Best Processor to upgrade to - for gaming

[notanameleft]

Hi there - I recently updated my pc with new graphics card but realised what was a fast CPU a couple of years ago is now a bit sub par. I have the AMD Athlon 3400+ at 2.2GHz

Question is what is the best processor to look at upgrading to - I'm hearing everyone saying quad processors are the future rather than core but what are the options, do I need to look at my motherboard before I can work out which cpu i could go with?

Ideally I'd like to spend less than £250 but may go a bit more if it;s worth it, most of the games I play on PC are flight sims / Battlefield 2 but I installed Rainbow 6 this evening which told me my cpu is below minimum game requirements (shock horror!)

Any advice appreciated!

 

[epsilon84]

Intel's Core 2 series are the best CPUs for gaming. As for quad vs duals, currently very few games can take advantage of quads, but Flight Sim-X actually does, so if thats up your alley then a quad core might be the better choice. Most people would recommend a Q6600, particularly if you are into overclocking. There is also the choice of AMD's Phenom quads, which whilst not quite as fast as the Q6600, is a bit cheaper, but they're not the best choice for overclockers.

You can build a decent quad core platform for £250, but the GPU is often more important for gaming, you may want to look at upgrading that also if your current GPU is fairly old.

 

[uk_gangsta]

Nah i think the VIA C7 is the best option for you, i heard gaming pwns on that cpu........

 

[Conumdrum]

Yes, 250 is too low. Good mobo and processor will cost you that. The GPU is really important today, expect 150 or so for it. You might need a new PSU and ram also too keep up with the new GPU/CPU.

 

[epsilon84]

Yes, 250 is too low. Good mobo and processor will cost you that. The GPU is really important today, expect 150 or so for it. You might need a new PSU and ram also too keep up with the new GPU/CPU.

I'm not sure what the exchange rate is atm, £250 is around $600 US right?

You can get quite a lot of gear for that amount, a Q6600 + mobo will cost around $400 (or $500 for a high end mobo). Still leaves a bit of change left over.

 

[notanameleft]

Thanks guys - I take it by GPU you mean the graphics card? I recently bought GeForce 8500GT (512mb) which is probably what started this all off, it's upstaged my CPU!

So if I buy a quad 6600... can I just plug into the motherboard in place of my current Athlon processor? I seem to remember years ago certain motherboards could take certain processors, you had to check beforehand?

 

[Evilonigiri]

So if I buy a quad 6600... can I just plug into the motherboard in place of my current Athlon processor? I seem to remember years ago certain motherboards could take certain processors, you had to check beforehand?

NO NO NO! AMD and Intel are not compatible!

You'll need to get a new motherboard for the Q6600.

 

[notanameleft]

oh ok... well i don't need to go top of the range so i guess AMD Phenom quad would be ok.

SO... can i just buy a new AMD Phenom quad processor and stick it in where the current one is?

 

[epsilon84]

oh ok... well i don't need to go top of the range so i guess AMD Phenom quad would be ok.

SO... can i just buy a new AMD Phenom quad processor and stick it in where the current one is?

No. Your Athlon64 3400+ is either Socket 754 or 939. These are NOT compatible with Phenom, which either requires a Socket AM2 or AM2+ to run.

Sorry, you're outta luck, you'll need to get a new mobo to run a quad core.

 

[Evilonigiri]

Indeed. You should make sure your motherboard is compatible with the cpu before doing anything.

 

[notanameleft]

thanks epsilon and everyone else for coming back so quickly

well if i need to get a new motherboard then I suppose best to go for one that will take the intel core 2

Could you recommend a particular motherboard? Also is there a particular website you would recommend for buying cpu/mobo online?

Many thanks!

 

[epsilon84]

thanks epsilon and everyone else for coming back so quickly

well if i need to get a new motherboard then I suppose best to go for one that will take the intel core 2

Could you recommend a particular motherboard? Also is there a particular website you would recommend for buying cpu/mobo online?

