Need New Build Advice - Another AMD or Intel?

[EJtheK]

Alright gang... What do you think?

Here it is... the final (?) draft of my proposed build:

CPU : AMD Phenom II X4 965BE
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103727

Motherboard : ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3
$134.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131631

Memory : Mushkin Enhanced 996782 | 4GB (2x2GB) | DDR3 1600 | Cas 7
$85.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820226122
In the future, I will double this... Think I'm ok to wait?

Video Card : Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6850
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-908-_-Product

HDD : Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ | 1TB | 32MB Cache | 7200rpm
$69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=

Case : Antec Three Hundred
$59.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042

PSU : Corsair CMPSU-650TX
$69.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

Display : Asus VH242H | 23.6’’ LED
$179.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236052

Wireless Card : TP-Link TL-WN781ND
$19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833704059

TOTAL COST (after rebates): $960.87

...with shipping, I expect to remain under $1k , so if this build looks good, I am quite happy with how it all came together! ...

---

Absolutely, EJ. I think that is a wise decision & it's the same conclusion I would have come up with after looking at the benchmarks. :thumbsup:

Glad to hear it! Thanks!

 

[FishAk]

You need a second 1Tb drive to back up the first. You know the drive will die, so why not spare yourself some heartache, and install an internal backup that's easy to keep current?

 

[Axon]

Looks strong. That's gonna serve you well. Go team red.

 

[jchu14]

Don't forget about combo savings on Newegg.

For instance, you can get the 650TX and Samsung F3 in a combo. Then you can apply coupon code 'psuoct' and 'EMCZYNZ73', to knock off another $16.

Another combo you might consider is the Gskill Ripjaws RAM and LianLi K58 case combo for $130+ship. It also comes with a free BFG GS-550 power supply. It appears to be an okay power supply. You can either sell it or keep it as a backup power supply.

Lastly, a Core i5-760 and Gigabyte UD3-P55A combo isn't too much more than the Phenom 965 + motherboard. Maybe you should consider that.

 

[mfenn]

Alright gang... What do you think?

Here it is... the final (?) draft of my proposed build:

CPU : AMD Phenom II X4 965BE
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103727

Motherboard : ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3
$134.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131631

Memory : Mushkin Enhanced 996782 | 4GB (2x2GB) | DDR3 1600 | Cas 7
$85.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820226122
In the future, I will double this... Think I'm ok to wait?

Video Card : Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6850
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-908-_-Product

HDD : Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ | 1TB | 32MB Cache | 7200rpm
$69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=

Case : Antec Three Hundred
$59.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042

PSU : Corsair CMPSU-650TX
$69.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

Display : Asus VH242H | 23.6’’ LED
$179.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236052

Wireless Card : TP-Link TL-WN781ND
$19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833704059

TOTAL COST (after rebates): $960.87

...with shipping, I expect to remain under $1k , so if this build looks good, I am quite happy with how it all came together! ...

---



Glad to hear it! Thanks!

I spy a few issues with that build.

1. There's no point to getting a 965 when the 955 is cheaper and just a multiplier change away from being a 965.
2. Do you ever intend to go for a Crossfire setup? If not, the mobo and PSU are unnecessary. If you are, I'd ask that you reconsider, keeping the up front costs of the mobo and PSU in mind.
3. IMHO CAS 7 DDR3 1600 isn't worth it.

With that in mind, I'd suggest these parts:
Phenom II X4 955 + M4A87TD/USB3 $220
G.Skill DDR3 1333 4GB $70 - grab another when you want to upgrade
Corsair 430CX $25 AR

You can either pocket the savings or move up to a 6870.

 

[jaydee]

Alright gang... What do you think?

Here it is... the final (?) draft of my proposed build:

CPU : AMD Phenom II X4 965BE
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103727

Motherboard : ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3
$134.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131631

Memory : Mushkin Enhanced 996782 | 4GB (2x2GB) | DDR3 1600 | Cas 7
$85.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820226122
In the future, I will double this... Think I'm ok to wait?

Video Card : Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6850
$179.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-908-_-Product

HDD : Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ | 1TB | 32MB Cache | 7200rpm
$69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...D=3332167&SID=

Case : Antec Three Hundred
$59.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129042

PSU : Corsair CMPSU-650TX
$69.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

Display : Asus VH242H | 23.6’’ LED
$179.99 (after rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236052

Wireless Card : TP-Link TL-WN781ND
$19.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833704059

TOTAL COST (after rebates): $960.87

...with shipping, I expect to remain under $1k , so if this build looks good, I am quite happy with how it all came together! ...

Looks good, but save yourself $40 on the motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157198

 

[EJtheK]

Don't forget about combo savings on Newegg.

