Upgrading E4300 - better performance AND more efficient?

Jordan · Post by **Jordan** » Fri May 01, 2009 9:23 am

I currently have an E4300 and while my system is just a web browser 90% of the time, I am a web designer and need extra power on tap for Illustrator, Photoshop etc.

Can I upgrade the CPU and still have better idle temps/power draw? E7500? E8400? Lower idle power draw is most important to me. When I'm doing web design I usually have music playing anyway!

My other concern is that I need a new Motherboard for the newer cores. I currently love the fan controller on my Gigabyte DS3. I only have one fan: a rear 120mm Nexus (fanless PSU, too) and with the DS3 it rarely ever even comes on. Do current Gigabyte boards have such great fan control?

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:17 am

E7x00 or E8x00 is very good choice if your motherboard supports them. Since you need pretty heavy CPU powers and depending on your motherboard Quad's are limited or not an option... Is the E8400-E8600 more than wonderful choice.

Photoshop would benefit from Quadcore though...

Edit:
My Gigabyte AMD fan control sucks. It barely gets 7V on Voltage control and in PWM control 400-1500 rpm PWM fan span 1100-1200 rpm's when my 4850e was idle!

But in my DS3L fan control is wonderful! My 1200 RPM S-flex on Xigmatek spins around 400-500 rpm's in idle or web surfing... And my 1200 rpm Slipstream as case fan is around 850 - 980 rpm's on low use and virtually inaudiable.

So I think in Intel side Gigabyte's fan control is just fine. Not that much on AMD side.

Post by **CA_Steve** » Fri May 01, 2009 11:22 am

DS3 is just a model suffix..what's the full model number/which chipset?
P965, P35?

Chances are, you can just flash the BIOS to the current version and pop the new CPU in.

Illustrator and Photoshop make use of quad cores. You could go with a low TDP, lower clock rate Quad and get the biggest oomph for the power consumed. e4300 TDP is 65W. The current crop of 45nm quad cores have 65-95W TDPs.

Jordan · Post by **Jordan** » Sat May 02, 2009 3:47 am

It's P965, earlier rev and won't take newer chips - I checked - even with a flash and/or by OCing.

I believe the EP Gigabyte boards are the ones with extra power saving features also? Again, mine is not one of these

DAve_M · Post by **DAve_M** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:46 am

Isn't E4300 fast enough as it is? Will cost quite a chunk of money to upgrade. If you can wait several months for the prices to drop, then you can switch to a core i7 system. Now that upgrade will be noticeable.

Post by **CA_Steve** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:01 am

Bummer. Asus updated their P965 Bios to accept the newer CPUID's...hence my upgrade from e4300 (OC'ed) to e8400 in the P5B-E.

The EP version of the boards may save a few watts. The UD version with 2 oz copper runs lower temps. Given your usage the EP43-UDL3 or the EP45-UDL3would meet your needs. Looks like the P965 and P45 TDP's are about the same.

Note: CS2 doesn't benefit from 4 cores....CS3 is borderline, but CS4 does speed up with 4 cores. Here's a handy CS4 benchmark.

fyleow · Post by **fyleow** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:22 pm

Actually the Gigabyte P965 DS3 does support some of the newer chips. I'm using an E7200 with mine right now and it's fine even though the website says otherwise.