# AMD Phenom II X2 545 or AMD Athlon II X2 250



## abhinavc (Nov 14, 2009)

Hi all, 
I can't seem to decide between the above 2 processors. What i want is a processor that would be fast for general computing without being an overkill. I am not designing a gaming rig. But playing/processing media should happen quickly enough. 

On the face of it, there isn't that much difference between the two. 
1. Athlon is $14 cheaper on newegg ($76 vs $90) 
2. Benchmark numbers on cpu-world.com are within 5% on most tests (Phenom is always faster) except in: 
a. 3-4 tests where Phenom is faster by 8-12%
b. one test (PCMark2002 Memory Score) where Phenom is faster by 58%

Below is my list of what I see as the relative pros and cons. 

Pros for Athlon
----------------
1. Lower TDP (65W vs 80W for phenom) 
2. Possibly lower cost motherboards (i haven't checked this though). 

Pros for Phenom
------------------
1. 6MB of L3 cache. 
2. Newer line of processors - sounds cooler. 
3. More future-proof (?) 

Therein lies my problem. I don't know whether any of my reasons for choosing one over the other are good enough. Hence, if you have any new insights that would help me break the deadlock, then that would be a great help. 

Thanks
Abhinav.


----------



## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Actually those two are both socket AM3 and will fit the same boards.

The real deciding factor will be your intended use. Present games don't fully utilize multi-cores yet, so you will see little if any performance boost with a quad core proc over a dual, all other factors the same. 
Multi-tasking processor intensive programs such as photoshop and cad/drafting progs will perform better with a quad.


----------



## abhinavc (Nov 14, 2009)

Thanks gcavan.. But the 2 processors i mentioned are both dual-core (the phenom one is quad-core with 2 cores disabled). i have no intention of overclocking the cpu or unlocking the locked cores... hence, for me the comparison is between 2 dual cores... 

so, how do i decide between the two? put differently, which one would you pick and why?


----------



## ebackhus (Apr 21, 2005)

It's a hard call for me. I like the L3 cache on the Phenom but the lower TDP on the Athlon is also very inviting. With adequate cooling the higher TDP of the the Phenom can be justified by the extra performance of the L3.


----------



## abhinavc (Nov 14, 2009)

Thanks ebackhus... 
As gcavan said, the two processors would fit on the same motherboard.. So, i guess i will try the phenom first.. The L3 cache is attractive... but if i find that the cooling fan kicks in a little too much because of the higher TDP, then i can always switch to the athlon...


----------

