# 1 vs. 2



## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

Build 1:
CPU: AMD Athlon 3000+ Socket 939
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103537
Mobo: EPoX EP-9NPA71 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813123264
Memory: G.SKILL 512MB 184-PIN DDR  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820231026
(2 of these)

Build 2:
CPU: Intel Pentium D 805 Smithfield 533Mhz FSB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819116001
Mobo: ECS 945PL-A 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813135007
Memory: G.SKILL Extreme 1GB 240-Pin DDR2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231043


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## bigsaucybob (Jun 13, 2006)

What are you using it for?


Either way I would get Build 2, Dual core and more RAM.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

gaming, internet, im

i also plan on doing a bit of oc'ing


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## Rip_Uk (Jun 13, 2006)

bigsaucybob said:
			
		

> What are you using it for?
> 
> 
> Either way I would get Build 2, Dual core and more RAM.



isnt it the same amount of ram? 2 x 512mb sticks or 1gb.


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## bigsaucybob (Jun 13, 2006)

Rip_Uk said:
			
		

> isnt it the same amount of ram? 2 x 512mb sticks or 1gb.



I dont think it said that when I saw the thread.


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## computermaineack (Jun 13, 2006)

it's iffy. although amd would probably be better for your uses, a pentium d still trumps an athlon 3000. i say choice 2.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

im just get confused. people say that if your gonna game, get an AMD. then people say that you cant beat a Pentium D for the price, and its only 20 bucks more.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

also, can everybody explain why they voted the way they voted?


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## Geoff (Jun 13, 2006)

I would go with build one, simply because it will perform better in most games.  It may even perform better in multi-threaded games, simply because multi-threaded games dont take full advantage of a dual-core processor.


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## Rambo (Jun 13, 2006)

Monkeysims, read this:

http://tomshardware.co.uk/2006/05/10/dual_41_ghz_cores_uk/

It'll help you decide


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

thanks rambo. ive read alot of people get 3.4ghz stable on stock cooling by bumping the fsb up to 200

200*17


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## Rambo (Jun 13, 2006)

Here's a thread about the Pentium D 805 vs the AMD X2 3800:

http://forums.ngemu.com/hardware-discussion/72271-amd-x2-3800-vs-pentium-d-805-a.html

Obviously the AMD X2 3800 is much better, but when you overclock the Pentium D 805 to, perhaps 3.4-6 Ghz, you're going to be getting better performance than the AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (I think)...


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## Skizzor (Jun 13, 2006)

I would get build 1 but upgrade the 3000 to a 3500. The 3500 is only 139.99$ and the 3000 is 110$.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

Skizzor said:
			
		

> I would get build 1 but upgrade the 3000 to a 3500. The 3500 is only 139.99$ and the 3000 is 110$.



or i could save 30 bucks and overclock 400mhz


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## Skizzor (Jun 13, 2006)

True but why not overclock the 3500?


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 13, 2006)

cause im cheap


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 14, 2006)

im on kind of a strict budget. i just want the best cpu, ram, and mobo for 250 bucks.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 14, 2006)

8 to 6, very close


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 14, 2006)

bump, and were a 10 to 7, build 1 seems to be pulling away a bit


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## Rambo (Jun 14, 2006)

Well, I don't understand why people are choosing the AMD Athlon 64 over the Pentium D 805 Dual Core....

If you read that link I posted earlier on, it says that the Intel (when Overclocked) is close to (or beats, not sure...) an Athlon FX-60!



> The bottom line is that the *Athlon FX-60* and the *Pentium Extreme Edition 965* have both met their match - there's simply no escaping this conclusion! This is bound to cause lamentation among the elite circle of users who've invested big bucks in their high-end systems, if not outright wailing and rending of garments. The basic stats for this insignificant-seeming budget processor read as follows: Pentium D 805 clocked at 2.66 GHz, equipped with two processor cores both with 64 bit support........... We were quite amazed as the first performance figures emerged from our test labs: *stable operation was possible at 4.1 GHz, and without even the need for substantial boosts to cooling!*



If this thing, when overclocked to 4.1 Ghz can perform like an Athlon FX-60, I'm sure that if you were to clock it to about 3.5 Ghz, you're going to be getting much better performance all round than the AMD Athon 64 3000+.

Oh, and btw, I have the AMD Athlon 64 3500+, and I'd recommend just buying the 3000+ if you go for the AMD build... It wont take much to overclock it to 3500+ speeds.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 15, 2006)

newegg dropped their prices on the Athlon 64's

3000+ is $96
3200+ is $99
3500+ is $115
3800+ is $140


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## Geoff (Jun 15, 2006)

Rambo said:
			
		

> Well, I don't understand why people are choosing the AMD Athlon 64 over the Pentium D 805 Dual Core....
> 
> If you read that link I posted earlier on, it says that the Intel (when Overclocked) is close to (or beats, not sure...) an Athlon FX-60!
> 
> ...


