I am looking to try AMD out need advice on a great processor?

[lack_60647]

Hello fellow techs...,


I am looking to build a system other than a pentium based system. I have been dealing with intel for the longest and I really want to try my skills out on AMD however I am not too familiar with thier line of processors. I am looking to build a system that is great for gaming and other multimedia tasks such as video editing and converting, as well as music editing and converting intel is good but I was told that AMD can offer the same type of prcessing power for less...


Any advise is good...

thanks!

 

[someguy7]

Well since C2D came out for Intel you really did not want a pentium anyways. That name name is now the budget chip on Intels side. As far as AMD goes I would wait to the X6 chips are available for you to purchase. If the software you use can use all 6 of the cores then that is def the way to go.

 

[o1die]

I used the propus 620 quad core recently and was able to overclock it by 20%. But the phenom II's are better for gaming. I suggest you write up a list of components and select the cpu last with whatever you have left to spend. Be sure to match the power supply lead to the motherboard. The newer boards have an 8 pin 12v connector which is required for most cpus over 95 watts, so a good ps is mandatory. I've used antec and ocz recently, but corsair is better. For ram, get the best price you can on corsair, crucial, or kingston ddr3 1333 or 1600. Performance for both is similar; you won't notice the difference.

 

[saint19]

Hi newcomer and welcome to the Tom's hardware forum.

The 1st thing that I need to know for give to you an advice, is know the budget that u have.

2nd, What do you want to do with the rig? games, video edition, surf the web.

 

[enzo matrix]

Tell you what, list some intel processors you are familiar with that you would consider, and I will list AMD processors that perform about the same and we'll see which is the better deal.

Generally though, AMD is the more power/$ under $200 but intel is better over $200.

 

[yannifb]

Tell you what, list some intel processors you are familiar with that you would consider, and I will list AMD processors that perform about the same and we'll see which is the better deal.

Generally though, AMD is the more power/$ under $200 but intel is better over $200.

Intel being better over 200 might change with Thuban coming (exception being the 980x and chips $600+)

 

[lack_60647]

I used the propus 620 quad core recently and was able to overclock it by 20%. But the phenom II's are better for gaming. I suggest you write up a list of components and select the cpu last with whatever you have left to spend. Be sure to match the power supply lead to the motherboard. The newer boards have an 8 pin 12v connector which is required for most cpus over 95 watts, so a good ps is mandatory. I've used antec and ocz recently, but corsair is better. For ram, get the best price you can on corsair, crucial, or kingston ddr3 1333 or 1600. Performance for both is similar; you won't notice the difference.

what about the the black edition AMD's? Are those better for OCing?

 

[saint19]

The BE of AMD are more easy to OC because have unlock multiplier.

 

[saaiello]

For best gameing and overall performance the Phenom II 955 BE is the way to go. But do wait another week before you make any decisions once Phenom II x6 comes out I would expect to see a little drop in the x4 line and hell you might even want to check out the x6 for $199 the 1055t sounds pretty dam cool 2.8 ghz base clock and a 3.3ghz turbo should be a very good performer for the money.

 

[lack_60647]

Tell you what, list some intel processors you are familiar with that you would consider, and I will list AMD processors that perform about the same and we'll see which is the better deal.

Generally though, AMD is the more power/$ under $200 but intel is better over $200.

I have worked with

Pentium 4
Pentium 4HT
Celron
Pentium D
Core 2

lastly,
Core 2 Quad

Core 2 E8500 was the best for me so far....

Some chips that I have looked at or intersted in

i5 and i3 the i7 930 seem to be good but not too sure about its ocing abilities
quad core like the Q9550 it has 12mb of cache wich is a good thing but Im not too fond of it being 2.8 stock

 

[FALC0N]

With the X6 about to hit the market, I would wait a week and revisit this topic. The market could shift quit a bit very shortly.

It would be helpfull to know how much you wish to spend on the cpu though.

 

[lack_60647]

With the X6 about to hit the market, I would wait a week and revisit this topic. The market could shift quit a bit very shortly.

It would be helpfull to know how much you wish to spend on the cpu though.

Sorry about that i guess it wouldd have been wise to set a budget so that I can get the best advise possible I am looking to spend $250 or less on a chip. but I do want a good MOBO to go with it like I always say a CPU's potential is only as good as the board its working with...

 

[saaiello]

So $250 for the chip then I would definitely wait for Thuban no sense of really buying an AMD til it hits the market.

 

[lack_60647]

For best gameing and overall performance the Phenom II 955 BE is the way to go. But do wait another week before you make any decisions once Phenom II x6 comes out I would expect to see a little drop in the x4 line and hell you might even want to check out the x6 for $199 the 1055t sounds pretty dam cool 2.8 ghz base clock and a 3.3ghz turbo should be a very good performer for the money.

yea athat does sound sweet... 3.3ghz turbo that sounds like it will proform nicely, I will take your advice and wait a week when the x6 comes out the other CPU's will get cheaper and $199 for the x6 does not sound too bad at all

whats the difference between the BE and the other AMD's does black edition mean it can be pushed harder that the rest?

 

[warmon6]

whats the difference between the BE and the other AMD's does black edition mean it can be pushed harder that the rest?

The only different im aware of between BE and non-be CPU's is that the BE cpu's have an unlock multiplier. Which just makes overclocking slightly easier.

 

[lack_60647]

So $250 for the chip then I would definitely wait for Thuban no sense of really buying an AMD til it hits the market.

U sound surprised at the limit... I figured intel only sells its good chips at ridiculously high prices and its mediorcre ones are not all that good to play with hardly any porformance and little gains. and if u want a decent intel u have to spend at least $250 otherwise whats the point... Now that is why i want suggestions for an AMD because I was told u get more bang for your buck! is this true?

 

[lack_60647]

The only different im aware of between BE and non-be CPU's is that the BE cpu's have an unlock multiplier. Which just makes overclocking slightly easier.

i See, will the thuban be a B.E.?

 

[lack_60647]

Also to go with the Chip I want a MOBO that is capable of hadling OCing with out producing too much heat... and still proform

 

[warmon6]

i See, will the thuban be a B.E.?

1 of them will and that is Phenom II X6 1090T.

 

[FALC0N]

Also to go with the Chip I want a MOBO that is capable of hadling OCing with out producing too much heat... and still proform

I think the boards are a strength of the AMD platform. Both in cost and quality. You can find some fantastic boards at great prices.

 

[enzo matrix]

I have worked with

Pentium 4
Pentium 4HT
Celron
Pentium D
Core 2

lastly,
Core 2 Quad

Core 2 E8500 was the best for me so far....

Some chips that I have looked at or intersted in

i5 and i3 the i7 930 seem to be good but not too sure about its ocing abilities
quad core like the Q9550 it has 12mb of cache wich is a good thing but Im not too fond of it being 2.8 stock

The phenom IIx4 955/965 perform a bit worse than the i5.
The phenom IIx2 555 performs a bit worse than the i3 and the i3 is better at multitasking
the phenom IIx3 720 performs about the same as the i3 on average. But better at multitasking in most cases due to a third real core.

In general, I've found the phenom II models to be equal to a core 2 model with the same number of cores but operating at 200-300MHz slower. The Athlon II models are clock per clock and core per core the same as the phenom IIs just missing the L3 cache, which is most noticable in gaming and a few other things.

 

[megamanx00]

If you wanted to build something today, I would say to go with a Phenom II 955BE, revision C3, or for a lower end build one of the Athlon II X4 CPUs depending on the prices . If you wait a week for the X6 CPUs to come out we will see how they do and if they are worth buying, or if at least the prices of Phenom IIs will come down just a little bit more.