~ Computer Buyers' Guide ~

Should this be a sticky?


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zCexVe

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  • Sep 12, 2006
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    GT bro hasn't updated the guide yet.I could have added some more configs by this time :D .If GT bro posts guide after next sunday you will see some new rig configs too.
     

    spido_razor

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    May 20, 2008
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    Great post.

    Hi dude,
    This is a great post. Honestly, Keep it up. it will help many. Also it is pretty accurate compared to other normal posts.. so congrats.

    but I still wud like to point out few things..

    zCexVe said:
    I beg of you don’t choose AMD unless you are a hardcore AMD fan boy.(Like me :D)You can’t upgrade it easily(lack of support), nor you will be able to sell it(myths about AMD with people).

    AMD definitely have a very cheap CPU line. And is usually better in price/performance. specially if you are going to use the computer for more than 3 years, consider AMDs phenoms. Tri/Quad cores of this line out performs Intel Cores at similar price points. So will give you an edge when the applications adopt to use 3/4 cores.

    zCexVe said:
    Cache[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]-This is the closest and fastest RAM available to CPU.Static RAM type. Higher the better. It is required for heavy applications like games and 3D modeling.

    ...


    TIPS-If you don’t play games more often cache is not important to you.


    Cache is one of the most important things in a CPU, sometimes even more important than the clock speed, and is important no matter what you are doing. Because the higher the cache, the lower the misses and hence, lower the memory latency. So whatever you do, in my opinion, more cache is gonna speed things up.

    zCexVe said:
    Getting a CPU with a higher FSB makes your OC chances less.

    I do not agree with that. Overclocking potential depends a lot with the CPU family and stepping. and a lot more on the motherboard you choose. And also a huge deal can be regarded as luck. For instance, E8400(2.66 stock, 1333FSB) can possibly hit around 4.0-4.1GHz. But E6600(2.4 stock, 1066FSB) would collapse somewhere near 3.5. Even E6550 (2.33 stock, 1333FSB) sometimes go higher than that.
    Additionally, lookout for CPU steeppings too. They can make a huge difference too. Q6600 B3(as I remember,) could touch 3.0 in many cases. Yet the newer revision, Q6600 G0, can go up to even 3.6-3.8 And all these I am talking about is AIR cooling.
    The next thing is the motherboard. Get an Intel, You are screwed (In the sence of overclocking. They make very reliable motherboards for normal use though) Intel does not support overclocking (they changed their strategy with bonetrail and skulltrail -Skulltrail, was a pain in the ass not recommended at all..!!:D, they support overclocking) And ASUS, GIGABYTE and ABIT are very good overclockers. Any motherboard with good heat sinks on MCH and power plane capacitors (caps which are right next to the CPU for power regulation) and very elaborate BIOS settings list will be a good overclocker if YOU ARE LUCKY!!

    Yeah, luck plays a prominent role when you are overclocking. I have a Q6700 running at 3.0 in STOCK VOLTAGES in my cheap abit IP35. But some with the same configuration could not get to 3.2 even with 1.5Vcore(which is the max it can unofficially handle, if anyone wonders) and some, can hit 3.5 with a single step Vcore increase. Or more generally speaking, if you bought 2 exact same CPUs from same store and test them, one might give you 3.0G, whereas the other might pound up to the 3.5G limit.

    One more important thing, Overclocking is fun, yet stupid, if you dont have money to waste...!!!! :D
     
    Last edited:

    Anusha

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    Jun 13, 2006
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    spido_razor said:
    AMD definitely have a very cheap CPU line. And is usually better in price/performance. specially if you are going to use the computer for more than 3 years, consider AMDs phenoms. Tri/Quad cores of this line out performs Intel Cores at similar price points. So will give you an edge when the applications adopt to use 3/4 cores.
    But Intel do have very cheap dual core CPUs that easily surpass any AMD dual core, and when overclocked even the phenom x4's. Take a look at the E7200 for example. They hit 3.8GHz pretty often, and just Rs.14000 here (still more than in USA). A 3.8GHz E7200 will perform better than any Phenom X2/X3 and in most cases X4's (when OCed)

    spido_razor said:
    Cache is one of the most important things in a CPU, sometimes even more important than the clock speed, and is important no matter what you are doing. Because the higher the cache, the lower the misses and hence, lower the memory latency. So whatever you do, in my opinion, more cache is gonna speed things up.
    True, but more cache = more cost of production. And also, it gives diminishing returns after some point. Clock to clock, there is only about 1-2% overall performance advantage by 6MB Penryns over the 3MB ones.

