Phenom II or i5.. on the fence

[one30eight]

I have been looking and reading for a week and I still can not make up my mind. I am either ordering a Phenom II 965 or an i5 750 tonight. I do not want to spend the extra on s1336 as either of these would suit my needs. I do like to OC and by all accounts the i5 is going to do that better. With the AMD I would get a longer socket life with more options down the road. So, I have 300-350 for a new board and CPU and looking for suggestions.

If I went with the Phenom II I would be getting the MSI GD70, if the i5 probably an evga board. I do not really game on my PC much anymore so that is not a factor, just basic use. I do want a CPU with a high chance of good overclocks...

So i5 750 vs Phenom II 965BE which one at this point in time? Waiting is not an option as I have sold most of my s775 hardware.

 

[RussianSensation]

You should really be looking at 1055T processor by AMD which retails at about $200 vs. Core i5 750 which is also $200. 965 shouldn't be a consideration at this point imo.

"If you run specific heavily threaded applications, you can’t beat the offer AMD is giving you. It’s the lighter or mixed use workloads that tend to favor Intel’s offerings at the same price points." - Anandtech Review: http://www.anandtech.com/show/3674/amds-sixcore-phenom-ii-x6-1090t-1055t-reviewed/5

Another review by Techreport: http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/18799/6

If you want lower power consumption at idle, go with Core i5 750. If you want future upgradability to Bulldozer, then get the AMD system. Either 1055T or i5 750 will be MORE than enough for "basic use". I'd argue that even an Athlon X4 630 would be good enough for you.

Personally, you can't really lose with either 1055T @ 4.0ghz or Core i5 750 @ 4.0ghz. The performance between them will be very close. If you were gaming, I would have recommended the Intel system instead simply for the higher minimum framerates it will deliver. Since you aren't going to be gaming, I'd pick the AMD system simply for the upgradability option down the line.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Everybody loves a little extra firepower, and either way you will have it in spades for your 'basic' needs. BUT (you knew that was coming, right? )

The C3 PhII 955BE / Gigabyte GA-770TA-UD3 AM3 AMD 770 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3 combo gets you in for less than $240.

I only mention that because from time-to-time you may find a 64Gb Gen2 SSD on e-Blast for $120-$130 which would make 'basic' stuff launch and work with just a touch more sweetness - LOL




--

 

[busydude]

If I went with the Phenom II I would be getting the MSI GD70

That is a waste of a board for your use. For $350 you could get a 1055T and a good 890GX chipset.

CPU- 1055T - $200
MOBO- Gigabyte 890GX - $130

 

[busydude]

+1 for heyhey...'s advice. An SSD is the best bet for general use right now.

 

[one30eight]

Well the MSI was a 790 chipset open box for 123. I have also looked at the Gigabyte, will look closer. Thanks

 

[busydude]

Well the MSI was a 790 chipset open box for 123.

I would not recommend an open box purchase. Its nothing short of a gamble.

 

[one30eight]

Yeah that is what held me back.. went over to ewiz and I am going to go with this combo

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H
AMD Phenom II X6 Six-Core Processor 1055T

$292.49 with free shipping. Thanks for pushing me off the fence!

 

[spinejam]

Yeah that is what held me back.. went over to ewiz and I am going to go with this combo

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H
AMD Phenom II X6 Six-Core Processor 1055T

$292.49 with free shipping. Thanks for pushing me off the fence!

looks like a good deal!

 

[RussianSensation]

That's a great setup. Enjoy.