Phenom 2 940 vs i7 920

[kirvinb]

I'm building a new system...and I am soon torn on what to get....this system will be brand new...meaning I have zero parts to start with zero!!...

I am torn between a i7 build that totals 1650 with mointor including vs amd build that total 1450 with monitor included...


of course the i7 build will perform better but you must consider what the i7 has
case
monitor
i7 920
evga mobo
2x wd black 640gb hdd
dvd burner
stock cooler
4gb pc3 ram
800w PS
ati 4830

The amd build has jus about everything the i7 build has except
aftermarket cooler
4gb ddr2 ram
730w ps
ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe mobo

I been readin that the phenom 2 is jus a upgrade cpu...not a cpu you should built a new system with...is this true or not? Is the phenom 2 worth building a new system with?

 

[cjl]

I'd go with the i7, honestly. The Phenom II is a good CPU, and far better than AMD's prior offerings, but it is not really in the league with i7.

 

[Blacklyte]

The p2 is a major step in the right direction for amd but i7 will be better for a new build right now, also i7 uses tri channel mem so get 3 or 6 gigs instead of 4. There are plenty of people on this forum that know more than I do, but a 4830 seems like a weak video card for either setup hard to tell without knowing what you're gonna use it for

 

[roofus]

if money is no object, then build an i7 system. if it is, you may want to start comparing prices. both can overclock well, both are very capable. i7 has more muscle but it comes at a cost.

 

[spathotan]

Well you can cut some money off the i7 build by dropping that 800W power supply, you definetly do not need all that. While this is still overkill for that system, the Corsair 750W is a great price, probably ~$60 cheaper than that 800W youve picked out.

As far as the build itself goes, just get i7. Its worth the extra money.

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Yes, the i7 would be more future-proof than the P2, which will be moving to DDR3 in the next few months anyway. Besides, the i7 seems to have some "secret" gaming performance advantages in a non-GPU-limited setup (currently multi-GPU setups), and the next-gen GPUs will be out in this summer. I suspect the i7 will become the hands-down favorite for gamers in the next 6-9 months, if that is your interest.

 

[boygenius]

If you have the money, go i7, but you need to ditch the 4830 and get a 4850 or 4870 with the setup you have.

 

[werxen]

screw that support AMD, go P2! woot woot.

 

[kirvinb]

for the record...the 4830 is a powerful card...it can get 50fps on average in most games at 1900 b 1200....and in xf...it has the speed of a 4870.....im not a gamer...so i dnt need much in the graphics department


but im thinkin about go i7...because i dnt wanna cry in august when my amd machine is old and rusty ALREADy...

and im gonna get the 750 w PS

 

[kirvinb]

Complete Build:

OKGEAR 18" SATA II Premium Round Cable, Support up to 3 GBS Model OK18ARS12 - Retail
Item #: N82E16812123181
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$3.98
($1.99 each)


OKGEAR 10" SATA II Cable Model GC10AKM22 - Retail
Item #: N82E16812123197
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$2.00 Instant
$3.99
$1.99


Thermaltake Armor+MX VH8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811133062
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$139.99


ASUS VH222H Black 21.5" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824236053
Return Policy: LCD Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
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-$20.00 Instant
$219.99
$199.99


ASUS My Cinema-PE9400 Combo TV Tuner Card w/Low Profile Brackets - Retail
Item #: N82E16815293002
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$79.99


SAPPHIRE 100265L Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102803
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
-$10.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate
$109.99
$99.99


CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817139006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
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-$55.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$179.99
$124.99


Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16823175103
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-$10.00 Instant
$49.99
$39.99


Logitech 904353-0403 Gray 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired TrackBall TrackMan Wheel - Retail
Item #: N82E16826104156
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$29.99


Arctic Silver CMQ-22G The high-density, ceramic-based thermal compound - Retail
Item #: N82E16835100012
Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy
$9.99


Rexus PST-2 20/24pin Power Supply Tester - Retail
Item #: N82E16899705002
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-$5.00 Instant
$18.99
$13.99


G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-4GBNQ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231190
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
-$20.00 Instant
$99.99
$79.99


ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131359
Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy
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$249.99


Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115202
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
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$294.99


