Dual or Quad Cores?

[ss3251]

For use on a home computer for web surfing and word processing, will a dual core processor (such as the i-3 or i-5) be good to buy now, or would I be foolish for not choosing a quad core (such as an i-5 or i-7)?

Would it be more important to get more RAM than another two cores on the processor, for my use?

What should good RAM be? 4GB?

I don't need a top line gaming machine, but don't want to have an outdated machine right away either...

 

[saaiello]

So is the X4 620! Not to mention that the X4 620 is WAY cheeper!

Yes the athlon is cheaper but it is not better then a Q8400! Q8400 beats your athlon 620 in almost every bench. I will gladly pay the extra money for a intel chip for its quality and durability.


look at the benchs for yourself
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/default.aspx?p=89&p2=106

 

[saaiello]

If your storage needs are modest, a 40gb SSD may well suffice. Windows-7 will take up about 15gb of it.
I currrently use 46gb. I have a couple of games, a ton of photos(no video) and windows.
If you will store lots of programs or video files, then you can add a storage device. This is easily done later.

For typical web usage, I think a fast OS drive and 4gb of ram will give you a better experience than extra cores.

I would wait on the SSD unless you got the 700 for the corsair extreme series i would wait til the get bigger and more durable. Like i said in my previous post id rather see someone get a good Wester digital caviar green with a 32MB cache and a size of 1.5TB yea the SSD loads windows quick but once you loaded your running on ram anyway so your better off with a conventional drive.

 

[Foxer57]

THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!! Our man, ss3251's needs are for BASIC DAY-TO-DAY NEEDS. Unless he specifies otherwise, there is no need to get gaming components to check your email! There is NOTHING wrong with saving $75 for getting something else.

Look at it this way, buy the 620, get the motherboard free! Get the Q8400, pay up!


Plus, who says that AMD products are not made with "quality and durability"! Look at the reviews for it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16819103706. 95% 5 stars, with the other 4.5% being 4, and a whopping 2 PEOPLE who didn't like it out of 242 total.

 

[geofelt]

Normal web surfing and similar tasks do a surprising number of small reads and writes. A job that a SSD does well.
True, they are getting faster, bigger, and cheaper. But... If you wait for the next best thing, you will wait forever.

 

[Foxer57]

I would wait on the SSD unless you got the 700 for the corsair extreme series i would wait til the get bigger and more durable. Like i said in my previous post id rather see someone get a good Wester digital caviar green with a 32MB cache and a size of 1.5TB yea the SSD loads windows quick but once you loaded your running on ram anyway so your better off with a conventional drive.

This is a CPU forum, stay on topic.

 

[masterjaw]

For typical web usage, I think a fast OS drive and 4gb of ram will give you a better experience than extra cores.

I would agree with you on that. A faster storage medium would surely make his desktop experience better.

 

[jonpaul37]

folks, try not to think of yourselves EVERY time you post! OP wants a basic computer for web-surfing and word processing. OP does not want top-of-the line nor does he want something that will be obsolete in a short while. USE this as a basis, i see people recommending SSD's and Video cards that bend space-time, i also think i saw an i7 920 in there... I feel as if people are thinking of what they want and then trying to get the OP to buy it...

 

[caamsa]

For use on a home computer for web surfing and word processing, will a dual core processor (such as the i-3 or i-5) be good to buy now, or would I be foolish for not choosing a quad core (such as an i-5 or i-7)?

Would it be more important to get more RAM than another two cores on the processor, for my use?

What should good RAM be? 4GB?

I don't need a top line gaming machine, but don't want to have an outdated machine right away either...

For a web surfing home computer with word processing just go to best buy or pick up a dell with a dual core processor. They will come preloaded with lots of crap but you can get some that will have a nice word processing program. No sense of blowing a bunch of $$$$ if you are just going to surf the web with it.


http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dddota2&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&kc=desktops_great_deals

 

[ss3251]

Thank you ALL for your help and opinions. As I originally posted, this computer will be pretty much only used for word processing and web surfing, not gaming. I am an online IT student (with much to learn obviously...) and this would be my first build. I want to build for the learning experience and for a better machine for school. In the future I will build a more high-end system. I am trying to keep the entire budget under $1,000, including monitor and OS (I have a good printer and MS Office 2007).
Right now I am thinking about the Athalon X4 620, Phenom II X2 550, or i3 530. I still can't quite decide if I am going to doom my machine with only 2 cores? I keep reading that 4 cores is necessary today, but I think what I use it for will only require 2 cores.