Many thanks!

There are so many mobos to choose from, without knowing your exact needs its difficult to make a recommendation. Do you just want a no frills board that will run a quad, or do you need all the fancy features like extra SATA ports, Firewire ports, dual Gigabit LAN and all that jazz?

Sorry, I can't help in regards to online sites since you're from the UK.

 

[Evilonigiri]

thanks epsilon and everyone else for coming back so quickly

well if i need to get a new motherboard then I suppose best to go for one that will take the intel core 2

Could you recommend a particular motherboard? Also is there a particular website you would recommend for buying cpu/mobo online?

Many thanks!

Asus P5k-e is an excellent motherboard for the Q6600. If you only play games, the E8400 would probably serve you better. If you're into OCing, the E2160 is a even better option.

Newegg.com is one of the best place to buy hardware from.

 

[epsilon84]

Asus P5k-e is an excellent motherboard for the Q6600. If you only play games, the E8400 would probably serve you better. If you're into OCing, the E2160 is a even better option.

Newegg.com is one of the best place to buy hardware from.

Newegg is US only. If the guy speaks in pounds, chances are he's from the UK.

 

[Hellboy]

Remember whilst buying your spanking new motherboard youll need to buy some new ram to go with the processor...

Your old machine will take ddr400 and not ddr2 - go for 800 as theyre not to badly priced... and go for a brand make too..

just thought i add this one in as the other gurus forgot the other "important thing" going over to the intel dark side....or even if your sticking to the amd slow side.

 

[LukeBird]

Places I use in the UK for components are -
scan.co.uk, ebuyer.co.uk, microdirect isn't bad either.
Overclockers UK is highly regarded although I've never used them...

 

[epsilon84]

Remember whilst buying your spanking new motherboard youll need to buy some new ram to go with the processor...

Your old machine will take ddr400 and not ddr2 - go for 800 as theyre not to badly priced... and go for a brand make too..

just thought i add this one in as the other gurus forgot the other "important thing" going over to the intel dark side....or even if your sticking to the amd slow side.

Yeah, good point. And a new GPU as well, if his current one is AGP.

 

[notanameleft]

thanks again everyone, i've got some thinking to do now - appreciate all your help, hope I can return it some day when i get better at all this!! ;o)

 

[notanameleft]

p.s. GPU is graphics card? Yes I have got PCI express Geforce 8500 GT

 

[epsilon84]

p.s. GPU is graphics card? Yes I have got PCI express Geforce 8500 GT

Yeah. It's good that you have a PCI-E card at least, but it's not a particularly strong one for games. You'll probably want to upgrade it as well, in fact it should take priority over a CPU upgrade at this stage. Relatively speaking, it's an even weaker link than your CPU for the latest games.

 

[Evilonigiri]

Newegg is US only. If the guy speaks in pounds, chances are he's from the UK.

Hoho, I was merely answering his question of a "website you would recommend for buying cpu/mobo online".

In other words, my bad.

 

[Nyar]

817
Intel Pentium Dual-Core E2160, S775, 1.8 GHz
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
MSI P35 NEO2-FR, iP35, S 775,
256MB ATI HD3850
2GB (2x1GB) Corsair TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400
500w Seasonic S12II-500 PSU, 12Cm fan

that is a full package for £320

 

[Nyar]

try scan.co.uk or overclockers.co.uk or dabs.com all uk sites all reliable

 

[Mousemonkey]

Places I use in the UK for components are -
scan.co.uk, ebuyer.co.uk, microdirect isn't bad either.
Overclockers UK is highly regarded although I've never used them...

You might want to have a look here :- http://www.yoyotech.co.uk/ and if you are prepared to haggle the deals get better.

 

[spuddyt]

I recently bought GeForce 8500GT (512mb) which is probably what started this all off....

don't tell me - the packet said DX10, so you thought it could actuallly run DX10 at a decent FPS.... WRONG!!!!