$1k 7950 CFX Build

[psurg]

Hi. It's been two years since my last build. Here's my new one.

I chose AMD hardware because the next gen consoles are using amd and there is a lot of hype saying this will benefit amd PC hardware.

I chose two 7950s because I believe that it is the best bang for buck at $200 + $200.

I put in the fx 8320 because Battlefield 4 uses 8-cores and that's what I'm currently looking forward to playing, however, I'm not sure how useful 8-cores will be in other games. But, check out this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4et7kDGSRfc) comparing the 3570k to the 8350(not 8320) and you'll see the 8350 stacking up pretty well against the 3570k. Better or worse in some games. I plan on overclocking both graphics cards and the CPU.

It is $1012 after rebates, taxes, and shipping.

I already have a 24" 1920x1080 IPS with a portrait 1050x1680, G400 mouse, and a keyboard with blue switches, and all other necessary peripherals.

 

[Jaydip]

The problem is AMD is light years behind Intel in IPC.If you are building from scratch it is best to go with 4670K.

 

[psurg]

The problem is AMD is light years behind Intel in IPC.If you are building from scratch it is best to go with 4670K.

I don't want to increase my budget anymore. I can go down to two 7850s for $140 each and overclock them. Then I could also get a 620W seasonic M12II to save another $55.

 

[Jaydip]

Why not grab a single card for now?

 

[lehtv]

In games that either depend on a small number of cores and/or are particularly CPU heavy, you're seriously crippling your dual 7950's potential. It would've been much better to go with i5-4670K and just one graphics card for now, and maybe include an SSD in the build. Worst case scenario (dual 7970's):

I'm not convinced that an FX-8350 will handle the cards in Battlefield all that well, despite having eight cores. Here are some BF3 64-player conquest benches comparing different CPUs, the GPU used is a 6990: http://www.sweclockers.com/artikel/14650-prestandaanalys-battlefield-3/5

I don't want to increase my budget anymore. I can go down to two 7850s for $140 each and overclock them. Then I could also get a 620W seasonic M12II to save another $55.

That would make no sense. A single 7950 or 7970 is a much better pick than two 7850's. Almost double the performance but no crossfire woes, lower power consumption, fewer slots used, just overall a better experience. http://www.anandtech.com/bench/product/508?vs=549

 

[psurg]

I made this lower budget build since 7850s/7950s in crossfire won't end well in with that CPU and crossfire still has problems. I just can't raise my budget to get the i5 with a nice motherboard. The total is $684 (not including the SSD I own)

http://postimg.org/image/ubjzp7301/full/

What I'm expecting of the PC:
-OC 7950 to 1100Mhz
-No CPU overclock since it's a budget motherboard and I may not need to for one 7950
-Going to pop in a SATA III 60gb SSD to run win7 or win8 and Battlefield 4
-I'm hoping to play Battlefield 4 on High/No AA/1080p/60FPS.
-No headaches


The motherboard isn't actually $40. That's after a $40 or $50 discount for bundling it with the CPU.

 

[mfenn]

That seems like a pretty reasonable setup to me. There's a few small tweaks that you can make to save a few bucks:

- Case: Change to the Corsair 200R for $40 AR. Higher quality, newer design for $10 less
- PSU: Change to the Corsair 650TX for $50 AR. You lose the modularity, but that is worth saving $30 IMHO. A modular PSU might save you a little work, but the 200R has plenty of room to route cables and it's a one time thing anyway.
- GPU: The original XFX DD cooler is one of the worst of its generation. I'd grab this Powercolor 7950 for $190 AR instead.

 

[lehtv]

Case: what mfenn said
PSU: what mfenn said
GPU: the Powercolor card lacks VRM heatsinks from what I've read. Sapphire 7950 $190 AR
RAM: Corsair 1x8GB 1600MHz $60 AR

I would not get the FX-8320 because still few games support so many cores. Either get an FX-6300 with a board that can OC it, or an i5-4670K combo. I don't see there being any reasonable in-between choice for a gaming PC. With the above savings, I think a 4670K is completely reasonable.

FX-6300 + Asrock 970 Extreme4 $170

OR

FX-6300 + Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 $197 AR

OR

4670K + MSI Z87-G41 $265

Optional (for OC): 212 Evo $30 @MC or Thermalright HR-02 Macho $50 @ amazon