Thinking of going C2D.......

[Exeodus]

I am currently considering another upgrade, this time to a C2D. I am a avid gamer, so I'm always looking to get every last frame I can, and I'm not sure if I am willing to wait anymore for the new AMD chips to come out.

I'm currently considering to following cpu and mobo:

E6850 C2D
ASUS P5N32-SLI

I'm open to any suggestions you may have. I'm currently partial to the E6850 because I like the 3.0GHZ stock clock speed. I'm not a very good overclocker, I have my current AM2 5600+
running at 3.0ghz over the stock 2.8, but I set my motherboard to overclock for me. I also don't want to water cool at the moment. I will use a premium air cooler (I currently use a Zalman on my AM2), but during the summer months the room I use my pc in gets pretty warm.
This obviously has a negative impact on my cooling, but my temps are well within the safe range. I have also had no stability issues with my cpu overclock.

I also want to have a SLI motherboard, so I have to get a Nvidia chipset. I am partial to ASUS, so this board seemed like a good choice. I don't think the Striker is worth the 100 dollar premium. If anyone has this board, some comments about its performance would be great. The rest of the parts listed in System Specs will transfer to this setup.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[reueljoab]

with your current system, i can't see the point in upgrading to core2. unless if you're into heavy processing...

 

[Sovereign]

I agree... your going to gain a few FPS by moving to a C2D from your current system. If you ask me, thats quite a waste of money but then again, it's your money to waste.

Do yourself a big favor if can't find enough patience to wait for Phenom, AMD is going to be releasing the x2 6400+ in the not too distant future. Upgrade to this while waiting on the Phenom to be released would be the more financialy responsible choice. The 6400+ should give even a E6700 a run for it's money.

 

[hat]

^^agreed

That 8800GTX will handle pretty much anything too, no need for SLI. Just more noise, heat, $$ on the electric bill, etc...

 

[kha1i1]

i agree as well. with that cpu, cooler and ram, you can get that chip to at least 3.2. i have a 3800x2 running @ 2.5ghx from stock 2.0 on corsair value ram and a aluminium cooler with video card gpu paste. the money you're thinking about throwing down makes sense only if you're going to make a completely new rig and have 2 and ALSO invest in teh next gen cpus. dont do it, is basically my point.

 

[Mussels]

I am currently considering another upgrade, this time to a C2D. I am a avid gamer, so I'm always looking to get every last frame I can, and I'm not sure if I am willing to wait anymore for the new AMD chips to come out.

I'm currently considering to following cpu and mobo:

E6850 C2D
ASUS P5N32-SLI

I'm open to any suggestions you may have. I'm currently partial to the E6850 because I like the 3.0GHZ stock clock speed. I'm not a very good overclocker, I have my current AM2 5600+
running at 3.0ghz over the stock 2.8, but I set my motherboard to overclock for me. I also don't want to water cool at the moment. I will use a premium air cooler (I currently use a Zalman on my AM2), but during the summer months the room I use my pc in gets pretty warm.
This obviously has a negative impact on my cooling, but my temps are well within the safe range. I have also had no stability issues with my cpu overclock.

I also want to have a SLI motherboard, so I have to get a Nvidia chipset. I am partial to ASUS, so this board seemed like a good choice. I don't think the Striker is worth the 100 dollar premium. If anyone has this board, some comments about its performance would be great. The rest of the parts listed in System Specs will transfer to this setup.

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Good stock clocks, good OCing pair.

Get some 800MHz ram (or higher, if you can budget it) and OC them - intel is a lot easier than AMD, especially with that board.

Leave volts at stock, raise the FSB and use orthos to test it - very easy, since you can un-link the ram and leave it at stock (Ram and FSB can be set independantly)


striker board is a lot worse than this one - you made the right choice. This board also has full 1333 FSB support, including the next-gen models with half-multis and more cache.

Edit: Just finished checking your specs out, they're almost identical to mine, except for the hard drives (and your proposed upgrade makes it a lot closer) - If theres any benchies you want me to do to compare to your current system, i'll glady do them.

 

[Sovereign]

intel is a lot easier than AMD, especially with that board.

Leave volts at stock, raise the FSB and use orthos to test it - very easy, since you can un-link the ram and leave it at stock (Ram and FSB can be set independantly)

How so? The reason I ask is because I find it quite easy to OC my AM2 setup, especialy on a TForce board. Have a look at my 2.8GHz OC results in my sig, I have my memory @ stock (with the exception of tighter mem timings applied) and just upped the FSB. In my 2.9GHz results, I went ahead and raised both the FSB and memory clocks even though it was unecissary as I can still maintain the same OC with just a FSB raise while keeping the memory bus @ stock.

 

[nflesher87]

How so? The reason I ask is because I find it quite easy to OC my AM2 setup, especialy on a TForce board. Have a look at my 2.8GHz OC results in my sig, I have my memory @ stock (with the exception of tighter mem timings applied) and just upped the FSB. In my 2.9GHz results, I went ahead and raised both the FSB and memory clocks even though it was unecissary as I can still maintain the same OC with just a FSB raise while keeping the memory bus @ stock.

my tforce 550 wouldn't take the 3800 you sold me past about 2550...though I think the main problem was the ram, new patriot ram will be here saturday

 

[Mussels]

How so? The reason I ask is because I find it quite easy to OC my AM2 setup, especialy on a TForce board. Have a look at my 2.8GHz OC results in my sig, I have my memory @ stock (with the exception of tighter mem timings applied) and just upped the FSB. In my 2.9GHz results, I went ahead and raised both the FSB and memory clocks even though it was unecissary as I can still maintain the same OC with just a FSB raise while keeping the memory bus @ stock.

because memory and FSB can be unlinked, i didnt realise your Tforce had the same options.

Also, you dont have to worry about LDT or anything, the board easily does 425FSB with only raising the NB volts (i have the older model of that board, for most purposes they're identical)

 

[Tatty_Two]

I agree there is no NEED to upgrade but what I would say is that at 3Gig on his current AMD setup he is probably only getting around 70% out of the full potential of the 8800GTX, with a 6850, he can almost get 3.5Gig with NO voltage increase, therefore he does not really need to be a serious overclocker to acheive that, now with a C2D at 3.5Gig he will probably be drawing on 90-95% of the cards potential, now that IMO is more than just a couple of FPS and but perhaps more importantly, with DX10 games being imminent, the CPU needs for DX10 are going to be far greater than they were for DX9......fact.

Just my thoughts........... His system certainly is good enough to at least wait for Phenom to see what that brings, am not suggesting he should change, just highlighting what I think IMO would be the benefits of change.