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Is the Opteron 144 good for gaming?

  • 18-01-2006 8:32pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,804 ✭✭✭


    First of all thank you for reading this thread:) . I have decided to build a new pc, mainly for high end gaming, and i am unsure about the cpu. At first I was after the AMD FX-57, but the high price has cooled my interest in it:mad: . However a friend of mine has an Opteron 144 of stepping CABNE that he can sell me. How he says that this is just as powerful ( if not more) then the FX - 57 when overclocked and alot cheaper. However another friend said that it is meant for servers and isn;t good for gaming as some games won't run on it.

    Now I have searched the internet and have only heard good things about this Opteron chip, but have heard nothing about it's performance during games.

    So is this chip good for games when overclocked?

    I don't know anything really about opterons so your replies would be grateful. Thanks again for taking some time out to read this:)


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,857 ✭✭✭Atlas_IRL


    there has been a lot of posting about the opteron lately on this forum.. general consences is that they offer great value for money...

    Even if u did buy it and didnt use it.. it would probably gain more value as they cant be got anymore..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,373 ✭✭✭Irishpimpdude


    To Answer your question YES! they are excellent for gaming well worth the money... how much is he trying to flog it to you for though???


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 534 ✭✭✭DonkeyRhubarb


    As I understood it, FX's are basically Opterons with a tiny few changes. So I would presume they would be very good. Very very good. Also find out is the cache 1 or 2mb. The 2mb versions cost a fair bit more.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,958 ✭✭✭✭RuggieBear


    the opteron 144 cabne can seemingly be overclocked from 1.8mhz to around 3mhz....something to do with its san diego core, using just HSF:eek:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,373 ✭✭✭Irishpimpdude


    Mine is at a stable 2.70Ghz using stock heatsink, but ive a 146 CABYNE


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,804 ✭✭✭Benzino


    So you feel that it is a good cpu? Thanks for your replies. It will cost me about 172 euro which seems like a good price. It has 1mb of cache


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,762 ✭✭✭WizZard


    RuggieBear wrote:
    the opteron 144 cabne can seemingly be overclocked from 1.8mhz to around 3mhz....something to do with its san diego core, using just HSF:eek:
    So it's basically equivalent to a ZX Spectrum :D:p


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Benzino: Quality piece of kit. Also, welcome to boards.ie. :)

    Ruggy: 3GHz on stock??? OMG! I have the 3700+ SD core. Wont bother trying to OC for a while yet, but looking forward to it now. :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 792 ✭✭✭Dman_15


    Benzino wrote:
    So you feel that it is a good cpu? Thanks for your replies. It will cost me about 172 euro which seems like a good price. It has 1mb of cache

    That a good price. CABNE's are regarded as the best steppings.
    You will need to invest in quality ram to see the full advantage. Something that can do 300fsb so you can run 1:1.

    Because of the low multipiler of 9x running ddr400 means you need to set a ram divider in the bios. This sacrifices bandwidth and effectively bottlenecks the CPU. Stock cooler probably wont see you past 2.7Ghz for 24/7 use so you'll need a thermalright or the likes to cool it.

    170 for the CPU
    250 for ram to run with it
    50 for a heatsink

    That said it will still perform well with ddr400 and stock heatsink, just not as well as it can.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,958 ✭✭✭✭RuggieBear


    WizZard wrote:
    So it's basically equivalent to a ZX Spectrum :D:p

    d'oh!!! i'm always doing that:o :)
    khannie wrote:
    Ruggy: 3GHz on stock??? OMG! I have the 3700+ SD core. Wont bother trying to OC for a while yet, but looking forward to it now.

    I'm only going from what i've read in custompc magazine. It did a massive cpu test and that opteron was king for overclocking....turned it into an fx jobbie

    The guys on overclockers.co.uk forums rave about them too.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,762 ✭✭✭WizZard


    Khannie wrote:
    Ruggy: 3GHz on stock??? OMG! I have the 3700+ SD core. Wont bother trying to OC for a while yet, but looking forward to it now. :D
    Yep, the 3700+ is a great chip for clocking. However, not as good as the Opterons. Percentage wise they ar the best overclockers on the market at the moment. But like all good things, the top-notch cores seem to have come to an end. :(


  • Subscribers Posts: 6,408 ✭✭✭conzy


    I have my 3700 at 2.8ghz rock stable at only 1.43 vcore

    And some ballistix can do ddr600 i have mine at ddr560, so expect 3ghz in a few months;)

    But any san diego with a kab2e stepping are great and can do 2.8ghz on close to stock vcore

    P.S I am using arctic freezer 64 pro, full load temps after 8 hours of prime95 is 44 degrees

    P.P.S They opteron 144 isnt worth a sh*** if you are not going to OC it, so like someone else said get yourself some good TCCD ram like OCZ Platinum and crank up the fsb to 300*9 = 2.7ghz, but i would recommend the 146 because it has a 10* multi and you can run 280*10 which gives the best speed/timing/bandwith;)


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 18,115 ✭✭✭✭ShiverinEskimo


    3gigs on stock? Surely not. A mate (Dr_Babyeater on here) got 2.8 prime stable on water.

