Penryn benchmarks hit the net.

[crenn]

If you have an app that you want to run on a specific core:
1. Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc
2. Go to the processes tab
3. Find the program in the list and right click, select set affinity. You can then tell it which core to use.

[crenn]

Games like SupCom run better on multiple cores (3 is the most it uses out of a quad core CPU). However I've found some games run better if running on 1-2 cores, any more and there are problems. If you want, I can show this with UT2k4.

[Quakken]

These new processors ARE getting very very insane. Games, superpi, and a virus scan all at once?


i'm still rockin' an athlon64 3500...

But the problem is do i get a new mobo with am2 or wait for the new amd chips that will run on am2+?

And then i would have to get new ram too, i only have 1gig of pc3200, which would not do very well (or work at all) on a mobo that has ddr2 and pc6400.

And then i would want another video card. Probably throw in another PS (stock 300w compaq one currently) and a 500gig hard drive also.

Maybe i should get a job once school starts and tennis is over...

[crenn]

Well computers are actually cheaper than you think. You can get a basic computer for $500. Depends on what you need though.

And I believe there are some AM2+ motherboard, but I'm not 100% sure. But either way, you can use AM2+ chips on a AM2 motherboard.

[Crazy Buddhist]

These new processors ARE getting very very insane. Games, superpi, and a virus scan all at once?


i'm still rockin' an athlon64 3500...

Thats the chip I just upgraded from to a 4200+ X2. I was looking for an Opteron 180 to go in my socket 939 board. Stock it runs at 2.4G per core but its a server grade processor easily overclockable to 3.0G per core or 6.0Ghz total.


The 4200+ runs at 2.2G stock and I have it OC'ed to 2.44G at the moment - a respectable 4.88 Ghz total whipping power. It's noticeably nicer than the 3500+

I would check your Mobo manufacturers site and see what your mobo can take. a 4200+ on ebay will set you back £50 - 65 new roughly same in $ I guess, an Opteron 180 around £100 / $145.

If it can take a nice Opteron and you have the money it would be an upgrade that would see you through another two - three years with the same rig.

Matthew

[Quakken]

It's a socket 939 board, and 939 isn't being supported by AMD at all anymore.

It's Not sli.

It's not DDR2.

It's not unsucky.

I've had this for a few years, and it was nearly obselete when i bought it (X2's where just coming out).

I think i will get an AM2 board once if i get a job. Sure, intel may be on top currently, but i always like AMD, they are the underdog and they try to fit more value into their chips because they don't have billions of dollars and the facilities to crank out junky chips. They also don't have the common name recognition that intel does. Most people, faced with the decision would go for intel's inflated gighertz number and name, because they have heard it before so it must be good.


But that's just me. You can think what you want, but i am going with AMD.

[crenn]

You can still find AMD 939 chips, they're harder because AMD has gone for AM2+ but there are there.

AMD wasn't always the underdog. And Intel don't "crank out junky chips". Intel do create good CPUs, the performance is good once they dropped the NetBurst Architecture.
A majority of people get pre-built computers, which is why they had no choice but to get a Intel processor, because at that stage you couldn't get AMD pre-built (in the forms of dell or acer). btw, Intel don't 'inflate' gigahertz anymore, they've caught on that, that doesn't work.

I'm an AMD fan as well, but I needed a computer to last, which is why I still bought an intel C2Q.

[Quakken]

Most of my post, admittedly, was opinionated. Highly.

Amd's seem to be durable enough, though. We had a 1500+ that lasted for seven freaking years (i HATED that computer though, it was quite good for the first 4 years, but then things started breaking. the processor was cool and worked awesome for the entire time though). We have AMD in all of our computers currently, and have never had a problem with them. Although i bet intel chips would work just as well, admittedly. It's all personal preference.

Recently though, if you look at some of the not-intel-paid-off brands of computer, there are equal parts intel and AMD processors, which is good.

A monopoly on any market just makes the one company that has it churn out crappy products. Intel keeps AMD at the top of their game, and AMD does it for intel also. they want to kill each other, but they are both their reason for staying alive.

Now i leave that thought with you. This was posted from an AMD computer.

[crenn]

lol, I have an athlon XP 1800+ which still works, runs very hot though, but it hasn't died yet!