x4 vs x6 for gaming?

[tbone8ty]

i agree that technically all you need for most games is a single or dual core cpu and the higher the mhz the better. but the newer tech like the X6 thubans provide alot better CnQ and memory controller which allow it to run with a wider range of memory and better memory like ddr3 2000. also future proof.

my 2 cents


edit: ooooh upgrade now :p

i had the X4 620 propus chip...it easily OC'd to 3.25ghz...however lack of L3 cache i did notice in gaming....

cant beat that chip for <$99 thats for darn sure

then get a 890gx mobo, 2 x 2gb ddr3, yur Psu should be sufficient ( check 12V amps)

then grab a new Amd 6950 series or a Nvidia Gtx 570

then have a great xmas

[zanzabar]

i agree that technically all you need for gaming is a single or dual core cpu and the higher the mhz the better. but the newer tech like the X6 thubans provide alot better CnQ and memory controller which allow it to run with a wider range of memory and better memory like ddr3 2000

my 2 cents

the thulban has terrable C&Q, it adjusts the clocks and VID per core, but since all cores never drop the low stated and the am3/am2+ only have 1 core voltage it never drops, so unless u snag a server or an am3+ board it wont do u any good for C&Q, and my VID is 1.4V on my 1090, its ridiculous. the clocking and ram i do like on the thulban, and phenom tweeker will fix the C&Q problem.


on the upgrade i went from an e6850 at 3.6-3.8 then changed to a 720be then a 1090 and i see no difference, but changing from a 3870 to a 4890 was huge so the OP just needs a new gpu then when the new platforms are out in 1-3 months buy.

[tbone8ty]

Is there a difference?
I usually game at 1920 x 1080, would I notice a performance increase between a quad core or a 6-core CPU?
Don't really care about future proofing right now.....

also what games do you play? because some games will utilize all threads some wont depends on the game

[schoolslave]

also what games do you play? because some games will utilize all threads some wont depends on the game

Right now mostly Bad Company 2 and Black Ops.

[Hell Hound]

Turning difficulty up puts more ai on screen and sometimes use more physics.Also if the software supports decals and body's staying the cpu has to remember the locations of those bodies and decals.There are a lot of ways to up the cpu usage in your software,I would say go x6.

[Glow9]

Is there a difference?
I usually game at 1920 x 1080, would I notice a performance increase between a quad core or a 6-core CPU?
Don't really care about future proofing right now.....

OC your rig to 3Ghz+ If my e4300 can do it I'm sure yours can and yours has more cache. Then get yourself a GTX 460 or 6850 or something and you'll save yourself a wad of cash and can later upgrade to bulldozer or whatever Intel has coming out. I'm refusing to upgrade as of right now since AMD is still building chips on outdated tech where as i7's out perform them in gaming. So I'm gonna hold out till bulldozer. If it can't stomp a current i7 then I dunno... Long story short if I can play everything I want with my chip I'm sure you can do so even easier with yours, your video card is holding you back more than your processor.

Read http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpu...rcraft-2-use/2

[shoota]

oc your rig to 3ghz+ if my e4300 can do it i'm sure yours can and yours has more cache. Then get yourself a gtx 460 or 6850 or something and you'll save yourself a wad of cash and can later upgrade to bulldozer or whatever intel has coming out. I'm refusing to upgrade as of right now since amd is still building chips on outdated tech where as i7's out perform them in gaming. So i'm gonna hold out till bulldozer. If it can't stomp a current i7 then i dunno... Long story short if i can play everything i want with my chip i'm sure you can do so even easier with yours, your video card is holding you back more than your processor.

Read http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpu...rcraft-2-use/2

+1.

[richierich]

I'm located in Pennsylvania.
My rig is outdated though, and I do feel like I need some sort of upgrade over Christmas.

What are you waiting for? Head over to Philly!

http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ndlePROMO.html

[schoolslave]

Well, I tried overclocking (first time since s939 lol) and voila, here's what happened:



Seems like that's the max FSB my mem can do.
I tried overclocking the ram, after setting the CPU back to default, and get the infamous DFI c1 error...
Not too bad though, maybe I'll buy some higher frequency rated DDR2.
Low temps are due to watercooling and the fact that the window is open with 30*F outside

[Glow9]

Well, I tried overclocking (first time since s939 lol) and voila, here's what happened:



Seems like that's the max FSB my mem can do.
I tried overclocking the ram, after setting the CPU back to default, and get the infamous DFI c1 error...
Not too bad though, maybe I'll buy some higher frequency rated DDR2.
Low temps are due to watercooling and the fact that the window is open with 30*F outside

Excellent C2D's are the easiest chips int he world to OC. Now pop in a new vid card and you'll feel like you went from a ps2 to ps3.

[skier]

BFBC2 really plays well on more cores, my framerate dropped by 30+ FPS going from a Thuban to just disabling cores to make it a quad, same everything else and same clocks

if you play BC2 a lot, you will notice a difference going for thuban

[zanzabar]

Well, I tried overclocking (first time since s939 lol) and voila, here's what happened:

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8169/overclock1.jpg

Seems like that's the max FSB my mem can do.
I tried overclocking the ram, after setting the CPU back to default, and get the infamous DFI c1 error...
Not too bad though, maybe I'll buy some higher frequency rated DDR2.
Low temps are due to watercooling and the fact that the window is open with 30*F outside

try setting your NB voltage to 1.5V and set your vtt as u are on a 65nm to 1.4V. on the ram what rev code is on the sticker, u should beable to get atleast 900mhz out of it (so 450mhz fsb and 3600mhz) and i bet that its a psc kit so it should do 1066mhz 5-5-5-15 pl8 at 2.1V with a 1.5V NB as a base

[schoolslave]

try setting your NB voltage to 1.5V and set your vtt as u are on a 65nm to 1.4V. on the ram what rev code is on the sticker, u should beable to get atleast 900mhz out of it (so 450mhz fsb and 3600mhz) and i bet that its a psc kit so it should do 1066mhz 5-5-5-15 pl8 at 2.1V with a 1.5V NB as a base

I'll check the sticker tomorrow.
I'll def continue with the overclock on this chip, seems it can do a lot more.
Also, I think I am going to purchase a 6950, seems like a good deal and should probably last until the summer.

[CrazyNutz]

BFBC2 really plays well on more cores, my framerate dropped by 30+ FPS going from a Thuban to just disabling cores to make it a quad, same everything else and same clocks

if you play BC2 a lot, you will notice a difference going for thuban

+1

BFBC2 will take all the CPU you can throw at it, especially for online gaming on populated servers.

[SocketMan]

Let's not forget that more cores=more cache,which most games love.