: is one solution a better value than the other. I don't think I'll need x16 support. From what I understand it's really more noticeable at higher resolutions, and I plan on sticking to HD. Unless someone can provide convincing evidence for x16 of course. Maybe I'll ask the mobo forum about this as well.

 

[Raidur]

If you're an overclocker and you have a quality mobo/RAM go for the 1055T. Else go Phenom II 955 and learn how to change a multiplier.

Honestly, Phenom II is a bit behind i5 in gaming. With a single 5850, a Phenom II is plenty, but crossfire a 2nd and you may have some bottlenecking. Little benchmarks show this difference because almost all of them use a 5870 or weaker in their reviews.

Tbh if you want 5850 crossfire i'd go i5 and OC.

For a single 5850 Phenom II all the way.

 

[Pro Llama]

I would say go with the 1055T if you are planning on using to do work. The extra performance will not help you when gaming but will make a difference when running heavy applications.

 

[Slayer697]

If you're an overclocker and you have a quality mobo/RAM go for the 1055T. Else go Phenom II 955 and learn how to change a multiplier.

Honestly, Phenom II is a bit behind i5 in gaming. With a single 5850, a Phenom II is plenty, but crossfire a 2nd and you may have some bottlenecking. Little benchmarks show this difference because almost all of them use a 5870 or weaker in their reviews.

Tbh if you want 5850 crossfire i'd go i5 and OC.

For a single 5850 Phenom II all the way.

I'm a bit confused it seems like you're recommending both the i5-750 and the 1055T. I haven't really picked my motherboard yet which is part of the reason I want advice on the processor. If you could clarify I'd appreciate it.

 

[Raidur]

Kind of.

The first paragraph I was comparing only the 1055T and the 955.

The second one I was comparing the i5-750 to Phenom II (in general).

I do end up recommending both, but state circumstances/benefits. Phenom II being obviously better at encoding or on the wallet (expected knowledge and not my main point so not included), and i5 being higher performing when you have enough GPU power to show it.

Just stating because I keep seeing the 750 being placed close in performance to deneb when its really in a class of its own, its just overkill on most reviews. Its like saying the Phenom I is a hair less in gaming than a q9400/q6600 because most of the reviews used an 8800GT. If you know what I mean.

 

[Slayer697]

Its like saying the Phenom I is a hair less in gaming than a q9400/q6600 because most of the reviews used an 8800GT. If you know what I mean.

You'll have to pardon me if I don't. I've just recently got back into PCs after 4 years of owning a mac and almost 6 years of service from my previous PC which a friend built for me.

I want to say I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure I really do. Are you saying that the processor is irrelevant because of the power of my selected GPU? If so is it because it's too powerful or not powerful enough?

I'm going to be turning to the motherboard forums soon enough to help me decide on which CPU may be better suited for me after looking at which motherboards I'll have to pair them with.

As for the Phenom II being better on the wallet, tiger direct is selling both the i5-750 and the 1055T at the same price: $209. If there's something I'm not understanding I'll be glad if you set me straight!

 

[arterius2]

I think what we're trying to say here is, 1055T is a bargain for its performance - if you know how to utilize it, its actually harder than it sounds because most kids on this forum these days only care about gaming performance. with all cores fired up, this cpu can output some serious calculating power. if you find the right stores, a 1055T could be had for about $150

 

[keithlm]

With a single 5850, a Phenom II is plenty, but crossfire a 2nd and you may have some bottlenecking.

Why are you propagating this myth and pretending that it is somehow true?

Please note that the legionhardware reviews often quoted to justify this myth do NOT show the Phenom II bottlenecks in any way. Those articles show the i7 doing slightly better in a few of the games. But if you look closely at the delta (i.e., difference between each score) for each game you see that both chips scale almost exactly the same. And that article was done with 2x 5870. Claiming the same thing about the 5850 would be purposefully propagating something untrue. Claiming it for the i5 is even less true.

Actually if you look closely at those delta you see that the Phenom II scales slightly better in a few of the games and no worse in the rest. So sadly that article shows that the Intel chips do not scale as well as the AMD chips. People tend to ignore these facts by focusing only on the scores themselves and not how they compare to each other.

Or have you guys found another article that justifies this myth?

 

[Pro Llama]

Why are you propagating this myth and pretending that it is somehow true?

Please note that the legionhardware reviews often quoted to justify this myth do NOT show the Phenom II bottlenecks in any way. Those articles show the i7 doing slightly better in a few of the games. But if you look closely at the delta (i.e., difference between each score) for each game you see that both chips scale almost exactly the same. And that article was done with 2x 5870. Claiming the same thing about the 5850 would be purposefully propagating something untrue. Claiming it for the i5 is even less true.

Actually if you look closely at those delta you see that the Phenom II scales slightly better in a few of the games and no worse in the rest. So sadly that article shows that the Intel chips do not scale as well as the AMD chips. People tend to ignore these facts by focusing only on the scores themselves and not how they compare to each other.

Or have you guys found another article that justifies this myth?

Thank you…

I have said that to him before and he always brings it up in any form relating to i5 and PII. He always uses the same article as well which shows nothing.

 

[Slayer697]

Days later and much reading have gone by and still I haven't been able to find a clear indication of which route to go. It's starting to seem like both an i5-750 and a 1055T with comparable mobos are going to cost about the same and offer relatively similar performance. What it's really going to come down to is brand preference in the processor/mobo combo.

I'm starting to lean away from crossfire as the prospect of just getting a better card in a couple years (and selling my 5850) is starting to seem much more attractive.

 

[arterius2]

pretty sure 6-core 1055T will give you better performance overall.

 

[randomkid]

I'm starting to lean away from crossfire as the prospect of just getting a better card in a couple years (and selling my 5850) is starting to seem much more attractive.

With more & more features coming out of each new GPU series, it's hard to consider buying an old GPU model for crossfire with a GPU you bought 6months to 1 year ago. So I think your on right track to lean away from crossfiring.

 

[Slayer697]

After a couple more days worth of research I'm finding that for an ideal overclock that doesn't draw a ton of power the i5-750 is probably going to be the best solution. The 1055T looked like an attractive solution until I started seeing some of the number reviewers were hitting for wattage in the 4.0+ clock rates. Looks like the 1055T starts sucking a ton of power the higher you go, while this THG article on optimal i5-750 clock rate to power consumption ratio shed some interesting light on the i5-750:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/core-i5-750-efficiency,2500-9.html

Reviews all seem to point to 4.0 clocks being relatively normal with the i5-750 as well which leaves the 1055T with only the additional cores as an advantage. The 1055T has also boasted some cool temperatures in the reviews I've seen which is another plus for that chip.

Since my machine will most likely be used for mainly gaming and less intensive graphical work, I'm pretty sure the i5-750 has come out as the winner here unless some evidence surfaces in support of the 1055T as a gaming chip.