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THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (24//Feb/2006)
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Spitfire_x86
Forum Resident
Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 7248
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
(Msg. 1) Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:44 pm
Post subject: THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (24//Feb/2006)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Spitfire_x86
Last Updated: 24 February, 2006
Copyright © 2004-2006 by Spitfire_x86
__________________________________________________
Contents:
1.0 FAQ
2.0 CPUs at a glance
2.1 Applications
3.0 Picking the right CPU
3.1 CPUs to avoid
3.2 Sempron PR
3.3 Recommended CPUs
3.4 Overclockers' picks
3.5 Few additional notes
4.0 Conclusion
____________________________________________
1.0 FAQ
Q) What does FAQ mean?
A) FAQ means "Frequently Asked Questions"
Q) Why have you decided to make this buyers' guide?
A) Many people ask about "which cpu to get" for their particular purpose. The goal of this buyers' guide is to make the choice easier for people who come to THGC.
Q) I smell "biased" opinions/recommendations to some particular brand
A) If you think this guide is biased to any particular brand, don't read it. I've tried my best to keep it as neutral as possible. If something is strongly not recommended, it's not because I like/hate some particular brand. Everything in this guide is fact and established true opinion, not my personal thoughts.
Q) I'm a "x" brand fanboy and I hate your buyers' guide!
A) The purpose of this guide is to help people. I don't care if Intelliots and AMDroids are satisfied or not.
Q) Why is this guide only about desktop CPUs?
A) At this moment, I'm keeping this guide limited to desktop CPUs. I may add laptop CPUs later.
Q) Will there be a server/workstation CPU section?
A) Most likely, no. Few people buy server/workstations, and their needs vary widely. So it's unnecessary to add server/workstation CPU section in this buyers' guide.
Q) I have comments/suggestions/flames about this buyers guide, how do I bring them to your attention?
A) Feel free to express your opinions. Your constructive opinions will help me make the guide better. Post your opinions in CPU forum or PM me.
2.0 CPUs at a glance
Here I'm going to list the features of the CPUs that are currently being manufactured and available for purchase.
2.0.1 Pentium 4 5x0 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4"E", P4 "J", P4 x.xxE GHz, P4 x.xxJ GHz, P4 5x0
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 3.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478, LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT
2.0.2 Pentium 4 5x1 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4 5x1
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 3.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478, LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT, EM64T
2.0.3 Pentium 4 6x0 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4 6x0
Clock speed: 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 3.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478, LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT
2.0.4 Pentium 4 5x6 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4 5x6 series
Clock speed: 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 533 MHz effective (133 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 2 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.5 Pentium 4 "A" (Prescott)
Also known as: P4"A", P4 x.xxA GHz
Clock speed: 2.4 GHz, 2.66 GHz 2.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 533 MHz effective (133 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
2.0.6 Pentium D 8x0 series(Smithfield) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium D 8x0
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.7 Pentium D 9x0 series (Presler) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium D 9x0
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.065µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.8 Pentium Extreme Edition (Smithfield) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium Extreme Edition 840, Pentium EE 840, Pentium XE 840
Clock speed: 3.2 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 Mhz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache (per core): 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT, EM64T
2.0.9 Pentium Extreme Edition (Presler) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium Extreme Edition 955, Pentium EE 955, Pentium XE 955
Clock speed: 3.46 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.065µ
FSB: 1066 Mhz effective (266 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache (per core): 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 2 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT, EM64T
2.0.10 Celeron D 3xx Series
Also known as: Celeron, Celeron D 3xx
Clock speed: 2.13 GHz, 2.26 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 2.53 GHz, 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz, 3.06 Ghz
Platform: Socket 478
Manufacturing process: 0.13µ
FSB: 400 MHz effective (100 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 128k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
