AAO25.com
Community => The Lounge => Hardware/Software => Topic started by: Alex on Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 15:22:58 PM
-
I might be selling my Xbox 360 for $200 and I need a new processor. I was thinking about getting a low-end quad core or a higher-end dual core.
Maybe this for quad core http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115057
or this for dual core http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036
I'm still iffy on the subject of if my motherboard even supports a quad core. I know it is the right socket, LGA 775 but I'm not sure about the rest. I would prefer a quad core because it would last longer but I'm not entirely sure it will work. I've got a Dell Inspiron 530.
My motherboard supports chipsets P35,G33, and G31. Not sure if that means anything.
-
Personally, I would go for the quad.
To find out if your motherboard supports it, get some numbers off of it. Typically these will be larger text in white, a good example is here:
http://en.community.dell.com/dell-groups/gaming/f/3344/t/19302941.aspx
If you don't want to root around inside your computer, you can enter the service tag (I think that's what it's called) onto the Dell Support site and get part numbers that way. The other two things I would be concerned about are the heatsink and power supply.
Your motherboard doesn't support P35, it IS a P35 chipset :) Which DOES support quads but apparently the 530's had varying voltage regulators and some wont support them.
-
Just checked my motherboard and It is a G33M02 which doesn't support Quad Cores. >:( I don't understand why they would make a motherboard compatible with quad cores but fail to put the correct number of voltage regulators to support one.
Looks like I'll be getting the Dual Core if I get the money. I'm just afraid that I won't see enough of a performance increase to warrant a $200 purchase.
-
Killaman, the answer is simple; cost. There's motherboards that have solder pads/holes for various features such as AGP, PCI-E and other chips but if you strip features, it costs less. Also it appears that the 530's with the G33M02 have a lower power supply.
If I were in your position, I would buy a new motherboard. Something that could be a drop-in replacement (i.e. supports your current CPU, Memory, GPU) that you could use to overclock or that would support newer CPU's. There's only 1 problem with doing this though, OEM's like to have proprietary front panel connectors so I don't know what you would do. Again, if it was me, I would re-wire the front panel connectors but you may not have the means or desire to do that. Now, you COULD purchase a new mobo and case and probably be under $150 for a nice setup. Lastly, I don't think the E8500 is worth it for you unless you can overclock it which you can't.
-
Killaman, the answer is simple; cost. There's motherboards that have solder pads/holes for various features such as AGP, PCI-E and other chips but if you strip features, it costs less. Also it appears that the 530's with the G33M02 have a lower power supply.
If I were in your position, I would buy a new motherboard. Something that could be a drop-in replacement (i.e. supports your current CPU, Memory, GPU) that you could use to overclock or that would support newer CPU's. There's only 1 problem with doing this though, OEM's like to have proprietary front panel connectors so I don't know what you would do. Again, if it was me, I would re-wire the front panel connectors but you may not have the means or desire to do that. Now, you COULD purchase a new mobo and case and probably be under $150 for a nice setup. Lastly, I don't think the E8500 is worth it for you unless you can overclock it which you can't.
Power Supply should be good since I bought a 400 watt Corsair with my Graphics card. I can't buy a new mobo because that means I need a new OS since the OEM one is tied to the mobo. I do not have the money for a new OS and I would rather not steal one. I guess it is best to just wait this one out until I get enough money for everything.
-
You bring up a good point with the OS. The only thing I have to say about this now is that in my experience, overclocking my E6600 from 2.4 to 3.2GHz REALLY helped with games. You'd be going from 2.5 to 3.1x which isn't as much but it's a new architecture as well. Also, IMO, games right now are tied between needing high clocks and using multiple cores. I think a the 8500 would improve your FPS quite a bit but if it were me, I don't think I would drop that kind of cash on an improvement of that scale.
-
Thanks for the advice. I will probably just wait because I can play most games on medium-high settings as it is. It is just those couple of games that run like shit that I want to play. BC2 being one of them. :D
-
Yea, I kind of wished I tried the full retail version on my dual before I popped my quad in, I could give you a more definitive answer as to whether or not you would see a huge difference. The beta ran like crap but it's hard to tell what was going on in there. Look at it like this though, maybe by the time you upgrade, a i5 or i7 could be in your price range (not saying you're poor, but they're still outrageously priced).
-
I was going to say, if he bought a new motherboard he would need a new license for Windows. But, Killaman caught it. :)
My Opteron 165 was originally clocked at 1.8GHz, and just overclocking it to 2.8GHz was like night and day. I don't know if you can overclock on a Dell, though, so that might be little help.
-
Yea, I kind of wished I tried the full retail version on my dual before I popped my quad in, I could give you a more definitive answer as to whether or not you would see a huge difference. The beta ran like crap but it's hard to tell what was going on in there. Look at it like this though, maybe by the time you upgrade, a i5 or i7 could be in your price range (not saying you're poor, but they're still outrageously priced).
Yeah, but then I would need a brand new system since i5s and i7s run on the new socket.
