Which CPU platform should I get?

[Monkey_Business]

I was planning on buying a Phenom II X4 965 BE along with an ASUS Crosshair III Formula motherboard.

How about this $200 X58 motherboard, and a Core i7 930 for only about $100 more? $200 is a very good price for an X58 motherboard. It is almost the same price as the ASUS Crosshair III Formula.

Plus, the PC shop I plan having build my computer told me they might be able to get some deals on Intel hardware.

The i7 930's and 920's are known to overclock very well, don't they? After the warranty has expired, and I've learned more about overclocking, I might give it a shot. I'm not aiming for 4 GHz, maybe 3.2 or 3.4.

Even at stock speeds, the i7 930's blow anything AMD has right now out of the water.

I think the i7's are much more future proof than the Phenom II's. People will still be using them for years before they eventually become obsolete.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-171-_-Product

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-225-_-Product

Does the Foxconn flamingblade have overclocking abilities enabled in it's BIOS? My current OEM Foxconn G33 has overclocking permanently disabled by the manufacturer.

Most, if not all OEM boards do.

 

[StrangerGuy]

Just want to say, if you spend $200 for a AMD board you are doing it wrong.

 

[Monkey_Business]

I used the calculator tool in accessories and it all added up to around $1,900 using the retail prices from newegg, minus the newegg discounts.

I don't know how much the tax is on all those parts. I did not include the cost of the computer case, because I have a CM HAF 932 sitting in my closet right now...

CPU - Ci7 930
Motherboard - Foxconn Flamingblade X58
RAM - 6GB DDR3 1600 MHz triple-channel
GPU - MSI HD 5870 Lightning
PSU Rosewill 1,000W
DVD Drive (I honestly don't need blu-ray)
Hard drive - Seagate 1.5 TB 7200 RPM
OS - Windows 7 professional
Anti-virus NAV 2010
+ Cost of construction $99.99

It all came up to around $1,900. I have a budget of $2,000.

How much would the total tax be on all those components?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

This is a great motherboard, free shipping, and has 6 memory slots for future expansion (if needed) They also have a SATA III & USB 3.0 version for 199$

If you have a Micro Center nearby *cough, sticky, cough* the i7 930 is 199$ + tax. I've bought 2 920s at that price from my local Micro Center.

You don't have to buy a 3 piece ram kit, you can buy a cheap eco DDR3 1600 kit for ~ 119$ I think G.skill is selling them (1.35v)

Good luck!

 

[Markfw]

This is a great motherboard, free shipping, and has 6 memory slots for future expansion (if needed) They also have a SATA III & USB 3.0 version for 199$

If you have a Micro Center nearby *cough, sticky, cough* the i7 930 is 199$ + tax. I've bought 2 920s at that price from my local Micro Center.

You don't have to buy a 3 piece ram kit, you can buy a cheap eco DDR3 1600 kit for ~ 119$ I think G.skill is selling them (1.35v)

Good luck!

I have the $170 version, and I love it. And its overclocked to 3.7.

 

[heyheybooboo]

You'd get a lot more mileage in gaming building a $1,100 rig based upon a Phenom 955BE or an i5 750.

Any reason you gotta have Win7 Pro? You may purchase a full-retail version of Win7 HP for $180.




--

 

[Arkaign]

I used the calculator tool in accessories and it all added up to around $1,900 using the retail prices from newegg, minus the newegg discounts.

I don't know how much the tax is on all those parts. I did not include the cost of the computer case, because I have a CM HAF 932 sitting in my closet right now...

CPU - Ci7 930
Motherboard - Foxconn Flamingblade X58
RAM - 6GB DDR3 1600 MHz triple-channel
GPU - MSI HD 5870 Lightning
PSU Rosewill 1,000W
DVD Drive (I honestly don't need blu-ray)
Hard drive - Seagate 1.5 TB 7200 RPM
OS - Windows 7 professional
Anti-virus NAV 2010
+ Cost of construction $99.99

It all came up to around $1,900. I have a budget of $2,000.

How much would the total tax be on all those components?

