CPU choice help: higher clock speed w/ lower cache or lower clock speed with higher cache

[prospex]

I have an old 478 motherboard that I'm using for retro gaming and currently it has a P4 2.8GHz with a 1M cache, would a P4 3GHz with a 512KB cache be better?

[iceman1980]

Messaggio originale di r£Al:

I have an old 478 motherboard that I'm using for retro gaming and currently it has a P4 2.8GHz with a 1M cache, would a P4 3GHz with a 512KB cache be better?

It really depends, on how well a game leverages cache and cache hits. If the game can do more cache hits the cache will win, however being a quicker CPU means it can flush the cache faster.

[prospex]

Messaggio originale di Product ∏:

Messaggio originale di r£Al:

I have an old 478 motherboard that I'm using for retro gaming and currently it has a P4 2.8GHz with a 1M cache, would a P4 3GHz with a 512KB cache be better?

It really depends, on how well a game leverages cache and cache hits. If the game can do more cache hits the cache will win, however being a quicker CPU means it can flush the cache faster.

Okay thanks, I'll have to do some testing between the different CPU's for the games I'll be playing and see which one benefits me more.

[iceman1980]

Messaggio originale di r£Al:

Messaggio originale di Product ∏:

It really depends, on how well a game leverages cache and cache hits. If the game can do more cache hits the cache will win, however being a quicker CPU means it can flush the cache faster.

Okay thanks, I'll have to do some testing between the different CPU's for the games I'll be playing and see which one benefits me more.

Do you have the full name of the Pentiums?

There is several models that are known.

[_I_]

for most cpus around that age, more cache helped vs higher clocks

the athlon xp 2500+ barton (1833mhz 512kb cache) beat out the sempron 2600+ (2100mhz 256kb cache)
amds naming was based on intel performance numbers, but even that kinda failed them

[xSOSxHawkens]

That sounds like a Northwood 3.0 vs a Prescott 2.8c

If the 512KB model has HT it will work a bit better, despite its lacking cache its a better netburst design. Part of the reson that prescotts for more cache was to make up for the slightly lower ipc hit intel took over northwood in order to go for higher clocks.

That said, if you can overclcok you *might* get more speed from the prescot, though it will be hot and you will want to properly cool it.

A prescot p4 @ 3.9Ghz is roughly comparable to 1.9Ghz dual core turrion.

For older setups they are OK, though a super early gen Athlon 64 x2 from the same era smashes them. Your biggest issue with s478 builds will be finding good motherboards that are both working *and* worth using.

If you run AGP look for an HD3850 512MB. Its the best AGP card made and will give you decent early DX10 support. There is an HD4670 as well, with same stream processor count, but it is gimped on a 128bit memory bus. Go for the 3850!

See here:

https://www.3dmark.com/3dmv/1505495

^s478 p4 @ 3.8 w/agp 3850^

https://www.3dmark.com/3dm06/6830188

^same but at 3.9, older 3dmark06^

https://www.3dmark.com/3dm06/14908603

^a non valid 3d run, *but* contains a valid CPU score for a 1.9Ghz Turrion 64 x2 TL-58 showing it about 1% slower than the 3.9Ghz P4^

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Turion-64-X2-Mobile-Technology-TL-58-vs-Intel-Pentium-4-380GHz/m817vsm11003

^not a fan of user bench, but here its not a primary source its a supporting one to back the CPu results from 3D mark and show that with some heavy OC you can get the s478 build up to the realitive performance of a lower end dual core!

Good luck on your efforts, and if one *lacks* hyperthreading avoid that one as it will be far behind in todays world with a single thread.

[prospex]

Messaggio originale di xSOSxHawkens:

That sounds like a Northwood 3.0 vs a Prescott 2.8c

If the 512KB model has HT it will work a bit better, despite its lacking cache its a better netburst design. Part of the reson that prescotts for more cache was to make up for the slightly lower ipc hit intel took over northwood in order to go for higher clocks.

That said, if you can overclcok you *might* get more speed from the prescot, though it will be hot and you will want to properly cool it.

A prescot p4 @ 3.9Ghz is roughly comparable to 1.9Ghz dual core turrion.