For instance, you can get the 650TX and Samsung F3 in a combo. Then you can apply coupon code 'psuoct' and 'EMCZYNZ73', to knock off another $16.

Another combo you might consider is the Gskill Ripjaws RAM and LianLi K58 case combo for $130+ship. It also comes with a free BFG GS-550 power supply. It appears to be an okay power supply. You can either sell it or keep it as a backup power supply.

Lastly, a Core i5-760 and Gigabyte UD3-P55A combo isn't too much more than the Phenom 965 + motherboard. Maybe you should consider that.

Thanks or pointing this out! I will save on the first combo for sure.

The interesting part of that second combo is that second power supply. However, I still hesitate on the Cas 9 memory versus the Cas 7. I guess I"m totally insane on this one since people seem to disagree. Would someone mind explaining why it's not worth it for the lower latency? Thanks!

Also, thanks for the i5 input. To be truthful, I'm still wrestling with that debacle. ...especially, if I get to save money on combos!...

 

[EJtheK]

I spy a few issues with that build.

1. There's no point to getting a 965 when the 955 is cheaper and just a multiplier change away from being a 965.
2. Do you ever intend to go for a Crossfire setup? If not, the mobo and PSU are unnecessary. If you are, I'd ask that you reconsider, keeping the up front costs of the mobo and PSU in mind.
3. IMHO CAS 7 DDR3 1600 isn't worth it.

With that in mind, I'd suggest these parts:
Phenom II X4 955 + M4A87TD/USB3 $220
G.Skill DDR3 1333 4GB $70 - grab another when you want to upgrade
Corsair 430CX $25 AR

You can either pocket the savings or move up to a 6870.

Thanks for the excellent feedback as always!

1. Thanks! As an OC noob, is it fairly safe to change that multiplier with a stock fan?

2. Crossfire is a potential future choice (yet another argument for the 6850, which will be in production longer than the 5770 should I decide this later). The PSU is definitely overkill, but as a paranoid person I wanted to leave room to breathe.

3. Would you mind explaining why this isn't worth it for the extra $15. I'm a bit unclear and appreciate/trust your feedback.

As for your choices...

CPU: Sounds like a good move.

Mobo: Great find. Looks basically the same but without the onboard graphics, which I don't need. The only difference I really see is that the North Bridge is AMD870 on your pick and AMD890GX on my pick. Is the only difference the onboard GPU? If so, I might as well save the cash here...

PSU: If I can truly tolerate less power, and if Cas 9 will suffice, I might as well go with the combo that gets me a free PSU (in the latter post). Thoughts?


Thank you to you all! This is helpful to think through this with you all.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the excellent feedback as always!

1. Thanks! As an OC noob, is it fairly safe to change that multiplier with a stock fan?

2. Crossfire is a potential future choice (yet another argument for the 6850, which will be in production longer than the 5770 should I decide this later). The PSU is definitely overkill, but as a paranoid person I wanted to leave room to breathe.

3. Would you mind explaining why this isn't worth it for the extra $15. I'm a bit unclear and appreciate/trust your feedback.

As for your choices...

CPU: Sounds like a good move.

Mobo: Great find. Looks basically the same but without the onboard graphics, which I don't need. The only difference I really see is that the North Bridge is AMD870 on your pick and AMD890GX on my pick. Is the only difference the onboard GPU? If so, I might as well save the cash here...

PSU: If I can truly tolerate less power, and if Cas 9 will suffice, I might as well go with the combo that gets me a free PSU (in the latter post). Thoughts?


Thank you to you all! This is helpful to think through this with you all.

1. Yes, the stock fan is the same for both the 955 and 965. We're only talking about 200Mhz difference here.

2. The problem with "upgrading to Crossfire/SLI" is that by the time you're ready to upgrade, the next iteration of the midrange will have come out that is twice as fast as your 6850 and has better power, noise, and features than the 6850.

Once you factor in the true cost of Crossfire/SLI, you're really talking about $100-$200 over the cost of the GPUs themselves. Since you don't realize the benefit until you actually add the second GPU, it makes sense to add the additional cost of the Crossfire/SLI gear to the cost of the 2nd GPU (from an accounting point of view). A $250 6850 doesn't look too hot, now does it?

3. At 1333MHz, CAS 7 versus CAS 9 is the difference between 5.25ns and 6.75ns access time. That isn't something that you'll notice unless you run SuperPI all day long.

One more thing, if you really really, want to keep the option for upgrading to Crossfire open (and I advise against it), you'll need the 890GX board because the 870 doesn't support Crossfire. You'll also need a ~550W-ish PSU. And no, I wouldn't use that "free" BFG.