2.0.11 Celeron D 3x1 Series, 3x6 series
Also known as: 64 bit Celeron, Celeron D 3x1, Celeron D 3x6
Clock speed: 2.53 GHz, 2.66 GHz, 2.80 GHz, 2.93 GHz, 3.06 GHz, 3.2 GHz
Platform: LGA775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 533 MHz effective (133 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 256k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.12 Athlon 64 FX (San Diego)
Also known as: A64 FX
Model name: FX55 (2.6 GHz), FX57 (2.8 Ghz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
2.0.13 Athlon 64 FX (Toledo) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: A64 FX
Model name: FX60 (2.6 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache (per core): 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
2.0.14 Athlon 64 X2 (Toledo) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 4400+ (2.2 GHz), 4800+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache (per core): 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64 (x86-64)
2.0.15 Athlon 64 X2 (Manchester) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: A64 X2
PR Rating: 3800+ (2.0 GHz), 4200+ (2.2 GHz), 4600+ (2.2 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.13µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache (per core): 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 512k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.0.16 Athlon 64 (San Diego)
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 3700+ (2.2 Ghz), 4000+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz MHz HT link, on-die DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.0.17 Athlon64 (Venice)
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 3000+ (1.8 GHz), 3200+ (2.0 GHz), 3500+ (2.2 GHz), 3800+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 512k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.0.18 Athlon64 (Newcastle)
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 3000+ (2.0 GHz), 3200+ (2.2 GHz), 3400+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 754
Manufacturing process: 0.13µ SOI
FSB: 800 MHz HT link, on-die DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 512k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
2.0.19 Sempron 64 (Palermo)
Also known as: Sempron, 64 bit Sempron, Socket 754 Sempron
PR Rating: 2500+ (2.4 GHz), 2600+ (1.6 GHz), 2800+ (1.6 GHz), 3000+ (1.8 GHz), 3100+ (1.8 GHz), 3300+ (2.0 GHz), 3400+ (2.0 GHz)
Platform: Socket 754
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 800 MHz HT link, on-die DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 128k or 256k L2 cache (128 for 2600+, 3000+, 3300+; 256k for 2500+, 2800+, 3100+, 3400+)
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.1 Applications
Not all applications require same amount of CPU power. Among current high end CPUs, there's no clear winner, because the performance level of the same processor varies depending on application type. Now I will try to divide apps in few categories.
2.1.1 Office apps. & Internet
Even the slowest processors of today are more than enough for word processing, spreadsheet calculation, slide shows, internet browsing and e-mail. If your need is just running office apps and internet use, then any of the CPUs available now is good enough. If you frequently backup good amount of data in compressed format (like RAR) then some extra cpu power will come handy.
2.1.2 Entertainment
If your entertainment needs are limited to Audio CD/MP3/DVD playback, then the slowest of current CPUs are able to meet your demand. If you also want to play DiVX/MPEG-4 video with full post-processing enabled and rip audio CDs occasionally, then some extra CPU power will be necessary. If you do a lot of video encoding, then spending extra money for a faster CPU will prove very useful.
2.1.3 Gaming
Though currently gaming is more limited by graphics card than CPU, it's still important to have a good CPU for gaming. More CPU power is necessary for multiplayer gaming. If wisely picked, a $50-$70 CPU can provide adequate gaming performance. But if you want to enjoy the best possible gaming experience, then a faster CPU is necessary along with a decent graphics card. Many gamers often backup their games in compressed format (RAR for example), so better data compression performance of a CPU is also useful to gamers.
2.1.4 Photoshop and other graphics editing apps.
For simple image editing needs of typical home PC user, the slowest of current CPU is enough. But if you are involved in serious image editing, then you'll need a fast CPU. P4s have been the best for this kind of apps, but recently Athlon 64s have caught up in this area.
2.1.5 Data Compression
Try to get the fastest CPU for these kind of apps. There's nothing "fast enough" in these apps. Faster is always better. Athlon 64s perform exceptionally well in popular data compression apps like WinRAR.
2.1.6 Professional level Audio/Video editing & encoding
Try to get the fastest CPU for these kind of apps. There's nothing called "fast enough" for these apps. Faster is always better. Since most of these apps are SMP optimized, dual cores are clearly better option than single core. Barring Pentium Pentium EE 955, AMD's dual core CPUs perform better than Intel's dual core CPUs. At single core level, P4s are faster, but Athlon 64s are comeptitive as well.