Some questions for you :

Usage? Gaming mostly, or will you be doing encoding as well (i7 owns with encoding! Gaming both will be limited by that 5870)

Are you planning on adding another 5870? 1000W is super overkill for a single 5870.

Why Win7 Pro? Do you need to log on to domains? There really is no other reason to get Pro over Home Premium.

Why Norton? It's better than it was, but in no way on earth is it worth the $$$. Check 'Software for Windows' section for good recommendations on cheaper AV products that will do better, particularly at also catching spyware/malware.

Do you have a Micro Center around? You can often score the i7-920/930 procs for far cheaper than newegg there. Even Fry's can save you $ if you find a deal like this :

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=2519&adid=9166341&subid=29140088&type=

$379 AR for a really good X58 mobo and 930. The 930 is $290 alone at newegg.

 

[biostud]

if you're not planning on SLI/CF then you could go for a p55 setup. the i5-750 offers good performance/value

 

[Monkey_Business]

Some questions for you :

Usage? Gaming mostly, or will you be doing encoding as well (i7 owns with encoding! Gaming both will be limited by that 5870)

Are you planning on adding another 5870? 1000W is super overkill for a single 5870.

Why Win7 Pro? Do you need to log on to domains? There really is no other reason to get Pro over Home Premium.

Why Norton? It's better than it was, but in no way on earth is it worth the $$$. Check 'Software for Windows' section for good recommendations on cheaper AV products that will do better, particularly at also catching spyware/malware.

Do you have a Micro Center around? You can often score the i7-920/930 procs for far cheaper than newegg there. Even Fry's can save you $ if you find a deal like this :

http://shopping.dallasnews.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=2519&adid=9166341&subid=29140088&type=

$379 AR for a really good X58 mobo and 930. The 930 is $290 alone at newegg.

What wattage PSU would you recommend for that build? Whats the difference between W7 HP and professional?

 

[Arkaign]

What wattage PSU would you recommend for that build? Whats the difference between W7 HP and professional?

A quality ~600W would be just as good, and a lot less $, even for overclocking an i7 and with a few case fans, hdds, and the like. Rosewill is pretty decent in my experience, but they're Newegg's house brand AFAIK, and I would rather not trust my system to a PSU that's not an Enermax/Antec or similar.

This would be perfect : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371021

As for Windows 7 Professional, you get three things over home premium :

(1)- Domain support. This is a biggie if you need to directly connect or VPN onto a corporate network that's running a Windows server domain. Few home users do, you'd probably know if you did.

(2)- Windows XP Mode. This is essentially a WinXP Virtual Machine so you can run any old stuff that just can't/won't run on Win7. You do have to download and install some secondary stuff to make this work, it's not just already installed on Win7Pro. Important to note that this is not a way to support hardware, such as old printers, that doesn't have Win7 support, only for software. I think this would have been a lot more useful on Vista back in '06, but today, if you're running something so ancient that it won't work on Win7, well damn. There are better ways to get XP software support, so I don't think this personally justifies spending a ton of $.

(3)- Network backup to a properly configured Windows Home Server or Windows Domain Server. This is even easier not to worry about, as there are plenty of other ways to back your system up from tons of alternatives, such as the free and easy to use Cobain.

So yeah, really domain support is the only real reason to get Win7 Pro. If it were the same $, it'd be a no brainer, but for any discernible price difference, just save your $ and get HP. It's only like $109 OEM.

 

[ElFenix]

pro has remote desktop and that's a bit one for me. i use my home machine at work all the time.

 

[Monkey_Business]

Older DX9 games like Battlefield 2 have to be ran in virtual computer compatibility mode for Windows XP.

Those games do NOT work on Vista or W7.

Here's a link to my BF2 player profile.

http://bf2s.com/player/48462826/

 

[Arkaign]

Older DX9 games like Battlefield 2 have to be ran in virtual computer compatibility mode for Windows XP.

Those games do NOT work on Vista or W7.

