AMD Based Build(Feedback Needed plz)

[jeremy1183]

I have built a list for both an Intel based gaming Pc and an AMD based system. This list is for the AMD based that I am working on. I have not chosen other components yet. I have just listed what I believe is the main components and would like to know how this would be as a gaming rig. I listed 2 mobo's and would like to know which of the two would be the better choice and any other feedback that ya'll might have to add.

Case-AZZA Solano 1000R Black / Red Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517006


Mobo Option 1-MSI 870-G45 AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130290


Mobo Option 2-ASUS M4A88T-M AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131657


GPU-SAPPHIRE FleX 100314FLEX Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102924


CPU-AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808

 

[aznshinobi]

Please fill this out:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

In any case their are budget builds in my siggy that may fit your budget.

 

[jeremy1183]

not to be any sort of a $@!^ or anything but I dont see why I need to fill all that out after the first post...its pretty much straight to the point...just looking on some feedback on the parts chosen so far. I know going AMD is cheaper than intel....I see the differences between the 2 list i have of each. I'm not on any budget. Just wanting to know if I go with AMD that I am going in the right direction for gaming.

 

[aznshinobi]

You seek feedback fine. I will be straight forward with you.

That build could be better, in fact a lot better with an Intel build. Both motherboards are not that great and the card costs more than some other 6870 choices that would be smarter. Oh by the way, your wrong. Going with the build your doing, AMD would not be cheaper than Intel, don't be such a smart alec.

 

[genghiskron]

The reason we ask people to fill out the form:
Parts cost different amounts in different countries, and therefore have different relative values. They also are sold from different stores. For example, giving you a newegg link would be useless if you live in the UK. Taxes also vary from state to state, and store to store.

SLI/Crossfire: Some people want to do it eventually some dont. We need to know what your needs are so we can help you choose the appropriate mobo and psu.

Overclocking: Mobos and Processors that can be overclocked cost more money, so we need to know if you overclock to give you the best value recommendation.

So thats why we want that information

Saying AMD is cheaper than intel is a meaningless statement. Intel sells processors that are both more and less expensive than the 955. In fact, Intel sells a processor that is cheaper and a better gamer than the phenom 955 - the i3-2100.

 

[aznshinobi]

^ +1

Thank you for agreeing genghis.

 

[jeremy1183]

Thanks for the input. I don't know where you get me being a "smart alec" from but hey thats your opinion and I'm ok with that. ANYWAY, I didnt really see any other 6870's in any other price range or diff specs except the one on newegg that was slighly overclocked from factory. If you could link me and also show a good mobo i would appreciate it.

 

[Outlander_04]

Its definitely easier to help people if they give information that you havent supplied .

Often people ask for advice on what gfx card .. but theres no way to answer that if you dont know the resolution of their monitor or if their power supply is up to the task etc .

But back to your AMD build [ which I believe can be cheaper than intel for a given performance ] ........

Its nice but both mb's suck
In a few weeks both will be out of date when AMD release their new Bulldozer cpu's .

Gigabyte have released "black socket" motherboards that do support bulldozer .
IMO if you are buying AMD today then get one of those , and a mid range triple or quad cpu that you can replace in a few months . Maybe a Phenom 840 .

A quick search for AM3+ mb's on newegg shows only 2
Buy one of them

 

[jeremy1183]

The reason we ask people to fill out the form:
Parts cost different amounts in different countries, and therefore have different relative values. They also are sold from different stores. For example, giving you a newegg link would be useless if you live in the UK. Taxes also vary from state to state, and store to store.

SLI/Crossfire: Some people want to do it eventually some dont. We need to know what your needs are so we can help you choose the appropriate mobo and psu.

Overclocking: Mobos and Processors that can be overclocked cost more money, so we need to know if you overclock to give you the best value recommendation.

So thats why we want that information

Saying AMD is cheaper than intel is a meaningless statement. Intel sells processors that are both more and less expensive than the 955. In fact, Intel sells a processor that is cheaper and a better gamer than the phenom 955 - the i3-2100.