2.1.7 3D Rendering
The scenario is almost same for 3D rendering, so I'll refrain from repeating myself.
2.1.8 CAD
Same story again for CAD. Faster = Better. CAD prefers CPUs of high FPU performance. So Athlon 64s are excellent CPUs for CAD.
2.1.9 Development Workstation
For compiling small apps, a moderately fast CPU is more than enough. But if you often compile big programs, then a faster CPU will come handy. Athlon 64s are better suited for this purpose.
3.0 Picking the right CPU
Picking the right CPU is very important if you want get the best from your PC for your needs and spend money efficiently. If you buy your CPU wisely, then you can save some money and spend it on some other things to make your PC more feature rich. Before I recommend CPUs, I'm going to throw out some CPUs to make things simpler. These CPUs neither have any special advantage, nor good value for your money.
3.1 CPUs to avoid
3.1.1 [color]Pentium 4 (Prescott) "A"[/color] (described in 2.0.5)
There's hardly any reason to buy these CPUs unless you just want "Pentium" brand name. Sempron 64 and Celeron Ds offer very good performance at lower price and inexpensive Athlon 64s perform better but doesn't cost more.
3.1.2 Pentium Extreme Edition (described in 2.0.9)
Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is really an excellent performer, but not good enough by any means to justify its extreme price. Besides, it's not the overall fastest CPU anyway. That place belongs to Athlon 64 FX60. But it overclocks better than A64 FX processors. So it may attract some extreme overclockers who want to have the fastest possible system at any cost.
3.1.3 Athlon 64 FX series (described in 2.0.12 and 2.0.13)
Usually Athlon 64 FX CPUs have been the best in terms of performance, but also carried ridiculous price tag like Intel's Extreme Edition CPUs. While FX60 is the fastest dual core CPU and FX57 is the fastest single core CPU, it makes no sense to pay $1000 for a CPU, when you can get practically equal performance from 2 times cheaper CPUs.
3.2 Sempron PR
Sempron PR ratings are comparable with Celeron "D" GHz rating, not with P4 or Athlon64 PR rating. In case of Sempron (socket 462) vs. Athlon XP with equal PR, Athlon XP is faster due to higher clockspeed.
3.3 Recommended CPUs
3.3.1 Office PC/Basic home PC
Preferred CPU:- Cheapest Sempron 64
Midrange option:-Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice)
Comments:- All Sempron 64s are good enough for office/basic home PC. But upgradability is a concern, then an inexpensive socket 939 CPU like A64 3200+ (Venice) is a good choice.
3.3.1 Home PC + Gaming + Entertainment
Preferred CPU:- Athlon64 3700+ (San Diego) or faster
Value option:- Sempron 64, Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice)
Midrange option:- Athlon 64 3800+ (Venice), Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (Manchester)
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Toledo)
Comments:- Pick your CPU depending on which kind of application you use most. If gaming is basically the only CPU intensive work you do with your PC, then single core CPUs will be good enough. In that case A64 3800+ (Venice) will be a better option than dual core A64 X2.
3.3.2 Hardcore Gaming + heavy Audio/Video encoding
Preferred CPU:- Athlon64 X2 3800+ or faster
Value option:- Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice), Athlon 64 3700+ (San Diego)
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Toledo), Athlon 64 X2 4600+ (Manchester)
Comments:- Athlon 64 X2's excellent allround performance makes them ideal CPU for this type of users. However, lower clocked Pentium D 900 series CPUs are good alternative, when heat and system power consumption is not an issue.
3.3.3 Professional level Audio/video encoding, Photoshop, 3D rendering
Preferred CPU:- Pentium D 930, Athlon64 X2 3800+ or faster
Value option:- Sempron 64, Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice), Athlon 64 3700+ (San Diego), Pentium D 920
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4600+
Comments:- Pentium D perform very well in these apps. So if you are not bothered by heat and power issues, then competitively priced Pentium D 900 series CPUs can be a good alternative.
3.3.4 CAD and Development workstation
Preferred CPU:- Athlon 64 X2 3800+ or faster
Value option:- Sempron 64, Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice), Athlon 64 3700+ (San Diego)
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Comments: Athlons are the best CPU for these apps. Higher clocked A64s usually perform better than A64s with higher ammount of L2 cache, in these apps.
