CPU Upgrade Time

[GatorChamp]

So doing a few upgreads. Just or got my Hyperx SSD, ordered a Storm Stryker case and am starting to look at CPUs. I have two questions. First, from a purely gaming perspective, am I correct in my understanding that the FX-8350 is the best AMD has to offer in gaming. Also I would note that my only concern for my CPU with games is StarCraft 2 as everything else I really play is more GPU focused (that upgreade will come later this year). So if there is some AMD CPU that is performing betting in SC2 for some reason please, point to it

Second, and I tried to answer this on my own, what, if any, is the different between having a CPU that has L2 cache of 8MB vs L2 cache of 4 x 2MB.

Thanks in advance.

 

[trents]

I hope you are also planning to upgrade your ram to 1866 mhz or else you will be throttling the FX 8 core CPU.

I think your question about the cache needs some more refinement before we can answer it. For one thing are you talking about the cache configuration when implemented on the same number of cores? Can you give us a real life example of two CPUs that have the cache configured in the way you are asking the question? In general, if two CPU have the same number of cores and the same total amount of L2 cache then how that cache is implemented will have a dramatic effect on performance. But you didn't even ask about L3 cache for some reason.

 

[woboy]

Overclocked, whether 8350 or 8320 should be preferred provokes many arguments. My feeing is the 8350 is "better" but only a feeling.
Suspect L2 answer is two descriptions of same.

 

[RGone]

a CPU that has L2 cache of 8MB = Shared cache betweenk the cores.

a CPU that has L2 cache of 4 x 2MB = 2MB not shared between the cores.

 

[GatorChamp]

Thanks for the info gents. Sorry for the slow response, got swamped with work. Firstly yes, I will be upgrading the memory. The L2 question came from looking at the 8150 and the 8350. I didnt ask anything about the L3 because they are the same. Newegg has the 8150 with 8mb L2 Cache and the 8350 with 4 x 2mb.