Help me get back to AMD: Phenom x6

[Miramonti]

I need to build a data-crunching computer on pretty short order but I haven't been familiar with Amd/compatible products for years. I absolutely love the idea of a fast, affordable, 6-core processor, and would love to get your feedback and suggestions to get this thing built.

Here's where I'm starting:

Processor:
6-core AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz

I plan to overclock the chip as much as I can with minimal sacrifice in reliability, but will often be using 5-6 cores full stength for possibly days at a time. At some point, I may want to overclock this board more aggressively if I put another processor in it.

Motherboard:
$150 or less (preferably, not more than $175)
Reliability/stable
overclocker friendly
sata: sata3 is nice, not required. esata is nice, not required
networking: I'll probably still use my intel desktop pro 1000 pci-e card
pci-e slots: preferably 2, but 1 is not a deal-breaker (nic, tuner card)

Cpu heatsink:
best <$50
7" clearance for high-rise heatsink
heatsink fan that blows a lot of air (if the heatsink doesn't come with a good fan), have fan controller

Memory:
<$250
6gb or more
stable overclocking is a big plus
>6gb would be very nice as well if in budget

Gaming:
NONE
Will use my vid card
Currently have 8800gs, 384mb

Power Supply: (update: with a max 125w draw for this chip and low draw video card, my NeoH 550w will be fine. thx Rifterut. :thumbsup: )
How big of a power supply do I need for this cpu?
Currently have an Antec NeoH 550w psu and am assuming that's not enough to run 6 cores reliably.
I won't skimp $$ on a psu for reliability, but don't need to pay for modular, etc. <$130 would be nice, <$100 would be nicer, lol.


TIA for helping me to get going on this.

 

[ModestGamer]

I'd wait a few months but you could get ian AM3 board which will be supported with BIOs updates and the newer AMD bulldozer CPu's etc.

also the 8xx chipsets offer alot of features on the am3 socket.

 

[Markfw]

Power supply... My 1090T@3.6 (was @ 4.1 on same PSU) and a 260 GTX video card, both overclocked, and always running 100&#37; load uses this:

http://www.svc.com/ocz700gxssli-b.html

Since I am not thrilled with my motherboard, I will wait and see what others post.

But this looks great ! (one up from mine)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128441

 

[Miramonti]

I'd wait a few months but you could get ian AM3 board which will be supported with BIOs updates and the newer AMD bulldozer CPu's etc.

also the 8xx chipsets offer alot of features on the am3 socket.

Wow after looking up bulldozer, that sounds like a pretty huge processor update for Amd.

This really sucks...now I'm in a bind. Is it pretty certain it's coming out in a few months?

Power supply... My 1090T@3.6 (was @ 4.1 on same PSU) and a 260 GTX video card, both overclocked, and always running 100&#37; load uses this:

http://www.svc.com/ocz700gxssli-b.html

Since I am not thrilled with my motherboard, I will wait and see what others post.

But this looks great ! (one up from mine)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128441

I can't do recertified, but it's nice to see a rec. at such a low price.

So 700w is plenty for 5-6 fulltime loaded cores? How about this one for $54 after $25 rebate?

 

[Rifter]

Depending on GPU a 400w PSU would run a 1090T all day long no problems, its only a 125w chip.

 

[Miramonti]

Depending on GPU a 400w PSU would run a 1090T all day long no problems, its only a 125w chip.

Seriously, with all cores going is only 125w?? That's insane. It would be really nice if I didn't need a psu upgrade.

I've got a gforce 8800gs, 384mb running dual 1600x1200 20" monitors.

 

[Rifter]

yes im serious, the TDP of that chip is 125w. With a 8800gs which is a low draw card you will be 100&#37; fine on a quality 400w PSU.

 

[Miramonti]

yes im serious, the TDP of that chip is 125w. With a 8800gs which is a low draw card you will be 100&#37; fine on a quality 400w PSU.

Great info, thanks. Always nice to get a break sometimes.

 

[superccs]

Just FYI... but I have a 1055t that gets to 4.0Ghz on air and am wondering if the 1090T OC's to a level beyond that which is worth the $100 premium. Just thought I would bring that to your attention, if anyone has comments either way on that topic, that would be helpful.

I can recommend a uATX board if you are not going to use multi gpus as they are generally $20-30 cheaper and yet can still have the same level of quality as the ATX boards. (I am running my x6 with a MSI 890gx uATX board and it OC's very well)

Gskill ram is pretty highly recommended lately DDR3 1600 should do well for OCing.

HSF for CPU...? I have heard nothing bad about Noctua's 120mm fan units, they are premium priced, but they could be the "best". I bought a Arctic Cooling part for $25 that works very well, and is near silent, but but if you have a budget of ~$50 instead you can probably get better.

 

[Miramonti]

Just FYI... but I have a 1055t that gets to 4.0Ghz on air and am wondering if the 1090T OC's to a level beyond that which is worth the $100 premium. Just thought I would bring that to your attention, if anyone has comments either way on that topic, that would be helpful.