3.4 Overclockers' picks
3.4.1 Sempron 64
Low price and very good overclock potential makes this series a very attractive choice for overclockers.
3.4.2 Athlon64 (Venice)
These newer 90nm variant of Athlon64s overclock very well. Unlocked lower multipliers may prove useful for some overclockers. And you get 512k L2 cache, dual channel memory controller which are missing from Sempron
3.4.3 Athlon64 X2 (Manchester, Toledo)
For dual core overclocking, Manchester A64 X2 3800+ is the cheapest and best option if you want to get very high performance at minimal cost. But you get 1 MB L2 cache with Toledo core processors, which you can't have with Manchester core CPUs. And nowadays, Toledo A64 X2 4400+ price has dropped quite a lot to make it a viable option for cost conscious overclockers.
3.4.4 Dual-Core Opteron 100 series (Denmark)
Many overclockers have more faith in Opterons for extreme overclocking. And since they are closely priced to Toledo core A64 X2s, many may be tempted to go for "workstation class" with Opteron.
3.5 Few additional notes
3.5.1 AMD's Socket AM2 and upgrade dielma
Socket AM2 is the platform for AMD's upcoming DDR-II CPUs. Although AM2 is 940 pin socket, it's not pin compatible with existing socket 940 for Opterons. AMD is not supposed to release faster socket 939 CPUs in future, which makes Athlon 64 FX60 the fastest CPU for current socket 939 platform. AMD will release Socket AM2 CPUs in late 1H 2006 or early 3Q 2006. It may tempt many to hold off their CPU/Motherboard upgrade for a while. But there's nothing to lose if you buy a new socket 939 system today or upgrade your 2+ years old system to with current generation A64 CPU/motherboard. Current generation CPUs are fast enough and will remain solid performer compared to socket AM2 CPus for the next couple of years. So you aren't really losing if you upgrade right now, especially if you are someone who keeps their system for at least couple of years.
4.0 Conclusion
Thanks for reading this guide. Your valuable opinions are highly appreciated for improving the guide.
Comments & Discussion Thread: Post comments here
Last edited by Spitfire_x86 on Fri Feb 24, 2006 7:48 am; edited 2 times in total
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(9 votes)
dropadrop
stranger
Joined: Oct 21, 2003
Posts: 5
(Msg. 2) Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:19 am
Post subject: Re: THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (17/Feb/2006) [Login to view extended thread Info.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spitfire_x86 wrote:
by Spitfire_x86
2.1.6 Professional level Audio/Video editing & encoding
Try to get the fastest CPU for these kind of apps. There's nothing called "fast enough" for these apps. Faster is always better. Since most of these apps are SMP optimized, dual cores are clearly better option than single core. Barring Pentium Pentium EE 955, AMD's dual core CPUs perform better than Intel's dual core CPUs. At single core level, P4s are faster, but Athlon 64s are comeptitive as well.
Aparently by this you don't mean sequencing, running vst-instruments and efects with low latencies ect? Rather this seems to point towards offline editing like normalising an audio file or rendering the final project to an audio file?
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Spitfire_x86
Forum Resident
Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 7248
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
(Msg. 3) Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:02 am
Post subject: Re: THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (17/Feb/2006) [Login to view extended thread Info.]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, you got it right. Most benchmarks in the CPU reviews also point towards offline editing tasks.
BTW, everyone please post your comments/reactions in the discussion thread or in a seperate thread. It helps to keep the sticky clean and uncluttered.
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THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (24//Feb/2006)
Home -> Hardware -> CPUs
Author Message
Spitfire_x86
Forum Resident
Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 7248
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
(Msg. 1) Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:44 pm
Post subject: THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (24//Feb/2006)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
by Spitfire_x86
Last Updated: 24 February, 2006
Copyright © 2004-2006 by Spitfire_x86
__________________________________________________
Contents:
1.0 FAQ
2.0 CPUs at a glance
2.1 Applications
3.0 Picking the right CPU
3.1 CPUs to avoid
3.2 Sempron PR
3.3 Recommended CPUs
3.4 Overclockers' picks
3.5 Few additional notes
4.0 Conclusion
____________________________________________
1.0 FAQ
Q) What does FAQ mean?
