Printable View
Need help choosing a new cpu mainly because I want to play Dayz standalone. I'm still running my old amd x2 4800. What would be a suitable upgrade?
edit: I haven't been here in a while I guess the specs arent listed on the right anymore...So my mobo is a k9a2 platinum. 4 gb ram. radeon 5750.
MSI K9A2 Platinum
AM2+/AM2 processor socket, AMD 790FX+SB600 chipset.
It will accept any single- or dual-processor Phenom FX / Phenom / Athlon 64 FXC / Athlon 64 X2.
You could theoretically use the old single-core AM2 Opteron and Sempron processors, but that would be ridiculous.
An AM2 processor will allow up to 1600 or 2000 MT/s HyperTransport 2.0 and 4GB of DDR2-533/667.
An AM2+ processor will allow up to 5200MT/s HyperTransport 3.0 and 8GB of DDR2-533/667/800/1066.
So, obviously, even the worst AM2+ processors will significantly outperform any AM2 processors on this mobo. Especially if you have faster DDR2 RAM.
Some people report issues with AM2 Phenom processors on this mobo, most did not. It's unclear whether MSI provided BIOS updates addressing this issue.
This board apparently isn't very popular with overclockers. I couldn't find any overclocked HyperTransport benchmarks.
AM2+ and AM2 has been largely discontinued, but computer shops might still carry some in stock. I think your best bet is to hit your local computer stores, eBay, craigslist, etc, to see what's still out there. Then decide how much you want to spend and pick the best you can from whatever happens to be available.
So an am2+ quad core won't be compatible?
I'm not sure if only two cores on the quad would function or if it wouldn't work at all - never tried such a thing. I suspect the latter, since the mobo and chipset are designed around single- or dual-cores.
Reported minimum system requirements for standalone DayZ are Athlon 64 X2 Dual 5800+, Radeon HD 3830 (DX9), 2GB RAM, Windows Vista. Recommended requirements are Phenom II X4 940, Radeon HD 7790 (DX9), 4GB RAM, Win7 64. I believe an Athlon 64 X2 is about the best you can mount into that mobo, and with it you should expect decent but unspectacular performance from that game.
You may require a CPU cooler upgrade, although whatever you have now might be sufficient. The TDP differences within the AM2+ family don't really cover a huge range in comparison with newer processors. You may also need to upgrade your PSU, but that's unlikely. I would only recommend upgrades if your existing cooling and power are borderline or if you intend a serious overclock.
Upgrading to 8GB of fast DDR2 would probably make the game (and Windows) a lot more responsive. You can purchase used 2x2GB DDR2-1066 dual-channel kits pretty inexpensively if you patiently hunt craigslist, upgrading to a full 8GB shouldn't cost more than about $40 (maybe less, if you can trade in existing 4x1GB DDR2).
Total cost of upgrades for processor, cooling, power, and RAM might cost more than purchasing a complete used system with better specs. Unfortunately, your tech generation is currently at that awkward stage where it's too old to impress, not old enough to be cool, and just "recently" began to fall off the edge of the radar - demand is low but steady so prices slowly creep upwards. Good time to sell the working platform "as-is", IMHO, it doesn't pay to upgrade old tech to old tech.
I see on the support list that there are x4 listed....