Core 2 Duo E6300 vs AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+

[1Tanker]

1) Get an aftermarket heatsink.
2) Last I checked, OEM processors didn't have a heatsink. (Just clarifying.)
Hence, 3) You ain't gonna boot that sucker. One of two things will happen without a heatsink: 1. You'll fry the damn thing. 2. It'll shut itself off in about ~0.2 seconds.
4) Stock HSF is decent, but not exactly worth buying, especially separately.
5) In accordance with 3), you'd be COMPLETELY handicapped without it.

Thanks Thresh.. Once I purchase the aftermarket cpu cooler, there goes the price advantage of the combo.. Its either:

3600+ x2 Amd cpu OEM using the 65nm tech and 65 watt power plus Biostar 550 mobo for combined price of $150 PLUS the price of aftermarket cpu cooler (the 3600+ x2 is NOT available from newegg as a retail version)

OR

3800+ x2 AMD retail cpu using 90 nm tech and 65 watt power plus Biostar 550 mobo for price of $188 but with cpu cooler included stock.

Im not a gamer, althoughn I like the idea of the most speed for the money.. STill, im thinking the second choice might be my best bet given the cpu cooler issue.

Please comment.. thanks.Yeah, for some reason, there aren't many good HS/F's for AM2.

 

[boostm3]

1) Get an aftermarket heatsink.
2) Last I checked, OEM processors didn't have a heatsink. (Just clarifying.)
Hence, 3) You ain't gonna boot that sucker. One of two things will happen without a heatsink: 1. You'll fry the damn thing. 2. It'll shut itself off in about ~0.2 seconds.
4) Stock HSF is decent, but not exactly worth buying, especially separately.
5) In accordance with 3), you'd be COMPLETELY handicapped without it.

Thanks Thresh.. Once I purchase the aftermarket cpu cooler, there goes the price advantage of the combo.. Its either:

3600+ x2 Amd cpu OEM using the 65nm tech and 65 watt power plus Biostar 550 mobo for combined price of $150 PLUS the price of aftermarket cpu cooler (the 3600+ x2 is NOT available from newegg as a retail version)

OR

3800+ x2 AMD retail cpu using 90 nm tech and 65 watt power plus Biostar 550 mobo for price of $188 but with cpu cooler included stock.

Im not a gamer, althoughn I like the idea of the most speed for the money.. STill, im thinking the second choice might be my best bet given the cpu cooler issue.

Please comment.. thanks.Yeah, for some reason, there aren't many good HS/F's for AM2.

So then, I should go with the 3800+ with the 35watt option, and forget about the 3600+. Another issue might be the fact that for some reason, this Biostar 550 board Ive selected presents very little space between the cpu socket and the ram slots, meaning that any aftermarket cooler thats at all on the large side will encroach upon one of the ram slots. Im thinking that the stock HSF will probably be a bit smaller than most aftermarket ones, not having to impress in order to sell, that is 😉 Hence, probably a better fit for my mobo Im thinking.

So for all those reasons, Im thinking just go with the biostar 550 and the 3800+. I searched some other sources for the 3600+ to see if I could find any in the Retail boxed configuration, and for some reason, i couldnt find any! Is this cpu not supported in the retail community? Why are there no retail versions around? Short market life? I would have thought this little speed demon would have been very popular given its price and its overclockability. Perhaps AMD didnt want to lose sales of its more profitable units to it and restricted its availability?

 

[Threshold]

No idea on why that is.

This isn't exactly ontopic, but what video card do you plan to get/put into this system? And of course you'd need a case and power supply and hard drive too...but yeah. Thing is, if you're not a gamer (which I'm taking from your first post, i.e. home/office work), then integrated or a low-end video card would be more than sufficient. The Tforce 550 does not, however, HAVE integrated-so you'd have to buy a separate video card for it, and it seems like you're trying to keep costs as low as logically possible.

If you already planned to do that, then just ignore me.

 

[boostm3]

No idea on why that is.

This isn't exactly ontopic, but what video card do you plan to get/put into this system? And of course you'd need a case and power supply and hard drive too...but yeah. Thing is, if you're not a gamer (which I'm taking from your first post, i.e. home/office work), then integrated or a low-end video card would be more than sufficient. The Tforce 550 does not, however, HAVE integrated-so you'd have to buy a separate video card for it, and it seems like you're trying to keep costs as low as logically possible.

If you already planned to do that, then just ignore me.