That very well may be true, but overclocking to 4.1Ghz isnt a guarantee, it largly depends on the stepping you have of the cpu, your motherboard, and your other parts.  It's like not getting a job because you think you'll win the lottery


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## Rambo (Jun 15, 2006)

I'm definately not telling monkeysims to start overclocking the Pentium D 805 to 4.1 Ghz...

That would HUGELY degrade it's life span, maybe to 2 or 3 years!! That would be silly...

But since the CPU is able to reach 4.1 Ghz (and when at that speed, is comparable to an Athlon FX-60), it'll most likely reach 3.4/5/6 Ghz on a normal to semi-decent motherboard. Now, IMO, if the Pentium D 805 was running at around 3.5 Ghz it'd outperform an Athlon 64 3000+ with ease...


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## Jet (Jun 15, 2006)

Rambo said:
			
		

> I'm definately not telling monkeysims to start overclocking the Pentium D 805 to 4.1 Ghz...
> 
> That would HUGELY degrade it's life span, maybe to 2 or 3 years!! That would be silly...
> 
> But since the CPU is able to reach 4.1 Ghz (and when at that speed, is comparable to an Athlon FX-60), it'll most likely reach 3.4/5/6 Ghz on a normal to semi-decent motherboard. Now, IMO, if the Pentium D 805 was running at around 3.5 Ghz it'd outperform an Athlon 64 3000+ with ease...



Exactly why I voted #2 and I am totally clueless why #1 has more votes. An 805 at 3.4 (950 speeds) will be close to a 3200+ at 2.4 (4000+ speeds) in gaming, and will CREAM the 3200+ in any more multitasking type of test, since you have the extra cores. It is funny why we are still debating dual vs. single core when quad is on the way.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 15, 2006)

i was only planning on clocking to like 3.4ghz on the 805, if i get it. and im also not going to get the 3000+, i think i'll get the 3200+. its only 3 bucks more.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 15, 2006)

what about this:

AMD Athlon 3500+
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103533

ASUS A8r-MPV (get it over 50% off with 3500+)
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131584

G.SKILL 512MB RAM (2 of these)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231078

$236.96


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 15, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> what about this:
> 
> AMD Athlon 3500+
> http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103533
> ...



how much more does this stack up against build 2?


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 15, 2006)

13 to 12, its gonna be a fight till the finish

edit: 13 to 13


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## Rambo (Jun 15, 2006)

monkeysims, look at this review (it's a bit shabby, but the results are there, nonetheless):

http://www.reviewland.com/hardware-pentiumd805-2.htm

The Pentium D 805 is beating an Athlon 64 X2 3800 when clocked at 3.7 Ghz!!

Don't you think that if you clock it to 3.4 Ghz, you're going to be getting better performance than an AMD Athlon 64 3500+?


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## Apathetic (Jun 15, 2006)

Build 2, duo and more ram.


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## Rambo (Jun 15, 2006)

This guy here: http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=6&t=10251&p=0

He ends up getting the D 805 over the Athlon 64 3200+...



			
				Apathetic said:
			
		

> Build 2, duo and more ram.



Then why don't you vote for Build 2?


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 15, 2006)

ive still got a week or so to decide (plan on ordering next weekend) im starting to lean more towards build 2 after reading all these links from Rambo. everybody keep your opinions coming. now im off to work, to earn my money for this stuff.


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## Skizzor (Jun 15, 2006)

I wouldnt get a intel. I dont understand why you just put more ram in build 1 and since the conroe will be out you can get a better AMD processor.


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## Rambo (Jun 15, 2006)

Well, I've done my part... I can't persuade you any more unless I spam you with more links, but I can't be bothered right now lol...

In the end, it's your decision


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 16, 2006)

13 to 16, build 2 is on top for the first time


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## MadModder (Jun 16, 2006)

It was a relatively easy decision.  There are so many "what if's" about getting a processor just to OC it, because of a review.  What if you get a bad motherboard revision and it doesn't overclock well at all?  What if your CPU can't get past 3GHz?  What if, what if...  Well, I still say #2, it's dual-core and is (possibly) extremely overclockable.  You could definitely outperform any low-end A64 with the 805 @ 3.4GHz.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 16, 2006)

i just sent the links to my uncle, who is going to help me put it all together, and see what he thinks. i talked him to him for a little while earlier and he said that the AMD chips are hard to beat.


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## Rambo (Jun 16, 2006)

Well, it's 13 to 17 now...

I completely understand about the "What If..." situations though.

As I said, it's just down to you now. You have to make the decision. I'm sure it'll be a good build, no matter what you choose


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 16, 2006)

i should be definatley ordering next Friday. ill probally get everything the next tuesday. i have about $200 now, and i should be getting around $125 next Friday.


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## Rambo (Jun 17, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> i should be definatley ordering next Friday. ill probally get everything the next tuesday. i have about $200 now, and i should be getting around $125 next Friday.



What build are you going to go with?


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## apj101 (Jun 17, 2006)

neither, what about all the other stuff? whats the total budget?


