Best Value Core2 processor mobo combo?

D

Ducay

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 24, 2004
Messages
336
Hey all,


Basically Im an AMD boy whose been away from the computer scene for a bit now. My once top-end rig is now mediocre (at best) and its time to upgrade.

Being the university student I am, I need to get the best value I can. The rest of the components are easy, Im just unfamiliar with whats great in the land of Intel right now (In my budget, which is, Id say ~300?)
Im looking for a Core2Duo or Quad (doubtful in my range), and a mobo.
 
The cheapest quad your gonna get is the Q6600 and thats gonna eat up half your budget right there. Are you trying to build a new computer with a $300 budget? If so, you can forget about a quad unless you can find a screaming deal here at the Trade section. You also need to determine if a Quad is really useful to you.

Quads are good for:

1. Lots of mulitasking
2. Media video and audio encoding
3. Photoshop and Premiere work loads
4. CAD software and the likes
5. Some newer games

Quads are not good for:

1. Most current gen games. Most prefer higher clocked CPU's vs multi cores
2. Run programs slower that are not designed for multicore use due to the speed hit

Duals are basically the vice versa from above and you have more selection and better price/peformance ratio
 
Like I said, Quad core is probably out of the question in terms of budget.

If possible, Id like to do CPU and Mobo for $200
 
Ducay said:
Like I said, Quad core is probably out of the question in terms of budget.

If possible, Id like to do CPU and Mobo for $200
Click to expand...

We talking ATX or mATX form factor here? What features do you NEED on the mobo? Do you already have decent DDR2 memory lying around?
 
Thanks guys, thats exactly what I was looking for

So the E7300 is the best in my range I take it?

And what about the GB GA-EP43 vs. the Asus P5Q SE ?
 
Ducay said:
Thanks guys, thats exactly what I was looking for

So the E7300 is the best in my range I take it?

And what about the GB GA-EP43 vs. the Asus P5Q SE ?
Click to expand...

The E7300 is the ONLY CPU in your price range that performs well. After that it jumps to $160+ for the next models.

I prefer ASUS myself but I know other peeps like their gigabytes.
 
Ducay said:
Thanks guys, thats exactly what I was looking for

So the E7300 is the best in my range I take it?

And what about the GB GA-EP43 vs. the Asus P5Q SE ?
Click to expand...

The EP43-DS3L has a better placement of the 24Pin connector than the P5Q SE. The P5Q SE has the 24Pin connector right smack in the middle of the mobo. That impedes airflow to the HSF and is horrible for cable management. For that reason alone, I do not recommend the P5Q SE.

The E7300 is just one of the best in your $300 range. You can still get either the E8400 or Q6600 depending on what motherboard you have. Go with the E7300 if you want to save cash.

EDIT: Ohh you want it to be $200. Oh then yes, the E7300 is the best in your budget range.
 
Freezebyte said:
He changed it to $200
Click to expand...

I know, but he said it once, so he's willing, just not so willing. But since he mentioned it, I'm trying to push him towards it, lol. He wasn't sure it could be done with $300, and Danny's showed him that it very well could be done for such a low budget. ;)

Basically, I'm saying he shouldn't rule out a quad simply because of the price. His reasons for ruling out the quad should be that he doesnt do any of the things you listed in your list of reasons to get a quad. If he can afford one, and needs one, he should get it.
 
Thanks for the info in this thread... I too am looking at a budget build for my son.

I have a X1950XTX card for him and need a PCI-E system to upgrade him from a old NF2 AGP system.

This E7300 looks like a pefect fit..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top