4 cores better or a faster 2 core?

[[s§s]Bison_Boy]

OK like many folks, I have to upgrade my whole system. I'm waiting to pick out the moboard and cpu until I see someone test the demo in a 4 core vs a faster 2 core. I only have so much money after that its just vaporwear So far, according to Tom's Hardware, just about all PC games seem to do just as well if not better with a 2 core. Anyone hear/ see/ test anything using a quad core for UT3? Anyone hear anything useful for Crysis?

[writhed]

I'd buy a quad core and then overclock it. UT3 does somewhat take advantage of all four cores, but in the future games are going to do it even more (crysis uses all four cores quite extensively I believe).

Plus, multitasking in general or random things like video editing will get a huge boost by having four cores.

[Contra]

Don't waste the money on anything more than 2 cores, buy a better videocard with it.

[meatwad2007]

...So far, according to Tom's Hardware, just about all PC games seem to do just as well if not better with a 2 core...

I think you answered your own question right there.

[Krag]

Yes, I built my current system almost a year ago, and went with the dual core over quad core because, for the time being, almost all software (and games) hardly take advantage of 2 cores, let alone 4.

The trick, if you ask me, is to ensure that your mobo will accept a quad core when/if tomorrow you decide to go for quad.
I went with a BFG 680i mobo precisely for that reason (yes, I am talking Intel dual/quad CPUs... this was 1 year ago.. maybe now you can actually get an AMD dual/quad instead).

HTH,
~K

[woooo]

If u get a quad core you wud never need to upgrade again lol

[Mercurio]

I agree with the posters above me. The videocard is more important. Buy a 8800GTX (or wait for the top model of the 9000 series) and some fast RAM and then if you got money remaining consider buying a Quad Core.

[Skillz]

Spend the money in a Physix card, better video card and lots of RAM.

[Simeon]

Spend the money in a Physix card, better video card and lots of RAM.

That, but somewhat in reverse order

[UT4EVER]

this is what I put in the other thread:

ok, here's what I have:

A64x2 3800+
2GB
8800gtx
xp32bitsp2
1920x1200x32 with everything high

getting 60fps capped

when I load my ati tv program with the game, I see that fps drops to around 40fps

I further tested this by setting the affinity and bound the ATI tv program to cpu1 only and the UT3demo to cpu0 only...guess what? I still get around 40fps...

I'll let you decide what that means...

[unrealkiller]

I'd buy a quad core and then overclock it. UT3 does somewhat take advantage of all four cores, but in the future games are going to do it even more (crysis uses all four cores quite extensively I believe).

Plus, multitasking in general or random things like video editing will get a huge boost by having four cores.

how do u do a safe overclocking?

[dr4g0nsr]

It's kinda hard to proper write a thread to nivelate the speed (so one thread won't wait for other one to finish something too long). The more cores/threads you have the harder the task is.