Here's a link to my BF2 player profile.

http://bf2s.com/player/48462826/

I run BF2 no problem on my Win7 ultimate rig without the XP Virtual PC installed. As a matter of fact, you can't effectively run any D3D/DirectX game in the XP Virtual PC that needs acceleration, as the virtual PC doesn't have direct access to your video card driver.

http://apcmag.com/inside-windows-7s-virtual-xp-mode.htm

"Woodgate also stresses that XP Mode is intended for the more straight-forward needs of small businesses rather than consumers and gamers.

“Windows XP Mode is best suited for older business and productivity applications such as accounting, inventory and similar applications. Windows XP Mode is not aimed at consumers because many consumer applications require extensive use of hardware interfaces such as 3-D graphics, audio, and TV tuners that do not work well under virtualisation today.”"

I think you may have confused the compatibility profile options of Win7 (eg; right-click on shortcut or executable, select 'run as Windows XP') with the virtualization options given by the actual WinXP Virtual PC. It can't be stressed enough, you can't effectively run any 3d games from within a virtual PC.

pro has remote desktop and that's a bit one for me. i use my home machine at work all the time.

I hear ya, I don't personally prefer the built-in RD, but when you need it you need it. You don't need Pro or Ultimate though, it's a relatively easy unlock using this :

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/t/79427.aspx

Anyways, have you tried yuuguu? It's pretty handy if you have both a work PC and a work Mac to deal with. It even works on Ubuntu Only downside is if you're working at a place that is anal about letting you install 3rd party software.

http://www.yuuguu.com/home

 

[Monkey_Business]

What does Windows 7 Ultimate Edition give you that HP doesn't?

 

[Viditor]

You might want to look at the new 2.8 GHz AMD 1055T as well...6 cores with turbo for ~$20 more than that 965 was...
When you aren't using all six cores (up to 4 cores) it will be at 3.3 GHz, and of course when you need the cores it autoswitches back to 2.8 GHz.

 

[toyota]

What does Windows 7 Ultimate Edition give you that HP doesn't?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&...-c2g1g-c2&aql=&oq=windows+7+versions&gs_rfai=

 

[betasub]

Ha, I was surprised toyota was too polite to link LMGTFY.

 

[modestninja]

What does Windows 7 Ultimate Edition give you that HP doesn't?

Same things as pro, plus other language support. So not very much at all.

 

[geek33]

Same things as pro, plus other language support. So not very much at all.

uhhh not to mention, the bit locker feature thought not a biggie thing.

 

[Monkey_Business]

I think the Core i7 will last much longer than the Phenom II in terms of being future-proof. It will probably last 3-4 years before it becomes laughably obsolete.

 

[Apocalypse23]

I'd suggest you spend the extra few bucks and futureproof with a USB 3.0 and tri-SLI/CF x58 board:

$199 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-423-_-Product

BTW, If you wait until the official reviews of the AMD thuban 1090 T BE chip, which will be out on the 26th (just 3-4 more days) then you'd be making a better decision. Keep in mind however, that AM3 tri-CF boards are expensive and will cost you at least $199. But you can get a very affordable $130-$140 2 slot CF AM3 board should you chose to go the AMD route. I'd focus more on the 1090T BE rather than any 1055T since you are spending $300 on a proc anyway. Just hang tight before you rush to make a decision. The i7 930 at $300 is a no go for me, if you can find it at a mid level price of $250-270, then go ahead, better yet get it from Frys or Mirocenter. The i7 970 (hexacore) should be coming in 2 weeks as well...

If you can find the i7 930 for around $250, get it, but if you can't...I'd wait..also once again, wait to see how the thuban BE performs.

 

[Monkey_Business]

I'd suggest you spend the extra few bucks and futureproof with a USB 3.0 and tri-SLI/CF x58 board:

$199 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-423-_-Product

BTW, If you wait until the official reviews of the AMD thuban 1090 T BE chip, which will be out on the 26th (just 3-4 more days) then you'd be making a better decision. Keep in mind however, that AM3 tri-CF boards are expensive and will cost you at least $199. But you can get a very affordable $130-$140 2 slot CF AM3 board should you chose to go the AMD route. I'd focus more on the 1090T BE rather than any 1055T since you are spending $300 on a proc anyway. Just hang tight before you rush to make a decision. The i7 930 at $300 is a no go for me, if you can find it at a mid level price of $250-270, then go ahead, better yet get it from Frys or Mirocenter. The i7 970 (hexacore) should be coming in 2 weeks as well...

