Good Budget AM2+ Gaming Cpu

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rajadog

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Jun 15, 2009
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I bought my first gaming computer just over a week ago from best buy. It was a gateway. This is the computer that I bought. http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668220.php
I thought that it would be a fine gaming computer as long as I upgraded the power supply and the video card. So I but a 500 watt power supply in it and a Radeon 4870 and guess what, I get low fps in everything. Than I found out that my CPU being a 1.8ghz Quad core phenom whas just not going to cut it. I would like to upgrade my CPU. My mobo is the AMD® 780G Chipset. Appearntly it is already too old to be upgraded to the latest processers. :fou: Since it has the AM2+ socket in it. Am2+ mobos are backwards compatible with am3 processers! 😀 but of cores because I bought my computer from gateway, they did not release the bios update to make them compatable with am3 processers. :cry: They just want you to buy a new computer that I just bought about a week ago. SHAME ON THEM! :non: I am looking at a few nice gaming cpu's to upgrade to.
Please tell me which one I should upgrade too or suggest different ones.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103291

Oh wait!! I dont think my mobo can only support up to a 95 watt cpu. I dont know if this is correct but if it is..... look here http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] ble-system

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103252

This one should work but I dont know

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103295

This one looks fine but I really would like to not go over $120

Ok the last one. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103645

This one looks good for gaming! But it is am2 not am2+ and I am not sure if it will work. I noticed that it said " Cooling device not included - Processor Only" NOOOOO
The end of a good deal. This wont work with my current cooler will it? Or maybe it will

Thanks everyone for your help!

 
You should have done some research before buying that PC.It was definitely a budget PC to begin with.It's far better to build a custom PC instead rather than buying a name brand one and be stuck with few upgrade options.However I noticed that some of the models have the faster 2.3 Ghz Quad Core Phenom X4 9650 CPU which is .5 Ghz faster with that Foxconn (Bengal) RS 780 G motherboard.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103288
Since you have already modified it,it's doubtful that best buy would take it back.
You could upgrade the CPU with limitations though and keep it as a secondary PC.
What you could also do since you have purchased a Radeon 4870 graphics card is to use it instead on a new custom PC build and just ask everyone here what they suggest on a budget.If you want the new faster Phenom II series there are some outstanding deals on some Phenom II's with motherboards over at newegg.
 

He just spent over $500 between the computer and upgrades he purchased. That suggestion probably won't work.....

The solution is to figure out the highest processor the motherboard in your system will take. There are Phenom II's that are AM2+ (the 920 and 940) but they are 125watt TDP. If your mobo supports them, pull the trigger one one of them and your good to go.
 
The fastest Phenom Quad Core was the 2.6 Ghz Phenom X4 9950 BE which came out in the early version with a 140 watt TDP and a later model which had a 125 watt TPD.
What proceeded it was the 2.5 Ghz Phenom X4 9850 BE which had a TPD of 125 watts.
There was also a 2.4 Ghz Phenom X4 9750 with a TPD of 125 watts but some 9750's for name brand computers could obtain a 95 watt TPD model.The 95 watt TDP 2.4 Ghz Phenom X4 9750 I have never seen sold retail.So the fastest quad core (Agena) Phenom you could buy is the 2.3 Ghz Phenom X4 9650.

As to running a dual core (Agena) Phenom on that motherboard it would most likely work however one would have to see if there is a BIOS update for it to be recognized and so far I couldn't find one.

There is a 3.0 Ghz (Deneb) AM2+ Phenom II X4 940 BE but that is the later Phenom II series although it's meant for AM2+ based motherboards.I have heard that some people have tried the 940 on your motherboard but that it is quite risky because it exceeds the TPD limit.Many 780G based motherboards would blow out their MOSFET's with the 125 watt TPD Phenoms so it's not recommended unless the motherboard manufacturer specifies that it is O.K. to do so.