-
You could keep your graphics card and hard drive :)
-
You could keep your graphics card and hard drive :)
and the psu. but seeing as I do not have a job it will be hard to get that much money together. But thinking about it now, I might get the dual core because I have nothing else to spend $200 on and it's not like I earned the money. :D I'm still on the fence though. Leaning towards no.
-
You should figure out what you're using the most of. You might be maxing out your graphics card more than the CPU. The CPU will be an upgrade, it WILL help FPS and when you go to sell it to get a new rig, you'll get more since it's a newer high-end chip.
-
You should figure out what you're using the most of. You might be maxing out your graphics card more than the CPU. The CPU will be an upgrade, it WILL help FPS and when you go to sell it to get a new rig, you'll get more since it's a newer high-end chip.
It's not my GPU because it is far over the required and most of the time beats the recommended. My CPU barely makes it over the minimum required for some games. Playing Bad Company 2 used 100% of my CPU.
Well if I get the $200 I will most likely buy the dual core since I have nothing else to buy with it. And like you said, it will be worth more when I sell my rig for a new one.
-
Alright, have you tried SetFSB? It works on some OEM computers. It is pretty much a overclocking program. If you can get an OK overclock out of your computer you may not have to buy a new CPU at all. I wouldn't spend 185$ or w/e that wolfdale is simply because its an upgrade. Save your money buy a new mobo that supports your CPU plus the one you want to upgrade to. Going the i3/i5 route right now is pointless, they are crap, they don't OC well they are going to be phased out by Q3 2011 and they just don't give a huge increase in performance over 775 to justify the price.
Here is a 775 mobo that should support your current chip and will overclock it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128372
You can run Linux for free or try and get a copy of Windows through MS's student program, or even just buy a new one. You can get W7 new for 99$ on the Egg and you still come in under budget. Buying a new CPU isn't the smart way to go. Buy a mobo overclock your CPU and if you don't get the performance boost you want you can sell your CPU and buy a quad.
-
Why would I buy a new 775 mobo if it is on the way out? If I am going to drop that much cash I am going to actually upgrade to one of the newer sockets.
It is too much money to get a new mobo+case+cpu+OS to just stay at a 775.
-
Again I'll say it. i3/i5 is pointless its a crap platform. If you upgrade you should go to i7. But your budget wont permit upgrading to any of the new sockets. If you want your games to be more playable and within your budget upgrading your mobo is the best way to go. 775 is still a VERY viable platform. Its not on it way out. 775 will be around for 5+ more years before its totally phased out. Its just too solid to get rid of. I personally wont be upgrading to i7 or any new architecture until I'm sure its going to be as reliable and long lasting as 775.
-
i3/5/7 is pointless for those who have a solid 775 platform (good RAM/Board). For those that have a lower end (such as OEM) and older 775 (65nm dual), going to a quad on the new platform would be more worthwhile if you have the money. But, it's just not in Killaman's budget. It's certainly a tough choice in Killaman's shoes. If it were me, before buying, I would whip out task manager and GPU-Z and see which is pushed harder and upgrade that. I haven't had any experience with SetFSB but if it does what Knight says, go for it, you can usually go pretty far on stock volts and I find OEM's to use slightly higher than stock volts. I don't think 2.7 or 2.8GHz is out of the question.
-
i3/5/7 is pointless for those who have a solid 775 platform (good RAM/Board). For those that have a lower end (such as OEM) and older 775 (65nm dual), going to a quad on the new platform would be more worthwhile if you have the money. But, it's just not in Killaman's budget. It's certainly a tough choice in Killaman's shoes. If it were me, before buying, I would whip out task manager and GPU-Z and see which is pushed harder and upgrade that. I haven't had any experience with SetFSB but if it does what Knight says, go for it, you can usually go pretty far on stock volts and I find OEM's to use slightly higher than stock volts. I don't think 2.7 or 2.8GHz is out of the question.
People said they have gotten my processor to 3.2GHz on stock volts. I'll see what strain my GPU is under but when Playing Bad Company 2, my CPU is 100%.
-
SetFSB is a great program if your chipset works with it. Going with the new sockets you are looking at new CPU/Mobo/Ram/os AND possibly even a new PSU. Its going to cost alot.
-
I just used GPU-Z and loaded up BC2. Everything seems to be working except one thing, the GPU load sensor. >:( It just stays at 0% the entire time. It says enabled but it doesn't work.
EDIT: The card has to be broken because EVGA Precision also says it is at 0% :o
-
A fried gpu could be the cause of all your problems! Send it back and see if a good one solves the problem.
-
I will be sending it back now. And no, it's not the cause of all my problems. My CPU is still running at 100% while playing Bad Company 2 on Low settings.
-
If your GPU isn't functioning at its full capability then it is probably the root of your problems. I'm not saying its all of your problem but it could be the cause of most of them.
-
I've actually been considering RMAing it for a long time now. I'm just curious as to which card I am going to get. Since they no longer make the 8800 to my knowledge I will either get a 9800GT or a 9800GTX+ if they are feeling extra generous. At least I found out why the fan wasn't changing speeds automatically, the GPU wasn't giving and load info.
