Intel or AMD for low budget system?

[ziarkaen]

Hi,

I am going to build a new system that should be suitable for general purpose and a bit of gaming. I have a really old PC at the moment, so need to replace all the main components. The biggest question is whether to go Intel or AMD... I would get the 2140/2160 or get a cheap dual-core AMD. I think I could achieve better performance from the Intel by overclocking, but would appreciate any input. I will probably buy the Asus 7600GS and 2GB of 800mhz RAM. The MB I pick depends on the CPU, but I will be picking a budget one. Can anyone recommend any good, reliable PSUs for such a system. My power requirements are not going to be very much, so I am looking in the 25 GBP range - is this too hopeful? Could people please point out suitable power supplies on http://www.microdirect.co.uk/productlister.aspx?n=2,10,75. I am also buying a new 19" widescren LG monitor, so I am trying to keep the price down.

A huge cost-cutter would be for me to get a MB with onboard graphics that I could use for a while. I guess I could also initially get 1GB of RAM.

Thanks for any input/advice

Ben

 

[Kaaliya]

the AMD 690 motherboards have far superior onboard graphics to what intel has , although the intel processors are better . if overclocking is a must for u then i think intel is the way to go , if you are looking for good onboard graphics at a lower cost then i feel AMD is the better option.

 

[lx_flier]

You should really post your budget, onboard graphics are only good for flash games imo... ok maybe not that bad but a $50 gfx card off ebay will absolutely destroy the best onboard gfx card on any current m/b.

 

[akhilles]

That depends on what kinds of gaming. If it's latest FPS, RTS, driving/flight sims, onboard graphic won't cut it.

 

[night_wolf_in]

^ what he said.

tho ill go with c2d processors

 

[TSIMonster]

It depends on budget and needs. You can get the 3600+ with a 690G motherboard for ~$100. The 3600+ will overclock to at least 2.5Ghz on most 690G motherboards with no voltage change. (I have personal exprerience with 4). The cheapest C2D is going to run you $25 more then the 3600+.

So, if you are shooting for the absolute lowest budget gaming rig, go AMD. USe the money saved from CPU power and put into a better graphics card or monitor.

 

[harshavardhanr]

The Pentium E processors also overclock very well. If you're going in for Intel, and you want the best integrated graphics, I would suggest opting for the NVIDIA GeForce 7150 Chipset. I myself use a Gigabyte GA-73UM-S2H board based on this chipset. I would definitely recommend waiting for cheaper 65nm parts from NVIDIA or 55nm parts from ATI rather than investing on a graphics card now. All indications suggest that the graphics card business is going to get more competitive because AMD seems to be doing very well here, unlike in the CPU business. However I agree with TSIMonster in that low end and mainstream AMD processors are also very overclockable and if you opt for AMD the the 690G chipset is definitely the way to go.

 

[Shadow703793]

^Get a P35-DS3L (~$98)+ E2180 (~$90)+ 2400PRO(~$40)+ ZALMAN CNPS7000B-ALCU (~$25)+ CORSAIR XMS2 2GB(2*1GB) (~$48 After MIR)= $301
You can OC the E2180 to 3.2Ghz and it would exeed the stock performance (by about 15%) of the E6700.

 

[Shadow703793]

For the PSU I recommend you look here first:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088
and I personally recommend you get a Corsair 520HX or 550VX

 

[ziarkaen]

I am not going to run the onboard for any significant amount of time, so the quality is irrelevant. My overall budget is ~120 for MB, CPU, RAM and PSU - there is no need to worry about graphics card at the moment (unless the MB lacks onboard graphics). I must have an Nvidia card ulimatly so I can use Linux, although I could use any onboard for a time.

I will use microdirect.co.uk as it is the cheapest PC store I know of. Ideally I will have a MB that supports 800mhz RAM, however I would not want to pay too much for this feature - 667mhz would be OK. My current pricing is as follows:

CPU = Intel 2160 (O.C. to ~2.6) = 50
MB = Onboard GPU, PC2-6400 compatible, can OC = 35
PSU = 20
RAM = 800mhz (hopefully not 667mhz) = 15

I have all other components, so basiclaly am looking to purchase these four for about 120GBP to give me the best performance possible.

Thanks

 

[Kaaliya]

i suggest u wait for a few weeks till amd releases its rs780 chipset and its 3400 series graphics cards . supposedly u can add a 60$ 3470 card to the chipset and along with the integrated graphics it automatically works in crossfire mode so for a very low budget u get quite good graphics .
AMD is also touting low power consumption of the RS780 chipset reaching only a mere ~1.2W on idle and has ability to shutdown the discrete graphics when GPU load is low. this i think is a feature missing in intel boards .
of course there remains the small issue of intel having much better processors , but since yours wont be a high level system i think u should be fine there with any good amd processor .

 

[ziarkaen]

No, I will need Nvidia, and am pretty convinced that I should use the 2160. What components would suit this? Especially the MB...

 

[Shadow703793]

Imo, you wont find good motherboards for less than $60 (Intel at least). You might want to save up and then see whats available.

 

[imrul]

i agree with kaaliya, but thats just my experience

 

[Shadow703793]

i suggest u wait for a few weeks till amd releases its rs780 chipset and its 3400 series graphics cards . supposedly u can add a 60$ 3470 card to the chipset and along with the integrated graphics it automatically works in crossfire mode so for a very low budget u get quite good graphics .
AMD is also touting low power consumption of the RS780 chipset reaching only a mere ~1.2W on idle and has ability to shutdown the discrete graphics when GPU load is low. this i think is a feature missing in intel boards .
of course there remains the small issue of intel having much better processors , but since yours wont be a high level system i think u should be fine there with any good amd processor .

