the best CPU without going overboard?

[Evan]

Yeah if you plan on utilizing all of your RAM go with Windows 64 bit.

[Cryticfarm]

Ok... You don't need over 4 gigs or ram unless your running some sort of simulation or crap. I bought 4 gigs of ram and I realized I wasted my money :\.

[USweapon]

im using Vista Ultimate 64bit. yes im going to use crossfire. yes you can find motherborads that support more than 8gb and more of ram but try finding the actuall RAM thats more than 1gb per stick AND DDR2 1066. There arnt any ans since there are only 4 slots, it kinda limits you to 4gb.

but yeah ur all right. 6gb of already extremly fast ram is too much. might as well stay with the only 2-4gb wich there saves me a few hunderd. so here are my options again.

A: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.0ghz
2GB of RAM (2X1GB DDR3 1333)
total system cost 844$

B: AMD Athlon 64 X2 @ 3.2ghz
4GB of RAM (4x1GB DDR2 1066)
total system cost 806$

basicly its faster RAM VS more RAM and bit faster CPU. which is better?

[shadowkhas]

Since you seem to have a large budget, I'd recommend going with AMD on this one, and buying any 10,000 RPM hard drive.

[USweapon]

well this is going to be a comp that will last me a long long time so it better be good. like the 1 im on now, it lasted me 5 years and is still great (tho i just put 300$ into it in July) and its still pretty good and i want this 1 to last even longer and i want it to be great. o an i already got a new hard drive for xmas.

[Evan]

I also recommend a SATA CD/DVD burner also. You can get one at a decent price.

[Cryticfarm]

Ram doesn't make your computer. It makes it run faster when you run more programs. For example. Say I run nothing but my OS. And it takes maybe 300 mb? Yeah, then It doesn't really matter if I have 2 gb or 2193893797 gb. It would be the same.

[USweapon]

im getting 2 SATA CD\DVD drives, there both the same, both can burn DVDs at 20x and have lightscribe and all that and is only 30$ each. i got everything all figuered out. i just dont know to go with 4Gb of great ram or 2gb of exelent ram that , if im right, be more than twice as fast. i really dont car what processor i get anymore.

[Iron_Forge]

Q6600 is by far the best CPU for your money...Though I'm not sure I see the point of putting one in a sub-$1000 PC, or trying to make a sub-$1000 PC last 5 years...

[OwnZ joO]

You can't run Vista/XP-32bit with more than 2.75-3.25GB of RAM....when the *** will you people learn

That doesn't mean that they can't spend lots of money on it

[0m3g4Muff1n987]

There arnt any ans since there are only 4 slots, it kinda limits you to 4gb.

4 slots + four 2GB sticks = 8GB RAM.

As for your predicament, I'd recommend getting the less, faster RAM, because unless you're going to be running 10 different memory-hogging programs, you won't even need 4GB, let alone 8GB anyway. And AMD is usually cheaper, so in conclusion I'd go with the faster, less RAM, and AMD X2 proc. You can save some money and buy yourself something pretty (flash drive, games, or maybe get a better graphics card or something, or just save it up).

[TomClancey]

You can't run Vista/XP-32bit with more than 2.75-3.25GB of RAM....when the *** will you people learn

Exactly. Only the 64bit Versions of these OS's can support more then 3.5~ gigabytes of RAM. I believe 64bit XP can support more then 32gb.

/Checks

Yep, 128gb. Though, I've never seen a motherboard support more then 32. I think Vista 64 bit can support the same, or even more.

[HPDarkness]

Supports the same.

[USweapon]

4 slots + four 2GB sticks = 8GB RAM.

As for your predicament, I'd recommend getting the less, faster RAM, because unless you're going to be running 10 different memory-hogging programs, you won't even need 4GB, let alone 8GB anyway. And AMD is usually cheaper, so in conclusion I'd go with the faster, less RAM, and AMD X2 proc. You can save some money and buy yourself something pretty (flash drive, games, or maybe get a better graphics card or something, or just save it up).

what im meant is that they dont make 2gb sticks of that speed. however i searched again for a 2gb DDR2 1066 stick and they do. what i meant to say the first time is that they dont make 2GB sticks of DDR3 1333.

your also saying for me to get AMD but with the faster and less ram which i cant use. i can only use the faster ram with the Intel because its using a different motherboard that supports it. no AMD motherboard i found supports DDR3. the highest i found an AMD motherboard to support is DDR2 1066 wich is what i gould get if i get AMD.

basicly its either get AMD, save money, get 2 or 4gb of fast ram and have a bit faster processor. or i can get the Intel for a bit more and get 2gb of extremly fast ram and still pretty fast processor.

i already have vista 64bit so im not worryied about the max ram. and i dont think anyone will waste all that on ram. you would need a whole big hard drive just to be able to use hibernation mode and to support all the pagefiles.

[shadowkhas]

I was a bit confused on the RAM stuff. My opinion is that RAM will be a bigger factor than CPU speed when it really comes down to it, so go Intel. Then, for hard drives, get one drive that'll be for general data storage (movies, music, etc), and get a smaller, but 10k RPM drive that you can install the OS and games on.

[Patrickssj6]

4 slots + four 2GB sticks = 8GB RAM.

As for your predicament, I'd recommend getting the less, faster RAM, because unless you're going to be running 10 different memory-hogging programs, you won't even need 4GB, let alone 8GB anyway. And AMD is usually cheaper, so in conclusion I'd go with the faster, less RAM, and AMD X2 proc. You can save some money and buy yourself something pretty (flash drive, games, or maybe get a better graphics card or something, or just save it up).

what im meant is that they dont make 2gb sticks of that speed. however i searched again for a 2gb DDR2 1066 stick and they do. what i meant to say the first time is that they dont make 2GB sticks of DDR3 1333.

your also saying for me to get AMD but with the faster and less ram which i cant use. i can only use the faster ram with the Intel because its using a different motherboard that supports it. no AMD motherboard i found supports DDR3. the highest i found an AMD motherboard to support is DDR2 1066 wich is what i gould get if i get AMD.

basicly its either get AMD, save money, get 2 or 4gb of fast ram and have a bit faster processor. or i can get the Intel for a bit more and get 2gb of extremly fast ram and still pretty fast processor.

i already have vista 64bit so im not worryied about the max ram. and i dont think anyone will waste all that on ram. you would need a whole big hard drive just to be able to use hibernation mode and to support all the pagefiles.

Go with Intel Quad then.

[0m3g4Muff1n987]

You want DDR3 RAM? And you're on a budget? Have phun.

[USweapon]

you all are making me change my mind to much.......first it was quad core, then duo core, then AMD, then duo core then back to quad.

the last time im going to ask this. which is the bset option? sat either 1, 2,or 3.

1: Intel Core 2 Duo 3.0ghz
2 x 1gb DDR3 1333 RAM
cost $845

2: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4ghz
2 x 1gb DDR3 1333 RAM
cost $845

3: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3.2ghz
2 x 1gb DDR2 1066 RAM OR 4 x 1gb DDR2 1066 RAM
cost $675 with 2gb ram OR $807 with 4gb ram

[Evan]

Well if you are not on a tight budget I would definitely go with number 2.

[0m3g4Muff1n987]

I'd say option 3 with the 2GB RAM, if you want to save 200 bucks to buy something else. If your parents or something are just buying it for you, and you don't get any leftover money, then go with that second one, you'll be insured for the next 5 or 6 years at least. Actually, I really like that quad core and DDR3, so I'd say just go for it, you're only spending like 60 bucks more anyway, and you won't have to upgrade your CPU for a very long time.