Fall Processor Pricing - Finding the Best Bang for the Buck

Date: September 5, 2008 - Author: Rob Williams

If pondering an upgrade, the time to purchase a new processor is now. Both AMD and Intel are offering a great collection of models that fit all budgets, and we take a look to find the best options available. Whether it's a Dual-Core or Quad-Core you're after, there's undoubtedly a model that fits nicely into your price range and won't let you down.

Introduction

It's not too often you'll overhear someone saying, "It's a horrible time to think about purchasing a new processor", because lately, there's not too many occasions where that might be the case. Both AMD and Intel have a good selection of processors available right now, and neither company has any notable releases right around the corner that should halt you from picking up a new model now.

But, there's a caveat. If you are someone who doesn't mind throwing half a wallet's worth of bills at a new processor, then Intel's Nehalem is going to be worth waiting for. There's been no official launch date given, but rumors are speculating it will happen between mid-October and early November, so it's something to bear in mind. However, whereas a nice CPU upgrade now will cost you a few hundred dollars at most, Nehalem will undoubtedly cost you more.

Intel hasn't made known what Core i7 processor will be released first, but if history is anything to go by, it will be the Extreme Edition, priced at $999. Past that, two more models will be released, the lowest being priced at around $316 per 1,000 units. How long the secondary CPUs will take to launch after the initial EE, or whether or not all three will launch at once, we'll have to wait and see.

Besides the CPU itself, though, Core i7 uses a new socket-type, LGA1366, which means you'll need a brand-new motherboard and CPU cooler. Luckily, the new platform sticks with DDR3, so if you have any of that kicking around currently, you should have no problem carrying them on over. As with any brand-new architecture launch, I wouldn't expect any of the launch hardware to be inexpensive, and in the end, upgrading to Nehalem will cost more than just the CPU. Minus the graphic cards, it's almost like building a completely new system.

How about getting on with it?

Alright, this article isn't about Nehalem, but it's important to bring up since it really is just around the corner. For those who aren't afraid to spend some money, I'd highly recommend holding off on a new CPU purchase, as we've found out in the past many times over that it's more than likely going to be worth the wait.

If I said we haven't written "many" buyer's guides in the past, I'd be lying, because we've done none, save for holiday guides. Over the past year, we've had a few requests to begin implementing them, and we thought it would be a good idea to take the requests to heart and see how well-received such articles would be. You can be sure that this will not be the last buyer's guide we do, and we could continue along with other product-types as well, should there be further interest.

Our choice for recommended CPUs are based off of our expertise. We stalk new CPU releases, benchmark them the life out of them in our labs and also keep a close eye on pricing, as is evident by our news section. Because of the sheer number of processors available on the market, we don't include all of them here, but rather pick different models are varying price-ranges that seem to make the most sense. We'll cover the low-end, mid-range and high-end, making sure to cover every type of customer out there. We will not be including the extreme low-end, however, such as anything under $100.

'High-End' might be the wrong term to use in this buyer's guide, since neither AMD nor Intel have true high-end products at their disposal. Intel does have a semi-high-end model on the market, but I'll touch base on the next page on why it is not wise right now to go that route.

In order to find the best pricing available for each of the processors mentioned within, we took a trip around various e-tailers to compare, beginning with what's likely to be the most popular among enthusiasts, NewEgg. Throughout the guide, many of the prices and model names that are URLs will bring you to our internal Pricegrabber shopping engine, which helps support the site if you choose to use it. We thank you in advance if you do choose to do so.

With that all said, let's jump right into our look at current Intel processors on the market, and what we recommend.

Intel Processor Pricing

I mentioned earlier that it's rare to find a bad time to buy a CPU, and luckily for you, that rare time is not right now. The selection is huge, especially on the Intel front. Whether or not you want something completely cheap, or really expensive, the choices are there. Dual-Core, Quad-Core? It's your choice, because regardless of what you choose, you are likely to wind up with a power-efficient, yet powerful CPU.

There are a few things to bear in mind though, because lately, the Intel scene has shifted a bit, and if you are not keeping up with things, it's easy to fall prey to a deal that's not really a deal. Whenever Intel releases a new CPU, e-tailers and retailers don't stop selling the old ones. Funny still, some of the older ones even cost more than the new ones. It's ironic, but not uncommon.

