Author Topic: Processor specs choice (Read 389 times)

StarOfAfrica2 · « **on:** October 25, 2004, 06:04:48 PM »

Which is more important in a processor of the same level?

I'm ordering a new processor for my old system. I had to stay under a hundred bucks on this one and I have several choices. I was going with an Athlon XP 2600+ running at 1.9 Ghz and a 333 mhz bus speed. Its a Barton core and has the 512k L2 cache. Then I see XP 2600+ with a Thoroughbred core that runs at over 2 Ghz but only has a 256k L2 cache and has the slower 266 mhz bus speed..........

There are a few other choices too, but basically I need to find out if my assumptions are correct before I buy. Is the processor speed and bus speed more important than the 256k of L2 cache I'm missing out on? How much difference does that cache make? Or is that bigger cache worth losing some processor speed? Or bus speed? Or both?

So can someone rate the 3 things for me in order of importance? Bus speed, processor speed and cache size. Thanks.

Estes · « **Reply #1 on:** October 25, 2004, 07:10:42 PM »

I never liked the Thoroughbreds.

I would go with your first choice. The Athlon XP

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #2 on:** October 25, 2004, 07:18:02 PM »

Cache amount - how much data it can process before accessing the memory again.

Bus speed - how fast it transfers that data out and in. If you have 333Mhz RAM, go with the matching FSB speed.

Processing speed - I believe that CPU is only 200Mhz faster than the Barton core one.

However, the two prior benefits outweigh the minor speed difference. And there is potential to overclock it up to 2.4Ghz - if you have proper cooling and want to do it.
-SW

38ruk · « **Reply #3 on:** October 25, 2004, 07:20:53 PM »

What type of memory are you currently running ? 2100 or 2700? I would try and find a xp2500 barton, mine runs fine at xp3200+ speeds 11x200 . also i you might want to check and see if the motherboard you have will run a 166fsb or not 38

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 25, 2004, 07:29:29 PM »

Right now I have 512 MB of PC2700 RAM. Thats 333mhz. My current processor is an Athlon XP 1800+ (1.5 Ghz and 266 mhz bus speed). The game runs pretty good for me, I knocked my video settings ingame all the way up and its still playable. I do get a slight hesitation every so often when I dive down into a fight thats too close to the deck. It doesnt happen often and it's definitely liveable, but of course I want it to be better.

I had heard some bad things about the Thoroughbreds but for almost the same price as the Barton I could get my processor over 2 Ghz and still have the faster bus speed. The only thing I'd sacrifice is the larger L2 cache. When I say faster of course, we are only talking about .1 to .2 difference in speed.........which is still a couple hundred mhz........is 200 mhz of speed better or the larger L2 cache?

Then there's overclocking too, if I go that route.......

Is the Barton significantly more stable?

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2004, 07:35:55 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 38ruk
What type of memory are you currently running ? 2100 or 2700? I would try and find a xp2500 barton, mine runs fine at xp3200+ speeds 11x200 . also i you might want to check and see if the motherboard you have will run a 166fsb or not 38

~~The motherboard supports up to PC3200 RAM, says it supports up to a 400mhz FSB.~~

38ruk · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2004, 08:47:22 PM »

here's a good article .... my 2500 runs stable at 2300mhz but as far as stabilty vs an tbred core im not sure http://www.digital-daily.com/motherboard/amd-barton/index03.htm

DAVENRINO · « **Reply #7 on:** October 25, 2004, 09:46:42 PM »

Barton 2500 or 2600 gets my vote. If that 2700 RAM is of good quality, you may be able to bump the FSB up enough to reach at or near 3200+ speed. Even better if you you have an Nforce board, as the PCI and AGP bus speeds are locked.

FOGOLD · « **Reply #8 on:** October 26, 2004, 12:53:03 PM »

I'm impressed you can turn the quality all the way up. It kills my XP2000+/ 9800 Pro:(

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 26, 2004, 01:13:36 PM »

Thanks for the article link, that was good reading. I finally decided to go with the 1.9 Ghz XP 2600+ Barton with the 512k L2 cache. From what I've read so far the cache can make more of a difference in something like AH2 than a small difference in processor speed. Especially if its able to be overclocked later.

I dont know about the RAM quality, its Kingston valueram.......I've heard good stuff in reviews, but I've never seen a breakdown of performance vs other types. I know I've heard people talk about how good some of the other kinds are and how important having matched sticks of RAM is to stable overclocking, so I'll probably either wait on that or not even worry about it. This system is just going to be what gets my by for awhile until I can build a new Athlon 64 system. At least a year probably.

And yes I am using an Nforce board, when I upgraded the MOBO I had heard so many good things about them that I had to have one. It's been a dream, even though my old SIS board was pretty good for its time. For the new one I'll definitely stay Nforce and probably go PCI-X for the video. If it has the performance it promises to, AGP is dead.

Griego · « **Reply #10 on:** October 28, 2004, 03:11:38 PM »

I would go with the 2500+xp barton but only if it was the mobil chip.

I got the 2500+xp barton [not the mobil] and i couldn't get it to overclock passed 190fsb on single channel or 182fsb on dual channel memory with pc3200 , and the multipliers are lock on the one i got.

The 2500+xp barton mobil the multipliers are unlocked. make it easier to overclock.

My overclocking skills are poor at best.