First budget gaming build: Intel or AMD...?

[Insert_Nickname]

It won't be much cheaper, if any, if you have to get a good overclocking motherboard, and an aftermarket CPU heatsink and fan. Once you have to start increasing the voltage (3.9-4.1GHz or so, typically, if memory serves), the stock cooler will be risky, and it will put more stress on the motherboard voltage regulation.

Changing Insert_Nickname's build to use an i3-3220, Radeon HD 7750, and 1TB HDD, but no SSD, I came to 3476 kr.
Same case
Same PSU
Same RAM
ASRock B75M-GL R 2.0, the next model up
WD 1TB HDD, but no SSD
Club 3D Radeon HD 7750 1GB
SH-224BB DVD burner

I like it. You don't really need an SSD for a gaming PC. But an 840 128GB at 697DKK seemed too good to pass up... 😀

Please correct me if I am wrong, but from this review, it seems like even though the I3-2100 is better than the Phenom II X4 965BE (970 in the review), the difference is very small..
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/...core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20

I guess that what I getting to is, that I don't think it worth paying 50% extra for a 10% performance increase.. Would do it, if I was building a top tier system, but as I am on a budget, I have to keep an eye on the performance/price ratio..

If you're going AMD, I highly recommend an FX6300/6350(depending on pricing). The older Phenoms are getting a little long in the tooth. The 6300 is faster overall and has a newer instruction set. Its only around 200,- more expensive and should be able to hit 4-4.2GHz on the stock cooler. Or that's what I've heard (please feel free to correct me).

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/102?vs=699

The AMD alternative:

AMD FX6300 - 870,-
Asrock 970 Pro3 - 527,- Cheapest 900-series board available...
Asrock 970DE3/U3S3 - 481,- Despite the name this board uses the older AMD 770 chipset, which lacks native SATA3 and USB3. It thus relies on lower performance 3rd party controllers to handle those...

I believe electricity is expensive in Denmark.

You got that right. We're paying ~2.25DKK per KWh. That's roughly $0.40 per KWh...

 

[NISB123]

You should consider overall system cost as well. I will use us prices to simplify. The Phenom is about 40.00 cheaper than the i3. In the total cost of the system that is 7%. So you get a 10% gain in performance for 7% percent increase in total system cost. You will also use a lot less power with the i3, and from what other posters have said, I believe electricity is expensive in Denmark.

Well, when you put it like that...

(And yes, electricity is crazy expensive.. We can cover 120% of our electricity needs through our windmill parks, but still, a kWh will cost you 0.35$..)

 

[Sleepingforest]

I wouldn't worry about power consumption too much. The Phenom II X4 consumes about 20W more at idle than the i3-2100 (roughly the same power consumption as the i3-3220). At a rate of 2.25DKK per hour, you're paying 0.045DKK per hour more with the Phenom II build. It takes you about 22 hours of use to save 1DKK at idle.

At full usage, the Phenom consumes about 70W more than the i3. That turns into 0.158DKK more per hour, and it takes 6.35 fully loaded hours to save a DKK.

 

[mfenn]

In gaming especially blizzard games I think an i3 is faster.

I agree 100% here. The SC2 engine is not well threaded at all.

 

[NISB123]

I think I will be going for an Intel build. There are many pros and cons, but you have to decide on one, so...

I won't be going with a I5, as this is simply too expensive. I would like to, but I simply have to keep an eye on expenses..

As I would also like to play other games, such as Portal 2, I would at least like to get a somewhat decent GPU.

So I guess it's gonna be a I3 + a GTX660.

On the other hand... A must say that I am even thinking about going below that build, simply to get a first hand experience on how Dual-core vs Dual-core with HT vs Quad-core performance is.. Should I make a habit of building computers (as a hobby) I would need to know how different processors and GPU perform.. If I go with an I5 and a GTX 690, I'll never experience how, lets say, a G870 and a HD7770 performs, compared to yop tier equipment...

Thank you all for your contribution. I going to do some quick thinking, and then go with one of these builds:

I3-3220
ASRock B75M-GL R2.0
Gigabyte GV-N660OC-2GD (2 GB)
Corsair Vengeance 1 x 4 GB
Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB
Corsair CX430
LiteOn iHAS120
Zalman ZM-T2

or

Pentium G2020
ASRock B75M-GL R2.0
MSI R7770-PMD1GD5
Corsair Vengeance 1 x 4 GB
Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB
Corsair CX430
LiteOn iHAS120
Zalman ZM-T2

Once again, thanks for all the advise and reflections 🙂

 

[Insert_Nickname]

If you can afford it, definitely go with the i3+660. It should be able to handle most games easily. With the G2020+7770, you'd have to turn down a setting or two... 😉

 

[mfenn]

Yeah, the i3 + GTX 660 machine is much faster.