Take the QX9650 3.0GHz, for example. It was just replaced by the Q9650, a chip that comes in with identical specs, minus the unlocked multiplier. The difference is that the Q9650 costs close to half, as you can see in the chart below. There is -no- difference between the two, except for the multiplier, so as it stands now, the QX9650 is a CPU that should never be considered, unless all you care about is achieving the highest possible overclock, and I doubt many would find that premium to be worthy.

On the budget Quad-Core side, we have two great candidates, the 'old-school' Q6600, which comes in at 2.4GHz and also the brand-new Q8200, a member of the 45-nm family. The former chip is one of the first Quad-Cores to come out, so it lacks a few things that 45nm offers, such as the SSE4 instruction set, but it's still one heck of a chip. For the asking price, it's less than $50 a core, so the multi-tasking ability / $ ratio has never been so good.

Our Intel Top Picks

Below are two tables, one Quad-Core, the other Dual-Core. All chips listed are models that Intel still includes in their roadmap and have not yet discontinued. Just because some are there, though, doesn't mean they make any real sense to purchase. Even though Intel still prices older 65nm Dual-Cores, they're all priced higher than equivalent 45nm Dual-Cores that are better in every regard.

You'll also note that some processors are priced exactly the same, such as the Q9550 and Q9450, and also the E8400 and E8200. It pays to keep a close eye on things.

In both sets of graphs, you'll notice a few of the models are actually URLs. Clicking those will lead you straight to our review to that particular model.

Because Intel has so many different models hanging around, it can be a tough chore picking one out. You first need to know whether or not you want a Quad-Core or Dual-Core. To purchase a Quad-Core would be future-proofing your PC to an extent, since newer games are beginning to support multi-threading. Aside from that, Quad-Cores open up better multi-tasking capabilities, as long as the rest of your system matches (4GB+ of RAM, fast hard drives). It becomes especially beneficial if you use multi-threaded multimedia applications, like video encoders and the like, since the speedups can be huge.

Still, with the advent of Quad-Cores, Dual-Cores still have their place for those who value raw speed over multi-threading. If you simply don't need huge multi-tasking capabilities or require the use of multi-threading in many of your applications, the raw speed of a Dual-Core probably will offer more benefit. Dual-Cores by nature are faster than their Quad-Core big brothers, but cost far less, understandably.

"The Big Spender"

If you have money to spend, your only option is a Quad-Core. What you'll get will be a blazing fast piece of silicon that offers great multi-tasking capability and huge benefits with your threaded applications. Unless you are looking to build a full-blown Skulltrail machine, the best choice for the big spender would of course be the Q9650, which features identical specs to the much-more-expensive QX9650, which was released last fall. It features a 3.0GHz clock speed, 12MB of L2 cache and everything else that makes 45nm CPUs so great, most notably the SSE4 instruction set, which really makes a difference in video encoding apps if you are using one that can take advantage.

For those with a little more modest outlook, the best mid-range offering would have to be the Q9550. This chip was released not long ago, and at 2.83GHz, it's almost as fast as the Q9650, but costs a few hundred dollars less. Like the bigger model, it also features 12MB of L2 cache, so really, you are not missing much... just the 170MHz (ahem, which could be gained back with 'overclocking', quite easily). If you want all the best of what Yorkfields offer, then the Q9550 should be your cut-off point, since the lower models cut the L2 cache effectively in half. The price difference between the Q9450 and Q9550 is about $5, so it's a no-brainer. The extra 170MHz should be worth it.

"The Modest Spender"

But what if you do want to go the 'half-cache' route? Since cache doesn't make a huge difference to those not running intensive multimedia applications, scaling down even further might do a body good. The Q8200 is definitely worth consideration if you want a Quad-Core processor that in no way should break the bank. The price of that CPU currently hovers around $260, and in all honesty, that feels like a freaking steal, especially when looking back to what our options were just one year ago.

At 2.33GHz, the CPU is admittedly modest, but we are dealing with four cores, great power efficiency and a fast front-side-bus. If you have some overclocking ambition, there's little doubt that this CPU could easily hit the same speeds as the Q9450. You'll always be missing out on the extra L2 cache, but the speed boost will be there.

