Intel C2D vs AMD phenom 720

[david8115]

Which of these configuration would give me the best performance, in terms of gaming, video encoding, converting, editing. And just some other general stuff.

Amd phenom II 720@2.8ghz w/ m4a78 pro mobo about 300$

Or

Intel E7400 @2.8GHZ w/ Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3L about 295$

Which one would be your preference? and why?

Planning to get late april-late may.

May do some Oc, all in CAD

Anything you guys recommend for $300 for mobo and cpu?

Thanks

 

[fatty35]

I would go for the Intel setup personally as it overclock great and will perform better in lots of cases with gaming and editing.

If you have the money to reach get a Q6600 or a E8400
The phenom II 940 is also a great chip

Go quad if your a serious Encoder but doesn't really matter when it come down to games .etc

~fatty~

 

[Helloworld_98]

Dunno how much the 925 is gonna be, probably just a bit more than the 720 a few weeks ago and you'll get the extra core which will help in the future but since it's locked you won't get as much overclockability out of it.

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Don't listen to Zippy as he has been shown several times to not know what he goes on and on about

LGA775 will be around for some time yet - as long as the AM2+ systems.

See THIS review on Anandtech. Granted it's mostly about XFire but they do include single-card setups.

Since you see to be on a strict budget, then I'd go with the lowest price - you won't be disappointed for most games. But try to get the best video card you can for the $$.

 

[piesquared]

If you are looking at buying your system to benchmark with the Intel developed Sysmark 2007, then you may find better value in the 7400. However, if you need your computer to actually do things like, gaming, video encoding, rendering, etc., then not only is the Phenom II 720BE better value than the 7400, but is muich better value than the 8400 also.

http://xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/amd-phenom-ii-x3-720_6.html#sect0

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

The Phenom II 720 is MUCH better. It will overclock pretty well and hit about the same GHz that you would want with the C2D, anything over would be bragging rights. That said it will perform the same, and slightly better than the E7400 because of the cache, in most single threaded apps. All that said it has an extra core for multi-core apps and offloading all the desktop resources to the 3rd core while gaming. Just get it.

 

[megamanx00]

Well just of those two options the Intel build just because I don't really like that ASUS board on your AMD choice. Really for the cost of that ASUS board you can go with a good board that has the 790GX chipset which will not only give you crossfire, but ACC and the possibility of unlocking that 4th core. With both CPUs overclocked, the 3rd core on the 720 gives it only a small advantage over a higher overclocked E7400, but if you unlock that 4th core then the overclocked 720 can really come out ahead.

 

[The Third Level]

720 BE all the way baby.

 

[someguy7]

In your case OP I would skip the x3 and get a x4. The extra core will be worth for your needs(video encoding/editing/converting). But if you cant spend the extra cash on the x4 than the x3 would do. Or if you just toy around with said apps then no big deal.

If your apps take advantage of 4 cores then get a PII quad.

 

[smithereen]

I'd get the AMD. I'm running a 720 right now and loving it.

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Well just of those two options the Intel build just because I don't really like that ASUS board on your AMD choice. Really for the cost of that ASUS board you can go with a good board that has the 790GX chipset which will not only give you crossfire, but ACC and the possibility of unlocking that 4th core. With both CPUs overclocked, the 3rd core on the 720 gives it only a small advantage over a higher overclocked E7400, but if you unlock that 4th core then the overclocked 720 can really come out ahead.

Both can hit about 3.6 Ghz, the E7400 can do higher but that is useless and redundant. The third core will effect performance greatly being that it is like adding another 50% performance in multi-core tasks. Also in gaming the 3rd core can get all the background processes which will give up more usable resources for the game. In ALL scenarios the 720 will be faster.

Also unlcoking the 4th core is impractical and should not be expected. ACC is useless for overclocking on Phenom IIs as the mod is already built in.

 

[fazers_on_stun]

LGA775 will be around for some time yet - as long as the AM2+ systems.

I dont know what Im going on about? LOL

Apparently you didnt get the memo, no more new socket 775 cpu's will be released. ALL AM3 cpu's will work on AM2+ mobo's. :lol:

So your theory is based on your lack of information apparently.

LOL - little slow on the uptake, aren't we?? I mean, you first replied yesterday. Great reflexes there

Anyway, didn't you see the THG article on the new 775 CPUs, as of March 9th? Intel has said they won't EOL 775 until next year, after the i5 mainstream replacement is established.

And although everybody (including probably AMD at this point) knows diddly about Bulldozer, I seriously hope for AMD's sake it is not a drop-in replacement on AM2+ mobos by that time .

 

[ocre]

@fazers: Its retarded to argue that the 775 isnt phasing out. They are fine motherboards and very fine systems could still be built on it. But you and everybody here knows what zipzoom was meaning. But somehow you fell the need to try and argue insanity. Investing in a 775 motherboard from scratch right now wouldnt land us with much of an upgrade path. That isnt saying that the AM3 is gonna have a great future in any way. Some could consider it a risk. But we can all bet on the fact that the AM3 socket will still have more of a future than the 775 as it is brand new, we just dont know what that future will be.

It is my opinion, let me first iterate that I absolutely know what I am talkn about, the 720BE/AM3 is hands down the better choice.
Reasons are that obviously the 720 is better in this case from every standpoint @ stock.
The E7400 isnt a better overclocker and at max it cant still outperform the 720BE
The AM3 socket is gonna have better CPUs available in the future to then upgrade to if one chooses. And dont start off saying that it wont. Already right know the CPUs for am3 are pretty close to intels in raw power. This is the first batch for socket AM3. There will be more advanced cpus from AMD and they will be on AM3 socket.

in this scenario go with the 720BE unless you are an intel fan boy and just dont like amd then scratch both and get on the i7 bandwagon which would give you the best of the best, even in the future, but you will have to dish out some big duckies. Cause really it just doesnt make good since to go with the e7400 right now over the 720. It just really really doesnt.