How to best spend $150 on CPU

belltollsforthee

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Jul 22, 2010
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Now, i got about 150 to spend on a cpu for this year in my build (i dont want to take from the other components), and i plan on buying a bulldozer around next January or maybe if im lucky Black Friday next year. I cant decide if its just better that i spend it on a 945BE w/out a heatsink or a 640 and putting that money on a ok heatsink and a bit more for case fans or should i spend all on case fans and no OCing with that athlon. Ill only be using it for gaming and homework; i plan on doing a lot of gaming and im trying to run modern games the best i can, like Deus Ex HR, Crysis 1 maybe 2, Portal, TF2, and a bunch of console ports like AC, SF, CoD, ME 1&2.

i plan on giving that old cpu to my mom either way. and i looked at some benchmarks and the difference is about 7-15 frames i think.

IDK, but i would like to hear you guys opinions, or should i maybe just upgrade from a 6850 to 6870.
I just dont know lol

Thanks for any help guys
 

jj463rd

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Apr 9, 2008
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What Specific CPU do you currently have?
And especially the Motherboard what Brand,Model is it AM2+ or AM3?
Tell us so that we can help you here.

A OEM Phenom II X4 940 BE is just like the 945 except without the DDR3 controller and works on AM2+ motherboards (also it's priced far less too under $100).
A great inexpensive gaming CPU is the AM3+ OEM Phenom II X3 740 BE (tri core).
 

belltollsforthee

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@jj463rd
Nothing but a laptop right now
fresh new build, though not my first time i have two builds under my built



I plan on in a year swapping out the motherboard and cpu and giving it to my mom, she just needs internet browsing. I need something thats great at gaming, but is the extra 50 dollars to go from an quad without L3 which i may be able to overclock due to available money for a cooler -OR- a quad with L3 and unlocked multiplier but that i won't be able to overclock much since ill have stock heatsink

or send those extra 50 to extra case fans like scythes or to get a 6870 instead of 6850
 

belltollsforthee

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yeah we tried that on a friends pc, but didnt boot into windows when unlocked or overclock very easily, i blame it on his ASrock mobo and a bit on the cpu
way to risky for a hundred, i rather have an quad athlon