For older setups they are OK, though a super early gen Athlon 64 x2 from the same era smashes them. Your biggest issue with s478 builds will be finding good motherboards that are both working *and* worth using.

If you run AGP look for an HD3850 512MB. Its the best AGP card made and will give you decent early DX10 support. There is an HD4670 as well, with same stream processor count, but it is gimped on a 128bit memory bus. Go for the 3850!

See here:

https://www.3dmark.com/3dmv/1505495

^s478 p4 @ 3.8 w/agp 3850^

https://www.3dmark.com/3dm06/6830188

^same but at 3.9, older 3dmark06^

https://www.3dmark.com/3dm06/14908603

^a non valid 3d run, *but* contains a valid CPU score for a 1.9Ghz Turrion 64 x2 TL-58 showing it about 1% slower than the 3.9Ghz P4^

https://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/AMD-Turion-64-X2-Mobile-Technology-TL-58-vs-Intel-Pentium-4-380GHz/m817vsm11003

^not a fan of user bench, but here its not a primary source its a supporting one to back the CPu results from 3D mark and show that with some heavy OC you can get the s478 build up to the realitive performance of a lower end dual core!

Good luck on your efforts, and if one *lacks* hyperthreading avoid that one as it will be far behind in todays world with a single thread.

the 512kb model does support ht, and I do have a motherboard that is worth using as well, I've been wanting to get my hands on a 64x2 motherboard but haven't found the money just yet for the one I want, also graphics card wise I'm looking to keep it within the era of the games I'm playing (2004) so I'm using a Radeon 9550 256mb for now until I get a 9800 PRO that isn't dead (I had a 256mb one but it produces artifacts but also doesnt display half the time)

[prospex]

Messaggio originale di Product ∏:

Messaggio originale di r£Al:

Okay thanks, I'll have to do some testing between the different CPU's for the games I'll be playing and see which one benefits me more.

Do you have the full name of the Pentiums?

There is several models that are known.

The 3GHz one is an SL6WK and I don't remember what the other one is.

[prospex]

Update: I did a bit of testing last night and found that the games that I'm running are performing better with the 3GHz model (counter strike source, tf2) I'm getting around 40-70fps in counter strike source whereas with the 2.8GHz model I was getting <40.

[t0phic]

hmm

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Just OC the 2.8 to 3.0 ghz or higher.

[prospex]

Messaggio originale di Bad 💀 Motha:

Just OC the 2.8 to 3.0 ghz or higher.

I could do that, I also read somewhere that the 3GHz models were failed Pentium EE’s so they’re also known to overclock better, so the 3GHz is also an option, if I were to use the 2.8 I’d prefer to get something other than a stock intel cooler lol, so until then I’ll stick with the 3GHz

[xSOSxHawkens]

Messaggio originale di r£Al:

Messaggio originale di Bad 💀 Motha:

Just OC the 2.8 to 3.0 ghz or higher.

I could do that, I also read somewhere that the 3GHz models were failed Pentium EE’s so they’re also known to overclock better, so the 3GHz is also an option, if I were to use the 2.8 I’d prefer to get something other than a stock intel cooler lol, so until then I’ll stick with the 3GHz

good S478 coolers are a bit hard to come by now days...

[prospex]

Messaggio originale di xSOSxHawkens:

Messaggio originale di r£Al:

I could do that, I also read somewhere that the 3GHz models were failed Pentium EE’s so they’re also known to overclock better, so the 3GHz is also an option, if I were to use the 2.8 I’d prefer to get something other than a stock intel cooler lol, so until then I’ll stick with the 3GHz

good S478 coolers are a bit hard to come by now days...

Sadly true....

[_I_]

or think about upgrading the cpu/mobo/ram

the 9100f or any ryzen will wipe the floor with the old c2q

[prospex]

Messaggio originale di _I_:

or think about upgrading the cpu/mobo/ram

the 9100f or any ryzen will wipe the floor with the old c2q

the point of using this hardware is to relive the days when agp was the new best thing. I already have another system I use for modern gaming, this one is for retro gaming.