CPU rating and fucntion

[Vagabond]

Ok, looking at getting a new computer and I am a little confused I do realize that Ghz is not the end all be all to CPUs but I currently have an Athlon 3000 Barton which i read runs at round 2.1 Ghz and it has a 400 FSB. How much more of an improvement would say buying a new CPU for ~$200 say the AMD Phenom 8600B 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Triple-Core.

I understand I will need a new mobo and such so direct comparison is tough but is it really worth it or could I get as big a benefit and save money but upgrading my vid card and RAM??

Txs

[RicheemxX]

Its really hard to give side by side comparisons from older cpus to newer ones. Heck its hard sometimes to give side by side comparisons with newer cpus.

"Is it worth it", that really depends on what you are using the computer for. If all you do is surf the web, listen to music and do some word processing and not much else then no you really won't see much difference. But if you do a ton of multitasking, gaming or anything that is going to be cpu intensive then yes its definitely worth the upgrade.

[#43 fan]

I recently upgraded my computer from about what yours was, and I am quite happy with it (minus the ATI drivers, but that was due to ATI releasing the 4850 before it was truly driver ready, at least from what I've heard).
In gaming, the new CPU has helped, and my graphics are now spectacular, with the games that work properly, which are the newest ones.

[EXreaction]

If you are going to spend $200 on a cpu, get the Q6600.

It really isn't possible to compare them accurately. I don't know of any site that has.

[Fizur2002]

Originally Posted by Vagabond

Ok, looking at getting a new computer and I am a little confused I do realize that Ghz is not the end all be all to CPUs but I currently have an Athlon 3000 Barton which i read runs at round 2.1 Ghz and it has a 400 FSB. How much more of an improvement would say buying a new CPU for ~$200 say the AMD Phenom 8600B 2.3GHz Socket AM2+ 95W Triple-Core.

I understand I will need a new mobo and such so direct comparison is tough but is it really worth it or could I get as big a benefit and save money but upgrading my vid card and RAM??

Txs

AMD no longer uses FSB, its HT and its 5x the bandwidth you currently have now, and as far as triple core, you will multitask much easier and even though the speed might not be much different in terms of Mhz, it is vastly faster in terms of being productive. Id say you are the perfect example of someone who is really ready to make a full upgrade.

[#43 fan]

Originally Posted by EXreaction

If you are going to spend $200 on a cpu, get the Q6600.

It really isn't possible to compare them accurately. I don't know of any site that has.

I agree if you're going to spend $200 on a CPU, the Q6600 is the best bang for the buck.
Assuming you multitask. Or software becomes multi-threaded anytime soon.

[Vagabond]

Thanks everyone. good information and things to think about.

as for me being a perfect example of someone ready for a full upgrade I think i agree with you.

current puter is win2kpro,
500 RAM PC-3200
ATI Radeon 9600 126 video
soyo KT600+ dragon mobo
and a 400 watt PSU.

I would like to get/ build a computer to play games (basically HL2 - current does not like episode 2 – in fact have not played it yet) and well if I do go full upgrade and over all I could see me wanting to do some video editing. new DVD camcorder and 2 young kids. and of course surf the net and word stuff.

Another thing I a sort of struggling with is the operating system everyone seems to talk down on Vista so I was leaning towards XP pro. But is that on the way out?

thanks again everyone

[EXreaction]

Vista Home Premium x64 is what you want. XP sucks and once you get a decent computer Vista is usually faster than XP.

Also, I'd wait a couple of months if you can. Intel is releasing an entire new line up, Nehalem (will be named i7). It probably will be on the expensive side to start (mostly because it uses Triple Channel DDR3), but it should make current prices drop significantly.
AnandTech: The Nehalem Preview: Intel Does It Again

[nemowolf]

Originally Posted by EXreaction

Vista Home Premium x64 is what you want. XP sucks and once you get a decent computer Vista is usually faster than XP.

Also, I'd wait a couple of months if you can. Intel is releasing an entire new line up, Nehalem (will be named i7). It probably will be on the expensive side to start (mostly because it uses Triple Channel DDR3), but it should make current prices drop significantly.
AnandTech: The Nehalem Preview: Intel Does It Again

That is a GREAT article.

[EXreaction]

It is quite outdated though. Intel just had a press conference a while ago about Nehalem. I am jot sure when the plans for releasing it are exactly however.