HL Recommended Hardware Lists

[TheDude]

Great recommendations and well put together as usual


TheDude

[robodude666]

It did beat it in several areas.. And if you are talking about $170 v $220 without OCing for a beginner user the X2 6000+ would look more appealing.

Computer-Ed ftw

[Computer-Ed]

Originally Posted by Hitman

The 6000 didn't win one benchmark.

I did not say it won a benchmark, I said it beat the E6600 which you claimed it did not do. I am sorry I guess we are getting some serious signals crossed here on communication.

Originally Posted by Hitman

Not to mention we are only talking about $50 why go with the lesser CPU when a better one is only $50 more. Makes no sense to me.

Well I wish I and many others had the disposable income you possess, for many of us $50 can make or break a purchasing choice.

Use a real life example, a person is looking to build a system and has a SET budget for doing it. If they buy the E6600 they will have to settle for a lesser video card perhaps or less RAM due to a limited budget choice. However saving that $50 and keep the performan ce close to identical means they might now be able to add more RAM or perhaps now have just enough for a higher end video card.

I get the impression from this that you are somehow think I feel the X2 is a better processor and I do not. However I will AGAIN state that in a direct dollar comparision AMD wins dollar per dollar for raw speed.

Now that beings said we did all of this when I did our build a PC series on the radio and my comment then, as now is that if the financies are there then the Core2 offers a more open upgrade path and is thus a better choice.

However if this is a pure budget system with no plans to overclock and really tight budget AMD offers the same performance at a better price and thus free's money for other areas of the computer. However take care with this apporach as the upgrade path for the CPU in such a system is limited if not already topped out.

[Hitman]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

Well I wish I and many others had the disposable income you possess, for many of us $50 can make or break a purchasing choice.

I just believe in buying better computer parts, but if you want to save $50 go right ahead.

[Capper]

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

The X2 vs Core2 discussion usually does not take into account anything past the initial build. In a dollar conparision the X2 is a clear winner. An AMD X2 6000+ sells for $170 and is faster by just a hair than a Core2 E6600 at $221.

This simply isn't true, and I'd like to see some benchmarks to verify the claim. I've bench an FX-60 against the E6600, and the FX-60 won NO benchmarks, and when overclocking was taken into account, strill couldn't top the E6600, even with an unlocked multiplier.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

So if you are going on strictly the time of build with zero other factors then AMD does have an edge right now in the bang for the buck.

Again, not really true, compare some of the budget processors from each line in benchmarking and you'll see INTEL right now has a clear advantage across the board.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

Now if you throw overclocking into the mix the Core2 leaves the X2 in the dust and that $50 extra is a huge performance boost, but for a moment lets throw out overclocking, which in my opinion is overrated.

Overrated? Ed, part of what we preach is saving a buch here and there by moderately overclocking your system. For instance, why spend $1299 on a Q6850, when you can spend $300 and get a Q6600.....basically the same performance for $900 less. In my opinion, there is a lot to be gained from overclocking....not pushing tthings to the point of blowing up your system, but modest tweaks and tuning to improve performance and save money.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

The AM2 socket is DEAD. AMD will be moving to a new socket this next chip evolution so the AM2 is at or very near it's maximum capabilities.

Again, not true.....many AM2 board will support the new Phenom processors, some will need a BIOS update, but the new processors will work fine with the AM2 motherboards.....you just won't have support for DDR3.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

The 775 however just had new life put in it with the whole new round of Core2 based chips using the same socket. With a little fore thought in the build on motherboard selection you can create a system with a still very open processor upgrade path.

Manufacturers such as Gigabyte and ECS have already stated that their motherboards will support all processors going forward that will work in the LGA775.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

This means then in considering the choices of the budget system do we want speed now or upgrade later. In the case of a true budget system I think that upgrade choices are less of an issue so I would personally go for all the speed I could get and then figure the system was a throw away.

You always have to balance things, theres really no sense in buying a componernt thats end of life, unless your budget is limited to the point you have no choice.....other factors come into p;lay here as well.......you might have a choice between a 7800GT or an 8600GT or GTS for the same price (just an example), while the older graphics solution may be marginally cheaper, going forward a gamer should choose the newer part for DX10 support.

Originally Posted by Computer-Ed

That being said with that manner of build in mind AMD is the clear winner. However if you want an upgrade path on the processor or plan to overclock the Core2 cannot be beat.

To me....this is a mind boggling conclusion. Given all the information available, given easy access to pricing, and given every review and benchmark theres almost no reason in the world to consider AMD right now, unless, like you said you are going to throw away the system in 6 months.......I could easily say I'd rather people buy an INTEL E2140 or E2160 for less than $20 more.

Our Recommended Lists are basically a guide, as always we encourage people to mix and match, depending upon their budget and needs. Before anyone thinks I'm a "fanboi" of any particular company, I'm not....not even close......I will however encourage people to look at particular products. for instance, right now I think gigabyte boards are the best around....they have put a lot of emphasis on QC and putting out great products at a good price, while ASUS has in my opinion slipped badly. Likewise, I swear by Crucial memory, and while I think Corsair is still King Of The Hill, think that the price differences make Crucial a better investment

[One4yu2c]

I'm not sure I'd be recommending $150+ processors for an extreme budget conscious buyer in the first place. If truly pinching every last penny (which isn't the focus of our Recommended Lists), we'd be looking towards the Intel C2D E2140 ($78.50) and E2160 ($95). Coupled with the right surrounding components, that gives the extreme budget user a good chunk of performance, OCing headroom (if so desired), and a great upgrade path. You could do the same thing with AMD, such as the $65.50 3800+ X2, but the extra $13 (E2140) puts the user in a better overall position.

There are a variety of factors that currently make recommending an AMD based system at any price point a tough proposition. Nevertheless, we continue to list parts from both companies for those that simply want one brand over the other, regardless of reasoning.

[Capper]

In reflection, theres nothing wrong with choosing the budget end AMD processors if you already have an AM2 motherboard, as they should upgrade fine, but if you are building from the ground up, I just think that the budget end INTEL processors and INTEL based systems are a better value right now

[halutzparilla]

i would agree with Capper...

upgrade here and there without an overhaul of your computer if it is already a AMD base is alright...

but starting from scratch i would and definitely consider/recommend to build a INtel Based COmputer so far...

[Yellowhello]

As of now (and 2 - 3+ years down the road) Intel FTW. (IMO).

[OCNoob]

Originally Posted by yellowhello

As of now (and 2 - 3+ years down the road) Intel FTW. (IMO).

Ach, I don't think the price war going on is a winning situation for either club. It's clear, however that the consumer FTW.