X2 4200+ or Core 2 Duo ....

[harrytewkesbury]

Sorry, yet another "which one!" thread. For a fair amount of time now i have been thinking up a rig to build and although many components have changed in my mind, i have always thought that the 4200+ X2 is perfect for my budget. However, i have recently put a bit of thought in to Intel CPUs... Would a core 2 duo be viable instead? I suppose i better clarify.

For a similar price to the 4200+X2, i can pick up a Pentium D 935. For 20% more i can get a core 2 duo e4300 which i understand is good for over clocking... but lets assume I'm not gonna OC it. Any thoughts? How much more than a 4200+ X2 is an E4300 worth?

 

[maroon1]

E4300 performs the same or slightly faster than 4200+

Intel is going to drop the prices in April 22. So, it is better to wait

If you want to buy a CPU now then get 4200+

 

[harrytewkesbury]

Just what i needed to hear. Thanks.

 

[Nick]

i would personally get an AMD

 

[hmammen]

I reccomend an X2 4200, only from personal experience. I have never used a C2D and have only heard the hype about them. I just like AMD because of their easy overclockability, stability, and reliability.

 

[apdrummer]

Benchmarks tell all. Just check out this:
CPU Charts | Tom's Hardware
You can also select any other processor or benchmark. The E6400 is the closest C2D to the E4300. Plus, E4300 overclock like nobodies business, easily hitting +3GHz, even faster than their E6700. Like Maroon said, Intel is planning on price drops if your patient... Even if you buy now the extra cost is worth every penny.

C2D's rock. period.

 

[Meithan]

Comparing an E6700 to an X2 4200+ is absolutely useless in this case. Heck, even with an E6400. It's the "closest", but it's designed to be much faster than a E4300. I agree that benchmarks tell all, but in general there are no "equivalents". You'll need to find a benchmark with the X2 4200+ and the E4300 if you want a truly reliable comparison.

About overclocking, I know for a fact that many people do not overclock, or at least not enough to make a noticeable difference. So I wouldn't consider the overclocking ability a major comparison factor unless the user is really determined to do it.

People, Core 2 Duos are great indeed (I have one), but they're not invincible gods compared to AMD's X2 series. Whatever performance gains C2Ds have over the X2 line, they lose it in price. Heck, you can get an X2 4200+ for just above $100, while the E4300 costs $170. Show me a benchmark where the E4300 has a 70% performance gain over the 4200. You won't find any.

Athlon X2s are just as good as C2Ds for the average user. They're not as powerful because they're cheaper, and even more so once you include the motherboard typical prices. AMD has been doing a fine job fine-tweaking their prices to stay competitive.

Overclocking, you say? It's only when a system is designed for extreme overclocking that C2Ds really shine. Also, keep in mind that the overclocking community has been focusing on the C2Ds since they were out. The Athlon X2s are still relatively unexplored territory, overclocking wise. I'm not saying it hasn't been done, just that there's been probably ten times more overclock attempts with the C2Ds. Overclocking is not an exact science, it takes many tries (with many different systems) to truly discover a CPU's headroom.

Bottomline: an X2 4200+ is an excellent processor and I'd definitely recommend it.

 

[darksideleader]

wow all that for just a proccesor...

but Athlon 64 x2s have a bigger front side bus cuz of the Hyper transport thing, would they have better video performance?

 

[Nagasama]

1)Show me a benchmark where the E4300 has a 70% performance gain over the 4200. You won't find any.

2)keep in mind that the overclocking community has been focusing on the C2Ds since they were out. The Athlon X2s are still relatively unexplored territory, overclocking wise.

3)Bottomline: an X2 4200+ is an excellent processor and I'd definitely recommend it.

1) no, you wont.
2)im trying as hard as i can to get the new world record with my 4200 (need a new mobo, lol).
3)i would absolutely agree. although, i would suggest the 65nm 3600 if you are going to overclock and a mobo with the nf590 chipset.
i hear the 3600 is a little monster overclocker. i'm trying to decide if i should buy a new foxconn nf590 mobo so i can shoot my 4200 thru the roof...or buy an 85 dollar x2 3600 and see how high i can get it on my ol' abit kn9.
decisions decisions.

 

[apdrummer]

I'm not degrading the X2 at all I was merely displaying info about the c2d since most of the people who posted seemed to be recommending the X2. I just provided him with info and my opinion as you all are doing. As for Meithan, a 70% performance gain is enormous, absolutely behemoth and I don't know where you got that number. the E4300 seems to be designed around maximizing overclockability and can easily get the 70% performance gain if you include that. If he's not going to overclock then the 4200 X2 is fine and would beat the E4300.

Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 Review and Overclocking Analysis - Page 1 - Introduction

This is an article about the E4300. It compares it directly to a 4200 (and many others) before and after O.C.