    Unless the pc with the stock cooler is located in a butchers freezer room.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,661 ✭✭✭savemejebus


    The opterons are great chips, my 146 is currently running 2.7 stable with everything at stock (can run 2.9 and up easily but needs upped voltage) on air.

    About the CABNE chip, i think i read on ocuk that there are 2 lots of cabne chips, one from the earliest production run and another from a later run that aren't quite as good. you should ask your mate for the full serial so that you can find out what week it was produced before taking it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,958 ✭✭✭✭RuggieBear


    3gigs on stock? Surely not. A mate (Dr_Babyeater on here) got 2.8 prime stable on water.

    Unless the pc with the stock cooler is located in a butchers freezer room.

    Tbh, it sounds mad but that's what the article in cusom pc says although the auther admits he could "only" get his 144 cabge from 1.8 to 2.61.

    Actually what the auther states is that:
    "there have been multiple reports of the CABNE-stepping Opteron 144s overclocking to 3Ghz. What's even more impressive is that these overclocks have been achieved with HSFs, not fancy phase-change cooling"


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 18,115 ✭✭✭✭ShiverinEskimo


    Ah HSF, I read that as Stock HSF. :rolleyes:

    Aye, I had decent results with the big ass zalman - something like that coupled with a good chip like the opteron and you'd get decent results alright.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,804 ✭✭✭Benzino


    Thanks again for the replies:) , As a result im gonna get it and a good water cooling system for maxium overclocking. I am building a new system and plan to get the best hardware for it (if the price is right for it). I plan to get at least 2ghz of ram. What make? I am not so sure at the moment as i haven;t really looked around.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,762 ✭✭✭WizZard


    You mean 2gb? :)

    OCZ, Mushkin and Corsair have some excellent kits suitable for overclocking. Listed in my own order of preference.

    If you're looking for a good WC pump I have an unused one for sale in the FS Comp/Hardware section.


  • Hosted Moderators Posts: 18,115 ✭✭✭✭ShiverinEskimo


    OCZ seem to be the ram of choice for money-laden overclockers around. if your getting 2gigs expect to pay around the 300 euro mark.

    Something like this would prob do the job but wait for someone more 'into' ram to make a suggestion because i'm happy enough with my ****ty twinmos. :)

    http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=316027&cks=PRL


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,804 ✭✭✭Benzino


    WizZard wrote:
    You mean 2gb? :)QUOTE]

    Yeah, my bad:o ,

    I took a look at your wc pump and its looks class. I have to get my wc kit, but if the pump isn't good, i know where to go. Im lokking at the waterchill range at komplett, they seem to have good kits.

    As for the ram, i am willing to spent 300 on it, as i set my budget with getting the FX-57 in mind, and now that i am getting the opteron, i am saving a little under 800 euro:) , so i don't spendng that much on ram. Anyway, games these days eat up ram.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,762 ✭✭✭WizZard


    That's a nice set of RAM you chose, Shiverin.
    @OP: You'll need high bandwidth RAM since you'll be pushing the FSB high to get the max out of you Opteron. The 144 has a 9x multi, and to run that RAM @ 1:1 (best) your FSB would be 250, giving you a CPU GHz speed of ~2.25GHz

    That RAM will probably go higher (perhaps 260Mhz FSB) but you'd have to loosen the timings. That still only leaves a CPU GHz speed of ~2.4GHz.
    To run the RAM on a divider (e.g. 4:5) means that it's not going to perform as well (small-medium percentage difference) but you can get a higher speed out of your CPU. If you would settle for 1gb (depending on your needs) you can get RAM that would run at 300MHz (PC4800) FSB with no problems = 2.7GHz CPU, and possibly higher.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,804 ✭✭✭Benzino


    A mate of mine who knows alot more about ram then i do pointed out these xms
    http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=313461&cks=PRL


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,762 ✭✭✭WizZard


    That's what I have, but they are only good for those speeds up to 218MHz FSB.
    After that the timings have to become looser. good RAM though.

    I would advise the kit that ShiverinEskimo chose, or the Platinum version of that OCZ kit (although they're impossible to find for sale).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,279 ✭✭✭DemonOfTheFall


    Waterchill are supposed to be fairly crappy. Check out the swiftech apex ultra kit on www.overclockers.co.uk. Seems to be the best bang for the buck going. Doesn't require any case modding to install either.


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