Intel or AMD for Gaming

[techievamps]

Hey Guys and Gals, I'm working on a spec list for a new gaming rig. I have alot of it already decided, and after readin a few of the builds here.. I've made some minor changes and run in a few questions. Lets start off with those things i knew i'm getting.
Concrete Pieces
Thermaltake Case VH600bws Armor+
G.Skill 6gb (3x2gb) 1600 RAM
SSD OCZ 30gb
WD 500gb SATA Caviar Green x2
EVGA GTX 460 FTW x 2
ThermalTake 1200W PSU

as you can tell, there are 3 things not listed. MoBo Proce and Sound Card.
This is where the questions come. I know alot of the new MoBo's come with onboard sound, but i'm a HUGE HUGE HUGE Creative fanboy. I actually have an older creative in my current dell tower. so what is gonna be truely the best bang for the buck with mobo proc and sound. I've been looking at the Intel mobos and procs, but i wanna a pc that will last for a good few years and is totally totally upgradeable.
So for gaming, which is what i do alot of which is better, Intel or AMD?

CrossFire and SLI compat isnt required, but a nice extra as i've not yet worked with a tower with that option, and would like to.

Remeber, best bang for the buck.

 

[guanyu210379]

3x2GB RAM? Only Intel i7 1366 can handle that.
If you are asking about AMD or Intel, but with those 3 RAM sticks, the answer is only : Intel i7 , let say i7 930.

 

[guanyu210379]

If you are willing to consider having 2x2GB RAM, then yes AMD option is still open.

 

[Wolfshadw]

In my opinion, the question of AMD vs Intel always boils down to budget. If the budget is there, go Intel. If not, go AMD. Both will serve you well.

As far as being "totally totally upgradeable", that's up to Intel and AMD. I've heard Intel is coming out with a new CPU socket that isn't compatible with current 1156/1366 processors. AMD will probably be coming out with a new AM3+ socket that may or may not be compatible with current AM3 processors. So the answer there is, "Who knows?"

-Wolf sends

 

[asteldian]

A good Intel build will last 3-5 years, so totally upgradeable in terms of Mobo and CPU should be irrelevant as by the time your computer is at its end things will likely have moved on notably.

Arguably an i7 930/50 etc could be 'most upgradable' because assuming Triple Channel RAM is here to stay, your next build should be able to use your old RAM modules.

But it really is all guess work, so just build a solid system and you cannot go wrong

 

[techievamps]

hey guys. thanks for the input. as alot of you have mentioned with the RAM and mobo's thought i would mention that ram is flexible to, on the same note thought, i cant see spending 400$+ on ram.
so i guess what im tryin to find out is will amd or intel be the system for gaming.
i'm not particular to either Intel or AMD, however i am lookin for upgradeable and the total package.
any ideas then on a gaming rig. budget is flexible.
if any one has specs for a gaming rig for intel and amd that would be great.

 

[boiler1990]

Well a good set of 3x2GB DDR3 RAM will cost you around $150, an i7-950 will be just under $300, and a motherboard will average about $220 (depending on the model). This totals about $670, not including the sound card.

I've been recommended the Auzentech Forte 7.1 sound card, which gets some of the best reviews, and runs about $150

 

[Atotalnoob]

IMHO

CPU: core I7 950 ~ 289ish
GPU: GTX 460 X2 ~ 200ish each, so 400 (IMHO [I used what you wanted] you didn't say the size, so it is rough on the price.... also I think you should go 6000 series...)
RAM:G.skill (ftw ^^) 3x2gb ~150ish
Mobo: depends... you'd probably want a good one, so 250ish probably higher...
case: Thermaltake Case VH600bws Armor+ (I used the one you had above, IMHO WAYYY overpriced...) ~ 184.99

Don't bother with a sound card, unless you want to use an analog headset. Most onboard 7.1 systems are as good as, or better then aftermarket sound cards. I am not bashing soundcards, they are just something that can wait, while you get better stuff in the computer, think of it as an upgrade in a few months, if you are bent on getting one. I personally use the G35 headset, and it works awesome....

 

[geofelt]

Have you already purchased the " concrete" parts?

If not, here are some thoughts:

For gaming upgradeability, the most likely part to upgrade is the graphics configuration. Dual GTX460 is very good, but not upgradeable. Better to spend the same money on a GTX480 to still leave room for upgrading.

