CPU upgrade for games?

diroga

diroga

New Member
I have an Abit AN8 mobo and currently running an AMD Athlon 64 3000+. I looked up the mobo info on Abit's site and it looks like I can get an X2 CPU. The major problem is my mobo is socket 939, not AM2. I have checked zip zoom fly, newegg, and tiger direct; They do not carry any X2's in socket 939. Is there some place else I can get a new CPU? I could ebay/craigslist for the CPU but I don't trust used CPU's unless they are new. If I did get a new CPU w/o a heatsink and fan, could I use the heatsink and fan from my current 3000+ CPU?

mobo site
http://www.abit.com.tw/page/en/motherboard/motherboard_detail.php?fMTYPE=Socket 939&pMODEL_NAME=AN8

Athlon X2 cpu chart
http://www.abit.com.tw/cpu-support-list/amd/amd-athlonX2-t.htm

All CPU chart
http://www.abit.com.tw/cpu-support-list/mb/nv_nforce4_an8_series.htm

I have BIOS update 21 so I can run the CPU, I think. The mobo uses DDR400 so I know I have a limited preformance there. I currently have 2x 512MB DDR400.

I would like to beable to play the following games with good settings. HL2 w/ eps, CS:s, orange box, BioSock, and Left 4 Dead. I will be getting a Gefore 9600 or 9800 soon. I was thinking about getting two 1GB sticks.

For the new video card, CPU, and RAM will csot probably $200. I know I could get a new system, but I have a brand new dual core laptop that I use nearly all the time. The desktop would be for playing those games and some 3D aninmation.
 
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Your problem is the 939 processors have been discontinued. As far as your heatsink, if you found a upper end X2 or like a FX 60 I would not use a heatsink that was made for a single core 64 3000.
 
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Well when I made that post Free Shipping wasn't there and when I added to cart it charged me shipping. ^-^
 
HL2, Orange Box & CS:S will all be fine with your current CPU, a friend of mine can max out all of his games on a 8600GT w/s939 Athlon 64 (forgot the exact model but I believe it was 3000+ too, clocked at 2.4GHz). As for Bioschock and L4D I wiki'd them for specs, L4D is rated minimum at 3GHz single-core (99.99% certainly NetBurst) and Bioschock's minimum is 2.4GHz P4, knowing Athlons' superior clock-for-clock performance when compared to Pentium4/D your current CPU will do for now, games are more GPU- bound...

I've gamed on a Sempron (w/ 2.5GBs of DDR-400), old DDR1 RAM has much lower latencies when compared to DDR2 so the speed in itself won't hurt the performance all that much, especially if you have all your RAM in dual-channel, as long as you have enough of it. Get 2 1GB sticks (or even 2 512MB sticks would do), and a GOOD graphics card, I'd get 9800GT over 9600GT if possible... one thing that totally held me back was my 8500GT, man if I only just had a better GPU even my Sempron woulda done for some SERIOUS gaming. Your CPU will be a fine holdover until you can afford a new CPU+RAM+MOBO kit; unless you can find a reasonably priced 939 X2, of course (no point spending any money on another single-core), but I'd just save up for a better build.
 
thanks for the game info hackapelite.

I know for $200 I can get a quad core CPU. I really doubt I need much horse power tho. I could see how well my system handles those games with the new video card before buying the 2GB DDR 400 and a new CPU. I have my eye on some X2 939's on ebay that look good. So I figure that if I can get a new CPU for $50 thats a good deal. If the new video card + the RAM + CPU the system will be good for another 2 years. At that point the system will be 5 years old and I will definately get a new system after then.
 
2048Megabytes said:
If you wanted to upgrade your motherboard, processor and RAM it shouldn't be that expensive. Take a look:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Brisbane 2.6GHz - $52
GIGABYTE GA-MA74GM-S2 motherboard- $50
SUPER TALENT 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 667 - $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820609284

Total $122 (not including shipping costs).
Click to expand...

Yea, I'd recommend at least doing that. DDR is kind of dead, DDR2 is much better and is so dirt cheap right now. A 939 socket isn't going to last you two years, but AM2/AM2+ might (not sure if that board supports 125w AM2+ Denebs...probably not).

In fact, if you wait a bit longer, I can sell you my 6000+ and 4gb DDR-667 RAM after I get my Deneb. :D I'd probably part with those two for $60 shipped.
 
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