 

[Foxer57]

I am trying to keep the entire budget under $1,000, including monitor and OS (I have a good printer and MS Office 2007).
Right now I am thinking about the Athalon X4 620, Phenom II X2 550, or i3 530. I still can't quite decide if I am going to doom my machine with only 2 cores? I keep reading that 4 cores is necessary today, but I think what I use it for will only require 2 cores.

Thanks for your input jonpaul37, I couldn't agree more. Ok, lets get started.

CPU: Athlon X4 630/620
Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-MA785G-UD3H
CPU+Motherboard Combo, save $20: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.334870
RAM:2GB DDR3
PSU/Case: Not sure how fancy of a case you want to get, but here is a option that comes with a 500W PSU. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144222
Mouse/Keyboard:Also not sure how fancy of stuff you want to get.
Monitor:Again, not sure of your prefference, but here is a nice 22" at a good price. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236050
Hard Drive:You can never go wrong with Western Digital. Here is a nice 750GB Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136283
Optical Drive/s:Again, not sure of your preference. So you could get a DVD Burner:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204, a DVD Reader:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118031, or both, which I recommend doing is by putting most of your use on your drive, it will be more likely to burn out than the burner, saving you money from having to get a new one.

EDIT: Spelling issues.

 

[joefriday]

Meh, I still get by with a single core for my daily computing needs. TBH even the X4 620 is overkill, but whatever. Sure you don't want to buy OEM? They're hard to beat for simple needs computer build. Here's my latest build, built in December:

1. Coolermaster Elite ATX case: $30 shipped Newegg pre-BF special
2. Asrock 780GHX/128M ATX am2+ motherboard: $60 shipped with $10 MIR= $50 AR, Newegg.
3. AMD Athon II X2 240 CPU, boxed w/hsf: $40 shipped, post BF Tiger Direct special
4. 2x1GB DDR2 800 Dual channel kit, A-DATA, $50 shipped, Newegg.
5. MSI 22x DVD-RW with Light-Scribe $32 shipped, Tiger Direct
6. Seagate 500GB hard drive, $50 shipped Newegg BF special
7. Vista Ultimate 32 bit: $100, student discount at campus student bookstore.
8. E-machines 22" 1920x1080 monitor with RGB and DVI input, integrated speakers: $97 after tax, Staples BF deal

Total cost: $449

Cordless KB/M and 2.1 speakers were reused from last build. One of the benefits of building your own, I guess. Without the BF prices, I couldn't have beat the OEMs.

 

[Foxer57]

Meh, I still get buy with a single core for my daily computing needs. TBH even the X4 620 is overkill, but whatever. Sure you don't want to buy OEM? They're hard to beat for simple needs computer build. Here's my latest build, built in December:

1. Coolermaster Elite ATX case: $30 shipped Newegg pre-BF special
2. Asrock 780GHX/128M ATX am2+ motherboard: $60 shipped with $10 MIR= $50 AR, Newegg.
3. AMD Athon X2 CPU, boxed w/hsf: $40 shipped, post BF Tiger Direct special
4. 2x1GB DDR2 800 Dual channel kit, A-DATA, $50 shipped, Newegg.
5. MSI 22x DVD-RW with Light-Scribe $32 shipped, Tiger Direct
6. Seagate 500GB hard drive, $50 shipped Newegg BF special
7. Vista Ultimate 32 bit: $100, student discount at campus student bookstore.
8. E-machines 22" 1920x1080 monitor with RGB and DVI input, integrated speakers: $97 after tax, Staples BF deal

Total cost: $449

Cordless KB/M and 2.1 speakers were reused from last build. One of the benefits of building your own, I guess. Without the BF prices, I couldn't have beat the OEMs.

Can I assume that BF stands for Black Friday?

 

[ss3251]

Can I assume that BF stands for Black Friday?

HA! I was baffled with the BF, thought it was some term I would look stupid if I didn't know it.
Black Friday makes sense...

 

[ss3251]

Sure you don't want to buy OEM? They're hard to beat for simple needs computer build. ... Without the BF prices, I couldn't have beat the OEMs.

OEM?
As in OEM parts? those are leftover parts that companies that sell prebuilt computers don't need and sell, correct?
I don't necessarily mind OEM parts, I just want to know that I have full support in case of a bad piece and I want to be sure I get all the documentation.