The i7-950 will be good for some time, and could, arguably be upgraded to the 32nm 6 core beast, but that is unlikely, either from the cost point of view, or the need for it. If you have a microcenter near you, check out their walk in and bundle prices. The i7-950 is $230.


I like the 6gb of ram. It is plenty for gaming, and still leaves a bit left over for some other multitasking. If you will not multitask, then 4gb is the most you can use for a game.

I like a SSD for the OS, but 30gb is a bit small. Budget about $100 for 40-60gb.

A 1200w psu is overkill for anything sane.
A good quality 750/850w unit can handle anything else.

Try onboard sound first. You can always add a sound card later.

On Intel vs. AMD, Intel is about 15% faster, clock for clock. That said, any quad @3.0 should run any game well.

If you care about performance, get the WD black, not the green.

 

[techievamps]

For gaming upgrade ability, the most likely part to upgrade is the graphics configuration. Dual GTX460 is very good, but not upgradeable. Better to spend the same money on a GTX480 to still leave room for upgrading.

So geo, are you saying just one 480? or 2? the dual 460 was to give me a few options.
1.) MultiMonitors as i do quite a few things at once. (well not that much, but i'm a webhoster and a dj. but neither need much extra ram or cpu)
2.) Toying with SLI/CrossfireX setups. I have not yet so i wanna

The i7-950 will be good for some time, and could, arguably be upgraded to the 32nm 6 core beast, but that is unlikely, either from the cost point of view, or the need for it. If you have a microcenter near you, check out their walk in and bundle prices. The i7-950 is $230.

with the i7-950( which is think i looked at) I had the Asus Revo P6T6 mobo to go with it. thoughts on that? Or is there a more upgradeable more fluent mobo you would suggest? fluent as in room work-space and upgrades
With the SSD, my thoughts are the same. SSD will be used for the OS, and other HDDs for programs games and the like. 40-60gb sounds a little better. God knows we cant count on MS to keep windows at a normal disk space level
About the Sound Card. THe onboard sound with the mobo will more likely be used for music. the primary card for gaming.

Have you already purchased the " concrete" parts?

To answer this for everyone. NO none of the parts have been purchased yet.
its been a few years since i built a tower/box from scratch. I work on pc's all day as i'm a tech. fix the inside, less time building.
any and all suggestions are welcome and apprecaited.

edit :
i was looking at different mobo's and seen this EVGA x58 FTW3 board. any one heard anything bout this one? link below
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188065 EVGA x58 FTW3 LGA 1366

 

[geofelt]

Are you talking two monitors, or three or more?
Are these 1920 x 1200 monitors, or 2560 x 1600?

If you are talking two 1920 monitors, one of which will be for gaming, then a single GTX480 will be more than you need. If you have two 2560 monitors, then sli GTX480 might be in order.

I use a 5870 for gaming on a 2560 monitor, and while adequate, I think I could use more.
My second, static 2560 monitor is attached to a 7600GS

If you are thinking about a triple 1080P surround gaming system, then you will need dual Nvidia graphics to attach them. Such a configuration would probably do ok with dual GTX470 cards.

For upgrading, you will always have the option to market your current card/s and replace them with the next best thing.

As to motherboards, I would look for a full ATX with Sata 6gb, and USB3.0.
You should be able to find one from Asus, Gigabyte, EVGA for about $200.
Only if you need triple sli would you need more.
The speed of your cpu is determined almost entirely by your processor chip, not the motherboard.
Only if you are a competitive overclocker should you need to pay for an enthusiast motherboard.

"future proofing" is not really possible, nor is it economical. Spend what you need now, and save the difference for the next best thing in a few years.

 

[techievamps]

Are you talking two monitors, or three or more?

I am currently running 2 monitors (1920*1080 and 1280*1024) and have planned to run at some point up to 4 monitors.
that many will not be ran for a while so for now 2-3 monitors of differing sizes and resolutions will be the start.

 

[techievamps]

Ok, First things First, Thanks to all of you who have posted and giving feedback. It has helped alot.
I may be knowledgeable with computers, but have yet to build my own, so it a learning experience.

After all that, here is my projected build, i will not include keyboard, mouse, monitors as i will reuse what i have.