I can recommend a uATX board if you are not going to use multi gpus as they are generally $20-30 cheaper and yet can still have the same level of quality as the ATX boards. (I am running my x6 with a MSI 890gx uATX board and it OC's very well)

Gskill ram is pretty highly recommended lately DDR3 1600 should do well for OCing.

HSF for CPU...? I have heard nothing bad about Noctua's 120mm fan units, they are premium priced, but they could be the "best". I bought a Arctic Cooling part for $25 that works very well, and is near silent, but but if you have a budget of ~$50 instead you can probably get better.

Thanks for the tips, all noted. I'm a big gskill fan as well.

I'm really shocked your 1055t oc's to 4ghz on air. I would be elated if I could get that, muchless 3.8ghz. Right now I'm at 4.2ghz on an intel e8600 and need the speed for some important single-threaded apps. I was expecting to lose much more. If I could get 4ghz on the 1090t, I'd probably pay the extra $100 for additional stability at this speed over the 1055t (if that were the case.)

I would love to see what your Cpumark99 score is. It's a single-threaded benchmark app that I've been following thru the years and it has been fairly close in tracking what cpu's can do for my single-threaded number-crunching apps (haven't tried amd cpu's lately tho.) Right now I'm at 610.

cpumark99 (just tested the link, still safe.)

 

[DrMrLordX]

The 1090T is all about the unlocked multiplier. You don't have to have a board that can hit an HTT of 285+ to reach 4 ghz on one. You might save money going with the 1055T, and the 95w 1055T may turn out to be a monster overclocker (or it might not), but about the best way you can ensure a 4 ghz+ OC with an x6 is to just grab the 1090T and be done with it.

For my money, the 95w 1055T is the better buy, but I already have a board that can hit 315+ HTT (I just don't have an x6, boo).

OP, try one of the 8gb G.Skill Ripjaws kits (2x4gb). The DDR3-1333 kit is around $175 from the Egg.

Alternatively, you can get the 4x2gb kits . . . I think you can get up to DDR3-1600 for around $200 doing this, but being stuck with 4 DIMMs may not make you a happy camper, especially if the HSF you pick has RAM clearance issues.

As far as the HSF goes, if you're willing to kick in an extra $10 over your stated budget and buy some aftermarket fans for it, the CoGage Arrow can be had for around $60 (plus cost of fans) depending on where you look. It's a top-notch cooler that can perform very well with some good fans on it.

Alternatively, try a Thermolabs BARAM. It ships with no fans, but it can cool quite well with some strong (read: good static pressure and airflow) fans attached. The BARAM itself will run you about $40-$50 depending on where you get it.

 

[Rhoxed]

Power supply... My 1090T@3.6 (was @ 4.1 on same PSU) and a 260 GTX video card, both overclocked, and always running 100&#37; load uses this:

http://www.svc.com/ocz700gxssli-b.html

Since I am not thrilled with my motherboard, I will wait and see what others post.

But this looks great ! (one up from mine)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128441

This mobo is great, has my 1090T @ 4.2 1.44V 24/7 - can easily reach 350mhz HTT clock (haven't tried higher) I'm about to sleep but if you interested i can post all CPU-Z everest x26 bench ect. tomorrow.

 

[Soulkeeper]

I second the gigabyte recommendation
Ever since abit left the market gigabyte is my new favorite for overclocking and reliability.
I'd recommend spending a little more on the heat sink. Heat sinks are one of the parts that will hold their value best (for the life of the socket). An extra $20 or so for something near the top isn't much.
I like my G.Skill memory. If I were to build a ddr3 system right now i'd try their low voltage offering along with AMD. There can be such a thing as too much intel inside

Good luck!

 

[richierich1212]

Yup go with a gigabyte board.

 

[jvroig]

Seriously, with all cores going is only 125w?? That's insane. It would be really nice if I didn't need a psu upgrade.

Your 550W PSU will still be fine, but just remember that when you OC significantly, especially when voltage is also increased, published TDP becomes meaningless since the TDP shoots up. I say this only because you mentioned wanting to OC as well.

6 cores at 3.3 may be at 125W TDP, but at 4.0 or higher, who knows. If I recall correctly, power consumption can reach or exceed 180W-200W for i7's that have been overclocked to 4.0, well beyond the published TDP for their family.

It's nowhere near anything your 550W PSU can't handle, I am sure, but relying on published TDP during OC scenarios is not the best way to go around doing things. This is harmless for your case because you have a card that isn't quite power hungry, but if you happened to pair it with a bigger, faster card, and you OC it as well, any power computations may very well be significantly off if they are based on published TDP.

Yup go with a gigabyte board.

I vote for a gigabyte board as well. :thumbsup:

 

[Dark Shroud]

Yeah for AMD CPUs you want Gigabyte mobos.

For a heat sink you might want to look at the Corsair H50 since you don't need a PSU anymore.