Got it. Fully understand now. New to building computers. Thanks for the straight forward response.

 

[aznshinobi]

I suggest this mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130275&cm_re=msi_870-_-13-130-275-_-Product

AM3+ support: http://event.msi.com/mb/am3+/

And this card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121418&cm_re=6870-_-14-121-418-_-Product
Stock overclocks do nothing, if you want results overclock it yourself. The 6870 really doesn't have a huge effect when it is stock OC'd unless you OC yourself.

I'd suggest this board, but Newegg doesn't have the Revsion 2.0 versions.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=870%20Extreme3%20R2.0

 

[genghiskron]

Welcome to the forums, i know it can be a pain to fill out those forms. it will generally be worth it however, as bored individuals, like myself, will put in a good bit of effort to help you. AMD is a great company, and i wish it the best in the future, but at the moment it is behind in its CPU performance. Intel simply has it beat in maximum performance and in price/performance. AMD will be releasing its new line of processors in the coming months, codenamed Bulldozer. Hopefully these processors will make the AMD cpu brand a viable choice, and increase the competition. Currently, Intel sandy bridge cpus (i3-2100, i5-2400, i5-2500k) are the best choice for a gaming build over $500. AMD graphics card offerings are still very competitive.

 

[jeremy1183]

I suggest this mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130275&cm_re=msi_870-_-13-130-275-_-Product

AM3+ support: http://event.msi.com/mb/am3+/

And this card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121418&cm_re=6870-_-14-121-418-_-Product
Stock overclocks do nothing, if you want results overclock it yourself. The 6870 really doesn't have a huge effect when it is stock OC'd unless you OC yourself.

I'd suggest this board, but Newegg doesn't have the Revsion 2.0 versions.
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=870%20Extreme3%20R2.0

Correct me if I'm wrong but the mobo you recommended is PCI Express 2.0 x16 and the graphics card is PCI Express 2.1 x16....so they wouldnt work would it?

 

[aznshinobi]

Noo..... PCI Express 2.1 16x is backwards compatible with 16x 2.0 There is no difference in speed. Just an update.

 

[jeremy1183]

Noo..... PCI Express 2.1 16x is backwards compatible with 16x 2.0 There is no difference in speed. Just an update.

Awesome. Good to know. Thanks. I'm gonna change and add that mobo and gpu to the list.

 

[megamanx00]

For a low cost AMD board I would go with this mostly because it allows for 8x/8x crossfire unlike that MSI board that's 8x/4x or that ASUS board which only has one slot.

ASRock 870 EXTREME3 $89.99 (in cart, the product page still says 109 for some reason) with free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157198

If you want to be ready for Bulldozer there are currently two AM3+ boards available (about time right?)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157248

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128490

 

[aznshinobi]

^ Megaman, I was going to suggest that board. But the Extreme3 does not offer AM3+ support since that isn't the R2.0 version.

Why get that Asrock board if it is 100$ more than the prior MSI board, and about 90$ more than the Extreme3. @ that point you might as well use the money you save and get the i5 2400.

I cannot recommend the Gigabyte board you recomennded because it costs more than the MSI board I suggested but is a smaller board and has 1 less PCI Express 16x 2.0. Which even though the MSI runs 16x/4x it wouldn't take a huge hit, 5%-10% at most.

 

[jeremy1183]

You said I could use PCI 2.0x16 GPU with PCI 2.1x16 motherboard because they are backwards compatible. Is it the same with HDD. Can I use SATA 3 HDD on a SATA 6 mobo? Because newegg has a 5 piece combo deal with that MSI 870A-G54 mobo that you suggested that is packaged that way and just wanted to make sure that it wasnt an error.

 

[aznshinobi]

^ Any SATA III motherboard is going to have SATA II slots. Even then, SATA II is backwards compatible with SATA III, I'm pretty sure vice versa as well.