If you can find the i7 930 for around $250, get it, but if you can't...I'd wait..also once again, wait to see how the thuban BE performs.

What are the advantages of USB 3.0? The Thuban is a 6-core Phenom II. It's stock clock speeds are below 3.0 GHz, even the the top model. Just as the "Gulftown' is a 6-core Nehalem.

The Phenom II still gets blown away by the Core i7. Even with 6 cores. Wait until AMD's new micro-architecture is released. The 8-core "Bulldozer" circa 2011.

The Phenom II would have to be clocked to 4.2 GHz to even come close to the performance of a Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz.

 

[toyota]

What are the advantages of USB 3.0? The Thuban is a 6-core Phenom II. It's stock clock speeds are below 3.0 GHz, even the the top model. Just as the "Gulftown' is a 6-core Nehalem.

The Phenom II still gets blown away by the Core i7. Even with 6 cores. Wait until AMD's new micro-architecture is released. The 8-core "Bulldozer" circa 2011.

The Phenom II would have to be clocked to 4.2 GHz to even come close to the performance of a Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz.

the top model is 3.2 with 3.6 turbo. it will most certainly hang with a 2.8 i7 quad in most cases and probably even beat it in some heavily threaded apps.

 

[Apocalypse23]

What are the advantages of USB 3.0? The Thuban is a 6-core Phenom II. It's stock clock speeds are below 3.0 GHz, even the the top model. Just as the "Gulftown' is a 6-core Nehalem.

The Phenom II still gets blown away by the Core i7. Even with 6 cores. Wait until AMD's new micro-architecture is released. The 8-core "Bulldozer" circa 2011.

The Phenom II would have to be clocked to 4.2 GHz to even come close to the performance of a Core i7 @ 2.8 GHz.

Well the Phenom II X6 1090T BE is stock rated at 3.2Ghz, and has a turbo core speed of 3.6Ghz fyi. I wouldn't say the Thubans get blown away by the i7s. If a thuban BE can Oc really well, then the i7s can easily be in a tough shape, but I'd wait for these specific reviews.

In regards to USB 3.0, well it's nice to have even if you don't use it because you are getting the raw throughput of 4 Gbit/s as opposed to 480mbps in 2.0. This means that in the future should you chose to buy a USB 3.0 external HD, the data transfer rate will be very fast when compared to a 2.0 device; you are getting all these new features for the money you are paying, and going with a motherboard you want some nice warranty, so Gigabyte gives you a 3 year warranty which is always handy. Plus the tri-SLI/CF combination, however if these things are of little concern to you, then by all means get a cheaper board . But by cheap I'd be asking you to get something dirt cheap like in the $150 mark, and if you can't you'd be better off spending the extra bucks on a $199 board.

 

[pjkenned]

pro has remote desktop and that's a bit one for me. i use my home machine at work all the time.

That's why I'm using all Ultimate and Pro at this point.

BTW WHS works fine as a backup for even Win 7 starter. And if you REALLY want to run an XP machine in a virtual machine there is always virtualbox or put Hyper-V on a cheap box.

If you go AMD, don't spend more than $250 on a CPU + motherboard. It just isn't worth it. Also if you go AMD, you may as well get the 890 chipset with SATA3 and USB 3.

One BIG advantage of the i7 right now is that the expandability is great. Lots of PCIe lanes for add in cards and 6 ram slots for cheap 12GB ram options (which most users won't need).

Another, less exciting option is an i5-650. Cheap, Hyperthreading + Turbo, and stock v. stock faster at handbrake encoding than my Q6600's... oh and idles at <30w (CPU + Mobo + PicoPSU + SSD + 4GB ram).