    spido_razor said:
    I do not agree with that. Overclocking potential depends a lot with the CPU family and stepping. and a lot more on the motherboard you choose. And also a huge deal can be regarded as luck. For instance, E8400(2.66 stock, 1333FSB) can possibly hit around 4.0-4.1GHz. But E6600(2.4 stock, 1066FSB) would collapse somewhere near 3.5. Even E6550 (2.33 stock, 1333FSB) sometimes go higher than that.
    Additionally, lookout for CPU steeppings too. They can make a huge difference too. Q6600 B3(as I remember,) could touch 3.0 in many cases. Yet the newer revision, Q6600 G0, can go up to even 3.6-3.8 And all these I am talking about is AIR cooling.
    The next thing is the motherboard. Get an Intel, You are screwed (In the sence of overclocking. They make very reliable motherboards for normal use though) Intel does not support overclocking (they changed their strategy with bonetrail and skulltrail -Skulltrail, was a pain in the ass not recommended at all..!!:D, they support overclocking) And ASUS, GIGABYTE and ABIT are very good overclockers. Any motherboard with good heat sinks on MCH and power plane capacitors (caps which are right next to the CPU for power regulation) and very elaborate BIOS settings list will be a good overclocker if YOU ARE LUCKY!!

    Yeah, luck plays a prominent role when you are overclocking. I have a Q6700 running at 3.0 in STOCK VOLTAGES in my cheap abit IP35. But some with the same configuration could not get to 3.2 even with 1.5Vcore(which is the max it can unofficially handle, if anyone wonders) and some, can hit 3.5 with a single step Vcore increase. Or more generally speaking, if you bought 2 exact same CPUs from same store and test them, one might give you 3.0G, whereas the other might pound up to the 3.5G limit.

    One more important thing, Overclocking is fun, yet stupid, if you dont have money to waste...!!!! :D
    I'm sure he meant it's easy to OC a high multi CPU than a low multi CPU as you are most of the times only held back by the CPU (not RAM, not mobo). No need to play with much of the voltages either. And it's way easier on the NB.

    Overclocking is not stupid if you are not going to just show off. I'm running very cheap stuff in my PC, and it's quite fast.

    Amen to "Yeah, luck plays a prominent role when you are overclocking" :D
     
    Last edited:

    zCexVe

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  • Sep 12, 2006
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    spido_razor said:
    Cache is one of the most important things in a CPU, sometimes even more important than the clock speed, and is important no matter what you are doing. Because the higher the cache, the lower the misses and hence, lower the memory latency. So whatever you do, in my opinion, more cache is gonna speed things up.
    First of all I'm looking into more and more posts like yours.:D It will be more helpful to sharpen the edges of this guide.Thank you very much.

    I'm talking about practical world buddy. :D Please show me some benchmarks done in a site by 2 CPUs which has same clocks but different caches with higher cache CPU clearly leading the other.For example like 5 second gap.I'll definitely remove my idea of cache.But yes theoritically you right and Intel able to sell more CPUs to people after hyping about the cache :P

    I do not agree with that. Overclocking potential depends a lot with the CPU family and stepping. and a lot more on the motherboard you choose. And also a huge deal can be regarded as luck. For instance, E8400(2.66 stock, 1333FSB) can possibly hit around 4.0-4.1GHz. But E6600(2.4 stock, 1066FSB) would collapse somewhere near 3.5. Even E6550 (2.33 stock, 1333FSB) sometimes go higher than that.
    Additionally, lookout for CPU steeppings too. They can make a huge difference too. Q6600 B3(as I remember,) could touch 3.0 in many cases. Yet the newer revision, Q6600 G0, can go up to even 3.6-3.8 And all these I am talking about is AIR cooling.
    The next thing is the motherboard. Get an Intel, You are screwed (In the sence of overclocking. They make very reliable motherboards for normal use though) Intel does not support overclocking (they changed their strategy with bonetrail and skulltrail -Skulltrail, was a pain in the ass not recommended at all..!!:D, they support overclocking) And ASUS, GIGABYTE and ABIT are very good overclockers. Any motherboard with good heat sinks on MCH and power plane capacitors (caps which are right next to the CPU for power regulation) and very elaborate BIOS settings list will be a good overclocker if YOU ARE LUCKY!!