 

[Idontcare]

Wow after looking up bulldozer, that sounds like a pretty huge processor update for Amd.

This really sucks...now I'm in a bind. Is it pretty certain it's coming out in a few months?

Bulldozer is not coming in a few months, it will be a year (at best) before you can order one from Newegg.

 

[ModestGamer]

Bulldozer is not coming in a few months, it will be a year (at best) before you can order one from Newegg.

1h 2011 is the word. That would be sometime in the next few months since its almost q3 2010.

 

[Rifter]

Bulldozer is not coming in a few months, it will be a year (at best) before you can order one from Newegg.

This. Its not coming anytime soon, and even if it was there is no way to say how it will perform. Buy the x6 and be happy. Honestly though i would take a i7 over a 1090T at $300, but if you are going for the $200 price point i would take the 1055T and overclock the hell out of it.

 

[jvroig]

Wow after looking up bulldozer, that sounds like a pretty huge processor update for Amd.

This really sucks...now I'm in a bind. Is it pretty certain it's coming out in a few months?

It's pretty certain that it won't be coming out in a few months.

One year at best, as IDC said. Personally, I still think it's more like end of 2011, Nov/Dec. The best we can get so far about Bulldozer is AMD's discussion at Hot Chips tomorrow.

 

[Kuzi]

OP, Gigabyte mobos are good, but you might also want to check the ASUS M4A89TD PRO/USB3, it's available on newegg for $170. I've built a system for my friend with this ASUS board, it's rock solid and OC's really well.

For RAM I recommend you get ones with Black Edition Memory Profile (BEMP), so you minimize the chance of having issues and also increase your OC potential

 

[darkewaffle]

Another +1 for Gigabyte board (I have the UD5 personally), and imo Mushkin is Mushking. For AMD timings are just as, if not more, important than operating speed and the Ridgebacks and Blacklines are excellent performers.

 

[Martimus]

Wow after looking up bulldozer, that sounds like a pretty huge processor update for Amd.

This really sucks...now I'm in a bind. Is it pretty certain it's coming out in a few months?

I am pretty sure it will be about a year before the Bulldozer is released. The GF 32nm process isn't even ready for mass production yet, so even if the design was complete it couldn't actually get built for quite a while.

 

[Idontcare]

1h 2011 is the word. That would be sometime in the next few months since its almost q3 2010.

That is server version, not zambezi the consumer version, and you need to understand the practical difference between a "AMD is shipping for revenue" timeline and a "I can order from Newegg now" timeline.

AMD shipping server bulldozer to system integrators sometime in 1H 2011 is not the same thing as the system integrators selling those systems to end-users let alone you or me being able to order a consumer bulldozer SKU from Newegg.

Also there is a reason AMD is still only saying 1H 2011 instead of narrowing that timeline to 1Q 2011 (in your optimistic view)...

Regardless absolutely none of the "word" has anything to do with zambezi...what was the time delay between Barcelona and Agena? Or Shanghai and Deneb?

Let's not be delusional, there is no value to come from it. Llano will be out 1H 2011.

 

[Miramonti]

The 1090T is all about the unlocked multiplier. You don't have to have a board that can hit an HTT of 285+ to reach 4 ghz on one. You might save money going with the 1055T, and the 95w 1055T may turn out to be a monster overclocker (or it might not), but about the best way you can ensure a 4 ghz+ OC with an x6 is to just grab the 1090T and be done with it.

For my money, the 95w 1055T is the better buy, but I already have a board that can hit 315+ HTT (I just don't have an x6, boo).

OP, try one of the 8gb G.Skill Ripjaws kits (2x4gb). The DDR3-1333 kit is around $175 from the Egg.

Alternatively, you can get the 4x2gb kits . . . I think you can get up to DDR3-1600 for around $200 doing this, but being stuck with 4 DIMMs may not make you a happy camper, especially if the HSF you pick has RAM clearance issues.

As far as the HSF goes, if you're willing to kick in an extra $10 over your stated budget and buy some aftermarket fans for it, the CoGage Arrow can be had for around $60 (plus cost of fans) depending on where you look. It's a top-notch cooler that can perform very well with some good fans on it.

Alternatively, try a Thermolabs BARAM. It ships with no fans, but it can cool quite well with some strong (read: good static pressure and airflow) fans attached. The BARAM itself will run you about $40-$50 depending on where you get it.

I'm not the most adept oc'er in the world, particularly not having worried about it for a few years (and there is always new 'nuances/terms' to learn), and tend to not get the best processors as well (related? lol), so I'm definitely safest going to the 1090t.

Newegg has Ripjaw 1600 3x2gb for $149, very budget friendly.

That brings the question of upgrading to win7...how much more memory this operating system needs than windows xp. I'd also like to use a ramdisk of ~2gb. Fortunately my programs aren't very ram-intensive.

Maybe some others can affirm or suggest alternatives to a heatsink if I upped to <$75. I'm very unfamiliar with the CoGage Arrow and Baram coolers. (altho not opposed by any stretch.)