Good AMD CPU?

[Grrbob25]

Is the Athlon 64 3700 a good cpu??? because In my building of a new pc, its probably gonna be that, coupled with 1gb of RAM, and a ATi Radeon x1600 PRO, the athlons specs are, 2.20ghtz, 2000mhtz FSB, 1mb cache. Theres also a slim chance I can get a Athlon 64 X2 4200, but as I said SLIM

[shegeek72]

Is the Athlon 64 3700 a good cpu??? because In my building of a new pc, its probably gonna be that, coupled with 1gb of RAM, and a ATi Radeon x1600 PRO, the athlons specs are, 2.20ghtz, 2000mhtz FSB, 1mb cache. Theres also a slim chance I can get a Athlon 64 X2 4200, but as I said SLIM
It generally received high praise from extremetech.com:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1606615,00.asp

Looks like it would make a solid system with your other HW. :up: And I totally agree with this quote: "The Athlon 64 line of CPUs is hands down the best choice for gamers who are looking for top performance."
--
http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/sh3_dark_gw3r.jpg (http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/sh3_dark_gw3r.jpg)

[Gizzmoe]

The 3700+ is a decent CPU, but you should really wait until you can afford to buy the X2. It´s much more future-proof.

[Phantom II]

I've had a my 3700+ since March this year and it hasn't given me any problems, and has given a really good, solid performance so far.

-Phantom

[enaceo]

I have a 2500+ running at 2 ghz(a wee bit modified:D) and it runs pretty good ,but I'm probably going to have to update my CPU some time soon ,but I'm surely going to use AMD because I have been using them since forever.I'll also have to change my MB sadly , because they don't make any better slot A cpu's :(
The 3700+ is a good CPU and will probably be so for some time ,so you should buy it if you want .As long as you have a good card to back it up+some good RAM ,you have no real problems!My suggestion for you would be ,if possible,to get one more Gig or RAM ,just to save some money later.
There aren't too many games that run on 2gig RAM ,but having a good amount of run helps your game run a lot smoother than you think.
Having double the RAM I previously had did miracles for me with TESIV:OBLIVION .

[stabiz]

The 3700 should do fine, I have the 3000+ and no problems with SH3 and GW.

[Wulfmann]

The order of priorites or importance for AMD CPUs are: CPU Speed, L1 and then L2 Cache.
So, the 3800 at $112.00 Newegg compare to $102 for the 3700 would actually be a much better buy if this is your price range.
The 4000 is $135.00 and would be worth the few extra buck IMO

The slower 3800X2 would be better for the future but it may be obsolete anyway when that future arrives.
Now the $295.00 4800X2 would be a better bet, cheap froma few months ago
We just gamble on these projections.

Wulfmann

[SubSerpent]

I'd go with the new Intel line of CPUs. They are affordable and much more powerful than any AMD out on the market. Just compare the benchmarks located on several websites. Most of them show a bottom line Intel Core 2 Duo outperforming some of the higher end AMD cpus.

Matter of fact I can confirm this because I just received my new PC last week.

I have the mid range E6600 2.4 Core 2 Duo processor(s) and 2GB of DDR2 RAM @ 800Mhz and this system rocks!!! It boots up fast and games boot even faster. It takes just a few seconds (maybe 10 seconds) for me to load a new patrol compared to my old 3.2HT Intel Pentium 4 with 1GB of PC3200 RAM @ 433Mhz used to take me almost 2-3 minutes to load a new patrol. Not only that the new processors used a lot less power consumption and aren't nearly as hot inside the case which keeps your PC from heat damage and sluggish game performance.

I haven't seen a slow down in SHIII since getting this baby and even with the GW mod and zooming in on heavily burning ships in a large convoy I am still getting solid 60FPS or more. I have it sync'd so it tends to lock at 60FPS which is fast enough and totally smooth. The only time the FPS drops is when I used Time Compression at x4096 it drops down to 10FPS. At x2048 it runs at 20FPS. <---That's what I used to get in heavy ports in x1 normal compression.

There are some cheap motherboards that support PCI-E graphics and the new Core Duo 2 processors and the new DDR2 RAM @ 800Mhz. Your are looking at spending maybe $100 American dollars just for the Motherboard.

