how is this cpu? Intel p4 3.2 ghz HT LGA 775...?

[bball_1523]

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819116197

it's an intel p4 HT 3.2 ghz LGA 775.

I want a processor that will let me make/record music and play some games (I'm not a gaming freak that plays half life 2 at full graphics/speed for 24 hours). I wouldn't mind playing games like Morrowind, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (when it comes out), sims 2, rollercoaster tycoon 3, sim city 4, and sometimes half-life 2, haha. I am not worried about full graphics support and I run stuff at 1024x768 resolution on my current pc anyways (maybe one resolution higher wouldn't hurt). I would want good enough graphics and good speeds of course.

I do not know a whole lot about processors yet since I am still researching about it.

I have some questions thought:

- I have heard people talking about how their processors heat up. What is the ideal temperature? What is the avg. temp when people play games and run music software like Cubase SX or Pro Tools?
- since the processors heat up, what is the ideal number of fans, and what type of fans are needed?
- How loud does this processor get and how do I reduce the sound it creates and/or what is the ideal loudness preferred by you guys?
- what type of motherboard would go perfectly with this cpu?
- anything else I should know?

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by bball_1523 I want a processor that will let me make/record music and play some games

That cpu is fast enough for these applications, great cpu.

Originally Posted by bball_1523 I have heard people talking about how their processors heat up. What is the ideal temperature? What is the avg. temp when people play games and run music software like Cubase SX or Pro Tools?

Under a load you should see temps around 60 degrees Celsius at the highest with the retail heat sink.

Originally Posted by bball_1523 since the processors heat up, what is the ideal number of fans, and what type of fans are needed?

For cooling I would recommend two case fans to get good air flow through the case.

Originally Posted by bball_1523 How loud does this processor get and how do I reduce the sound it creates and/or what is the ideal loudness preferred by you guys?

The processor should not make any noise at all The noise comes from the fan attached to the cpu. The retail cpu fans at not that loud and other fans in your computer are probably going to be louder.

Originally Posted by bball_1523 what type of motherboard would go perfectly with this cpu?

This really depends on what you need. I would go with an Asus board with an Intel chipset. However, I need to know what type of video card you are planning on getting (PCI-E or AGP), the type of RAM you are planning on getting (DDR or DDR2), how many RAM slots you need, etc...

Originally Posted by bball_1523 anything else I should know?

Playing video games is all about the video card!!!! If you have a 3.2 GHz cpu and a 64-bit FX5200 video card you will not be able to play video games. If you have a 2 GHz cpu and a 6600GT you will be able to play most video games today at high settings.

[kram 2.0]

The link doesn't work - you copied and pasted it out of another post.

I'm presuming you have the Intel Pentium 4 540J? If so, you should be able to play games fine with this - it's a fine CPU.

Here's a rule of thumb - don't worry about the temperature, especially with Intel CPUs. Intel has a built-in mechanism (Thermal Monitor 1) that automatically downclocks your processor should the CPU temperature be dangerously high. You should sense the downclock when it happens. Generally speaking though, anything under 70C should be fair game.

You won't need more fans than the ones they provide, and the ones that come with your case. Intel has a rather effective HSF for its Prescott Core Processors, which will work fine. Generally speaking, one blowing in and one blowing out of the case should work.

The processor itself doesn't make noise - it's the HSF. It might get loud, as does most HSFs. How loud does it get? That's hard to convey.

The Asus P5GD1 Motherboard is a good choice.

If heat is something that you are really concerned about, you might consider the Intel P4 630 - trade off 200Mhz of clockspeed for a doubled Level Two Cache (2MB). With Intel SpeedStep, which downclocks when idle, it should be running cooler for the most part. Of course, it'll be the same as the P4 540J/530J on load.

kram

[bball_1523]

sorry about the link, I fixed it!

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819116197

It's a Intel P4 640

[xxBAFOWxx]

retail cpu fans are LOUD in my opinion. if the room is quiet. it gets really annoying, atleast for me.

I have a zalman heatsink/fan, what a relief, dont remember what model, but i think all the zalmans go for silence.

$35 to $50