Case : ThermalTake Armor+ VH600bws
MotherBoard : GigaByte GA-x58A-ud5
Processor : i7-950
Memory : G.Skill 6 GB (3x2gb)1600
PSU : ThermalTake 750 TPG-750M ( not 100% on this with dual v.cards installed)
SSD : OCZ 30-32gb
HDD's WD Caviar Black 500gb x2
Video : Evga GTX 460 FTW x2
Sound Card : Creative X-Fi TItanium PCIE

Still a work in progress, Im guessamiting it will upgrade descently, running smooth, and give me most of what i'm looking for.
any thoughts???

oh and with the case. I'm a looks kinda person, so if anyone knows were to find cases that have a "shine" of wow to them, im all ears.

 

[geofelt]

Here is a "WOW" case. the lian li PC X900R:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112273

It comes in black for $150 less.

I would look at the XFX750w psu. It is modular, and silver rated.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003
They also make a nice 850w unit for not much more.

As to advice, download and read the manuals for the motherboard and the case that you are considering. Many questions will be answered.

 

[Timop]

You might want to switch to Dual 6850/70s. Slightly better than 460OC/470s with lower power consumption.

For the Mobo, you might want to get the Sabertooth, $200 get you nearly everything and then some. You lose Tri-GPU but thats not supported on either Nvidia or AMd's mid-range offerings anyways.

On the case, Id say the RV01/02 are great cases, looks cool and for around $200 a piece not absurdly expensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163154

 

[techievamps]

Geo

I would look at the XFX750w psu. It is modular, and silver rated.
They also make a nice 850w unit for not much more.

Ok wow.. i just looked at those.. both are well under the price for the TT 750.
Guess i'm switch PSU's. Thanks Geo.

Timop

For the Mobo, you might want to get the Sabertooth, $200 get you nearly everything and then some. You lose Tri-GPU but thats not supported on either Nvidia or AMd's mid-range offerings anyways.

Timop. thanks for the suggestions. did you compare the 2 mobo's? i ask to find out why the sabertooth over the one i listed. just curios.

You might want to switch to Dual 6850/70s. Slightly better than 460OC/470s with lower power consumption.

I'm not exactly sure which brand these 2 cards are, by the "model" i'm thinkin ATI. I had an ati card, well had 2 in my life. then i bought a GTX220. I absolute love my nvidia now. oh wait. ATI hasnt made it pass 5xxx series yet i think. either way. i'll look for those and see what they got

 

[jason gran]

They just came out with their new 6xxx series. 6850/6870. replacing the 5770 and 5750. higher ends come in 2 weeks? having 2 cards go for a modular psu. Itll keep it less cluttered and have more space to move air

suggestions:

1) Samsung Spinpoint is faster than caviar blacks. i just recently bought a 1tb for $54 off newegg

2) Try onboard sound before you buy a sound card. you may or may not be surpised.

 

[techievamps]

They just came out with their new 6xxx series. 6850/6870. replacing the 5770 and 5750. higher ends come in 2 weeks? having 2 cards go for a modular psu. Itll keep it less cluttered and have more space to move air

Awesome. new product, yet i still dont see the chipset (ati or nvidia) knowing that i can actually look it up.

Kudos on the SpinPoint SUggestion. new HD's in the list.

2) Try onboard sound before you buy a sound card. you may or may not be surpised.

Not totally sure if i have put this in my posts yet, but i use 2 sound cards.. and for good reasons.
1. I use the primary card (X-FI) for gaming.
2. the onboard will be used for music and my djing.
This is why i have 2 s.cards on the bill. I have heard and toyed with the new on board sound and as long as its not RealTek.. they arent half bad.

If i can get eiter links to these video cards or a chipset, i can look them up. No one has mentioned the Manufac yet.

 

[jason gran]

newegg has them. heres the list of 6870's

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...EPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&Description=6870+radeon

 

[Timop]

Geo

I would look at the XFX750w psu. It is modular, and silver rated.
They also make a nice 850w unit for not much more.

Ok wow.. i just looked at those.. both are well under the price for the TT 750.
Guess i'm switch PSU's. Thanks Geo.

Timop

For the Mobo, you might want to get the Sabertooth, $200 get you nearly everything and then some. You lose Tri-GPU but thats not supported on either Nvidia or AMd's mid-range offerings anyways.

Timop. thanks for the suggestions. did you compare the 2 mobo's? i ask to find out why the sabertooth over the one i listed. just curios.

You might want to switch to Dual 6850/70s. Slightly better than 460OC/470s with lower power consumption.