The processor I am using is roughly $400-$700 depending on where you buy it from. Some companies are ripping people off out there unfortunately. :nope:

There are other processors below mine that are still faster than most AMD chips out right now and those Intel chips are roughly $150 - $399.

The RAM I am using is roughly $150 per every 1GB module. I am using 2 modules so therefore my cost for RAM was $300 roughly

I am using the Nvidia 7900GT 512MB GPU. It is a nice card with fast GDDR3 RAM. It cost me about $350 for this card. The 7900GTX version was nearly double that and I found that to be a bit high for an extra 5FPS in some shooter games.

Honestly I would stay away from AMD for awhile and go with Intel. Until AMD comes out with a new design again that puts Intel to shame. Which won't probably be for another 2 years or so.

[Grrbob25]

2gb's of RAM is diffinetly coming in the future, as is a new sound card, speakers, keyboard and mouse and such. Sooner or later I'm getting another Radeon x1600 PRO, and a Zalman Liquid cooling unit. Theres a SUPER! slim chance of this, but If I get enough money ,I could get a Athlon 64 4400 X2, but as I said super slim ( i now know what it is to be on a budget :lol:)

[nikimcbee]

I'd go with the new Intel line of CPUs. They are affordable and much more powerful than any AMD out on the market. Just compare the benchmarks located on several websites. Most of them show a bottom line Intel Core 2 Duo outperforming some of the higher end AMD cpus.

Matter of fact I can confirm this because I just received my new PC last week.

I have the mid range E6600 2.4 Core 2 Duo processor(s) and 2GB of DDR2 RAM @ 800Mhz and this system rocks!!! It boots up fast and games boot even faster. It takes just a few seconds (maybe 10 seconds) for me to load a new patrol compared to my old 3.2HT Intel Pentium 4 with 1GB of PC3200 RAM @ 433Mhz used to take me almost 2-3 minutes to load a new patrol. Not only that the new processors used a lot less power consumption and aren't nearly as hot inside the case which keeps your PC from heat damage and sluggish game performance.

I haven't seen a slow down in SHIII since getting this baby and even with the GW mod and zooming in on heavily burning ships in a large convoy I am still getting solid 60FPS or more. I have it sync'd so it tends to lock at 60FPS which is fast enough and totally smooth. The only time the FPS drops is when I used Time Compression at x4096 it drops down to 10FPS. At x2048 it runs at 20FPS. <---That's what I used to get in heavy ports in x1 normal compression.

There are some cheap motherboards that support PCI-E graphics and the new Core Duo 2 processors and the new DDR2 RAM @ 800Mhz. Your are looking at spending maybe $100 American dollars just for the Motherboard.

The processor I am using is roughly $400-$700 depending on where you buy it from. Some companies are ripping people off out there unfortunately. :nope:

There are other processors below mine that are still faster than most AMD chips out right now and those Intel chips are roughly $150 - $399.

The RAM I am using is roughly $150 per every 1GB module. I am using 2 modules so therefore my cost for RAM was $300 roughly

I am using the Nvidia 7900GT 512MB GPU. It is a nice card with fast GDDR3 RAM. It cost me about $350 for this card. The 7900GTX version was nearly double that and I found that to be a bit high for an extra 5FPS in some shooter games.

Honestly I would stay away from AMD for awhile and go with Intel. Until AMD comes out with a new design again that puts Intel to shame. Which won't probably be for another 2 years or so.

You don't work for intel do you?:down:

[SubSerpent]

No, I don't. I used to be an AMD fanatic. But they let me down by allowing Intel to stomp them in the mud with this new technology. It truely is the better processor and the future. It works smarter, not harder and that is a good thing! :up:

[Wulfmann]

SS as much as I agree with you my present AMD64 3500, 2GB DDR400 and x850XT runs everything at max including CoD2 (on 1280X1024) so while I might get a 4000 or a 4600/4800DC because they are so cheap I can't see doing a rebuild when we do not actually know what 2008 will bring in gaming.
Everything we buy, everything may be obsolete then.
However, if I was on 32 bit and upping now I would say you are correct and would jump the AMD ship.
Intel just lapped AMD IMO but I am sure there is something brewing in the AMD pits and expect this race will change leaders again.
But, when?
Wulfmann