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

i still havent decided what build, ill say total i want to spend like 450-ish (perferably less) for everything. im going to get either a x800gto or 7600gs video card, and cheap case and psu that have good ratings. im order the video card at a later date and im going to use a card that I have. and im just going to use a 40gb ata133 drive and get a 160gb wd one when i can get vista.


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## tweaker (Jun 17, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> im going to use a card that I have.


I hope your not referring to the MX4000 in your sig because it wont work with either one of the motherboards you've listed.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

is that because the boards are either nForce 4 or LGA775?


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## tweaker (Jun 17, 2006)

Because the motherboards lack the needed AGP slot. But it just hit me that the 4000 came as a PCI card as well so it depends on which one you have.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

its pci


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## tweaker (Jun 17, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> its pci



No worries then, my bad.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

tweaker said:
			
		

> No worries then, my bad.



lol. i thought that i had read somewhere that if you have nForce 4 chipset or a LGA775 socket, you have to have a PCI-E graphics card.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

what would you recommend tweaker?


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## Rambo (Jun 17, 2006)

I would find out your budget first on how much you want to spend on each component... That way, it'll be easier to look for them 

You don't want to end up buying an expensive GPU and cheap PSU for it to blow up and possibly render half of your computer useless. I would recommend spending $50 - $60 on a PSU that will be reliable.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

can you find me the best stuff for 450 rambo?


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

well im definatley not going with build 1, so that means build 2 or:



			
				monkeysims said:
			
		

> AMD Athlon 3500+
> http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103533
> 
> ASUS A8r-MPV (get it over 50% off with 3500+)
> ...



or if someone can find anything better, speak up


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## holyjunk (Jun 17, 2006)

I am thinking build two. More future proof, Faster ram, More and more programs will be created for dual core, can overclock to get more performance, and I just think it is better overall. I got a question though. Have you though of am2? 
Why not something like this.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104317
Or this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103633


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

the only problem with am2 is finding a decent mobo that can oc for a decent price


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## holyjunk (Jun 17, 2006)

Well, then I still stick with build 2, but still look for a mobo becauase I would choose amd over intel pretty much all the time.


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## Rambo (Jun 17, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> can you find me the best stuff for 450 rambo?



Ok, this is what I have come up with... If you do a bit more hard searching in Newegg, you may be able to find slightly better deals (for instance, there were cases for $10, but I was pretty sure they would be very bad quality...).

*
[*]Intel Pentium D 805 533MHz FSB LGA 775 Dual Core, EM64T Processor - $123.99
[*]ECS 945PL-A (1.0) ATX Intel Motherboard - $66.99
[*]HIS Hightech Radeon X800GTO HX80GTOQT256GVN Video Card - $154.99 ($124.99 after $30.00 MIR)
[*]G.SKILL 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM System Memory - $66.99
[*]Thermaltake Mambo VC2000BNS Black Computer Case - $39.99 ($19.99 after $20.00 MIR)
[*]XClio 450BL 450W Power Supply - $39.99
*
*==================
Total - $442.94 (After MIR's)*


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

that looks pretty good


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## holyjunk (Jun 17, 2006)

Sorry if this was mentioned before but what about july 24 when amds prices drop? Can you wait? The x2 3800 will be $170usd.


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## Rambo (Jun 17, 2006)

Yeah, I was going to mention that... However, when $450 is your budget, and the processor takes up about 35% of that money, it's hard to get everything else...


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 17, 2006)

and i dont really want to wait another month


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 18, 2006)

right now im at 50/50 between the amd 3500+ build i posted and rambo's build 2 revision


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## liquidshadow (Jun 18, 2006)

Well it's your choice, but I'd seriously consider waiting.
Also, the Antec Sonata II case is a nice case with a decent PSU that has 32A on the 12v rail.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 18, 2006)

well if i decide to get the 3500+, i would only save 10 bucks if i waited.


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## Rambo (Jun 18, 2006)

liquidshadow said:
			
		

> Also, the Antec Sonata II case is a nice case with a decent PSU that has 32A on the 12v rail.



Hmm, but it's also $100...


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 18, 2006)

the mobo for the 3500+ is out of stock


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 18, 2006)

i think i might try and find an oem mobo to save some cash


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 18, 2006)

what im leaning towards as of now:

AMD Athlon 64 3500+

ASUS A8N5X

CORSAIR 1GB


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## Rambo (Jun 18, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> what im leaning towards as of now:
> 
> AMD Athlon 64 3500+
> 
> ...



Why don't you look for Dual-Channel Kits, instead of a 1 GB RAM Stick?


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 18, 2006)

such as this

Corsair 2x512MB dual channel kit


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## holyjunk (Jun 19, 2006)

monkeysims said:
			
		

> such as this
> 
> Corsair 2x512MB dual channel kit


That would be better.


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## tweaker (Jun 19, 2006)

These "kits" for dual channel mode is just marketing. Get whatever is cheapest, a kit or the two modules separate doesnt matter.


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## m0nk3ys1ms (Jun 20, 2006)

i went with build 2, but with different memory. i also added a 7600GS

mods, this thread can be closed


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