Best video card/processor brand combo?

[Miek]

Is it possible to change the title of my thread? Can I do that or would someone else have to? I want it to read "What processor should I get?"

 

 

I think I have the video card thing solved (about matching a card w/ a CPU). Now I can't decide which processor to get. Budget is a HUGE concern for me, so I was thinking of going with a dual core processor FOR NOW to keep initial costs down. I could always upgrade to a quad core later. Or, should I wait (for who knows how long with my crappy income) and go with a quad to begin with? I think it'd be good to start with a dual core as it may just turn out to be faster than what I need. I mean, I'll mostly be doing gaming and some school work. I highly doubt I'll be doing anything like video editing or animations.

 

I want to decide soon because my current computer drives me nuts. It sucks for everything I want to do. It won't run any of my games other than really, really light duty ones (Plants vs. Zombies, flash game...) ... Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, even The Sims 3... FORGET IT. Quite frankly, my computer is a piece of crap. And I made the mistake of getting a laptop (I never even take it anywhere...) so I can't upgrade it.

 

I think that if I go AMD, I'll be able to afford a quad off the bat (maybe) as the 940 is very affordable.

 

So... What should I get (WITH THE BUILD, IN THE BEGINNING)?

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 @ 3.16 GHz

- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 @ 3.00 GHz

- AMD Phenom II X2 550 @ 3.1 GHz

- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition at @ 3.00 GHz

 

 

 

Here's the old part of the thread in case anyone's still interested.

 

Which brand of processor works best with what brand of video card? Which of these combos would be best?

Assume that the ATI/nVidia cards are equal in specs and that the AMD/Intel CPU's are equal in specs, both being dual core CPU's.

• Intel/nVidia
  
• AMD/nVidia
  
• Intel/ATI
  
• AMD/ATI
  

 

Please no "fanboy" responses. I would prefer an unbiased, honest, answer as I may be building a PC soon.

Edited June 10, 2009 by Miek

[RogerDeath]

AMD/ATi mainly because it has become the same company.

[d0w0rk24]

at the moment it is intel/nvidia. the i7 and the GTX 295

[dr_bowtie]

they all work fine in any combination....it all up to personal preference...

 

I have all combos of each and there is no issue with any of them....

 

It all just depends what you want and how much you wish to spend....

[Miek]

at the moment it is intel/nvidia. the i7 and the GTX 295

 

I can't afford that sort of hardware.

Unfortunately, I would only be able to get a Core 2 Duo (I was looking at the E8500) or maybe an AMD Phenom II 940 if I stretch my budget.

 

I was mainly wondering that if I got the Intel if I should go ATI or nVidia.

Or if I got the AMD if I should go ATI or nVidia.

 

they all work fine in any combination....it all up to personal preference...

 

I have all combos of each and there is no issue with any of them....

 

It all just depends what you want and how much you wish to spend....

 

I was also wondering...

If I choose the AMD Phenom II 940, would it be better with the AMD "Dragon" platform? Or is that sort of a gimmick? Because I am really liking the look of the GTX 260.

So... would AMD Phenom II 940 + nVidia GTX 260 = good? I was also looking at the ATI Radeon HD 4870.

 

Or I may also get the Core 2 Duo E8500 + a GTX 260.

 

Note: Regardless of what I got, be it a GTX 260 or HD 4870, I would eventually want to add a second to run in Crossfire/SLI mode.

Edited June 6, 2009 by Miek

[Glow of fire]

Are you gaming? If you are, with the exception of FSX, you will see FAR better performance with a dual-core chip which you clock super high and spending money saved on the CPU on the GPU.

 

i7/295 is the best of the best. E8500/GTX 260 is a perfectly reasonable alternative. But if you do get a PII 940, you should probably get an ATI card, considering it is the same company,

[maj0rgamer]

if choosing from the combos listed, would probably go with the phenom ll 940 and a gtx 260 core 216...

 

dual cores are probably going to be way behind before too much longer and the gtx 260 core 216 is flat out exceptional for the value and the performance it offers.

[Miek]

Yes, I will be gaming. If I DO go Core 2 Duo... are the Intel Core 2 Quad processors good? Do they fit in the same socket as the Core 2 Duos?

 

Although, right now an AMD/ATI combo is looking pretty good. Just because the GTX 260 has good reviews doesn't mean I HAVE to get it. The 4870 had more than decent reviews. I mean, they're both really good. And I can always add a second 4870, right? That would be good performance.

 

It seems I've strayed off topic, though. I think I should continue the discussion of video cards in the appropriate section.

 

Now I'm wondering which processor would be good. Budget for me IS concern. And the Intel Core 2 Quads seem overpriced.

- If the Core 2 Quad prices drop, would one of those be a good option?

- AMD Phenom II X4 940 Black Edition? Good processor?

 

Here are links to some of the processors I have been looking at. Opinions on my choices are more than welcome. An i7 build *may* be possible, but I'm not sure. Those builds seem to add up the costs fast...

 

The Quad Core Processors

- Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 (3.0 GHz)

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819115130

- AMD Phenom II X4 Black Edition (3.0 GHz

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819103471

* Notice the price difference for the same clock speed. Explanation? Sorry, but I'm a "n00b" when it comes to things like this.

 

The Dual Core Processors

- AMD Athlon X2 7850 Black Edition

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819103678

- AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition (3.1 GHz)

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819103680

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 (3.0 GHz)

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...7&Tpk=e8400

- Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 (3.16 GHz)

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...6&Tpk=e8500

 

Intel seems a little pricey.

Someone said that the good Core 2 Duos performed about "90% as well as some of the Core 2 Quads." Is that true?

 

I apologize for the long post. I have a lot to ask.

 

THANKS A TON FOR ALL YOUR HELP! This place rocks!

Edited June 6, 2009 by Miek

[OwinC]

Yes they will.

[QuantumX]

From what I've heard the AMD Phenom II X4 940 will beat a Core2Quad of the same price, and is also overclocks quite good. If you can pair this up with a HD4870 or GTX260 core216 you will have a very nice gaming pc

Edited June 6, 2009 by QuantumX

[Reagnon]

Why dont you try a tripple core from amd? they are cheaper that the quads and better than the duals. You will see a difference in multitasking and multithreaded programs. They seem to overclock pretty good...

As for the gpu it is up to you what you want and what you can spend...

[Miek]

I am still strongly considering AMD for my processor. However, I have a couple questions about Intel.

2 Processors I'm Looking At

Core 2 Quad 9650

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819115130

Core i7 920

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?...N82E16819115202

 

Which is better bang for the buck? Which (with the rest of the necessary components) would generally come out to a cheaper build? I know the Core 2 Quad alone costs more, but would the i7 (seeing as it needs DDR3 RAM, X58 motherboard etc.) end up costing more? The i7's look appealing but I don't know if I can afford it.