AMD OPTERON 146 OR AMD ATHLON 3700 SAN DIEGO

[mlightsey0182]

I am looking at AMD Opteron 146 or AMD Athlon 3700 San Diego. I am not a huge overclocker because I have never had a motherboard with good over clocking setting. I am looking for a motherboard PCI only not SLI with good overclocking too. I know either one I get I will put a zalman CU on it.

 

[mlightsey0182]

Ok now which processor

 

[digitalfood]

I hope I can keep this within the topic and might even help the original poster's decision. Since I'm a noob to the benefits of Opteron, when I look at the spec sheets, I see the Opterons run at 1000 mhz bus speed, but when I look at the 3700 it's at 2000mhz. Both have 1MB of L2 cache. Stock speeds, the 146 runs at 2.0 ghz and the 3700+ runs at 2.2 ghz.

I'm inclined to go with the 2000 mhz and 2.2 ghz, thus picking the 3700+.

Again, that's just me looking at the numbers as a Joe Schmoe consumer. Aside from the OC potential, why is the 146 a better CPU? I'm understanding the numbers as running slower with 1000 mhz.

Another part of the question is, if I OC the 146 up to 2.2 ghz, wouldn't it still be a slower CPU?

 

[handym3000]

to respond to the question at hand i would go with the 3700 venice core not the sandiego. zipzoomfly has all the differnt cores if you want that specific core.

 

[Vile]

How is Venice better than San Diego?

 

[sleepdeprived82]

The 2000mz and 1000mhz difference is just a difference in marketing, both are exactly the same @ 1000mhz. The 2000mhz part is because it can work both ways at the same time so they just double th 1000.

I was not and overclocker untill I got my 146 and I love it now.

I have an abit an8-ultra board, so I have my 146 set up for 3 speeds depending on my task

quiet- 2.2ghz- no fan noise
normal 2.6ghz- some fan noise
gaming-2.95ghz- Sh*t me Tornado

I faced the same decision 146 or 3700 the opty won and I would never go back.

If you really have no intention on overclocking go 3700 but if you want a bargin go 146.

Im chuffed I have a £700 (fx-57) for £110 bargin

 

[Vile]

I can't find a 146 in Newegg, only the 148, is it better than the 146? I've no idea how AMD sorts the Opteron series.

 

[sleepdeprived82]

yeh the 148 is 2.2ghz the 146 is 2ghz so the 148 is better at stock.