-
Sorry Knight, I'm gonna have to disagree. If his GPU wasn't performing, he probably wouldn't even be able to open 3D applications. A question would be, do the other sensors work? Memory controller and all that? I just opened BFBC2 and set it's affinity to 2 cores and it had no affect on FPS. So, effectively using a 4GHz dual-core CPU, the bottleneck was still my graphics card (even overclocked). Keep in mind I <3 the highest settings and run at 1680x1050.
For RMA, I'm sure they'll have plenty of stock and if not, I believe the 9800GT is the same thing, just different firmware and stickers.
-
Sorry Knight, I'm gonna have to disagree. If his GPU wasn't performing, he probably wouldn't even be able to open 3D applications. A question would be, do the other sensors work? Memory controller and all that? I just opened BFBC2 and set it's affinity to 2 cores and it had no affect on FPS. So, effectively using a 4GHz dual-core CPU, the bottleneck was still my graphics card (even overclocked). Keep in mind I <3 the highest settings and run at 1680x1050.
For RMA, I'm sure they'll have plenty of stock and if not, I believe the 9800GT is the same thing, just different firmware and stickers.
I hear the 9800GT preforms slightly worse than the 8800GTS 512 I could be wrong though. I don't know what I am going to do without a graphics card for a few weeks. :'( It's a done thing now, so it is back to whether I should get the processor or not. :D
-
Juts received my RMA from EVGA and got an 8800GTX in return for my 8800GTS 512. A little bit of an upgrade but not much. I'm just happy that I can finally play my games again. ;D
-
Hmmm, I'm not sure what to think about that. The GTX is the older chip but it has more RAM. Glad it was successful and it's nice to see EVGA goes the equivalent or better route.
-
Hmmm, I'm not sure what to think about that. The GTX is the older chip but it has more RAM. Glad it was successful and it's nice to see EVGA goes the equivalent or better route.
Yeah. The real pain is that I had to go out and buy another SATA cable because the GTX is about an inch thicker than the GTS and my old cable didn't reach. $10 for a fucking cable. I feel ripped off.
I played BC2 and it actually seemed to run better than on my old card.
-
Hmmm, I'm not sure what to think about that. The GTX is the older chip but it has more RAM. Glad it was successful and it's nice to see EVGA goes the equivalent or better route.
Yeah. The real pain is that I had to go out and buy another SATA cable because the GTX is about an inch thicker than the GTS and my old cable didn't reach. $10 for a fucking cable. I feel ripped off.
I played BC2 and it actually seemed to run better than on my old card.
Wish you would have posted before you bought it, I would have sent you one for shipping cost :(
Note on EVGA's RMA. Its amazing. Ive RMA'd 3 cards to them (all my fault) and gotten the the same model as I sent back in 2 weeks. I will only buy EVGA graphics cards for this reason. Guess I'm a bit of a fan boy with them :D
-
Hmmm, I'm not sure what to think about that. The GTX is the older chip but it has more RAM. Glad it was successful and it's nice to see EVGA goes the equivalent or better route.
Yeah. The real pain is that I had to go out and buy another SATA cable because the GTX is about an inch thicker than the GTS and my old cable didn't reach. $10 for a fucking cable. I feel ripped off.
I played BC2 and it actually seemed to run better than on my old card.
Wish you would have posted before you bought it, I would have sent you one for shipping cost :(
Note on EVGA's RMA. Its amazing. Ive RMA'd 3 cards to them (all my fault) and gotten the the same model as I sent back in 2 weeks. I will only buy EVGA graphics cards for this reason. Guess I'm a bit of a fan boy with them :D
I know what you mean, their customer service is outstanding. I will always buy EVGA for my graphics cards. That is of course if I stick with Nvidia, ATI has been making some great cards at great prices.
Someone told me that he RMA'd an 8800GTX and they sent him a GTX260 :o
-
Pretty cool. I've never had to RMA a EVGA card but that also speaks for itself. I've owned 3 different models and I've pushed each model hard. Never had an issue, never had an RMA. The build work is fantastic (unlike Jayton or whatever that bottom-bin crap is on Newegg).
-
All my RMA's were self inflicted ::) to much overclocking, pushing them to hard for to long (f@h mostly) and they start to die :D
-
Bad news. My card is again not sending load information. Must be my PCI-e slot or motherboard. :-X The good news is that the fan for the GTX is much quieter than the one for the GTS so I can keep it at 60% without it bothering me much.
-
Yea, if the card works... I wouldn't worry about it. You have a better card so that's cool :) I would suggest something that I do though... Use EVGA Precision and create 2 profiles. The first would be severely underclocked at stock fan speed and then the second would be a stable overclock with 90% fan.
Example of mine:
Stock - 648MHz Core, 1188MHz Memory, 1459MHz Shader, 40% Auto Fan
Underclock - 490MHz Core, 895MHz Memory, 1095MHz Shader, 40% Auto Fan
Overclock - 720MHz Core, 1260MHz Memory, 1476MHz Shader, 90% Manual Fan
IMO, in the long term, the card's lifespan will be longer than a stock card always ran at stock settings. 60% fan speed might be good but remember, the lower the better. I've found that around 90%, the fan speed drastically changes it's noise/rpm ratio.