Maxing out my AM3+ socket

[kcducttaper]

I'm going to start this off by saying that, for 'hardcore' gaming, the AM3+ socket is ancient and a dinosaur. That said, I'm not a heavy gamer and am not looking to drop $2,000 on a new rig when I can still play current racing titles at 60 fps with high settings at 1080p. I'm looking to extend my AM3+ platform as long as I can to let the new tech become as awesome as possible before pulling the trigger in the next couple years (thinking Ryzen 3000 or better).

Here's my current rig's relevant specs:
AMD Phenom II x6 1100t overclocked to 4.0GHz on air
16GB (4x 4GB sticks) G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series DDR3 1600 MHz
Asus Sabertooth 990FX R2.0
Asus GTX 1070

I've considered grabbing an FX-8370, but the general consensus seems to be that they're not really any better than the 1100t due to it sharing cache across the cores where the 1100t is a true 6-core with a separate cache for each core. I could throw more memory at it, but I'm not anywhere near running out of memory, so that won't gain me any performance. Just wondering if there's anything else to do to effectively max out my socket or if I'm already there?

[vadim]

No, you cannot uograde your PC without changing motherboard.

[Snow]

kcducttaper eredeti hozzászólása:

I've considered grabbing an FX-8370, but the general consensus seems to be that they're not really any better than the 1100t due to it sharing cache across the cores where the 1100t is a true 6-core with a separate cache for each core.

You're overthinking this. FX-8370 got both better single-core performance and multi-core performance than 1100t, not to mention your mobo is one of the best AM3+ ones for FX overclocking. Go grab it, and don't forget to OC CPU-NB and RAM as well.

[kcducttaper]

Snow eredeti hozzászólása:

kcducttaper eredeti hozzászólása:

I've considered grabbing an FX-8370, but the general consensus seems to be that they're not really any better than the 1100t due to it sharing cache across the cores where the 1100t is a true 6-core with a separate cache for each core.

You're overthinking this. FX-8370 got both better single-core performance and multi-core performance than 1100t, not to mention your mobo is one of the best AM3+ ones for FX overclocking. Go grab it, and don't forget to OC CPU-NB and RAM as well.

You might be right. It seems every time I search 'FX vs 1100t', I come out with a different result on which one 'the internet' says is better. For $65 on NewEgg, I can at least take it for a test spin.

[Snow]

kcducttaper eredeti hozzászólása:

Snow eredeti hozzászólása:

You're overthinking this. FX-8370 got both better single-core performance and multi-core performance than 1100t, not to mention your mobo is one of the best AM3+ ones for FX overclocking. Go grab it, and don't forget to OC CPU-NB and RAM as well.

You might be right. It seems every time I search 'FX vs 1100t', I come out with a different result on which one 'the internet' says is better. For $65 on NewEgg, I can at least take it for a test spin.

When it comes to CPU performance I often use this website[cpu.userbenchmark.com]. There is indeed way much more about CPUs than some simple numbers in some benchmark, not to mention how different each software is, but I find general usage performance differences to be pretty close to those shown on the UB.

[Omega]

The issue is that these AM3+ CPUs are expensive, they are often sold for more then modern budget CPUs which outperform these chips. That FX 8370 gets nuked by a first gen Ryzen 3 which can be bought for nearly nothing when they go on sale. A Ryzen 1600 also often goes on sale for around $100 and this thing has nearly 2x the processing power of that 8370.

I say don't spend any more money on this machine, sit on this machine and wait for Intel Core 10 or AMD Ryzen 3000, then just upgrade.

[upcoast]

You don't get sse4 on the PII and some modern games are benefitting with the extra Fx8xxx cores.

https://www.techspot.com/review/956-dying-light-benchmarks/page5.html

You have to look pretty far back for comparisons ^ but ya the FX8350 usually comes out ahead of the PII x6.

I have the FX8350@4.4ghz with GTX1070 and no complaints yet at 1080p FC5 Maxed settings, GR:W near Maxed settings, BF5 beta maxed also.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/fkrHxr

$60 ^ drop in upgrade I wouldn't call that expensive at all.

[Talby]

If the x6 can give you good results in the games you currently play, just roll with it man save the $60 towards the new build....

[Snow]

upcoast eredeti hozzászólása:

some modern games are benefitting with the extra Fx8xxx cores

Most of them I'd say, unless it's something really simple. Games definitely got better at using multiple cores over the last few years, where I live lots of people still use Piledriver/Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge/Westmere EP/Nehalem EP, swapping graphics cards from time to time and not giving too much crap about new CPUs as those mentioned still provide comfortable gaming performance.

[upcoast]

More food for thought if you could ride out the big CPU, mobo, ram upgrade until 2020 you may be into DDR5 platforms by then.

[kcducttaper]

All fair points and interesting thought on the DDR5 stuff. I think I may go ahead and pick up an FX8xxx chip sometime over the next couple months. On a related topic, does thermal paste expire? I've got some Arctic MX-4 from like 2010 still hanging around if it's still good.

[emoticorpse]

I would get a 8350. I still have my 8350 computer and I plan to keep it until I die. Last good pc that supported Xp and Windows 7 in case I want to actually run those os again because virtual machines are just sorry performance wise from what I can tell. Learned my lesson after wishing I could run Windows 95 on real hardware but long gotten rid of my Aptiva.

[Talby]

kcducttaper eredeti hozzászólása:

...On a related topic, does thermal paste expire? I've got some Arctic MX-4 from like 2010 still hanging around if it's still good.

Should be just fine, MX-4 has a long shelf life as long as it's sealed in the tube and not exposed. I always put my open tubes in a ziplock thinking it would seal in the freshness even better, probably overkill.

[fruit bat]

1. you dont need to drop 2k$ for a new rig, 700$ is more than enough considering you already have a good gpu;
2. I'm sorry to dissapoint you but there's nothing much you can do. Upgrading to fx 8350 won't bring you much improvement at all;
3. why don't you just buy a i5/i7 4th 'k' series cpu and a mobo for it? they work perfectly with your 1600mhz ram and they;re not expensive at all.

[upcoast]

Narikazu eredeti hozzászólása:

1. you dont need to drop 2k$ for a new rig, 700$ is more than enough considering you already have a good gpu;
2. I'm sorry to dissapoint you but there's nothing much you can do. Upgrading to fx 8350 won't bring you much improvement at all;
3. why don't you just buy a i5/i7 4th 'k' series cpu and a mobo for it? they work perfectly with your 1600mhz ram and they;re not expensive at all.

I7 4790k is about the only 4th worth while old i5 quads are kind of done but the i7 + mobo is going to be wayyy over $60.

[AbedsBrother]

You've got one of the best AM3 motherboards.

Snow eredeti hozzászólása:

kcducttaper eredeti hozzászólása:

I've considered grabbing an FX-8370, but the general consensus seems to be that they're not really any better than the 1100t due to it sharing cache across the cores where the 1100t is a true 6-core with a separate cache for each core.

You're overthinking this. FX-8370 got both better single-core performance and multi-core performance than 1100t, not to mention your mobo is one of the best AM3+ ones for FX overclocking. Go grab it, and don't forget to OC CPU-NB and RAM as well.

^Pretty much this. After the Crosshair V Formula Z (also by Asus), the Sabertooth boards were among the best for AM3 / AM3+.