AMD or Intel?

[zeem]

I'm torn... What would you do?

Current Spec's :

CPU: Pent 4 630 (3.0 Ghz + HT)
MOBO: Asus P5LD2 (Rev 1.0 so I can't upgrade to anything past a Pent D)
RAM: 3GB DDR2-667
GPU : PNY 9800 GT 1GB
PSU: 550 Watt Thermaltake

I already have a "new in box" 750GB Seagate 7200.12 and 64 Windows 7 ready for the upgraded build

I don't want to spend an arm/leg on upgrading this thing... I was looking at the Phenom II X3 720 and a new MOBO that takes DDR2 Ram for under $200; And keeping my existing RAM, But for $450 I can get a new I5-750 + Board + DDR3 RAM...

With my other compenents; would I be wasting my money on the I5?

Or What about spending about $130 on a basic Core-2-Duo and MOBO until I can afford to spend $1000-$1200 in a couple years to upgrade everything....

My Goal = Get a little better FPS in games and run internet faster, and be able to listen to music while I play a game. I don't do any video encoding or high end programs or play any flight simulator games that are real graphic intensive... Just your average First Person Shooters... (COD4, Modern Warfare 2 , Team Fortress, will want to buy the new Battlefield when it comes out)


PLEASE HELP, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A SMALL BUDGET?

 

[David_J_D]

I had a similr problem a while back (I'm in the UK BTW) and I settled on the following: ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO for quality and stability, Phenom X2 @ 3.0 Ghz, 4GB G-Skill @ 1600. 750 GB WD HDD and DVD Burner card reader etc with a budget case inc 520W PSU.
I'm currently using the board's integrated GPU (which has 126 MB Gram included) running Win7 64bit. and it's just great. I'm not a gamer, but all you'd need to add is your choice of mirange ATI card and yu'd be a happy gaming bunny.

I'm torn... What would you do?

Current Spec's :

CPU: Pent 4 630 (3.0 Ghz + HT)
MOBO: Asus P5LD2 (Rev 1.0 so I can't upgrade to anything past a Pent D)
RAM: 3GB DDR2-667
GPU : PNY 9800 GT 1GB
PSU: 550 Watt Thermaltake

I already have a "new in box" 750GB Seagate 7200.12 and 64 Windows 7 ready for the upgraded build

I don't want to spend an arm/leg on upgrading this thing... I was looking at the Phenom II X3 720 and a new MOBO that takes DDR2 Ram for under $200; And keeping my existing RAM, But for $450 I can get a new I5-750 + Board + DDR3 RAM...

With my other compenents; would I be wasting my money on the I5?

Or What about spending about $130 on a basic Core-2-Duo and MOBO until I can afford to spend $1000-$1200 in a couple years to upgrade everything....

My Goal = Get a little better FPS in games and run internet faster, and be able to listen to music while I play a game. I don't do any video encoding or high end programs or play any flight simulator games that are real graphic intensive... Just your average First Person Shooters... (COD4, Modern Warfare 2 , Team Fortress, will want to buy the new Battlefield when it comes out)


PLEASE HELP, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH A SMALL BUDGET?

 

[DJRWolf]

Buy new RAM, CPU, and motherboard. Reuse the HDD, optical, case, PSU, ect. Then hold onto the old stuff in case you can donate it, sell it on eBay as a combo with all 3 parts together, or if you can do those you can properly dispose of them. For the last option, www.gcycle.org

As for what new parts to get, keep in mind the Core i9's should be hitting the market soon and that should help drop CPU prices. Plus USB 3.0 just came out so be on the lookout for motherboards with that built in. Plus you could just get another DDR2 system and then you would only replace the CPU and motherboard.

 

[hundredislandsboy]

Since you already have everything except the CPU/Mobo, go fo the AMD combo.

If you're not doing video encoding you don't need the i5 750, waste of cash.

look at this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.334868

$144 and you can overclock the this CPU to 3.7 Ghz which will push your 9800GT to its max output. And you get the AM3 for future quadcore or 6-core upgrades.

 

[daggs]

I would vote on getting a new cpu+mb+mem which are amd and am3 based.

 

[zeem]

WOW! Thanks so much for all of your input. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to help me.

 

[builderbobftw]

Go with the x3-720 BE, wich can be found for around 75$ shipped on ebay, or buy and i5-750 for a bit less than 200$ on newegg. Options:

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-Phenom-II-X3-720-2-8-GHz-Processor-HDZ720WFK3DGI_W0QQitemZ140377099130QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCPUs?hash=item20af208b7a

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819115215

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

I'd say one of the Athlon II x3's. I bought before they were out and ended up with the 720, but I got my friends up to the athlon triple cores. (both of them have never had a fully stable computer before, and now that they listened to me, they do)

They're just cheaper, not slower.

 

[builderbobftw]

Yeh, plus you might be able to unlock the fourth core and use the money saved for a ssd/ better GPU.

 

[builderbobftw]

Yeh, More people have GPU bottlenecks than CPU bottlenecks.

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

I disagree with that statement. One of my friends had an original core 2 duo and the other was using my old 3200+. Until I got them to upgrade to the x3, one set it up just this weekend the other did it towards the end of last year. Both of them were heavily bottlenecked by CPU until that happened.

(and I got my 3200+ 939 back, and it's now my server, it runs great. Not sure what he was doing wrong to make that mobo/cpu unstable.)

 

[builderbobftw]

Uh, Im using a 4870 1gb and an E6600 at stock. What would you say is the bottleneck there. I think it's a good measring stick, cuase I paid 90$ for the cpu a while back, and i got the 4870 for about the same money. ( 90-95$) of ebay, i forget.

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

You're comparing your specific thing and making a generalization? The best data available is steam's survey and there are a great deal of single cores still being used.

I personally haven't used a 775 cpu, so I don't know how fast that is relatively. I can say that my 4850 was limited a good deal by my 4600+ x2. That's also a 2.4 gigahertz CPU but yours should be a bit faster, so if it is giving you all of the 4870 (which should be close enough to test with overclocking) it's on the edge.