A) FAQ means "Frequently Asked Questions"
Q) Why have you decided to make this buyers' guide?
A) Many people ask about "which cpu to get" for their particular purpose. The goal of this buyers' guide is to make the choice easier for people who come to THGC.
Q) I smell "biased" opinions/recommendations to some particular brand
A) If you think this guide is biased to any particular brand, don't read it. I've tried my best to keep it as neutral as possible. If something is strongly not recommended, it's not because I like/hate some particular brand. Everything in this guide is fact and established true opinion, not my personal thoughts.
Q) I'm a "x" brand fanboy and I hate your buyers' guide!
A) The purpose of this guide is to help people. I don't care if Intelliots and AMDroids are satisfied or not.
Q) Why is this guide only about desktop CPUs?
A) At this moment, I'm keeping this guide limited to desktop CPUs. I may add laptop CPUs later.
Q) Will there be a server/workstation CPU section?
A) Most likely, no. Few people buy server/workstations, and their needs vary widely. So it's unnecessary to add server/workstation CPU section in this buyers' guide.
Q) I have comments/suggestions/flames about this buyers guide, how do I bring them to your attention?
A) Feel free to express your opinions. Your constructive opinions will help me make the guide better. Post your opinions in CPU forum or PM me.
2.0 CPUs at a glance
Here I'm going to list the features of the CPUs that are currently being manufactured and available for purchase.
2.0.1 Pentium 4 5x0 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4"E", P4 "J", P4 x.xxE GHz, P4 x.xxJ GHz, P4 5x0
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 3.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478, LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT
2.0.2 Pentium 4 5x1 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4 5x1
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 3.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478, LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT, EM64T
2.0.3 Pentium 4 6x0 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4 6x0
Clock speed: 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz, 3.6 GHz, 3.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478, LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT
2.0.4 Pentium 4 5x6 Series (Prescott)
Also known as: P4 5x6 series
Clock speed: 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 533 MHz effective (133 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 2 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.5 Pentium 4 "A" (Prescott)
Also known as: P4"A", P4 x.xxA GHz
Clock speed: 2.4 GHz, 2.66 GHz 2.8 GHz
Platform: Socket 478
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 533 MHz effective (133 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
2.0.6 Pentium D 8x0 series(Smithfield) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium D 8x0
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.7 Pentium D 9x0 series (Presler) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium D 9x0
Clock speed: 2.8 GHz, 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, 3.4 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.065µ
FSB: 800 MHz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 16k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.8 Pentium Extreme Edition (Smithfield) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium Extreme Edition 840, Pentium EE 840, Pentium XE 840
Clock speed: 3.2 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 800 Mhz effective (200 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache (per core): 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT, EM64T
2.0.9 Pentium Extreme Edition (Presler) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: Pentium Extreme Edition 955, Pentium EE 955, Pentium XE 955
Clock speed: 3.46 GHz
Platform: LGA 775
Manufacturing process: 0.065µ
FSB: 1066 Mhz effective (266 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache (per core): 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 2 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, HT, EM64T
2.0.10 Celeron D 3xx Series
Also known as: Celeron, Celeron D 3xx
Clock speed: 2.13 GHz, 2.26 GHz, 2.4 GHz, 2.53 GHz, 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz, 3.06 Ghz
Platform: Socket 478
Manufacturing process: 0.13µ
FSB: 400 MHz effective (100 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 128k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3
2.0.11 Celeron D 3x1 Series, 3x6 series
Also known as: 64 bit Celeron, Celeron D 3x1, Celeron D 3x6
Clock speed: 2.53 GHz, 2.66 GHz, 2.80 GHz, 2.93 GHz, 3.06 GHz, 3.2 GHz
Platform: LGA775
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ
FSB: 533 MHz effective (133 MHz Quad-Pumped)
