New Computer Build need input

[RD Mercer]

I havn't built a computer in a long time. I have been reading to catch up and I am way behind. The last computer I built was AMD 2500 Barton, which I am still using now. I use to build computers for the neighbors and small business back in the old days. I am ready to build a good computer for me! I use my computer for games, surf the net and just general use like Office and photos of family...
This is what I have purchase so far: Cooler Master HAF 932, Antec 850W Continuous Power Crossfire & SLI ready Modular, Western Digital Black 1TB 7200 32mb cache,
I cannot decide to go Intel or AMD. I was leaning towards AMD 965 with MSI m/b 790FX just because of the price. I really want the best bang for the buck but I like performance too. I will be running only 1 video card which I cannot decide on. Was thinking 5770 or 5850 or if the price drops go for the 5870. What do the experts think?

Thanks for any help.

 

[MisterDonut]

If you aren't a hardcore gamer, then the 5770 is good enough. 5850 and 5870 are both very powerful cards, and therefore, cost a lot more...It's all up to what you want to do. The PSU is way overkill, especailly if you are going to only run 1 card. I would suggest the TX650 or anything close to that in the price range/wattage. AMD will give you more bang for the buck for sure, but I haven't done my homework on the stuff yet.

 

[RD Mercer]

Thanks for the info. I already purchased the Power Supply and got a special price it was cheap as 650w. Plus future use I may run Crossfire. I have not kept up with the computer industry. Maybe intel is the way to go I dont know. My budget is not a problem.
I like to purchase from New Egg and TD and venders like them.

 

[MisterDonut]

If the budget is of little concern, you'll definitely get performance from Intel, but as far as your needs go, you might not be able to tell, and AMD is definitely cheaper. Supposedly the Phenom II X4 955 performs equally well in gaming as a q9550, etc, but if you'd rather have something newer, the i5 is a great way to go. But again, keep in mind your needs.

 

[larslake]

AMD is by far the most cost effective way to go. Intel will benchmark faster, but the demand for benchmarking numbers keeps the price higher. For all practical purposes, you really can't tell the real life difference between the two. I'd recommend an AM3 only mainboard (with or without an AMD Chipset)by MSI, Gigabyte,or Asus. ($100) – an AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor ($76) or an AMD Athlon II X4 630 Propus 2.8GHz ($113) or an AMD Phenom II X4 925 Deneb 2.8GHz ($146). A single Nvidia GTS250 1gig or GTX260 896MB ( less than $200). A 64bit Operating System. At least 8 gig of ddr3 ram ( around $150). 2 Hard drives in raid 0 (around $100 for both) and 1 extra internal drive for storage/backup - if you only plan to game and surf the storage drive could be omitted. A PSU 380w to 500w, 80plus w/ 2 12v rails (Nvidia cards don't use a lot of power nor emit a lot of heat). - That's it! If you do graphics rendering or encoding go with the quad core, gtx 260, and extra internal storage. You might want HD audio on your mobo. Consider upgrading your monitor to an IPS type monitor. (wiki LCDs for more info.). Upgrade your case? Lian Li are stunning and under $100. Any way you look at it, performance computers are costly. However, with AMD, you have a little more money left over to either save or upgrade the rest of your system.