Really? That would be awesome! would you mind linking?

 

[jrnyfan]

This all depends on what all you need to buy..if you need optical drives and HDD's then its going to go up...but from your original post I am going to assume that by main components you mean CPU, RAM, Motherboard, GPU and PSU.

AMD wins the battle of the lower cost build IMO. I put this together (all from the egg..all hail the egg):

MSI K9N6SGM-V AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX - $48.99
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ Brisbane 2.1GHz Socket AM2 65W - $57.99
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 - $49.99 (After $40.00 Instant rebate!)

(from pcclub.com)
ENERMAX Black ATX Mid Tower 400W - $24.99 (After $20 MIR)

With shipping it all comes to about $200 USD...of course I have a pcclub right next door so shipping the case is cheap. If you needed more video, you can add in:

MSI NX8500GT-TD512E GeForce 8500GT 512MB - $76.99 (www.newegg.com)

and the whole shootin match is under 300 USD...I have no idea what that comes to as far as British Pounds go...im too lazy to do the conversion but without the video card I think you are well under the cost you need.

 

[ziarkaen]

Thanks alot jrnyman for the advice. All looks good! (and the price is exceptional)

I will probably buy a 22" 1680 x 1050 monitor so any graphics card would need to support this resolution, but I don't suppose this would be too much of a problem for modern cards.

I have been looking on the Dell website as their PCs are very cheap, but the excess (keyboard, mouse, support, optical drives, etc) over inflates the price too much. Also I would feel more love towards a machine if I had built it

I will probably take your advice and go with AMD.

Thanks alot

PS. just checked and amazon UK do the MB you mentioned

 

[godsizesnakeyes]

I just built my first system and used a 4000 brisbane and 690g mobo, gigabytes GA-MA69G-S3H. I wanted to keep a low budget and have good OCing potential and I am very happy with how it turned out.

 

[ziarkaen]

OK! Have finally decided upon the components!

I will use an AMD Athlon X2 3800+ with an Abit AN-M2 (integrated nvidia 7050PV), and install 2GB RAM. I have found CL4 RAM for 30GBP, but I have seen people talking about MB incompatibility. Here is the RAM: http://www.microdirect.co.uk/(25431)OCZ-2GB-Kit-2x1024-Gold-Gamer-eXtreme-DDR2.aspx. Will this work on my motherboard? Also will I be able to OC the CPU and RAM with the MB?

Thanks

 

[skittle]

I just got a 3600+ (brisbane) and a gigabyte 690G mobo.
There are no voltage mods in the BIOS, but the chip OCs very well. 2.856ghz at stock voltage (not stable though.. but boots into windows)

2.4ghz, and rock solid and running nice and cool. I highly suggest it over the 3800+ (which i also own).

If your on a tight budget, you cant beat AMDs fire sale pricing.

 

[godsizesnakeyes]

I just got a 3600+ (brisbane) and a gigabyte 690G mobo.
There are no voltage mods in the BIOS, but the chip OCs very well. 2.856ghz at stock voltage (not stable though.. but boots into windows)

2.4ghz, and rock solid and running nice and cool. I highly suggest it over the 3800+ (which i also own).

If your on a tight budget, you cant beat AMDs fire sale pricing.

You must have got a GA-MA69G-S2H which is the micro board with the 690G. From reviews on newegg and around the net it sounds like a really good board. I almost went with that board but ended up going with the ATX S3H version which does have voltage and more OCing options. I've got my brisbane 4000 up too 2.52GHz with no voltage tweaks and plan on going higher as soon as I get my new HS&F this week. Question thou, why did you go with the 3600 brisbane when the 4000 is only $2 more?

Ziarkaen, that X2 3800 you decided on is the Windsor right? If so I would strongly recomend the brisbane 4000 instead cause it's faster, cheaper, lower power consumption, and runs cooler.

 

[TSIMonster]

The ASUS 690G board has voltage control options. It is on newegg for $65 shipped right now. The 4000+ Brisbane is $58 shipped. That is about as low as you can go and still get something decent. Your budget is tooooo low for building a decent PC. $20 will get 1GB of cheap RAM, $20 will also get you a self-exploding power supply.

So, My 2 cents are:

ASUS 690G - $65
4000+ X2 (Brisbane) - $57
2GB ADATA PC6400 - $42
Silverstone ST350 - $40

so, total = $204

That is the cheapest I would go, really. You could save some money by going 1GB and adding another later.

 

[TSIMonster]

Those are newegg USD prices. I know that might not help...

 

[skittle]

You must have got a GA-MA69G-S2H which is the micro board with the 690G. From reviews on newegg and around the net it sounds like a really good board. I almost went with that board but ended up going with the ATX S3H version which does have voltage and more OCing options. I've got my brisbane 4000 up too 2.52GHz with no voltage tweaks and plan on going higher as soon as I get my new HS&F this week. Question thou, why did you go with the 3600 brisbane when the 4000 is only $2 more?

Ziarkaen, that X2 3800 you decided on is the Windsor right? If so I would strongly recomend the brisbane 4000 instead cause it's faster, cheaper, lower power consumption, and runs cooler.

Simply? Strict budget, and I really didnt see a reason to add extra cost when I can OC it anyway. You were correct on the motherboard by the way, I really like it... except there are no voltage options :| the odd multipliers suck by the way... makes your RAM not run at full speed.