[SOLVED] CPU choices for Fujitsu Esprimo E420 E85+

[iangreenhalgh]

Hi folks

I've just bought a barebones Fujitsu Esprimo E420 E85+ to build into a PC to run a couple of old games such as Civ 5 and Freelancer, plus Canon EOS Utility.

System requirements for the Canon software are low - 1.3Ghz P3 and 2gigs of RAM.

I'll be running Windows 7 and I have a pair of 8Gb RAM sticks, a 128Gb SSD and a 1TB HDD I'll drop in.

However, I don't have a CPU so need to buy one.

The system has a socket H3 - LGA1150.

This is an ultra-low budget build so I'd like to spend as little as possible.

Xeon E3s are probably a waste of time as they don't have integrated graphics, meaning the added cost of having to buy a low profile graphics card.

So I suppose my choice is between a G series Pentium or an i3. I don't think any of the software I'll be running takes much, if any advantage of multiple cores, so single core performance is all I care about. The other thing is the integrated graphics, I have read that the i3 has much better GPU than the G series Pentiums.

So, what do folks suggest is my best bet in dirt cheap CPU choices?

 

[Phillip Corcoran]

List of compatible CPUs is shown here but I've no idea whether or not that's an exhaustive list.

 

[iangreenhalgh]

Cheers Phillip, I saw that but surely the list of processors that will work is much longer.

I'm looking at the G3260, it's cheap, but I'm wondering how much slower the GPU is compared to the HD 4600 GPU on a 4th gen i3 such as the 4670.

 

[iangreenhalgh]

I ended up buying a G3240 for the princely sum of 2.08ukp. I'll see how bad the onboard GPU is and might add a cheap Quadro K600 or K420 (same card) if needed.

 

[iangreenhalgh]

I grabbed a K420 for 11.31 ukp, so I've spent 41.09ukp, add the pair of 8gb DDR3 sticks I have spare, a 128gb SATA SSD and a 1Tb SATA HDD from my spares pile and I should have a nice machine for running win 7 and some undemanding software.

 

[Karadjgne]

Depends entirely on the motherboard/bios. 3rd Party OEM very rarely use the full chipset bios as given them by intel/amd. Instead they'll use a proprietary written bios that'll only contain the I'd files for specific cpus. This is done to prevent ppl from buying the uber cheapo model, then throwing in a giant cpu. If you want the giant cpu, you have to buy the more expensive model and the upgraded bios.

So chances are extremely good that whatever cpus are listed as compatible in the listing Phillip was nice enough to supply, are going to be the Only cpus that particular motherboard will support, regardless of socket or chipset. Only an Aftermarket motherboard has the full chipset/socket cpu support.

The G3260 is listed as compatible, the G3240 is not. Whether subsequent bios revisions have included the G3240 or not is anyone's guess, but according to Fujitsu, it's not supported. The bios does not contain the necessary cpu ID table. Basically meaning you have a 50/50 chance of it working or not.

 

[iangreenhalgh]

I've never had a Fujitsu before, but I've had a lot of HPs and always found that the compatibility lists that HP produce are the components they have fully compatibility and stability tested to stringent standards, but a wide variety of other components will work, so fingers crossed this is the same for Fujitsu. If not, I've only lost 2 quid.

 

[Karadjgne]

In order for a cpu to work, it has to have its information table listed inside the bios. It's like going to a fast food place, they might fry all kinds of things but if seafood in not on the menu, it doesn't matter what your craving is.

If the bios does not contain the table, the cpu will not work. The bios will Not recognise the cpu, the cpu doesn't contain transferable data, it's not like a gpu or ram or storage that can be added universally. It's specific. As is the bios.

 

[iangreenhalgh]

You could buy this machine with a G3240 in it and the literature lists the G3240 as supported.

 

[Karadjgne]

Then you are covered, as long as the bios date is later than the bios date of that website literature, otherwise you'll need a cpu that is supported in order to update the bios to a revision that does include the G3240 and as is often the case, the literature on the website is outdated, even for revisions at that time.