Upgrading advice

[Kein]

My current cpu and mb:

E6400
775DUAL-VSTA

I thought about just buying a P5Q Pro and OC the E6400 up to 2.8/3.2GHz (if possible), but
i'm not sure if i should go that way. I also thought about going AMD (e.g. Athlon II x4 or x2/x3+unlocking/luck)]


Intel: E6400 + $120 mb
AMD: $100 mb + $100 cpu


Important:

snappiness
Multitasking (e.g. gaming + encoding/compressing/decompressing)
Power usage/heat dissipation

Btw, i believe lower-clocked quad-core over higher-clocked dual-core.

For both systems, i have here somewhere, unopened:

Xigmatek s1283
2x2GB DDR2 800


Thanks!

 

[cusideabelincoln]

it doesn't seem like your motherboard supports C2Q: http://www.asrock.com/mb/cpu.a...del=775Dual-VSTA&s=775

That's a bummer.

The AMD route would probably be the best, but of course it's more expensive. The E6400 is, compared to newer processors, pretty dang slow even at 2.8GHz. An Athlon II X4 would be faster for the things you are doing, especially encoding and compressing, and it will be even faster if you decide to overclock it.

Otherwise, you can see what your E6400 will do in a new motherboard. If you're not satisfied, you'll always have the option to pick up a C2Q.

 

[alyarb]

you heard it from honest abe.

 

[Dadofamunky]

given your budget level, I'm inclined to think the P5Q board or one of the consensus Socket 775 Gigabyte boards are your best buy (Gigabyte UD3P, UD3R, etc...) because it gives you the best upgrade path for now. You'll definitely get better results with your E6400 as well in OCing.

 

[RussianSensation]

I would try selling your current motherboard + E6400 for $60. If you have a Microcenter near you, then you can get Q9550 for $170. Pick up Gigabyte UD3R.

Alternatively, still try to sell your current CPU + Mobo and pick up a Phenom II X4 + AM3 socket. AM3 will also support upcoming 6-core Phenoms in 2010, giving you a better upgrade path than S775.

Finally your 3rd option can be to sell your unopened DDR2-800, current mobo + E6400, and get a Core i5 750 $180 + Asrock board (has backward compatible S775 holes for your Xigmatek). This will be the most expensive option.

You could also sell your current mobo for say $20 and get the UD3R for just $80 more. Then the E6400 will get up to 3.4ghz I would imagine.

 

[Kein]

I guess it's wiser to go with AM3 or LGA 1156, socket longevity is important. Right now, i'm leaning toward AMD due to lower price point. Time to research and read.

Thanks for the feedback!