Pick which CPU you think I should get

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XxAdioxX

New Member
I think I've narrowed down my CPU options to these couple. This is for a gaming system that I want to build as cheap as possible. I was told to get and AMD AM2 Socket, so thats mostly what I looked at.

939 socket ($56)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103023

AM2 Socket ($65)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103639

AM2 Socket ($45)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819104301&ATT=19-104-301&CMP=OTC-pr1c3watch

The $45 and $65 AM2's seemed close, except the more expensive one had 512 MB cache over 128. The 939 socket seemed better overall, but I was told AM2 is better. But I don't know anything, I'm just going by what I was told.

Or if you have a suggestion of a CPU that you know of that is better than these and around $50, let me know.

Thanks.
 
I would take the Athlon 64 3000+ over the 2800+ Sempron anyday. Don't get a Socket 939 processor, because they aren't being made anymore and the technologies used for it are old.
 
Don't get 939 if you plan to upgrade anytime soon...

A Sempron is a fine processor. I'm using one right now in my laptop. However, if you can afford it, you might as well get an Athlon. For around $50, you probably won't get too much better than an Athlon 64.
 
I plan on playing games like Counter Strike: Source online and maybe some others similar to that. I don't need to play the newest games all maxed out, but I don't want to be disappointed either. I don't really plan on upgrading and updating later on down the road, I just want to be able to play some of ther newer games right now.
 
Dual core wont be much worth it for gaming unless the games you play have dual core patches (most games dont). Games, at least pretty much all of them, are made to run as one thread, this eliminates needing the 2nd core, or being able to even use it. However the second core would still be doing various other things. Dual core is really meant more for one who does alot of multitasking. Like if you were playing a game, surfing the net, and working in photoshop all at once a dual core would perform MUCH better then a single core givin about 2gb of Dual Channel ram.

Go with the middle one. If you can help it, dont get a Sempron. Also AM2 would be best, 939 is pretty much dead now.
 
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Buying a dual core processor will greatly increase how long you are going to be able to keep that processor before you need to upgrade again.
 
I don't really plan on upgrading or anything in the future. I just want a system that will play most of todays games, and then by the time I need to upgrade it I will be out of gaming.
 
XxAdioxX said:
I don't really plan on upgrading or anything in the future. I just want a system that will play most of todays games, and then by the time I need to upgrade it I will be out of gaming.
Click to expand...

Then I would suggest at least a dual core. single cores will more than likely be obsolete by the end of the year, if not, soon after. Also, I don't know how old you are but, I'm 26 years old I haven't really gamed since I was 19 and now I trying to get back into it(not hardcore), so you really never know how things are going to turn out.
 
Get a higher speed single core, and game with it. If you want to upgrade in the future, sell that rig and get another one.
 
21 here, done with college in a year. Thats why I'll get out of it. After college I'm sure I'll still play games, but probably not a lot. And if I still am into gaming, then I'll have a job then and I can put together a good system. :)

For now I just want to play some games, but I really have no money and shouldn't even be building a computer. But oh well, young and stupid right?
 
My 2 cents here... I run a 3800+ in my gaming rig and it's a 939. It's pretty good for what it is, I really can't complain about it especially for what I paid for it. If your future plans involve the same motherboard you might want to think about AM2. The decision to go dual core now or later should depend on how long you plan to run this current set up. Like said earlier in this post most games now are single threaded and wont benefit from a dual core processor. Games are heading in that direction though and a year or so from now most games probably will be multi-threaded to take advantage of the new CPU technology. Another advantage of a dual core even when running single threaded applications is that your background tasks will run on one core while your game will run uninterrupted by antivirus and updates and such on the other. With that said even today's multi-threaded games will run on a single core and you can buy a top shelf single core for what you'd pay for a dual core. I have a rig with both and I keep the better graphics card in the single core rig.
 
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