Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bassexpander]

I'm looking for a budget processor that still performs well enough to encode HD video from time-to-time. I've become interested in the AMD 720x3 Black Edition CPU, mainly because of the cost and wide ability of the chip. It has an unlocked multiplier to help with overclocking. In my case, I am interested in also clocking down the CPU for power savings 90% of the time while I'm surfing/e-mailing.

I have read that you can underclock this chip to the same specs of their newest 905e (energy efficient) x4 core chip, which happens to cost about 125,000 more, minus the 4th core, of course (when underclocking, a 4th core would matter little, anyway). New AMD software, as well as mainboard software, makes overclocking and underclocking very simple with this line of processor, and Windows 7 apparently works well at throttling down for power savings anyway.

So what I'm looking for is something with lots of cache and ooomph potential for HD editing, as well as a 3rd core... because... well, that's a smidge better than 2. I'll probably be using 800 DDR2 in it anyway.. can upgrade Ram later when faster is cheaper, if i care.

http://pcwizkidstechtalk.com/index.php/amds-new-am3-phenom-ii-x3-720-review.html

Your thoughts?

[Demophobe]

The CPU is decent enough in tests, but I have my suspicions buying into the cripple core solution from AMD. I mean, some folks are getting "lucky" enabling the fourth core; this tells me that they took the scorched earth approach to a particular batch and deemed them triple-core when the fourth core was occasionally turning up a dud.

Illustrative of a fab problem, and one that I personally would want no part of. Maybe the move to 45nm was a bit rough? The Quad-cores are really good performers and address my concerns; I would go that way for a few won more. The 810 X4 would be nice; clock 200MHz lower, but an extra core and very overclockable anyways.

However, you are on a budget, so sure, why not? Seems solid enough, and yes, my words are just ghosts and shadows; there is no real documented problem arising from my the-fourth-is-a-dud concerns.

[bassexpander]

I've been looking at the 810, actually, but it's a bit more difficult to find (at Technomart, anyway). I'm starting to look into Intel quads again.

I'll tell you one thing... the pre-fab computer systems aren't that great of a deal right now (at least in what I've been seeing online).

[bassexpander]

The thing that bothers me about Intel quads is this... no intel virtualization support on many models, such as the 8200 and 8300 -- the models that compete with AMD at this pricepoint.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=946

For those of you who don't know what that means, it means such CPU's will not support Windows XP mode in Windows 7, should you ever need that feature. I don't know if I ever will, but I like to be prepared.

What's worse, Intel now realizes their mistake, and is beginning to add the support to some of it's CPU's (yes, quads too) that it didn't before, so without paying serious attention to certain numbers, you don't really know what you'll be getting. The situation becomes far more complicated when you're relying on some Korean tech guy in a shop to build your computer.

[Demophobe]

[bassexpander]

[Demophobe]

[bassexpander]

[Demophobe]

[eamo]

[Bloopity Bloop]

[OneWayTraffic]

I don't know, there's still people out there who load up old DOS games for a blast every now and then.

If you're worried about it then why not dual boot?

[bassexpander]

Sounds like the AMD 620 or 630 quad on the new Propus die is a much better value overall. They just came out, and at least one review said they make the tri-core AMD a sort of overpriced option now.

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=3638&p=9

[Demophobe]

[bassexpander]

6.6 overclock on a new AMD 555 x2 Black Edition chip! Should be released to the public very soon.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=236120

Wow... who needs 4 cores? haha