AMD or Intel build?

[Klosteral]

Hey guys,

I am planning quite an upgrade - ATI 6870, new case, new PSU, new motherboard and RAM. I have got the whole thing planned out except whether I should go AMD or Intel.

The AMD Phenom II x4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz Quad-Core processor I am planning to get will cost me around $148, which is decent and the "Black Edition" label means it has an unlocked multiplier. So I will be overclocking it.
The motherboard - an ASRock 890GX-Extreme3 motherboard has multiple PCI-E x16 slots (one at x16 or two at x8 each) so that I can CrossFire my 6870's later on. For only $133, I think this is a pretty good deal.

Alternatively, I could go for an LGA 1155 or 1156 chipset by Intel, though I have heard that some of the new boards have SATA issues. I am planning to run 3 or 4 hard drives with a DVD-Burner so I will be affected. Also, an Intel CPU will set me back at least $200 and the motherboard more than $150. That is already quite a bit more than my AMD build.

Tell me then, forum, is the extra money spent on the Intel build worth it? And what is the difference? Why is the Intel i3-550 3.2GHz Dual-Core the same price as the AMD x4 955? The AMD is a Quad at the same core speed but why do the prices not change accordingly?

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[calinkula]

I'm guessing that gaming is the main use for this PC? The GPU will be the most important part in your rig. So going with that PII 955 will not limit you in that respect.

AMD has been the best bang for the buck for a while now. Intel owns the high end(and therefore sets prices how they see fit), but unless you are doing specifically CPU intensive tasks most of the time the extra cost isn't worth it.

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

2nd vote for the AMD build.

 

[capt_taco]

No reason at all to buy Intel right now unless you like paying an extra 40 percent premium for similar performance.

Personally, if you're thinking about going with AMD, I would wait a few months until socket AM3+ comes out. AM3 is going to dead-end soon. For that matter, so are 1366 and 1156 on the Intel side.

 

[Klosteral]

Ok then, cool.

You are correct in your assumption that gaming IS my primary need. My computer is currently straining with an Pentium Dual-Core E6300 2.8GHz and an Nvidea 9600GT so anything is a good step up.

I have looked at some charts and found these:
=on&prod[4794]=on&prod[4757]=on&prod[4441]=on]http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-2010/compare,2433.html?prod[4788]=on&prod[4794]=on&prod[4757]=on&prod[4441]=on
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-2010/Gaming-Left-4-Dead-2,2433.html

Which pretty much says that these AMD things are POS compared to Intel's range. What exactly does this mean? Why does the Intel i5-2500S 2.7GHz outperform the Phenom II x4 955 3.2GHz? Are the clock speeds not what they seem?

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[lothdk]

Clock for clock Intel has AMD beat.

The Phenom II do not compete with the new icore CPUs from Intel, they are about equal to the old core 2 CPUs.

For a quick check of performance, select 2 CPUs on Anandtech's benchmark.

 

[Klosteral]

Ok then, what should I go with if I want to get the most out of my ATI 6870, assuming I start with a single card. I have heard the LGA1155 motherboards have SATA issues but their performance is still quite decent. Perhaps an i5-2500? That would add some $80 on the CPU and $50 on the motherboard, making me pay $130 more than I was planning to, but is it worth it?

-Klosteral

 

[ScrewySqrl]

I'd suggest getting the AS Rock 870 Extreme 3 motherboard. It has 8x/8x crossfire capabilities and runs much less than any 890. Most 870s don't do 8x/8x, but this one does.

 

[Klosteral]

This is what I am looking at:
http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=3134

It actually has 3 PCI-E x16 slots... One at 16x, two at 8x/8x or three at 8x/8x/4x. This costs me $133AUD. If you can find me a better motherboard for a similar price or a similar motherboard for a lower price, I would appreciate it. All I have been judging them on so far is expansion card slots. I need something with at least one PCI, one PCI-E x1 and one PCI-E x16 (but would prefer 2).

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[JackNaylorPE]

If your spending less than $1,000 on a complete build w/ no "bargain brands" in the mix, I'd go AMD....At $1,000 and above, Intel

 

[Klosteral]

Here are my precise builds:

AMD Phenom II x4 955 3.2GHz Quad (NetPlus) $148 - Store Credit
ASRock 890GX-Extreme3 Motherboard (MSY) $133
or
Intel Core i5-2400 (MSY) $209
ASUS P8H67-M H67 DDR3 (MSY) $134

4GB DDR3 1333 Memory KIT (NetPlus) $43
ATI Radeon HD6870 [HIS] (Either)Graphics card $259
Corsair TX-750 750W PSU (MSY) $145
CoolerMaster RC-932 HAF (MSY) $165

AMD Subtotal: $893 - $148 = $745
Intel Subtotal: $955 - $148 = $807

Ignore the store tags (NetPlus and MSY) they are just for my benefit. As you can see, there is little in the difference between the two builds, maybe $60. Which one should I go for, bearing in mind that the Sandy Bridge stuff could have the SATA issue?

Also, do you have any other opinions on my build?

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[ScrewySqrl]

the 2400 is going be faster than a 955

 

[Klosteral]

So despite the fact that the Intel i5-2400 is 3.1GHz as opposed to the AMD 955 at 3.2GHz, the Intel is faster? Why is this?

I am not either an Intel or AMD favouring person, I just want to know what I am getting and why I should get that and not something else.

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

Because the only time just looking at the gigahertz number as a measure of speed worked was if you only bought intel, and in a timeframe from the first pentium to the end of netburst architecture when pentium 4's and pentium d's finally died.

 

[Klosteral]

In that case, what else matters? Or should I ignore descriptions completely and just look at benchmark performance?

Thanks,
-Klosteral

 

[ScrewySqrl]

look at benchmarks, as a 2400 will do more per cycle than a 955.

 

[False_Dmitry_II]

Yeah, unfortunately looking at benchmarks is pretty much all that can be done.

You can look at gigahertz between models in the same architecture/category, like comparing one quad-core phenom II to another. Of course, this does not help to compare between AMD and Intel or even VIA (not that they have anything you'd be after for gaming)

If it were me I'd do like someone else suggested and wait for the AM3+ motherboards and get one of those. Simply because AMD has had a much better track record the last few years with supporting previous motherboards with new lines of CPU's. I've "only" got an AM2+ mobo (the first of the 780G chipset, bought in march of 2008, and is still compatible with everything new) with DDR2, but I have a Black edition tri-core Phenom II. Meanwhile in intel land they've had at least 4 new sockets/motherboards in the last two years or so.

 

[Klosteral]

I see. If that is the case then I will wait for:
a) Intel socket 1155 motherboards to be fixed
b) AMD AM3+ motherboards and CPUs to come out
c) Just go ahead with my build and buy whatever suits my budget at the time

Thanks,
-Klosteral