AMD only, please - I'm already committed to a socket 939 motherboard.

I'm considering the socket 939 3800+ for ~$350. Or should I go with a 3700+ (which has double the cache) and try overclocking it by 200Mhz for the same clock speed? Is that a reasonable overclock using an A8N SLI mobo?

I don't want to spend more than about $400... so FX is out of the question and the X2s are probably not the way to go either.

I'd go with the 3700+ myself...................the extra cache does help and yes , you can OC it a lil to give it that lil Umph...........

Get the CPU with the larger cache, and overclock it, make sure you get the 90NM Rev E for the best OC'ing potential.

If you havent heard, AMD is releasing a 3800+ Dual Core for around 350$ if you can wait a bit for it to be in stock...

Im sort of in the same delema, but with less expensive stuff...

Money IS an ussue

3000+
3200+

Both venice...im most likely going to have the A8N-SLI....what should I get?

Quote: Originally Posted by $SOLID$ Necro Get the CPU with the larger cache, and overclock it, make sure you get the 90NM Rev E for the best OC'ing potential. If you havent heard, AMD is releasing a 3800+ Dual Core for around 350$ if you can wait a bit for it to be in stock...

OK, thanks Necro. A 200Mhz overclock for a 3700+ is not unreasonable, I take it?

The 3800 X2 is priced right, I took it out of the equation earlier because it doesn't seem to benchmark as well as the 3800+ single core for gaming. I doubt I have the skillz to OC the dualie to 2.4 Ghz on standard cooling and an ASUS board. Maybe in a couple of years...

Quote: Originally Posted by badmonkey OK, thanks Necro. A 200Mhz overclock for a 3700+ is not unreasonable, I take it? The 3800 X2 is priced right, I took it out of the equation earlier because it doesn't seem to benchmark as well as the 3800+ single core for gaming. I doubt I have the skillz to OC the dualie to 2.4 Ghz on standard cooling and an ASUS board. Maybe in a couple of years...

You can get an extra 200mhz out of the 3700 standing on your head.

Quote: Originally Posted by hondatuner You can get an extra 200mhz out of the 3700 standing on your head.

LOL at your avatar, hondatuner. Don't you mean 2000mhz?

Quote: Originally Posted by badmonkey LOL at your avatar, hondatuner. Don't you mean 2000mhz?

He's right...........and your wrong........heh

Quote: Originally Posted by badmonkey OK, thanks Necro. A 200Mhz overclock for a 3700+ is not unreasonable, I take it? The 3800 X2 is priced right, I took it out of the equation earlier because it doesn't seem to benchmark as well as the 3800+ single core for gaming. I doubt I have the skillz to OC the dualie to 2.4 Ghz on standard cooling and an ASUS board. Maybe in a couple of years...

The reason why the 3800+ X2 does not perform as well as the 3800+ single core is because most games are single-threaded. They do not take advantage of the 3800+ X2's dual cores. In the future almost all programs and games will be multi-threaded. If you want a future-ready processor for $350, the X2 3800+ is your best option.

Quote: Originally Posted by TYCOON Im sort of in the same delema, but with less expensive stuff... Money IS an ussue 3000+ 3200+ Both venice...im most likely going to have the A8N-SLI....what should I get?

I was thinking the same thing(well pricing anyway..An A64 Sys can be built for $1.2k) Id say the 3200.

http://www.hexus.net/content/reviews...VybF9wYWdlPTI=
http://amdzone.com/modules.php?op=mo...tid=143&page=1
Those might help

Quote: Originally Posted by badmonkey OK, thanks Necro. A 200Mhz overclock for a 3700+ is not unreasonable, I take it? The 3800 X2 is priced right, I took it out of the equation earlier because it doesn't seem to benchmark as well as the 3800+ single core for gaming. I doubt I have the skillz to OC the dualie to 2.4 Ghz on standard cooling and an ASUS board. Maybe in a couple of years...

A 200MHZ OC is no biggie for most AMD CPU's, 400MHZ is not that uncommon.

See there is a little thing that happens, all the CPU's from the revision level and stepping usually will max out at around the same speed. A 3000+ can usualy reach 2.6ghz about as often as the 3200+ or 3400, but requires a bit more voltage, and a MUCH higher FSB to do it.

My 90NM 4000+ can reach 2.8GHZ (2.4 stock) easily wich is only a 400MHZ OC (12x234)
With a 90NM 3000+ I have has reached 2.6GHZ (1.8 stock) wich is an 800MHZ OC, but it's much harder to do since the FSB needs to be so high (9x288!) wich requires a very good OC'ing motherboard (DFI LP) and memory that can run at over 250FSB!

My whole point is that low end CPU's can often reach the same OC speeds as there more expensive high end brothers, but Memory speeds are gonna be quite high since new AMD's only allow you to change them to a lower number, except the FX series wich is fully unlocked up and down.

Another point to make is that high end CPU's don't ususally have as much headroom to OC since they start off clocked much higher...

An FX-57 is 2.8GHZ stock, and in a recent test at another site, they were only able to reach 3GHZ, so that tells you that AMD is allready squeezing it pretty hard at 2.8!

But Ive read a 3000+ Could reach 2.8Ghz...hopefully your talking about a venice core..Correct?

Quote: Originally Posted by badmonkey OK, thanks Necro. A 200Mhz overclock for a 3700+ is not unreasonable, I take it? The 3800 X2 is priced right, I took it out of the equation earlier because it doesn't seem to benchmark as well as the 3800+ single core for gaming. I doubt I have the skillz to OC the dualie to 2.4 Ghz on standard cooling and an ASUS board. Maybe in a couple of years...

The X2 3800 and the 3800 should game just about the same. I personally splurged and just got the X2 4400. Im sure either processor you get you will like. If you got a Zalman HSF I bet you could get a little better temps and overclocks.