Athlon ii x2 + 6770 or a8-3850

[raijin_u]

Hi,

i'd like to ask the opinions of experts, which do you think is a better setup:

a) athlon ii x2 setup
Athlon ii x2 250
Asrock 970 extreme 4
gskill ripjawsx 1600 8gb cl8
Radeon HD 6770 1gb gddr5

or

b) llano setup
A8 3850
Asrock A75 pro4
gskill ripjawsx 1866 8gb cl9

to be used for gaming, surfing, and running vmware player

thanks in advance!

 

[o1die]

Depends on the price; the 3850 is newer tech, so if it's only a few dollars more, I'd go with it. Check the motherboard ram specs; I wouldn't pay extra for the 1866 ram; I found my 1333 ripjawsX 8 gb for $35 at newegg recently.

 

[de5_Roy]

i don't think your athlon ii x2 250 supports ddr3 1600 mhz ram. your first build is only held back by its cpu, get a phenom ii x4 955 be and you can use vmware player more easily. you can also oc the 955(with a good cooler) for extra performance.
your second build has a good igp but 6770 is better than llano's igp. llano is an entry level dead-end platform, afaik it will be replaced by socket fm2 and trinity.
for gaming get a radeon hd 6850 or 6950 and a good 80+ psu if your budget allows.

 

[cyberkuberiah]

do not go for llano here .

 

[simon12]

PC a is better as it is and for a little bit more you could get an Athlon X3 or X4 which would make it alot better and a 955BE would be better still. As it is its a very expensive motherboard for the very cheap CPU.

 

[raijin_u]

@o1die
here in the philippines, the llano setup above is $5 cheaper than the athlon ii x2 250. based on reviews i've read, 1866 mems are the optimum choice for llano chipsets

@de5_roy
exactly, the option A is cpu bottlenecked, but only temporarily until a 4 core bd arrives. option B, on the other hand, option B has a gpu upgrade path, with either a 6670 hybrid xfire or a mid-range gpu. btw, im only going to use an 18.5" monitor at 1366x768 resolution.

as for the llano chipset being a dead-end platform, if it's true, then i should rethink my options..

 

[de5_Roy]

@o1die
here in the philippines, the llano setup above is $5 cheaper than the athlon ii x2 250. based on reviews i've read, 1866 mems are the optimum choice for llano chipsets

@de5_roy
exactly, the option A is cpu bottlenecked, but only temporarily until a 4 core bd arrives. option B, on the other hand, option B has a gpu upgrade path, with either a 6670 hybrid xfire or a mid-range gpu. btw, im only going to use an 18.5" monitor at 1366x768 resolution.

as for the llano chipset being a dead-end platform, if it's true, then i should rethink my options..

here's at's llano review where anand discusses the effects of asymetric crossfire (llano igp + discreet card).
at your resolution you'll benefit from a cpu with clock speed equal or higher than 3.0 ghz. and if you replace your display with a bigger one, option a will serve you better. if you're restricting option a intentionally for bulldozer, read tom's bulldozer review and see if it's worth it or getting a phenom ii is better.
imo option a is more capable of serving your purposes for long term use. llano is cheap but i think you'll lose upgradability.
here's something i got from wikipedia:

Socket FM2 is a CPU socket to be used by AMD's upcoming Trinity Fusion processor lines. It is scheduled for release in 2012. According to recent information, AMD plans on holding off on Socket FM2 and will retain support for Socket AM3+ up until Q1 2013.

and

Desktop Budget and Mainstream market (Virgo platform): The Stars-based Llano Fusion APU line will be replaced by Trinity, Weatherford, and Richland Fusion APUs (2 to 4 cores) that are aimed at various price points in the desktop market. This platform will use Socket FM2 format.

2nd edit: just read at at's that socket fm2 might be compatible with socket fm1 - but this is just a rumor though, i haven't seen anywhere that says socket fm1 would be compatible with socket fm2.

 

[simon12]

I don't think 4 core bulldozer will be better than a 955BE for gaming.

 

[Wisecracker]

PC a is better as it is and for a little bit more you could get an Athlon X3 or X4 which would make it alot better and a 955BE would be better still. As it is its a very expensive motherboard for the very cheap CPU.

This.

An X3 Rana with the HD6770 is a great combo -- if you can find an HD5770 it might pay for it (they are generally about $10 less than a HD6770)

 

[simon12]

I agree but why is it a reply to my post?

 

[Wisecracker]

You suggested getting an X3, if possible, over the X2 ????

 

[machvelocy]

if you use it for gaming, pick the x4 as they only cost 30$ more. and if you're not gonna overclock, find a cheaper mobo, there are many other brand that provide similar chipset for under 80$

dual core for today's gaming is already obsolete

 

[raijin_u]

Best answer selected by raijin_u.

 

[raijin_u]

if you use it for gaming, pick the x4 as they only cost 30$ more. and if you're not gonna overclock, find a cheaper mobo, there are many other brand that provide similar chipset for under 80$

dual core for today's gaming is already obsolete

i need the four memory slots, unfortunately that's the cheapest i can find with 4 slots..

 

[DrKronzeaux]

Personally, I'm a huge fan of the A8-3850. I made a sick build a month ago for ~$450...and it runs Skyrim like a pro, not a single ounce of lag for me, friggin' beautiful.

Specs:
AMD A8-3850 APU
ASUS F1A75-V PRO
8 GB 1600MHz Kingston XMS3
Antec Modular 550W
Cooler Master HAF 912 Case
Ultra MD2 Dash
Fans up the wazoo

There was an issue I had with cache hierarchy errors (Machine Check Exception ErrorType 19)...but it turned out that was just from me screwing with ASUS' Software Overclocking 'AI Suite II" and BIOS settings. I fixed that, so now it's stable as funk. I ain't gonna try to overclock again til I know what I'm doing, that's for sure. But seriously, stock, that A8 can do some serious graphics handling. I'm a happy customer.

-DK