Would you recommend an X3 processor?

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sammo450

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#27071 13-Oct-2008 11:02

I am building a PC and haven't decided what sort of CPU to get yet. I haven't really got the money for a quad core, but the tri core is in my range. Would anyone recommend a tri core cpu?

sbiddle

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#170834 13-Oct-2008 11:31

What are you using it for? tri or quad core doesn't mean your machine is suddenly faster than a single or dual core machine.

sammo450

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Wannabe Geek

#170839 13-Oct-2008 12:53

Gaming and design work, so I know multicore is good for gaming, but three seems like an odd number for a computer to use.

eXDee

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#170883 13-Oct-2008 16:26

sammo450: I know multicore is good for gaming,

No.
In fact for gaming Dual Core is the most ideal, since hardly any developers have made any significant coding which efficiently uses the extra 1 or 2 cores tri and quad core offers. Even many popular games such as those by Valve only use a single core, since they aren't multithreaded.
In fact you're better off with a fast dual core, than a slower quad core.
Games are coded for the masses. The masses don't have quad or tri core. They have dual.

The rule is: For gaming, dual core. For multithreaded applications, such as video editing or video encoding, quad or possibly tri core.

Lastly, if you're gaming and aren't on a tight budget, go Intel. They have the lead currently for the high performance processors such as the e8200 and above.

sammo450

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Wannabe Geek

#171280 15-Oct-2008 13:50

OK thanks for that. I am on a budget really so AMD is the one for me. I've got an Abit AX78 motherboard, and thought quad would be really good. Do you know if games can treat two of the four cores as a dual core processor and ignore the other two?

Harbinger

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#171288 15-Oct-2008 14:44

Phenom X3's are simply Quad cores with either a defective core, or one turned off intentionally.
As another poster said - If you're using the rig for Gaming, Dual Core is the way to go, but for multi-threading applications, Quad Core is the better alternative.
It'd mostly come down to the dollars you want to spend, and with 2-Core being the best bang-for-buck, makes better sense to go for something like the Athlon x2-6000+

eXDee

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#171321 15-Oct-2008 16:51

sammo450: OK thanks for that. I am on a budget really so AMD is the one for me. I've got an Abit AX78 motherboard, and thought quad would be really good. Do you know if games can treat two of the four cores as a dual core processor and ignore the other two?

That's the point. They do ignore the other two. Resulting in lower performance for your $$$.
Ie 3ghz dual core > Game uses both.
2.4ghz tri/quad core > Game only uses 2, which will have the same peformance as a 2.4ghz dual core would.
Therefore you should buy the 3ghz dual core in this example, because most games are optimized for dual.

One thing that really hacks me off is when people selling computers on tradme advertise a quad core as 9ghz. Its blatent lies, increasing cores doesn't magically increase performance, in fact intel engineers who designed the i7 processor said increasing cores is a very inefficient way to increase performance from a manufacturing standpoint.

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sammo450

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#171362 15-Oct-2008 21:08

Hm quad could have 2 cores dedicated 2 gaming, while the other 2 could be doing background tasks such as antivirus, music, and recording video/audio.

nate

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#171368 15-Oct-2008 21:56

sammo450: Hm quad could have 2 cores dedicated 2 gaming, while the other 2 could be doing background tasks such as antivirus, music, and recording video/audio.

Please tell me you are kidding. Antivirus in the background while playing a game??

Buy a 3Ghz dual core. Done.