I-x vs. Pentium vs. AMD for strong "office" setup?

[markowe]

OK, this is one of these questions without a real answer, I am sure, but any guidance would help.

Want to get a setup for a fairly demanding office environment. By "demanding" I mostly mean running multiple applications under 64-bit Win 7 like Office, Photoshop, Acrobat, web browsers etc. simultaneously across a couple of screens with NO lag (it's got to FLY, we are sick to death of poor productivity due to constantly waiting for Windows to finish chugging away). And this setup needs to keep serving for the next 6-7 years kind of time frame, like our last configuration. NO games/3D applications/major number crunching needed! (though we'll probably throw in an AMD 6670 or something just in case).

Besides a solid amount of memory, what do you guys recommend in terms of a processor?

Is it worth investing in i3 or even greater? Is that overkill and would a budget Pentium suffice, G620 or the like? Or is there an AMD option that would get us more bang for our buck?

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[rolli59]

More cores better! X6?

 

[itzdanielp]

If you want to be solid for the next few years, I would go with an i7-2600k or an AMD Phenom II x6 1090T.


The AMD counterpart is definitely going to be a bit cheaper, but the Intel will be a little more powerful, especially when rendering, or applying heavy filters.

I would suggest around 8GB of memory at 1600MHz, as you are not doing any huge Video editing projects, that would take advantage of more.

A lot of newer programs take advantage of a decent GPU to help process numbers quicker, so a decent graphics card (even though you won't game) can definitely be a good thing. A 6950/6970 would be right where you want it probably, especially across multiple monitors.

 

[drew455]

if you want a system that will last go with a 6core bulldozer or an i5.

 

[itzdanielp]

definitely do not go with a current 6core bulldozer. a 1090T or 1100T Phenom II x6 absolutely destroys even the 8core bulldozers in virtually every bench. If you want a bulldozer, wait a couple iterations of it.

 

[markowe]

Thanks for the responses. Really, you don't think X6 or i7 is overkill for PS (we are not doing masses of rendering and whatnot)? I'd say the majority of our work is basically Word processing, the "demanding" part comes in when we have a ton of applications open at once, which we often need to do, plus say, dozens of tabs open in the browser. It seems like some of your suggestions might be a bit excessive.

 

[FinneousPJ]

Yeah, an Athlon X4 should be able to run what you need. What's your current config?

 

[itzdanielp]

Thanks for the responses. Really, you don't think X6 or i7 is overkill for PS (we are not doing masses of rendering and whatnot)? I'd say the majority of our work is basically Word processing, the "demanding" part comes in when we have a ton of applications open at once, which we often need to do, plus say, dozens of tabs open in the browser. It seems like some of your suggestions might be a bit excessive.

Right now as in today, yes it is a bit overkill. But, you said you wanted this to last 6 years. The standard computer is designed to last 2-4 years, so overkill now, means standard in 2 years, outdated in 4, and ready for replacement in 6.

You can skimp a bit now, and get a solid i5 or Phenom II x4 and upgrade in 3-4 years, or spend a bit more (although not that much, maybe 100-200 dollars difference and get an extra couple years out of it.

 

[rolli59]

The more cores the more multitasking can go on without competing for resources. Budget solution would be X6 1055. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851

 

[machvelocy]

(though we'll probably throw in an AMD 6670 or something just in case).

well you might want to go with AMD a8-3850, it is an improved athlon x4 with discrete level gpu on-die, so you dont have to buy a dedicated gpu in the future. Also stuffed it with 8gb++ ram for that many simultaneous apps.
for non-games i believe it will be able to serve you for 5 years, there's a 5 years old pc with athlonx2 3800+ in my office that still rockin for its intended tasks.

 

[FALC0N]

definitely do not go with a current 6core bulldozer. a 1090T or 1100T Phenom II x6 absolutely destroys even the 8core bulldozers in virtually every bench. If you want a bulldozer, wait a couple iterations of it.

I think you need to read the benchmarks again. Bulldozer was faster than the X6, though marginally so. Price is the problem there. Bulldozer cost too much right now.

 

[FALC0N]

If you want to be solid for the next few years, I would go with an i7-2600k or an AMD Phenom II x6 1090T.

Given its projected usage, I think the 1090T is more his cup of tea.

 

[FALC0N]

Right now as in today, yes it is a bit overkill. But, you said you wanted this to last 6 years. The standard computer is designed to last 2-4 years, so overkill now, means standard in 2 years, outdated in 4, and ready for replacement in 6.

You can skimp a bit now, and get a solid i5 or Phenom II x4 and upgrade in 3-4 years, or spend a bit more (although not that much, maybe 100-200 dollars difference and get an extra couple years out of it.

True.

This is exactly why I am recommending the X6. More cores have better staying power over time. It will be serviceable longer than the X4 and has a fantastic price point.

 

[itzdanielp]

I think you need to read the benchmarks again. Bulldozer was faster than the X6, though marginally so. Price is the problem there. Bulldozer cost too much right now.

mind showing me what bench's you are looking at?


Here is some bench's from the 1090T vs the 8core flagship

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?276002-Compare-1090T-and-FX-8150

 

[FALC0N]

mind showing me what bench's you are looking at?


Here is some bench's from the 1090T vs the 8core flagship

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?276002-Compare-1090T-and-FX-8150

There are dozens of professional sites that have done comprehensive reviews and you link to a forum? Really?

If you need my help to find a legitimate bulldozer review, then you have problems.

And no, the 1100 is not faster than the 8150. I don't know any legitimate reviewer that has made that claim.

Stop repeating verbatim the wild claims of other posters and do your own leg work for a change.

 

[popatim]

I think an x6 would work well plus get a slight boost when Win 8 rolls out. Othewise I would go with the recommended i5 build. Definitely go with lots of ram, 16gb works well for me.

 

[dish_moose]

Have you mentioned a budget? i5-2500k with lots of ram and a SSD would make thing pretty peppy. Not too many CPUs are quicker at PhotoShop than an i5.
-Bruce