Since you asked, I thought I would list my build as I plan to buy it:

Case is a Cooler Master:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811119106

Mobo is the Biostar combo with the 3600+ :
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813138026

And the AMD 3600+ x2
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103036

Video is the Gforce 7600 GT, this one by EVGA:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16814130062

430 watt psu by Thermaltake:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817153023

1gb Dual channel ram by Corsair:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820145566

WD caviar sata drive:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822144701

And LG dvd burner:
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827136108

HSF
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16835186010

Build price is about $560, and I think this is a really nice system for that price. Only thing is, since its an OEM version of the 3600+ x2 , I need to pick up a good fan/heat sink. And, one feature of the Biostar mobo Im getting is that the cpu socket is like 1mm away from the first dimm slot, meaning that a fan/Heat Sink that is a hair too big will encroach upon this slot. In the olden days we had to load up simms slots in order; now they tell me we dont have to abide by that, so losing one of the 4 ram slots is no biggie, just so long as I can load my 2 x 512 mb dimms. Or, I just have to find an HSF small enough.. Since all I really need, I guess, is one that will move from 30 to 50 cfm air, they seem available all the way from like 10 bucks up to 50 and more. But I want a small one. Any suggestions?

 

[enewmen]

That's more or less right, more or less, because a X2 4400+ matches the E6300 and for the 6400 it takes a 5000+ maybe.
However, the bang/buck goes to the 3800+ because you can find it this dirt cheap:
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=A64-3800CU
and that is a lot less than an E6300 or even E4300; price/performance on the lower end dual cores is still AMDs domain with both the 3800+ and 3600+.

You're right. But, I will only consider a AMD X2 if I wasn't planning on high-end games or media encoding. Strange, the X2 was much better at this than the P4.
If you care about speed, just get the ~$200 E6400. Running at 3.2 Mhz will distroy any (current) AMD chip.

 

[Threshold]

No idea on the HSF-I'd be tempted to just do a 3800 X2 with stock myself...it's still good for OCing to 2.5 or 2.6. Video card choice is solid. You might want to look at a 320GB drive instead-they're around the $90/$95 range and it's an ever so slightly smaller cost per gigabyte.

 

[corvetteguy]

1) Get an aftermarket heatsink.
2) Last I checked, OEM processors didn't have a heatsink. (Just clarifying.)
Hence, 3) You ain't gonna boot that sucker. One of two things will happen without a heatsink: 1. You'll fry the damn thing. 2. It'll shut itself off in about ~0.2 seconds.
4) Stock HSF is decent, but not exactly worth buying, especially separately.
5) In accordance with 3), you'd be COMPLETELY handicapped without it.

Thanks Thresh.. Once I purchase the aftermarket cpu cooler, there goes the price advantage of the combo.. Its either:

3600+ x2 Amd cpu OEM using the 65nm tech and 65 watt power plus Biostar 550 mobo for combined price of $150 PLUS the price of aftermarket cpu cooler (the 3600+ x2 is NOT available from newegg as a retail version)

OR

3800+ x2 AMD retail cpu using 90 nm tech and 65 watt power plus Biostar 550 mobo for price of $188 but with cpu cooler included stock.

Im not a gamer, althoughn I like the idea of the most speed for the money.. STill, im thinking the second choice might be my best bet given the cpu cooler issue.

Please comment.. thanks.Yeah, for some reason, there aren't many good HS/F's for AM2.

Well i dunno about quantity but i really like this zalman 9500 AM2 version, and the 9700 version looks good too. Some say its expensive but $50 CAD doesn't seem that outragoeus to me :?

PS, I'm not rich AT ALL

 

[Major_Spittle]

If you want a top notch system that will out-perform any current AMD system with minor over-clocking. Change out the MB,CPU, and Ram for these. No need for after market Heat Sink, Processor comes with it and the Ram will run much higher then spec'd. Spend a couple extra dollars and get 2 Gigs of ram. More ram is better than fast ram.

These are all very High Quality components, priced well below what their actual market value should be. Read the reviews on each.


MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128012

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115005

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820211061

 

[boostm3]

If you want a top notch system that will out-perform any current AMD system with minor over-clocking. Change out the MB,CPU, and Ram for these. No need for after market Heat Sink, Processor comes with it and the Ram will run much higher then spec'd. Spend a couple extra dollars and get 2 Gigs of ram. More ram is better than fast ram.

These are all very High Quality components, priced well below what their actual market value should be. Read the reviews on each.


MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813128012

CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819115005

RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820211061

With all due respect, this thread has clearly settled on an AMD direction. Lets not turn this into something its not. Clearly with your suggestions you are putting the build into an entirely different price point.. The idea is to pick the best components WHILE staying within the price point were looking at. Follow the thread direction, and youll see weve left the INtel option behind long ago... The build has been listed.. What we're looking at are HSFs, and possibly a different psu option.. But thats about all thats on the table with this one.

Ok, lets talk about PSU.. you see my build above. IT includes a thermaltake 430watt psu... Now, would I need Dual 12v rails? That doesnt have it.. What about active PFC? I can get the same themaltake for 5 bucks more with the PFC option.. Is that important?

 

[Major_Spittle]

Well, you should spend the extra $50 and get 2 gigs of ram vs 1 gig of ram. Some games won't load or run worth a shet with only one gig and you will get better application performance out of a dual core with more ram if you multi task. Don't get more than 3 gigs of ram though because it will almost never be used unless running a 64 bit Operating system.

I never saw what your budget was, just thinking for about $150 more you could get 2x the system with a better upgrade path.