Advice regarding a new Processor?

Question

I recently had a potential hardware failure and am bracing myself for the possibility of buying an entire new computer. I am a gamer that would utilize heavy processing power.

What would better suit my needs (RAM would be same):
a) P4 with HT 641 - 3.20GHz - 2MB cache - video Shared
b) Pentium D 935 - 3.20GHz - 2 x 2MB - video Shared
c) some AMD model, a few years ago they used to perform better than the equivalant Pentium processor. Not sure it's the same today.

Are e-Machines still to be avoided today? any other factors I should consider?

Please try to explain your reasoning, I want to logically understand why your choice would be best.

I should have specified I'm not a hard-core "selling-my-soul-for-hardware" gamer. But the games I have played do require some processing power =)

i only game 5-10 hours a week, unless work gets out of hand.

Answer 1

First off, Intel's new Core 2 Duo processors are the best CPUs on the market, so let's consider them as option #4. They are slightly more expensive than the others, so while offering the best performance, you'll have to weigh that against the cost.

The next-best option is AMD's Athlon X2 series of dual-core processors. These chips outperform anything except the Core 2 Duos. Pentium-D isn't a good buy. While it's better for doing multiple things at once than a single core chip, the C2D and X2 outperform it by wide margins, so if you need dual-core get a newer chip. You'll be much happier having spent $30 more or so, and having a noticeably faster processor.

In the single core arena, the AMD's regular Athlon is top dog. It's faster than the Pentium-4, which is discontinued. These chips are fine for building a basic computer for e-mail, web browsing, word processing etc. However, if you're doing multiple tasks simultaneously (like compiling a program or decoding a DVD while working in a photo editor) that's where a dual-core chip- even the weak Pentium-D, shines.

Now some general notes- for gaming, the most important component in your computer is the video card- even more important than the CPU!! As a gamer, I'm sure you already know about the evils of onboard shared video. But far too many people get new computers and splurge on the processor, RAM, hard drive etc- then throw a cheap video card in as an afterthought and wonder why their framerates suck in Half-Life 2. If your video card can't keep up with your processor, getting an even faster CPU doesn't do a thing to change that.

So don't build a great system and then cripple it with a weak graphics card. Make something like a GeForce 7600GT or Radeon X1650 your minimum choice. You don't have to spend $300 for a GeForce 8800 series, but don't throw away money on a $50 card, either. The performance difference between a $200 and $250 CPU is small, the difference between a $50 and $100 video card is huge.

See the link below for Tom's Hardware's latest picks of best graphics cards.

Finally, I'd still avoid eMachines. While they aren't as horrible as they were a few years ago, many of their components can't be easily upgraded, and aren't of very high quality.

Answer 2

ur a gamer and ur looking @ an emachines ?

anyways get a nice desktop with and intel core 2 duo 2 gb. of ram, a dx10 card, such as then nvida 8600, or the 8800, and vista

if u r truly a gamer the graphics card is just as important as the processor u put into it.

Answer 3

I would highly recommend getting an Intel Core 2 Duo, it's twice as fast as a single core. The only bad thing is that the Core 2 Duo costs more than a single core.

Answer 4

Best processors are currently Core 2 Duo. Shared Video – if you mean on motherboard graphics using shared memory – they are not very good for games.

Answer 5

hi. you do no longer point out what ability supply you will use. this is a sturdy place to spend your funds because of the fact a foul PSU will reason a foul laptop. The motherboard is going in first, the CPU is going into the socket 2nd (with a gentle coating of Arctic Silver), the heatsink and fan circulate onto the chip, then connect the wiring on your motherboard, drives followers, etc. After this is done put in the GPU and the different enjoying cards you prefer. they frequently do no longer want any wiring.

Answer 6

Get a dual core extreme with a 512 MB video card

Answer 7

eMachines will always be a brand to avoid. I'm a gamer, but I use a Mac. I would recommend taking a look at a Mac Pro, if you have the money. Awesome machine.