Your opinion?

[camieabz]

What would you say was an acceptable CPU in this day and age?

"Ahhh, but for what?" I hear you say.

A decent system to cover most uses in the home. Games, Apps, Audio, Visual, DVDs, Networking, USB etc etc

What (within reason) would be the minimum & recommended CPUs for the above. Intel or AMD considered.

<b><font color=blue>~ <A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=324&s=58e94ba84a16bedfebbf0f416d5bac48" target="_new">System Specs</A> ~<font color=blue></b>

 

[slvr_phoenix]

Minimum? TBred1700+ or P4 NorthwoodA 1.6GHz.
Recommended? AXP2400+ or P4 NorthwoodB 2.4GHz.

Granted, the recommended is really just the top-end of what I'd recommend. Depending on the situation, anything between my 'minimums' and my 'recommendeds' would do. Going anything over that is kind of silly unless you're <i>really</i> serious about performance. In fact, even going all the way up to my 'recommendeds' is almost silly for most 'casual' users.

<font color=blue><pre>If you don't give me accurate and complete system specs
then I can't give you an accurate and complete answer.</pre><p></font color=blue>

 

[camieabz]

So what you're saying is anything with a 512k cache?

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[Auburn9698]

I would agree pretty closely with that.

War Eagle

 

[umheint0]

Processor speeds seem to be advancing faster than most applications can feed. So, you're fine with just a low-end processor (except a celeron or duron, get those if you just check your e-mail). All current P4s or XPs are fine.

XP 2500+ Barton @ 2241Mhz
A7N8X Dlx
2x512MB Corsair PC3200
MSI GF3Ti 500
16x DVD-ROM
2x80GB 7200RPM Maxtor
Onboard audio

 

[slvr_phoenix]

So what you're saying is anything with a 512k cache?

For Intel, yeah, I guess so. For AMD though, just anything that's a T-Bred A or higher.

<font color=blue><pre>If you don't give me accurate and complete system specs
then I can't give you an accurate and complete answer.</pre><p></font color=blue>

 

[eden]

For me, anything that opens MS Word 97 a fraction of a second faster, should be crowned king of processor slaughter.

--
This post is brought to you by Eden, on a Via Eden, in the garden of Eden.

 

[TKH]

Read LHGPooBaa's post on 'Average System' and you'll realize how advance your system is.

You never know how stupid you are until you have done something stupid enough for you to realize it.
<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=22996" target="_new">My System Rig</A>

 

[HardWareBoss]

How much do you want to spend on your new system?

 

[Rubberbband]

When building a new system users should think like the big companies do (compaq, Dell....). If you're building a value system (1600Xp, Radeon 8500, 40Gb Maxtor 2Mb cache....) make sure all the components are of the same performance value. In other words don't get "normal components and then throw in a $400.00 video card (you won't utilize its potential). The same can be said of a performance high end system (3000Xp, NForce 2 mobo, Cas 2 PC2700, WD80 GB 8Mb cache...) and then throwing in a GF4 MX just doesn't make sense. Once you've built the system USE IT for a while. Stop playing the numbers game (oh no my friend just bought a better processir so...) and get your money's worth out of it for a while. If you can keep it for close to two years then upgrade the whole system again (keep the optical drives, floppy etc..) and sell off the old system.

The aim of military training is not just to prepare men for battle, but to make them long for it. <A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=327&s" target="_new"><b>MY SYSTEM</b></A>

 

[camieabz]

No price worked out yet. Really a combination of Bang vs Buck and "Is this overkill?"

Prolly gonna look towards a P4 1.6A Northwood as my starting point.

Prices of them are really coming down.

<b><font color=blue>~ <A HREF="http://forums.btvillarin.com/index.php?act=ST&f=41&t=324&s=58e94ba84a16bedfebbf0f416d5bac48" target="_new">System Specs</A> ~<font color=blue></b>

 

[eden]

No don't, they are most likely phased out almost everywhere. I have not seen one since a long time. You are much better off with an XP1700+ Tbred B if you want overclockability with extremly low pricing. Otherwise just go for some 2.4GHZ P4, but the 1.6A is definitely no longer a batter in the field now.

--
This post is brought to you by Eden, on a Via Eden, in the garden of Eden.

 

[HardWareBoss]

Intel's 2.4b on sale at New Egg for $161.00. Plus buy Canterwood MOBO OC 2.4b You are looking at 3.55 Gig CPU. That should last you for awhile. I'm lookimg at 2.4b - 3.06 Sometime in May.

 

[dhlucke]

Acceptable would be something floating around 2Ghz or equivalent.

I have a 1 Ghz though and rarely feel the strain. It would be nicer to have something faster for encoding VCD's and playing FPS, but lets face it...these 3Ghz machines are overkill right now. Compromise at 2Ghz. If you can overclock to 2Ghz I would do that. So maybe a 1.6A or a 1.7 Tbred.

The problem though is that FPS are starting to get really CPU intensive so the longevity of such a system is in doubt if you're into games like Ghost Recon and BF1942. You might want to start looking towards 2.5Ghz if you feel you need the extra juice. I'm just putting forth an idea. I personally don't feel the need for anything faster. I'll probably upgrade when 4Ghz CPU's are on the market. I figure a 4x Ghz bump is just about right for me.

I went from 8Mhz>25Mhz>400Mhz>1000Mhz.

<font color=red>GOD</font color=red> <font color=blue>BLESS</font color=blue> <font color=red>AMERICA</font color=red>

 

[vk2amv]

You would be MUCH better off with a T-Bred B 1700 at that end of the market. The T-Bred B 1700 is MUCH cheaper (Motherboards much cheaper as well) than the P4 1.6 (Providing you can find a 1.6) and you can overclock to 2600 speeds with very little trouble and even if you dont overclock it the T-Bred B will be faster than an equilivent P4 anyway at those speeds.
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'It's only when you look at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames'