A 4.1 GHz Dual Core at $130 - Can it be True?

[Tjik]

That's why i'm lookin into this, however what is usually the life longetivity of this kind of processor if I were to keep it OCed at 3.8ghz?

Only experience will tell. Some have the misunderstanding that only voltage eventually will kill a processor, but the higher frequencies do also have an impact. Processors do differ in this aspect also, just as their OC potential does.

So everyone can judge on just how biased I am, I'm telling you before I go on: I did use Intel CPU:s, but now I'm running AMD64 CPU:s on a DFI motherboard.

Do I prefer Intel or AMD? It does solely depend on what they at the moment can offer. I don't change my system simply because some synthetic tests. Let's the competition gain us users. AMD now... Intel then... and...

Dual core, does it make a difference? Of course it does, but it will take time for operating systems and other software to be optimized for it. So if you choose a dual core or not at this stage will make a difference, maybe not revolutionary, but in the years to come it will be the standard. It's the same thing when we're talking about 64-bit; it does give advantages, but unfortunately the market is still not able to fully take advantage of it.

The test, which is the bases for this thread:
- Interesting in a sense...
- ... but the figures and the conclusions are far from giving a real good picture of performance.

The tests are too inconclusive with no reference to hardware used. Another problem is that Intel hasn't, but maybe will, been able to performer accordingly to frequencies.

When you read the article some could be misled to do make the conclusion that it's time to change the whole setup to make place for a Pentium D 805. Unfortunately it might mean he doesn't gain much. Sometimes these tests, especially if there's nothing to compare with except a list of CPU:s at stock, makes more ado than necessary.

Nevertheless the Pentium D 805 certainly looks to be a bargain, which always will make us usual users happy. It does indeed provide those with a compatible system a good opportunity to upgrade for a fair price.

 

[JustJim]

I'm moving on from simple upgrades to attempting my first build, and was seeking mobo recommendations, I liked the sound of this project on many levels.

I was seeking a mobo that someone has already had good success with and was confident would work with conroe.

I'm only planning to OC to 3.6 despite the fact I will be using after-market cooling. I found the D 805 OC'ed a inexspensive path to a quality build that I can load with quality components then upgrade to conroe when the time comes.

Any recommendations to a first time builder would greatly appreciated.

And for the record I am a AMD fanboy, But I am also cheap and I know a deal when I see one, So I bow to those who have more experiance than I but ask that you refrain from flame and bicker replys it was rather tedious to wade through as I researched this project.

 

[weskurtz81]

yeah.... @ 3.8 it is much better.... the cpu is probably only drawing around 125-150W..... that is much better than 200W..... really, I can understand people buying this because it is inexpensive.... but, if you really want to get everything out of it, you will spend more on a watercooling setup, when you could have just purchased a 9XX and done it on air for the same price, or an Opteron 165.... although, they are a little more pricey.... if I were going Intel I would still rahter have the 9XX, but I would still purchase the 165 over a 9XX... just me though.

 

[zoglog]

I'm moving on from simple upgrades to attempting my first build, and was seeking mobo recommendations, I liked the sound of this project on many levels.

I was seeking a mobo that someone has already had good success with and was confident would work with conroe.

I'm only planning to OC to 3.6 despite the fact I will be using after-market cooling. I found the D 805 OC'ed a inexspensive path to a quality build that I can load with quality components then upgrade to conroe when the time comes.

Any recommendations to a first time builder would greatly appreciated.

And for the record I am a AMD fanboy, But I am also cheap and I know a deal when I see one, So I bow to those who have more experiance than I but ask that you refrain from flame and bicker replys it was rather tedious to wade through as I researched this project.

So far the only Conroe compatible MB on the market that I know of is the intel one

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=16029938&search=D975XBX

You have to get revision 304 Though. Otherwise you need to do some sort of pain in the ass mod. Newegg is currently the only one I know of that is shipping this revision. I could be wrong, I put up a topic to see if anyone else is.

 

[weskurtz81]

Skidd.... you are absolutely correct.... Intel has about a 2-3% advantage over AMD in multi tasking with it's dual core cpu's..... that is a huge margin.... jease.... with that huge of a margin.... I probably wouldn't mention AMD and Multi tasking in the same sentance either..... would you really notice 2-3%? Come on man.

 

[bltTomato]

can anyone else confirm that the intel motherboard is the only conroe compatible mobo?

 

[zoglog]

can anyone else confirm that the intel motherboard is the only conroe compatible mobo?

Yeah If there are any conroe compatible asus MBs out ther i'd like to know hah. Problem is newegg has such a high price for this MB due to the tax and shipping.

 

[bltTomato]

can anyone else confirm that the intel motherboard is the only conroe compatible mobo?

Yeah If there are any conroe compatible asus MBs out ther i'd like to know hah. Problem is newegg has such a high price for this MB due to the tax and shipping.

Im wondering if most socket T mobo's will be compatible with conroe after a updated BIOS flash..?

 

[zoglog]

can anyone else confirm that the intel motherboard is the only conroe compatible mobo?

Yeah If there are any conroe compatible asus MBs out ther i'd like to know hah. Problem is newegg has such a high price for this MB due to the tax and shipping.

Im wondering if most socket T mobo's will be compatible with conroe after a updated BIOS flash..?

At best I hear 975x chipset MB's might, but it is very doubtful and will probably not. So far the intel one is the only one i've heard of being confirmed as conroe compatible and only with the 304 rev.

 

[JustJim]

The D975XBX looks good, and the reviews suggest it's great for a first time builder, I can pick it up locally Tax free in oregon for 179$ so this is what I'm leaning towards. Has anyone tried a overclock on it with the D 805? And not to be skeptical but anyone know where I can find a bit more confirmation that it's conroe compatible?

 

[zoglog]

The D975XBX looks good, and the reviews suggest it's great for a first time builder, I can pick it up locally Tax free in oregon for 179$ so this is what I'm leaning towards. Has anyone tried a overclock on it with the D 805? And not to be skeptical but anyone know where I can find a bit more confirmation that it's conroe compatible?

wow that's a very nice price. Buying it straight from the distributor costs $190 each from what I hear in 10 unit packs. I wish I could find it B&M

The part that has me worried was this

http://www.intel.com/support/motherboards/desktop/d975xbx/sb/CS-022070.htm

If I buy this board I think i'm going to have to get a new power supply that has the 2x4 connector. Using an adapter while OCing can damage the board.

 

[Kano]

Here is the setup TH used:
"The test system we used incorporated the following components:

Intel Pentium D 805
Tagan i-Xeye 480 W PSU
Asus P5WD2-E Premium <----- (Mobo I would pick for this CPU as well)
OCZ DDR2-800 (2x 512 MB)
2x Western Digital WD160
GeForce 7800 GTX
Gigabyte DVD-Rom 16x"

^For those that keep saying it wasn't clear what hardware they used. Seems clear to me.

And for those that say they didn't have "conclusive evidence": Look on the last few pages with the graphs. The FPS in FEAR was enough to convince me.

BTW, any socket T mobo should be compatible with conroe with just a BIOS flash. The reason Intel only announced the Intel mobo being compatible first, is because they want more of your $$$.

 

[JustJim]

I've found many reliable sources that say the D975XBX rev 304 has been confirmed conroe compatible, It's a bit pricy for a mobo but Considering what i'm saving on the d 805 it balances out and my build should be ready later for upgrade. But there consistent statments I see is that any conroe compatibility is strictly rumor and hearsay untill the final specs are out.

 

[JustJim]

double post

 

[JustJim]

I've found many reliable sources that say the D975XBX rev 304 has been confirmed conroe compatible, It's a bit pricy for a mobo but Considering what i'm saving on the d 805 it balances out and my build should be ready later for upgrade. But there consistent statments I see is that any conroe compatibility is strictly rumor and hearsay untill the final specs are out.

 

[rockerrb]

Post subject: Pentium D to 4.1 GHz
Article URL: http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/05/10/dual_41_ghz_cores/index.html

So the real ? is if u can get the 805 to 4.1, what will the 960 do? The closest info I could find on price on the high end was for a 950 on pricegrabber (boxed) for around $342 US. Couldn't find any prices for the 960, not on that site anyway. THG should try this experiment with ALL the Pentium Ds. Very Happy

 

[rockerrb]

Post subject: Pentium D to 4.1 GHz
Article URL: http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/05/10/dual_41_ghz_cores/index.html

So the real ? is if u can get the 805 to 4.1, what will the 960 do? The closest info I could find on price on the high end was for a 950 on pricegrabber (boxed) for around $342 US. Couldn't find any prices for the 960, not on that site anyway. THG should try this experiment with ALL the Pentium Ds. Very Happy

 

[rockerrb]

Post subject: Pentium D to 4.1 GHz
Article URL: http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/05/10/dual_41_ghz_cores/index.html

So the real ? is if u can get the 805 to 4.1, what will the 960 do? The closest info I could find on price on the high end was for a 950 on pricegrabber (boxed) for around $342 US. Couldn't find any prices for the 960, not on that site anyway. THG should try this experiment with ALL the Pentium Ds. Very Happy

 

[JustJim]

Here is the setup TH used:
"The test system we used incorporated the following components:

Intel Pentium D 805
Tagan i-Xeye 480 W PSU
Asus P5WD2-E Premium <----- (Mobo I would pick for this CPU as well)
OCZ DDR2-800 (2x 512 MB)
2x Western Digital WD160
GeForce 7800 GTX
Gigabyte DVD-Rom 16x"

^For those that keep saying it wasn't clear what hardware they used. Seems clear to me.

And for those that say they didn't have "conclusive evidence": Look on the last few pages with the graphs. The FPS in FEAR was enough to convince me.

BTW, any socket T mobo should be compatible with conroe with just a BIOS flash. The reason Intel only announced the Intel mobo being compatible first, is because they want more of your $$$.

Why do you prefer the Asus P5WD2-E over the D975XBX The specs are comparible, The D975 runs on average 50$ cheaper and has conroe compatibility (supposedly)

 

[weskurtz81]

If you guys are building a computer today..... you should really just plan on building for what you want today.... and leave Conroe out of the picture... cause.... if you order a mobo.... and then it doesn't support it.... well, then you built on a false pretense. If you want to build a Pentium D 805 OC'ed then do it, but don't do it because you THINK conroe will also be supported by that mobo.... cause even though it might "work"....... you would probably be better off buying a motherboard after the release of the cpu.... kind of hard to buy a motherboard for a cpu that is not out yet....

 

[Tjik]

Here is the setup TH used:
"The test system we used incorporated the following components:

Intel Pentium D 805
Tagan i-Xeye 480 W PSU
Asus P5WD2-E Premium <----- (Mobo I would pick for this CPU as well)
OCZ DDR2-800 (2x 512 MB)
2x Western Digital WD160
GeForce 7800 GTX
Gigabyte DVD-Rom 16x"

^For those that keep saying it wasn't clear what hardware they used. Seems clear to me.

And for those that say they didn't have "conclusive evidence": Look on the last few pages with the graphs. The FPS in FEAR was enough to convince me.

Unfortunately that's the only part of the test which is clear. Keep in mind though that this article is intended to compare Pentium D 805 with other CPU:s. In this aspect all what you get is some figures and the 3D ones of them show result which are really lousy, at least if it was done with a similar setup as shown above.

To compare it isn't enough to know only one side of the coin. That said I'm not stating that Pentium D 805 is a bad CPU, on the contrary it looks even in view of some flaws to be a very decent one.

Nevertheless if your message is that whatever CPU is the king and "wrests the overclocking crown" it's not good enough. The defeated isn't even present in the tests and about the others you practically don't know more than they where tested in some kind of system: which? I don't know.

In my eyes this journalistic failure is unfairly "harming" how some might view the CPU in question.


Side-note: Many of us love to see and get a Conroe to test, but as someone pointed out, if you're going to buy a computer today you can't think about what might be in a years time. The producers are moving too quickly for that. There will always, soon very soon, come something even better than we expected to soon be better... poor me indecisive man!

 

[zoglog]

If you guys are building a computer today..... you should really just plan on building for what you want today.... and leave Conroe out of the picture... cause.... if you order a mobo.... and then it doesn't support it.... well, then you built on a false pretense. If you want to build a Pentium D 805 OC'ed then do it, but don't do it because you THINK conroe will also be supported by that mobo.... cause even though it might "work"....... you would probably be better off buying a motherboard after the release of the cpu.... kind of hard to buy a motherboard for a cpu that is not out yet....

yeah that's kind of how I imagined it, though it would suck to build this and only have the CPU die in a year due to the OCing hah....

 

[Kano]

[quote/]Unfortunately that's the only part of the test which is clear. Keep in mind though that this article is intended to compare Pentium D 805 with other CPU:s. In this aspect all what you get is some figures and the 3D ones of them show result which are really lousy, at least if it was done with a similar setup as shown above.

To compare it isn't enough to know only one side of the coin. That said I'm not stating that Pentium D 805 is a bad CPU, on the contrary it looks even in view of some flaws to be a very decent one.

Nevertheless if your message is that whatever CPU is the king and "wrests the overclocking crown" it's not good enough. The defeated isn't even present in the tests and about the others you practically don't know more than they where tested in some kind of system: which? I don't know.

In my eyes this journalistic failure is unfairly "harming" how some might view the CPU in question.


Side-note: Many of us love to see and get a Conroe to test, but as someone pointed out, if you're going to buy a computer today you can't think about what might be in a years time. The producers are moving too quickly for that. There will always, soon very soon, come something even better than we expected to soon be better... poor me indecisive man!

The intent of the article is not to compare the D 805 to other CPUs, except perhaps as far as the price perspective goes. The intent is, as the title of the article states: "A 4.1 GHz Dual Core at $130 - Can it be True?"

Thus the intent is to prove that you can pay $130 for a dual core CPU and overock it to 4.1Ghz.
Which is proves quite well in my opinion (although you will need at least a decent third-party cooler).
It is not intended to be compared to other, higher priced CPU's overclockability. The article is in no way deceptive.

To JustJim: The two boards are the exact same price of $230 at newegg.
ASUS P5WD2-E Premium:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131589
Intel D975XBXLKR:
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813121016

 

[zoglog]

IS anyone considering just waiting for conroe to come out so the prices of the 805 will drop? or is that highly unlikely?

 

[Kano]

IS anyone considering just waiting for conroe to come out so the prices of the 805 will drop? or is that highly unlikely?

$130 is already a very low price for this CPU. I wouldn't expect the price to drop very much or at all. Even after conroe comes out. But really we can't know untill then.

Myself? I'm going to wait on the DX10 video cards to come out before I upgrade to a whole new system.