Cache: 12µops L1 instruction cache, 8k L1 data cache, 256k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, EM64T
2.0.12 Athlon 64 FX (San Diego)
Also known as: A64 FX
Model name: FX55 (2.6 GHz), FX57 (2.8 Ghz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
2.0.13 Athlon 64 FX (Toledo) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: A64 FX
Model name: FX60 (2.6 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache (per core): 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
2.0.14 Athlon 64 X2 (Toledo) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 4400+ (2.2 GHz), 4800+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache (per core): 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64 (x86-64)
2.0.15 Athlon 64 X2 (Manchester) [DUAL CORE]
Also known as: A64 X2
PR Rating: 3800+ (2.0 GHz), 4200+ (2.2 GHz), 4600+ (2.2 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.13µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache (per core): 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 512k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.0.16 Athlon 64 (San Diego)
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 3700+ (2.2 Ghz), 4000+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz MHz HT link, on-die DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 1 MB L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.0.17 Athlon64 (Venice)
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 3000+ (1.8 GHz), 3200+ (2.0 GHz), 3500+ (2.2 GHz), 3800+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 939
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 1 GHz HT link, on-die dual channel DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 512k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.0.18 Athlon64 (Newcastle)
Also known as: A64
PR Rating: 3000+ (2.0 GHz), 3200+ (2.2 GHz), 3400+ (2.4 GHz)
Platform: Socket 754
Manufacturing process: 0.13µ SOI
FSB: 800 MHz HT link, on-die DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 512k L2 cache
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, AMD64
2.0.19 Sempron 64 (Palermo)
Also known as: Sempron, 64 bit Sempron, Socket 754 Sempron
PR Rating: 2500+ (2.4 GHz), 2600+ (1.6 GHz), 2800+ (1.6 GHz), 3000+ (1.8 GHz), 3100+ (1.8 GHz), 3300+ (2.0 GHz), 3400+ (2.0 GHz)
Platform: Socket 754
Manufacturing process: 0.09µ SOI
FSB: 800 MHz HT link, on-die DDR400 memory controller
Cache: 64k L1 instruction cache, 64k L1 data cache, 128k or 256k L2 cache (128 for 2600+, 3000+, 3300+; 256k for 2500+, 2800+, 3100+, 3400+)
CPU Extensions: MMX, 3D Now!, 3D Now! Extension, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, AMD64
2.1 Applications
Not all applications require same amount of CPU power. Among current high end CPUs, there's no clear winner, because the performance level of the same processor varies depending on application type. Now I will try to divide apps in few categories.
2.1.1 Office apps. & Internet
Even the slowest processors of today are more than enough for word processing, spreadsheet calculation, slide shows, internet browsing and e-mail. If your need is just running office apps and internet use, then any of the CPUs available now is good enough. If you frequently backup good amount of data in compressed format (like RAR) then some extra cpu power will come handy.
2.1.2 Entertainment
If your entertainment needs are limited to Audio CD/MP3/DVD playback, then the slowest of current CPUs are able to meet your demand. If you also want to play DiVX/MPEG-4 video with full post-processing enabled and rip audio CDs occasionally, then some extra CPU power will be necessary. If you do a lot of video encoding, then spending extra money for a faster CPU will prove very useful.
2.1.3 Gaming
Though currently gaming is more limited by graphics card than CPU, it's still important to have a good CPU for gaming. More CPU power is necessary for multiplayer gaming. If wisely picked, a $50-$70 CPU can provide adequate gaming performance. But if you want to enjoy the best possible gaming experience, then a faster CPU is necessary along with a decent graphics card. Many gamers often backup their games in compressed format (RAR for example), so better data compression performance of a CPU is also useful to gamers.
2.1.4 Photoshop and other graphics editing apps.
For simple image editing needs of typical home PC user, the slowest of current CPU is enough. But if you are involved in serious image editing, then you'll need a fast CPU. P4s have been the best for this kind of apps, but recently Athlon 64s have caught up in this area.
2.1.5 Data Compression
Try to get the fastest CPU for these kind of apps. There's nothing "fast enough" in these apps. Faster is always better. Athlon 64s perform exceptionally well in popular data compression apps like WinRAR.
