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Dirk Broer
10-15-2018, 02:59 PM
If the last WCG challenge showed anything then it was that we need more cores/threads in the team.
There are two ways of achieving that.

Blindy buying ever more CPUs, till the power company cuts you off due to unpaid bills.
Buying CPUs that need just as much -or less- juice, but have more cores/threads.

The latter approach is of course the only sensible one. What can you do with your older mobos, per platform?


AM2: Your socket supports at most dual-core Athlon 64 X2 CPUs. If you still are running with a single core, try to replace it with a dual core of the same -or less- tdp.
You must ask yourself if it is economically sustainable to run such an old board/CPU combination.

AM2+: Your socket supports at most quad-core Phenom X4 CPUs. If you still are running with a single-, dual- or triple core, try to replace it with a quad core of the same -or less- tdp.
Quad-core Phenom X4 CPUs are only offered 2nd hand, but for an AM2+ system they're a decent upgrade.

AM3: Your socket supports at most hexa-core Phenom II X6 CPUs. If you still are running with a single-, dual-, triple- or quad core, try to replace it with a hexa core of the same -or less- tdp.
Hexa-core Phenom II X6 CPUs are only offered 2nd hand, but for an AM3 system they're a decent upgrade.

AM3+: Your socket supports at most octo-core FX CPUs. If you still are running with a single-, dual-, triple-, quad- or hexa core core, try to replace it with a octo core of the same -or less- tdp.
THey are dumping their last FX-es, so be quick

FM1: Your socket supports at most quad-core A8-3870K CPUs. If you still are running with a dual- or triple core, try to replace it with a quad core Athlon or A8 of the same -or less- tdp.
An A8 has as advantage that it has a IGP running along too and it can be combined with cards up to HD7500.

FM2: Your socket supports at most quad-core A10-6800K CPUs. If you still are running with a dual core, try to replace it with a quad core Athlon or A10 of the same -or less- tdp.
An A10 has as advantage that it has a IGP running along too and it can be combined with cards up to HD7500.

AM1: Your socket supports at most quad-core Athlon CPUs. If you still are running with a dual core Sempron, try to replace it with a quad core Athlon of the same -or less- tdp.
The CPU to go for here is the Athlon 5370. When you are using an AMD onboard system with a single- or dual core CPU I can advice you to try and buy a 2nd hand AM1 system with an Athlon 5350 or 5370 as replacement.

FM2+: Your socket supports at most quad-core A10-8750 CPUs. If you still are running with a dual core, try to replace it with a quad core Athlon or A10 of the same -or less- tdp.
An A10 has as advantage that it has a IGP running along too and it can be combined with cards up to HD7500.


When I checked our local prices for new CPUs today, I saw that an AMD FX-8350 goes for just 73 Euro's. The 125Watt tdp is a bit of a worry though, running 24/7/365
If local prices around your residence at at the same level upgrading won't have to cost you an arm and a leg.

But keep in mind that a decent AM4 board can be bought for as little as $60, and that an up-to-date Ryzen 5 will give you 8 threads too...and a Ryzen 7 even 16!

plonk420
10-15-2018, 10:57 PM
maybe Phenom II X6 at the oldest? you want to at LEAST come close to a Nehalem, otherwise you're probably just wasting electricity... if you're DEAD SET on an FX, maybe undervolt and underclock it to under 120-150 watts full draw...

Dirk Broer
10-16-2018, 01:56 AM
maybe Phenom II X6 at the oldest? you want to at LEAST come close to a Nehalem, otherwise you're probably just wasting electricity... if you're DEAD SET on an FX, maybe undervolt and underclock it to under 120-150 watts full draw...

Phenom II X6 as oldest means you say goodbye to anything older than AM3 altogether -which in the long run certainly is the right approach. If possible, one should try to go for the TR4 platform, and if that is out of reach the Socket AM4 6-core Ryzen 5 and 8-core Ryzen 7 are a good alternative. For AM4 APUs nothing beats the Ryzen 5 2400G at the moment. The non-hyperthreaded Ryzen 3 2200G APU can already be bought slightly above 100 Euro's at he moment here.

