AMD to cut prices

[Burky]

Discuss
Additional information
(In this link, I'm fairly sure the 3800+ is an X2)

To stand any chance against Conroe, this is what they're going to have to do.
50% off on the X2 chips seems a really good deal, so AMD will at least be appealing to people with a tighter budget. They have still lost control of the top end of the market though, they can't touch Conroe.

[Diff-chan]

I'm in a bit of a bind now.

I bought a 3200+ because it was the best I could afford and I planned to upgrade in the middle of next year to keep pace. But a month or two after I built my computer I learned AMD would not only roll out the AM2s (thus capping the speeds on the 939 line), but end-of-life the 939 line by early next year! So should I forge ahead with my original plan, hoping to grab a good 939 chip in the middle of next year, or go ahead an d buy it when its more affordable but definitely available?

[Burky]

I'd probably look to buy one sooner than the beginning of next year.
My reason is that A64 prices are plummeting right now. If you sell your 3200+ while it's still got some value, then that will help go towards a good x2 cpu.

If you wait, your 3200+ will be worthless, and although the price for an x2 chip would be much less, you would have got less money to go towards it. Maybe you'd save $50 or so like this than if you bought it in the next few months.

I definately wouldn't wait until 939 doesn't exist anymore anyway, as by then it will be old technology that you don't want, and the prices won't be that great.
For a start, you might have to end up buying on ebay, and that is usually a bad idea unless you have a good incentive.
So when they stop selling chips in the shops, the prices will rise on ebay.
I took advantage of this myself; I sold my XP Barton after they stopped retailing them, and I got $10 more than I paid for it 18 months before. But France is stupid, maybe America is smarter than that.
If you can manage to hang on right till the last minute before shops stop retailing you will get the best deal, but it's risky.

So what you do depends on:
-whether waiting a few extra months is worth the $50 or so
-whether it would be $50 or maybe $100s that you saved, which depends on whether you would go for a top end chip (4800+) or a lower end one (4000+)

[EDIT] Another more specific link added at the top

[Diff-chan]

Whats the best way to pack up an old cpu and sell it? I dont have the original box anymore, I think.

I hear what you are saying, if I do go ahead and do it, it will be in October or November most likely.

[Burky]

I've sold 4 altogether and never had a problem. They were all oem.
For the advert, take out your cpu and check it first, make sure the pins are all fine, and then correct the ones that aren't (with a pencil). Make sure you state it's oem.

I put them in anti-static paper, which I cut myself from old motherboard paper, or whatever.
Then I put two wraps of bubblewrap round, and place rigid cardboard on either side of the cpu, and tape round. This prevents it from getting directly damage.
Then I put it inside a fairly large box, say half the size of a shoebox, and fill it half with newspaper, put in the cpu, then fill with newspaper.
There is probably a much better method, but I've sold two XPs, a 3200+ and an opteron like that with no problems.

Just make sure you insist on insurance, then if it goes wrong you won't get raped for it.

I'd wait till november or so then, as you should still get $50+ for your 3200+ by then, if they cost $100 or so new, and then for $200 you should be able to get a decent x2 cpu to replace, which cost maybe $350 new now.

If you can be bothered to overclock, get an opteron 165 (dual core). They are stock at 1.8ghz, and the one I have now does 2.8ghz with no voltage increase, and literally no effort. Those cost ~$300, and that's on par with an FX-62.

[kingoffighters]

Hmmm I got myself an Opteron 146 3 months ago.... Should I even bother to "upgrade"?

[Burky]

An opteron 146 is only single core, and while they overclock wonderfully, at 2.8-3.0ghz normally, a single core cpu won't be much good in 8 months time.
For the time being however, my dual core opteron gets the same in benchmarks as 3200+ when running at the same speeds, so dual core isn't doing that much for gaming right now.
If you're not overclocking, then opterons are usually not the best value and not worth bothering with.

[kingoffighters]

The opteron is in a HTPC, so it doesn't really require any heavy processing (other than playing the occasional gaming duty). But like you said, dual core isn't doing much for gaming right now anyway. But maybe I should upgrade just for the heck of it (and I do not OC because I don't want to create more heat in the HTPC case).

[Burky]

Overclocking only creates heat when you up the vcore. If you remain on the stock voltages, and just raise the htt, the heat will remain (roughly) constant, and there is almost no risk to it (your warranty is not void unless you fry it by putting the voltage too high - if it fails because of temperatures or whatever it's not your fault).
Give it some extra voltage and you could maybe get 2.8 or so ghz on it, but you'd want to install a decent exhaust fan on your case for that.

I upgraded pretty much just out of boredom onto a dual core cpu, as well as having spare money, and it's slightly faster while doing multiple things, but in gaming it's not that big a deal. For now anyway.

[stormy]

To stand any chance against Conroe, this is what they're going to have to do.

You say this like this isn't what always happens, but it is. When they're the fastest on the market they can command a premium, when they're not they don't. You will get the performance that you pay for no matter which chip you buy. I still think people are over reacting to Conroe.