2.1.6 Professional level Audio/Video editing & encoding
Try to get the fastest CPU for these kind of apps. There's nothing called "fast enough" for these apps. Faster is always better. Since most of these apps are SMP optimized, dual cores are clearly better option than single core. Barring Pentium Pentium EE 955, AMD's dual core CPUs perform better than Intel's dual core CPUs. At single core level, P4s are faster, but Athlon 64s are comeptitive as well.
2.1.7 3D Rendering
The scenario is almost same for 3D rendering, so I'll refrain from repeating myself.
2.1.8 CAD
Same story again for CAD. Faster = Better. CAD prefers CPUs of high FPU performance. So Athlon 64s are excellent CPUs for CAD.
2.1.9 Development Workstation
For compiling small apps, a moderately fast CPU is more than enough. But if you often compile big programs, then a faster CPU will come handy. Athlon 64s are better suited for this purpose.
3.0 Picking the right CPU
Picking the right CPU is very important if you want get the best from your PC for your needs and spend money efficiently. If you buy your CPU wisely, then you can save some money and spend it on some other things to make your PC more feature rich. Before I recommend CPUs, I'm going to throw out some CPUs to make things simpler. These CPUs neither have any special advantage, nor good value for your money.
3.1 CPUs to avoid
3.1.1 [color]Pentium 4 (Prescott) "A"[/color] (described in 2.0.5)
There's hardly any reason to buy these CPUs unless you just want "Pentium" brand name. Sempron 64 and Celeron Ds offer very good performance at lower price and inexpensive Athlon 64s perform better but doesn't cost more.
3.1.2 Pentium Extreme Edition (described in 2.0.9)
Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is really an excellent performer, but not good enough by any means to justify its extreme price. Besides, it's not the overall fastest CPU anyway. That place belongs to Athlon 64 FX60. But it overclocks better than A64 FX processors. So it may attract some extreme overclockers who want to have the fastest possible system at any cost.
3.1.3 Athlon 64 FX series (described in 2.0.12 and 2.0.13)
Usually Athlon 64 FX CPUs have been the best in terms of performance, but also carried ridiculous price tag like Intel's Extreme Edition CPUs. While FX60 is the fastest dual core CPU and FX57 is the fastest single core CPU, it makes no sense to pay $1000 for a CPU, when you can get practically equal performance from 2 times cheaper CPUs.
3.2 Sempron PR
Sempron PR ratings are comparable with Celeron "D" GHz rating, not with P4 or Athlon64 PR rating. In case of Sempron (socket 462) vs. Athlon XP with equal PR, Athlon XP is faster due to higher clockspeed.
3.3 Recommended CPUs
3.3.1 Office PC/Basic home PC
Preferred CPU:- Cheapest Sempron 64
Midrange option:-Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice)
Comments:- All Sempron 64s are good enough for office/basic home PC. But upgradability is a concern, then an inexpensive socket 939 CPU like A64 3200+ (Venice) is a good choice.
3.3.1 Home PC + Gaming + Entertainment
Preferred CPU:- Athlon64 3700+ (San Diego) or faster
Value option:- Sempron 64, Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice)
Midrange option:- Athlon 64 3800+ (Venice), Athlon 64 X2 3800+ (Manchester)
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Toledo)
Comments:- Pick your CPU depending on which kind of application you use most. If gaming is basically the only CPU intensive work you do with your PC, then single core CPUs will be good enough. In that case A64 3800+ (Venice) will be a better option than dual core A64 X2.
3.3.2 Hardcore Gaming + heavy Audio/Video encoding
Preferred CPU:- Athlon64 X2 3800+ or faster
Value option:- Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice), Athlon 64 3700+ (San Diego)
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (Toledo), Athlon 64 X2 4600+ (Manchester)
Comments:- Athlon 64 X2's excellent allround performance makes them ideal CPU for this type of users. However, lower clocked Pentium D 900 series CPUs are good alternative, when heat and system power consumption is not an issue.
3.3.3 Professional level Audio/video encoding, Photoshop, 3D rendering
Preferred CPU:- Pentium D 930, Athlon64 X2 3800+ or faster
Value option:- Sempron 64, Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice), Athlon 64 3700+ (San Diego), Pentium D 920
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4600+
Comments:- Pentium D perform very well in these apps. So if you are not bothered by heat and power issues, then competitively priced Pentium D 900 series CPUs can be a good alternative.
