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Thread ID: 86561 2008-01-21 01:00:00 SATA2 vs SATA and E6600 vs X2 6400+ KiwiTT_NZ (233) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
632318 2008-01-21 01:00:00 While strongly considering a T61p laptop (nearly $4,000), I have been exploring the option of another desktop to replace my XP 1800.

I have been doing some price comparisons with www.tls.co.nz (3 year warranty and good service experience) and note that the X6400+ ASUS boards come with SATA2 and the E6700/E6600 come with only SATA.

For about $2,800, I can get a X2 6400+ and SATA II or E6700 and SATA I

All other things being equal. i.e. N8800GTS, 320 GB SATAII HDD. I'll need to get a new LCD as well.

Is SATA II worth it over SATA and I note that the performance difference between the E6700 and X2 6400+ is minimal according to some test sites.
KiwiTT_NZ (233)
632319 2008-01-21 01:15:00 Hi, I doubt you would notice any difference between SATA 1 & 2, as to the CPU, the Intel CPU has vastly greater potential than the AMD chip. SolMiester (139)
632320 2008-01-21 02:09:00 I think you'll find that those E6700/E6600 compatible boards do support SATA2. LiquidSolidity (1589)
632321 2008-01-21 02:10:00 6400+ is more or less equal to an E6600 in many benchmarks, and for future-proofing, pick Intel so you can get upgrade the CPU later on while keeping the same motherboard.

I don't believe that a Core 2 Duo motherboard doesn't support SATA2 interface. I think it does.
qazwsxokmijn (102)
632322 2008-01-21 02:15:00 Thanks for the SATA info guys. As to the AMD vs Intel debate and future proofing, I note the AM2+ board will take the new Phenom processor, if I so desire.

In addition, the best upgrade has always been more RAM or more GPU power then more CPU. If you have a Windows 32-bit OS you are really limited to what you do for RAM, but a new GPU is always on the cards, later.
KiwiTT_NZ (233)
632323 2008-01-21 03:39:00 Phenoms perform lower than Intel's slowest quad core, the Q6600. WHile AMD's cheapest quad core at 2.2GHz is at $305 and Intel's Q6600 at $383, the better performance from the Q6600 is worth the $78 extra. And remember you'd have the Intel motherboard that can support later Intel CPUs.

And yes, the best upgrade is usually more RAM or a new GPU, but you are also choosing a CPU, and I think it's wise to pick Intel for now.
qazwsxokmijn (102)
632324 2008-01-21 20:43:00 Phemon cpu's currently available have a bug which causes them to progressively reduce performance.....Personally, I would rather get a penryn quad core, 4ghz on air is DOUBLE the speed\performance of Phemon SolMiester (139)
632325 2008-01-22 00:38:00 Thanks Guys. These interesting trends have put me off buying the T61p and getting myself a decent LCD and decent PC. I'll hang on to my old T41. KiwiTT_NZ (233)
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