And mind you: the Phenom II X6 1100T might draw just as much juice out of the wall as a FX 8350...here they are compared by CPU-World (http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/323/AMD_FX-Series_FX-8350_vs_AMD_Phenom_II_X6_1100T.html)

Dirk Broer
10-16-2018, 03:37 PM
Platform
Max Cores/Threads
Max Speed
Latest Instruction Sets
Memory Bandwidth
Dream CPU
Below $100 2nd hand?



AM3

6/6

3700 MHz

SSE3, SSE4a

DDR3 1333 MHz
Dual Channel 21.3 GB/s

Phenom II X6 1100T

If better than your present one, buy!



FM1

4/4

3000 MHz

SSE3, SSE4a

DDR3 1866 MHz
Dual Channel 29.9 GB/s

A8-3870K

If better than your present one, buy!



AM1

4/4

2200 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX

DDR3 1600 MHz
Single Channel 12.8 GB/s

Athlon 5370

Only if you had a Sempron



AM3+

8/8

5000 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, FMA3

DDR3 1866 MHz
Dual Channel 29.9 GB/s

FX-9590

If better than your present one, buy!



C32

8/8

3800 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, FMA3

DDR3 1866 MHz
Dual Channel 29.7 GB/s

Opteron 4386

If better than your present one, buy!



G34

16/16

3500 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, FMA3

DDR3 1600 MHz
Quad Channel 51.2 GB/s

Opteron 6386 SE

If better than your present one, buy!



FM2

4/4

4400 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, FMA3

DDR3 2133 MHz
Dual Channel 34.1 GB/s

A10-6800K

If better than your present one, buy!



FM2+

4/4

4300 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, FMA3

DDR3 2133 MHz
Dual Channel 34.1 GB/s

A10-7890K

If better than your present one, buy!



AM4

8/16

4300 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3

DDR4 2933 MHz
Dual Channel 46.9 GB/s

Ryzen 7 2700X

Ryzen 3 2200G



TR4

32/64

4200 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3

DDR4 2933 MHz
Quad Channel 93.8 GB/s

Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX

Nope



SP3

64/128

2500 MHz

SSE4, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3

DDR4 2933 MHz
Octo Channel 187.6 GB/s

EPYC (TBA)

RU Kidding?

Dirk Broer
10-16-2018, 10:25 PM
Cheap alternatives

And that's cheap in the sense of operationally cheap



Platform
CPU
Cores/Threads
Tdp
Below $100 2nd hand?
Below $100 new?



AM3

Phenom II X6 1065T

6/6

95 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



FM1

A8-3820

4/4

65 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



AM1

Athlon (any)

4/4

25 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



AM3+

Opteron 3380

8/8

65 Watt

Perhaps

Don't think so



C32

Opteron 4365 EE

8/8

40 Watt

Perhaps

Don't think so



G34

Opteron 6366 HE

16/16

85 Watt

Perhaps

No



FM2

A10-6700

4/4

65 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



FM2+

A10-7860K

4/4

65 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



AM4

A12-9800E*

4/4

35 Watt

Yes

Yes



TR4

?

-/-

180 Watt min.

No

No



SP3

?

-/-

120 Watt min.

No

No


*=Would have been a Ryzen 3 2200GE, if they were sold...

Dirk Broer
04-02-2019, 11:34 AM
Cheap alternatives, revisited

And that's cheap in the sense of operationally cheap, your daily running costs -if you're interested



Platform
CPU
Cores/Threads
Tdp
Below $100 2nd hand?
Below $100 new?



AM3

Phenom II X6 1065T

6/6

95 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



FM1

A8-3820

4/4

65 Watt

Sure

Not anymore, no



AM1

Athlon (any)

4/4

25 Watt

Sure

Not anymore, no



AM3+

Opteron 3380

8/8

65 Watt

Perhaps

Don't think so



C32

Opteron 4365 EE

8/8

40 Watt

Perhaps

Don't think so



G34

Opteron 6366 HE

16/16

85 Watt

Perhaps

No



FM2

A10-6700

4/4

65 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



FM2+

A10-7860K

4/4

65 Watt

Sure

Don't think so



AM4

Ryzen 7 1700

8/16

65 Watt

Yes

Soon?



TR4

Threadripper 2990WX

32/64

250 Watt

No

No



SP3

EPYC 7551

32/64

180 Watt

No

No