[catar M]

No, I don't. I used to be an AMD fanatic. But they let me down by allowing Intel to stomp them in the mud with this new technology. It truely is the better processor and the future. It works smarter, not harder and that is a good thing! :up:http://www.nintek.com.au/x/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=6413

AMD all the way
http://www.amd.com/us-en/0,,3715_13368_13369,00.html?redir=CPSW51
http://http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html?tag=lnav (http://http//reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html?tag=lnav)

[tycho102]

Is the Athlon 64 3700 a good cpu??? because In my building of a new pc, its probably gonna be that, coupled with 1gb of RAM, and a ATi Radeon x1600 PRO, the athlons specs are, 2.20ghtz, 2000mhtz FSB, 1mb cache. Theres also a slim chance I can get a Athlon 64 X2 4200, but as I said SLIM

For SH3, you don't need a dual-core. Get the fastest single core that you can. The 2.4ghz "3800" isn't much more expensive (pricewatch actually shows it being cheaper).

The 2.2ghz chip will do ok, but for the money, you're better off getting the 2.4ghz. Get a decent aircooler and overclock it 200mhz -- SH3 gets choppy around convoys.

[Grrbob25]

hmmm..... right now I'm looking at the Athlon 64 X2 4400, its seems really good, and the Toledo core is probably the best AFFORDABLE thing AMD is pushin out. I would totally go with conroe, but as of now my budget isnt allowing, and i cant afford a 500+ CPU. Now to find a good mobo with a Ati chipset!!!

Edit: changed whole top part cuz AM2 is uber expensive and didnt wanna post 2 times in a row because i have a pet peve about that


also, anyone know what ATI chipset i would need to run a x300 and, to crossfire a pair of x1600's???

[fredbass]

hmmm..... right now I'm looking at the Athlon 64 X2 4200, but the socket AM2 one, if i can find a Ati mobo with a crossfire chipset, thats a good deal for AM2, i might be in business, but I'm not paying 180 for a mobo, they can forget that :down:


also, anyone know what ATI chipset i would need to run a x300 and, to crossfire a pair of x1600's???

Well I've got the Abit AT8 32X xfire board with the X2 4400+/939 and I'm happy so far, but I guess it's out of your price range.

[Grrbob25]

contary to what i JUST posted (sorry i'm very fickle) i actually like the athlon 4000 alot, the dual-core thing would only really help during muli-tasking which I dont do alot of, plus its almost 100 dollars less, which sorta saves me


so here the set up as it would be (this is most likely the FINAL edition as it fits perfectly into my price range and would make me one happy camper.)

Athlon 64 4000 2.40ghtz, 2000mhtz FSB, 1mb l2 cache
Ati Radeon x300 128mb (only temporary untill I get enough to buy a x1600 PRO, no money spent on this one, i got it from a friend)
1gb RAM
win xp home

[SubSerpent]

The Core 2 duo is much different than what you might think. It's not two seperate processors that run different tasks. It can do that, but it's more like two seperate processors that split the load on 1 task at the same time. This allows the processors to share the load 50/50 resulting in much less power consumption and reduced heat build up from an overworked single processor.
Therefore, a 2.4 x 2 core 2 duo is more like a 4.8Ghz in a way

[THE_MASK]

Spot on SS.

[Grrbob25]

i wish I could afford it! :help:

[SubSerpent]

i wish I could afford it! :help:

They aren't that expensive. That is why Intel is just wiping the floor with AMD right now. It's an affordable processor and it is much better than anything AMD has out there right now. Even the low end Core 2 duo's are fast. I think the slowest one runs at 1.6GhZ or 1.8ghz x 2 and can compete with an Intel P4 Extreme Edition 3.6 and win. Or compete with the AMD 4600 X2 and win according to the benchmarks that you can look up on the net. Also, that 1.6 or 1.8Ghz core 2 duo processor is nearly $300-$400 cheaper than either of those two. It's a no brainer on what to spend your money on IMHO! Just google the benchmarks and look at the prices of what you can afford.

