CPU Advice

[Southerncross]

Budget Upgrade CPU Advice

Its that time for upgrade again. I am upgrading from my old system, which at the time was a top of the line upgrade:

Asus P4C800-E DLX
Intel 3.2 Prescott
2 gigs of Geil PC3500 UD
Thermaltake Copper Cooler (adjustable)
3 WD harddrives 2x120, 1x180 gigs.
Asus 52/32/52 CDRW /Asus 16 x DVD
Coolermaster Cooldrive 4
Vantec Cabeling system and Sleeving
Vantec Nexus x4 fan controller
Ati Radeon 9800pro
Soundblaster Audigy Platinum 2 Soundcard
Thermaltake 480 Silent Purepower Psu (adjustable)
Thermaltake Smartcase Fans X5
Thermaltake X2 Blue Neon Case Lights
Chieftec, (Heavily Modified) Dragon Tower
Windows XP SP1, SP2 from windows update

Note:#: Mobo Went poof in a bios update

The Parts I am going to replace is the Mobo with:
Asus A8N-Sli

The Graphics Cards with:
2xNvidia 6800 GT's

CPU Cooler with:
Vantec Blue Orb

However, I am delayed about which CPu to get on the Budget I am under
$1,000
Would the AMD 3500+ be enough for light gaming such as BF2, BF1942, Doom3, Halo, and Unreal Tourn?

The reason I chose to go AMD with a gaming system is that I have a nforce2 system with a 3000+ running off a Asus A87/Vm400 with a gig of geil pc3500 UD. I just use it for web surfing and my MP3 Collection and have my music collection copied onto it. I am very satisfied with it and have finally been swayed over to the AMD side.

Any suggestions will be very helpful.
Thanks
Southern

 

[kool_moo]

I just built my first PC with a 3500+ and it plays all those games very well. However, if you ask anyone here, they will say that GAMES AREN'T CPU DEPENDENT. At least not at the level we're talking about. So anything should be fine. I was going to get a 3200+ but the prices went up, so I just spent $30 more to get this.

 

[jokersgrin]

go with a opteron 148..a few bones more than 3500...but way better proc..


check it out


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103596




good luck

 

[kool_moo]

Yes, that would work also, but IF you're looking to play games as light as those, I'd just get a 3200+ or something. Also, why a 6800GT SLI setup for those games???

 

[fishmahn]

Outside of your video card, you have a system good enough for any games right now. You could get a 6800GT for $250 or less and be all set for another year or so. Now that's a budget upgrade. :lol:

Anyways, on the new mobo/cpu/gpu:

Get a single 7800GT. Should cost less than 2 6800's ( :lol: $300 vs $450 - yep, definitely less) and will perform as well or better on games that support SLI, and much better on games that don't. Unless you're going to go 2 7800GT or GTX right away there's not much point in getting SLI. If you think you'll use it as an upgrade - that's what people thought a year ago and today the 7800 is out costing less and performing just as fast as the 6800's in SLI.

If you really want SLI on a budget, get 6800GS's (7800GT's would be better though, and make me shut up about now much I think SLI is a waste without them... :lol: ) as they're as fast as GT's but cost a little less.

Any Athlon 64 CPU will be enough for gaming today. 3000+ included (not Sempron's though they will work as well...). 3500+ is a good choice, though you could drop to a 3200+ easily and put that $ into more video card.

Mike.

 

[kool_moo]

The GS has 4 less pixel pipelines though. Wouldn't that make a difference in higher resolutions/better qualities?

 

[ltcommander_data]

The 6800GS was designed to replace the 6800GT as its cheaper to produce. The 6800GS may have 4 less pipes but it has higher memory and core speeds to make up the performance difference. They should perform fairly similar. I believe that the 6800GS is a native PCIe card while the 6800GT needed a bridge which should also give the GS a bit of a boost.