I'm not exactly sure which brand these 2 cards are, by the "model" i'm thinkin ATI. I had an ati card, well had 2 in my life. then i bought a GTX220. I absolute love my nvidia now. oh wait. ATI hasnt made it pass 5xxx series yet i think. either way. i'll look for those and see what they got

The Sabertooth is only $200, but can offer nearly identical OC capabilities and features other features like Ceramix cooling. Its just a nicer board for less money, as the only "feature" you'll lose is Tri-CFX/SLI.

Heres the link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131665&cm_re=Saber_tooth-_-13-131-665-_-Product

The HD6850/70 is the brand-new AMD (ATI) models thats competes with the 460/470. The 6850 offers slightly better performance than the 460 1GB at stock while using a bit less power and being usually about $20 cheaper upfront. The 6870 offers GTX470 level performance, uses quite a bit less power and is generally $10-20 less. Both also scale fantastically in Crossfire, on par with the GTX4XXs. Read about them, and really consider them.

On the Manufactuers, HIS, MSI, Sapphire, ASUS, and XFX are nice, though its not worth paying more than $239.

 

[boiler1990]

Ok, First things First, Thanks to all of you who have posted and giving feedback. It has helped alot.
I may be knowledgeable with computers, but have yet to build my own, so it a learning experience.

After all that, here is my projected build, i will not include keyboard, mouse, monitors as i will reuse what i have.

Case : ThermalTake Armor+ VH600bws
MotherBoard : GigaByte GA-x58A-ud5
Processor : i7-950
Memory : G.Skill 6 GB (3x2gb)1600
PSU : ThermalTake 750 TPG-750M ( not 100% on this with dual v.cards installed)
SSD : OCZ 30-32gb
HDD's WD Caviar Black 500gb x2
Video : Evga GTX 460 FTW x2
Sound Card : Creative X-Fi TItanium PCIE

Still a work in progress, Im guessamiting it will upgrade descently, running smooth, and give me most of what i'm looking for.
any thoughts???

oh and with the case. I'm a looks kinda person, so if anyone knows were to find cases that have a "shine" of wow to them, im all ears.

Don't waste your money on the EVGA FTW GTX460; it's overpriced for what it is. Stick with these EVGA 460s: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130568

These have a lifetime warranty, and can easily be overclocked to the FTW OC using MSI Afterburner (I have 2 in SLI at 850MHz/1700MHz and a faster memory clock). You'll save $40 on a pair of them, plus another $20 in MIRs.

 

[techievamps]

Ok so lately ive been looking at the GTX 400 series of cards. I think i'm stuck on nvidia chipset. more specifically Zotac. which leaves a few questions
1. how good is zotac? i see they get as good of reviews as giga and evga on newegg.
2. which 400 series would be best 460, 470 or 480?
Reason for looking at Zotac is there connector setup. its setup differently then most others, and i like the look of the pin config.

or any suggestions on just a gtx 400 series. like the old jingle I guess i'm stuck on Nvidia cause Nividia stuck with me.

 

[geofelt]

If you may be using three 1920 x 1080 monitors, you are looking at two graphics cards simply to attach them. You need to manage 6gb of pixels, 50% more than a 2560 x 1600 monitor. Check benchmarks for that size, and you should see that you need about 50% more capability than a GTX480 can give. Fortunately, they have come down in price a bit, probably in anticipation of a GTX580 due out by year end. If you buy now, go with EVGA, they have a 90 day trade up program if a better card should appear. Being a US company, they seem to offer good support. The cards all have the same guts. They may differ in cooler, warranty, OC,or, like zotac, the attachment placement. It might be reasonable to get just one good GTX480 and see how you do. If needed, you can get another, trade it in, or market it and get the next best thing.

On the sound card, I suggest you try onboard HD sound first. Could you not try your current sound card if you thought it would be better? You can always add a sound card later.

 

[boiler1990]

I would probably say a minimum of the GTX 470s based on what you've told us. They have come down in price over the last few months (my GTX 460s are $40 cheaper now).

I don't think Zotac makes bad cards, but I wouldn't trust their length of life. If you get an EVGA card(s), you won't be disappointed, and the lifetime warrantied cards are eligible for EVGA's step up program, which is awesome (it would cost me only $70 per card to upgrade to 470s).

 

[techievamps]

ok, so i've been readin reviews all over the place. and i'm now really thinkin hard bout the video card setup. once again the ati vs nvidia idea. im not so much confused, just really tryin to find the best card. so let have at it. ATI or NVIDIA?