    Yeah, luck plays a prominent role when you are overclocking. I have a Q6700 running at 3.0 in STOCK VOLTAGES in my cheap abit IP35. But some with the same configuration could not get to 3.2 even with 1.5Vcore(which is the max it can unofficially handle, if anyone wonders) and some, can hit 3.5 with a single step Vcore increase. Or more generally speaking, if you bought 2 exact same CPUs from same store and test them, one might give you 3.0G, whereas the other might pound up to the 3.5G limit.

    One more important thing, Overclocking is fun, yet stupid, if you dont have money to waste...!!!! :D

    On the stepping part I am with you.Stepping revision is always a bettern of CPU faults so revision always matter.But typically all B3 stepping Q6600 will do 3.4.Check the XS and TPU Q6600 threads on for that.The heat issue fixed in G0 makes it go higher.

    To the OC part.

    Mobo plays a great role.Mainly the chipset.Like All OCers use P45/P35 instead of X48 coz they OC good.
    All mobos now come with solid caps mobos for the CPU power phases.All OC mobos does.What you have to look for is are the Power phases to the CPU is digital or analog(Digital PWMs are better) and how many phases does it have.Usually a highend ASUS have 12 or 16 which is stunning.

    FYI Abit quitted mobo business :P But they will provide warranty for provided parts.Anyway Im with you with Abit IN9 and thingys.:D

    For the OC FSB part.
    If I said about the clock multiplier here,people will go to unity and will get screwed.A lower FSB CPU has a higher mutiplier in order to achieve the clock.
    say 3000 MHz.
    If its a 800FSB = 15 x 200
    1333 FSB = 9 x 333

    So even with a 6000 LKR G31 mobo(Gigabyte G31M-S2L-the worlds favourite)
    you can just put the FSB strap into a 1066 in a 800 and enjoy the OC.But not in a 1066 one.No voltage tweaking,no memory tweaking,no multiplier tweaking just set and go.
    Say you got an E2200(2.2GHz,800FSB)+G31M-S2L+1GB for 15500LKR.you enjoy 2.93GHz clock from the begining due to lower FSB :D But you do lack some instructions which are not useful at all other than in divX :P
    Its the mutiplier I wanted to point.Thats why I posted it in the tips.I would be wrong if I put it in the general.
    Anyway thanks for pointing it out.I'll try something to avoid misunderstanding it.

    I hope you understood what I was trying to say.And Still GTRZ havent updated the guide.Youve read the old one.The new one was mainly updated on the sound department.It is highly tweaked too.:D

    I look forward to you to reading the newer version and comment on that too.Thank you very much for your concern and ideas.:D
     

    zCexVe

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    Guide updated to V 1.4 on 28-08-2008.Update sent to GTRZ via email :D :D :D

    Change log-----------------------------

    Fixed some errors.
    Formatting changed a bit
    A new version naming system.
    Added new rig configurations.
     

    GTRZ

    Administrator
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  • Apr 27, 2006
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    zCexVe said:
    Guide updated to V 1.4 on 28-08-2008.Update sent to GTRZ via email :D :D :D

    Change log-----------------------------

    Fixed some errors.
    Formatting changed a bit
    A new version naming system.
    Added new rig configurations.

    Updated :P
     

    GTRZ

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  • Apr 27, 2006
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    zCexVe said:
    Ammo athi yantham.:D After 8 days. :D

    poddak busy hitiye machan :P Beta 3 eke indan umbatama edit kranna puuwan wenna hadala dennam
    machan sound cards wala low to mid range card wala awuak thiyanwa, speakers also. Mama umbata ewannam.
     

    zCexVe

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    GTRZ said:
    poddak busy hitiye machan :P Beta 3 eke indan umbatama edit kranna puuwan wenna hadala dennam
    machan sound cards wala low to mid range card wala awuak thiyanwa, speakers also. Mama umbata ewannam.
    Thank you very much bro.Those sound cards and speakers are from chanster.I figured he have used them more than I have.Thats why the credits to chanster part is there too.I didnt get any info on sound setups coz All I saw was morro something and Mercury and delux things.They are not satisfying when you usually listen to a Bose ;)
     

    GTRZ

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    zCexVe said:
    Thank you very much bro.Those sound cards and speakers are from chanster.I figured he have used them more than I have.Thats why the credits to chanster part is there too.I didnt get any info on sound setups coz All I saw was morro something and Mercury and delux things.They are not satisfying when you usually listen to a Bose ;)

    Who listen to Bose.
    Bose, they say No highs no lows should be a bose.
    Bose has only too sweet mids machan. So sound nice but artificial sound.
    They are just largely over priced speakers with big brand name.