When AMD comes out with something better (which might not be for a year or two) then put your money with them. That's my plan anyways. I'm going with who has the best techno right now and will worry about who has the best techno in about 2 years or so before upgrading to a new PC. This gives me time to allow the kinks in Windows Vista to get worked out and see what video cards are going to support the new DX10 that is suppose to be released sometime with Vista. I'd say it will be another 1-2 years or so before it has all come together. That has been the "average" time that it's taken in the past for new operating systems and hardware to become a bit more perfected.

[Grrbob25]

the ATi XPRESS 200 Crossfire is compatiable with the x1600 in crossfire, am I wrong? I would get a Xpress 3200 If I really had to, but if i can get away with a x200 Ill be happy

[toryu]

I'm using the Athlon 64 3700+, and having a great time with it. My rig is as follows:

CPU: Athlon 64 3700, socket 754
MB: DFI Lanparty NF3 250GB
Ram: 1gig PC3200
Vid: Geforce 6800GT, AGP 8
HD: 80Gig primary, 120gig secondary drive, both Ultra DMA5

Other non-speed related stuff:
Case: Antec SOHO big grey metallic windowed thing
PS: 470W Antec
CD: Plextor DVD+RW primary, 52x CD-rom secondary
Monitor: 19inch Sony LCD

It's a fast rig. I originally had a DFI Lanparty NF2 and an Athlon XP3200, and got the Geforce vid card for that. So it's an AGP board. When I was next upgrading, I didn't want to ditch the vid card, so I was stuck with AGP motherboards. I had a good experience with the DFI lp2 board, so I opted for another DFI board, this time NF3. I got it for $99. The CPU cost me $200+, can't remember right now. It's been a while.

Overall, the performance is great. I can't complain. I have room for another gig of ram, I can always put more storage in, in the shape of larger, faster hard drives (the DFI NF3 board gives you the option of Ultra ATA or SATA), so I'm sorted for the next while. The Geforce 6800GT wasn't on the market awfully long, but it's fast as hell. I'm glad I bought one when I did. I won't be hurting myself to remain with it. The next upgrade I make will have to be toward a PCI-E solution, and I can't afford to do that for a long time :)

[Immacolata]

Do as subserpent suggests. Check out how much a newfangled intel "conroe" / Core Duo setup will cost you. It is superior to AMD's offerings in almost every way at the moment. Unless it is hideously more expensive than an AMD setup, why go for 2nd best?

Note: I run an AMD X2 setup myself, and have been AMD user since 2001. But I'd swich with the bat on an eyelid. I stayed away from intel because the P4 was crap and they got cocky with their silly rambus shenanigans. The new "P5" seems to be really good, however.

[Denson]

I have a feling that my PC becomes a little old & slow :roll:
Anyway, i'm also trapped with AGP.
Upgraded from Xp1800+ to Barton 2600+ 12 moths ago ( 1 year for CPU is like ice age for earth :nope:) and after some time changed the GF 5200FX for GF 6600 GT by GALAXY ( stock oc 525mhz :)) so for now it's enough for me.
COD2, BF2 works fine on 1024x768 with high details. In SH3 i get 40 FPS on average so for now i'll wait maybe a year, when Vista, DX10 and DualCore will become more common.I hope they won't change socket or any technology in next 12 moths. I'm trapped now in socket 462 and AGP, never thought that PCX will gain popularity so quickly and that after P4 showed it's limits and everyone wondered what Inet will do ( some sayed they'll combine P M with something new) they bring a Core Duo battleship. I'm sure that AMD has somethig to counter Intel supremacy in some time, but at the moment any AMD fan must admit that Intel Core Duo is reeaally fast and OC well wich is the problem in recent AMD CPU's (see Tomshardware for more info)

[Grrbob25]

I would go with conroe too, but the mobo's are expensive, few that i can find have a ati chipset that supports crossfire, and most only use ddr2, which would be costly to upgrade from my current ddr based system, so its over 300 for the mobo, the memory plus the price of the cpui, which makes it WAY out of my price range