3.3.4 CAD and Development workstation
Preferred CPU:- Athlon 64 X2 3800+ or faster
Value option:- Sempron 64, Athlon 64 3200+ (Venice), Athlon 64 3700+ (San Diego)
High End option:- Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Comments: Athlons are the best CPU for these apps. Higher clocked A64s usually perform better than A64s with higher ammount of L2 cache, in these apps.
3.4 Overclockers' picks
3.4.1 Sempron 64
Low price and very good overclock potential makes this series a very attractive choice for overclockers.
3.4.2 Athlon64 (Venice)
These newer 90nm variant of Athlon64s overclock very well. Unlocked lower multipliers may prove useful for some overclockers. And you get 512k L2 cache, dual channel memory controller which are missing from Sempron
3.4.3 Athlon64 X2 (Manchester, Toledo)
For dual core overclocking, Manchester A64 X2 3800+ is the cheapest and best option if you want to get very high performance at minimal cost. But you get 1 MB L2 cache with Toledo core processors, which you can't have with Manchester core CPUs. And nowadays, Toledo A64 X2 4400+ price has dropped quite a lot to make it a viable option for cost conscious overclockers.
3.4.4 Dual-Core Opteron 100 series (Denmark)
Many overclockers have more faith in Opterons for extreme overclocking. And since they are closely priced to Toledo core A64 X2s, many may be tempted to go for "workstation class" with Opteron.
3.5 Few additional notes
3.5.1 AMD's Socket AM2 and upgrade dielma
Socket AM2 is the platform for AMD's upcoming DDR-II CPUs. Although AM2 is 940 pin socket, it's not pin compatible with existing socket 940 for Opterons. AMD is not supposed to release faster socket 939 CPUs in future, which makes Athlon 64 FX60 the fastest CPU for current socket 939 platform. AMD will release Socket AM2 CPUs in late 1H 2006 or early 3Q 2006. It may tempt many to hold off their CPU/Motherboard upgrade for a while. But there's nothing to lose if you buy a new socket 939 system today or upgrade your 2+ years old system to with current generation A64 CPU/motherboard. Current generation CPUs are fast enough and will remain solid performer compared to socket AM2 CPus for the next couple of years. So you aren't really losing if you upgrade right now, especially if you are someone who keeps their system for at least couple of years.
4.0 Conclusion
Thanks for reading this guide. Your valuable opinions are highly appreciated for improving the guide.
Comments & Discussion Thread: Post comments here
Last edited by Spitfire_x86 on Fri Feb 24, 2006 7:48 am; edited 2 times in total
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(9 votes)
dropadrop
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Joined: Oct 21, 2003
Posts: 5
(Msg. 2) Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2006 6:19 am
Post subject: Re: THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (17/Feb/2006) [Login to view extended thread Info.]
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Spitfire_x86 wrote:
by Spitfire_x86
2.1.6 Professional level Audio/Video editing & encoding
Try to get the fastest CPU for these kind of apps. There's nothing called "fast enough" for these apps. Faster is always better. Since most of these apps are SMP optimized, dual cores are clearly better option than single core. Barring Pentium Pentium EE 955, AMD's dual core CPUs perform better than Intel's dual core CPUs. At single core level, P4s are faster, but Athlon 64s are comeptitive as well.
Aparently by this you don't mean sequencing, running vst-instruments and efects with low latencies ect? Rather this seems to point towards offline editing like normalising an audio file or rendering the final project to an audio file?
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Spitfire_x86
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Joined: Jun 26, 2002
Posts: 7248
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh
(Msg. 3) Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2006 8:02 am
Post subject: Re: THGC CPU Buyers' Guide (17/Feb/2006) [Login to view extended thread Info.]
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Yes, you got it right. Most benchmarks in the CPU reviews also point towards offline editing tasks.
BTW, everyone please post your comments/reactions in the discussion thread or in a seperate thread. It helps to keep the sticky clean and uncluttered.
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