[fndngemo]

I'm in the process of planning out an htpc build. It will be used primarily to playback HD mkv's as well as a dvr using WMC. I would like to allow myself the option to add a dedicated graphics card down the road and play some games (MMORPGs mostly). Most guides I've found have been recommending the athlon x4 620 as a good budget chip, but I've also read that it would be better to get a faster dual core rather than the quad core. My concern is how long will that be the case? A few years from now will I regret not getting the quad core?

 

[Suntan]

From the little I've reviewed them (CPUs for gaming) my understanding is that a faster clocked, lower core count works better. You'd have to read up on the development of future games to see if higher core usage is something they are going to be making use of in the future.


However, for media playback/transcoding, etc. a 4 core of the same price usually does better. That said, a $100 CPU of either configuration should have no problem with media playback.


I have an AnthlonII 620 in my desktop (mostly for photoshop and Vegas Pro) and it can playback blu rays with no gfx accel without breaking a sweat.


Now to make it even more challenging, there are chances that a person can unlock a 3 core Phenom to be a 4 core and there are chances that a person can unlock the LV3 cache on a 620 to make it into a 4 core Phenom If a person was inclined to roll the dice.


-Suntan

 

[kevinqian]

yeah if you want to gamble, the Phenom x2 can be unlocked to x4 with the right mobo.

 

[Bigbird999]

My phenom X2 became an X4 with about 20 seconds of bios config on my Gigabyte 785G mobo.


BB

 

[jreese831]

 This article compares performance and functionality vs. price of all the newer AMD and Intel chips. It's a little lengthy, but well worth the read.

 

[jbizzlefosho]

I also have the 620 and for the price, I don't think you can get a better HTPC quad core. If you do need some higher clocks, I can get mine to 2.9Ghz without any increase in voltage.

 

[walford]

Unless you have applications that are multithreaded and therefore can actually use more then two cores concurenlty a two core system will normally perform better then a more expensive 4 core processor. Common applicastions that can do this are video file format conversion programs and relational data base management applications.

Also each processor in a dual core that costs the same as a 4 core each core will have a higher speed.

 

[ditch-digger]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Bigbird999 /forum/post/18189638


My phenom X2 became an X4 with about 20 seconds of bios config on my Gigabyte 785G mobo.


BB

same here....(took about 21 seconds) runs stable at 3.5. prime95 for 24hrs awesome deal.

 

[MikeEby]

I have both a 965 BE and a 550 BE, I unlocked the two other cores in the 550 and it's just about as fast as the 965. It scores 7.1 on the Windows Experience Index. Amazing value for the 550 BE at $95.


Mike

 

[ditch-digger]



Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeEby /forum/post/18191145


I have both a 965 BE and a 550 BE, I unlocked the two other cores in the 550 and it's just about as fast as the 965. It scores 7.1 on the Index Experience Index. Amazing value for the 550 BE at $95.


Mike

got 7.4

 

[Joesyah]

Yup unlocked my 550BE and scored 7.3 in Windows it also scored a 4109 in the Passmark CPU-Mark test, no OC with 4 GBs memory. This put it above the Intel Xeon X3360 2.83 Ghz and just below the AMD 555BE average test marks.Out of 220 highend CPUs in the test it ranks 47! Not bad at all for a sub $100 CPU! The AMD 555BE is a BEAST!

 

[walford]

Yes, you will get a higher score with a quad since the test output value is based on all four cores running concurrently. But this does not help if your application normally uses only core and maybe two concurently.

Having four bank tellers in a bank can handle four customers as fast as they can handle two but they can't handle two customers faster since 2 of them are always idle.

 

[ditch-digger]



Quote:
Originally Posted by walford /forum/post/18192815


Yes, you will get a higher score with a quad since the test output value is based on all four cores running concurrently. But this does not help if your application normally uses only core and maybe two concurently.

Having four bank tellers in a bank can handle four customers as fast as they can handle two but they can't handle two customers faster since 2 of them are always idle.

meh......more cores is awesome...bring on 6 cores asap....


you can argue cores all you want but when it comes down to it....you always want more. and call of duty 2 and gears of war ran faster when the other 2 cores were unlocked. thats good enough for me.

now lets not get into a core debate....

















(more core rule)

 

[walford]

Then obvisouly those games are multhreaded and can use more then 2 cores concurently. I am not a gamer so I have no incite into how games are coded.

 

[kevinqian]

x4 does have the drawback of higher wattages. So if you need always on, you should stick to 2 cores. Then again, getting the Phenom x2 will allow you to flip back and forth at will.