 

[EJtheK]

1. Yes, the stock fan is the same for both the 955 and 965. We're only talking about 200Mhz difference here.

2. The problem with "upgrading to Crossfire/SLI" is that by the time you're ready to upgrade, the next iteration of the midrange will have come out that is twice as fast as your 6850 and has better power, noise, and features than the 6850.

Once you factor in the true cost of Crossfire/SLI, you're really talking about $100-$200 over the cost of the GPUs themselves. Since you don't realize the benefit until you actually add the second GPU, it makes sense to add the additional cost of the Crossfire/SLI gear to the cost of the 2nd GPU (from an accounting point of view). A $250 6850 doesn't look too hot, now does it?

3. At 1333MHz, CAS 7 versus CAS 9 is the difference between 5.25ns and 6.75ns access time. That isn't something that you'll notice unless you run SuperPI all day long.

One more thing, if you really really, want to keep the option for upgrading to Crossfire open (and I advise against it), you'll need the 890GX board because the 870 doesn't support Crossfire. You'll also need a ~550W-ish PSU. And no, I wouldn't use that "free" BFG.

Thanks .... again!

There's a lot to think about here. I poked through the mobo motherboards (the new suggested one without 890GX and my old pick with it). I'm a bit less excited about the new pick, but it doesn't seem to be too much of a difference. You make a good case against crossfire, and going for a higher card now could be a great alternative to "keeping crossfire as an option."

There are some other differences (audio chipset, ASUS overclock tools in the BIOS, etc.) that seem to put the 890GX board ahead of the 870 board, but these difference seem marginal and livable.

If I switch to that config (955 + AMD 870 board), I save $70 (that's even with a rebate on the 890GX mobo). Putting that $75 towards a 6870 is probably a good thing to do.

Thanks for the memory and PSU feedback as well. Duly noted.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks .... again!
...
Thanks for the memory and PSU feedback as well. Duly noted.

No problem, always glad to help!

 

[jchu14]

3. Would you mind explaining why this isn't worth it for the extra $15. I'm a bit unclear and appreciate/trust your feedback.
.

Here's a TomsHW shootout between different memory modules. It's a good article that quantifies the performance difference for different latencies and speeds. The performance difference between the best latency 7-6-6-13 Super Talent module and worst 9-8-8-15 Aeneon module is not noticeable except in memory benchmarks (even then, the difference is small).

 

[EJtheK]

Thank you, jchu14. That's a great article!

Hey, a question for you all that I forgot to throw out there initially. I have a 32'' 720p Sony Bravia TV. I want to use this as a gaming monitor from time to time (lie in bed with games!). I also want to use it once I have a Blu-Ray player in the rig. See any problems achieving this?

Thanks!

 

[mfenn]

Thank you, jchu14. That's a great article!

Hey, a question for you all that I forgot to throw out there initially. I have a 32'' 720p Sony Bravia TV. I want to use this as a gaming monitor from time to time (lie in bed with games!). I also want to use it once I have a Blu-Ray player in the rig. See any problems achieving this?

Thanks!

The 6870 and 6850 both have HDMI out, so all you'll need is an HDMI cable.

 

[shaftymcnasty]

The 6870 and 6850 both have HDMI out, so all you'll need is an HDMI cable.

The Sapphire 6870 on newegg comes with an HDMI cable too. It'll save you a few bucks from having to buy one

 

[Davidh373]

The Sapphire 6870 on newegg comes with an HDMI cable too. It'll save you a few bucks from having to buy one

Saving a few bucks while spending $100 extra... great deal there...

Anyways, I like where you are going with the build. Follow mfenn's advice and your build/ experience should go smoothly!

 

[shaftymcnasty]

Saving a few bucks while spending $100 extra... great deal there...

Anyways, I like where you are going with the build. Follow mfenn's advice and your build/ experience should go smoothly!

Well, it's the faster card of the two the OP was considering....why not get a free cable if you're getting that speed card?


What did you end up getting, EJtheK?

 

[EJtheK]

Shaftymcnasty,
Thanks for the post! Sorry for delay! Well, unfortunately, I delayed purchasing due to a bunch of unexpected personal reasons (good and bad). Now I'm about ready to buy but the CPU prices are all different (higher!)...

I'm definitely going to go with the 6870 card as well as most other things in the latest posts. BUT, unfortunately, that nice 955/ASUS combo disappeared from NewEgg and the CPU prices went UP! Now I'm actually considering this combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.543275

But I've never had a Gigabyte mobo! Anyone have thoughts on that!?

 

[mfenn]

Yeah, the 955 seems to have gone up $15 in the past week or so. That combo looks fine though you can also get this 955 + GA-870A-UD3 combo if you don't want to hassle with the MIR.