By the way, if you chose that 5 combo deal that Newegg offers for that mobo, you'd be getting ripped off. They've put in expensive ram that costs 115$ when the standard 8GB kit only costs 80$. When you compare 1600 and 1333 there is virtually no real world difference in performance.

The charge you extra for a 1090T, when the 1090T loses to the i5 2400 and the 2400 is 10$ cheaper. They also charge you for a shitty 5400 RPM drive, although 2TB still 5400 is going to be annoying boot-time.

If you are going to go with that combo, I honestly suggest you go with Sandy Bridge instead.

 

[jeremy1183]

Yeah, I didn't take the 5 deal combo. I just kept the CPU and the Motherboard and ditched the rest. I get what you are saying with the 1090T losing to the i5 2400 but I am making two diff list one strictly amd and one intel to see how big the diff in prices and performance would be.

 

[aznshinobi]

There wouldn't be a huge difference at all.
-------------------
Tier 1
Perform about the same
955 - 140$
i3 2100 - 120$
---------------------
Next tier
Performance 2400>1090T
i5 2400 - 190$
1090T - 190$ w/ Promo, 200$ w/o promo
At most your looking @ a 50$ increase, or a 20$ decrease. Intel mobos and AMD mobos are pretty much all around the same pricing. The Extreme3 870 is 90$, a decent H67 GA-H67M-D2-B3 is 90$ as well. Both have 2 PCI Express 16x 2.0, the 870 does run @ 8x/8x, the H67 @ 16x/4x, but performance wouldn't be really taking a huge hit.

 

[jeremy1183]

Ok, thanks for the info. I should be done with this list soon and I'll post it on this thread for a final review. I don't really plan on Crossfire or SLI on either system but will get a mobo that is capable just in case.

 

[jeremy1183]

Oh yeah...like I said earlier...new to this computer build stuff. Next thing that kinda confuses me is the memory. How do I know if I am looking at the right stuff. The mobo specs say mem standard is ddr3...i see ddr3 on newegg but I see alot of different number after ddr3

example: DDR3 1866, DDR3 1333, DDR3 1066 then each one of those also has a PC3 number...just confusing and dont want to get the wrong stuff.

 

[aznshinobi]

PC3 ###### are just a different way to say the speeds (IE DDR3 1600/1333/1066/1866)

DDR3 1333 is fine, 1600 is a plus but costs 20$ above 1333 typically. The extra cost typically isn't worth it because 1600 doesn't perform any better than 1333.

 

[jeremy1183]

Approximate Purchase Date: Soon...Just gotta get the wife to bless off on it!


Budget Range: No budget for me. Not the same for wife...so under 1100


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming and more Gaming (Black Ops, Crysis 2, BF3 all on max settings)


Parts Not Required: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com


Country of Origin: USA


Parts Preferences: AMD CPU, Asus or MSI mobo, Radeon GPU


Overclocking: Yes somewhere around 3.8 or 3.9 would work for me


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in future


Monitor Resolution: (e.g.: 1024x768, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1600x1200, 1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200)


Additional Comments: Would like to know if a selected a compatible power supply and if its the correct size. Also I
know that there is no CD Rom on the list. I have not decided on one yet. Prob gonna be a Blu Ray. I also understand that the board doesnt support the upcoming AM3+ cpu's. Im not really concerened about that. If I ever want it ill just get another mobo. No big deal. Just give me a reason to give the wife to upgrade instead of spending so much now.


Tower-COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case


Mobo-MSI 870A-G54 AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard


CPU-AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz 6 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX


GPU-ASUS EAH6870 DC/2DI2S/1GD5 Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity


Memory-G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL


HDD-Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive


PSU-CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply


So...How does this look for a Gaming PC. Will be used on a 19 inch wide screen monitor (1080p)

 

[aznshinobi]

Finally.... You should go with an Intel build. A 1100 build.... You should be checking out the build guide in my siggy.
2500K vs 1090T
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/146?vs=288