BELKIN BE112234-10 10 feet 12 Outlets 4120 joule Surge Suppressor with Phone/Modem, RJ45 and Coax Protection - Retail
Item #: N82E16842121010
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$29.99


Vigor Monsoon III LT Dual 120mm Fan CPU Cooler Socket 1366 Ready - Retail
Item #: N82E16835702007
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$59.99


Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
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Rosewill RTK-145 145 Piece Computer Tool Kit - Retail
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Rosewill RCR-FD201 USB 2.0 Card Reader - Retail
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SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223F - OEM
$43.98

Grand total being $1,665.10
All frm newegg...ima add some logitech 2300s...for 80 bucks...frm amazon...newegg sell them for 115..idk why..

what you guys think?

 

[mi1ez]

Looks like a nice build, but as previously mentioned, you'd get better performance going with a triple channel RAM kit with either 3 or 6 GB.

 

[kirvinb]

i though about the tri channel kit...but i seen so many reviews saying that tri channel barely out performs dual channel...so my thinkin is....grab the 4gb and jus go dual channel since its only 79 dollars...and then by another 2gb stick sometime wen ddr3 prices drop...

 

[mi1ez]

That's one way of looking at it. I suppose the dual channel is still considerably quicker than single channel. Looks like a good build then. wish I had the money for one (damn teacher's salary!)

 

[werxen]

lol... do you just have money to blow or are you in a hurry? it seems as though you have a bunch of crap you really would not need and could invest in the hardcore pc components instead.

 

[kirvinb]

yea...i took alot of crap off...like the card reader...and tv card..and jus got a basic keyboard and mouse...so that saved me like hundred bucks and i used that saving to upgrade to a xfx 4850...since they offer double lifetime warranties

 

[grieve]

Looks like a nice build, but as previously mentioned, you'd get better performance going with a triple channel RAM kit with either 3 or 6 GB.

I agree %100

If i were building today I would build a i7 and certainly would get triple channel memory...

I see on Newegg a 3gig kit of triple channel for under 150$


***edit***
My spelling sucks

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

You could always get a Q9550 or Q9650 and some decent DDR2 with a P45. Add a 4870 or GTX 280 in and get some nice performance. Phenom 2 is an upgrade chip as you said. If you do not have an AM2+ already than you should not have a Phenom 2, period. i7 is still a little ridiculous to me, the $100-300 you can save going with a slightly less overkill CPU can net a much better GPU or monitor. All personal preference really, just stay away from Phenom 2...

 

[kirvinb]

Yea i7 might be overkill, but how long do you see 775 mobos lasting?

 

[werxen]

Yea i7 might be overkill, but how long do you see 775 mobos lasting?

i suspect quite a while since the only choice is 775 (dual and quad cores) or a 1366 which is corei7. not everyone can afford a i7.

 

[grieve]

i suspect quite a while since the only choice is 775 (dual and quad cores) or a 1366 which is corei7. not everyone can afford a i7.

True...but... How long is 1366 going to be around? Safe to say you can upgrade your processor down the road.

If you buy a q9550 it is likely that is the last processor youll buy on a 775.

In my opinion purchasing a system anywhere in the neighborhood of $1000 which is NOT i7 is a grave error. I can understand a person who has 600 bucks building a Q6600rig or AMD even... but if you are in the $1k area; there is only 1 choice….i7

Im far from being wealthy… but when did 1k become such a large amount of money? I usually spend around $1800-2500 on my PC’s.

 

[spathotan]

1366 will disapear before 775 im willing to bet. 1366 is looking proprietary almost, more than likely to be replaced by whatever socket i5 will be using. Id have the name of it but theyve changed it about 3 times now.

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

i5, it runs north and south from Washington state to so cal. Hate that name. Hopefully theyll come up with something soon

 

[kirvinb]

judging on the performance increase in i7..i dnt think there wnt be much upgrading I cnt do....when a person upgrades their PC...generally the processor is the last thing to go.... dnt see ddr3 going anywhere...sata drives...optical drives...or pci-e graphics cards...so i see it being a stable buy for 2 years at least

 

[grieve]

1366 will disapear before 775 im willing to bet.

This is crazy talk! crazy talk!

 

[werxen]

who knows which will die first but 775 is not leaving ANYTIME soon. good luck trying.