OR,
OEM as a company that sells prebuilt computers?
I plan to build it myself because I want to learn how and want to get the experience as I am an IT major in college. (LOL that sounds so funny to me because I have been out of school for almost 20 years and am just going back.)

 

[Raidur]

You don't need 4 cores. That will be higher power and heat. Go for a dual core and the i3s performance at $124 is awesome, (and yes it slaps around the phenom ii 550)

 

[Foxer57]

You don't need 4 cores. That will be higher power and heat. Go for a dual core and the i3s performance at $124 is awesome, (and yes it slaps around the phenom ii 550)

Sure, right now it may not appear that having a quad core is the top choice, but we are look at the longevity of the build, which as ss3251 wants. Getting the quad core now will ensure that his computer will last a long time. Besides, who doesn't want to get 2 cores for free?

 

[ss3251]

Ok Here is what I have in mind...
Case:
Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024
Processor:
AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDZ550WFGIBOX - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103680
Motherboard:
GIGABYTE GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128378
RAM:
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model TW3X4G1333C9A G - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145251
HDD:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284
DVD Burner:
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106334
Monitor:
Acer P235Hbmid Black 23" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009179
Keyboard/Mouse:
Microsoft Comfort Curve Value Pack - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823109156
Total Price: 745.92 + shipping

 

[Raidur]

Sure, right now it may not appear that having a quad core is the top choice, but we are look at the longevity of the build, which as ss3251 wants. Getting the quad core now will ensure that his computer will last a long time. Besides, who doesn't want to get 2 cores for free?

I highly doubt a computer made for web surfing and word processing will ever see 4 cores utilized. The i3 is more efficient and will run nearly any program he will ever use faster than almost anything from AMD (except maybe the 955/965 but the massive oc headroom would fix that), and especially the Athlon II series. This is of course assuming he never uses anything quad-core optimized.

I'm not saying he should stay away from AMD, but this (i3) is the best performing configuration for his budget with the highest efficiency and still plenty of room to upgrade. Even a simple overclock, barely raising his voltages, (or not at all) would massively increase this CPU's performance (they get to 4.00 with barely any vcore on stock cooler).

i3 530 vs athlon II x4 620
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/default.aspx?p=118&p2=106&c=1

OP: TBH you could go with a Athlon II X2 and be fine if you really wanted to save money, but your budget asks for more. Quad core is a waste on a home computer. If you're stuck on AMD then go for the 550.

OP: Have a read at this below.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3724&p=1

 

[ss3251]

The i3 was my initial choice, but I don't know if it will be best to spend the extra money if I won't need the extra power. I was thinking it would be better to put that money to getting 4GB RAM instead of 2GB.
And, the budget was rough... I don't want to spend $1,000, I want to stay under it.

But thinking about what I just said... Maybe I don't need an 23" HDMI monitor or 1TB HDD either... ughh...
Will an HDMI monitor still make much difference if I am only using onboard graphics, not a card?

 

[Raidur]

HDMI and DVI will have the same quality, also a 640GB version of the western black you have will run a little bit faster if you want to downgrade.

If you are using XP you can use 2GB and be fine but if you are using Vista/Win7 64bit you should go with 4.

I can't look into it atm but most power supplies that come with cases are generic and you really don't want to skimp on your PSU. If so go with something from Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, OCZ, or, Antec. Make sure they have 80% efficiency or better.

If all of this takes you over your budget look into an Athlon II X2, those offer decent performance/efficiency at a fantastic price.

 

[Raidur]

Oh and you won't need more than a 350-450w psu.

 

[ss3251]

I was looking at an Antec case, it comes with the 500w psu already in it.
They would put their own PSU in their own case I am guessing?

 

[joefriday]

Can I assume that BF stands for Black Friday?

Ya, BF=Black Friday. I also made some edits in my original post. I neglected to mention that the Tiger Direct AMD X2 Athlon was actually the Athlon II X2 240, which at $40 shipped, was a helluva bargain.

To the OP: By OEM I meant prebuilt, name brand computers, like Dell, HP, Acer, etc. I can understand building for experience. Heck, that was the reason I started my first build back in 2004. Just as long as you aren't doing it to save money, that's all I was concerned about.

 

[masterjaw]

I was looking at an Antec case, it comes with the 500w psu already in it.
They would put their own PSU in their own case I am guessing?

Yup. It contains an Antec Earthwatts 500W.

 

[Raidur]

Yeah, that is the quality you need.