There was an article about 780 G chipset motherboards last year and many of them failed within a week of use when used with a 125 TDP CPU like the Phenom X4 9850 BE even when run at just stock speeds.There are however newer 780 G motherboards that are capable of using 125 watt TPD CPU's though.

Honestly the 9650 would be the best bet as Gateway used that motherboard with the 9650 in a similar model and I think that it is the fastest 95 watt TDP quad Core CPU that his motherboard supports (Poor CPU support on BIOS updates).
 
Only if you do it with the FSB. The 9650 is multiplier locked. Also, box store computers are not known for their ability to overclock. Just buy the best cpu your motherboard can support.
 
i don't know if you have your heart set on a quad or not, but i think with the limits on your bios upgrades and socket wattage you'd do best with a kuma 7750 or 7850 if gaming is your aim. Box mobo's are known for poor to no overclocking ability but you might get lucky with AMD's overdrive software suite and bump the multiplier on the kuma BE's for a stable 3ghz.
Also Check gateway's site some, sometimes they do release bios updates you might get lucky and be able to step into the PII's.

edit my bad i think you need the SB750 to run the overdrive suite. Anyone know for sure?
 

I dont know If I should get this one if i overclock it to 2.8: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103252
or this one
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103678&Tpk=7850
 
You don't want the Phenom X4 9600 BE.It was one of the original Phenom's which were defective and had the TLB bug in it.The ones ending in 00 were the defective early versions and the ones ending in 50 were the fixed versions that didn't have the bug and worked fine.Also I would not overclock on a 780 G board that specifies a 95 watt TDP CPU again because you could blow out the MOSFET's.Your board might support that 2.4 Ghz Phenom X3 8750 Toliman CPU since they came out before the 9100e was released.
 
I am currently overclocking on a 95watt only board. No problems at all. In fact, I use the 9600 BE. TLB issue aside, if he cant support a Phenom II, he might as well go for the 9600. What other choice would he have if he wants a quad, without throwing away the computer he just bought?
 

How far were you able to overclock your 9600 be to? Because if you were able to overclock it to 2.5ghz than why not get it? No game for a very long time is going to need more than 2.5 is it? I heard that the new games are going to use quad cores much better than they do now! And it comes with stalker clear sky for free!
 

I dont have any friends that have good pcs.
 
I am currently clocked at 2.7ghz. I upped the multiplier to 13.5 and the voltage to 1.4v. If your considering a Phenom 9600, make sure you are fully aware of the TLB issue. It can cause stability issues (random system halts). There is a fix, but it degrades performance.
 
Here is an older thread I found about a different Gateway Model but with the same motherboard.He claims that the 3.0 Ghz AM2+ Phenom II X4 940 works on the motherboard.It looks like 2 people have done this.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/258383-30-bios-help

Here is also another thread be sure to read it.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/536837.aspx

Perhaps you could put an extra fan on the MOSFET's if you got the 940 but don't consider any overclock on it.
Also see this article about undervolting Phenom II X4 CPU's as this would reduce the power consumption and make it less likely that the 940 would fry that Foxconn (Bengal) motherboard.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/undervolt-cpu-phenom,2348.html
 
well as one last quip on this, what you have is a mobo that is really holding you back, if you want to game now, i'd really suggest getting a cheap higher clocked dual core as a stopgap. kuma or even an old athalon (the 3.1ghz brisbane is 62.99 on the egg) to save a few bucks. Sell whatever came with it your rig on e-bay you might even break even on a $60 dual. Next save your pennies. You can always get one of the last AM2+ (790x gx fx whatever) boards they will take your ram and cpu as well as every am2/am2+/am3 cpu AMD has out to date. I run a 7750, in a gigabyte 790X am2+ board with my old 9800gtx it games well at 1280x1024. I got the kuma a while back as just such a stopgap and it's served me so well that i'm not in a rush for the PII just yet, but i have that option open when i want it.

however that is just my 2 cents, whatever you put in that has a higher clock speed than 1.8ghz is gonna be an improvement.

ps what games do you play, and what is your monitors native resolution?
 
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