updating cpu

[gravedigger]

im in process of looking to upgrade my pc. when i 1st built it i went for core to quad 6600 and 4gb ddr 2. my daughther now wants a desktop so thought she could have mine and i buy a mother board bundle.

my question is i havnt got to much to spend so what processor should i buy in which it will feel better than what ive already got. i5 and i7 are totally out of my price range.

thinking of amd but not sure what would be the right cpu to by and feel as tho its better. i mainly use pc for downloading and multi tasking, burning cds, and a bit of converting here and there.

any ideas, links would be greatly apreciated.

 

[little_pob]

What is your budget?

 

[Exos]

As Pob said, but to add would this be a complete new build if your moving your desktop onto your daughter? With you saying Motherboard bundle, it seems to indicate you already have everything else.

 

[gravedigger]

As Pob said, but to add would this be a complete new build if your moving your desktop onto your daughter? With you saying Motherboard bundle, it seems to indicate you already have everything else.

Yes, i have everything else, just need new mobo,processor and memory, wouldnt really want to spend more than £200 unless i had to, and have to meaning i would see considerable difference to what i already have otherwise id give my daughter the new stuff.

what i have at the moment is 1.6tb in h/d, 4gb ddr2, and core2duo q6600 cpu with artic cooling fan.

Thanks in advance.

 

[oneman]

Nova tech have a couple of bundles.

Motherboard Bundles : Computer Supplies and PC Components from Novatech


In terms of performance increase, your Q6600 has passmark of around 3000
i3-2120 for £160 clocks in at around 4200
6 core FX-5100 for £210 clock in at around 5700

Of course the FX-5100 is reliant on your software being optimised for 6 core and there should be some room for clocking with the i3 chip.

 

[little_pob]

Other benchmarks show the AMD FX struggles to beat the Phenom II processors, let alone the current gen Intel Core i at the same price point, at least on single threaded applications. It's not until you get to very threaded applications (i.e. servers and possibly video editing) that they come into their own. AMD believe FX/Bulldozer CPUs have yet to reach their full potential. The question is can they do it without releasing revised hardware? (Either a stepping or smaller fabrication.)

In the mean time, MS have backported a couple of tweaks from Win 8 to 7 as a stop gap: An update that selectively disables the Core Parking feature in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 is available and An update is available for computers that have an AMD FX, an AMD Opteron 4200, or an AMD Opteron 6200 series processor installed and that are running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

To be honest, a bump to 8GB plus a fresh install of Win7 64bit on an SSD would probably give you a noticable performance boost. However, it would also eat the budget for your daughter's computer.

As an Intel alternative to the AMD bundle oneman mentioned, have a look at this i5 setup: i5 2400 + MSI H61 mobo + 4GB DDR3 1333 (total: £200.30 delivered) - if you can find a bit extra swap out the RAM for a paired DDR3 1600 kit.

If you've not got a case, PSU etc for your daughter's computer, consider this system @ £220: Zoostorm Desktop PC - Desktops | Ebuyer.com - run it side by side with your current system to see which performs quickest for your needs.