AMD Price Cuts

[MiRai]

AMD has apparently quietly cut prices on their CPUs:

http://techreport.com/discussions.x/22863

(I realize it's not necessary a "hardware" question but, hardware-related news)

[lonerider]

WOW... and I just bought my 8120 a couple weeks ago LOL. Anyway, not regretting my purchase for one bit... turns out Bulldozers are great WHEN you are using all cores (ie. Multiboxing 5-10 toons) and overclocking them (lots of headroom, I OCed to 4.1Ghz vs. stock 3.1Ghz AND undervolting by -0.025V) as long as you are using a good aftermarket HSF. (check some comments I posted on the other thread).

Amazon price check 8150 still a bit high, however the 8120 should OC just as well:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FX-8120-8-Core-Edition-Processor/dp/B005UBNKZG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335551500&sr=8-3

Pair it up with a good Motherboard and this cooler:
http://slickdeals.net/f/4239112-Amazon-Thermaltake-Frio-CLP0564-CPU-Cooler-36-99-After-15-00-Rebate

[MiRai]

WOW... and I just bought my 8120 a couple weeks ago LOL. Anyway, not regretting my purchase for one bit... turns out Bulldozers are great WHEN you are using all cores (ie. Multiboxing 5-10 toons) and overclocking them (lots of headroom, I OCed to 4.1Ghz vs. stock 3.1Ghz AND undervolting by -0.025V) as long as you are using a good aftermarket HSF. (check some comments I posted on the other thread).

Amazon price check 8150 still a bit high, however the 8120 should OC just as well:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FX-8120-8-Core-Edition-Processor/dp/B005UBNKZG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335551500&sr=8-3

Pair it up with a good Motherboard and this cooler:
http://slickdeals.net/f/4239112-Amazon-Thermaltake-Frio-CLP0564-CPU-Cooler-36-99-After-15-00-Rebate
I did refrain from posting in your other thread because no one has a direct comparison as to how each processor works when side-by-side with identical multiboxing load. You were coming from a Q6600 so anything you would have purchased would have been a day and night comparison. I still stand by my Intel recommendation for the time being. ;)

[lonerider]

I would have gone Intel too if I wasn't such a cheapskate and my curiosity as to how the 8-core bulldozers perform with fully utilized cores in a multiboxing environment made me cross the unknown bridge. The majority here (by a wide margin) are Sandy Bridge owners, so no one has really tried out the Bulldozer alternative... and I volunteered myself in. To my pleasant surprise... it all worked out. I'm still in the middle of tweaking my rig, I'm sure I can squeeze another 100Mhz in while still slightly undervolted from stock given that I now have a monster of an HSF.

I'm sure the SB-i7 would still outperform (by a considerable gap) AMD's flagship CPU clock for clock, even if BD has more physical cores. But would it be worth around $100 more (CPU+Motherboard) for a multiboxer's rig now that the 8150 has dropped in price (even $150 for the 8120)?

[Ughmahedhurtz]

I certainly hope this puts additional pressure on Intel to get faster/cheaper. ;)

[lonerider]

For anyone who is building/upgrading a new multiboxing rig: If you could save $150 for buying an FX-8120 over an i7-2600K (with a motherboard combo), you could spend that savings on a decent video card. For example, for $50 more, you could get this (which should support 3 displays):

http://slickdeals.net/f/4280588-Sapphire-Radeon-HD-6950-2GB-GDDR5-PCI-Video-Card-11188-22-20G-Dirt3-Gaming-Coupon-200-Free-Shipping-Starts-4-30
(you'll have to get a miniDP-DVI or HDMI adapter which should be under $20 for your 3rd LCD screen)

$150 goes a long way.

[lonerider]

I certainly hope this puts additional pressure on Intel to get faster/cheaper. ;)

I doubt Intel would be dropping their pricing in the near future. With all the bad reviews/press that Bulldozer received since release, Intel doesn't see AMD's current lineup as a threat (even if AMD dropped pricing a little bit). They just see it as a logical move for AMD in anticipation for IvyB's release. There are indepth reviews out there that explore Bulldozer's main strength, which is crunching heavily threaded apps & multitasking (Multiboxing happens to be heavy multitasking). Just not a lot of people are interested in that aspect of CPUs (however).

[ebony]

when they come down in the Uk i might get my paws on one at am going from a old 1055t to a FX 8 that would be a nice test. more on the 10boxing line as well :).

[lonerider]

Huge price drop on the FX-8150 CPU now that Ivy Bridge is out:
http://www.amazon.com/AMD-FX-8150-8-Core-Edition-Processor/dp/B005UBNLFK/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1335913089&sr=1-2

Very good performance/performance review for the i5-IB:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2012/05/01/intel-core-i5-3570k-cpu-review/8

It's approx $25 more than the FX-8150... http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-3570K-Processor-BX80637I53570K/dp/B007SZ0E1K/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1335913237&sr=1-1

Pairing up with a motherboard also affects overall upgrade/build price.