Choosing between these two

[jetzeroeight]

well.. in my excitement i forgot to add these:

Approximate Purchase Date: this week to next month


Budget Range:900 usd or less


System Usage from Most to Least Important: photo editing and gaming


Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: www.pcx.com.ph


Country of Origin: Philippines


Parts Preferences: any brand that is reliable and not overpriced


Overclocking: no


SLI or Crossfire: no


Monitor Resolution: idk for the moment, the higher the better but if i go for an expensive build i will be using an old 15" crt monitor, for lack of funds


Additional Comments:

Hi all,

first time asker here. well, im thinking on a new build, but i cant decide in which build i should choose, and i would really like some help right now.

*first off im an occasional gamer, (meaning i can only play games when my daughter is asleep, usually very early in the morning). but even though i cant play all the tmie, whenever i do, i still like playing my games as maxed out as possible. the games i play are first person shooters, rpg ( either 2d or 3d, i like them both if the story is good) and some rts (starcraft mainly).

* i dont have any interest in overclocking my rig and dont have the resources to go dual on video cards.

*also, i regularly edit pictures (in raw format). sometimes i use photoshop, lightroom or gimp, but there are times that i have all 3 of them open. (also while this is happening i will always have my browser and torrent client open in the background)

*i'm building this pc in hopes that it would still be relevant 3-5 yrs from now

so, enough of the background, these are the two buils that im looking at, it's amd vs intel (again).
i would also like to inform you that if i go for the more expensive intel, i wouldnt have enough money to buy a new lcd monitoR, and will be forced to use my old 15 inch crt monitor.


INTEL BUILD:

CPU: CORE I5 2500 (NON K) 3.3GHZ
MOBO: GIGABYTE H67MA-UD2H XFIRE/S/L/DDR3 (only non intel H67 board available in our region)
RAM: KINGSTON 4GB 1333 some DDR3 (i plan on adding to these when i get some cash)
HDD: 500GB WD SATA3 (i honestly dont need more cause i like to keep my os lean and clean)
VIDEO CARD: INNO3D OR EVGA GTX460 OC 1GB DDR5 750MHZ (price is the same)
ODD: LITEON 24X DVDR
CASE : THERMALTAKE V4 MESH BLACK
PSU: ACBEL 650W 80+


AMD BUILD:

CPU: PHENOM X6 1055T 2.8 GHZ
MOBO:MSI 880GMA - E45
RAM: KINGSTON 4GB 1333 some DDR3 (i plan on adding to these when i get some cash)
HDD: 500GB WD SATA3 (i honestly dont need more cause i like to keep my os lean and clean)
VIDEO CARD: INNO3D OR EVGA GTX460 OC 1GB DDR5 750MHZ (price is the same)
ODD: LITEON 24X DVDR
CASE : THERMALTAKE V4 MESH BLACK
PSU: ACBEL 650W 80+

i am puchasing these from this website "pcx.com.ph". keep in mind availability is an issue in our region, so please if you're going to suggest something, please take a peek on the website to see what alternative hardware is being offered. thanks!!

and also the intel build is the most expensive build my pockets can afford.

 

[sadams04]

If you can afford the Intel build, then that is the route to go for a 3-5 year investment. The AMD rig would be fine as well, but it is already a step behind SB...

HDD - Not a fan of WD, but I also don't see Samsung F3 hard drives on that web site. The Samsung F3 500GB is a great drive and is highly recommended if you can venture to other suppliers.

RAM - Kingston ram is OK at best. Not finding the Kinston HyperX line of memory, but I do see Corsair XMS. The XMS memory is the way I would go.

PSU - Not familar with Acbel and it may work just fine, but I would go with the Corsair TX series that they have in stock. Corsair has a proven track record.

 

[jetzeroeight]

oh my the corsair tx is pricey, might set me back a month if i take that. but time is not a problem, i can wait, maybe prices might drop in a months time. ( i hope)

 

[BADGJ31]

What about the XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W PSU? It's on sale for $90 - $10 with code EMCKGJE53 - $30 Mail in Rebate = $50 AR w/ Free Shipping. It gets a good review on the Toms Hardware PSU list "XFX XXX Edition 650W" and is cheaper than dirt.

 

[jetzeroeight]

well, yeah. but it's not really available in our region. the thing is, if i buy outside our country there would be additional shipping costs.

btw do you think 600w is too much power, can i get away with 500w psu?

thanks!

 

[BADGJ31]

Sorry, I forgot to read about your location and preferred website before recommending the XFX.

600W will work, but only if you are not planning on overclocking (which would be difficult without a "K" version CPU) or adding a second graphics card in SLI. The GTX 460 should run just fine with 600W. Use any online PSU Calculater - specifically http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp to double check.

 

[jetzeroeight]

thanks!!

 

[jetzeroeight]

Best answer selected by jetzeroeight.