Opteron 165 or 3800 x2?

L

l0cke

Gawd
Joined
Aug 13, 2005
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810
Okay, my dad's going to be building a work pc. Mostly running Solaris. he want to know if he should get

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819103562

Or

AMD Opteron 165 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103588

I think the x2 because it has .2 more ghz and more cache. he says the opty because Solaris has opty optimization. The price is so close so that really won't influence the decision that much. He says no overclocking but i might sneak a few mhz i nthere while he's not looking :)
 
...The X2 has 512k less cache per core.

If I were your father, I'd go with the X2, because it's cheaper, and he's a dad, so what's he going to need a meg of cache for?
 
kelim said:
...The X2 has 512k less cache per core.

If I were your father, I'd go with the X2, because it's cheaper, and he's a dad, so what's he going to need a meg of cache for?
Click to expand...

Also, he works at Sun
 
get the operton, if he is using it and he says solaris has operton optimization, then get the man what he wants.
 
mobiux said:
get the operton, if he is using it and he says solaris has operton optimization, then get the man what he wants.
Click to expand...

Technically speaking, there are virtually no optimizations for an Opteron that wouldn't work with an X2 since they are the same processor except for the cache. Well, and the socket 939 Opterons don't use ECC or registered RAM. In this case, they are the same except for the cache so I doubt any optimizations would make a difference between the two.

The only thing to really look at at this point is what software is he running and what is the machine going to be doing. If the software he's using will make good use of more cache it would probably be better to get the Opty. If the software prefers clock speed then he'd be better off with the X2.

From the sound of it, I doubt he'd notice a difference between the two. Personally I would go with the Opty because of the cache and you may be able to overclock it a bit better than the X2 down the road if needed and allowed. But, I don't think it would make too much of a difference. If I knew anything about Solaris it would help. At this point I think I would still give the Opty the nod because of the cache. If you can't decide, just flip a coin.

 
Im actually debating between the two too. What would you choose for somone for gaming?
 
casej18--
In my mind it depends on what you want to do, Remember, the x2 has a 10 multi where the Opty 165 is a 9. More and more it's being shown that the cache is of little to no consequence where gaming is concerned and thats what you specifically asked about.. They both clock similarly but if you've got a board that can't reach 280-290 fsb you'll reach higher with the 10 multi on the x2 easily making up for the cache with clock speed since most boards have no problem in the 260-270 fsb range.
270x9 = 2430 You have to be able to reach 290 fsb to even get close.
270x10 = 2700 x2 has the advantage here.
Now, hitting 2700 on the x2 might be a pipe dream but most of the x2's I here about on this forum are doing 2.5 - 2.6 no problem.

IOcke
They are roughly the same price with the opty being 325 on pricegrabber and the x2 showing 313. The Opty has the full 2 Meg cache but I still think the x2's clock speed overcomes that and even gives a little advantage and once again, sneaking clocks is easier with the 10 multi. :D

To me the 165 isn't a player with the current pricing. You can find 170's on the FS/FT forum right now for $375. For 50 bucks more than the 165 this is the way I would go and I think now the cache is worth it although you'll find plenty of experts on this forum tell you 512 of cache aint worth $50. But that 170 also has the 10 multi and that makes it very tasty.
 
Everyone seems to ask the same question over and over. Its hard to say. Basically imo it comes down to if you plan on ocing or not. The opty would probably oc higher. If you dont want to oc, get the x2 3800 definitely, since its 200mhz faster at stock than the opty. Either way, you really cant go wrong. Both are great.
 
This topic has been beaten to death!! There are several postings with the same questions between the opty 165 and 3800... *sigh*
 
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