Where Dual-Cores are concerned, it's almost impossible to make a bad choice. It really depends on what you are willing to spend, because as it is, it's only $100 that separates the low-end from the high-end. Our two favorites are the E8400 and E7200, because each one caters to a different audience perfectly... those who want the ultimate speed and those who want an affordable chip that still manages to feel powerful.

The E8400 is essentially the Q9650, but cut in half. It offers the same speeds, half the cache, and a smaller power envelope. As evidenced in our review, it also packs some incredible overclocking potential. The same goes for the E7200, except it's stock speed is cut down to 2.53GHz and it's cache is again cut in half, equivalent to a fourth of what the higher-end Quad-Cores offer. It definitely ranks as my highest recommended chip if you want a Dual-Core that really stretches your dollar.

AMD Processor Pricing

On the last page, you might have noticed something. You guessed it. It was long. That's what happens when Intel is completely dominating the marketplace though, and while AMD has just a handful of chips up for grabs, Intel has at least twice as many. One way to look at it is... if you are on the lookout for an AMD CPU, the choice is made twice as easy. Maybe.

Yes, it's no secret that AMD has been having a rough few years, ever since Intel unleashed Core to the world. Since then, AMD has been unable to step back up to the plate and hit a home run. That's not to say their products are not worth paying attention to. It's just that Intel has been kicking AMD repeatedly, and while down, they've been unable to push out a product that really puts Intel in their place. Their ATI division managed to do this to NVIDIA, so (hopefully) it's only a matter of time before AMD can do the same with their processors.

At this point in time, the main reason someone might choose AMD over Intel would be because... it's not Intel. AMD's products are sufficient, but Intel's are more power-efficient, faster clock-for-clock and also features some improved instruction sets, such as my beloved SSE4. Their lower-end options are worth attention though, because for around the $100 mark, you can get some very nice tri-core action.

So let's take a look at the main AMD offerings today, shall we?

You might notice the lack of Dual-Cores here, and there's a reason for that. The goal I had in mind when creating this article was to not go under $100, because in all honesty, any current CPU you get for the >$100 price range is going to be suitable. Plus, recent AMD price drops have made all their tri-core and higher models even more attractive.

Case-in-point: X3 8450. This triple-core processor is currently selling for $102.00 at NewEgg, at the time of writing. It's the slowest of the multi-core processors AMD has in their lot, but for $102, it's hard to go wrong. The CPU is also power efficient as far as AMD CPUs go, and given it has three cores, it does open up the multi-tasking potential a bit.

Aside from the X3 8450, the choice gets a bit easier. Just get an X4 9950 Black Edition. Sure, it might be AMD's most expensive offering right now, but the difference between it and the other Quad-Cores is minimal... four dollars at most, thanks to these new price drops. It makes no sense to go with anything but.

The X4 9950 is the overclocking chip from AMD, but clocked at 2.6GHz, it doesn't really have to be. At the current $179.99 going price, it's $10 cheaper than Intel's Q6600, plus... it might just be a bit faster. It in no way will be as overclockable as the Q6600, but for those who think overclocking is a waste of time, there's no bother.

So there you have it. It's kind of bizarre that there are only two real choices here, but that does make things a lot simpler, so who's to complain? AMD might not be at the top of their game, but both the X3 8450 and X4 9950 Black Edition are great choices if you are an AMD fan. The former is extremely inexpensive, while still offering better multi-tasking capability over a Dual-Core, and the Black Edition CPU matches up great with Intel's Q6600, but still manages to cost less. It's good to see such great price-points from AMD, but I think everyone else is with me in that we're dying to see something threaten Intel.

Final Thoughts

Indeed, it's a great time to be thinking about a processor purchase, regardless of what side of the fence you are on. Both AMD and Intel have great choices at modest price-ranges, especially AMD, and interestingly enough, there is no real 'high-end' processor right now... not at least until Nehalem hits.

This is the first price guide we've ever really done, and if you like what you see, or hate what you see, please feel free to post in our related forum thread (no registration required) and let us know what you liked or didn't like. We're always up for suggestions as well, so please don't keep those to yourself!